Chapter 378 Hidden Deeply
The two of them walked through the desolate front yard and headed straight for the main hall of the marquis's mansion.
The weeds in the courtyard have grown to half a person's height, and the stone road is covered with moss, making it look somewhat dilapidated and desolate.
"Where did you see the pattern in the Marquis' Mansion?" Gu Junze asked as he walked, scanning the surrounding environment with sharp eyes.
Gu Chengan tried hard to recall: "It seems to be in Dad's study, a painting hanging on the wall, and the pattern on the painting."
Gu Junze didn't stop: "Let's go to the study first."
The study of Marquis Anyang is located on the west side of the mansion. It is a relatively independent courtyard with closed doors and windows, making it even quieter.
Gu Junze pushed open the half-open courtyard door, and a stale smell hit him in the face.
The study was dimly lit and most of the items had been moved out, leaving only a few bulky pieces of furniture and some papers scattered on the floor.
The air was filled with the smell of dust, and the sunlight filtered through the gaps in the window frames, casting a few mottled beams of light.
Gu Junze walked straight to the inner wall of the study and paused at an inconspicuous corner.
Chu Ruohan once discovered a secret compartment here.
He reached out and fumbled on the wall for a moment, and indeed found the mechanism. He pressed it lightly, and a wall panel slid open silently, revealing an empty secret compartment.
"Han'er found my mother's belongings here before." Gu Junze said in a deep voice, carefully examining the secret compartment. "It's empty now."
He reached in and confirmed that there were no other compartments or mechanisms inside, nor any suspicious patterns.
Gu Cheng'an looked around the room, his eyes sweeping over the empty bookshelves and dusty tables and chairs.
His gaze finally stopped on a rolled-up scroll in the corner.
He walked forward and carefully unfolded the scroll.
The painting shows a majestic "tiger descending the mountain" with fierce eyes and lifelike appearance.
"Brother, this is the painting!" Gu Cheng'an pointed at the scroll, "Look here."
Gu Junze walked closer upon hearing the voice and looked in the direction of Gu Chengan's finger.
Against the rocky background where a tiger is perched, the lines and shadows of several rocks cleverly outline a peculiar pattern.
If you don't look carefully, it is easy to mistake it for natural rock texture, which blends seamlessly with the entire picture.
"It's hidden well indeed." Gu Junze's eyes were serious as he moved closer to carefully observe the details of the pattern. "If you don't look for it deliberately, you won't be able to find it at all."
The lines of the pattern are simple yet quirky, not ordinary patterns or symbols.
"What does this pattern represent?" Gu Cheng'an frowned, puzzled.
Gu Junze stared at the pattern, pondered for a moment, and said slowly: "It seems that the matter involving Anyang Hou is deeper than we imagined."
He raised his eyes and looked at Gu Cheng'an: "Remember that county magistrate? He said that all the benefits were taken by the people above him."
Gu Chengan nodded: "Remember, he said he was just a pawn."
"This pattern may be a clue."
Gu Junze's gaze fell back on the scroll. "The thing that could make Marquis Anyang hide so carefully must be very important. I will send someone to investigate the origin of this pattern."
"There must be someone in the court who is involved in this matter, and his status is not low."
"Brother, this pattern is definitely not ordinary, Dad..."
Gu Cheng'an hesitated to speak, and after a long while he found his voice, "The Marquis of Anyang hid it so secretly, it must be of great significance."
Gu Junze's gaze was as deep as a pool. He withdrew his gaze and rolled up the painting again.
"Marquis Anyang is a man of deep thoughts and cautious actions. If the same flag had not appeared in the bandit camp, I'm afraid this secret would have remained buried forever."
He turned and walked out with steady steps. "Let's go back and try the magistrate again."
Gu Chengan immediately followed up: "Brother, do you want to ask him about the origin of this pattern?"
"No," Gu Junze said coldly without stopping, "What I want to ask is, who is the person above him?"
The dark and damp prison was filled with a disgusting musty smell.
The county magistrate was roughly dragged in by two soldiers and knelt in front of Gu Junze again.
Just by seeing Gu Junze's cold face, the county magistrate's body began to tremble like a sieve, and his forehead was instantly covered with cold sweat.
"General... General, please spare my life..." The county magistrate's voice was filled with tears. He kowtowed repeatedly, and his forehead hit the cold stone slabs, making a dull sound.
Gu Junze looked down at him, his eyes devoid of warmth, as if he was looking at a dead object.
"I'm going to ask you again, who is the 'person above' who ordered you to collude with the bandits and embezzle profits?"
The county magistrate suddenly raised his head, tears streaming down his face.
He kowtowed repeatedly, his voice shrill: "It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's that I dare not tell you! They are so powerful, and if I tell you, my whole family will die! Please, General, let me go!"
His body was shaking violently and he almost collapsed to the ground. Every word he said was filled with fear from the bottom of his heart.
Gu Junze looked at him quietly with cold eyes.
The county magistrate's genuine fear actually confirmed his previous guess.
The power of the person behind the scenes is probably far beyond imagination, enough to make an official who is afraid of death rather die than dare to utter a word.
Forcing is useless.
Gu Junze understood. This fear was not fake. If he pressed too hard and the clues were broken, it would become even more difficult.
"It seems that you are really scared." Gu Junze waved his hand, "Take him away and keep him under strict supervision."
"Yes!" The soldier immediately stepped forward and dragged the limp county magistrate out again, leaving only his desperate sobs echoing in the empty cell.
Gu Cheng'an stood outside the door, hearing the conversation inside clearly, his brows furrowed.
"Brother, he still refuses to speak?"
Gu Junze walked out of the cell with a chill on his body.
"He's terribly scared. It seems the person behind this is so ruthless that he doesn't dare to speak."
He paused, his tone solemn, "You can't get any information by forcing it."
Gu Chengan was a little unwilling: "Then what should we do? Is the clue broken just like that?"
Gu Junze raised his eyes and looked into the distance, his gaze sharp. "This road is blocked, the only way is to start from that pattern."
He turned his head and instructed Ying San behind him, "Ying San, go investigate the origin of this pattern. Use all your strength and don't miss any clues."
"Yes!" Ying San's figure merged silently into the shadows.
On the other side, the Princess's Mansion
"Bang!" A crisp sound.
The white porcelain tea bowl was thrown hard to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Tea mixed with debris splashed and stained the gorgeous carpet.
Du Ruoling's chest heaved violently.
There were hurried footsteps and Gu's mother walked in with a sullen face.
Her eyes swept across the mess on the ground and fell on Du Ruoling, with a hint of sarcasm on the corner of her mouth.
"What? You can't bear this little blow?"
"Who was it that promised so confidently that he would win back Cheng'an's heart?"
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