Chapter 963: Eleven Gold Medal Envoys

After staring at her for a while, until Nanxun began to tremble, Kong Nanwu finally withdrew her gaze and leisurely reclined back into the soft chair. “Go back,” she said.

“Yes!” Nanxun respectfully replied. She then slightly pushed open the carriage door and gave an instruction to the maids and servants outside. The carriage slowly set off towards the direction of the Red Sleeves Pavilion.

“Brother-in-law, last time you said you were going to the Red Sleeves Pavilion to investigate a case. How did their courtesan leader end up coming to find you?” Chu Youzhao, standing not far away, watched the carriage slowly depart, her expression a little displeased.

Zu An felt a little awkward. With Chu Yan not around, having to explain this to a young girl was truly difficult. “It’s because your brother-in-law is sociable and popular. Both men and women like me. If you don’t believe me, look at those two over there; they’re men, and they’ve been smiling at me.”

Following his gaze, Chu Youzhao indeed saw Pei You and Gao Ying. When they saw her looking, they immediately broke into even brighter smiles. Brother Zu must be introducing us to his brother-in-law, they thought. Well, naturally, we should appear friendly.

“Perverts!” Unfortunately, their smiles took on a different meaning in Chu Youzhao’s eyes. She nervously pulled Zu An. “Brother-in-law, don’t get too close to men!”

Chu Youzhao had naturally heard that many high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital had a habit of keeping male concubines. After much thought, she concluded it would be better for her brother-in-law to philander with women than to fool around with men. Ugh, the thought alone sent shivers down her spine.

“Brother Zu, that courtesan leader truly has deep feelings. Such an extraordinary woman is truly admirable,” Zheng Dan said, walking over with a smile. Beside her was the now taciturn Sang Qian.

“Haha, we’re just regular friends…” Zu An laughed awkwardly, thinking that having many female confidantes was great, but once they met, it would be a chaotic scene. Fortunately, a commotion came from the other side at that moment. He quickly said, “The ship is about to depart. I’ll go aboard first. It’s cold outside, so you should all go back quickly.”

With separation imminent, the women no longer cared about jealousy. Chu Youzhao, Zheng Dan, and the others all waved goodbye to him, saying, “Take care on your journey!”

Their voices were full of worry. Zheng Dan knew his trip would likely be fraught with danger. Chu Youzhao didn’t know the specifics, but the thought of being separated for so long also made her very anxious.

Zu An nodded, then looked at Sang Qian. “Little Sister Qian, we’re about to part. Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

Feeling everyone’s gaze, Sang Qian’s face flushed slightly. She thought, *What could I possibly say to you? This guy really has thick skin.* Though she grumbled internally, she still said, “Brother Zu, I wish you a smooth journey!” Regardless of anything else, she didn't want anything to happen to Zu An.

Zu An chuckled. “With so many of you worrying about me, no matter what, I’ll return safely.”

Watching him laugh as he walked away, Murong Qinghe thought to herself, *Although Brother Chu’s brother-in-law has thick skin, he is indeed very broad-minded.*

After the group boarded the ship, it quickly set sail. The members of the envoy stood on the deck, waving goodbye to their families who had come to see them off.

Gao Ying and Pei You approached Zu An, watching the beautiful young women waving at him from a distance. They couldn’t help but feel envious. “Brother Zu truly has an abundant fortune with women.”

“Ah, actually, having too many women can be troublesome. They almost started fighting just now, and I was caught in the middle, in quite a dilemma.” Although Zu An spoke of trouble, his humblebragging was evident.

Gao Ying: “...”Pei You: “...”

Zu An chuckled, putting his arms around their shoulders. “Why didn’t I see your families coming to see you off?”

Pei You said, “I told them not to come, so they wouldn’t spoil the mood with their crying.”

Gao Ying replied, “I don’t have any close relatives in my family. Rather than dealing with their pretense, it’s better to save myself the trouble.”

“Haha, you two are quite open-minded. It’s good that we’ll be traveling together on this journey, so it won’t be lonely,” Zu An laughed. He knew in his heart that Pei You was too young, still in the carefree age of youth, and thus felt little about parting. Gao Ying, on the other hand, had issues with his status; although nominally a member of the Liu family, he was only their nephew, not a direct descendant, and therefore inevitably felt like a guest.

The two also laughed. “Perfect, then we can ask Brother Zu on this journey how to attract women.”

“That’s simple, just be ‘Pan, Lü, Deng, Xiao, Xian’…” Zu An then proceeded to explain the specific meaning of each character to them, leaving them utterly dumbfounded and completely impressed.

After the few of them chatted idly for a while, a guard came to report, “Sirs, Minister Sang requests your presence.”

The three immediately dropped their jovial smiles, knowing that Sang Hong’s summons surely meant serious business.

As an Imperial Commissioner, Sang Hong held the highest status in the entourage, and his room was naturally the largest and most luxurious, even divided into a living room, bedroom, study, and so on. Additionally, the rooms for Golden Badge Eleven and Zu An were also good, located not far from Sang Hong’s. Of course, Golden Badge Eleven hadn't appeared yet, so that room remained empty, but it still had to be prepared.

Pei You and Gao Ying also had private rooms. Although they held some official positions, these were largely honorary and unattached. Their special treatment was mainly due to their representation of their respective families. As for the rest, they generally had to share dormitory-style rooms, with several people squeezed into each.

