Chapter 1935: Gift of Gratitude
Meanwhile, Zu An and Jiang Luofu were chatting and laughing. They arrived at the Imperial Prison to release the Qin and Murong clans and their associates. After what happened today, who would dare to stop them?
To their surprise, however, when they entered the Imperial Prison, they discovered that the Qin and Murong clans were both gone. Even Qin Wanru, Chu Huanzhao, Murong Qinghe, and the others were nowhere to be seen.
Zu An’s expression darkened.
Are there really people who don’t fear death and dare to mess with them?
Perhaps because he had killed many people tonight, a vicious aura bubbled up within him until it was on the verge of exploding.
Jiang Luofu was really alarmed. At first, she had said that she'd entrusted people to take care of the Qin and Murong clan, and yet they'd ended up in such miserable condition. This time, she'd said that she had sent more people to watch over them, and yet all of them had gone missing! If something bad had really happened to them, she would really be too ashamed to meet anyone ever again.
She quickly found the people she left at the prison to ask them what happened, but then found out that the crown princess had personally come to bring the prisoners away.
They all complained, “There is no way we could stop the crown princess herself. She did also say that she was releasing the people from these two clans because they were innocent, and took them back to their homes. That gave us even less reason to stop her.”
Jiang Luofu sighed in relief when she heard that. Zu An’s expression also eased up as he said, “Then they should be alright. I’ll return to the Qin manor to take a look first.”
“Alright, I’ll go with you,” Jiang Luofu said. She had to ensure those people were actually safe to feel truly at ease.
Zu An didn’t mind at all. After all, having a beauty with such beautiful legs at his side really was a delightful thing.
…
The two of them quickly arrived at the Qin manor. Unlike its tattered and ruined appearance from before, the manor was adorned with decorated lanterns and banners. The air was full of cheers and laughter.
When the Qin clan’s people learned of Zu An's arrival, they rushed out to welcome him. The Qin dukes were still weak, but they still insisted on having their wheelchairs pushed out to personally thank Zu An and Jiang Luofu.
After an exchange of conventional greetings and making sure that they were fine, Jiang Luofu found a chance to excuse herself and leave. She couldn't help but feel a bit like an outsider in the Qin manor. She just felt as if she didn’t really fit in.
Zu An was about to send her off when she stopped him, saying, “You still have many things to say to them, so there’s no need for all that trouble.”
Jiang Luofu chuckled and waved her hand casually, then quickly disappeared into the dark of the night.
As he watched her leave, Qin Zheng said in appreciation, “Miss Jiang refused a request to marry the crown prince, and because of her special status, no one else dared to propose marriage to her again. With her stunning appearance, she would definitely have already properly settled down otherwise.”
Qin Wanru couldn't help but reply, “Dad, why would she have to marry? Isn’t Principal Jiang’s life pretty good? I’m actually a bit envious of her. She’s been living so freely and confidently.”
Qin Zheng rolled his eyes and replied, “Do you think she’s anything like you?”
Qin Wanru harrumphed angrily.
Zu An chuckled, then said to the two brothers Qin Zheng and Qin Se, “The two sirs are currently weak and need to rest. Please don't stay out for too long and risk becoming ill.”
The two elders were grateful. Before leaving, Qin Zheng said, “Wanru, you have to take good care of Ah Zu. Don’t end up neglecting him now.”
“Yes…” Qin Wanru said sullenly. She had said similar words earlier, but the two hadn't paid much attention at all. Now that Ah Zu said the same thing, however, the two of them were suddenly so eager to listen!
She ordered Huanzhao to bring her grandfathers back inside, then walked over to Zu An’s side and said, “Ah Zu, I really have to thank you this time.”
Her expression was extremely complicated. The great battle in the Meng manor had caused such a huge disturbance that she could even sense it all the way from the Imperial Prison. When they all emerged with the crown princess to see what was going on, they'd learned that Zu An had stormed straight into the Meng manor to get revenge for the Qin clan. She had almost decided to lead her own subordinates over to help him, but the crown princess had stopped her. After that, they'd seen Zu An destroy those powerful cultivators one after another in midair.
