Seeing his expression of wanting to ask but being too embarrassed to, Zu An chuckled inwardly. After the initial panic, he had gradually come to his senses.

Why would Zhu Xie Chixin come to find him? The excuse of just passing by can be ignored. He must have come with a purpose. His hesitant manner just now, coupled with the strange look he gave him before leaving, clearly indicates that it is related to that matter.

So he took the initiative to speak up: "His Majesty is furious about the large number of assassins who have entered the palace. He is also puzzled as to why the assassins were able to seize such a convenient opportunity to enter the palace when His Majesty was not present."

Zhu Xiechi's heart stirred, and he followed up with his words, saying, "This matter is indeed a bit strange. Logically speaking, only a few people should know that the Emperor is not in the palace."

Zu An sighed: "So the Emperor ordered me to find out who leaked the information."

Although Zhu Xie Chixin had already vaguely guessed the truth, his expression still changed slightly upon hearing this. The fact that the emperor bypassed him and directly ordered his subordinates to investigate clearly showed that even he suspected him.

Although I know that my master is suspicious by nature, I still feel somewhat disheartened when it actually happens to me.

"I am also one of the suspects. Aren't you afraid that I am the real culprit when you tell me these things?" Zhu Xiechixin looked at his new subordinate with great interest. On the way to the capital, he admired the other's composure in the face of adversity. The series of events that followed made him admire him even more. So when the emperor proposed to make an exception and give him a gold medal, he had no objection at all.

Zu An smiled wryly and said, "In the whole world, no one is more loyal to the Emperor than the Grand Commander. Besides, I was taken care of by the Grand Commander on the way to the capital. I know your character very well, so how could I possibly collude with assassins?"

Hiding behind the curtain, Yun Jianyue rolled her eyes. This guy was such a sycophant; it sounded sickeningly sweet.

Although he knew the other party was mostly flattering him, Zhu Xie Chixin was still extremely pleased: "I have a clear conscience and I am extremely grateful to have gained Brother Zu's trust."

At the same time, he sighed inwardly, realizing that even Zu'an, whom he had only known for a short time, trusted him, yet the emperor, whom he had served for so long, had become suspicious of him.

Zu An couldn't help but laugh. Sure enough, flattery never fails. Before, he was just calling him "Eleven," but now he's even calling him "Brother Zu."

We must hold onto this powerful figure! What he just said was indeed flattery, but it was also genuinely from the heart.

The emperor clearly wanted these people to check and balance each other, but he was not a blindly loyal person, so why should he serve the guy who wanted to kill him at the drop of a hat?

Everyone's forming cliques for personal gain... cough cough, can't we just be nice to each other? The most important thing in life is to be happy.

Therefore, he did not hesitate to tell Zhu Xie Chixin the task assigned by the emperor. It didn't matter whether the other party was the one who leaked the secret or not. The key was to bring the two sides closer.

If he really colluded with the evil cult, then we're still on the same side.

Of course, he dared not say these things to the other people. He had no connection with them and did not know their character. To speak too intimately with someone he barely knew could easily backfire.

He coughed lightly: "Brother, you're too kind. Speaking of which, I'd like to ask you for advice on how to approach this case. You're the expert in this area."

Yun Jianyue, standing behind the curtain, had a strange expression. This guy is really lazy. He's already calling Zhu Xie Chixin "big brother" so quickly. He's probably the only one in the world who dares to call Zhu Xie Chixin "brother".

I wonder if Hong Lei was fooled by his thick skin.

Zhu Xie Chixin tapped his fingers lightly on the table, clearly deep in thought. Hearing this, he replied, "Since the Emperor specifically asked you to investigate, it's obvious he doesn't want me to get involved. My style of doing things is too obvious; it wouldn't be good for you to imitate me, as the Emperor might easily notice something amiss. So, go ahead and investigate with confidence. If you need any help later, just let me know."

Noticing that he no longer used the word "brother" in his tone, Zu'an knew that what he had just said was probably a brief slip of the tongue. It would be a long process to increase his favorability. It seemed that he would have to find an opportunity to invite him to a brothel to listen to music together. As the saying goes, the three greatest bonds in life are: studying together, fighting together, and so on...

However, this guy's face is so pale and he looks so effeminate. If he has some problems in that area, my actions might backfire.

Various thoughts flashed through his mind, but his words did not falter for a moment: "Brother is indeed farsighted. Fortunately, you gave me some pointers, otherwise I would have made a mistake without even realizing it."

Zhu Xiechi sighed, "You flatter me. We are comrades-in-arms and should help each other. Now, it's not just you who has a headache, I have one too. The Emperor asked me to find the whereabouts of that female assassin, but unfortunately, I have no clue at all. It's as if that woman disappeared into thin air."

Too many things happened today that made him feel down; otherwise, given his usual personality, he wouldn't have talked to Zu'an for so long.

Zu An's heart skipped a beat: "I heard you mention before that the long-haired female assassin was named Yun Jianyue, the leader of the Demonic Sect?"

“Not bad,” Zhu Xie Chixin nodded. “Over the years, I have been arrogant and thought that I could not take anyone else in the capital seriously except for the Emperor. I never thought that I would be defeated by a woman.”

Zuan comforted him, "Brother, don't be discouraged. She is the leader of the Demonic Sect, and she might even outlive you by several decades. Losing to an old woman isn't unfair."

Yun Jianyue, standing behind the curtain, raised an eyebrow with a somewhat strange expression.

Anger from the Moon in the Clouds +333!

This guy is too shameless; even with her composure, she still lost her guard.

Zhu Xie Chixin looked at him blankly: "Old woman? Although few people know the true age of the Demonic Sect Leader, she is definitely not older than me, so how could she be an old woman? If she were really someone from my previous generation, I wouldn't be so disappointed to have lost to her."

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