Chapter 1049: Throwing the Table

Zu An went to the window and looked out. "Is Jian Taiding really audacious enough to rebel?"

"It wouldn't come to that; he's not that foolish," Sang Hong said, also coming to the window and looking at the layers of soldiers outside. "The Governor's Mansion just sent troops to surround the guesthouse completely. Officially, it's because there have been too many violent incidents in Yunzhong Commandery recently, and they're worried about criminals threatening the safety of the imperial envoy, so they've specially dispatched troops for protection."

"But everyone knows they're pretending to protect us while actually keeping us under house arrest. Anyone entering or leaving is thoroughly scrutinized."

"With them guarding us like this, the imperial envoy's dignity is completely gone, and we can't do anything at all," Sang Hong said, his voice filled with anger. "I raised objections, but those soldiers claimed ignorance, only saying they were following orders. When I demanded to see their superior, they claimed Jian Taiding was in secluded cultivation."

"Secluded cultivation? He's clearly recovering from injuries," Zu An snorted.

"We know that, of course, but we're helpless against such rogue tactics," Sang Hong said with frustration.

"So we just let them keep us surrounded like this?" Zu An frowned.

"This might not be a bad thing. After all, such reckless actions are quite taboo," Sang Hong replied, looking in the direction of Yijun Commandery. "I've already contacted the imperial court this morning. His Majesty will issue an order to the Prince of Yan, instructing him to secretly bring troops to Yunzhong Commandery in case of any unforeseen circumstances. Since Jian Taiding dares not show his true colors yet, we will wait patiently. Once the Prince of Yan's army arrives, their power will undoubtedly wane."

He had personally reported the entire situation to the Emperor today. The Emperor, being who he was, naturally didn't need to be pedantic about evidence.

He simply ordered the Prince of Yan, who was in the nearest Yijun Commandery, to bring his forces. Then, they could swiftly capture Jian Taiding and his associates. After stabilizing the situation in Yunzhong Commandery, they could slowly gather any necessary evidence.

Zu An's brows furrowed tightly. "I keep feeling there are many oddities about this whole affair. It's as if an invisible net is manipulating us, and there might be someone else behind it."

"What does that matter?" Sang Hong gave him a meaningful look. "Don't forget the purpose of our journey. Is it to investigate the Yunzhong Duke's case? Is it to uphold justice?"

Zu An was startled, suddenly remembering the Emperor's words before they left the capital. This trip was clearly intended to deal with the Yu family, eradicate all the noble clans and primordial stone mines in Yunzhong Commandery, and centralize power under the imperial court.

During yesterday's assembly, Yu Xuantao was involved. As a highly respected elder of the Yu family, even if other members of the Yu family were unaware, the Emperor now had sufficient grounds to deal with them.

Moreover, this time they could even deal with Jian Taiding, legitimately reclaiming the Yunzhong Duke's fief. Why wouldn't they?

As for schemes or overt tactics, the Emperor didn't care; he only cared about the outcome.

Seeing that he understood, Sang Hong said nothing more, patting his shoulder. "Don't think about anything else these days. Just focus on recovering from your injuries."

At that moment, Pei You rushed back from outside. After a lengthy complaint about the Governor's Mansion soldiers guarding them, he began to recount his findings from his trip: "I went to the Yu family to ask Yu Xuantao to assist with the investigation. However, the Yu family members told me he suffered a cultivation deviation last night during his secluded practice, leading to the complete rupture of his meridians and his death."

"The Yu family was quick to silence him, but unfortunately, none of that matters now," Sang Hong sneered.

Yu Yanluo's exquisite, flower-like appearance surfaced in Zu An's mind. It was truly difficult to reconcile such a graceful and charming beauty with a venomous woman.

"I've always said you can't judge a book by its cover; the prettier the woman, the more she deceives. Why don't you ever learn?" Zu An silently warned himself, his gaze becoming resolute.

He needed to investigate the matter thoroughly and gain a clear understanding.

After everyone else left, he took out the audio-visual stone he had obtained from the Governor's manor and played Jian Yanyou's image repeatedly.

After watching for several hours, Zu An slowly closed his eyes.

Jian Yanyou's image kept appearing in his mind: every angle, every movement, his expressions and gestures while speaking, and so on.

Once he had memorized every detail, Zu An took out the paper and brush he had prepared. His brush moved fluidly, and soon, several portraits of Jian Taiding appeared vividly on the paper.

Anyone who knew Jian Yanyou would be astonished, as portraits in this world typically emphasized symbolic representation rather than realism.

Yet, Zu An's drawings were almost identical to the real Jian Yanyou.

Next, Zu An sat before a mirror and activated his "Thousand Faces" technique. His face continually shifted until a likeness of Jian Yanyou gradually appeared in the mirror.

Comparing his reflection to the audio-visual stone and the portraits he had just drawn, Zu An refined some details until his face was an exact replica of Jian Yanyou's, at which point he nodded in satisfaction.

