Chapter 66: Left and Right Dilemma

Brightmoon City's thriving commerce, particularly its salt and iron trade and grain transportation, heavily relied on river transport. This led to the establishment of the River Defense Camp, primarily tasked with combating smuggling. They also escorted strategic and essential goods, as dangerous beasts frequented areas along the riverbanks.

Sang Qian calmly replied, "The River Defense Camp is also responsible for maintaining local security. With so many people gathered here tonight, a minor oversight could lead to a large-scale stampede. My inquiry into the matter is perfectly reasonable."

"That probably won't be necessary, Commander Sang," a soft voice interjected.

Immediately after, a contingent of constables poured in through the entrance. Leading them was a figure with a paper fan and a face as fair as jade—a truly graceful young master.

"Is that person a man or a woman?""Shhh, are you trying to get yourself killed? That's the City Lord's son."

Zu'an was momentarily stunned, surprised to see Xie Xiu, the effeminate-looking young man, again. He used to not understand why emperors and nobles in history kept male consorts, but if they looked like this, it wasn't..."Bah! What nonsense am I thinking?" he chided himself.

Sang Qian's eyes narrowed upon seeing Xie Xiu enter. "So it's Young Master Xie. If I'm not mistaken, Young Master Xie should still be studying at Brightmoon Academy and holds no official position. Calling upon so many constables seems rather inappropriate."

Xie Xiu folded his fan and smiled slightly. "Of course, these constables aren't with me. I was just drinking at the Celestial Immortal Pavilion next door when I saw Uncle Pang bringing a team over. My curiosity led me to follow. Isn't that right, Uncle Pang?"

A portly figure hurried in from outside, adjusting his official cap as he walked, clearly having rushed to get there.

"That's Pang Chun, the City Constable. He's a fifth-rank cultivator and Brightmoon City's third-highest official. He's always been on good terms with our Chu clan. Don't speak carelessly and offend him," Chu Chuyan quickly whispered, worried about Zu'an's bluntness.

Zu'an nodded, his expression somewhat peculiar. *Pang Chun? What were his parents thinking when they named him?*Chu Chuyan's words, however, revealed more information. It seemed the Chu clan had a good relationship with the City Lord. Yet, Chu Zhongtian had previously mentioned that the new Prefect, Sang Hong, was appointed with them in mind, implying Sang Hong's arrival represented the imperial court's will.*Good heavens, is the Chu clan disloyal, colluding with local officials, leading the court to want to deal with them swiftly?**I thought I'd hitched myself to a powerful patron, but it looks like I've boarded a sinking ship. No wonder they dragged their feet when I mentioned dealing with a gang earlier!**Should I find a chance to jump ship early?*If Chu Chuyan knew his thoughts at that moment, she would probably have pinned him down and given him a severe beating.

After entering, Pang Chun jovially cupped his hands in greeting to Sang Qian. "Greetings, Commander Sang."

Sang Qian dared not be negligent. As the City Constable, Pang Chun was the third-highest authority in Brightmoon City, and even Sang Qian could not treat him lightly. He promptly returned the greeting, "Greetings, Lord Constable."

After exchanging pleasantries, both men looked towards Xie Xiu, who chuckled. "Why are you looking at me? I don't hold any official position. Just follow the rules for handling this."

Sang Qian grumbled inwardly, *Everyone knows you called Pang Chun here. He always defers to your father, so he's just listening to you.*

Pang Chun, still smiling, turned to Sang Qian. "Then I'll handle this matter. Commander Sang, you wouldn't mind, would you?"

Sang Qian forced a smile. "That is the Lord Constable's duty; I wouldn't dare overstep."

The City Constable was responsible for a city's public security and law enforcement, in some ways equivalent to a combination of a modern-day police chief, prosecutor, and court president. Their power was considerable.

Only then did Pang Chun drop his smile, looking at the others in the room. "So, what exactly happened here?"

Chu Chuyan then spoke up, giving a rough account of the events that had just transpired.

Pang Chun secretly clicked his tongue, clearly startled by the astronomical sum of 7.5 million taels. However, he quickly recovered and followed her lead. "Leader Mei, this is where you're wrong. Since you run a gambling house, you should accept your losses. Otherwise, if all gambling houses operated like yours, wouldn't chaos ensue?"

Mei Chaofeng was secretly furious but still replied, "Lord Constable, you don't understand. This man won 7.5 million taels in just two hands. It's utterly unbelievable. He must have cheated. How can we possibly accept such a debt?"

Zu'an couldn't help but chuckle. "You run a gambling house, and you're afraid of customers cheating? Is it your lack of skill, or are you just too shameless?"

"You!" Mei Chaofeng was enraged, thinking that if they were alone, he could crush this pest with a single finger. Yet, he was forced to swallow his pride and reason with him.*Damn it!*Rage from Mei Chaofeng +499!

At this point, Pang Chun also spoke. "Indeed, Leader Mei, if you claim he cheated, do you have any proof?"

Zu'an thought to himself, *It's great to have someone in power on your side, constantly speaking up for you. Especially since I'm in the right anyway.*

Mei Chaofeng hesitated. "Not exactly. I wasn't here at the time, and Zu'an came with Miss Chu. As a fifth-rank cultivator, if Miss Chu really did something, our casino staff wouldn't be able to detect it."

Chu Chuyan's expression turned cold. "Are you implying I helped him cheat?"

