At this point, Master Gu had clearly come to regard Qin Yuan as his pillar of support.
Qin Yuan laughed and said, "Have you forgotten? The reason why General Jin was able to arrive so quickly with his men was because the storyteller informed him. I heard that nowadays storytellers have a job called telling news. They tell about the latest happenings in the capital. The more novel, interesting, and quick the story is, the more likely they are to get tips from the customers."
Mr. Songshan laughed and said, "There are these things in the entertainment district, and some people even go out of their way to talk about them, earning quite a bit of money and saving the entertainment district's commission. Many women who don't usually show their faces in the inner quarters are also eager to know what's new outside."
Sixth Master Gu asked, "Then where did they get their information from?"
Qin Yuan said, "Then everyone will have to use their own methods. Those who can do these things all have their own sources of information. Some buy it from beggars. As long as the information is true, you can go to him to collect the money."
Gu Jinghui interjected: "After Xu Zhen and Zhao Shi disappeared, the Eighteenth and the others also searched for beggars and vendors in the surrounding area, but to no avail. Baozhu also mentioned that before Xu Zhen left the mansion, she often looked for peddlers at the side gate to buy some trinkets, but that peddler could not be found again."
Qin Yuan said, "I have also thought about this matter. Beggars and porters may seem insignificant, but they know quite a lot. If we can connect them, we can get a lot of information. If we didn't see them at the gate, who knows if they might have given themselves away elsewhere."
Mr. Songshan glanced at Lord Gu.
Lord Gu sighed, "Having been back in the capital for more than half a year, it's far less convenient for the Eighteen Guards to investigate information than it was in the northern frontier. As for Xu Zhen's matter, even after mobilizing most of the guards in the manor, we still couldn't find anything. Ultimately, it's because the Marquis's manor has done too little work in the capital. It would be better if we could get information from beggars, porters, and storytellers."
Mr. Songshan said slowly, “When you were in the northern frontier, you were naturally like a fish in water. The customs and traditions of the capital and the northern frontier are very different. Moreover, there are many imperial relatives and nobles here, and powerful people gather. It’s a mixed bag. Even an inconspicuous person may have a complicated background. As soon as you returned, you were trapped in it. Without your own channels of information, you are like a tiger that has lost its eyes. Naturally, you can’t do what you want.”
Sixth Master Gu said, "Third Brother, I think we should follow what Young Master Nantang said and have the Eighteenth Group recruit more people to help gather information. Beggars, porters, and street cleaners are not high-ranking and don't attract much attention, so it's good to have more informants."
Qin Yuan said meaningfully, "If the Marquis had done this as soon as he returned, he would have been criticized. But now is the best time, and there is a reason for doing it."
“That’s right. The Prefect’s Office couldn’t find anything, so Sixth Master Gu sued the Xu family over this. The Marquis’s Mansion took it upon themselves to search. That’s like having a point even if you’re talking about the most trivial things.”
Mr. Matsuyama clapped his hands in agreement.
Lord Gu nodded, pleased, and said, "Alright, it's settled then. I'll have the people from the Ministry of Works' Drainage Department tomorrow..."
Before she could finish speaking, Qin Yuan said, "Why don't we ask Brother Cheng for help?"
Lord Gu thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I'll discuss this with him tomorrow."
Qin Yuan hurriedly added, "There's another matter, which is somewhat related to the Xu family and Sixth Master."
Sixth Master Gu frowned: "Please speak."
Lord Gu also looked over.
Qin Yuan said, "Sixth Brother wants to sue the Xu family. The magistrate must have already gone to find the Xu family. The Xu family still brought their children to pay their respects, seemingly intending to make peace. I just don't know what Sixth Brother plans to do next."
Lord Gu frowned.
Master Gu said, "As I said before, I will pursue this to the end. The Xu family acts like a destitute family. If I don't pursue it today, they will come again tomorrow."
Hearing him say that, Qin Yuan nodded and said, "It's best if Sixth Brother has a plan. I secretly think that Lord Xu seems to want to be on good terms with the Marquis's Mansion. I heard that they originally planned to come and cause trouble a few days ago, but in the end they didn't come."
"Where did you get this information?" Gu Jinghui asked.
Qin Yuan then repeated what Shen Changle had said, and Gu Jinghui nodded and said, "I didn't expect Shen Changle to be so good at gathering information."
Qin Yuan smiled and said, "What he knows is almost exactly what Gu Shiliu said before, which is really beyond my expectations. This person is indeed useful."
Sixth Master Gu asked, "What does Xu Tang mean by saying that he was outmaneuvered by Lord Xu?"
Lord Gu said, "Naturally, they want to join the Xu family in submitting to Prince Jin. Prince Jin has close ties with Yelü Guzha, and he is working as a hanger-on in Prince Qi's mansion. It's hard to say what he's secretly planning."
After pondering for a while, Sixth Master Gu exclaimed in surprise, "I understand now, our Dingbei Marquis's mansion is their pledge of allegiance."
Qin Yuan was somewhat surprised.
Even Master Gu Liu knew about the pledge of allegiance.
Gu Jinghui chuckled and said, "I didn't expect you to know this. Indeed, there's something you also know: Physician Liu was bribed by Yelü Guzha to harm my entire household, and he has connections with Prince Jin and the Crown Prince."
Master Gu said in a trembling voice, "Then...then..."
Mr. Songshan shook his head: "I told you not to let him be there. Look at him, he can't handle anything. He should just focus on writing poetry and painting."
The tense atmosphere was suddenly turned somewhat amusing after this disruption.
Master Gu calmed himself down and said irritably, "I just haven't experienced it before. Once I have, I won't do it again."
"What can I say to you? Courage is innate. Do you think the Marquis would be so scared that he would stand there and know the answer the second time he went into battle? He would probably lose his life the first time."
Mr. Songshan bluntly said, "Having traveled extensively for many years and met countless people, I know that everyone has their own natural talents and gifts. Those who are born timid and inexperienced will not amount to anything. However, if one's courage is hidden deep within, one can try to unleash it."
Sixth Master Gu retorted, "I am also a son of the Gu family, and I have the blood and courage of my ancestors."
Qin Yuan said, "It is evident that there are already significant divisions within the Xu family. Prince Jin knew that Physician Liu's affair had been exposed and was wary of the Marquis's mansion. Coincidentally, the Emperor appointed the Marquis to conduct a capital inspection, but withheld the memorials from the court, leading everyone to suspect the Emperor's intentions. Prince Jin then started by trying to win over the Xu family, who were related to the Marquis's family by marriage. Xu Tang's sister should have been sent to Prince Jin's mansion around this time."
Seeing that they had gotten to the point, Mr. Songshan and Master Gu fell silent and listened quietly.
Lord Gu continued, "Now that rumors are circulating that I am ill, I'm afraid Lord Xu has other intentions and wants to win over my sixth brother. Xu Tang has lived in his uncle's house since childhood and has experienced the coldness of human relationships. Now, because the Xu family sent his sister to the Prince of Jin's mansion, his life and fortune are tied to the Prince of Jin. Naturally, he is not happy to see Lord Xu playing both sides. The fact that the Xu family did not cause trouble as originally planned has already made Xu Tang very dissatisfied."
“Yes,” Sixth Master Gu remembered and exclaimed, “That day, my brother-in-law pulled me aside and said that there were rumors outside that Third Brother would have no children in the future. I scolded him and if I hadn’t been unable to beat him, I would have punched him.”
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