Chapter 424: Deadlock

When Mi Li saw his silence, she thought he was disheartened, so she gently comforted him. "Don't worry," she said, "you have such a divine artifact in hand, a secret cultivation manual that everyone dreams of, and your talent is legendary and super-tier. You don't need to be bothered by these short-term difficulties."

Zu An glanced at her with some surprise. "Sister Empress," he said, "I hadn't realized your voice sounds so pleasant when you're gentle. I'm a bit unaccustomed to it."

Mi Li was speechless.

"Do I have to be fierce with you for you to be used to it? Are you a masochist?"

Zu An chuckled. "No, no, not at all. Of course, I prefer you to be gentle. But not *too* gentle, or else you'd lose your regal, queenly charm."

"Get lost~" Mi Li retorted, momentarily speechless. Eventually, she couldn't be bothered with him and quickly dissipated, resuming her slumber.

"Who knows if this woman actually sleeps every time..." Zu An muttered to himself. He walked to the window, looking in the direction of the Chu family residence, his expression pensive.

Meanwhile, at the Chu family's residence, Liu Yao led the Imperial Guards inside to search everywhere. Since the Chu couple and the Crimson-Robed Army had all been suppressed by the imperial decree, they no longer had the power to resist.

Jiang Luofu, standing nearby, frowned deeply. She had originally come to mediate, but with the Emperor himself intervening to suppress the Chu family, her attempts at reconciliation were meaningless. All she could do was see if there was a way to save the Chu family.

As for Zu An, he could only pray for good fortune. She wondered what this guy had done to offend the Emperor to cause such an enormous disaster.

She fell into contemplation: If his super-tier talent was reported to the imperial court, would the Emperor pardon his death sentence? After all, such legendary talent was rarely seen even in a thousand years. However, jealousy of the capable is human nature. Especially now that the Emperor wanted to capture him, if he knew Zu An's potential was so great, would it only strengthen his resolve to eliminate him? For a moment, she was extremely conflicted. Her personality had always been firm and decisive, and she had never felt this way before.

At this moment, King Liang stepped forward with a chuckle. "Now everyone should believe that I wasn't just spouting nonsense, right? Principal Jiang, City Lord Xie, do either of you have any objections?"

Jiang Luofu frowned but said nothing.

Xie Yi, standing by, quickly chuckled ingratiatingly. "No objections, no objections! Everything is up to King Liang." What a joke! The moment the imperial decree was issued, the immense pressure still made him tremble with fear just thinking about it. For a moment, he couldn't help but doubt his decision to side with King Qi. However, since things had come to this, changing allegiances was impossible. Fortunately, the Emperor's lifespan was not long. He should report today's events to King Qi as soon as he returned, so King Qi could make an early decision.

Xie Daoyun, standing nearby, bit her lip tightly. She could do nothing about her father's behavior. Indeed, this was no longer something their Xie family could decide. She only hoped Ah Zu could escape successfully.

At this point, Liu Yao had already led his men to search the entire Chu mansion. He came out, shaking his head, and said, "Nothing."

King Liang looked at the Chu couple and said, "Lord Mingyue, you heard the imperial decree clearly, didn't you? If Zu An is not handed over within three days, your entire Chu family will be buried with that brat." He recalled how they had humiliated him earlier by outnumbering him. Now seeing them dispirited and dejected, a wave of satisfaction washed over him.

Chu Zhongtian and Qin Wanru exchanged glances. Their faces were extremely pale.

Qin Wanru couldn't help but say, "You've searched; Ah Zu isn't here. What do you want us to hand over?"

King Liang said coldly, "That's your problem, not mine. Who told you to have Zu An as your son-in-law?" After speaking, he left some Imperial Guards to stand watch near the Chu family residence. He himself went back to rest. Why stand here in the cold wind, when he could go back and lie down comfortably?

Oh, he remembered hearing that the Immortal's Abode in Mingyue City was quite good. Apparently, there was also a famous courtesan named Qiu Honglei inside, whose beauty was renowned. He should go check it out today. But it might look bad if he suggested it himself. Why were the local officials in Mingyue City so clueless? Shouldn't they be proactively inviting him?

