Chapter 1565: Hidden Truth

"This reason is indeed absurd, but it shouldn't be false," Xiao Jianren said, pointing to the dossier. "This is an independent investigation report issued by the Embroidered Uniform Guard within Yan territory, and it aligns with the local government's findings."

"How could a Gold-rank Embroidered Uniform Guard drown?" Zu'an still couldn't believe the result, especially since Gold-rank Number Seven was someone he had met.

"If all of this is false, it would mean the entire local Embroidered Uniform Guard system has become corrupted and is colluding with the local authorities..." Halfway through his sentence, Xiao Jianren's expression turned serious. "If that were truly the case, it would be terrifying."

Having come from within the Embroidered Uniform Guard system, he understood it deeply. Competence was secondary; loyalty was paramount, and they were widely considered the least likely to betray.

If the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard of Yan and the local government were conspiring to falsify information, what that implied was self-evident.

"It's not that bad," Zu'an chuckled, seeing Xiao Jianren's alarmed expression. "I had contact with Gold-rank Number Seven in Yi County last time. If there were problems with the entire local Embroidered Uniform Guard at that time, he definitely would have sought my help."

Xiao Jianren breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good then."

If the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard in Yan had truly gone rogue, it would mean a major upheaval.

Zu'an then continued, "Assuming most of the Embroidered Uniform Guards in the Yan Kingdom are still trustworthy, Gold-rank Number Seven's death becomes very intriguing."

Xiao Jianren nodded. Having risen from the ranks of local officials, he was more familiar with handling cases than Zu'an. He continued his analysis: "There are a few possibilities. One, Gold-rank Number Seven didn't actually drown but merely appeared to have drowned. However, with so many Embroidered Uniform Guards, it's impossible they wouldn't recognize the true cause of death. So, he most likely did drown."

Zu'an rolled his eyes. "You just said something that amounts to nothing."

Xiao Jianren then explained, "It's different, of course. There's a lot more room for manipulation. For example, they could first find a way to make Gold-rank Number Seven unconscious or incapacitated, then throw him into the water. When investigated, his cause of death would still be drowning. As for the reason for his unconsciousness, either the drugs in his system could disappear over time, or the involved personnel could easily cover it up. This is much simpler than fabricating an entirely different cause of death, which is a critical issue."

Zu'an was greatly impressed upon hearing this. Indeed, only a seasoned veteran like him would know such intricacies.

"So you're saying there are still local Embroidered Uniform Guards who have defected?"

Xiao Jianren nodded. "Most likely, yes. The number shouldn't be large, but their position must be quite high, otherwise it would be difficult to cover everything up."

As he spoke, he suddenly let out an exclamation. "Wait, why does this Blackwater Pool look familiar?"

Xiao Jianren then hurriedly rushed to the archives room, returning with a stack of case files. After flipping through them, he said, "It's indeed the one I remembered. There's a Blackwater Pool in Sanhe Township, Ningzhi County, Yi Commandery, where travelers occasionally disappear and drown without explanation, and some of them were even cultivators. The local authorities have never been able to find out why, leading to all sorts of strange legends circulating in the township."

"Can't find the reason?" Zu'an was taken aback. "Could there be some fierce beast hiding in it?"

Xiao Jianren shook his head slightly. "The locals even specifically invited Embroidered Uniform Guards and people from the local academy to investigate. They checked thoroughly, inside and out, but it was just an ordinary pool, perhaps a bit deep at most, with no abnormalities detected. Later, it was rumored that some local ruffians were responsible for robbing and killing people for money, and they deliberately fabricated ghost stories to evade justice. The matter was then left unresolved."

Zu'an said gravely, "When the prepared face the unprepared, ordinary cultivators might be overcome by commoners, but a Gold-rank Embroidered Uniform Guard, never."

"Unfortunately, there's too little information. Many things need to be investigated on-site to be clarified," Xiao Jianren said, flipping through the dossier but finding nothing new.

