After the Yu family was convicted, the entire family was raided, the masterminds such as Yu Si and Shang Qing were sentenced to immediate execution, all the Yu family members in the capital were detained, and the emperor also ordered the Jinyiwei to go to Yuzhou to arrest other members of the Yu family. It can be foreseen that the entire Yu family will probably be exiled to the frontier.
If there are still remnants of the Yu family roaming around outside, then the Jinyiwei have failed in their duties.
The square-faced Jinyiwei was just about to go in to report, but he saw a tall and straight figure walking out from the other side of the gate. Even with his eyes half-narrowed, he had an aura of majesty without being angry.
"What remnants of the Yu family?" the visitor said in a cold voice. His words were concise, but each word seemed to carry the power of thunder.
The two Jinyiwei guarding the gate quickly saluted the visitor and said, "Commander He."
Boom boom! Gu Xiao's heartbeat quickened as he looked at He Lie, the commander of the Jinyiwei, who was standing in front of him.
He swallowed hard, tried to calm down, and saluted: "Greetings, Commander He."
Another Jinyiwei walked out from behind He Lie and whispered something in his ear.
He Lie raised his thick eyebrows, and when he looked at Gu Xiao again, his eyes deepened, as if he had truly seen Gu Xiao at this moment.
"Gu Xiao," He Lie blurted out Gu Xiao's name and asked directly, "You said Gu Yuan harbored the remnants of the Yu family? Do you know what crime it is to falsely accuse an official of the imperial court?"
Gu Xiao's heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably again, and he told himself: The Jinyiwei are the emperor's spies and are well-informed. It's not surprising that they know him as Gu Xiao.
Gu Xiao said sternly: "Commander He, everything I said is true. As far as I know, Yu Si has a mistress who has escaped."
As he spoke, his burning eyes were fixed on He Lie, his heart was in his throat and he almost forgot to breathe.
The driver next to them was also on pins and needles, feeling uneasy and panic-stricken, as if all the pedestrians on the street were looking at them, and those gazes seemed to be filled with thorns.
"Oh?" He Lie said lightly, looking at Gu Xiao calmly, without even moving his eyes or eyebrows, and showing no emotion.
Indeed, Yu Si had a favored mistress in the capital, who was pregnant. However, the Jinyiwei searched almost the entire capital but could not find the person.
Gu Xiao thought He Lie didn't believe it, so he quickly said, "I also know that Yu Si's concubine gave birth to a son."
"Commander He, the mother and son are hiding in the original Dingyuan Marquis Mansion on Yuan'an Street. Please go and search them quickly to prevent the criminals from escaping."
He Lie narrowed his eyes and looked at Gu Xiao at the bottom of the stairs, holding the sword at his waist tightly with one hand, without expressing his opinion immediately.
He was already taller and more majestic than Gu Xiao, and now standing on the stone steps, he looked like a towering mountain standing in front of him. His mere presence gave Gu Xiao an invisible pressure.
"..." Cold sweat oozed out of Gu Xiao's forehead.
If the Jinyiwei were concerned about the eldest prince and unwilling to act rashly, they could just pretend that this incident had never happened.
Gu Xiao took a deep breath, raised his voice, and repeated the words he had prepared long ago: "Emperor Taizu said that all reports with real names must be accepted, investigated, and followed up."
His loud voice echoed almost half of the street, and most passers-by could hear it.
He came to Jinyiwei today to make a report under his real name. If Jinyiwei refuses to accept the report, it would go against the original intention of Taizu in establishing Jinyiwei.
"Or maybe the Royal Guards don't dare to investigate?!"
Gu Xiao continued speaking word by word, and the last sentence was equivalent to pushing He Lie forward, just short of saying that the other party, the commander of the Jinyiwei, was afraid of Gu Yuan or was partial to him.
He Lie looked down at Gu Xiao, narrowed his sharp eyes, and a dangerous aura was released invisibly.
The square-faced Jinyiwei guard next to him observed his expression, took a half step forward, and issued a warning on behalf of his commander, every word was as sharp as a knife: "Gu Xiao, Emperor Taizu also said that if you deliberately make a false accusation, you will be caned fifty times and exiled for three years!"
