Chapter 710

Zuan paused, observing carefully. He discovered a group of Embroidered Uniform Guards ambushed around him, led by Zhu Xie Chixin.

His heart skipped a beat. Had he revealed a weakness at some point?

His first instinct was to turn and run. After all, being found naked and embracing the Crown Princess, even if framed, was an undeniable capital offense. However, he quickly calmed down. They might not have concrete evidence for an arrest here; running away would only confirm his guilt. Crucially, the imperial palace guards were fully mobilized, and the palace gates were closed. He might not be able to escape.

He took a deep breath and calmly walked forward.

The moment he showed himself, a group of Embroidered Uniform Guards immediately sprang out of the surrounding bushes and encircled him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zuan asked in a low voice.

Zhu Xie Chixin stepped out, his gaze somewhat complex. "Gold Medal Eleven, come with us. There's something we need you to investigate."

"What is it?" Zuan asked calmly.

Zhu Xie Chixin gave him a long look but didn't answer. He simply waved a hand to his subordinates. "Take him away!"

Zuan did not resist. With a Grandmaster-level expert nearby, resistance was pointless. He was quickly taken back to the Embroidered Uniform Guards' main headquarters in the palace – the Embroidery Tower.

He was led all the way to an underground secret chamber. Zhu Xie Chixin motioned for the others to leave, indicating he would conduct the interrogation alone.

The other Embroidered Uniform Guards were somewhat surprised. By custom, multiple people were required to be present during prisoner interrogations to ensure checks and balances and prevent collusion or tampering with testimony. For the Commander to do this now was a bit taboo. However, Zhu Xie Chixin held immense prestige, and the person being interrogated was the recently very mysterious Gold Medal Eleven. So, no one said anything, and they dutifully withdrew.

After everyone had left, Zhu Xie Chixin sat down in front of Zuan and silently stared at him.

Zuan had already removed his mask by now, as his identity was known to the other party anyway. "Commander, what crime have I committed? Why have I been arrested?"

At that moment, Zhu Xie Chixin slammed his hand on the table. "How dare you! How dare you lay hands on the Crown Princess!"

Zuan immediately feigned "great shock and dismay." "Commander, where is such talk coming from? This is a capital crime punishable by extermination of nine generations of a family. This is no laughing matter."

"Who's joking with you?" Zhu Xie Chixin's face was grim. "Someone has made a real-name report that you and the Crown Princess had a secret rendezvous and illicit affair. Is this true?"

"Absolutely not! Even if you don't believe me, do you not believe the Crown Princess?" Zuan quickly replied. "How long have I even been in the palace? What kind of person is the Crown Princess? How could she take a liking to me? I don't know which cursed person is spreading rumors and causing trouble, may they be cursed to hell."

He knew it was likely Shi Jun, but he couldn't say. Only someone involved in the incident would know that Shi Jun was leading the search for them. Having watched so many episodes of Conan in his previous life, where culprits always inadvertently blurted out secrets, he was now carefully considering every word.

"Don't concern yourself with who reported you," Zhu Xie Chixin said coldly. "Know that you were reported by more than one person – palace maids, guards, eunuchs. They saw it with their own eyes."

"Impossible! I absolutely did no such thing. I hope the Commander will see clearly!" Zuan thought to himself, *When I ran, those people at most saw my back. They couldn't have seen my face. The Crown Princess kept her face buried in my chest, making it even more impossible for her to be seen.* It seemed those informants were indeed instructed by those who set up the frame-up.

"Then why didn't you leave the palace after dark?" Zhu Xie Chixin pressed on.

"It was getting late, so I thought I'd just stay in the White Sand Courtyard," Zuan explained. "Anyway, I'm alone in my residence outside, and it's so quiet there. It's more lively to stay in the palace."

"Lively in the palace?" Zhu Xie Chixin was amused and exasperated. "What do you take the imperial palace for? It's filled with empresses, consorts, and princesses. How can a man just casually stay overnight?"

Zuan muttered, "Don't I have the identity of an Embroidered Uniform Guard? Might as well use it if it's available."

Zhu Xie Chixin: "..."

He took a deep breath. "Then why weren't you there when we came looking for you just now? Where did you go in the middle of the night?"

