Chapter 709: The Overwhelming Charm

While the Crown Princess was complaining, she was also extremely intelligent. She immediately reacted, crying out and moving to hit him: "You heartless wretch! You said you loved me so much under the moonlit flowers, and now look at you!"

Zu An secretly gave her a thumbs-up. The Crown Princess was indeed no mere pretty face; she had immediately grasped the situation and knew how to cooperate.

Zhu Xie Chixin frowned. His expression towards Zu An was one of slight disgust. Spouses are like birds sharing a forest, flying their separate ways when disaster strikes, let alone these two who weren't even married.

This guard probably knew it was a capital crime that could lead to the extermination of nine generations of his family. Naturally, he'd want to clear himself, but could he really? If only they had known, they wouldn't have started this.

"Which division are you in? Who is your immediate superior?" Zhu Xie Chixin asked in a deep voice.

"I'm from the Imperial Guards. My superior is Lord Qu Zhishang," Zu An replied. Having spent a good deal of time in the palace recently, he could answer such questions offhand.

Zhu Xie Chixin looked to his side. An Embroidered Uniform Guard next to him nodded, confirming that there was indeed a Qu Zhishang in the Imperial Guards. Only then did Zhu Xie Chixin feel reassured. He then looked at the Crown Princess by his side and asked, "And you? Which palace are you from? Which nanny is in charge of you?"

The Crown Princess lowered her head and eyes, answering cautiously: "I am a servant from the Palace of Accumulated Elegance, under Nanny Liang." Having been in the palace for so long, she was even more familiar with these details than Zu An.

A subordinate of Zhu Xie Chixin had already nodded, confirming the existence of such a person. He no longer had any doubts. "Guards! Take them to Eunuch Wen; he will decide their fate."

He didn't have the leisure to deal with their trivial affairs now. He had just received news that the Crown Princess and Zu An seemed to be involved. He needed to find them immediately and suppress all information as soon as possible.

"Yes, sir!" Two Embroidered Uniform Guards took the order and led the two towards Eunuch Wen.

Zu An secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He was gambling on this: that Zhu Xie Chixin wouldn't be in the mood to handle other matters now. Moreover, as the Emperor's secret agent, he dealt with matters of great importance. Affairs like a palace guard and maid having a secret liaison would naturally fall under the Chief Eunuch's jurisdiction.

The Crown Princess also breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't help but secretly admire how cleverly Zu An had played this. No one would suspect that someone would impersonate a guard and a palace maid to have an affair; after all, it was a capital crime that could even implicate their families. Yet, with this maneuver, though they appeared doomed on the surface, they could use the Embroidered Uniform Guards to lead them out of this encirclement. At that point, just two Embroidered Uniform Guards certainly wouldn't be a match for Zu An and her. *Ahem*, she'd be a mere addition; Zu An alone should be able to handle it. It was truly a case of finding life in the jaws of death! Her admiration grew. This Zu An fellow truly couldn't be judged by his usual carefree appearance. No wonder the Eldest Miss of the Chu family was willing to marry him; he was indeed a top-tier talent.

Zhu Xie Chixin had already walked dozens of meters away. Suddenly, he let out a sound of surprise and turned back to look at the palace maid's back. As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, he had handled countless cases, which had honed his insight to be far superior to that of ordinary people. Although this woman's appearance was ordinary, her figure was graceful and lithe. Moreover, she walked with a straight posture, possessing an innate noble aura. She really didn't look like an ordinary palace maid.

"Wait!"

Hearing Zhu Xie Chixin's voice from behind, Zu An and the Crown Princess's expressions changed drastically. They immediately understood that something must have gone wrong. The Crown Princess hastily signaled Zu An with her eyes: while Zhu Xie Chixin was still dozens of meters away, perhaps they should risk everything and make a desperate escape. Zu An subtly shook his head. This distance was nothing to a half-step Grandmaster; running early would be meaningless. The Crown Princess bit her lip, completely panicked. Only when she saw Zu An's continued calm did she slightly settle down.

Zhu Xie Chixin brought his subordinates over to the two and waved his hand. "Separate them and interrogate them." The Embroidered Uniform Guards immediately understood. They were already well-versed in such matters. Although they didn't know game theory, their extensive case-handling experience told them that even the most coordinated criminals would reveal flaws when interrogated separately.

Zu An and the Crown Princess's hearts pounded. They hadn't had time to coordinate their stories at all. If they were now questioned separately about each other, wouldn't they be exposed immediately? But there was nothing they could do now; they could only allow the Embroidered Uniform Guards to lead them to opposite sides.

