Chapter 680: You Think You're Worthy?

"Oh?" The lady in the carriage was only slightly surprised but didn't press for details, seemingly uninterested in external affairs.

However, since the other party had just helped, she didn't take the opportunity to leave.

Her gap-toothed coachman, having served her for years, naturally understood her thoughts. He leaned leisurely against the carriage door, happy to watch the unfolding drama.

Upon hearing Zu An's words, a hint of disdainful amusement flickered in the noble young man's eyes, but he still politely cupped his hands and said, "Pardon my poor sight; I truly can't tell what important figure you might be."

Zu An replied, "Not really an important figure, just a baron personally enfeoffed by His Majesty and a Princely Palace Steward. We are all officials in the same court; let's extend courtesies to each other."

He said this primarily to determine if the day's events were a coincidence or a setup targeting him. Logically, if he had merely stumbled upon an arrogant second-generation official by chance, revealing his identity should have made the other party wary.

While a "phoenix man" and a Princely Palace Steward weren't extraordinary titles, one was personally conferred by the Emperor, and the other served as a close aide to the future Emperor. No sane person would relentlessly pursue conflict over a mere chance encounter.

"Oh?" A soft gasp echoed from the carriage. The curtain on the nearby window was slightly parted, revealing glimpses of slender, delicate jade-like fingers. Just by looking at her hand, one could fully imagine how flawlessly beautiful she herself must be.

The gap-toothed coachman was somewhat surprised; his mistress was usually indifferent to everything. What was happening today?

At this point, the noble young man on horseback laughed, "A Princely Palace Steward, and a baron? What a grand official! I'm so scared!"

The other knights around him burst into laughter, and the group mocked him:

"A mere petty official dares to assert his status here."

"This fellow is probably a bumpkin from the countryside. Doesn't he know that in a place like the capital, if you randomly throw a brick, eight out of ten people it hits will have higher official ranks than him?"

"Exactly! Many of us here hold higher ranks than a mere steward."

Although a Princely Palace Steward was a close aide to the Crown Prince, their official rank was indeed not high, so their words were not entirely incorrect.

However, the position of Princely Palace Steward couldn't be solely measured by rank, as being so close to the Crown Prince meant interacting with high-ranking officials and dignitaries. It was like a leader's secretary; their official position might not be high, but who would dare to easily offend someone so close to the leader?

Zu An quietly observed them, understanding dawning in his heart. It seemed these people were indeed targeting him specifically, and they certainly weren't part of the Crown Prince's faction; otherwise, they would have shown respect.

Therefore, they could only be from Prince Qi's faction. No wonder the terrified warhorse had died so strangely earlier; these fellows must have set up a trap.

At this moment, the noble young man on horseback waved his hand, signaling for silence, then turned to Zu An and said, "May I ask, Lord, in which row and column do you stand in the Golden Imperial Hall during court?"

During court sessions, only officials of higher rank were qualified to stand within the Golden Imperial Hall and be in close proximity to the Emperor.

Lower-ranked officials had to wait outside the Golden Imperial Hall, lined up in order. Unless summoned for a specific matter, they had no right to face the Emperor and could only occasionally glimpse the situation inside from a distance.

Those of even lower rank would be stationed further away, near the palace gate, unable to even see the Golden Imperial Hall from afar, only its magnificent roof.

Therefore, one could entirely gauge each other's rank and favor by their standing position during court.

Zu An calmly replied, "I don't need to attend court."

The noble young man burst out laughing. "So, this lord doesn't even qualify to attend court!"

Then, his smile vanished, and he spat directly on the ground. "And you dare claim to be an official in the same court as me? Do you even deserve it?"

The surrounding knights dutifully echoed their master's sentiments, scoffing at Zu An's overestimation of himself.

"Noisy!" Zu An snorted, activating his Hundred Sings ability. An invisible sound wave spread out, causing the knights to feel a sudden headache, their words stuck in their mouths, unable to be uttered.

Some, with lower cultivation, even fell directly from their horses, landing in disarray.

Zu An had not used his full power; otherwise, many of these knights would likely have been shaken into idiocy.

As a "keyboard warrior" who had mastered the essence of "playing it safe," exposing his full power at the outset would have been too imprudent.

