Chapter 713: Joint Hearing
Translator: Pika
Zu An’s figure froze. Upon closer observation, he saw that it was a group of Embroidered Envoy who was hiding nearby, and the one in the lead was actually Zhuxie Chixin.
He heard his heart thumping. Did he end up giving something away along the way?
He subconsciously wanted to turn tail and run. After all, he was carrying the crown princess naked in his arms. Even if he was framed, this was enough crime for his execution.
However, he quickly calmed himself down. If they were here waiting in ambush, then that doesn’t mean that they have proof. If he ran away, it would instead prove his guilt.
The most important part was that the imperial palace’s guards had already been transferred, and the gates had been shut. He might not even be able to get away.
He took a deep breath, and then he calmly walked over.
As soon as he showed himself, there was immediately a group of Embroidered Envoy who surrounded him.
“May I ask what is happening?” Zu An asked with an overcast voice.
Zhuxie Chixin walked over, his expression a bit complicated. “Golden Token Eleven, please follow us. There is a matter that requires investigation.”
“What kind of matter?” Zu An calmly asked.
Zhuxie Chixin gave him a deep look. He didn’t reply and instead gestured towards his subordinates. “Take him away!”
Zu An didn’t resist. With a pseudo grandmaster here, all resistance was meaningless.
…
He was quickly brought to the Embroidered Envoy’s headquarters, the Embroidery House.
He was brought into a private room. Zhuxie Chixin gestured for everyone else to leave. He was going to carry out this interrogation alone.
The other Embroidered Envoy were a bit surprised. After all, according to regulations, many people needed to be present during a criminal’s interrogation as a way of keeping others in check and preventing collusion.
Their chief commander was breaking the rules here!
However, Zhuxie Chixin’s prestige was great, and the one being interrogated was this mysterious newcomer Golden Token Eleven. They didn’t say anything and obediently withdrew.
When everyone left, Zhuxie Chixin sat down across from Zu An and calmly stared at him.
Zu An already removed his mask. After all, the other party already knew who he was. “Chief Commander, what kind of crime have I committed? Why did you need to arrest me?”
Zhuxie Chixin slammed the table fiercely. “You really are bold! You actually dare to defile the crown princess!”
Zu An immediately looked ‘horrified’. “Chief Commander, where are these words coming from? This is a crime punishable by the eradication of one’s entire clan! This isn’t something that can be joked around with.”
“Who is joking around with you?” Zhuxie Chixin’s face was overcast. “Someone reported that you and the crown princess carried out illicit relations. Did this happen?”
“Absolutely not. Even if you don’t believe me, do you not trust the crown princess?” Zu An quickly asked. “I haven’t even been in the imperial palace for that long. Who is the crown princess? Why should she care about me? I really don’t know who the hell is starting rumors and creating all this trouble. They must be fucking blind.” He knew that it was probably Shi Jun, but he couldn’t say this out loud, because only those present knew that Shi Jun barged into the princess’ chambers with a group of men.
He watched so much Detective Conan in his past life. The offenders would always blurt out something important by accident. That was why he made sure to carefully think through everything he said.
“You don’t need to worry about who reported you. It isn’t only a single person who reported you, there are maids, servants, and even eunuchs who have personally witnessed it.” Zhuxie Chixin said coldly.
“That’s impossible, because I’ve never done this type of thing! Chief Commander, please uphold justice!” Zu An thought to himself that they probably only saw his back while he was running at most. There was no way they saw my face. The crown princess was buried in my chest the entire time, so there is even less of a chance that they saw me.
Looks like those who reported me are the ones who orchestrated this scheme after all.
“Then why didn’t you leave the palace even though it grew dark?” Zhuxie Chixin continued to ask.
“I saw that it was already dark, so I decided to stay in my courtyard. Either way, I’m by myself if I stay outside too. I might as well stay in the palace where more things are happening.” Zu An explained.
“Where more things are happening?” Zhuxie Chixin laughed from anger. “What kind of place do you think the imperial palace is? There are concubines and princesses living here. How can a man casually reside in the palace?!”
Zu An mumbled, “Am I not an Embroidered Envoy though? What’s the point of this status if I don’t use it.”
Zhuxie Chixin: “……”
He took a deep breath. “Then why were you not there when we came earlier? Where did you go so late in the night?”
