Chapter 916: Red Sleeve Invitation

On the surface, Zu An appeared docile and obedient, but inside, he sneered coldly, "You probably never dreamed you'd fall into my hands."

The Emperor suddenly noticed his strange expression and instinctively felt a flicker of displeasure. This fellow was truly detestable to look at; he would definitely get rid of him once he was no longer useful.

His face remained impassive as he continued, "It has been decided at this morning's court session that Qin Zheng will lead the northern expedition to deal with the demon tribes harassing our borders."

Zu An was taken aback. He didn't understand why the Emperor was telling him this, but he respectfully replied, "Duke Cheng is a renowned general throughout the land and is deeply beloved by the army. This expedition is sure to be victorious."

"Deeply beloved by the army?" The Emperor sneered but didn't pursue the topic. Instead, he changed the subject. "Once Qin Zheng is gone, Prince Qi will be like a man who has lost an arm. So, we must make good use of this window of opportunity."

Zu An's heart tightened. The Emperor was indeed going to make a move against Prince Qi. Just as Sang Hong and his daughter had predicted, he would first eliminate Prince Qi's allies before striking at the core.

"I hear you're quite popular in the pleasure quarters?" The Emperor suddenly looked at him with a half-smile.

Zu An looked utterly confused. He wondered if the Emperor could stop jumping topics so wildly. He quickly put on a serious expression and said, "Your subject is a man of integrity and has never frequented such unsavory places."

Although visiting brothels wasn't illegal in this world, such activities were ultimately not respectable. He wasn't sure what the Emperor meant, and fearing it might involve Qiu Honglei and others, he naturally denied it immediately.

"Heh heh, deceiving the emperor is a capital offense," the Emperor's face darkened. "I hear that courtesans from the Immortal's Abode in Bright Moon City, and even the Imperial Music Bureau in the capital, are quite smitten with you."

Zu An was speechless.

"Perhaps your subject is naturally quite likable," he thought, his confusion growing. Why was the Emperor bringing up this topic? Did he know about his connection to the Demonic Cult?

The Emperor gave him a deep look. Then, as if casually, he asked, "Do you know Yu Nan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel?"

"I've heard a little about him." Zu An felt like his brain was going to snap from the whiplash. They were just talking about brothels and courtesans; how did the conversation suddenly switch to Yu Nan?

"What's your opinion of him?" the Emperor asked.

Zu An almost blurted out, "He's almost as handsome as I am." He quickly stopped himself at the last moment. "He comes from a prestigious family, and he's as refined as a jade tree in the wind..."

He reasoned that the man was, after all, the Emperor's brother-in-law, so some polite flattery was appropriate.

"Speak plainly!" The Emperor glared at him with dissatisfaction.

"Uh, he's a bit extravagant and decadent." Zu An immediately realized his mistake. The Yu family belonged to Prince Qi's faction; how could the Emperor want to hear good things about him?

Recalling what he had seen at Prince Qi's mansion earlier, this fellow had even used human milk to feed pigs just to make the pork tender. It was truly disturbing.

"More than just extravagant and decadent." The Emperor snorted coldly, clearly having much dissatisfaction with Yu Nan as well. "I'm entrusting him to you. Within a month, make sure he's out of the court."

Zu An: "???"

"While I am indeed capable," Zu An thought, "has Your Majesty perhaps placed too high an expectation on me? How can I possibly achieve something like this?"

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was already a high-ranking official. More crucially, he was the legitimate son of the Yu family, and his wife was the Emperor's sister. With such a background, how could he be dismissed so easily?

"That is for you to consider," the Emperor said. "Send that maid from Prince Qi's mansion to the palace, and then focus on dealing with Yu Nan." The Emperor picked up his teacup again, a clear sign that the audience was over.

Leaving the imperial study, Zu An still hadn't fully recovered his senses.

If there were a regret pill in the world, he would definitely not have reported the drowning case of Prince Qi's concubine so quickly. Alas, capitalists truly are heartless. Laborers must learn to slack off.

"Why are you sighing so deeply, Sir Zu?" Just then, a soft voice sounded beside him.

Zu An turned to look. He saw Concubine Bai standing gracefully not far away, smiling at him. Today, she wore a white imperial gown with a fiery red cloak over it. Compared to her usual gentle and demure appearance, she looked more vibrant and alluring today.

"Greetings, Your Highness Concubine Bai!" Zu An bowed. With palace maids and eunuchs watching, he couldn't neglect the proper etiquette.

"Sir Zu, there's no need for such formality," Concubine Bai smiled sweetly. "You saved the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, my sister, and I haven't had a chance to thank you properly yet."

Her beautiful smile caused Zu An to momentarily lose himself. He wondered if this woman was truly a mother. "Your Highness is too kind. It was merely my duty; I dare not claim credit."

Concubine Bai gestured for her attendants to stay where they were. She then walked ahead towards the pavilion in the middle of the pond. Seeing this, Zu An followed her.

