Chapter 661: No Hope, Just Wait for Death

The guards exchanged glances, a hint of worry in their eyes. "Zu An is now a baron enfeoffed by the Emperor and a Prince's Companion," one began hesitantly, "won't that..."

Prince Qi said calmly, "It's fine. Just bring him here."

Relieved that they wouldn't have to act personally, the guards bowed, accepted the order, and departed.

Prince Qi gazed towards the East Palace, a slight sneer playing on his lips. The Crown Princess's ambition to cultivate her own influence had not escaped him, but he knew it wouldn't be that easy.

Meanwhile, just as Zu An exited the East Palace gate, he was pulled aside by the brothers Pu Duandiao and Jiao Sigun.

"What's wrong?" Zu An asked, curious about their hesitant expressions.

Pu Duandiao hesitated for a moment. Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, he lowered his voice and said, "Lord Zu, you really need to be careful these days."

"Why do you say that?" Sensing the gravity in their demeanor, Zu An's heart sank.

Jiao Sigun asked, "Do you know why the two of us were able to become junior guard captains of the East Palace?"

"Because you are the East Palace's 'Sleeping Dragon' and 'Phoenix Chick'?" Zu An couldn't help but smile, looking at the pair he privately nicknamed "Master Weak" and "The Contradictor."

The two paused, clearly not understanding his remark. They continued, "Given our qualifications, we shouldn't have been promoted to East Palace guard captains so quickly. Our two predecessors, in terms of both talent and cultivation, were one in ten thousand among their peers in the imperial army. At the time, they were full of vigor and always aspired to achieve great things.

"One time, they witnessed Prince Qi's privately disrespectful — rather, arrogant — attitude towards the Crown Prince and reprimanded him. Prince Qi said nothing at the time, but the next day, they didn't report for duty. When people searched their residences, they found two headless bodies.

"Even their subordinates, who had joined them in criticizing Prince Qi, had their heads vanish without a trace.

"The incident caused a huge stir at the time, but it was quickly hushed up."

Zu An was dumbfounded. No wonder everyone in the East Palace had been cowering like quails; there had been such a chilling precedent.

He couldn't have guessed that Prince Qi, who appeared so refined and virtuous on the surface, could be so ruthless.

No wonder he had been able to play a counter-role to the Emperor for so many years; they were truly brothers, their underlying ruthlessness and suspicion chillingly similar.

At this moment, he suddenly noticed "Master Weak" and "The Contradictor" looking at him with peculiar expressions. He paused. "Why are you two looking at me like that?"

The two replied, "The people who rebuked Prince Qi back then weren't as harsh as you were today. Good luck to you."

They then sighed and walked away, looking as if he were doomed and simply waiting for death.

Zu An was speechless.

He had to admit that "Master Weak" and "The Contradictor," though a bit goofy, were quite loyal. At least they had secretly warned him, making the time he'd spent bonding with them worthwhile.

However, he wasn't particularly afraid, as offending Prince Qi was part of his own plan.

On his way to the Imperial Prison, he encountered General Guo Zhi of the Right Guard, who was on patrol. Seeing Zu An, the general offered a warm smile. "Well, well, Brother Zu, what brings you to this place?"

The last time, Zu An had solved a major problem that had long troubled the general, so he found him particularly agreeable.

Zu An exchanged pleasantries with him for a bit before explaining his purpose. Guo Zhi was surprised. "Didn't you already get a confession last time? What else needs to be investigated?"

Zu An replied, "The Crown Princess asked me to inquire again. It's just a routine matter."

Guo Zhi adopted an understanding expression. "No problem, Brother Zu, ask away. Honestly, I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what to do with these people. The Cheng Xiong case is closed, they're useless now, and keeping them here is just a hassle. Several times I've wanted to just *snip*..."

He made a throat-cutting gesture before continuing, "Unfortunately, the Emperor hasn't given any orders, and I don't dare to act on my own. Brother Zu, perhaps you could sound out the Emperor and see how he wants me to handle these people?"

"Brother Guo, why don't you ask yourself? Your official rank is much higher than mine." Zu An was somewhat surprised that the Emperor hadn't informed Guo Zhi about releasing the prisoners. That would complicate his own plan.

