Yu Nan and the others frowned in unison. As core members of Qi Wang's faction, they might not be clear about the details of Qi Wang's plan in the secret realm, but they were certainly aware of the effort Qi Wang had put into this secret realm. As a result, this effort had failed, which was probably ruined by this person, Zu An.
They're clearly lackeys of the emperor and the crown prince, why would they invite them?
However, King Qi had always been highly respected, and although they were puzzled, they did not dare to refute him on the spot.
Zu An was secretly pleased; it seemed the fish had taken the bait. However, he pretended to be troubled and said, "There's no need for a meal. I still have a case to investigate."
King Qi smiled slightly: "You can ask me about many things related to the case directly. After all, I am the most knowledgeable person about this case in the entire mansion. We can talk about it slowly during the meal later."
He thought the experts he had arranged in the secret realm were foolproof. To guard against all kinds of unexpected situations, he had even sent the four great masters of the Temple to the realm, leaving a great deal of redundancy. But he still failed. He was puzzled by this. Zu'an was obviously in the know.
Furthermore, this defeat was too devastating, causing the previously evenly matched struggle with the emperor to become a strategically passive situation. Even with many talented individuals under his command, he couldn't think of a way to turn the tide in a short time. Zu'an, on the other hand, seemed like a variable. If he obtained his Phoenix Nirvana Sutra and his strength increased to a higher level, he could turn the tide.
Hearing him say that, Zu'an reluctantly agreed: "Since Your Highness is so kind, then I will stay for a meal."
His previously apprehensive guards blinked in surprise. Had the whole incident just been resolved? And why was the King of Qi being so polite to him?
Yu Nan and the others standing nearby almost spat out a mouthful of blood. This guy still looked unwilling, he was really taking advantage of their kindness.
Yu Nan's anger level increased by 333!
Lian Yu's anger value increased by 333!
Zhao Xiao's anger level increased by 333!
...
King Qi, being more shrewd, did not show much emotional fluctuation and gestured for the crowd to enter.
Soon, Zuan and Yu Nan followed him deeper into the palace.
As for Zu An's men, Han Fengqiu took them away to entertain them.
Along the way, Zu'an asked many questions about Qi Wang's concubine, and Qi Wang answered them all very patiently. Even Zu'an was impressed by his good attitude.
It wasn't until he sat down at the table that Zu An came to his senses. Although the King of Qi had just answered a lot, there was no useful information. It was truly a case of hearing a king speak more than he had heard a single conversation. Zu An was full of admiration for the king's ability to spout nonsense.
At this moment, Princess Qi also came out surrounded by maids. When she saw Princess Changshan and Lian Yu's wife, a smile appeared on her face. However, when her gaze fell on Zu An, her smile immediately froze.
Bishan's anger level increased by 458!
Clearly, Zuan still harbors resentment over the time he injured her son.
She hurriedly looked at King Qi, whose lips moved slightly, clearly speaking to him privately via telepathy. Her expression softened slightly, and she sat down without even glancing at Zu An.
At this moment, Yu Nan spoke up with a smile: "Your Highness, your birthday is coming soon. I wonder how you plan to celebrate it?"
That's the main reason they came today.
Princess Qi shook her head: "These are turbulent times. Someone in the household has just died. It is not appropriate to hold a birthday banquet or anything like that now."
Yu Nan and the others fell silent. On the surface, she was referring to the concubine who had died not long ago, but in reality, she was referring to the warriors who sacrificed themselves in the secret realm. The Qi Prince's Mansion had just suffered such a crushing defeat, so it was indeed not appropriate to have anything too festive.
"The Princess Consort is indeed kind-hearted." Everyone praised Princess Consort Qi, and then the topic of conversation naturally shifted to the trip to the secret realm.
Lian Yu looked up at Zu An and asked, "Lord Zu, you have made great contributions in the secret realm this time. Could you tell us what exactly happened in the secret realm?"
King Qi nodded secretly. Lian Yu was indeed much more clever, saving me the trouble of asking him directly.
"It's just killing some treacherous people, nothing to brag about, let's not mention it." Although Zu An said this, he couldn't hide the smugness on his face.
"A petty person has gotten his way!" several people in the room muttered under their breath.
Anger level +444 +444 +444...
Lian Yu forced a smile and said, "Lord Zu is joking. To be personally bestowed the title of 'Green Hat Noble' by the Emperor, how could this be an ordinary achievement?"
Upon hearing the words "green hat," Zu An's face twitched. He thought it would be better not to achieve any merit: "They are all important officials in the court, and they must already know what happened in the secret realm. Why ask me again?"
King Qi then spoke up: "Those written reports are ultimately not as convincing as hearing it from you on the spot. Are there any details in those reports? We hope that Lord Zu can satisfy our curiosity."
"Unfortunately, I've been busy investigating cases lately, and I'm particularly troubled by the autopsy of the concubine, which has caused me to forget many details in the secret realm," Zu An replied, feigning pain as he covered his head.
Yu Nan's expression changed drastically: "How dare you! You actually use this to threaten the King of Qi?"
King Qi hurriedly reached out to stop him: "Brother-in-law, you are being too serious. Lord Zu is now carrying out the Emperor's orders. Everyone knows my brother's temperament. Serving him means risking your life at any moment. It is understandable that Lord Zu is anxious. How about this, Lord Zu, tell us in detail what happened in the secret realm, and I will consider agreeing to let you perform an autopsy."
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