“Gentlemen, please be seated.” Seeing Zu An, a hint of a smile appeared on Sang Hong’s face.

“Greetings, Minister Sang.” Pei You and Gao Ying secretly whispered to themselves, *Everyone says Sang Hong is ruthless and humorless, but today, those rumors don't seem quite right.*

“There’s no need for such formalities, gentlemen. Our upcoming journey to Yunzhong Commandery will require our full cooperation,” Sang Hong replied.

“We will certainly do our utmost to cooperate with Minister Sang.” These were standard pleasantries that everyone knew to say.

Sang Hong clearly didn’t take them too seriously. “The reason I called you all here this time is to discuss the potential issues we might encounter on our journey to Yunzhong Commandery…” He then briefly outlined the mission, along with the many suspicious points and hidden dangers surrounding the disappearance of the Duke of Yunzhong Commandery. Of course, he omitted the previously uncovered fact that the Duke’s younger brother had killed his elder brother.

Even so, it was enough to make the two men’s expressions change. They had initially thought this trip would be a leisurely tour to gain some merit, never expecting it to harbor so many dangers. However, the two were not cowards and did not shrink back. Instead, they saw this as a good opportunity to achieve great things. “With Minister Sang overseeing the situation, Brother Zu assisting, and the esteemed Golden Badge Embroidered Envoy Eleven, this mission is sure to succeed quickly.”

They had witnessed Zu An’s abilities in the secret realm, and with the mysterious Embroidered Envoy, and given that they themselves were not inept, they naturally had no fear.

Sang Hong frowned. “Unfortunately, Master Eleven didn’t board the ship. It will be difficult to coordinate if something truly happens.” This was what displeased him most. The other party hadn't even shown up, making it impossible to consult with them. For someone who preferred meticulous planning, this was the biggest unknown variable.

Zu An could only force a bitter smile, thinking that constantly remaining unseen was not a solution, and he needed to figure out how to resolve this issue.

“Just who exactly is this Golden Badge Eleven? Do either of you know anything?” Pei You asked curiously.

Gao Ying shook his head. “The Embroidered Envoys are already mysterious, let alone a Golden Badge. I’ve only heard that he solved many major cases in the capital recently, and some important figures in the imperial palace were brought down because of him.” Then he looked at Sang Hong. “Does Minister Sang know more?”

Sang Hong said gravely, “The Embroidered Envoys report directly to the Emperor. Beneath the Grand Commander, there are only eleven Golden Badge Embroidered Envoys, each a formidable individual capable of handling matters independently. Rumor has it that each Golden Badge Envoy is dispersed across the country, each responsible for an area spanning thousands of *li*, tasked with gathering intelligence and secretly monitoring local officials. Because Zhu Xie Chixin is stationed in the capital, no Golden Badge Envoy has ever been assigned here. This Golden Badge Eleven also appeared out of nowhere, and various factions have likely failed to uncover his background or origins.”

Zu An thought to himself, *No wonder I haven’t encountered a single Golden Badge Embroidered Envoy during my time in the capital; it turns out they are all dispatched to regional posts.* From this perspective, the Emperor granting him this Golden Badge was purely an honorary title. In a place like the capital, teeming with powerful figures, with the Emperor and Zhu Xie Chixin above him, his power and resources were simply not on the same level as his colleagues who commanded their own regions.

“What about their cultivation levels?” Pei You was more concerned with this.

Sang Hong shook his head. “That’s a secret. The Embroidered Envoys are already mysterious, and the Golden Badges even more so. No one truly knows their exact cultivation levels. However, as for Golden Badge Eleven, one can make a rough estimation.”

Zu An was startled, thinking, *Did I reveal some flaw? Why else would he know these things?*

“Minister Sang, please tell us quickly,” Pei You and Gao Ying immediately said, their interest piqued.

Sang Hong said, “A few months ago, Demon Sect assassins infiltrated the palace to commit regicide. At that time, the palace guards were drawn to Kunning Palace, but their true target was the Eastern Palace. The Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince was gravely wounded, and the Eastern Palace guards suffered heavy casualties. It’s said that at a crucial moment, Golden Badge Eleven appeared and saved the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. There were many people present then, and based on their descriptions, Golden Badge Eleven’s cultivation level should be around the sixth or seventh rank.”

“Ah, only sixth or seventh rank?” Pei You and Gao Ying couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Their own cultivation was already at the peak of the sixth rank. So, these legendary masters weren’t much more formidable than them, after all.

“That’s precisely what’s most terrifying,” Sang Hong said, a hint of dread in his expression. “At that time, he only displayed a cultivation of the sixth or seventh rank, yet he was able to withstand a full-strength attack from the Demon Sect Leader, who is a Grandmaster. How many people in this world can achieve that?”

“Terrifying!” Pei You and Gao Ying involuntarily gasped, drawing a sharp breath. Being from prominent families, they naturally understood how terrifying a Grandmaster was.

“That’s probably not possible, is it?” Pei You frowned.

“It is indeed quite incredible. After all, I consider my own cultivation to be decent, but even I might not be able to withstand a Grandmaster’s full-strength attack,” Sang Hong said, changing his tone. “But that is the fact, proving that Golden Badge Eleven’s true cultivation is either higher than or at least equal to mine, or perhaps his combat strength is unique and cannot be simply measured by cultivation level. Regardless of which it is, he is undoubtedly one of the world’s top experts.”