Guo Zhi sighed, troubled. "I wouldn't dare invite more trouble. With assassins running wild in the palace, the Emperor has already reprimanded us several times. Now that even Cheng Xiong has fallen, I naturally prefer to keep a low profile. You, Brother Zu, are different. The Emperor specifically ordered that you can enter and exit the Imperial Prison freely and that I should cooperate with all your requests as much as possible. It's truly enviable; you've only been here a few days, Brother Zu, and you're already in such high imperial favor."

Zu An inwardly cursed. The Emperor's instruction was too subtle; Guo Zhi might not grasp it. It seemed he would have to find a way to rescue them himself.

He thought for a moment and then said, "Then first, remove all the master guards from the Imperial Prison."

Guo Zhi looked astonished. "But what if the imperial prisoners escape then?"

Zu An replied, "How could they possibly escape within the palace grounds? Besides, they're still bound by the Embroidered Uniform Guard's soul-snaring restraints."

Guo Zhi looked troubled. "But why suddenly withdraw the master guards?"

Zu An pulled him aside and whispered, "I want to create a false impression for those imperial prisoners, making them believe they have a chance to escape. With renewed hope for life, they'll start valuing their lives, and their mental defenses will loosen, allowing me to extract more information."

Guo Zhi's eyes lit up. "Brother Zu, that's a brilliant move indeed! No wonder you were able to extract so much information last time."

With that, he eagerly scurried off to order his subordinates to withdraw, leaving only the lowest-ranking jailers to maintain the normal operations of the Imperial Prison.

After making all the arrangements, he returned to Zu An. "Brother Zu, please make yourself comfortable. With the recent assassin incidents, the palace security has been heightened, and I still have patrols to attend to, so I won't be able to stay with you."

"Then I'll treat you to a drink next time, Brother Guo." Zu An cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Alright!" Guo Zhi waved and departed with his subordinates.

Zu An watched him silently. The man might appear somewhat simple, but how could anyone in such a position truly be foolish?

Ever since Cheng Xiong had almost implicated him based on the slightest clue, Zu An no longer dared to underestimate the intelligence of those within the palace.

Guo Zhi had clearly guessed Zu An's intentions, so he had deliberately withdrawn, wishing to avoid any involvement in the matter.

Of course, had the Emperor not secretly instructed him, Guo Zhi would not have been so cooperative in withdrawing the master guards.

Composing himself, Zu An walked directly into the Imperial Prison.

In the deepest cells of the Imperial Prison, several people were whispering.

"Elder, Master Huo, why hasn't that person come to rescue us after all this time?" It was Gu Yueyi who spoke, his voice filled with frustration. He had been longing for their savior for days, but his hope had dwindled with each passing moment, leaving him increasingly agitated.

"Rescuing someone from the Imperial Prison isn't easy; just be patient," Elder Sun Lühen said, opening his eyes. Despite being covered in bloodstains, his eyes remained sharp and bright.

"What if he never intended to save us at all? What if he was just deceiving us?" Gu Yueyi's face grew paler as he spoke, the possibility seeming more plausible with every thought.

Sun Lühen and Huo Sanren also fell silent, as they too had harbored similar suspicions.

"Calm yourselves," Sun Lühen finally said, maintaining his composure.

Huo Sanren, nearby, added, "Indeed. We came into the palace for this assassination attempt fully prepared to die. If someone can save us, we'll be fortunate; if not, it's to be expected."

Gu Yueyi's expression flickered. He thought to himself, *You two are old; of course you've lived enough. I'm still young.*

He even considered that if Zu An truly went back on his word, he would report him to Lord Guo, hoping to exchange this secret for his own life.

Just then, a clear voice drifted in. "I didn't expect Master Huo to be so magnanimous. Truly admirable."

The few captives were startled and then delighted, turning their heads to see Zu An standing nearby. A collective sigh of relief swept through the group.

While they had all resigned themselves to death, it was certainly preferable to live.

However, noticing a line of jailers standing behind him, their expressions changed once more. Gu Yueyi stammered, "You... you're not here to silence us, are you?"

Zu An smiled, about to answer, when suddenly a commotion erupted outside. Several jailers were pushed and tumbled down the stairs.

Eight golden-armored guards swaggered in, their voices sharp with accusation. "You insolent fools! How dare you obstruct someone Prince Qi wishes to see?"