Zuan said, "I was just wandering around the palace. I'm new here and not very familiar with the terrain. I was worried about another assassin incident like last time, so I decided to prepare by getting to know the palace layout, so I wouldn't be like a headless fly if something happened again."

"You were wandering around the palace in the middle of the night?" Zhu Xie Chixin laughed, exasperated. "How did I tell you before? The palace is full of esteemed individuals. You can't just wander around freely; you need to avoid suspicion, don't you know that?"

"I was just bored, so I went for a casual stroll. Who would have thought I'd encounter such suspicions?" Zuan quickly said. "Commander, though I haven't been in the Eastern Palace long and am not very familiar with the Crown Princess, from what I've learned about her these past few days, she would absolutely never engage in such illicit behavior with another man."

Zhu Xie Chixin snorted coldly. "If His Majesty didn't trust the Crown Princess's character, do you think he would patiently allow me to ask you all these questions?"

Zuan's expression flickered with surprise. "So it's His Majesty who wants to question me."

"What did you think? With something this major happening, how could His Majesty not intervene?" Zhu Xie Chixin said in a deep voice. "Based on our analysis, it's highly likely that you and the Crown Princess were set up. Now, tell me truthfully what happened between you and the Crown Princess, so I can help you manage the aftermath."

Zuan said earnestly, "Commander, why won't you believe me? Nothing truly happened between me and the Crown Princess. I haven't seen her since I left the Imperial Study earlier."

Of course, he couldn't admit it. While there might be some truth in the words—that either the Emperor or Zhu Xie Chixin genuinely wanted to help manage the aftermath—the Crown Princess might be saved, but he would definitely be dead. He still remembered how, when Yun Jianyue launched her assassination attempt, he had clearly saved the Crown Princess, yet because he had embraced her during the rescue, the Emperor almost had his hand chopped off. Today, they had seen each other completely naked. No matter how magnanimous the Emperor was, he surely wouldn't allow another man to defile his daughter-in-law, would he?

Zhu Xie Chixin gazed at him deeply. After a long moment, he lowered his voice. "Very good. From now on, no matter who asks you, insist on saying this."

Zuan looked at him in surprise. Was this man secretly helping him? It seemed that owing him a favor last time had been useful after all.

Zhu Xie Chixin cleared his throat, his voice returning to normal volume. "Then, did you see anyone suspicious?"

"No," Zuan shook his head. "I hadn't been wandering for long when I noticed the palace seemed to be in disarray. The imperial guards appeared to be searching for someone. Worried that something was wrong, I returned, and then you brought me here."

Zhu Xie Chixin sat back down in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the table as he fell into deep thought. The sound of his fingers tapping the table was particularly grating in the room, creating an inherent sense of tension.

After a moment, Zhu Xie Chixin spoke. "Someone will take you to the imperial prison for further interrogation later. You must be clear about what to say and what not to say. Also, His Majesty has given specific instructions that you absolutely must not reveal your identity as an Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Understood!" Zuan felt a surge of relief. The Emperor's words proved he still intended for Zuan to help him scheme against Prince Qi. Therefore, as long as he didn't expose what truly happened between him and the Crown Princess, the Emperor likely wouldn't kill him.

Zuan couldn't help but ask, "Why is this matter escalating to the imperial prison? Shouldn't it be suppressed as soon as possible? Such a public investigation will harm the Crown Princess's reputation."

Zhu Xie Chixin hesitated before explaining, "There's more than one faction in the palace, and many forces loyal to Prince Qi. They've already started fanning the flames. How could it be easily suppressed?"

"The Crown Princess's status is special, making interrogation inconvenient. They'll definitely start with you."

Zuan secretly smiled bitterly. *Sure enough, in this world, ordinary people have no human rights.*

After Zhu Xie Chixin left, someone soon escorted Zuan to the imperial prison.

Upon seeing him, General Guo Zhi of the Right Guard sighed. "Brother Zuan, I never expected us to meet under such circumstances."

Zuan offered a wry smile. "Neither did I."

Guo Zhi hesitated, then, when no one was paying attention, he transmitted his voice through ki. "Later, the Director of the Imperial Clan Court, the Grand Judge, and the Minister of Ceremonies will come to jointly interrogate you. Be careful."