Seeing the conflict erupt, the surrounding onlookers scattered instantly, and the area quickly became deserted.

The noble young man narrowed his eyes. "I wondered why he was so arrogant. So, he has some cultivation. Pity, though. Does a mere sixth-rank cultivator dare to act wildly in a place like the capital?"

The combat power he displayed moments ago matched the previous intelligence reports: his ostensible cultivation was between fifth and sixth rank, but his actual combat power was higher, equivalent to a peak sixth-rank, possibly even touching seventh-rank.

But even if he were seventh-rank, in his eyes, he was merely an ant.

At this point, Zu An looked at him with a half-smile. "Might I ask who your esteemed self is? At least let me die knowing who my killer is."

The noble young man snorted, proudly raising his chin, revealing a pair of nostrils pointed skyward.

Clearly, introducing himself was beneath his dignity. A knight nearby, understanding his master's intent, promptly interjected, "Open your dog eyes and look! This is the current Heir Apparent of Prince Qi, holding the office of Cavalry Commander of the Imperial Guard. Do you, a mere petty official, dare to provoke him? Do you even know the crime of offending a superior officer?"

Although the title "Cavalry Commander of the Imperial Guard" might sound like a common rank, it wasn't a captain-level officer from later military systems but a genuine high-ranking general.

Within the imperial palace were the six armies: Lead, Guard, Left and Right Guards, Valiant Cavalry, and Skirmishers. Beyond that, the four directions within the capital were overseen by the Left, Right, Front, and Rear armies.

These forces were primarily responsible for the security of the imperial palace and the capital.

The outskirts of the capital were guarded by six great commanders: Garrison Cavalry, Infantry, Yue Cavalry (Demon Cavalry), Changshui, Archers, and Imperial Guard Cavalry. These formed the empire's central field armies, the elite of the elite.

Each commander controlled one-sixth of these forces and possessed at least an eighth-rank cultivation. One could imagine the high official status he held.

A sudden realization dawned on Zu An. No wonder. He must have recently offended Prince Qi. The elder, mindful of his status, found it inconvenient to act personally, so it fell to the younger generation to step in.

This trap, by its very design, seemed intent on killing him. Slaughtering a military horse and offending a superior officer could easily lead to a death sentence. And even if higher authorities investigated, they would have a plausible explanation.

Such a familiar play suggested this wasn't their first time.

Just then, an urgent voice suddenly called out from nearby: "Heir Apparent, my brother-in-law has just arrived in the capital and doesn't know many of the rules. He didn't mean to offend you. Please, Heir Apparent, spare him for the sake of the Qin and Chu families."

A young gentleman with red lips and white teeth, more beautiful than a woman, stepped forward. It was Chu Youzhao.

Beside him stood a small beauty radiating wild charm like a female leopard, her wheat-colored skin remarkably striking. Who else could it be but Murong Qinghe?

Chu Youzhao and Murong Qinghe had originally been out enjoying themselves in the streets. From a distance, they saw something happening here. Both being naturally curious, they excitedly ran over to watch the drama, only to find themselves directly involved.

Upon seeing Zu An, she quickly stepped forward, attempting to de-escalate the conflict.

Regardless of Zu An's relationship with her sister, he had saved her repeatedly, so she had to help.

"Ah, so it's Young Master Chu and Miss Murong," Prince Qi's Heir Apparent, Zhao Zhi, nodded slightly to them. The families behind these two were pillars of Prince Qi's faction, so he naturally couldn't treat them lightly. "From Young Master Chu's words, this must be that infamous live-in son-in-law of the Chu family, Zu An. When the eldest Miss Chu took a street ruffian as her live-in son-in-law, how many noble young men in the capital sighed with regret! I even thought that with Miss Chu's discernment, her chosen husband might possess some unique talent."

"But seeing him today, I can't help but lament that Miss Chu's judgment in men is indeed lacking."

Chu Youzhao felt a surge of private annoyance, but since she needed a favor today, she could only forcibly suppress her anger. "My brother-in-law is new to the capital. If he has offended the Heir Apparent in any way, I apologize on his behalf."

Zu An said calmly, "Youzhao, come back. You don't need to apologize for me. It should be him apologizing to me."