Chapter 905: Refusal at the Door

After Zuan exited the imperial study, Eunuch Wen approached him with a smiling face: "Lord Zu, I have already prepared the relevant personnel and they are waiting at the palace gate. When would you like to investigate the case of Prince Qi's concubine?"

"Of course, I'm going now," Zuan thought, cursing inwardly. *Blast it, you've already prepared everyone and they're waiting, yet you still pretend to ask when I'm going to investigate?*

"Then I wish Lord Zu a smooth journey," Eunuch Wen said, his plump face full of benevolent smiles.

Zuan cupped his hands, then made a trip to the East Palace to report his new assignment to Bi Linglong. After all, her heart was currently anxious, worried that something might go wrong on his end.

Bi Linglong was also puzzled after hearing him: "Investigating the drowning case of Prince Qi's concubine?"

She didn't bother to avoid suspicion, ushering her personal maids out the door. Then she said worriedly, "Prince Qi's years of planning were ruined by you. He must be itching to kill you now. Aren't you just walking into a death trap by investigating this case at this time?"

"Alas, if I don't go now, the Emperor will likely have me killed immediately," Zuan said with a smile. "Don't worry, I am, after all, an investigating minister personally appointed by the Emperor. If Prince Qi doesn't want to openly break ties, he can't openly deal with me. Though this investigation is fraught with danger, it also presents an opportunity. If handled well, it might even allow me to establish a connection with Prince Qi."

"Establish a connection with Prince Qi?" Bi Linglong's expression instantly turned wary. As a core figure of the Crown Prince's faction, having contended with Prince Qi's faction for so many years, her first reaction was resistance.

Zuan chuckled wryly: "Don't worry, it's merely a means to counterbalance the Emperor. There's no way I would truly defect to Prince Qi. Given our relationship, who else would I help if not you?"

Hearing him say this, Bi Linglong's expression softened slightly, though she wouldn't admit it aloud: "Hmph, what relationship do I have with you?"

Seeing her feisty, proud demeanor, Zuan wished he could pin her down and spank her. Unfortunately, such thoughts could only remain fantasies within the palace walls.

After leaving the imperial palace, several guards and eunuchs were already waiting. Seeing Zuan, they immediately stepped forward: "Greetings, Lord Zu. Eunuch Wen instructed us to follow your orders."

Zuan was now a celebrity throughout the capital; it would have been difficult for these ordinary guards not to recognize him. As they eagerly tried to butter him up, Zuan politely humored them while secretly sighing. He figured these individuals were too low-ranking to access deeper information, still believing he was a rising star, unaware of the grave dangers now surrounding him.

The group arrived at Prince Qi's mansion. As Zuan gazed at the imposing gate, he became thoughtful. For some reason, compared to his last visit, Prince Qi's mansion seemed to have declined significantly—even though there were no major superficial changes. He wondered if it was just his imagination.

Initially, the gatekeepers of Prince Qi's mansion were quite polite. However, upon hearing they were there to investigate the drowning of Prince Qi's concubine, their expressions instantly changed: "Please wait here. I'll go inside and report." Without waiting for a reply, the door slammed shut with a bang, leaving the group looking at each other in bewilderment.

"The people of Prince Qi's mansion are incredibly rude! At least they could let us wait inside," the guards under him complained.

Zuan smiled, "Just wait." He then directly sat down in a nearby pavilion, calmly closing his eyes to rest, as if he were out on an excursion.

As he said this, the others naturally had nothing more to say and quietly began to wait. However, they waited for over half an hour, and still no one from Prince Qi's mansion appeared. It was clear they intended to give them the cold shoulder.

"These dog slaves from Prince Qi's mansion are going too far!" The guards could no longer hold back, each one seething with indignation. Because they were direct subordinates of the Emperor, they naturally harbored a sense of animosity towards Prince Qi's mansion.

Zuan frowned. This visit was ostensibly for investigation but truly meant to cause trouble, so it was normal for the Prince Qi's mansion to be unwelcoming. But after such a long time, they still hadn't opened the door. They couldn't just keep waiting outside like idiots, could they? So he sent his subordinates to knock on the door again. The man quickly returned, fuming: "Lord Zu, the people inside said that Prince Qi is currently busy with official duties, and the person who went to report hasn't gotten their turn yet. They told us to wait longer. Hmph, they're clearly toying with us!"

Zuan smiled. This was actually within his expectations. However, having already extended courtesy before resorting to force, he had done what was necessary. He then called a few men and instructed them accordingly.

Upon hearing his words, a few of the guards were startled, their expressions changing slightly: "This... this might not be a good idea."

Zuan rolled his eyes. Just moments ago, they were all blustering about tearing down Prince Qi's mansion, but now that it came to taking a firm stance, they cowered?

