Chapter 113: Undercurrents
At 3:45 AM, before dawn, the study "Lifengzhai" in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was already brightly lit with candles.
Gu Yangui, dressed in a dark casual suit, sat behind a large rosewood desk, his face calm and composed, only a sharp, hawk-like glint hidden deep in his eyes. Before him lay not military reports or official documents, but a thick stack of investigation files concerning the startled horse incident during the winter hunt. In front of the desk stood two trusted confidants—Gu Feng, the commander of the imperial guards, and Gu Ying, the leader of the secret guards—they stood with their hands at their sides, their auras almost blending into the pre-dawn darkness.
"Speak, what did you find out?" Gu Yangui's voice was not loud, but it sounded particularly clear and cold in the quiet study.
Gu Feng stepped forward, cupped his hands, and reported: "Your Excellency, the obvious clues are indeed clean. The handwriting on the 'confession' found in the home of the steward surnamed Zhang at the horse farm is correct, and there are no abnormalities in the money transactions. All the evidence points to his negligence and dereliction of duty, and he committed suicide out of fear of punishment. His family has been sent back to their hometown, and it seems to be a perfect cover-up."
Gu Yangui tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, making a dull thud. "Flawless?" he scoffed. "Too perfect is a flaw. How could a mere stable manager have the audacity and ability to reach into the royal hunting grounds' reserve horses? And who could so quickly 'help' him get away with this, even with the Emperor and Empress ordering a thorough investigation and the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review already involved?"
Gu Ying then spoke up, his voice low and hoarse, like an owl: "My lord, please be wise. I followed the trail of that steward and discovered that he had a distant cousin who had served under the late Second Master of the Marquis of Anyuan's mansion. Three months ago, this cousin suddenly received a windfall and bought a small house in the south of the city, but just ten days before the winter hunt, he got drunk, slipped, fell into the moat, and drowned."
"The Marquis of Anyuan's residence?" Gu Yangui's eyes narrowed. The Marquis of Anyuan's residence and the Duke of Zhenguo's residence were old friends. The old Marquis of Anyuan had fought alongside Gu Yangui's father, and their friendship was deep. However, after the old Marquis passed away, the heir apparent was mediocre, and the Marquis of Anyuan's residence gradually declined. The "deceased second master" that Gu Ying mentioned was the old Marquis of Anyuan's second son, born out of wedlock. He had died a few years ago, and he had no public feud with Gu Yangui.
"Yes. Your subordinate found this matter suspicious, so I investigated the Second Master's life in depth. I found that although he did not show off, he had a close relationship with... with a guest of the Prince Qi's mansion." Gu Ying lowered her voice even further.
“Prince Qi…” Gu Yangui’s fingers, which had been tapping the table, paused. Prince Qi was the Emperor’s third brother, known for his wisdom and enjoying high prestige in court. However, his relationship with Gu Yangui, who controlled the military, was delicate; they were outwardly polite but secretly rivals. If this matter involved Prince Qi, the nature of the affair would be entirely different. A cousin of someone who served under the late Marquis of Anyuan’s second son—the relationship was complicated, with seven or eight twists and turns. Even if it were investigated, it could be easily claimed that it was a private conspiracy by servants, unrelated to Prince Qi’s household. What a meticulously calculated scheme!
“Furthermore,” Gu Ying continued, “I managed to examine the remains of that mad horse. Although it had been tampered with, and it appeared to have gone mad from accidentally eating moldy fodder, I found a very faint trace of a herb in its stomach contents that was not from the Central Plains. An elderly man in the manor who is knowledgeable in pharmacology identified it as a powder called ‘Mad Thorn Grass,’ which is commonly used by Northern Rong shamans. A small amount can cause a horse to become temporarily excited, while an overdose will cause it to go mad and die. This substance has a peculiar odor that needs to be mixed with strong liquor to mask it, and the timing of feeding it must be extremely precise.”
The Northern Rong! Gu Yangui's eyes flashed with a cold light. He had fought in the northern border for many years and was a mortal enemy of the Northern Rong, his hands stained with the blood of countless Northern Rong people. If the Northern Rong were involved in this matter, it would not only be a power struggle within the court, but would also involve national and personal vendettas! Had the Northern Rong's influence already reached the hunting grounds of the capital? Or was there someone in the court colluding with the Northern Rong?
"Is it possible that it is indeed a thorny plant?" Gu Yangui's voice was so cold it could drop ice shards.
"I'm about 80% sure. But the evidence has been destroyed and can't be used as evidence in court," Gu Ying reported truthfully.
Gu Feng added, "My lord, there is one more thing. I investigated all the people who had contact with the spare horse on the day of the winter hunt and found that a servant who was responsible for washing the horse took leave to go back to his hometown the day after the incident and has not returned since. I sent people to his hometown to inquire, but the neighbors said that the family suddenly moved away half a month ago and their whereabouts are unknown."
The clues were intricately linked, yet were cleverly cut off at crucial moments. The deceased illegitimate son of the Marquis of Anyuan, the Prince of Qi's mansion, the Northern Rong, the missing servant... all of this was like an invisible net, quietly unfolding in the darkness, its target being Duke Zhenguo, Gu Yangui. His pregnant wife became the first point of attack, whether for testing or revenge.
Gu Yangui slowly leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and his mind raced through the information. The other party was meticulous and cunning, no ordinary character. Using layers of relationships as cover, and possibly even bringing in external forces, their intentions were despicable!
After a long while, he opened his eyes, his gaze now filled with a chilling determination: "Gu Feng, send more men to secretly protect the Madam. There must be no mishaps inside or outside the manor. All food and utensils must be strictly inspected. No unauthorized personnel are allowed to approach Guiyan Residence without orders."
"Yes!" Gu Feng replied sternly.
“Gu Ying,” Gu Yangui said, looking at the leader of the secret guards, “continue to keep a close eye on the movements of the Qi Prince’s Mansion and the An Yuan Marquis’s Mansion, especially their dealings with the Northern Lands. We must find that missing servant, alive or dead. Also, send a message to the ‘spies’ in the Northern Border to find out if any Northern Rong spies have recently infiltrated the capital or had any contact with anyone in the capital.”
"Understood."
“Remember,” Gu Yangui’s gaze swept over the two of them, carrying an undeniable air of authority, “all investigations must be conducted in secret, without alerting the enemy. To the outside world, everything in the manor should appear normal, especially the madam must not notice anything amiss, lest she become anxious.”
"Yes, Your Excellency!" the two replied in unison, their figures flashing as they silently withdrew from the study, disappearing into the fading light of dawn.
Silence returned to the study, with only the flickering candlelight casting inconspicuous shadows on Gu Yangui's cold, hard profile. He rose and walked to the window, pushing it open a crack. A biting gust of wind instantly rushed in, dispelling the oppressive atmosphere.
The sky in the distance was already turning a pale white, but the darkness before dawn is often the deepest.
Gu Yangui stood with his hands behind his back, gazing towards the imperial city, his eyes deep and unfathomable. He was never afraid of the treacherous power struggles in the court or the menacing threats beyond the borders. But if someone were to extend their poisonous hand to his family and touch their sore spot, they would have to be prepared to face the wrath of thunder.
“No matter who you are or how deep you are hiding,” he muttered to himself, his voice as cold as iron, “I will drag you out.”
At this moment, the Duke of Zhenguo was no longer the gentle and considerate husband, but had transformed once again into the iron-blooded war god who had fought his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. A war without gunpowder had quietly begun in the shadow of this bustling capital. And all these undercurrents were carefully kept out of the warm and welcoming world of Guiyan Residence.
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