Chapter 913: Rarely Confused

As she hurried in that direction, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her. Sang Qian was startled and quickly sheathed her sword. "Father!"

The old man before her was naturally Sang Hong. He held a still-warm teacup in his hand. "Where are you off to?"

"Nothing much. I was feeling restless, so I came out for a walk to see if any intruders had broken in." Sang Qian hesitated, not revealing the truth. Her brother's accident had already deeply grieved their father, who was an old man now facing the loss of a son. If he knew about her sister-in-law's situation, he would likely be even more heartbroken and angry.

Lately, she had noticed her father seemed to have aged significantly, no longer possessing the youthful vigor of previous years, and his health also seemed to be declining. Weighing these factors, she chose to keep silent.

Sang Hong smiled, his somewhat cloudy eyes revealing a calm understanding of everything. "I just heard some commotion outside, so I came out to check. Did you just bring someone back?"

Sang Qian knew her father was an eighth-grade master. The recent arrival and her movements to settle the maid would certainly not escape his notice. So, she recounted the entire incident involving Prince Qi's Mansion.

Sang Hong nodded. "Zu An is indeed a talented young man. The fact that he can freely enter and exit the heavily guarded Prince Qi's Mansion shows his cultivation level. His growth has been remarkably fast." A year ago, the young man was like an ant in his eyes, but now he had grown to such an extent that his cultivation even surpassed Sang Hong's.

Hearing the admiration in her father's tone, Sang Qian's expression became complicated. She wondered if he would still admire Zu An so much if he knew about his relationship with her sister-in-law.

Next, Sang Hong continued to speak, asking for various details about the visit to Prince Qi's Mansion, pressing for answers tirelessly, as if not wanting to miss a single clue. As Sang Qian answered, her heart grew anxious. If she kept getting delayed like this, she might not catch that scoundrel in the act.

After finally finishing the discussion about Prince Qi's Mansion, she was about to find a way to send her father back to his room to rest, as she didn't want the matter to escalate out of control. However, Sang Hong showed no intention of moving. "Qian'er, it's been a long time since we had a heart-to-heart, hasn't it?"

Sang Qian was bewildered. She was quite confused. Why would her father want to have a heart-to-heart talk in the middle of the night? However, seeing his growing interest, she couldn't bring herself to dampen his spirits. She could only respond while occasionally glancing towards Zheng Dan's room.

Sang Hong seemed to notice this and couldn't help but look back. "Qian'er, you seem to be looking at your sister-in-law's side. Is something wrong?"

Sang Qian's expression became a little unnatural. "Nothing. I just feel a bit sorry for sister-in-law, being alone after brother passed away. They weren't truly married anyway, so perhaps we should find an opportunity to let her return to the Zheng family." This was indeed her sincere feeling. As a woman, she sympathized with Zheng Dan's plight. Something had happened to the Sang family on the very day of the wedding ceremony, and her brother died not long after. She hadn't even had a proper wedding, yet she ended up a widow.

However, as the groom's sister, she also found it somewhat improper for her sister-in-law to secretly engage with another man while bearing the title of Mrs. Sang. If it had been any other man, she would have long since made a fuss. But since it was Zu An, who had shown kindness to both her and her father, she was conflicted. Therefore, if Zheng Dan left the Sang family and regained her freedom, she wouldn't have to feel so conflicted.

She had originally thought her father would agree immediately. To her surprise, Sang Hong shook his head. "No!"

Sang Qian was startled, not expecting such a straightforward refusal from her father. "Why not?"

Sang Hong said, "Your brother is dead, and our Sang family's lineage is broken. She is your brother's widow; the only chance lies with her."

Sang Qian looked bewildered. "But they never consummated their marriage, so there's no possibility of a posthumous child or anything."

Sang Hong stated calmly, "But outsiders don't know that."

Sang Qian was utterly confused.