"Sir Zu, you still haven't said why you're troubled," Concubine Bai smiled gently, giving one a sense of peace, as if returning home.

"Just some work matters, nothing worth mentioning." Zu An couldn't figure out the exact relationship between her and the Emperor. Naturally, he dared not tell her everything.

"With Sir Zu's capabilities, I'm sure you'll resolve it quickly." Concubine Bai's voice was soft and delicate, making it feel as if one's ears were being massaged. "After Sir Zu emerged from the secret realm, you haven't come to see me even once. Are you deliberately avoiding me?"

Zu An's expression became odd. "Your Highness, speaking like this in the palace might lead to misunderstandings."

In the past, Zu An would have surely flirted with her a bit. But having learned before entering the secret realm that her relationship with the Emperor was extremely close, he dared not make any rash moves now.

"Sir Zu, where has your mind wandered?" Concubine Bai smiled and extended her hand towards him, revealing a section of her fair and delicate wrist. "I meant that you borrowed something from me, and you haven't returned it after all this time. So I had no choice but to come and ask for it myself."

Zu An finally realized. He took out a sachet from his bosom and handed it over. "Forgive my poor memory, Your Highness."

To be honest, the item was truly useful; it could conceal one's true cultivation level. He was actually a bit reluctant to return it.

Concubine Bai took back the sachet. Then she couldn't help but look at Zu An in surprise. "Sir Zu, your cultivation has improved quite rapidly."

"Thanks to Your Highness's good fortune," Zu An replied calmly and steadily.

Concubine Bai couldn't help but laugh. "Why do I feel like you've changed a bit since emerging from the secret realm? You weren't so well-behaved before."

Zu An couldn't help but retort, "Does Your Highness wish for me to treat you as I did before?"

Both of them simultaneously thought of their encounter on the swing. A strange silence suddenly fell over the pavilion.

Concubine Bai's jade-like cheeks flushed slightly. She stood up and said, "Sir Zu is busy with official duties, so I won't disturb you any further."

After speaking, she left behind a faint trace of fragrance, and her graceful figure disappeared in the direction of the imperial garden.

Gazing at her retreating figure, Zu An fell into thought.

After parting ways with Concubine Bai, Zu An first returned to White Sand Courtyard to change into his Golden Token Eleven attire. Then he headed straight for the Embroidered Tower.

As soon as he entered his room, he saw Baldy Dai and Receding-Hairline Chen sitting idly in the courtyard, basking in the sun.

Seeing his arrival, both men quickly stood up, their eyes filled with pleasant surprise. "Boss!"

Since the previous case, they had been assigned to Golden Token Eleven as subordinates. However, their leader had disappeared for a long time. Their department had become a quiet backwater, and they were so idle they were practically growing moss.

Zu An smiled and nodded to them both. Then he directly stated his purpose: "I need all the information on Yu Nan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."

Both men were startled. After exchanging glances, they hesitated and advised, "Master Yu is not someone to provoke easily. He has the Eldest Princess behind him, and the Yu family..."

"When have Embroidered Uniform Guards ever feared someone's background when investigating a case?" A faint voice came at this moment. Silver Token Embroidered Uniform Guard Xiao Jianren was sitting inside the room. Various case files were spread on the table in front of him. Seeing Zu An enter, he quickly stood up and bowed.

Zu An said approvingly, "Jianren is right."

*Huh, why does his name sound like an insult when I say it?*

"Yes, sir!" Baldy Dai and Receding-Hairline Chen immediately understood their leader's determination to investigate this case. They didn't say another word of dissuasion and scurried off to retrieve all the documents related to Yu Nan.

Zu An looked at the stacks of files on the table. His eyebrows couldn't help but twitch. "This much?"

Xiao Jianren, standing beside him, replied, "The Yu family is one of the most prominent families in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Yu Nan is also the eldest legitimate son of the Yu family, married to a princess, and serves as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. It's only natural that there are many records related to him."

Zu An frowned and casually flipped through a few volumes. They indeed contained many detailed records, but unfortunately, none were what he was looking for.

"Sir, what kind of information are you looking for exactly? Perhaps I can offer some suggestions," Xiao Jianren asked softly.

Zu An then remembered that this fellow was like a human library for the Embroidered Tower's archives. So he no longer concealed his intention. "Information that could lead to his downfall."

Xiao Jianren was startled; he was surprised that Zu An intended to go after such an important figure as Yu Nan.

However, he was very intelligent. He immediately realized that Zu An must have received instructions from higher-ups to do this. After a moment of thought, he said, "To my knowledge, a new courtesan has recently arrived at Red Sleeves Pavilion in the capital. She is unmatched in both beauty and talent, performing arts but not selling herself. This has attracted many of the capital's young nobles, and Yu Nan seems to be one of them."

Zu An's heart stirred. He finally understood why the Emperor had asked him about courtesans earlier.