Chapter 744: Qi Princess

Mi Li, floating in mid-air, looked relaxed. "A master has emerged. You've caused quite a stir; how do you plan to resolve this? Just so you know, I won't be your hired muscle."

Seeing her arrogant demeanor, Zu'an couldn't help but recall the last person who referred to themselves as "this princess" – someone who had just taken countless hits from him. "Don't worry, you won't need to lift a finger. This one is an old acquaintance."

"Oh?" Mi Li was curious. Judging by the aura radiating from the elderly man who had just flown out, he seemed to be at the peak of the ninth rank. While Zu'an's cultivation wasn't so low that he couldn't fight at all, he was certainly not this man's match. She wondered where his confidence came from.

At that moment, the old man, with a long sword on his back, coldly stared at Zu'an and Hou Wu, who lay beneath his feet. "You truly have a lot of nerve, causing trouble at Prince Qi's residence."

Zu'an said indifferently, "That's quite a claim. As Embroidered Envoy agents, we act on behalf of the Emperor. Are we not permitted to enter Prince Qi's residence?"

This man was indeed an old acquaintance: Han Fengqiu, the master who had rescued Prince Qi's heir last time. It had to be said, his sword qi was quite formidable.

Han Fengqiu's breath hitched. "There's no need to invoke the Emperor's name to intimidate us. Acting on behalf of the Emperor doesn't give you license to be lawless. You've severely injured a palace guard at Prince Qi's residence without cause. They are officially sanctioned by the court. Even if I were to kill you today, the Emperor would not blame us."

As he spoke, he prepared to strike, gathering his power. The reputation of a Gold Embroidered Envoy was well-known, and he dared not underestimate Zu'an. However, he hadn't heard of any Gold Embroidered Envoy achieving the Grandmaster realm, so in terms of cultivation, Zu'an should be inferior to him. As for the formations used by the other Embroidered Envoys, with so many of Prince Qi's guards surrounding them, they wouldn't dare to move recklessly to assist.

Having thought through all this, he grew more confident. Just as he was about to make his move, he heard the other party speak.

"Who said I acted without cause?" Zu'an pointed to Hou Wu on the ground. "This fellow just called us 'lackeys.' As everyone knows, Embroidered Envoys act solely on the Emperor's command. Aren't you, then, calling the Emperor a dog?"

"I didn't! That's not what I meant!" Hou Wu, who had been glaring with resentment, was now so terrified his courage almost shattered.

Han Fengqiu was speechless. He was quite taken aback. Were these guards so accustomed to speaking carelessly on a daily basis that they even dared to speak ill of the Embroidered Envoys?

Zu'an continued, "Just now, I noticed that Mr. Han's words to the Emperor didn't seem particularly respectful either. Is this how everyone in Prince Qi's residence behaves now? I wonder if it's a case of subordinates imitating their superiors, or some other reason?"

"Stop spouting nonsense!" Han Fengqiu grew anxious. Everyone said Embroidered Envoys were difficult to deal with, and today he saw it firsthand. Once they fixated on someone, that person would be stripped bare, even if they didn't die. He wasn't afraid of Zu'an in terms of martial prowess, but Zu'an constantly bringing up the Emperor worried him, as it could cause trouble for Prince Qi. This left him in a dilemma.

This Embroidered Envoy was utterly shameless!

Rage points from Han Fengqiu +233233233!

Just then, a dignified female voice echoed, "What exactly is happening here?"

Zu'an looked back and saw a gilded, luxurious carriage parked nearby, surrounded by a detachment of guards. The palace guards quickly bowed, "Greetings, Consort!"

"The Consort?" Zu'an fell into contemplation. According to his previous intelligence, Prince Qi's Consort, Bi Fanghua, was the Crown Princess's elder half-sister. Although they were sisters, there was a significant age gap, with Prince Qi's Consort's son, Zhao Zhi, being considerably older than the Crown Princess. It seemed Bi Linglong's father, Bi Qi, had married a much younger woman, which could explain such a large age difference.

The Crown Princess and Prince Qi's Consort did not have a good relationship; to some extent, they were even at loggerheads. Firstly, the Crown Prince and Prince Qi were vying for the position of Crown Prince, making their positions naturally adversarial. Secondly, it likely had something to do with their mothers, as Bi Qi's first wife and his subsequent new wife were the kind of people who would clash intensely upon meeting.

At this point, Han Fengqiu hurried to the carriage and whispered an account of what had just happened. A moment later, Prince Qi's Consort's voice emerged: "I wondered what all the fuss was about. Prince Qi is indeed not currently in the residence. If Officer Eleven has any inquiries, asking me will suffice. Officer Eleven, please enter the residence."

