Chapter 739: Wang Po Sells Melons

Accompanying her were a handsome young man with bright lips and white teeth, and a beautiful, youthful girl with wheat-colored skin. They were all old acquaintances.

However, another unfamiliar young nobleman was also by their side, showering them with attention and seemingly chatting with Chu Chuyan.

Zu'an was momentarily speechless.

No wonder Mi Li had said that earlier; from this angle, they appeared to be conversing very animatedly, and the distance between them was indeed quite close.

Zu'an snorted and, with a darkened face, walked directly up the nearby stairs to the city wall. However, he didn't doubt Chu Chuyan; it was not only because he trusted her but also because he was confident.

But as for that foppish fellow, hmph!

"Chuyan, do you see that scenery over there? This is the best viewing spot in the capital; ordinary people can't enjoy it from this angle."

"Next time, I'll find an opportunity to take you hunting over there. That's a royal garden, inaccessible to ordinary people, but our Murong family is deeply favored by the emperor, so we have the chance to hunt inside."

...

Despite wearing a suit of armor, the young man lacked any masculine aura, instead giving the impression of a delicate scholar. He was currently smiling and pointing things out to Chu Chuyan.

Chu Chuyan's delicate brows knitted slightly, and she subconsciously recoiled, increasing the distance between them. "Young Master Murong," she said, "please do not call me Chuyan. You may call me Miss Chu, or Madam Zu."

Upon hearing the words "Madam Zu," the young man's pupils contracted slightly, and a surge of malicious anger rose within him.

Rage points from Murong Luo: +110, +110, +110...

Zu'an was startled. So this fellow's name was Murong Luo.

Just as he reached the city wall, he saw Murong Luo say to Chu Chuyan, "Miss Chu, as everyone knows, your esteemed father and mother have already expelled that live-in son-in-law from the family. How can you still be husband and wife?"

Chu Chuyan calmly replied, "In my heart, he is still my husband."

This man was Murong Qinghe's clan cousin. Because of her good relationship with Murong Qinghe, Chu Chuyan couldn't say anything too harsh out of consideration for her. She could only use this as a way to clearly distance herself from him and make him retreat gracefully.

Murong Luo was secretly furious, but outwardly, he said gracefully, "Once you've experienced the vast ocean, other waters lose their appeal. Miss Chu is indeed a woman of deep affection and strong character; I am truly impressed."

"Oh, will you ever stop? My sister and brother-in-law have a perfectly good relationship, so just give up!" Chu Youzhao, who had been listening nearby, finally couldn't take it anymore and jumped forward, standing between the two.

Zu'an secretly nodded, thinking that his sister-in-law hadn't been pampered for nothing; she even knew to help her brother-in-law.

Murong Luo frowned and gestured with his eyes for Murong Qinghe to help. However, Murong Qinghe was staring infatuatedly at Chu Youzhao and didn't notice his gaze at all.

"Girls truly can't be relied upon once their hearts wander," Murong Luo secretly snorted. Just as he was about to say something more, a cold voice came from nearby: "Neglecting your duties here during your shift? Do you know what crime that is?"

"And who might you be?" Murong Luo retorted angrily. Here at the city gate, he was the boss, and backed by the Murong clan, he could walk sideways with impunity.

He was already fretting about not being able to show off in front of his goddess, so with a clown jumping out, he could just use this opportunity to display his authority.

But when he turned around and saw the uniforms of that group of people, he nearly peed himself on the spot.

Embroidered Uniform Guards!

Having grown up in the capital, he naturally knew the significance of the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

What's more, the leader this time was a Gold-Badge Embroidered Uniform Guard!

Zu'an sneered, "The Embroidered Uniform Guards act on behalf of the Emperor, and yet you see them as mere 'scallions'? Disrespecting the Emperor is a crime of great impiety. Men, seize him!"

A fly who dared to approach Chu Chuyan like this naturally had to be taught a lesson.

Murong Luo's face changed, and he hurriedly said, "Don't speak nonsense! I didn't mean that!"

Murong Qinghe, too, couldn't care less about gazing at her beloved with stars in her eyes. She quickly jumped out to shield her cousin. "Esteemed sir, you are exaggerating," she said. "He didn't know you were here; it wasn't an intentional offense. This humble sister offers her apologies to all of you."

Many things are inconvenient for men to do, but when a woman steps in to smooth things over, the effect is much better.

She naturally couldn't let the charge of great impiety be leveled, as this concerned not only Murong Luo but also the safety of their entire clan.

Zu'an snorted, "Everyone heard what he just said; I'm not wronging him. Did you all hear it or not?"

