Chapter 730: Trap

Zu An couldn't help but ask, "What is it that can only be done at night? You know I have to leave the palace after dusk."

After being framed with the Crown Princess last time, he now suffered from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), constantly worried about misunderstandings and trouble arising from such situations.

Although his identity as an Embroidered Uniform Guard allowed him to stay in the palace, he couldn't let the Empress know about it.

"You'll know the specifics when the time comes," the Empress said calmly. "As for leaving the palace, you needn't worry."

As she spoke, she took out a uniform from a drawer. "After dusk, you can leave the palace first. Then put this on, take the waist token, and re-enter. No one will know it's you."

Zu An's expression became very strange as he looked at the familiar clothes before him, because it was an Embroidered Uniform Guard's attire.

Of course, it was only for the lowest-ranked Bronze Token Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Although initially puzzled, he quickly understood. As the Empress, the resources she could mobilize were far beyond his imagination, so it wasn't surprising that she could acquire an Embroidered Uniform Guard's uniform.

Moreover, even with her resources, she could only obtain a Bronze Token uniform, which indicated that the Embroidered Uniform Guard's security protocols were indeed very strict.

"Alright, I'll come back tonight." Given his identity, returning at night wasn't difficult, but now that he had a legitimate excuse, Zu An naturally wouldn't refuse. He was also very curious about what the Empress needed his help with.

After he left, Eunuch Lu's sinister figure appeared in the room. "Has Your Majesty made up your mind?"

The Empress's expression was calm. "Do I have a choice? If I had known about that matter from the beginning, I wouldn't have had to act that way, leaving behind unnecessary hidden dangers..."

Eunuch Lu hesitated slightly. "It might not be as Your Majesty suspects."

The Empress shook her head. "What if I'm wrong? There's nothing to lose. But if I'm right..."

As she spoke, her eyes glowed with anticipation.

A strange glint also flickered in Eunuch Lu's eyes. "Then I wish Your Majesty success in all your endeavors."

The Empress glared with her phoenix eyes. "You dog servant, why do you look more excited than I do?"

Eunuch Lu chuckled. "This servant is happy for Your Majesty. After all the suffering Your Majesty has endured over the years, you can finally see hope."

The Empress raised her eyebrows, her chest heaving rapidly, clearly indicating her turbulent emotions. "How are the other arrangements coming along?"

Eunuch Lu respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured, everything is arranged."

The Empress hummed in acknowledgment and waved her hand, signaling him to withdraw.

She then walked to a bronze mirror, gazing at the woman reflected within. Her fingers gently caressed her cheek, her pinky and ring fingers adorned with golden nail guards encrusted with precious gems, which made her fair skin appear even more luxurious and beautiful.

After Zu An left Kuning Palace, he took a long detour to ensure he wasn't followed, then changed into the attire of Gold Token Agent Eleven and returned to the Embroidered Building.

Soon, a subordinate rushed in to report the results of their recent investigation.

Xin Rui's younger brother was named Hua Xiaohai, a good-for-nothing who loved frequenting gambling dens, mostly losing more than he won. He would always ask his mother for money. However, his mother earned very little from mending clothes, so most of the money eventually came from Xin Rui.

Recently, it was heard that Madam Hua was even arranging a wife for him, and a considerable amount of betrothal money was being prepared. Everyone who knew Hua Xiaohai envied him for having such a good sister, as it was clear that his sister provided all this money.

Neighbors reported that Madam Hua doted on her son excessively, while she frequently beat and scolded her daughter. On several occasions, when her daughter couldn't bear her brother's gambling habits and refused to give him money, Madam Hua would cry and accuse her daughter of being unfilial, claiming she wanted the Hua family line to end.

The neighbors generally sympathized with her daughter. Those who had seen her a few times knew she was pretty and gentle, and many had even considered asking a matchmaker to propose marriage.

However, after learning she worked in the palace and not wanting to deal with her rotten gambler brother, those neighbors gave up on the idea.

After listening to the information gathered by his subordinates, Zu An secretly sighed. He hadn't expected that even in this world, there were "brother-supporting demons."

