Zu An: “???”
He thought that the emperor kept him behind because he wanted to grant him awards in private. He was happily waiting for the emperor to grant him an award because he saved quite a few people today, yet he ended up hearing this!
Bro, what the hell?
He felt all his fine hairs stand on end. He instinctively wanted to run, but forced himself to calm down. Even though the emperor was speaking through the mirror, with his cultivation, it was still too easy to kill him. After all, a single will from him was able to decide the entire scene in Brightmoon City.
Furthermore, he had just faced Qiu Honglei’s master. The emperor was clearly not in the palace, yet he was able to easily defeat her.
Even a glorious grandmaster wasn’t a match for him, so his own cultivation wouldn’t do a thing.
Zu An took a deep breath. He braced himself and said, “Your majesty’s reward and punishment are not fair. I do not accept it!”
The emperor proudly said, “Does this emperor need you to accept what I want done?”
Zu An: “……”
Do you think you’re fucking Chen Beixuan or something?[1]
However, he reacted quickly and said, “Your majesty wants to achieve immortality throughout the ages through a different meaning. I believe you do not wish for history to state that you were a man who didn’t reward and punish properly, that you are a foolish ruler who acts on a whim.”
Hmph, you can say that you don’t care about what I think, or what everyone else here thinks, but there’s no way you wouldn’t care about what those of later generations will think.
The emperor’s eyes narrowed. “It has already been many years since someone has spoken to me like that.”
Zu An immediately became extremely respectful. “I am not trying to offend your majesty, but rather want to say that there was a huge assassination in the palace today. First, I saved the empress in the Palace of Peace, and then I rushed over to the eastern palace to save both the crown prince and princess. My contributions, if not the highest, are in the top three. It is one thing if your majesty doesn’t wish to bestow any awards, but you even want me to cut off a limb. That is why I blurted out some delirious utterances in a moment of alarm. I ask for your majesty’s forgiveness.”
The emperor harrumphed. “You are quite the crafty fella. Whatever, I’ll give you a chance to make up for your crimes so that you don’t die without knowing why.”
“Make up for my crimes?” Zu An was confused. He cursed inwardly. Weren’t you saying that you didn’t need my acceptance when you do things a second ago? Now you’re concerned about this stuff.
The emperor continued. “Help me take care of two matters. Once completed, not only will I pardon your crimes of being frivolous with the crown princess, I will also reward you greatly. If you do not take care of it well, then I believe you know the consequences.”
“I wonder what it is?” Zu An quickly asked. Even carrying the crown princess is being frivolous with her? Then what about what I did to the empress? I absolutely cannot let him know about that, or else I’ll be tortured to death.
The emperor didn’t know what he was thinking. He said, “The first matter is to investigate how the assassins were able to get into the palace through the layers of guards.”
Zu An was surprised. “Why isn’t your majesty assigning this task to the Left and Right Guard Generals?”
The emperor shot him a look. “They will investigate what they need to, and you will investigate what you need to. Is there a problem?”
Zu An shivered. “Not at all.” It sounded like the emperor didn’t fully trust the Left and Right Generals.
The emperor continued, “Secondly, you are to investigate who leaked out information regarding the fact that I wasn’t in the palace. Those assassins were able to grasp the timing so well. I refuse to believe that it was all just a coincidence.”
Zu An forced a smile. “Your majesty, you know that it’s only been a few days since I arrived at the capital. I don’t even know that many people, and my status is so low. How am I supposed to investigate this type of matter? Why don’t you have Commander Zhuxie lead some other men to investigate this? They are much more skilled at this.”
“If I tell you to do it, then you do it. What is with all of this rubbish?” The emperor’s expression became overcast. Normally, those subjects didn’t even dare to breathe too heavily in front of him, yet this fella not only talked back, he was even haggling with him!
Zu An laughed awkwardly. “Come on, I’m trying to help your majesty come up with the fastest and most effective way to investigate these things.”
