Chapter 711: Father-in-law

"Thanks for the reminder, Brother Guo!" Zu An quietly replied. His extensive social connections usually came in handy; at the very least, people would help him with small favors within their means.

Guo Zhi gave him a deep look before silently departing.

Zu An was escorted to a special cell. He had a powerful restriction placed on him by an expert, and he was also bound by the Embroidered Envoy's Soul-Reaping Chains, ensuring he couldn't escape or commit suicide.

These circumstances were expected, and Zu An showed no emotional fluctuations.

Many of his abilities could be summoned without using inner energy, so these measures had little impact on him.

What worried him most now was the upcoming joint trial. The thought of it made him uneasy; he was just a minor Prince's Attendant, so why was a joint trial of the Three Judicial Offices necessary?

This world differed somewhat from ancient China. Here, the joint trial of the Three Judicial Offices typically involved the Grand Minister of Justice, the Censorate, and the Colonel Director of Retainers. However, since this case involved the Crown Princess, they likely wanted to avoid widespread publicity, so the Court of the Imperial Clan and the Court of the Imperial Household replaced the Censorate and the Colonel Director of Retainers.

The Minister of the Imperial Clan was one of the Nine Ministers, responsible for matters concerning the imperial family, imperial relatives, and meritorious nobles. Given the Crown Princess's involvement, it was most fitting for him to preside over the case.

He recalled Chu Chuyan mentioning that Zhen Xueyi, the Minister of the Imperial Clan, was married to Princess Changchuan, the Emperor's sister. The Emperor dispatching him to oversee the trial suggested a high level of trust.

The Grand Minister of Justice and the Minister of the Imperial Household were also among the Nine Ministers. Jiang Boyang, the Grand Minister of Justice, was inherently in charge of prisons and a specialist in resolving cases, so his involvement in the investigation was indispensable.

This wasn't the first time Zu An had dealt with him. In the previous Cheng Xiong case, Jiang Boyang strongly argued for Cheng Xiong's innocence, yet Zu An still managed to secure a conviction.

*Tsk tsk*, what a small world. Now that he was in Jiang Boyang's hands, things would likely go very wrong.

The melody of a sad song played in Zu An's mind. However, he quickly reconsidered: last time, he was operating as Golden Token Eleven. What did that have to do with Zu An, the Prince's Attendant?

Jiang Boyang might not hold a grudge against him. *Hmm*, he hoped so.

However, the Minister of the Imperial Household, Murong Tong, presented a problem. Murong Tong used to be the powerful Colonel Director of Retainers, but due to Zu An, he had been transferred to his current quiet office. He must harbor deep resentment, and there was no avoiding that.

Seriously, what was wrong with the Emperor? Two of the three officials sent to preside over the trial were from Prince Qi's faction and both held grudges against him. Was this meant to ensure his death?

If he died, the reputation of the Emperor's daughter-in-law would also be ruined!

Despite his complaints, he understood after his time in the capital that Prince Qi's influence was equally deeply entrenched. How could they let such a good opportunity slip by?

The key was that both Jiang Boyang and Murong Tong were experts in this field—one a case-solving specialist, the other a former Colonel Director of Retainers. It would likely be difficult for the Emperor to refuse their participation.

Time passed quickly. Soon, a jailer came to retrieve him. "Sir Zu, please come with us. The Minister of the Imperial Clan and the others wish to question you."

These men owed him a favor for the assassin's prison break, so they spoke courteously and spared him the humiliation typically inflicted on common prisoners.

Zu An was led to a quiet room. The jailers said, "Sir Zu, by custom, we must shackle you. Please forgive us."

"It's fine," Zu An said calmly.

As the jailers shackled his hands and feet to a bench, they praised him, "Sir Zu is truly extraordinary. We've incarcerated countless imperial officials here, and they're usually either weeping uncontrollably or utterly dejected. Few possess Sir Zu's composure."