Zu'an said, "For now, gather all the relevant information. Then, when the time comes, you'll accompany me on a trip to Yi County."

"Yes!" Xiao Jianren's eyes lit up. A mission at last! He had been bored stiff these past few days.

After leaving the Embroidered Building, Zu'an changed back into his own clothes. Just as he was about to leave the palace, Little Zhuozi approached him. "Lord Zu, Her Majesty wants to see you."

Zu'an was a little surprised. The Empress was quite daring, seeking him out every few days even though she knew the Emperor was investigating.

He initially thought of refusing, but then he reconsidered. He was about to leave the capital, and if he didn't clarify things, who knew what trouble this woman might cause.

He found himself unable to gauge the Empress's temperament. She seemed to possess an inexplicable madness deep down, making any of her actions unsurprising.

Soon, he followed Little Zhuozi to the Empress's chambers. Little Zhuozi gestured for him to enter, then stood guard outside.

Zu'an smiled and nodded at him. Along the way, he had noticed that the young eunuch seemed particularly attentive to him. Coming from modern times, he naturally wouldn't look down on others like people in this world often did, so his attitude was naturally friendly.

Inside the chambers, the Empress, dressed in simple white attire, was practicing martial arts. Time seemed to have left no trace on her; her stomach was as flat as a maiden's, and her limbs were soft and graceful. Rather than practicing martial arts, it looked more like she was performing a beautiful dance.

With Zu'an's current discerning eye, he could tell this was a highly advanced martial technique. However, the Empress's elemental energy was not strong enough to perform it fully, so she could only slowly go through the motions for now.

Seeing Zu'an enter, the Empress smiled faintly and waved him over. "Come, help me lift my leg."

Zu'an's expression was peculiar. He approached her, and under her guidance, lifted one of her calves upwards. Eventually, she stood on one leg with the other extended straight towards the ceiling, performing a perfect standing split. Then, she slowly spread her arms, forming a cross shape with her entire body. From the side, it was almost hard to distinguish her arms from her legs.

Zu'an was somewhat surprised by her flexibility, but the Empress suddenly sighed. "Ah, I'm still getting old. Back then, I didn't need any help to do this."

"Your Majesty has sustained injuries, and over the years, some of your meridians have become blocked, so a slight regression is normal. However, I can see you're recovering quickly," Zu'an said. When he had just helped her, he only applied a little force; she primarily achieved the pose herself.

The Empress tilted her head and gave him a charming smile. "That's thanks to your efforts."

Zu'an's heart skipped a beat. This woman was truly enchanting.

Staring at the visually striking sight before him, Zu'an managed to steady his mind with great difficulty. "Uh, Your Majesty, could you perhaps come down first?"

The Empress shook her head slightly. "My cultivation method is somewhat special; it requires maintaining this posture. Now that there's finally hope for recovery, I mustn't be complacent."

Having no other choice, Zu'an said, "By the way, I came to inform Your Majesty that I will be leaving the capital soon."

"Are you going to Purple Mountain?" The Empress seemed entirely unsurprised.

Zu'an was taken aback. "Your Majesty already knows?"

The Emperor had just told him about it moments ago, yet she knew so quickly. It seemed he had underestimated the Empress's influence within the palace.

"It's not hard to guess. Zhao Hao has few reliable people around him these days, and no one is more suitable than you," the Empress said with a smile, quickly turning serious. "You must be careful on this trip; this matter is far from as simple as you imagine."

Zu'an's heart tightened. "I beg Your Majesty for guidance."

To his surprise, the Empress merely smiled without speaking. "You're leaving the capital soon and won't be seen for a long time. Why not take this opportunity to properly 'guide' me and help me regain my strength?"

Zu'an's expression was strange. It felt as if he was being asked to use his charm to extract information.

"How am I to guide you?"

"Like this, right now. I'm already prepared. This time, I'll see if I can successfully circulate my old cultivation method with your help." There was a captivating glint in the Empress's eyes.

Staring at the woman in front of him, posed in a cross shape, Zu'an was momentarily dumbfounded.