Ever since arriving in Yunzhong Commandery, he had felt as if unseen hands were orchestrating everything. Unfortunately, with insufficient information, it was difficult to identify the mastermind behind it all.

The enemy was concealed while he was exposed. If things continued like this, he would likely remain at their mercy.

In that case, he decided to overturn the chessboard and force the opponent to play by his rules.

However, there was still one problem: he could imitate Jian Yanyou's face, but not his voice.

Left with no choice, he pulled out a small, bow-shaped object and attached it to his collar. This was, of course, the "Cute Girl Voice Changer" he had previously obtained.

Every time he used it, he first had to disguise himself as a cute girl and trick a man...

Thinking about this, Zu An's eyelids twitched. If this device were discovered, he would instantly suffer social death.

But as things stood, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and use it.

Who should he trick?

Zu An sifted through the potential candidates in his mind, and finally, Pei You's image came to him.

"You're the one!"

Meanwhile, Pei You was restlessly pacing back and forth in his room.

For the past few days, he had been confined to the guesthouse under surveillance due to suspicion of murdering Zuo Su.

Just when he had finally cleared his name, the Governor's Mansion sent troops to surround the place again.

He felt like he was going stir crazy.

"Ugh, I wanted to visit Taohong's place, but now I can't even leave the guesthouse. Heavens, please grant me a girl!"

"Young master~" Just then, a delicate voice chimed.

Pei You's hair immediately stood on end. That voice clearly belonged to a cute girl.

"Who's there?" He hadn't completely lost his senses. The entire guesthouse was heavily guarded, so a sudden appearance of a girl was indeed suspicious.

"I'm a maid from the guesthouse. Master Sang knows you've been wronged these past few days, so he specifically sent me to serve you," the "woman" outside the door said timidly.

Pei You was overjoyed. "Master Sang is truly thoughtful! Please, come in quickly, miss."

All his previous unpleasantness instantly vanished, and he eagerly rushed to open the door.

"Huh, Brother Zu? Why is it you? Where's the maid?" Pei You was stunned when he saw who was at the door and quickly looked behind Zu An.

He then spotted Daji. Pei You's breathing suddenly quickened. Was there truly such a beautiful woman in the world? Could she be the guesthouse maid?

What a stroke of luck I have today!

At that moment, Daji's eyes shimmered with an unusual glow, and Pei You's gaze became hazy.

Zu An's face darkened. He thought, *Thank goodness I brought Daji along, or I would have been socially ruined.*

Just as Pei You believed he was the guesthouse maid, the Cute Girl Voice Changer had successfully completed its "sacrifice."

Zu An was about to leave, but unexpectedly, the other party eagerly opened the door, and the two came face to face.

To prevent suspicion, he had Daji use her "Fox Charm" skill to bewitch Pei You.

He then watched Pei You turn and walk towards the bed, stripping off his clothes as he went. Next, completely naked, Pei You pounced onto the bed, wrapped his legs around the comforter, and began a vigorous "output," causing the bed frame to loudly creak and clatter.

Zu An watched, dumbfounded, then looked at Daji. "What exactly did you instruct him to do?"

Daji blinked innocently.

Zu An could only close the door, thinking, *If this scene were filmed, Pei You would surely be so ashamed and enraged that he'd bash his head against a wall if he saw it.*

Compared to what just happened, his own use of the Cute Girl Voice Changer suddenly seemed much less unacceptable.

Next, he chose a relatively weakly guarded spot and slipped out.

Although his stealth techniques were formidable, the area was teeming with soldiers, making it impossible to remain completely unnoticed.

He didn't even try to hide. He simply walked out boldly, and then had Daji mesmerize the squad of soldiers. After he left, the soldiers regained their senses, having completely forgotten what had just transpired.

Thus, he arrived outside the Yu Estate. Zu An once again took out his mirror to check his reflection, ensuring there were no flaws in his disguise, then lightly tapped his toes and quietly leaped inside.

He had been to the Yu Estate several times before and was familiar with its layout and the guards along the way. He used the stealth abilities of his Jade Cong and Bright Mirror Not a Platform to evade hidden sentries, successfully reaching Yu Yanluo's residence.

He quietly pushed open the window and slipped inside. A wave of warmth enveloped him, and his heart lifted. *It seems Yu Yanluo is indeed in here; otherwise, the room wouldn't be so warm.*

As Yu Yanluo preferred quiet, there was no one else in the room. He vaguely saw a graceful figure lying within a distant red canopy. Although he couldn't see clearly, just the silhouette was enough to form a beautiful picture.

Coupled with the unique sweet fragrance in the air, it was enough to make any man's mind wander.

Zu An took a few steps forward and stopped at the foot of her bed.

"Who's there?" Yu Yanluo finally sensed something. She abruptly sat up, clutching the brocade quilt to cover her chest, and looked towards him cautiously.

Zu An said in Jian Yanyou's tone, "Madam, it's me!"