Not just any cat or dog can come to the Northern Pacification Office and shout without any evidence! Gu Xiao felt a little uneasy, but he still didn't avoid the sight, holding his neck high and saying, "I didn't make a false accusation."
"The person is in Gu's house now. Commander He just needs to take people to search the house!"
He Lie stared at Gu Xiao for a long time with a stern look, which made a large patch of cold sweat seep out of the back of Gu Xiao's neck.
For a moment, Gu Xiao almost wanted to retreat, but then he heard He Lie say calmly: "Okay!"
His one word was the final word.
Gu Xiao felt relieved, the corners of his lips couldn't help but curl up, his eyes were burning.
At He Lie's command, the Jinyiwei under his command immediately took action. In just a short period of time, a team of more than 20 people set out from the Beizhenfusi, and Gu Xiao naturally followed them.
Wherever the Jinyiwei passed, they were so powerful, with bright clothes and fast horses that passers-by and carriages and horses all gave way, creating an atmosphere of panic.
An incense stick later, the group arrived at the Gu Mansion on Yuan'an Street amid the doubtful gazes of passers-by, and the red lacquered door of the Gu Mansion was knocked heavily by the Embroidered Uniform Guards.
“Boom boom boom!”
The doorman shouted "Here he comes" and hurried over to open the door. He was shocked to see that the visitor was actually a Jinyiwei.
One of the Jinyiwei said majestically: "Our Commander He has something important to discuss with Captain Gu!"
Even though the attitude of this Jinyiwei was quite good, the doorman who answered the door was still a little uneasy. After all, the reputation of Jinyiwei was known to everyone in the capital, and everyone knew that when Jinyiwei came to the door, it was most likely to be bad news.
The concierge stammered a little, "Sir, our master is hosting a banquet in the small garden."
One of the maids was a little weak in the knees, but she still ran to the northwest immediately, intending to report to Gu Yuan.
He Lie left a few Jinyiwei outside the mansion and walked through the high threshold with a dozen people. He didn't care about the people outside the mansion who came to watch the excitement after hearing the noise.
"Commander He, let me take you there." Gu Xiao volunteered with some urgency and squeezed forward from behind the crowd.
It was not until this moment that the Gu family's doorman discovered that Gu Xiao was also there.
Led by Gu Xiao, a group of Jinyiwei walked towards the small garden at great speed, with a murderous aura in their steps.
Wherever they passed, it was as if a biting cold wind was whistling past. The servants in the Gu Mansion were all worried, wondering what had happened to warrant the visit of the Jinyiwei.
Gu Xiao naturally noticed the uneasiness of these servants. Thinking of the previous incident when he was expelled by the guards, he felt relieved.
He strode forward with his head held high, eager to see Gu Yuan's expression change.
The water pavilion in the small garden was still bustling with activity. Fan Beiran, Lu Si, Yue Jun and the others had not left, and were still drinking, playing finger-guessing games, and joking.
Even when they saw the arrival of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, these people were quite calm.
They knew He Lie, and He Lie also recognized many of them. Although these young men were not the eldest sons or heirs of their families, they were not unknown people. Some of them served in the army, the Five Cities Army, and the Twelve Guards, and there were also a few who were famous dandies.
Gu Yuan stood up gracefully and bowed to He Lie: "Commander He."
His expression and posture were quite relaxed. Even when facing the feared Jinyiwei commander, he was still chatting and laughing calmly, as if the person standing in front of him was just an ordinary person.
He Lie stated his purpose straight away: "Captain Gu, someone reported that your mansion is hiding the remnants of the Yu family."
As he spoke, He Lie looked at Gu Xiao who was a few steps away, "The informant is your cousin."
There was silence in the water pavilion, and all the young masters looked at each other in surprise.
Before Gu Yuan could say anything, Lu Si took the lead and questioned Gu Xiao, "Gu Xiao, you are bringing up the remnants of the Yu family for no reason. Is it just to avenge A Yuan for kicking you out just now?!"
Lu Si snorted coldly and put down the wine glass in his hand heavily.
Everyone's contemptuous looks shot towards Gu Xiao like knives, but Gu Xiao didn't care at all. Instead, he raised his chin higher.
"Revenge?" He Lie raised his eyebrows in confusion.
