Chapter 275: Are You Responsible?

"Oh?"

Even as the woman in the palanquin exclaimed, her voice remained pleasant, yet it struck him as strangely familiar.

As a decent person who had transmigrated from a civilized world, even though he hadn't directly hit her, she had clearly fallen because of him.

He quickly dismounted and went to lift the palanquin. "Young lady, are you alright?" he asked.

Although the palanquin and the person inside were heavy, given his current cultivation, it was not difficult for him to lift it using his physical strength.

However, his well-intentioned act of lifting it seemed to have done more harm than good. A heavy thud against the interior walls came from inside. It was likely because the palanquin had overturned, causing the person inside to lose balance and be tossed around.

"Ah!"

The person inside was clearly disoriented from being thrown about. They instinctively tried to get out of the palanquin but couldn't stand steadily and promptly tumbled out from the front.

"Look out!" Zu An quickly reached out to help.

His hands met with soft, warm jade-like flesh, and Zu An's heart skipped a beat.

A pretty face, capable of both charming smiles and playful pouts, appeared before him. Her elegant eyebrows and delicate nose gave her the refined beauty of a lady from a water town.

"Miss Zheng, is that you?"

By then, he had clearly seen her face; it was none other than Zheng Dan.

It was even better that it was an acquaintance, saving him from potential disputes. He wasn't sure if feigning an accident for compensation was a concept in this world.

"Ah Zu, is that you?"

Zheng Dan also recognized him and looked at him with a surprised and delighted expression.

"Cough, cough!" Sang Qian's displeased cough interrupted them. "How long do you two plan to keep embracing each?"

Only then did they realize they were still holding each other. They quickly let go as if shocked by electricity and both took a step back simultaneously.

Zheng Dan's face flushed crimson, her heart pounding like a startled deer.

Zu An, on the other hand, realized, *Why does this feel like I’ve been caught in an illicit affair by her legitimate partner?*

*I just saved your fiancée; shouldn't you be thanking me?*

At this moment, Sang Qian was fuming with indignation. He knew that Zheng Dan usually wouldn't even let him hold her hand, yet now she was embracing another man so intimately.

Although he knew there was a reason for today's incident, why did it feel so strange?

"Ah Zu, where are you all rushing off to?"

Zheng Dan regained her composure, smoothing the disheveled strands of hair that had come loose from the jolt and fright back behind her ear, as she asked.

*You have your fiancée right here; why are you asking me instead?* Zu An thought to himself.

Nonetheless, he replied, "We have important matters to attend to. I will explain to Miss Zheng when we return."

Having said that, he hastily remounted his horse.

Zheng Dan's gaze flickered over the anti-smuggling soldiers behind them, and she quickly said, "Are you going to raid a private salt operation somewhere?"

Zu An's expression changed. "How did you know?"

*Could it be that the secret had already been leaked!*

Zheng Dan smiled faintly. "Don't be so nervous. What else would the anti-smuggling unit be doing if not apprehending private salt traffickers? Besides, a significant portion of our Zheng family's industry is salt, so we naturally understand these matters."

Hearing her explanation, Zu An felt a slight sense of relief.

"Take me with you," Zheng Dan said. "After all, our Zheng family has always detested private salt smuggling. I've never seen a private salt bust before, and I'd like to witness one."

"Don't be ridiculous," Sang Qian snorted, flatly refusing. "This is serious business; how can we bring women along?"

Zheng Dan smiled faintly. "If I'm not mistaken, I haven't officially married into the Sang family yet. Strictly speaking, I'm not yet considered a woman of the Sang family; I am merely the daughter of a salt merchant. So, isn't it a reasonable request to want to observe the scene?"

Zu An watched from the side, wide-eyed. Normally, Zheng Dan gave off a gentle, water-like impression; how could she be so disrespectful to Sang Qian in public today?

*Wouldn't she have a hard time if she married into the Sang family in the future?*

*Could it be that she was deliberately trying to show her feelings for me because I was present today?*

*Oh, the downside of being too charming as a man is that it easily affects other people's families.*

Sang Qian snorted. "Even so, we need to march quickly, and your palanquin won't be able to keep up."

"I can ride a horse too!" Zheng Dan declared, raising her fair neck, as proud as a beautiful swan.

Sang Qian frowned. "I don't have a horse for you here. These are military horses and cannot be used for personal purposes; otherwise, being impeached for it would be a serious offense."

Zheng Dan pursed her lips, knowing he was telling the truth, and was caught in a dilemma.

Just then, a faint voice spoke up from beside them: "My horses aren't military horses; I can take you."

Sang Qian was almost fuming with rage. *Flirting with my fiancée right in front of me?*

*What did he mean by 'take her'?*

*Were they going to share one horse?*

*If I let this happen in front of all these subordinates, how will I lead them in the future!*

Anger value from Sang Qian +666!

Zu An secretly smiled. *This guy is actually so angry. Could it be that Zheng Dan's previous actions weren't at his instruction?*

*Then things would get interesting.*

Zheng Dan looked at Zu An, then at Sang Qian, and finally shook her head. "Thank you for your kindness, young master, but it's not necessary."

If they were alone, perhaps she might impulsively agree, especially since she was tasked with a 'honey trap' mission.

But to openly ride so intimately with another man in front of so many people would certainly cause the marriage between the Zheng and Sang families to be called off.

The Sang family would never allow themselves to become the laughingstock of the world.

Even the Zheng family members would likely beat her with a broom.

Zu An had only been testing the two of them and wouldn't actually be so reckless.

He quickly had one of his guards spare a horse for her, and they continued their rush towards the pier.