Zu An smiled faintly. "If you've never done anything wrong, you won't fear a knock on your door at midnight. I'm innocent in this matter, so naturally, I'm not afraid of being interrogated like others."

The jailers continued to laud him. At that moment, the door opened, and several purple-robed officials slowly entered.

The first man was an elder with a tormented, embittered expression. His messy grey hair was loosely tied with a wooden hairpin, with many strands falling disheveled. He exuded an inexplicable sense of decadence. At first glance, Zu An thought he was seeing an aged Ji Dengtu.

However, the two bore no resemblance, ruling out the possibility that this man was Ji Dengtu's cheap father.

Judging by his official robes and his position at the front, he must be Minister Zhen Xueyi of the Imperial Clan.

Speaking of which, he married the Emperor's sister, so he should be of the same generation as the Emperor. Why did the Emperor appear to be in the prime of his life, while this man already looked so decrepit?

The second official was a refined, scholarly middle-aged man with a fair complexion. Only his temples were slightly grey, which added to his dashing appearance. One could imagine how popular he must have been with women in his youth.

Compared to the Minister of the Imperial Clan, he was much more meticulous. His hair was impeccably combed, and his clothes were perfectly pressed, without a single wrinkle.

The white tiger emblem on his official robe indicated he was Jiang Boyang, the Grand Minister of Justice.

Zu An observed him for a few extra moments. He had dealt with Jiang Boyang during the Cheng Xiong case, but this was their first face-to-face meeting.

He noticed Jiang Boyang wasn't looking at him but rather staring at the Minister of the Imperial Clan's messy hair with a somewhat distorted, constipated expression.

Finally, Jiang Boyang couldn't hold back. "Minister Zhen, as Nine Ministers, we are naturally exemplars for other officials. We should pay attention to our appearance."

Zhen Shouyi chuckled a few times. "Nine Ministers? That glory is long gone. We're hardly exemplars for officials anymore. You'd be better off saying that to those from the Secretariat, Chancellery, and Department of State Affairs."

Jiang Boyang's eyelid twitched. He took a deep breath and said, "Doesn't your own hair bother you like this? Why don't I help you tie it?"

Zhen Shouyi quickly dodged to the side. "A man's head, a woman's waist—don't touch them unless you're lovers! Besides, I feel more at ease like this; it better shows my unruliness and freedom."

Murong Tong, who had entered behind them, scoffed. "You're already halfway to the grave, and you're still talking about lovers, unruliness, and freedom? Aren't you afraid Princess Changchuan will hear you and make you kneel on a washboard again?"

Murong Tong was an old acquaintance; Zu An had seen him several times already.

Zhen Shouyi's face fell. "Hey, Charcoal Head, don't push it! Believe it or not, I'll reveal how you spied on Minister Yu's wedding night back then!"

Murong Tong was furious. "You old fool, weren't you watching too? And how many times have I told you, my skin tone is called healthy, masculine bronze, not black!"

Zu An was somewhat surprised. Logically, as they belonged to different factions, they should be at loggerheads. Why did they seem like old friends?

However, he quickly realized that many officials in the capital probably knew each other since childhood, growing up and building careers together before eventually choosing their respective factions.

Even so, their old friendships persisted, with many families even forming marriage alliances. It was a case of "you in me, and I in you"—a struggle over political principles, not the irreconcilable animosity he had initially imagined.

Listening to the two bicker, Jiang Boyang felt a headache coming on. He ignored them and studied Zu An, then suddenly frowned. "Who put these shackles on you?"

As he spoke, he approached, waved his hand lightly, and one chain automatically unfastened. His cultivation was clearly profound.

Zu An was momentarily stunned. This man seemed rather benevolent towards him.

At that moment, Jiang Boyang didn't continue unfastening the shackles. Instead, he straightened Zu An's slightly askew collar, then stepped back to appraise him before nodding in satisfaction and returning to his seat.