With the pretense now dropped, Mei Chaofeng spoke without reservation. "That's hard to say. He is your husband, after all. Who knows if you two conspired to set me up?"

Chu Chuyan stated coldly, "The reputation of our Chu clan will not tolerate such slander. I challenge you to a duel!"

Mei Chaofeng also went all out. "I've only been polite to you because of the Chu clan. Don't think I'm afraid of you!"

Zu'an watched from the side with an excited expression, practically urging them to fight. He wanted to see a battle between fifth-rank powerhouses, so he could be prepared in the future.As for Chu Chuyan suffering a loss, he wasn't worried in the slightest. Not only were Xie Xiu and the City Constable present, but Brightmoon City was, after all, the Chu clan's fief. Would Chu Zhongtian allow his daughter to be bullied?Furthermore, with her background from Brightmoon Academy, Mei Chaofeng couldn't afford to offend her, no matter the circumstances.

At this moment, Xie Xiu stepped forward to mediate. "Please calm down, both of you. Allow me to say something fair. Everyone in Brightmoon City knows that the Chu clan has always strictly forbidden involvement in gambling..."

He paused, noticing everyone's gaze turn to Zu'an, and quickly caught his breath. "Zu'an, after all, is not a Chu by name. He might be new to the clan and unfamiliar with their rules. However, everyone in Brightmoon City should be well aware of Miss Chu's character after all these years.""Exactly, how could Miss Chu possibly cheat?""Leader Mei, if you can't pay up, don't slander Miss Chu.""Right, how could Miss Chu do such a thing!"

The surrounding crowd readily agreed, leaving Zu'an speechless. *My 'bargain' wife is quite popular, isn't she? So many people like her. It's making me feel quite insecure.*

Xie Xiu continued, "Furthermore, as you all know, I don't have many special talents beyond eating, drinking... *cough*, and being quite proficient in gambling. To my knowledge, all gambling tools in every casino under heaven have magic arrays carved by rune masters, which can block cultivation energy detection. Therefore, claiming Miss Chu cheated by relying on her high cultivation is simply baseless."

Sang Qian secretly cursed Mei Chaofeng as useless. *Of all the excuses, why accuse Miss Chu?* He had no choice but to speak up. "Indeed, I too can stake my life that Miss Chu would never cheat. She..."

Before he could finish, Zu'an's voice whispered in his ear, "Wifey, if you confessed to cheating right now, would this guy just kill himself?"

Sang Qian: "..."Xie Xiu: "..."Pang Chun: "..."Mei Chaofeng: "..."

*I was just being polite, and you actually took it seriously? What kind of utterly bizarre son-in-law has the Chu clan found?*Rage from Sang Qian +213!

At this point, Chu Chuyan's face was completely dark. "Shut up, don't talk nonsense."

Sang Qian had no choice but to pretend he hadn't heard Zu'an's remark and continued. *Wait, where was I? It's all that guy's fault!*

"Miss Chu would never cheat. However, as for Young Master Zu, many in the city are surely aware of his former character and... capabilities. It's utterly impossible for someone of his skill to win 7.5 million taels in just two hands. Therefore, only one possibility remains: he must have bribed and colluded with Plum Blossom Seven beforehand, working together to defraud the casino!"

He might as well have directly called Zu'an a good-for-nothing.

Mei Chaofeng's eyes lit up. *Brilliant! My previous arguments certainly had holes, but this explanation completely refutes the legitimacy of his 7.5 million tael win. Not only does it shift all blame to Plum Blossom Seven, but it also allows us to turn the tables and pursue Zu'an's accountability.**As expected of someone from the capital, his methods are truly cunning!*

"Wuwuwu~" Plum Blossom Seven, standing nearby, was terrified to his core. *Why do they keep pinning this on me, no matter how things turn out?* Unfortunately, his jaw had been dislocated, and despite his urgency, he couldn't utter a word.

*Clap, clap, clap.*Suddenly, the sound of applause echoed through the casino. Everyone turned to see Zu'an clapping. "Commander Sang, are you perhaps one of the hidden owners of Silverhook Casino?"

Sang Qian's face instantly darkened. "Nonsense! Slandering an imperial official is a serious crime!"Rage from Sang Qian +200!

"If you're not an owner of Silverhook Casino, then why have you been speaking on their behalf ever since you arrived?" Zu'an asked.

Sang Qian snorted. "That was merely a reasonable inference based on the facts."

Zu'an immediately retorted, "You just said it was an inference. So, based on how you've consistently spoken for Mei Chaofeng, can my reasonable inference that you two are colluding privately also be used as evidence?"

"You!" Sang Qian turned away with a dark expression. "I can't be bothered to argue with someone like you."Rage from Sang Qian +100!

He had clearly calmed down. Arguing with someone of Zu'an's status was simply beneath him and would only diminish his own standing.

Zu'an looked towards the stout Pang Chun. "Lord Constable, with your years of experience in judging cases, I'm sure you understand the situation perfectly by now."

Sang Qian also spoke up, "Lord Pang, don't let certain individuals threaten or influence your judgment."

"This..." Pang Chun hesitated, sweat beginning to trickle down his plump face. He naturally understood what was going on, but the Plum Blossom Gang had been bribing various city departments for years, and their background had always been mysterious. Now, with Sang Qian clearly protecting them, could their patron be the Prefect himself?