"A carriage?" Liu Yao laughed immediately. "Who do you think you are, a wanted criminal who wants to ride in a carriage?"

Even Sang Qian, in the other prison van, cursed inwardly as an idiot for making such an impossible request.

Zu An remained calm: "I know I am a wanted criminal, and not just any wanted criminal. The Emperor simply wants my 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra,' which I have memorized. If you serve me well along the way, I might speak frankly once we reach the capital; but if you make me uncomfortable, I will tell the Emperor that it was your fault that I didn't want to speak."

"Whether you tell or not at that time is not up to you," Liu Yao sneered. "Besides, the Emperor is wise and mighty, how could he be fooled by your little tricks?"

Zu An smiled slightly: "You can try. Anyway, it's just a piece of cake for you to give me a carriage, and you won't lose anything. On the contrary, if you offend me, there will be some unknown risks. For example, I might say to the Emperor that you privately interrogated me about the 'Phoenix Nirvana Sutra'."

"Don't talk nonsense!" Liang Wang and Liu Yao's expressions changed immediately. They didn't think the emperor would believe that the reason Zu An refused to confess was because they hadn't served him well along the way. But if Zu An falsely accused them of forcing him to reveal the "Phoenix Nirvana Sutra," then the problem would be much bigger.

This is the secret to immortality, something the emperor specifically requested. What are the intentions of these subjects who are trying to obtain it?

While it could be explained, it would be far too risky.

Zu'an then added, "By the way, there's something else I need to remind you of. News of the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra has probably spread by now. It won't be long before various forces arrive. This prison cart has no cover, so they can easily see my condition from afar and easily devise various plans. Who knows, a stray arrow might come flying at me and I'll be dead. How will you explain that to the Emperor then?"

At this moment, Huang Huihong, the commander of the Embroidered-Robed Envoys, became indignant: "With us guarding you, even if arrows are shot at you, they won't reach you."

“It’s true that arrows shot by ordinary experts can’t escape your interception, but what about arrows shot by higher-level cultivators, such as ninth-rank, grandmasters, or even great grandmasters?” Zu’an said.

King Liang and Liu Yao's expressions changed; the possibility he mentioned did indeed exist.

It's worth noting that there are many people in this world who don't want the emperor to live forever, so it's not impossible for a grandmaster to be mobilized for this purpose.

Although their team was strong enough to face a Grandmaster head-on, they were caught off guard when an arrow came flying from afar, leaving them with no way to rescue Zu'an from the prison cart.

Thinking of this, King Liang ordered, "Make room for General Liu's carriage so he can move in; General Liu and I can ride in the same carriage."

Liu Yao's face was originally very dark, but his expression softened slightly after hearing his last sentence.

Zu An pointed to Zheng Dan beside him: "And her, because..."

Before he could finish speaking, King Liang waved his hand wearily and said, "Alright, stop talking. Let Miss Zheng go with you."

He'd already experienced this guy's verbal skills firsthand; if he were to speak, he'd probably spout a whole bunch of fallacies, so it was better not to listen and avoid getting annoyed.

Sang Qian, who was standing to the side, immediately started whimpering anxiously. He hadn't expected that Zu An would actually agree to ride in the carriage, and he certainly hadn't expected that Zheng Dan would agree to go with him!

Anger from Sang Qian +1024!

Previously, in the prison cart, there were only some iron bars, so he could see clearly what was happening inside. Now that they've moved to a horse-drawn carriage, you know, the carriages of these important figures are all completely covered up, so he can't see what's really happening inside.

King Liang snorted: "With so many people guarding the area, everyone outside knows exactly what's happening inside. You don't need to worry about anything."

After saying that, he didn't bother with Sang Qian anymore; it was clear that explaining to them was already a big favor.

He and Liu Yao returned to the carriage. The two were already somewhat at odds, and now that they were sharing a carriage, it was inevitable that they would feel uncomfortable.

Thinking that all of this was caused by that kid Zuan, they were all secretly fuming.

Anger from Zhao Yi +233!

Liu Yao's anger level increased by 846!

Clearly, Liu Yao was even angrier because his carriage had been taken over by the cuckoo.

The two remained silent in the carriage, the atmosphere quite awkward. Finally, Liu Yao broke the silence by saying, "After leaving Linchuan County, we'll be passing through the territory of the King of Wu. Do you think he might…?"

King Liang shook his head: "It shouldn't be that bad. King Wu is the emperor's son born out of wedlock, and he has always been low-key in his dealings with others. He shouldn't have any improper thoughts."

"That's good," Liu Yao breathed a sigh of relief, then laughed. "This King of Wu is too low-key. While others marry into powerful families, he married a woman from a third-rate family as his queen."

King Liang laughed and said, "Although this Queen Consort of Wu comes from a humble background, it is said that she is exceptionally beautiful, with a face that could topple kingdoms. Everyone jokingly says that King Wu loves beauty more than his kingdom."

Liu Yao snorted: "Even if he marries a daughter from a powerful family, this empire still has nothing to do with him."