Chapter 909: Rarely Confused

As she hurried in that direction, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her. Sang Qian was startled and quickly put away her sword. "Father!"

The old man was, of course, Sang Hong. He held a steaming teacup in his hand. "Where are you going?"

"Nothing much. I was just feeling a bit restless and came out to see if any intruders had entered," Sang Qian hesitated, not revealing the truth. Her brother's accident had already caused her father immense grief in his old age, and knowing about her sister-in-law's situation would likely make him even more heartbroken and angry.

Lately, she had noticed her father seemed to have aged considerably, losing the vigor of previous years, and his health appeared to be declining. Weighing these factors, she chose to keep silent.

Sang Hong smiled, his somewhat cloudy eyes revealing a serene understanding of everything. "I just heard some movement outside, so I came out to check. Did you just bring someone back?"

Sang Qian knew her father was an eighth-rank master; the sounds of her entry and settling the maid would certainly not have escaped him. So, she recounted the recent events at Prince Qi's mansion in detail.

Sang Hong nodded. "Zu An is indeed a talented young man. The fact that he can move freely in and out of the heavily guarded Prince Qi's mansion speaks volumes about his cultivation. His progress has been truly remarkable."

A year ago, the young man had seemed like an ant in his eyes, but now he had grown to such an extent that his cultivation even surpassed Sang Hong's.

Hearing the admiration in her father's tone, Sang Qian's expression became complex. She wondered if he would still admire Zu An so much if he knew about his relationship with her sister-in-law.

Next, Sang Hong continued to ask about various details of the visit to Prince Qi's mansion, pressing her relentlessly each time, as if unwilling to miss even the slightest clue.

Sang Qian answered while feeling increasingly anxious. Any further delay, and she might not catch the scoundrel in the act.

After finally finishing her account of the Prince Qi's mansion incident, she was about to find a way to send her father back to his room to rest, as she didn't want the situation to escalate beyond control.

However, Sang Hong showed no intention of moving. "Qian'er, it's been a long time since we had a good talk, hasn't it?"

Sang Qian was bewildered.

She couldn't understand why her father wanted to talk in the middle of the night.

Unfortunately, seeing his growing enthusiasm, she couldn't bring herself to dampen his spirits.

She could only respond to him while occasionally glancing in the direction of Zheng Dan's room.

Sang Hong seemed to notice this and couldn't help but look back. "Qian'er, you seem to be looking at your sister-in-law's side. Is something wrong?"

Sang Qian's expression became somewhat unnatural. "Nothing really. It's just that I feel sorry for sister-in-law being alone after brother passed away. They weren't truly husband and wife, so perhaps we should find an opportunity to let her return to the Zheng family."

This was genuinely how she felt. As a woman, she sympathized with Zheng Dan's plight. Something had happened to the Sang family on the day of their wedding, and her brother died not long after. Zheng Dan hadn't even had a proper marriage before becoming a widow.

However, as the groom's sister, she also found it improper for her sister-in-law to secretly engage with another man while bearing the title of "Lady Sang." If it had been anyone else, she would have confronted them long ago, but the man was Zu An, who had shown kindness to both her and her father, leaving her conflicted.

Thus, if Zheng Dan could leave the Sang family and regain her freedom, Sang Qian wouldn't have to feel so conflicted.

She had initially expected her father to agree immediately, but to her surprise, Sang Hong shook his head. "No!"

Sang Qian was taken aback, not expecting such a straightforward refusal. "Why not?"

Sang Hong replied, "Your brother is dead, and the Sang family's line has ended. She is your brother's widow; our only hope rests with her."

Sang Qian looked utterly confused. "But they never consummated their marriage, so it's impossible for her to have a posthumous child or anything like that."

Sang Hong stated calmly, "But outsiders won't know that."

Sang Qian was bewildered.

"Alright, don't dwell on it. Go back and get some rest," Sang Hong said, rising and patting her shoulder. "Oh, by the way, I recently had a sudden urge and wrote some calligraphy. It's just right for you."