Zu An looked utterly bewildered. "Big brother, what are you doing? Why did you only undo one chain and then stop? What's the meaning of this?"

He looked down and noticed that the chains on his body were now perfectly symmetrical. Connecting this with Jiang Boyang's twisted expression when he saw the Minister of the Imperial Clan's messy hair, Zu An couldn't help but laugh wryly. He had encountered someone with OCD; he'd thought it was a gesture of goodwill!

"Alright, alright, let's get to business," Jiang Boyang said, stopping the two from arguing.

Zhen Shouyi, with his unruly hair, casually sat in the main seat. "You start. You're the expert on resolving cases."

Seeing him slump crookedly in the chair, Jiang Boyang's breathing instantly quickened. He quickly averted his gaze and, slamming the table with a loud, jarring sound, demanded, "Zu An, this official has reviewed the palace entry and exit records. It shows you did not leave the palace before dusk. What unspeakable deeds were you doing by remaining inside?"

This question was difficult for Zu An to answer. Chiefly, Zhu Xie Chixin had repeatedly warned him not to reveal his identity as an Embroidered Envoy, which made explaining his presence in the palace challenging.

It was a serious offense for an external official not to leave the palace before dusk; he would certainly be impeached for corrupting the imperial harem.

However, Zu An was prepared. He replied calmly, "His Majesty assigned me a secret mission, which is why I did not leave the palace."

The officials exchanged glances, then couldn't help but ask, "What secret mission?"

Zu An smiled. "As I said, it's a secret mission. How could I casually tell others?"

Murong Tong was furious. "Zu, don't be facetious! We are interrogating you. You'd better confess honestly."

This very youth had caused him to fall from the prestigious Colonel Director of Retainers to languishing in a quiet office. The thought ignited a furious rage within him.

Rage points from Murong Tong +491, +491, +491...

Zu An sighed. "Minister Murong, do you think I would dare to falsely convey an imperial decree? This matter is easily verifiable. After I left the Eastern Palace, I was summoned to the Imperial Study."

Murong Tong's breath hitched. In their view, no one would dare to falsely convey an imperial decree; that was a crime punishable by extermination of the perpetrator's entire clan.

At this point, Jiang Boyang flipped through the documents in his hand, nodded, and said, "Indeed, this is true."

Clearly, he had conducted various investigations and gathered testimonies before arriving.

He then changed tack. "However, this only proves you went to the Imperial Study to receive a secret mission. No one knows where you went or what you did afterward. Yet, many people claim they saw you and the Crown Princess together, in a state of disarray... *ahem*, how do you explain this?"

"Nonsense! This is slander!" Zu An's expression became agitated. "Slandering me is one thing, but to slander the pure and untainted Crown Princess—their intentions are truly abominable! Minister Jiang, I ask you, who exactly is slandering us?"

Jiang Boyang cleared his throat. "Whether it's slander, we will investigate ourselves, but we certainly cannot reveal the identities of those people to you."

Zu An said, "I've always been kind and likable, so I truly can't imagine who would frame me..."

"Likable?" Murong Tong sneered repeatedly. Was this fellow's self-perception seriously warped?

Zu An suddenly had an idea. "I remember now, it seems when I first arrived in the capital, I was attacked by assassins, which implicated Minister Murong and cost him his official position. If someone truly wanted to frame me, perhaps..."

Murong Tong was so enraged his head was nearly fuming. "Bastard, are you saying I would frame you?!"

Rage points from Murong Tong +668, +668, +668...

Zu An spread his hands. "I didn't say that. You did."

He mused that although that little girl Murong Qinghe was a bit reckless, she was generally far calmer than him.

Jiang Boyang quickly interjected, "Minister Murong, please calm down, calm down."

Then he turned to Zu An. "You are just being unreasonable and disrupting our investigation."

Zu An replied, "Minister Jiang, with all due respect, I am merely analyzing who would have a motive to harm me. Minister Murong, with his straightforward nature, clearly wouldn't do such a thing."