As if sensing his displeasure, Xie Yi, who was standing nearby, seemed to awaken to the situation. He quickly approached with an ingratiating smile. "King Liang, General Wei, you must be exhausted from your long journey to Mingyue City. Allow this humble official to host you both, and let you experience the local customs and charm of Mingyue City."

King Liang was secretly delighted, but on his face, he deliberately stroked his beard as if in dilemma. "This might be inconvenient, troubling Lord Xie too much."

"No trouble at all, no trouble," Xie Yi said with a smile, "This humble official also wishes to hear about the customs and charm of the capital from the King and General Liu."

Liu Yao, standing nearby, burst out laughing. "If Lord Xie has the opportunity in the future, I, the General, will certainly take you to experience it, hahaha."

Watching her father's somewhat fawning demeanor, Xie Daoyun, from a distance, subtly pressed a hand to her forehead. Always graceful and pure, she disliked such things, but she didn't feel any contempt for her father because of it. Having grown up in an official's family, she knew that such hospitality and networking were very common in official circles. At home, she spent her days composing poetry, and her younger brother only indulged in frivolous affairs. Her father truly bore all the burdens alone.

After the group departed, Xie Daoyun walked over to comfort the Chu couple. "Lord Mingyue, Madam Chu, are you alright?" she asked. "Shall I ask Divine Physician Ji to come over for you?"

Chu Zhongtian shook his head. "These minor injuries are nothing." Then, thinking of the uncertain future of the Chu family, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Xie Daoyun said, "Uncle, you don't need to worry too much. There will always be a solution." Although she said this, in reality, she couldn't think of any actual solution.

Qin Wanru, standing by, said, "Thank you very much, Miss Xie, for your previous help." How could she not see that Xie Daoyun had just called Xie Yi over? She also knew about Xie Daoyun's previous help getting Zu An into the city. While grateful, she couldn't help but feel a little strange: When did she become so close to Ah Zu? That guy Ah Zu might not have many other skills, but his luck with women was truly top-notch. Normally, she might worry about her daughter, but now, she wished Zu An had as many female confidantes as possible. That way, they could provide him with help. Ideally, one of them would be a princess or someone of high status, which might help him pass the Emperor's hurdle.

"Huh? Wait a minute," she thought, "the Emperor keeps saying Ah Zu stole something from him... Could he have stolen his daughter...?"

"You're too kind, Madam," Xie Daoyun replied. Worried about what would happen to Zu An next, she clearly wasn't in the mood for much conversation. After a few more polite words, she left, her mind heavy.

Jiang Luofu also approached the couple. She said in a low voice, "Your daughter has been settled by Ah Zu in the teachers' dormitory at the academy. Given the current situation, I've temporarily told her not to return. You don't need to worry. Even if the worst happens, I will protect her safety." Her unspoken meaning was clear: should the Chu family truly fall, she would help protect Chu Chuyan.

A glimmer of gratitude flashed in the Chu couple's eyes. "Thank you, Principal!" Even the Emperor had personally intervened. Things had come to this point, and they dared not hope for any turnaround. For someone to help them preserve a trace of their bloodline at such a time was already an immense favor.

Qin Wanru then asked, "By the way, is Ah Zu at the academy?"

Jiang Luofu shook her head. "No one knows where he is right now."

Qin Wanru breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good," she said. "If Principal Jiang happens to see him, please tell him for me not to return. They have already set up an inescapable trap here, waiting for him. Also, tell him to find Chuyan, go to the capital to rescue her... her younger brother. Then, he should find a place to live in obscurity, and stop Chuyan from thinking about revenge."

Hearing her desperate tone, as if she were giving her last wishes, Jiang Luofu frowned slightly. But she still nodded and agreed, "Alright."

For the next three days, the Chu family members spent almost all their time in meetings, trying to find a way out. Unfortunately, all their proposed methods were rejected, as it seemed to be a dead end no matter how they looked at it.

Suddenly, an elder in the family, leaning on his cane, cursed, "It's all that jinx Zu An's fault!" Once he started, more people began to follow suit and curse Zu An.