He then asked, "By the way, have the sketches of the carriage been completed?"

The subordinate replied, "The artist has drawn them, but people in that area are unworldly; they think any slightly grand carriage is extraordinary. In the capital, it's just an ordinary carriage, impossible to trace."

Zu An took the sketches and looked at them. As expected, there was no information that could reveal its origin.

Thinking about it, it made sense; why would anyone use a carriage that exposed their identity to pick someone up?

At this moment, a Silver Token Agent from another group responsible for investigations came to report, "Lord Eleven, we have searched all the wells, ponds, lake bottoms, and various hidden corners throughout the palace these past few days. We did find a few skeletons, but those are old cases, and the identities of those individuals have been confirmed; none of them are Xin Rui."

Zu An was dumbfounded. No wonder there were so many ghost stories about the Forbidden City in his previous life, all claiming countless wrongfully deceased souls were buried within.

The imperial palace truly was a place that devoured people.

"That doesn't make sense," Zu An said, a headache forming. "There's no record of her leaving the palace, yet she can't be found inside. Did a living person just disappear into thin air?"

Then the Silver Token Agent responsible for searching inside the palace suggested, "There's no record of her leaving alive, but what if she was taken out after dying?"

Zu An's heart stirred. "Right, this world has spatial rings!"

However, not everyone's spatial artifact was as extraordinary as his Glazed Pearl. Most storage artifacts had limited space and likely couldn't hold an adult.

Some special artifacts had larger internal spaces, but their owners were extremely noble individuals who probably wouldn't bother with such a task.

Zu An immediately ordered, "Go at once and investigate all palace gate entry and exit records. This time, don't look for Xin Rui herself, but see who left carrying spatial artifacts or similar items."

The Silver Token Agent shook his head. "Lord Eleven, you might not know this, but wearing spatial artifacts is forbidden when entering or exiting the palace. This is to prevent ill-intentioned individuals from bringing dangerous items that could harm the safety of nobles. There are special personnel at each palace gate to inspect for this."

Zu An was stunned, not expecting the palace's defenses to be so stringent, even considering this. Fortunately, his Glazed Pearl had already been refined into his body, making it undetectable.

Wait, if the palace's defenses were so meticulous, how did Yun Jianyue's group sneak in before?

Although he had handed Cheng Xiong over to close the case, he knew that Cheng Xiong was merely a scapegoat. He hadn't uncovered Yun Jianyue's true inside accomplice.

He shook his head, driving these complicated thoughts from his mind. Now wasn't the time to investigate those matters; he needed to return to the current case. "Then you should investigate who left the palace carrying bundles or similar items. I've observed that while entry checks are strict, personal belongings when leaving the palace are scrutinized much less."

He suspected Xin Rui might have been dismembered and taken out. Of course, if the perpetrator had something like the body-dissolving powder seen in TV dramas, he'd just have to admit defeat.

The Silver Token Agent looked troubled and was about to say something when Zu An slipped him a stack of silver notes. "You guys have worked hard recently. Take this and share it among yourselves. There will be more rewards from the Emperor after the case is solved."

If he wanted people to work long hours, he couldn't just talk about ideals like some entrepreneurs in his previous life. He had plenty of money anyway, and the Crown Princess had just recently given him a large reward.

Seeing the thick stack of silver notes, the Silver Token Agent's eyes lit up. As expected, his previous hesitation vanished, and he enthusiastically took his leave to carry out the order.

After several hours of work in the Embroidered Building, night gradually fell. Zu An first left the palace city in his true identity to leave a record. The incident with the Crown Princess last time had left a vulnerability there, and he couldn't repeat the same mistake.

Outside, he changed into the Bronze Token Agent's uniform the Empress had given him. After entering the palace, he quietly made his way to Kuning Palace.

Logically, as the Empress's residence, Kuning Palace should have been bustling with guards, palace maids, and eunuchs.

But for some reason, it was exceptionally quiet now, with only occasional personnel passing by.

Zu An felt a surge of vigilance. Could the Empress have set a trap, waiting for him?