After a barrage of his flattery, Murong Tong's expression softened slightly.

At this point, Zu An continued, "Oh, that reminds me. This morning, when I entered the palace, I offended Vice-Director of the Palace Gate Shi Xun. He kept making things difficult for me until I couldn't bear it anymore and 'comforted' his cheek with my palm, causing him to drop his trousers and embarrass himself in public. Additionally, his brother Shi Kun also held a grudge against me. If there truly is someone with a motive to harm me, he is definitely the most likely candidate."

At this, even the Minister of the Imperial Clan, who had been resting with his eyes half-closed, couldn't help but open them fully. 'Comforted' Shi Xun's cheek with his palm? This boy had the gall to say it!

Jiang Boyang's eyes narrowed. "I didn't mention Shi Xun's name before. How did you guess him so quickly? Tell me, did you also see him when he supposedly caught you and the Crown Princess together?"

Zu An feigned surprise. "It was him? I knew he looked like a scheming villain, but I didn't expect it to actually be him!"

Murong Tong snapped, "Stop beating around the bush! Your mention of him is a self-incriminating admission!"

Zu An sighed. "Minister Murong, you've also served as the Colonel Director of Retainers. This should be quite easy to deduce, wouldn't you agree?"

"I admit my character isn't the best, so it's understandable if people misunderstand me in that regard. But what kind of person is the Crown Princess? She comes from a distinguished family, has always behaved with propriety, and possesses the demeanor of a national mother. Do you truly believe such a woman would engage in illicit affairs with another man?"

"Therefore, this matter is clearly a frame-up. The person behind it not only holds a grudge against me but also wishes for the Crown Princess's utter ruin. Thinking it over, the only family I share an enemy with the Crown Princess is the Shi family. After all, Shi Kun previously made a bet with me and then indirectly died by the Crown Princess's hand by accident."

Murong Tong's face darkened. "These are just your conjectures. Do you have any proof?"

"No," Zu An shook his head. "I'm merely providing a lead. Whether it's true or not, you will need to verify it."

Murong Tong sneered, "Since you have no evidence, you are maliciously slandering. The head of the Shi family is one of the Eight Dukes, a high-ranking imperial official. Do you know what a grave crime it is to falsely accuse such a family?"

Zu An's expression also grew cold. "No matter how powerful the Shi family is, are they more important than the Crown Princess, or the honor of the imperial family? The person behind this clearly intends to shame the imperial family. If you refuse to investigate and insist that the Crown Princess committed some illicit act, I have reason to question your motives."

Murong Tong exploded in rage. "You insolent youth, do you truly believe this official wouldn't dare to beat you to death?"

Rage points from Murong Tong +876, +876, +876...

Zu An held his head high. "Does Minister Murong wish to extract a confession through torture? I, Zu An, possess an unyielding will; I cannot be bent by force nor swayed by wealth. I will never falsely accuse the Crown Princess of a single word."

"'Cannot be bent by force nor swayed by wealth'?" Murong Tong scoffed, enraged. "Do you, of all people, deserve to utter such words? Very well, this official shall see how tough you are! Guards, apply the torture!"

At this moment, Zhen Xueyi, from the side, coughed. "Minister Murong, please calm down. What Zu An said isn't entirely without reason. Even if we beat a confession out of him, we wouldn't be able to silence public opinion."

Hearing this, Zu An secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His earlier behavior was predicated on the certainty that the Emperor wouldn't stand idly by. The Minister of the Imperial Clan was undoubtedly aligned with the Emperor and would never allow Prince Qi's faction to act recklessly.

Of course, if he guessed wrong, at worst, he'd take a beating. After all, the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra also required enduring beatings to improve its efficacy.

"I've been adjudicating cases for many years. Such eloquent and cunning individuals are useless to talk to; they only respond to force," Murong Tong snorted, looking at the Grand Minister of Justice on the other side. "Boyang, what do you say?"