After a bit of hesitation, the emperor thought that since he was going to assign Zu An to this case, then there are some things that he indeed had to let him know about. As such, he said, “The reason this emperor has picked you is precisely because you haven’t been here for many days. Without so many ties, there are instead less things to worry about.”
Zu An was surprised. “Then is your majesty suspecting Sir Zhuxie and the others?”
The emperor gave him a cold look and didn’t reply to this. Instead, he continued, “My trip out of the palace is something only few know about, yet this intelligence still leaked out. That is why I need you to look into it.”
Zu An was alarmed. The emperor really wasn’t in the palace! “Where did your majesty go?”
The emperor gave him a look. “Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask about.”
Zu An: “……”
He could only change the topic out of embarrassment. “Then your majesty has to at least tell me who knew about your departure, right? The empress, the senior concubine, or was it someone else?”
The emperor said indifferently, “The empress and the other concubines do not know. The only ones who knew were those you saw just now, as well as some eunuchs who help me with my everyday life. You can investigate on your own later.”
Zu An: “……”
No wonder he called me here to join in on this huge gathering. He wanted me to know who the suspects were!
But Zhuxie Chixin is his trusted aide! It now seems like even Zhuxie Chixin is suspected… The suspicion of the ruler is frightening after all.
However, what was more strange was that not even his wife knew about his whereabouts, yet he told some men. Tsk tsk, his concubines really are pitiful. Rumor has it that the emperor hasn’t even been visiting the concubines all these years due to his decreasing lifespan…
What a pity, all of this excellent farmland is being neglected! These concubines probably even find love affair rivalry pointless now.
The emperor said, “You have the Embroidered Envoy’s golden token, which should be enough for you to do what you need to do. That is why you do not need to worry about your official rank. However, let me remind you that you absolutely must not expose your true identity during your search, or else it will affect your mission on King Qi’s side. You should understand the consequences if that happens.”
“Understood!” Zu An thought to himself, I know even if you don’t say anything! It was much more interesting to play around with multiple identities. It wasn’t fun at all if he laid all his cards on the table.
“You may leave.” The emperor closed his eyes.
Zu An sighed in relief. He left the study and closed the door.
The eunuch brought him out with a smile. “Sir Eleven truly has boundless prospects! Rarely does his majesty ever meet with an Embroidered Envoy alone, apart from Zhuxie Chixin.”
Zu An was alarmed. Looks like he had to find a chance to talk it out with Zhuxie Chixin to prevent that dude from hating him. It would be bad if that fella decided to go against him.
After all, Zhuxie Chixin already had half a foot into the grandmaster level! His authority was tremendous as well. It really would be bad if someone like this ended up antagonizing him.
“Right, what should I call this eunuch?” Zu An remembered that the emperor had some eunuchs who attended to his everyday life. This was probably one of them, right? Was this guy currying favor out of guilt?
“This humble one is surnamed Wen.” The eunuch said with a smile. His chubby face was warm and affable.
“I am still a newcomer. I must ask Eunuch Wen to take care of me in the future.” Zu An’s tone was polite, but he was thinking different things inside. Why are all these eunuchs normally so fat? I heard that pig farmers always said that castrated pigs grew the fattest, is this the same principle…
“Sir is too polite.” Eunuch Wen immediately became happy. This new golden token envoy was quite the tactful fella and not like the others who were all dark and gloomy, looking as if everyone owed them money.
The two of them chatted for a while, and they were both content when they separated.
Zu An smacked his head after some time passed. “Ah! I was scammed!”
He suddenly realized that the emperor never intended to blame him and deliberately scared him so that he would focus on this new task. At the same time, he would feel deeply grateful for this.
Damn it! Not only did I not get anything for saving your damn wife and children, you’re doing this shit to me? Are all emperors freaking scammers?
He was furious, but he could only keep this thought inside. He didn’t dare blurt any of it out loud.
Zu An was walking past a rock garden, lost in his own thoughts. Suddenly, a hand reached out from the rock garden and pulled him in.
1. Character from another novel