With that, he pulled out a scroll of paper with still-wet ink from his sleeve, handed it to her, and then slowly walked away.

Sang Qian unrolled the paper and saw four characters written on it: "Where ignorance is bliss."

She paused, then fell into thought.

She had always been a smart person. She was already suspicious that her father's sudden appearance seemed to be a deliberate attempt to stall her. Now, seeing the calligraphy and recalling his recent words, everything suddenly became clear.

It turned out her father knew everything.

But even to repay a kindness, was it necessary to use her sister-in-law as collateral? The Sang family seemed far too humble in this regard.

Besides, even if her sister-in-law genuinely became pregnant and they claimed it was her brother's posthumous child, everyone knew that child would have no blood relation to the Sang family. What would be the point of that?

Sang Qian's face flushed then paled. She looked towards Zheng Dan's room, took a few steps, but ultimately stopped herself.

She let out a long sigh and finally returned dejectedly to her own room.

From a distance, Sang Hong, who had been secretly observing, remained impassive. His daughter was indeed clever, but she was still young and lacked experience; she hadn't grasped his true intentions.

***

The next morning, Zu An quietly left the Sang family estate, savoring the delightful memory of their intimate bath from the previous day. That girl, Zheng Dan, was truly a captivating little enchantress.

However, being forced out of a warm, fragrant bed before dawn was quite unpleasant. Still, things would be much better once Dan-dan regained her freedom.

As he imagined a brighter future, he did not go to the imperial palace but instead headed directly to Prince Qi's mansion.

He didn't use the main gate but discreetly leaped over the wall from a hidden corner.

Unlike the previous night, this time he made no effort to conceal his presence.

As expected, he was quickly discovered by the guards inside.

Facing the watchful group, Zu An calmly stated, "Take me to Prince Qi."

***

Inside Prince Qi's study, the expressionless Prince Qi looked at Zu An and said indifferently, "Do you know the penalty for trespassing on a royal estate?"

In this world, without electricity, nightlife wasn't as vibrant, so people generally went to bed and woke up early.

Prince Qi had just finished washing up and was quite surprised by his subordinate's report, but he still ordered Zu An to be brought in.

Zu An smiled. "I simply didn't want anyone to see me entering through the main gate to meet His Highness, which might cause unnecessary trouble."

"What brings you to see me so early in the morning?" Prince Qi asked, very curious.

Zu An dropped his smile and said coldly, "Your Highness, you've made a mistake!"

Prince Qi was startled, then burst into a rage. "Nonsense! Did you come here just to make fun of me?"

[Fury value from Zhao Jing +444!]

Feeling the oppressive aura directed at him, Zu An calmly stated, "I have thoroughly investigated the case of the concubine's drowning. She did not drown. Her life force was destroyed by internal energy directed into her brain, and then she was thrown into the pond to create the illusion of an accidental drowning. As for the killer, Your Highness must know who it is."

Hearing such clear details, Prince Qi fell silent. He offered no denial, but instead stared grimly at Zu An. "You dared to come to my estate like this. Are you not afraid of not being able to leave?"

Zu An smiled. "Your Highness is a wise man and surely wouldn't commit such an unwise act. I came today simply to inform you. Next, I will enter the palace to report this matter to the Emperor."

Prince Qi's heart stirred. "You haven't reported it to the Emperor yet?"

"I'm just about to," Zu An replied.

Prince Qi narrowed his eyes, surveying Zu An from head to toe. He immediately realized that Zu An had deliberately come to notify him, allowing him to prepare countermeasures in advance. But why would he do that?

He asked, feigning indifference, "Why are you telling me this in advance?"

Zu An answered, "As the saying goes, 'When the cunning hare is killed, the hound is cooked; when the high-flying bird is shot down, the good bow is put away.' Only with Your Highness still here do I hold the greatest value."

Prince Qi sneered, "How dare you utter such treasonous words! Guards! Drag him out and execute him!"