Jiang Boyang said, "I also agree with the Minister of the Imperial Clan. What Zu An said is not without merit. We can indeed cautiously verify from that angle."

A hint of confusion appeared in Murong Tong's eyes. *Whose side are you on, anyway?* he thought.

He knew Jiang Boyang was always upright and rigid. Had his old habits flared up at such a critical moment?

Was this really the time for integrity? If they didn't seize such a prime opportunity, Prince Qi would probably weep!

Zu An was also quite surprised. He never expected Jiang Boyang to speak on his behalf, having assumed the man would target him due to the Cheng Xiong case.

With the two interrogators in agreement, Murong Tong had no choice. The other two proceeded to ask some perfunctory questions, after which they decided to investigate Shi Xun further.

The group rose to leave and pursue other leads. Jiang Boyang deliberately stayed behind, looking at Zu An with a strange expression.

Zu An realized the man wanted to speak with him and wondered why. He didn't know Jiang Boyang, so why would he help him?

Then Jiang Boyang nodded. "No wonder Luo Fu has been praising you recently and even asked me to save you. Now that I've met you, I see that while you might be a bit glib, your character isn't bad, and your courage is extraordinary. She truly didn't misjudge you."

A circle of question marks appeared in Zu An's mind. *Who is Luo Fu? Wait, his surname is Jiang...*

"Beautiful Headmistress, so you're my father-in-l— *ahem*, the Beautiful Headmistress's father?" he blurted out.

"'Beautiful Headmistress'? Father-in-law..." Jiang Boyang's eyelid twitched, and his gaze towards Zu An became somewhat dangerous. "Indeed, Luo Fu is my daughter. Back then, she didn't want to be the Crown Princess and ran away to Brightmoon City in a fit of pique. Looking back, it was a good thing; otherwise, she would be embroiled in this scandal today."

Zu An was instantly shocked. That beautiful-legged, stocking-clad empress almost became the Crown Princess?

*Ah*, no, that's not right. She must have run away because she didn't want the position, otherwise there would have been no role for Bi Linglong.

He quickly regained his composure. "So, you're my uncle! Headmistress Sister was extremely kind to me back in Brightmoon City. I never expected to receive your help today. It seems fate is at play."

Jiang Boyang snorted. "You don't need to thank me. When you were brought to the capital, the Emperor clearly wanted your method for eternal life. Although Luo Fu asked me to save you, I was powerless. I never imagined you would actually manage to escape."

Zu An chuckled, "Even so, I'm very grateful for Headmistress Sister's intention to save me. And didn't you help me this time too, Uncle?"

Jiang Boyang stated indifferently, "I'm not helping you. I'm merely addressing the matter as it is; this incident indeed has many suspicious points."

After speaking, he turned to leave. After a few steps, he suddenly frowned and stopped, bending down to smooth out a corner of his robe that had inadvertently creased from sitting. Seeing his clothes neat and tidy, a hint of satisfaction flashed across his face before he continued walking out. Zu An even noticed that the spacing of his every step was perfectly precise.

Soon, jailers led Zu An back to his cell. He sat there quietly, his gaze profound.

Things were getting interesting. He had initially thought the Jiang family was a staunch supporter of Prince Qi, but now it seemed that might not be the case.

Perhaps the Jiang family usually leaned towards Prince Qi, but when faced with a major issue of right and wrong, Jiang Boyang still chose to handle it impartially. No wonder the Emperor agreed to let him preside over this case.

Furthermore, observing the relationships between the three Nine Ministers today, he realized he had misunderstood something earlier.

To outsiders, the Crown Prince's faction and Prince Qi's faction seemed to be in a death struggle, but internally, they maintained considerable personal connections—a situation where "you are in me, and I am in you." This might be useful in the future...

Time flew by, and soon it was the morning of the second day. A jailer came and said, "Sir Zu, you have a visitor."

***

Today's two chapters were combined. They're terrifyingly long. You know nothing of my length!