Chapter 743: Sword Drawn, Tensions High

"Because at that time, the Ou family's carriage was moving quite fast and hit a commoner," a soldier recalled.

"He wasn't a commoner," another soldier corrected. "He was just a local ruffian, someone who often staged accidents to extort money, specifically targeting ordinary carriages to throw himself in front of."

"Since he was a scoundrel who never learned his lesson, and because his family had lived here for generations, plus it didn't cause any major trouble, we just turned a blind eye," another soldier hastily added, secretly watching Zu An's expression.

Mi Li, perched on the battlements, scoffed, "Most likely, that ruffian regularly paid them off, which is why they turned a blind eye."

Zu An was a little surprised that someone of the Empress's stature was so well-informed about such matters among the lower ranks. However, he wasn't there to investigate corruption that day, so he didn't dwell on the guards' misdeeds. "What happened next?" he asked.

Seeing that he didn't press the matter, the soldiers collectively breathed a sigh of relief and quickly replied, "It turns out he misjudged that day. Although the carriage was ordinary, the person inside was no ordinary individual. The coachman whipped the ruffian severely, cursing him while doing so, saying he was blind for trying to extort the Ou family's carriage. That's why we remember it so vividly."

Zu An frowned. "Since they were leaving the capital, it would have been best to be discreet. Why were they so ostentatious, as if they wanted everyone to know?"

Mi Li replied, "Those nobles are accustomed to throwing their weight around. They don't view commoners as human beings. If they are discreet, it's only among officials of similar rank. Why would they be discreet with a mere commoner?"

At this point, the soldiers also expressed similar sentiments. Zu An couldn't help but glance back at Mi Li. "I didn't expect you to have such insight into human nature."

Mi Li let out a soft huff, lifting her pale, smooth chin, giving him a haughty side profile.

Meanwhile, Chu Youzhao quietly tugged on Chu Chuyan's sleeve and whispered, "Sister, is something wrong with him? He's talking to himself in the air."

"Quiet!" Chu Chuyan covered her mouth and transmitted her voice with vital energy. "Perhaps Imperial Censors have their quirks when investigating cases. Don't provoke him, lest he use it as an excuse."

Seeing Murong Luo, whose buttocks were a bloody mess and who was screaming in agony nearby, Chu Youzhao couldn't help but nod in deep agreement.

Although Chu Youzhao's voice was low, it didn't escape Zu An's ears. Chu Chuyan, though silent, moved her lips slightly, clearly transmitting her voice with vital energy, and likely not saying anything good.

"Good thing I'm wearing a mask," he thought. "As long as I'm not embarrassed, they're the ones who will be."

"Ahem!" He cleared his throat and continued, "Ou Wu's official position is so sensitive. His family deliberately changed carriages to leave the capital. Didn't you suspect anything and stop them?"

The soldiers exchanged glances. Finally, one of them said, "Sir, all the high-ranking officials in the capital are influential figures. While rules are rules, it's an open secret that people often let their families leave the city for sightseeing. Nobody takes that too seriously."

Zu An frowned. The Great Zhou Dynasty appeared to be in its prime, yet discipline had become so lax in private. This was not a good omen.

"Hmph, I'm not the emperor. Why should I worry about such things?" he thought.

Just then, another soldier added, "We did question them, but they produced a token from a princely estate. How could we dare stop them?"

Zu An quickly pressed, "Which princely estate's token?"

The soldiers all shook their heads:"As subordinates, we wouldn't dare look too closely, fearing we might offend a noble.""Aren't all princely estate tokens more or less the same?""Who would dare impersonate a princely estate's token? That's a capital offense."

Hearing their fragmented answers, Zu An knew he couldn't get any more information. He left a team behind to continue investigating the whereabouts of Ou Wu and his family, while he took another group to the Qi Princely Estate.

"Should we take this person back to the Embroidered Building for investigation?" a silver-badge Imperial Censor asked, pointing at Murong Luo. He clearly knew his superior had a conflict with Murong Luo, so he asked considerately.

Hearing the words "Embroidered Building," Murong Luo's face drastically changed. That place was even more terrifying than the imperial prison; those who entered either died or were crippled. The only one rumored to have emerged alive recently was Young Master Shi, and even then, Grand Marshal Shi Miao had to personally retrieve him and present the family's imperial pardon token.

Shi Miao held an extraordinarily high position in the court, and the Murong family certainly didn't possess an imperial pardon token.

Murong Qinghe's expression also changed, and she looked pleadingly at Chu Chuyan and Chu Youzhao.

Chu Chuyan had no choice but to say, "Sir, could you please be lenient?"