The other Embroidered Uniform Guards weren't stupid; knowing full well that their superior was at odds with this man, how could they jump out to refute him at this moment? They all nodded in agreement.

Murong Luo's face alternated between green and white. Normally, he was the one using his influence to suppress others, but who would have thought that today the tables would turn, and he would be suppressed by someone else?

Although he clearly knew the other party was making an issue out of nothing, the other party's identity was simply too special, and he had no recourse.

Murong Qinghe tugged pleadingly at Chu Youzhao's and Chu Chuyan's sleeves, signaling them to speak up and help.

As her dear friend was asking for help, Chu Youzhao naturally wouldn't stand idly by. She stepped forward and said, "Esteemed sir, Miss Murong came to the Qin family to invite us out to play, and we just happened to pass by here and stopped for a short while. It has caused trouble for Young Master Murong, so we hope Your Excellency will be lenient."

Zu'an thought to himself that his sister-in-law was quite clever. She didn't dwell on the great impiety issue, as that was merely an excuse, but instead focused on excusing his dereliction of duty. At the same time, she subtly hinted at their family backgrounds, suggesting that in the capital, anyone who knew the Qin and Murong families would surely show some respect.

Unfortunately, Zu'an had no intention of showing respect. "This official always enforces the law impartially, without showing favor to anyone," he declared. "It's useless even if you bring up the Qin and Murong families."

Now even Chu Youzhao was a bit angry, not because of Murong Luo, but because the other party seemed to look down on the Qin family, which she found somewhat displeasing.

Watching the constant influx of rage points from Murong Luo's siblings and Chu Youzhao, Zu'an's expression didn't change in the slightest. He had no good feelings for either of those families.

At this moment, Chu Chuyan finally spoke, "Esteemed sir, you must have important business to attend to this time. May I ask what exactly it is? Perhaps we can all help resolve it together."

At this moment, Mi Li, who was sitting on the battlement, chuckled softly. "Your wife is truly the cleverest," she remarked, "she immediately saw the crux of the problem."

Zu'an replied in his heart, "Of course my woman is clever."

He then cleared his throat and looked towards Chu Chuyan. "Might this be Miss Chu, the eldest daughter of the Chu family?"

Now it was Chu Chuyan's turn to be surprised. "That's right," she replied, "but why do you recognize me?"

"You are the wife of Grand Tutor Zu, the Crown Prince's Vice Superintendent, so how could I not know you?" Zu'an shamelessly praised himself without batting an eye. "Grand Tutor Zu is a man of towering righteousness, always eager to help others, and he is handsome and dashing..."

Mi Li, who had been preparing to watch the show, was instantly dumbfounded. She had truly underestimated this fellow's shamelessness.

Even Chu Chuyan blushed crimson upon hearing this, never having imagined her husband was so beloved in the palace.

Zu'an cleared his throat, finally stopping his boasting. "This official once received a favor from Grand Tutor Zu," he announced, "so today, I will be lenient out of respect for Madam Zu. However, while capital punishment can be waived, minor punishment cannot be avoided. For neglecting duties while on shift and verbal disrespect, I sentence him to twenty strokes of the rod!"

"Yes, sir!" The Embroidered Uniform Guards stepped forward and immediately pressed Murong Luo to the ground.

Although Murong Luo had decent cultivation, he was no match for these expertly coordinated Embroidered Uniform Guards. He immediately lost his balance and was pinned to the ground.

"You can't hit me! My father—" Before he could finish speaking, his words turned into a scream as the Embroidered Uniform Guards' planks began fiercely striking his backside.

Although Murong Qinghe and the others watching showed signs of discomfort, it wouldn't be too bad if this matter could end this way. After all, the incident could be blown out of proportion or downplayed, and Murong Luo, being a sixth-rank master, should be able to withstand a beating with planks.

However, little did they know the methods of the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Those men knew their superior's intentions and used skillful techniques. Although ostensibly only twenty heavy strokes were given, afterwards, he would need at least half a month to recover.

Listening to Murong Luo's continuous screams, Zu'an calmly found a stool nearby and sat down. He then called Murong Luo's deputy over and questioned him about Ouyang Wu.

The man replied, "It seems an Ouyang family carriage did leave the city a few days ago."

Zu'an frowned. "Why were his family members able to leave freely?"

"We didn't know the carriage contained Ouyang Wu's family," replied several soldiers nearby. "And they were carrying a prince's mansion token, so we didn't question them."

"Since you didn't check, how did you know it was an Ouyang family carriage?" Zu'an asked, looking sharply at everyone.