The shock she had felt then couldn't be any more intense. After all, she had already been shocked enough when she found out that he was the Royal Academy’s libationer, a favored minister in the Eastern Palace, and a marquis in the court. And yet, only then did she realize that Zu An was a thousand times beyond what she had imagined! How could that fellow she had berated like a dog back in Brightmoon City have already grown this much?
“Mother-in-law, we're one family. There's no need to be so polite at all,” Zu An said with a smile.
Qin Wanru pursed her lips. In the end, she still braced herself and asked, “Do you still hate me for how much I berated you in the past?”
Ah… it’s over, it’s all over! If he really still harbored bad feelings, forget about me, even the entire Chu clan would be done for!
Just how should I compensate him?
While she was feeling extremely conflicted, Zu An smiled and said, “Mother-in-law is worrying too much. Those things have already long since become bygones.”
He had been quite upset back then, but later, he had found out that his marriage with Chuyan had actually been almost purely due to her support alone. The reason she'd acted the way she did was because she felt as if she had let her daughter down, thinking he was worthless and a disappointment. Now, though, none of that mattered to him.
Qin Wanru’s heart actually began to pound.
It’s over, it’s over! He didn’t say he didn’t mind, but that it’s a thing of the past. Doesn’t that mean the same thing, though?
Just then, Chu Huanzhao ran back outside, having finished bringing her grandparents back in. She had been so worried about her brother-in-law that the wheelchairs she pushed almost produced sparks from the wheels, making the two elders feel as if they would fall right off and frightening them until almost half their souls disappeared. They had already experienced countless battles of life and death on the battlefield, and yet they had never been as worried as they were today. After all, they were now just ordinary old men who had lost all of their cultivation.
“Brother-in-law, you’re so awesome!” Chu Huanzhao cried as she grabbed Zu An’s arm, her eyes full of adoration.
Qin Wanru raised her brows, but she wasn’t in the mood to scold her daughter right now.
When he saw the lively Huanzhao, Zu An felt warm inside. She had always given others an endless sense of inspiration and motivation back in Brightmoon City too.
“How did you become so strong, taking down powerful enemies with one punch? Every single one of those guys could beat up my dad as if he were their nephew…” Chu Huanzhao chattered endlessly as she talked about what had happened.
Qin Wanru’s expression darkened as she listened.
Is that how you should be talking about your dad?
However, Chu Youzhao couldn't take it anymore and retorted, “Second sis, wouldn’t dad die from anger if he heard what you said?”
Chu Huanzhao rolled her eyes and replied, “Even if he disagreed, how many of the people big brother Zu just beat could he win against?”
Chu Youzhao and Qin Wanru both choked.
What you said makes too much sense.
In the end, Chu Youzhao couldn't swallow her bitterness and argued back, “Dad could at least beat those followers from the king manor and the guards, right?”
Qin Wanru held her forehead.
Are you praising your dad or tarnishing his reputation right now?
Your dad really fathered two amazing daughters…
“No way! I heard that there was a master rank among those followers. Wouldn’t it be easy enough to beat up that old man?” Chu Huanzhao said with a harrumph.
“But that’s only because dad was injured back then. If he weren’t injured, how would he lose?!” Chu Youzhao exclaimed, panicking.
“I’m talking about right now, not about before. Also, even if it were before, dad couldn't beat someone at the peak of the master rank, right?” Chu Huanzhao replied cleverly and eloquently. Her little sister was left completely defenseless under her assault.
The two sisters’ fight was about to reach its climax. Murong Qinghe used the chance to move over to Zu An’s side, saying, “Big brother Zu, the Murong clan managed to narrowly avoid disaster. I don’t even know how to thank you anymore.”
The Murong clan had already been about to have their possessions searched and confiscated, and yet now, everything had turned around. The crown princess had even promised to restore them to their former post, and at most, they would receive some token punishment. Murong Qinghe naturally knew that it was all out of respect for Zu An.
