Chapter 738: Retribution Inevitably Follows

Zu'an felt himself collide with someone. The person, unable to withstand the impact, stumbled backward, and Zu'an instinctively reached out to steady them.

A soft, fragrant warmth filled his hands, and he froze in surprise.

Just then, he heard shouts and the drawing of weapons all around him. Only then did he realize that the woman in his arms was the Crown Princess, and his hand was wrapped around her waist.

He quickly released her and stepped back. "My apologies, I was leaving in such a rush that I didn't notice you, Crown Princess. Please forgive my clumsiness."

Zu'an had been so intent on finding Ouyang Wu that he hadn't noticed anyone outside.

It was also strange why the Crown Princess was standing at his door so early in the morning.

He had spent most of the night working at the Empress's Kunning Palace, and after returning, he had been busy with Mi Li for half a day. It was already dawn now.

"That's outrageous! Offending the Crown Princess cannot be settled with a mere apology! Guards, seize him!" snapped Rong Mo, the Crown Princess's personal maid, from nearby.

"Stop!" The Crown Princess raised a hand to halt her attendants. "Lord Eleven's mistake was unintentional; there's no need to make such a big deal out of it."

"But..." Rong Mo started to protest.

The Crown Princess shot her a sharp glare. "Girl, haven't I had enough trouble lately? If this matter escalates, the rumors about me will only multiply."

Rong Mo stuck out her tongue, remembering that she had just spread rumors linking the Crown Princess with Zu'an. Another similar incident would indeed have a very negative impact.

With the Crown Princess's word, the guards sheathed their swords, and the tense atmosphere immediately eased.

"What is Lord Eleven rushing to do so early?" The Crown Princess's face was slightly flushed. Though their embrace had been fleeting, the sense of security she felt in his arms and the warmth of his large hands had quickened her heartbeat.

However, Zu'an's image suddenly flashed in her mind, and her expression became incredibly conflicted and complex.

Mi Li playfully whispered into Zu'an's ear, "Well, well, it seems this Crown Princess has quite a soft spot for you too."

As a soul body, Mi Li was invisible to everyone except Zu'an, with whom her soul resonated. Thus, she wasn't concerned about others hearing her.

Zu'an retorted irritably, "Don't be ridiculous."

"What?" The Crown Princess looked at him, slightly bewildered.

Zu'an offered an awkward smile. "Nothing, I was just talking to myself. By the way, it's good that I ran into you, Crown Princess. I actually have something I'd like to ask you."

"There's no need for such formality, Lord Eleven. Please, speak freely," the Crown Princess said with a faint smile. She looked like a lively young girl, completely unlike her usual stern and formal self in the Eastern Palace.

"Crown Princess," Zu'an asked, "do you know who Ouyang Wu, the Commandant of Xuanwu Gate, works for?"

The Crown Princess furrowed her elegant brows, waved her attendants further away, and then quietly asked, "Lord Eleven, why are you suddenly asking about him? Is he connected to the case you're investigating?"

She had come so early precisely to gather information about the case from him, fearing he might uncover the truth about her past entanglement with Zu'an.

"Yes, there are indeed some suspicious aspects," Zu'an replied.

In his view, the Crown Princess and he were naturally on the same side in this matter, so there was no need to hide anything from her.

The Crown Princess's eyes lit up, and she quickly explained, "He belongs to Prince Qi's faction, a direct confidant personally promoted by Duke Wei of the Qin family years ago."

Zu'an frowned. Prince Qi? The Qin family?

Could it be that the Qin family orchestrated this whole affair?

My goodness, the Qin family is truly ruthless if they're doing this just to break up Chu Yan and me.

Annoyed, Zu'an cupped his hands and said, "Crown Princess, please excuse me, I must go to Xuanwu Gate now, so I cannot accompany you." He then made to leave.

"I'll go with you," the Crown Princess quickly said.

Noticing his confused look, she said somewhat shyly, "I am also a victim in this matter, and I want to see who truly harmed me."

Zu'an had no doubt that with her influence, she would know he was investigating her case. Hearing her words, he nodded, and the group quickly rushed towards Xuanwu Gate.

Upon reaching Xuanwu Gate, they found no trace of Ouyang Wu. Inquiring with the guards, they learned that he had taken leave for the past few days.

"Exactly which day did he take leave?" Zu'an pressed.

The guard thought for a moment before replying, "It was, I believe, the third day after you came here to investigate."

Zu'an's heart sank. This fellow had most likely fled due to guilt. The delay in his leave was probably to avoid drawing attention by leaving immediately after the investigation began.

