Chapter 763: Floating to the Surface

Yun Yuqing no longer evaded the question, answering directly, "You've probably guessed already—it's the Shi family. Their most beloved son, Shi Kun, died at the hands of you and the Crown Princess. If it were just you, the Shi family's power would find a way to deal with it. But with the Crown Princess also implicated as a 'culprit,' they are powerless."

"If the Crown Prince becomes emperor in the future, she will be the Empress, making any hope of revenge impossible for the Shi family. The terrifying part isn't the lack of revenge itself, but their uncertainty about the Crown Princess's feelings on the matter. If she were to become wary of the Shi family because of Shi Kun's accidental death, their downfall would be inevitable. After all, everyone knows the Crown Prince's disposition; the Crown Princess is the one who ultimately makes decisions, and offending her would bring dire consequences for the Shi family."

"The Shi family couldn't pin their hopes on something so intangible. So, they decided to take drastic action: eliminate the Crown Princess directly. This would both avenge them and resolve their future anxieties."

Zu'an sighed, "But if something like this were exposed, it would only hasten the Shi family's utter destruction."

Yun Yuqing calmly replied, "But this time, at least, they hold the initiative, which is better than being at the mercy of fate in the future. Speaking of which, their biggest mistake was involving you in this case. It was a sure thing, but something unexpected happened, and you managed to escape."

Zu'an snorted, "So, I was just collateral damage all along. That day, they really almost got me killed."

With an apologetic expression, Yun Yuqing said, "Ah Zu, I'm sorry. I never anticipated they would choose you as the man to be 'involved' with the Crown Princess. Had I known, I would have absolutely prevented it."

Zu'an took her hand. "Actually, if you hadn't shown up, I would never have thought of you. You exposed yourself to save me, so how could I be so ungrateful as to suspect you?"

Hearing him say this, Yun Yuqing immediately beamed, "I truly didn't misjudge you."

Zu'an couldn't help but ask, "By the way, is Xinrui one of your agents?"

Yun Yuqing shook her head. "No."

Zu'an fell into thought, then continued, "I still feel there's something amiss about this whole affair. Is it just Prince Wu and the Shi family pulling the strings, or is there another faction involved?"

Yun Yuqing gazed at him intently, then exhaled slowly. "Ah Zu, you are indeed shrewd. Yes, there is another faction. However, for various reasons, I cannot tell you who they are. You understand that I bear the fate of many people and cannot betray others for my own personal gain."

Zu'an smiled. "It's fine. Say what you can, and don't say what you can't. Your honesty upfront is far better than deceiving me with other words. Moreover, your answer has confirmed my suspicions, so in a way, I should even thank you."

Yun Yuqing looked at him with a complex expression. "Ah Zu, you're always so understanding."

Zu'an chuckled, pulling her into his embrace. "Actually, I'm even better at 'understanding clothes'."

"You're annoying," Yun Yuqing playfully complained, her cheeks flushed a bright, captivating red.

After some time, Zu'an looked at Prince Wu, who was sleeping soundly and foolishly smiling in the corner. He couldn't help but worry, "What do you plan to do next? You've already broken ties with him. When he wakes up, I doubt he'll let you off the hook."

Yun Yuqing pursed her lips and smiled. "Don't worry, once he's under the effect of my Demonic Eye, he'll forget everything that just happened. That's why I dared to break ties with him so decisively just now."

Zu'an couldn't help but exclaim, "Your Demonic Eye is incredibly powerful! Please never use it on me in the future."

Yun Yuqing looked aggrieved. "I used it on you back in Jibei Prefecture, and it almost caused a backlash for me."

Thinking back to their first meeting, Zu'an couldn't help but smile.

Yun Yuqing continued, "Oh, and those who tried to assassinate you earlier have been discovered by the city guard. It seems this case is about to be cracked. Zhao Yan and I also need to leave the capital as soon as possible to avoid being implicated. I don't know when we'll meet again."

