As he spoke, he slapped the two guards who were affixing the seal across the face. The two guards tried to dodge, but in the face of the powerful force, they seemed to freeze and could not move an inch.

Even from a distance, onlookers could feel the terrifying aura. Those with sharp eyes had already recognized it as Han Fengqiu, a ninth-rank master and retainer of the Qi Prince's mansion. They thought that if this palm strike landed solidly, even if his head didn't explode like a watermelon, he would definitely lose all his teeth.

But he deserved it; daring to cause trouble at the Prince of Qi's residence, he died in vain.

Just then, the imagined storm did not occur. A hand blocked the two guards, grabbing the oncoming hand and preventing it from advancing any further.

"Huh?" Han Fengqiu was somewhat surprised, and moved her other hand as well.

In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged blows and then separated.

At this point, some people around also recognized the owner of the other hand:

"Isn't that the newly arrived cuckolded sage, Julius An?"

"When I heard that he and Han Fengqiu had fought to a draw, I thought it was just a rumor. I never expected to see it with my own eyes today."

"Han Fengqiu is so old and has wasted his life. Others are so young and their cultivation has already caught up with his."

...

Han Fengqiu's face twitched. The words of the people around him felt like knives cutting into his heart. At the same time, he was very puzzled. Last time, his opponent was clearly at a complete disadvantage. How could he be on equal footing with him today?

Zuan's eyes twitched as well, because the green hats mentioned by the onlookers deeply stung his nerves.

Han Fengqiu finally came to his senses and said in an unfriendly tone, "So it's Lord Zu. Although Lord Zu has recently made great contributions and is a favorite of the Crown Prince, coming to the Prince's mansion to cause trouble and committing insubordination is a serious crime of disrespect."

Such charges can be minor or serious. If someone doesn't care, it might be as light as a feather, but once it's taken seriously, it can be incredibly serious.

The guards who came with him were pale-faced. If the King of Qi investigated and acted according to the rules, they would probably be exiled or banished.

At this moment, Zu An laughed: "Lord Han, what are you talking about? We are investigating a case, carrying out imperial orders. How can that be called causing trouble?"

Han Fengqiu threw the torn seal on the ground: "They've come all this way to seal off Prince Qi's residence, and you still say it's not considered causing trouble? Who gave you the guts? I doubt even the Emperor would give you such an order."

Zu An's expression turned serious, and he replied loudly, "I have come here on His Majesty's orders to investigate the case of the drowning of Prince Qi's concubine. Unfortunately, despite several notifications, Prince Qi's residence has been making various excuses and has even refused to open its doors. I suspect that the murderer is involved and is secretly obstructing the investigation. In that case, we will proceed according to the established procedures. Since Prince Qi's residence is the location of the crime, it should be temporarily sealed off according to the rules. Before the case is clarified, no one is allowed to enter or leave the scene at will to avoid destroying evidence."

Han Fengqiu: "..."

They originally planned to give him the cold shoulder and make him back down, but they didn't expect him to be so ruthless. The key point is that he followed every legal clause, leaving them with no room for criticism.

If he really takes this opportunity to seal up the Qi Prince's residence, then the Qi Prince will lose face big time.

Thinking of this, he immediately forced a smile: "Lord Zu, you misunderstand. The gatekeeper hadn't had time to inform Prince Qi about this matter while he was busy with official business. As soon as Prince Qi learned that Lord Zu had arrived, he sent me to take you to the pond where the concubine drowned. That's the actual scene."