He immediately ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guards who had arrived upon hearing the news to set up roadblocks at all city gates. However, he knew there was little hope of catching Ouyang Wu, though they could at least check for records of his passage at each gate.

Zu'an then led his men directly to Ouyang Wu's home in the Inner City. The Crown Princess wanted to join them, but her status made leaving the palace problematic, so she couldn't follow. Instead, she rushed back to the Eastern Palace.

"Where is Lord Zu?" Her first action upon returning to the Eastern Palace was to look around, but she didn't see his familiar figure.

"Lord Zu hasn't arrived today," a eunuch cautiously replied.

The Crown Princess said nothing. Once alone in her private chambers, she angrily threw a pillow to the floor. "That scoundrel! He's unreliable when it matters most!"

This matter concerned her reputation, and she dared not send others to investigate. Yet, at such a crucial moment, that man hadn't even shown up for work on time!

Rage value from Bi Linglong: +233, +233, +233...

Zu'an, galloping on horseback, was startled to see the sudden surge of rage values. *I haven't even seen her yet,* he thought, *how could I have made the Crown Princess so angry?*

"What's wrong?" Mi Li asked, sensing his unusual reaction.

Mi Li floated lightly in mid-air, effortlessly keeping pace with Zu'an's galloping horse. He had no idea how she managed it.

*Good thing no one else can see her, and it's not night,* Zu'an mused. *Otherwise, seeing a woman in red floating in mid-air in the dead of night would surely scare people senseless.*

"Nothing," Zu'an replied. "I'm just thinking about the case. I keep feeling there's something strange about it."

"It is a bit strange," Mi Li nodded. Both seemed to have had a realization and fell silent.

Soon they arrived at Ouyang Wu's residence. A group of Embroidered Uniform Guards stormed in like hungry wolves, but they found no trace of Ouyang Wu, nor his wife and children.

"The madam took the young master out of the city for leisure a few days ago."

"Isn't the master on duty in the palace?"

The statements from the servants and maids in the mansion were all consistent.

Zu'an frowned deeply. "This is problematic. We couldn't find Xinrui's family last time, and now Ouyang Wu's family is likely gone too."

"That may not be the case," Mi Li said in a low voice. "Ouyang Wu is a Palace Gate Commandant, a position in a crucial department. His family should not be allowed to leave the capital so easily. At least in my era, the imperial court would never permit such a thing, and I imagine the emperor of this world would have similar rules."

Zu'an quickly questioned his nearby subordinates and indeed received confirmation.

He immediately left some men to continue searching the Ouyang residence and then led the rest towards Chongwen Gate.

The capital city was divided into the Outer City, Inner City, Imperial City, and Imperial Palace. The Imperial Palace, of course, needed no explanation. The Imperial City housed royal gardens, ancestral temples, government offices, imperial service institutions, various storehouses, and military garrisons. The Inner City was typically where high officials, nobles, and other influential figures resided, while the Outer City was home to the common people.

Relatively, the Inner City had stricter defenses, whereas the Outer City gates saw much heavier pedestrian traffic and thus had less stringent oversight.

Therefore, any records of Ouyang Wu and his family entering or exiting would only be found at the Inner City gates.

Although the Inner City had many gates, each served a specific function. Some were exclusively for the emperor's carriage, others primarily for transporting grain and water, or for bricks, stones, and timber. Still others were for military movements, or for transporting prisoners in carts.

Most people primarily entered and exited the Inner and Outer Cities through Chongwen Gate.

As the group approached Chongwen Gate, soldiers had already raised their spears in defense. "Who dares to ride a horse here..." they called out.

However, they quickly recognized the attire of the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Their expressions changed dramatically, and they hastily lowered their weapons, bowing respectfully. "Greetings, sirs," they said.

"Who is in charge here?" Zu'an asked in a deep voice.

The soldiers replied, "Reporting to Your Lordship, the Commandant of Chongwen Gate is Lord Murong."

"Murong?" Zu'an's brow furrowed slightly. *Could it be someone from the Murong clan?*

At this moment, Mi Li said with a half-smile, "How interesting. You were just with someone else's wife yesterday, and now your own wife is with another man. Tsk tsk tsk, is karma really that swift?"

Zu'an: "???"

He quickly looked up and indeed saw a familiar figure on the city wall: a graceful, slender back clad in a long, ice-blue dress. Who else could it be but Chu Chuyan?

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Alas, life has been a bit dull lately, and I've felt quite unmotivated. Esteemed readers, do you have any suggestions for rekindling passion?