Zu An hummed in acknowledgment. "Madam Zu is indeed beautiful and eloquent. Very well, for Madam Zu's sake, I won't pursue this today. Take care of yourself and don't make the same mistake again."

Mi Li spat, "Shameless."

Zu An simply ignored her.

Murong Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but glance at Chu Chuyan, thinking that Miss Chu was indeed beautiful enough to even sway the typically unyielding Imperial Censor. It was truly enviable.

Chu Youzhao, meanwhile, thought about how influential her brother-in-law was, recalling that this person had mentioned owing him a favor.

As for Chu Chuyan, her cheeks flushed slightly at the words "Madam Zu," making her appear even more enchanting for a moment, even causing the usually resolute Imperial Censor to steal a few extra glances at her.

"Thank you, Sir, thank you, Sir! This humble official will certainly be more careful next time," Murong Luo nodded profusely. Not only had he failed to make an impression on the beauty today, but he'd also needed her to rescue him. The thought filled him with bitter resentment, blaming the damnable Imperial Censor.

Rage value from Murong Luo: 444444444...

Zu An frowned. "Is this fellow trying to die?" he thought.

However, he was in a hurry to get to the Qi Princely Estate and didn't have time to deal with this fellow.

Zu An and his subordinates galloped towards the Qi Princely Estate. Along the way, his subordinates couldn't help but say, "Boss, are we just going to charge into the Qi Princely Estate like this? Shouldn't we go back to the Embroidered Building and call for more men?"

Seeing their nervous expressions, Zu An inwardly sighed, realizing the extent of Prince Qi's influence; even the fearless Imperial Censors cowered at the thought of going to his estate. "We're not raiding the Qi Princely Estate. What are you afraid of? Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Hearing him say this, everyone collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

Mi Li, still floating beside him, couldn't help but say, "What do you expect to find at the Qi Princely Estate? You couldn't even investigate Shi Jun, let alone the formidable Prince Qi."

Zu An replied, "I already have some clues in mind; I just need to confirm them at the Qi Princely Estate."

Soon, the group arrived at the Qi Princely Estate. Seeing a group of Imperial Censors approaching, the estate guards immediately stopped them, their faces full of vigilance.

Zu An stated in a deep voice, "I am here by imperial decree to investigate a case. I have important matters to discuss with Prince Qi."

The head guard at the Qi Princely Estate's gate directly refused, "Please leave, gentlemen. His Royal Highness is not in the residence."

"Is he truly absent, or simply refusing to see me?" Zu An frowned.

The guard snorted, "If I say he's not here, he's not here."

Zu An pressed on, "Then do you know where Prince Qi has gone?"

The guard coldly replied, "His Royal Highness's whereabouts are highly confidential; how could they be casually disclosed?"

Zu An's expression also darkened. He took out his gold token. "You're making excuses. Are you defying an imperial decree?"

The guard sneered, "That thing might work elsewhere, but it's useless here. Unless the Emperor himself comes, you lackeys have no right to enter this estate."

Hearing his words, the group of Imperial Censors were both shocked and enraged. They acted on behalf of the Emperor; when had they ever suffered such humiliation?

But this was the Qi Princely Estate, and they dared not act rashly. They could only look indignantly at Zu An, waiting to see how their superior would decide.

"Huh, where is he?"

Everyone realized that the spot where he had just stood was now empty. Just then, there was a crisp crack, followed by a faint scream.

Only then did they see clearly: the head guard was kneeling on the ground, his mouth bloody, looking utterly miserable.

Zu An, standing beside him, casually dropped the scabbard he had snatched. "Let this teach you a lesson: ill words lead to ill consequences."

The head guard felt that many teeth in his mouth had been shattered. He hadn't even seen how the other party moved before he was struck. He wanted to resist, but unfortunately, the opponent's foot was on the back of his knee, making him unable to move at all.

Rage value from Hou Wu: 888888888...

At this moment, the other guards, both startled and enraged, drew their long swords and surrounded the group of Imperial Censors.

"How dare you cause trouble in the princely estate!" At this moment, a figure swiftly emerged from the residence. Before they even arrived, their voice vibrated, numbing everyone's ears.

A top-tier master!

It was well-known that the Qi Princely Estate was full of masters, and seeing it now, it was indeed true.

The group of Imperial Censors secretly groaned. They had truly fallen for Sir Eleven's mischief; he had claimed he knew what he was doing, yet he had acted so impulsively.

Although it had been satisfying to see the guard get beaten just now, they were now more concerned about their own predicament.

If a real conflict broke out, none of them would likely survive.

A dozen or so Imperial Censors were completely surrounded by the Qi Princely Estate guards, appearing utterly outnumbered.