Mi Li chuckled softly. "She's a clever woman. Cutting through the Gordian knot, she directly addresses the root problem, and the smaller issues resolve themselves easily."

Zu'an silently marveled; Prince Qi's women were certainly not to be underestimated. Naturally, he took the hint. "Then I shall trouble the Consort."

Soon, the gilded carriage door opened, and a pair of shapely, slender, fair legs stepped out. Zu'an's eyes widened. What in the world? Wasn't Prince Qi's Consort supposed to be older? Why were these legs as firm and alluring as a young girl's? He quickly admonished himself mentally: *Think of that unlucky fellow Zhao Zhi. Her son is already so grown up; don't be so depraved.*

Immediately after, a beautiful figure descended from the carriage: a tall silhouette, a coolly elegant face, and a casually tied bun fastened with a jade hairpin, which further accentuated her long, fair neck. Her entire presence exuded nobility and grace.

Zu'an was stunned, not by the woman's beauty, but by her identity. Because these long legs belonged to an acquaintance: the beautiful Headmistress Jiang Luofu!

Was Jiang Luofu Prince Qi's Consort? Zu'an felt quite distraught.

However, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief, as another middle-aged woman then stepped out of the carriage. She was clearly well-preserved and must have been a beauty in her youth, though the wrinkles around her eyes showed that time had still left its mark.

"Consort, be careful!" Jiang Luofu reminded her from the side, reaching out to help her down the steps.

"Your beautiful Headmistress seems to have a good relationship with Prince Qi's residence, doesn't she?" Mi Li came up beside Zu'an and teased him. She, of course, recognized Jiang Luofu and knew her connection to Zu'an.

Zu'an frowned slightly. His current relationship with Prince Qi's faction was tense, and if they were to become enemies in the future, it would truly be depressing.

As she passed him, Jiang Luofu also cast a curious glance at Zu'an. She had heard of this recently emerged Gold Embroidered Envoy and was somewhat intrigued by him. For some reason, she usually disliked Embroidered Envoys, always finding them grim and bloody. Yet, this person inexplicably gave her a sense of familiarity. She shook her head slightly, banishing this absurd feeling, and then entered the residence with Prince Qi's Consort.

Zu'an was then led inside by other maidservants. The Embroidered Envoys nearby looked worried, but Zu'an waved his hand, indicating everything was fine, and told them to wait there.

Han Fengqiu also felt a hint of admiration. "Officer Eleven truly has courage!" He thought to himself, *Gold Embroidered Envoys are indeed extraordinary individuals. With so many talents serving the Emperor, the Prince's grand plan might be difficult to achieve.*

"I'm also quite impressed by Prince Qi's residence's methods of managing subordinates," Zu'an remarked. He noticed that someone else had also taken the injured guard away. Seeing the guard's tearful gratitude, it was clear the Consort had privately given him some reward and comfort.

Han Fengqiu gave an embarrassed laugh and didn't reply.

Soon, Zu'an was led into the residence, winding through many turns until he reached a pavilion in a courtyard. Han Fengqiu stood far to one side, evidently to avoid suspicion and not approach the female members of the Prince's household. Prince Qi's Consort was seated centrally inside, with Jiang Luofu accompanying her, and several young maidservants attending nearby.

It had to be said, Prince Qi's Consort truly paled in comparison to her. Her only commendable trait was probably the nobility that came from being the Consort for a long time. No wonder Bi Qi favored his younger daughter, Bi Linglong, and her mother more; their looks were indeed far superior to this elder sister's.

"What is your business with Prince Qi? You may speak now," Prince Qi's Consort said calmly.

Zu'an stated his purpose. Prince Qi's Consort scoffed, "What a joke. A person was perfectly fine, then disappeared after you started investigating. How can you blame Prince Qi's residence for that?"

"It is well known that Ou Wu was once promoted by Prince Qi," Zu'an said, gazing steadily at her.

"They are all officials of the court; there are no factions," Prince Qi's Consort stated indifferently. "The Prince has always promoted talent based solely on merit, without any personal bias."

"But Ou Wu's family left the city carrying a token from the Prince's residence," Zu'an pressed, carefully observing her expression.

Prince Qi's Consort frowned slightly, but quickly replied, "Do you have proof that it was a token from *my* Prince Qi's residence?" Seeing Zu'an remain silent, she chuckled softly. "There are many imperial princes and regional princes in the capital. Their residence tokens are quite similar; it's perfectly normal for the guards at the city gate to make a mistake."

Zu'an fell into thought. At this point, Prince Qi's Consort spoke up, "I've answered so many of your questions; now it's your turn to answer one of mine."

"Please, Consort."

"You've been in the palace for many years. Do you know Zu'an, the Palace Aide to the Crown Prince?"

Hearing that name, a hint of surprise appeared on Jiang Luofu's previously calm face.