Zu'an gently smoothed the disheveled hair around her temples. "Those destined to meet will find each other, even across a thousand miles. Isn't it fate that brought us together this time?"

"'Those destined to meet will find each other, even across a thousand miles'?" Yun Yuqing's eyes lit up. She murmured the phrase, then looked at Zu'an with admiration. "Ah Zu, I had no idea you were so eloquent."

Zu'an, shamelessly taking credit for the phrase, pulled her into his embrace. "Do you like me even more now?"

"You're annoying!"

Eventually, it was time to part. The two bid each other a reluctant farewell. After leaving Prince Wu's mansion, Zu'an headed directly for the imperial palace.

Before entering the palace, he changed into his Gold Medal Eleven attire.

As soon as he arrived at the Embroidery Tower, he saw a man with a receding hairline standing at the entrance.

"Boss!" Chen Lao Ba ran over excitedly. "You're finally back! Something major just happened in the city's outskirts."

"Oh?" Zu'an asked, remaining calm, curious to see what intelligence the Embroidered Uniform Guards had gathered. "What happened?"

As he led Zu'an into the building, Chen Lao Ba explained, "Just now, there was a fierce battle at Xinrui's mother's house in the city outskirts. They even used military siege crossbows! The Emperor is absolutely furious about this and has sent the Grand Commander to investigate thoroughly."

Dai Lao Qi, whose hairline was a bit high, appeared seemingly out of nowhere and added, "Judging by the bodies left at the scene, they appear to be military assassins. The Grand Commander is currently verifying their identities. What's frustrating is that we don't know who they were attacking. For so many people, even with siege crossbows, to fail in an ambush—that person must be truly formidable."

Zu'an unconsciously puffed out his chest, thinking to himself, *If I didn't know there was no way you could know my identity, I'd think this kid was trying to butter me up.*

"I suspect this assassination attempt, involving siege crossbows, is connected to the case we've been investigating." At that moment, a calm voice came from the side; it was Xiao Jianren, who had emerged after hearing the commotion.

"Oh?" Zu'an was intrigued, eager to hear his analysis.

Xiao Jianren began, "Last time, Boss asked me to investigate which nobles in the capital might be harboring experts capable of silently eliminating a casino owner."

"I reviewed various archives in the Embroidery Tower and found that while such individuals aren't abundant, they aren't rare either. Most high-ranking officials keep various foreign individuals as their subordinates. After ruling out those clearly unrelated to this case, I discovered a woman named Jiasili among the Shi family's guest retainers. She's from the mysterious Southern Border and is skilled in spirit-descending techniques. It would be quite easy for her to silently kill a casino owner."

"Furthermore, the siege crossbows and the assassins involved this time are all from military backgrounds. Shi Miao, the head of the Shi family, rose to his current position through military accomplishments. His third son, Shi Tong, is currently a Colonel of Archer Cavalry in one of the capital's Six Great Camps. I suspect those assassins came from the Shi family."

"Moreover, the incident occurred at Xinrui's mother's home. It's too much of a coincidence that every detail links the Shi family to the case we're investigating. Therefore, I suspect the Shi family is behind the scheme to frame the Crown Princess, though I'm unsure who they were actually targeting this time."

Zu'an chuckled, "Excellent, that's a very good analysis—almost exactly like the truth."

Xiao Jianren offered a wry smile. "Unfortunately, all of this is merely speculation. We have no concrete evidence, and the Shi family can easily deny everything. Whether it's the siege crossbow or those assassins, the Shi family can simply claim they have no connection. Although the Grand Commander is investigating their identities, given they are trained assassins, it's highly probable their true identities will remain untraceable."

Dai Lao Qi and Chen Lao Ba, standing nearby, sighed in unison. They had been investigating this case for so long, and now, just as they were on the verge of uncovering the truth, they found themselves without evidence.