"Don't worry, I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong."

Hearing him say this, combined with their genuine anger at being made to wait outside, the guards finally made up their minds. Soon, they brought the necessary items. They rushed to the main gate of Prince Qi's mansion, directly affixing two long yellow paper strips crossed over the two doors. The large character "SEAL" prominently circled in red ink was exceptionally striking.

The commotion quickly attracted people from the surrounding area. Naturally, those living around Prince Qi's mansion were not commoners; they were all more or less officials at court. Their household servants, and even some officials themselves, came out to watch, whispering among themselves:

"What's going on?"

"Prince Qi's mansion has been sealed?"

"Heavens, does the Emperor intend to completely move against Prince Qi?"

The more they discussed, the more alarmed they became, as many were aware of the overt struggle between the Emperor and Prince Qi.

Finally, the people inside Prince Qi's mansion could no longer sit still. The large door burst open with a bang, and a team of guards emerged in single file. The leader tore down the seal from the door, and seeing the character on it, he erupted in fury: "Impudent slaves! How dare you cause trouble at Prince Qi's mansion!" As he spoke, he swung his hand at the faces of the two guards who had posted the seals. The guards tried to dodge, but under his immense pressure, they seemed to freeze, unable to move an inch.

Even from a distance, the onlookers could feel the terrifying energy surge. Those with sharp eyes had already recognized the man as Han Fengqiu, one of Prince Qi's revered retainers, a ninth-grade master. They thought that if this palm strike landed, even if their heads didn't explode like watermelons, they certainly wouldn't have any teeth left. This was also what they deserved; if they dared to cause trouble at Prince Qi's mansion, they would die for nothing.

Just then, the imagined storm of blows did not occur. A hand blocked in front of the two guards, gripping the incoming hand, preventing it from advancing another inch.

"Hmm?" Han Fengqiu was inexplicably astonished, and his other hand also moved. In the blink of an eye, both sides exchanged two palm strikes before separating.

At this point, some of the surrounding people also recognized the owner of the other hand:

"Isn't that Zuan, the newly appointed 'Green Hat Marquis'?"

"Last time I heard he fought Han Fengqiu to a draw, I thought it was just a rumor, but today I've seen it with my own eyes."

"Han Fengqiu has lived all these years for nothing; this young man's cultivation has already caught up to his!"

Han Fengqiu's face twitched. The words of the surrounding people were like knives cutting into his heart. At the same time, he was very perplexed: last time they fought, the other party was clearly at a complete disadvantage, so how could he be on par with him today? Zuan's eyebrows also twitched, because the term 'green hat' used by the onlookers deeply stung his nerves.

Han Fengqiu finally recovered and spoke in an unfriendly tone: "So it's Lord Zu. Although Lord Zu has made great achievements recently and is a favorite in the East Palace, causing trouble at a princely mansion and offending superiors is also a grave offense, isn't it?" This kind of accusation could be major or minor. To someone indifferent, it could be light as a feather, but once taken seriously, it could be impossibly heavy.

The accompanying guards' faces turned pale. If Prince Qi were to pursue this, following regulations, they would likely be conscripted into the army or exiled.

At this point, Zuan smiled: "Lord Han, what are you talking about? We are here to conduct an investigation, bearing an imperial decree. How could that be called causing trouble?"

Han Fengqiu threw the torn seal on the ground: "You ran here to seal Prince Qi's mansion, and you still say it's not causing trouble? Who gave you such audacity? Surely the Emperor wouldn't give you such an order."

Zuan's expression became stern as he replied loudly: "This official has been commanded by the Emperor to investigate the case of Prince Qi's concubine's drowning. However, despite repeated notifications, Prince Qi's mansion has repeatedly prevaricated and even refused to open the gate. This official suspects the perpetrator is involved and is secretly obstructing the investigation. Since that is the case, we will proceed according to standard legal procedures for criminal cases. As Prince Qi's mansion is the scene of the incident, according to regulations, it should be temporarily sealed. No one should be allowed to freely enter or exit and access the scene before the investigation is complete, to prevent the destruction of evidence."

Han Fengqiu was speechless. Their original plan was to give him the cold shoulder, making him give up out of difficulty. They never expected this fellow to be so ruthless. The crucial point was that he was operating strictly according to legal provisions, leaving them no room to find fault. If he really took the opportunity to seal Prince Qi's mansion, Prince Qi would suffer an immense loss of face.

Thinking of this, he immediately forced a smile: "Lord Zu has misunderstood. Prince Qi was busy with official duties earlier, and the gatekeepers hadn't had time to report your arrival. As soon as Prince Qi learned you were here, he immediately dispatched me to lead you to the pond where the concubine drowned. That is the actual scene."