The princess regretted it.

Chapter 358: Exploration before entering the village

The men and the scout took their orders and left. Zhong Chuzhou put away his sword and strode back to his room. When he reached the door, he tossed the sword in his hand to Mo Qing, who had been waiting beside him, and ordered, "Go and bring that Master Wang to me."

Mo Qing took the sword steadily and neatly hung it in the scabbard on the wall. Then he turned around and walked away quickly with a nimble figure.

Not long after, he hurried back with a man. The man was none other than Mr. Wang, the lawyer who had surrendered to Zhong Chuzhou. He now assisted Zhong Chuzhou wholeheartedly, hoping to redeem himself and make meritorious contributions to protect the safety of his family.

"Sir, what brings me here?" As soon as Master Wang entered the room, he respectfully bowed to Zhong Chuzhou who was in disguise.

Zhong Chuzhou was facing a bronze mirror, carefully smoothing the human-skin mask on his face, his movements meticulous, striving to avoid any flaws. He didn't even look up at Master Wang's question, but calmly replied, "I just received word that Zhang Hengrui has come here alone. In your opinion, what is his purpose this time?"

Master Wang's eyes twirled, his mind racing. Various thoughts raced through his mind. After a moment's hesitation, he bowed slightly and said respectfully, "Sir, in my humble opinion, the old Grand Tutor may have had some doubts, which is why he sent him here alone to investigate."

"Oh! Where did we get the clue?" Zhong Chuzhou paused upon hearing this, then turned to face Master Wang. By this point, he had completed his disguise, becoming a completely different person. His face was ordinary, his complexion sallow, and his features were nondescript. If he were to be seen in a crowd, no one would even glance at him.

However, his eyes were as sharp as cold stars, completely out of tune with this ordinary face. At this moment, these sharp eyes were staring closely at Master Wang, as if they wanted to see through him. However, the sharpness in his eyes was somewhat inconsistent with this face. At this moment, these eyes were staring closely at Master Wang.

"My lord, every time Mr. Zhang Wu contacts this side, it is someone who writes on his behalf, so I can guarantee that there is no problem in this regard. I speculate that there may be two reasons: one is that Mr. Zhang Wu has been missing for a long time, and they must have suspected that he has fallen into the hands of others. They can't guarantee that Mr. Zhang will not confess anything." Master Wang looked respectful, clasped his hands together, bowed slightly, and answered in an orderly manner.

"Secondly, we have already arrived in the capital as requested, but Master Zhang Wu has no contact with his family. Given Master Zhang Wu's personality, he's likely to sneak back to visit his wife and children."

He paused for a moment, licked his dry lips, and continued, "However, no matter which point it is, it is not a good time for the Zhang family to send people here for us. How will you respond, sir?" After saying that, Master Wang raised his head slightly, staring at Zhong Chuzhou without blinking, his eyes full of expectation and exploration.

After listening to this, Zhong Chuzhou slowly closed his eyes, his brow furrowed slightly, as if rapidly weighing the pros and cons in his mind. After a moment, he suddenly raised his eyes, a flicker of determination in his eyes, and looked at Mo Qing. He said in a deep voice, "Go and make Zhang Wu sick! Also, have everyone make plans. If all else fails, have Commander Zhang stay as well." His voice was low and powerful, carrying unquestionable authority.

Then, he turned his gaze to Master Wang, his tone calm but with hidden meaning: "I am your guard, and I will accompany you to meet the guests. We will act according to the circumstances." After saying this, he straightened his back slightly, the sharpness in his eyes subsided, and his aura suddenly changed. He instantly transformed from the decision maker into a loyal guard, and his every move revealed a well-trained and capable demeanor.

After hearing Zhong Chuzhou's order, Mo Qing understood and left. Master Wang stood by, watching all this quietly. He had no doubts about Zhong Chuzhou's decision. In his mind, Prince Zhong was a man of extraordinary strategy and martial arts, and with Zhong Chuzhou by his side, he knew he was being watched closely, but his safety was assured. In this way, he could redeem himself for meritorious service while also protecting his family. What could he possibly be dissatisfied with?

Thinking of this, Master Wang lowered his head slightly, with an imperceptible bitter smile on the corner of his mouth. He secretly sighed in his heart that now he could only cling tightly to Zhong Chuzhou, the big tree, to seek a glimmer of hope in this complicated situation.

Everything was arranged here. Meanwhile, Zhang Hengrui decisively dismounted when he was still some distance away from the farm. He expertly tied the horse to a nearby dense forest. After tying it, he gently patted the horse's neck to soothe the slightly uneasy animal.

Afterwards, he cautiously looked around and, after confirming that no one was paying attention, he walked towards the manor on foot. His attire today was extremely simple and low-key. At first glance, one would only mistake him for the manor's steward.

After walking for a while, Zhuangzi came into his sight. Zhang Hengrui immediately hid behind a thick tree trunk. He poked his head out slightly, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's, observing Zhuangzi's movements closely without blinking. His gaze swept back and forth over the village's gate, walls, and various entrances and exits, not missing a single detail, trying to catch a glimpse of the unusual in these seemingly ordinary scenes.

After a while, Zhang Hengrui did not notice anything unusual or suspicious, so he slowly walked out from behind the big tree where he was hiding.

After walking out from behind the tree and standing still, he carefully looked around, then raised his hand and gently touched a spot on his waist. When his fingertips touched the slightly raised object there, a sense of security instantly came over him. After calming his mind, he slowly walked towards Zhuangzi.

However, he didn't know that even when he thought he was being completely invisible, all his actions had already been seen by others. Moreover, the news of his whereabouts was transmitted back to the manor at an extremely fast speed...

Before long, Zhang Hengrui arrived at the manor's gate. The heavy door panels, with their bronze knockers gleaming coldly, exuded a sense of authority amidst the silence. Just as he was about to knock, two men dressed as servants suddenly appeared, their movements as swift as ghosts, firmly blocking his path. "Who are you? This is a private manor! Leave immediately!" Their voices carried an undeniable edge, their posture and the aura of their voices clearly indicating they were martial artists.

Zhang Hengrui had been staring at the deserted entrance, filled with suspicion, but the sudden appearance of two men dispelled some of his doubts. He looked up at them, his expression impassive. He narrowed his eyes slightly, assessing the situation. Then, lowering his voice, he said, "Young men, please don't misunderstand me. I'm a servant in the residence of Minister Zhang. I've been sent by my master to deliver an important letter to Master Wang. Please be kind and allow me in."

As he spoke, he leaned slightly and pulled out an envelope from his bosom. The envelope bore the exclusive seal of Zhang Shangshu's mansion, clearly visible in the sunlight. As he displayed the envelope, he discreetly observed the expressions of the two servants, trying to discern a flaw in their reactions and understand the true nature of the manor.