"Alright, stop thinking about it. Go back and rest early." Sang Hong stood up and patted her shoulder. "Oh, by the way, I recently had an urge to write some calligraphy. It would be perfect for you." With that, he pulled a scroll of still-wet calligraphy from his sleeve, handed it to her, and slowly walked away.

Sang Qian unrolled the paper and saw four characters written on it: "Ignorance is bliss." She first paused in surprise, then became thoughtful.

She had always been intelligent. She had already suspected that her father's sudden appearance seemed to be a deliberate delay. Now, seeing the calligraphy and recalling his recent words, everything suddenly became clear to her. So, her father actually knew about everything.

But even if it was to repay a kindness, there was no need to use her sister-in-law as collateral, was there? The Sang family would seem far too subservient that way. Besides, even if her sister-in-law genuinely became pregnant and they claimed it was her brother's posthumous child, they all knew that child would have no blood relation to the Sang family whatsoever. What would be the point then?

Sang Qian's face flushed and then paled. She looked toward Zheng Dan's room, took a few steps, but ultimately stopped herself. She let out a long sigh and finally returned to her room, feeling dejected.

From a distance, Sang Hong, who had been secretly observing, maintained a calm expression. His daughter was indeed intelligent, but unfortunately, she was still young and lacked experience, failing to grasp his true intentions.

Early the next morning, Zu An stealthily left the Sang family residence. On his way, he savored the lingering memory of the previous day's intimate bath. Zheng Dan was indeed a captivating little enchantress. However, being driven out of a warm, fragrant bed before dawn was truly unpleasant. Still, things would be much better once Dan Dan regained her freedom.

Enjoying thoughts of a good future, he did not go to the imperial palace but headed directly to Prince Qi's Mansion. He did not use the main entrance but quietly leaped over the wall from a hidden spot. Unlike last night, he did not deliberately conceal his presence this time. As expected, he was quickly discovered by the guards inside.

Facing the watchful crowd, Zu An calmly said, "Take me to Prince Qi."

Inside Prince Qi's study, the expressionless Prince Qi looked at Zu An and said indifferently, "Do you know the crime of trespassing on a princely estate?" In this world, without electricity, nightlife wasn't as rich. People generally went to bed earlier and naturally woke up earlier. Prince Qi had just finished washing up and was very surprised to hear his subordinate's report, but he still ordered Zu An to be brought in.

Zu An smiled. "I just didn't want people to see me enter through the main gate to meet His Highness and cause unnecessary trouble."

"Why are you here to see me so early in the morning?" Prince Qi was very curious.

Zu An's smile faded, and he said coldly, "Your Highness, you've committed a crime!"

Prince Qi was first taken aback, then became furious. "Nonsense! Did you come here specifically to make fun of me?"

Feeling the imposing aura directed at him, Zu An calmly said, "I have thoroughly investigated the case of the concubine's drowning. She did not drown; her life force was destroyed by internal energy directed into her brain, and then she was thrown into the pond to create the illusion of accidental drowning. As for the murderer, Your Highness should know who it is."

Hearing him explain the details so clearly, Prince Qi fell silent. He didn't offer a defense but looked chillingly at Zu An. "You come to my mansion like this, are you not afraid of not being able to leave?"

Zu An smiled. "Your Highness is an intelligent man; I presume you wouldn't make such an unwise move. I came here today to inform Your Highness first. Next, I will enter the palace to report this matter to the Emperor."

Prince Qi's heart stirred. "You haven't reported to the Emperor yet?"

Zu An replied, "I'm just about to go."

Prince Qi narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing him. He immediately realized that Zu An was deliberately informing him in advance, giving him time to prepare a countermeasure. But why would he do that? He asked calmly, "Why did you tell me in advance?"

Zu An replied, "Since ancient times, when the cunning hare is caught, the hound is cooked; when all the birds are gone, the good bow is put away. Only with Your Highness still here do I hold the most value."

Prince Qi sneered, "How dare you utter such treasonous words! Guards, drag him out and behead him!"