Zu An said with a smile, “Little sister Qinghe speaks too seriously. Forget about your relationship with Youzhao, even if it were just for your sake, we are kindred spirits. Besides, I respect Elder Murong’s unyielding character, so it's only right for him to have been saved.”
Murong Qinghe’s heart immediately began to pound. All of the other words passed right over her head and she only heard one thing, which was that big brother Zu had said that they were kindred spirits.
What does he mean by that? Is he implying something?
But I can’t betray big brother Chu…
Chu Huanzhao and the others finally noticed the two of them. They moved over and said, “Right, it was that crown princess who saved us. She really is an amazing person! Not only is she kind, but she’s also ridiculously beautiful. Brother-in-law, do you ever get tempted, since you get to work for someone that beautiful every day?”
Zu An was speechless.
Qin Wanru was startled and quickly covered her daughter's mouth, exclaiming, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? You dare to even say something like that? It would cause a huge disaster if someone heard you!”
Chu Huanzhao struggled free and retorted, “What are you so scared of? With brother-in-law here, who would dare to bully us? Also, that crown princess is such a great person, so why would she get upset at something small like that?”
Chu Youzhao said coldly, “I think you’re wrong. Brother-in-law is handsome and has such high cultivation, so the crown princess definitely likes him. Why would brother-in-law have to make the first move?”
Murong Qinghe spoke up in agreement. “That’s right, I think there's a bigger chance of the crown princess liking big brother Zu.”
When she saw the three young ladies discussing these things so seriously, Qin Wanru felt as if her soul were leaving her body. She said, “Girls, watch what you say.”
“Brother-in-law, how about I become your disciple?” Chu Huanzhao said, although she immediately regretted those words as soon as she said them. “Pah pah pah, I don’t want you to be my master. You're my brother-in-law, so what’s the big deal in teaching me some cultivation stuff?”
“No problem!” Zu An replied. After all, he had planned to teach her properly anyway. This girl was just too much of a dummy, so her current cultivation really was a bit pitiful.
“Brother-in-law, I want to learn too!” Chu Youzhao added, not wanting to be outdone at all.
“Sure," Zu An said with a nod. He figured Youzhao wasn’t bad either. The two of them had become really close after he came to the capital, so he naturally couldn't favor one and discriminate against the other.
“Big brother Zu, can you take me in too?” Murong Qinghe asked, her eyes shining with an enchanted brilliance. She liked cultivation to begin with, so wouldn’t she grow even faster if she learned from someone this strong?
“Sure…” Zu An said, although he began to feel some pressure now. But they were all so close, so he really couldn't refuse them…
Qin Wanru opened her mouth. Actually, even she was a bit tempted now, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to bow down to her son-in-law as a disciple. She could only sulk and feel envy toward her own daughters.
…
After a while, Zu An finally managed to free himself from the Qin manor. He went straight to the palace to visit the Eastern Palace.
The crown princess issued an order, saying, “Sir Zu and I have some classified information to discuss, so everyone else is to withdraw. Momo, stand guard outside and don’t let anyone in.”
“Then what if the crown prince or the empress…” Rong Mo began, although she was cut off before she could even finish.
“I said no one!” Bi Linglong snapped, staring at her coldly.
“Understood!” Rong Mo replied in alarm. She quickly chased away the others while shestood guard outside alone.
At any other time, Bi Linglong naturally wouldn’t go this far. It was already late into the night, so a man and a woman being together in the same room would definitely draw criticism. But today, no one felt that it was inappropriate. After all, Zu An had just raised too big of a storm in the Meng manor. People all knew that the crown princess would definitely seize the chance to rope in Sir Zu. That process would naturally involve discussing all sorts of confidential matters.
Zu An’s murderous actions had left all of the eunuchs and maids a bit scared whenever they looked into his eyes. No one's thoughts drifted in a potentially scandalous direction.
…
Inside the crown princess’ room, Zu An looked at the beautiful young lady in front of him. Her fair face didn’t have a single flaw, and the curves of her body made her silk gown look even more captivating.
As soon as their eyes met, the two young bodies pressed tightly against each other.
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