Zu An said, “I was just going for a stroll around the imperial palace. It hasn’t been long since I came here, so I wanted to familiarize myself with this place. I was worried that an attack like last time might happen, so I wanted to be more prepared just in case. That way, I’ll be ready once something happens.”
“You were going for a stroll around the imperial palace this late in the night?” Zhuxie Chixin laughed again. “What did I tell you before? The imperial palace is full of distinguished individuals, and you cannot casually roam this place, you have to avoid them. Did you already forget?”
“But I went out for a bit because I was bored. I didn’t expect that I would become suspicious because of that!” Zu An quickly said, “Chief Commander, even though it hasn’t been long since I joined the eastern palace and I don’t know the crown princess too long, judging from what I do know, she would never do something illicit with another man.”
Zhuxie Chixin harrumphed coldly. “If it wasn’t because of my trust in the crown princess’ character, do you think his majesty would still have the patience to have me ask you so many questions?”
Zu An looked shocked. “So it was his majesty who wanted to question me.”
“What else do you think it is? Now that something so major happened, how could his majesty not get involved?” Zhuxie Chixin said coldly. “Through our analysis, we have determined that you and the crown princess have most likely been framed. You need to tell me everything that has happened between you and the crown princess. Only then can I properly deal with the aftermath.”
Zu An said with an honest expression, “Chief Commander, why don’t you believe me? There’s really nothing that happened between me and the crown princess. I haven’t seen the crown princess after I left the imperial study.” He obviously wouldn’t admit to this even though he sensed some sincerity, feeling that both the emperor and Zhuxie Chixin wanted to deal with the aftermath. Even so, once that happened, the crown princess might remain alive, but he was dead for sure.
He still remembered how even though he clearly saved the crown princess during Yun Jianyue’s attack, he almost lost an arm because he touched her back then.
Meanwhile today, the two of them already went through all of that. There was no way the emperor would allow another man to defile his daughter-in-law, right?
Zhuxie Chixin gave him a deep look. A while later, he said with an overcast voice. “Very good. In the future, no matter what anyone asks you, you need to just grit your teeth and say that no matter what.”
Zu An looked at him in surprise. Was this fella secretly helping him?
Looks like the favor from last time was coming in clutch now!
Zhuxie Chixin coughed. His voice returned to normal. “Then have you seen anyone suspicious?”
“No.” Zu An shook his head. “The entire palace went crazy not long after I left. The imperial guards seemed to be looking for someone. I was worried that something might have happened, so I returned. Then, I saw you guys waiting here.”
Zhuxie Chixin sat down into his chair again. His fingers tapped lightly on the table. He began to think to himself.
The sound of the tapping was magnified in this sealed room. It gave off a natural feeling of pressure.
A while later, Zhuxie Chixin said, “Someone will bring you into the imperial prison for further interrogation in a bit. You should understand what you should say and shouldn’t say when the time comes. Furthermore, his majesty has informed me to tell you that you are not to expose your identity as an Embroidered Envoy.”
“Understood!” Zu An didn’t feel that bad inside. Since the emperor said this, then that meant that he still wanted him to deal with King QI. That was why as long as he didn’t expose that he did anything to the crown princess, then the emperor wouldn’t kill him.
Zu An couldn’t help but say, “Why is this matter reaching all the way to the imperial prison? Shouldn’t this matter be investigated in private as much as possible? Making it public like this will tarnish the crown princess’ reputation.”
After a bit of hesitation, Zhuxie Chixin explained, “There isn’t a single giant in the palace. Many powers belong to King Qi. They have begun to stir, so how can we possibly put this matter down quietly?”
“The crown princess’ identity is special, so we cannot interrogate her. We obviously need to start from you.”
Zu An revealed a bitter smile. The ordinary people of this world had no authority after all.
…
When Zhuxie Chixin left, he was quickly escorted to the imperial prison.
The Right Guard General Guo Zhi sighed when he saw him. “Brother Zu, I didn’t expect to meet you again under this type of situation.”
Zu An forced a laugh and said, “Me neither.”
Guo Zhi wanted to say something, but then hesitated. While no one was paying attention, he said through ki transmission, “The Imperial Director, Commandant of Justice, and Supervisor of Attendants will interrogate you one after another. Good luck.”