If it were anyone else, they could simply arrest them and extract confessions through interrogation. However, the Shi family was no ordinary household. Their patriarch, Shi Miao, was one of the Great Zhou Dynasty's revered Eight Dukes, and all his sons were among the most prominent and influential figures at court.

His eldest son died young, so we won't mention him. His second son, Shi Qiao, served as a Secretary in the Department of State Affairs; his third son, Shi Tong, was a Colonel of Archer Cavalry in one of the Six Major Field Armies; his fourth son, Shi Jun, was a Palace Attendant in the Chancellery; his fifth son, Shi Zhun, was a Regional Governor. The least accomplished of them was probably the sixth son, Shi Kun, who had also served as a Crown Prince's Retainer.

Thus, the Shi family was genuinely a household of immense wealth and prestige, one of the foremost families in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty. Furthermore, they possessed a golden plaque granting immunity from death, making it genuinely difficult for the Embroidered Uniform Guards to take action against them.

Seeing the group's dejected expressions, Zu'an smiled and said, "Don't worry, I have evidence. I'll go see the Grand Commander first."

As they watched him leave, Xiao Jianren and the others exchanged bewildered glances.

"We used the full resources of the Embroidery Tower and couldn't find any evidence, but Boss just steps out once and comes back with it?"

"Boss is truly unfathomable!"

"He's truly awe-inspiring!"

Zu'an arrived at Zhu Xie Chixin's office and found him in the middle of a furious outburst at his subordinates. It turned out they had spent a long time investigating, only to discover that none of the assassins left at the scene were registered in the military. In fact, their existence couldn't be found in any official records whatsoever.

"How could so many people just appear out of thin air? Even if they're assassins, they must have left traces in the capital over the years. And you're telling me you can't find them?" Zhu Xie Chixin roared in frustration.

The subordinates nervously replied, "It might take a little more time; perhaps we can uncover something."

"'Might,' 'perhaps'?" Hearing such words, Zhu Xie Chixin became even more incensed. "The Emperor is pushing us so hard now; where do we find the time for 'might' and 'perhaps'?"

The group fell silent, each man keeping to himself. Zu'an cleared his throat softly. "Grand Commander, I do have a lead here."

"Oh?" Zhu Xie Chixin was initially surprised to see him, but then his expression turned to one of joy. "What leads do you have?"

Looking at him, Zu'an felt a brief moment of disorientation, recalling how he had fought fiercely with Zhu Xie Chixin in Jiasili's illusion. He quickly composed himself and said, "There are some things I need to discuss with the Grand Commander privately."

Knowing Zu'an's unique status, Zhu Xie Chixin waved his hand, signaling the others to leave.

As those men departed, they felt a mix of relief and envy. Relieved that they no longer had to face the Grand Commander's wrath, yet envious that Gold Medal Eleven, being so new, seemed to enjoy the Grand Commander's favor so much, always engaging in private conversations with him.

Once only the two of them remained in the room, Zu'an finally said, "The person those assassins surrounded was actually me."

Zhu Xie Chixin was startled and quickly pressed, "What exactly happened?"

Zu'an then recounted the day's events, naturally omitting any details about Yun Yuqing. "Later, I fled, and those experts relentlessly pursued me."

"How dare the Shi family!" Zhu Xie Chixin slammed the table in a fit of rage, instantly splintering the fine pearwood desk. "From your description, those three experts must be Bu Zhou, known for his Golden and Silver Twin Rings; Luo Xin, famous for his White Horse and Red Spear; and Yuan Fu, the 'Three Hammer Match.' They are all renowned warriors from the military who fought alongside Shi Miao in many campaigns and earned numerous accolades. It's truly remarkable that you managed to escape their combined efforts. Unfortunately, we have no evidence. Even if we confront them, the Shi family will simply deny everything."

"Who said there's no evidence?" Zu'an said, a strange look on his face. He clapped his hands, signaling for the people outside to enter.

Upon seeing the three bodies brought in on stretchers, Zhu Xie Chixin's eyes nearly bulged out. "It's them..."