After approximately fifteen minutes, the group finally arrived at the pier. The pier was bustling with activity, with countless dockworkers busily unloading and loading cargo.

"Everyone, stop what you're doing immediately!" he bellowed. "Otherwise, you will be dealt with as smugglers, to be killed without mercy!"

Sang Qian was already furious, and now finding an outlet for his anger, he stepped forward and shouted loudly.

His voice had great penetrating power. Coupled with the soldiers spreading out around, the noisy pier immediately fell silent.

Zu An was secretly alarmed, *This guy's cultivation level is not low.*

"Zu An, which family did your intelligence report say was smuggling private salt?" Sang Qian asked directly, no longer bothering with formalities.

Zu An frowned slightly. He didn't know the exact family; Qiu Honglei's intelligence wasn't that precise.

However, he reacted quickly and immediately thought of a countermeasure. "First, check the one with the most cargo!"

Private salt smuggling was highly profitable but also dangerous. If the amount smuggled each time was small, it wasn't very profitable, and if the smuggling attempts were too frequent, the risk was too high. So, they basically waited for an opportunity to ship large quantities.

Sang Qian nodded, and with a wave of his hand, his subordinates immediately dispersed to investigate.

Soon, there was a result. A group of soldiers brought a middle-aged man forward. "Reporting, Commander! Today, the largest cargo volume at the pier belongs to his family."

Zu An scrutinized the middle-aged man. He had an ordinary appearance, one that could be seen anywhere on the street, and nothing distinctive about him.

The only thing worth noting was his soft skin and the absence of calluses on his hands, indicating he lived a relatively comfortable life.

"Uncle Hou, is that you?"

Just then, Zheng Dan's surprised cry came from beside him.

Zu An was startled and turned to look at her. "You know this person?"

Zheng Dan nodded. "He is Hou Yun, the steward of our Zheng family. My father entrusts him with many matters."

"Oh?"

Zu An's expression immediately became intrigued.

He suddenly realized that Zheng Dan's palanquin suddenly appearing when their group was halfway through their rapid march was probably no coincidence.

Being delayed by her for nearly half an hour there, he figured it must have been to buy time for the people here.

*Did Sang Qian know about this?*

At this moment, Sang Qian also spoke. "Hou Yun, what are you doing here?"

"The Zheng family has a batch of goods to ship today, so I came here to supervise," Hou Yun said with a conciliatory smile.

"Since it's Zheng family cargo, there shouldn't be any problem. Go check others," Sang Qian said, waving his hand, signaling to let it pass.

"Wait!" Of course, Zu An wouldn't agree to that. There was no way he would let it go so easily. He looked directly at Hou Yun and asked, "What cargo are you shipping today?"

Hou Yun respectfully replied, "Just some ordinary goods we deal with daily."

"Don't play dumb! What exactly is it?" Zu An demanded sternly.

Zheng Dan, who was standing nearby, stepped forward. "Ah Zu, are you suspecting our Zheng family of smuggling private salt?"

*Is there even a need to doubt? It's clearly obvious,* Zu An thought to himself. He hadn't expected the Zheng family, one of Mingyue City's four great salt merchants, to also be secretly smuggling private salt.

But then again, it made sense. The Chu family occupied more than half of Mingyue City's market share, leaving less than a third for the other three families and smaller ones, which indeed made it difficult to satisfy their appetite.

Of course, he didn't say that directly aloud. "Of course not," he replied. "I just worry that sometimes subordinates might act too audaciously and use the Zheng family's name to do something unsavory. If it ever came to light in the future, it would ruin the Zheng family's reputation. So, it's better to clarify things now."

"Ah Zu's considerations are indeed thorough," Zheng Dan said with a faint smile, then turned to Hou Yun. "Uncle Hou, did you hear that? Just answer truthfully."

There was no discernible emotional fluctuation in her tone.

Zu An secretly marveled. He couldn't tell if this woman was truly innocent or feigning innocence. If it was a pretense, her acting was simply too good.

"It's some cotton seeds and the like," Hou Yun retorted, clearly in a bad mood from being suspected. "A large part of the Zheng family's business is in the cotton fabric industry, so transporting these shouldn't be illegal, right?"

"What about the customs clearance documents or permits? Let's see them," Zu An said, holding out his hand.

Sang Qian, standing nearby, couldn't help but glance at him. Hadn't everyone said this guy used to be an uneducated hoodlum? How could he know so many trade details so thoroughly?

What Sang Qian didn't understand was that Mingyue Academy's Yellow Class indeed taught very little about cultivation, but they taught a great deal about practical life skills.

Many students found it uninteresting, but Zu An, in order to understand all aspects of this world, listened attentively to everything he could.

For large quantities of goods like these to enter or leave a port, relevant permits were definitely required for clearance.

Hou Yun looked at Sang Qian for guidance. Sang Qian snorted, "Why are you looking at me? Today, Zu An represents Duke Mingyue. Just do as he says."

"Yes, yes, yes," Hou Yun quickly pulled out a warrant from his bosom and handed it over.

Zu An examined it; it indeed stated that the departing cargo consisted of cotton seeds and similar items.

However, he didn't fully believe it and walked directly towards their cargo ship. "Open the hatch, I need to inspect it."

Hou Yun's expression changed. "But the cargo has already been loaded. If we open the hatch now and reload, it will delay us by at least another day. If the goods aren't delivered on time, our Zheng family will have to pay compensation."

"Open the hatch!" Zu An said coldly.

With a wave of his hand, the numerous Chu family guards had already secured all critical points around the ship's hold, ready to act immediately at a single command.

Hou Yun's expression also changed at this moment, and he said sternly, "If you don't find anything, will you be responsible for the Zheng family's losses?"