It's possible that Jian Yanyou was caught off guard and ambushed by his younger brother, but given his cultivation level, it's impossible for him to be subdued silently. The moment he opened his mouth, the guards outside would have entered.
Did I guess wrong from the very beginning?
Zu An fell silent, then suddenly asked, "What is the relationship between your wife and the Duke?"
"Madam?" Gong Pan's expression suddenly changed. "You don't suspect Madam, do you?"
Zu An waved his hand: "I am a friend of your lady, so how could I doubt her? I was just asking out of curiosity, because I heard her mention before that she did not live with the Duke?"
Gong Pan hesitated for a moment before answering, "That's right. The Madam and the Duke are indeed living separately, but that's because the Madam has to handle various affairs of the Yu family, and the Duke has to be responsible for the safety of Yunzhong County and resist the invasion of the demon race. They rarely see each other, so they separated."
"However, they have a good relationship and have always treated each other with respect."
"Respectful to each other like guests." Zu An raised an eyebrow. This phrase can be interpreted in two ways: one, it means the couple's relationship is indeed very harmonious; two, it means there's no real love, they're just fulfilling their duties, neither too close nor too distant...
“I have a question,” Zuan said, looking him up and down with curiosity. “Why did you come to the Yu family? You should be from the Duke’s mansion.”
Gong Pan's expression immediately became somewhat downcast: "After the Duke disappeared, everyone was still very united at first, but as we couldn't find his whereabouts no matter what we did, many things began to change."
"But this is normal. Many people have to support their families, and some want to make a living, so they will naturally look for new backers."
Zu An tentatively asked, "The 'backer' you're referring to is Master Jian?"
Gong Pan nodded: "That's right. He is the Duke's younger brother and was originally the second-in-command of the Governor's Office. He also had a group of confidants under him. After the Duke's accident, it was only natural for him to take over all affairs. Many people may not have wanted to rely on him at first, but after working for him for a long time, they unknowingly became his people."
“However, I don’t have that many ambitions. I’m still waiting for the Duke to return. Now that he’s staying there, he’s getting in the way, so I came to Madam’s side. After all, she is the Duke’s wife. There are some other people who think the same way as me, so we came to Madam’s side together.”
Zuan nodded secretly. This was understandable. Others could side with Jian Taiding, but Gong Pan, the former chief of guards and confidant of the previous duke, was destined not to be valued if he sideped with him. His choice to side with Yu Yanluo was wise, at least he could gain a reputation for loyalty.
"I don't seem to sense any hatred from your tone towards Master Jian?" Zu An asked curiously.
Gong Pan looked north and said calmly, "Unless the Duke's disappearance is related to the Second Master, why should I hate him? It's only natural for him to win over the Duke's old subordinates. Even if I were in his position, I would probably do the same thing."
"Moreover, the Governor's Office is related to the safety of Yunzhong County and has to defend against the demons who have repeatedly invaded the border. After the county lord went missing, a strong leader was needed to stabilize the situation. A capable and ambitious person is much better than a mediocre one."
"General Gong is indeed a man of great integrity; such magnanimity is beyond the reach of ordinary people." Zu An felt admiration and then asked him some questions about the Duke's mansion, which the other party answered one by one.
As he was leaving, Zu'an suddenly turned around, as if he had remembered something: "By the way, could you give me a list of the Duke's personal guards?"
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