Zhu Xie Chixin personally interrogated Zu An: "What is that palace maid's name?"

Zu An's heart sank. He realized that the Crown Princess on the other side was facing the same question. But everything had happened too quickly; there had been no time to consider such details. He secretly controlled the Jade Cong, planning to arrange ants on the ground into characters to notify the Crown Princess. However, he immediately abandoned this idea. For one, even if this one problem was solved, what about the more numerous and complex questions to follow? Furthermore, the Embroidered Uniform Guards were all individuals with keen observation and hearing. It would likely be difficult to hide arranging ants to inform the Crown Princess from their eyes and ears; that would only expose one of his trump cards.

Zhu Xie Chixin's face darkened. "What, is this question difficult to answer?" At this point, his aura had locked onto Zu An, as if he would strike immediately if there was any disagreement.

Zu An replied, "Her name is Tian Xiue—"

Just then, a figure swept past not far away. With Zhu Xie Chixin's cultivation, he instantly turned his head to look. "Who's there!" The person didn't answer, quickly darting into the distance.

"Take them to Eunuch Wen; the rest of you, follow me!" Zhu Xie Chixin immediately leaped to pursue. Although these two illicit guard and palace maid were a bit suspicious, their overall situation shouldn't be a big problem. On the other hand, the figure that had just flashed past seemed to be a woman; could it be Yun Jianyue from before? Of course, to be safe, he left two more Embroidered Uniform Guards to escort the two. Four Embroidered Uniform Guards would be able to handle any unexpected situations. He then led the others in pursuit, heading in the direction the woman had vanished. Thinking it might be Yun Jianyue, he dared not be careless in the slightest. Of course, he also suspected it might be the Crown Princess. He had to find her immediately, figure out what had happened, and see if Zu An had truly done anything to her.

After their main group had gone far away, the remaining four Embroidered Uniform Guards escorted Zu An and the Crown Princess outwards. The Crown Princess still looked a bit shaken. Her gaze towards Zu An was full of relief. Clearly, when that question was asked, she thought they would be exposed immediately. Who would have thought the situation would suddenly take a turn for the better?

Zu An, however, had no energy to respond to her at the moment. Instead, he was wholly focused on communicating with Daji. The figure that had just flashed past was none other than the Valkyrie Daji, whom he had summoned! He was cornered and had no choice but to use Daji to divert Zhu Xie Chixin. But Daji was currently only at the mid-fifth rank of cultivation. It was simply too difficult for her to evade Zhu Xie Chixin's pursuit. Along the way, he used the Jade Cong to gain surrounding vision, alerting Daji to avoid danger in advance. But no matter how skilled his micro-management, it couldn't overcome the immense gap in strength.

Finally, Daji was unable to dodge in time, and Zhu Xie Chixin grabbed her shoulder. "Where do you think you're going!" Zhu Xie Chixin roared. Just as he was about to exert force to seriously injure her, Daji suddenly turned her head.

Zhu Xie Chixin was momentarily stunned. Could there truly be such a beautiful woman in the world? The woman before him seemed like an ethereal fairy descended to the mortal world, and also like a peerless enchantress who could bring ruin upon a nation. He had never imagined that two such contrasting temperaments could exist in the same woman. The other Embroidered Uniform Guards were even more dumbfounded. Each of them felt pity in their hearts. How could they possibly harbor any hostile thoughts towards her? Even Yu Yanluo, once the capital's foremost beauty, was probably no more stunning than this, was she?

Still, Zhu Xie Chixin, being strong-willed, immediately regained his composure. "Who exactly are you, miss?" Daji simply looked at him silently, not speaking. As her gaze swept over him, Zhu Xie Chixin seemed to feel he had been rude to such a beauty. He subconsciously withdrew his hand.

Zu An, perceiving all this, almost burst out laughing. Zhu Xie Chixin usually had such an effeminate appearance that Zu An had thought he was a effeminate man, but he hadn't expected him to possess a heart that appreciated beauty. When had he ever been so gentle and courteous to an enemy? Was it not because Daji was simply too beautiful?

However, Zhu Xie Chixin still snapped back to reality. "Miss, what is your purpose in trespassing into the imperial palace at night?" Daji still did not speak. In truth, she currently had no ability to speak.

Zhu Xie Chixin's expression darkened. "If you are unwilling to speak, then don't blame me for being impolite." After all, he was a person of firm resolve. He immediately remembered his duty. This unbelievably beautiful woman's appearance here was too bizarre. So, he reached out to seize her, intending to capture her first.