The person who explained was Fan Beiran: "We were drinking just now, and Gu Xiao suddenly showed up without telling us and came to cause trouble, so A Yuan chased us out. You guys came so quickly, I guess he went to the Northern Pacification Office after leaving here. Humph, isn't this revenge?!"
"I didn't take revenge!" Gu Xiao raised his chin high and said loudly, "I'm telling the truth. There was clearly a baby crying in this house, but my eldest brother flatly denied it and insisted that it was a cat's cry. I think he is just guilty."
"Also, I asked the old servants in the mansion and found that many people have heard babies crying at night in the past half month."
"Commander He, please order people to search immediately. We must not let anyone escape!" Gu Xiao said anxiously.
The maids and servants beside them couldn't help but look nervous.
Many of them had also heard about babies crying at night, and they couldn't help swallowing their saliva: Could it be that what the second young master said was true? The air in the water pavilion became a little stagnant.
"Captain Gu," He Lie cupped his hands and said in a neutral tone, "Your cousin reported it under his real name, and the Royal Guards will handle it impartially."
This means that the Jinyiwei had no intention of targeting the Gu family.
Gu Yuan glanced at Gu Xiao calmly, his handsome face calm and unperturbed, and said to He Lie straightforwardly: "Then let's check it out."
"However, there are two younger sisters and a widowed aunt in the mansion. Please do not worry the female relatives."
He Lie naturally knew who Gu Yuan's biological sister was. A smile suddenly appeared on his face and he promised, "Don't worry, Captain Gu, I won't disturb your two... young ladies and your aunt."
He Lie originally wanted to say "Second Girl", but he changed his words halfway through.
"Please go ahead." Gu Yuan said calmly, and ordered Wutong to find a few managers to lead the way for the Jinyiwei.
He Lie just waved his hand casually, and the dozen or so Jinyiwei who accompanied him dispersed, divided into several well-trained groups and began to search the mansion.
This matter spread throughout the mansion in an instant. The servants, maids, and old women in the mansion were all trembling with fear and felt very nervous.
If the Jinyiwei really found the remnants of the Yu family, they would be harboring a criminal wanted by the imperial court. I'm afraid the Gu family will inevitably suffer a miserable end of having their property confiscated and exiled, and they, the servants, will not have a good ending either.
The entire mansion was shrouded in a faint shadow.
The young men in the water pavilion were still talking and laughing.
Lu Si was not shy at all, and took the initiative to invite He Lie to sit down. He then smiled and asked someone to serve tea, and teased Gu Yuan: "Ah Yuan, you don't have a beautiful woman in your house, do you?"
"Ah, with A Yuan's unromantic nature?" Fan Beiran sighed and shook his head, echoing Lu Si, "Have you forgotten? Last time we went to listen to a ditty, the courtesan was so kind as to pour him some wine, and he almost broke her arm!"
"You really don't know how to be gentle with women!"
A few young men came to watch the fun and started teasing Gu Yuan one after another.
No one asked Gu Xiao to sit down, so he could only stand there stupidly, watching them drink, watching them chat, watching them continue to play the game of tossing pots... The anger in his heart was rising little by little.
Don't worry, there will be a time for Gu Yuan to cry in the future! Gu Xiao calmed down and said to himself, with the corners of his mouth curled up again.
Fan Beiran drank another glass of wine. He seemed to be smiling, but in fact, his eyes were always on Gu Xiao. He felt a little uneasy: Gu Xiao went to Jinyiwei to report. If it was proven to be a false accusation, he would be punished with fifty strokes of the cane and three years of exile. Since Gu Xiao dared to do this, he must have set up some trap and kept a backup plan.
Fan Beiran and Lu Si and others exchanged glances imperceptibly.
The search by the Embroidered Uniform Guards took more than half an hour, and they only returned to the Water Pavilion in groups of three or four to report.
"Commander," said Ni Zongqi, the leader of the team, cupping his fists towards He Lie, "We have searched the entire mansion and found no suspicious persons."
It would be impossible to dig three feet deep in half an hour, so the Jinyiwei just conducted a rough search and checked the people in Gu's mansion, and generally did not find any problems.
The maids and old women felt relieved.
He Lie looked at Gu Xiao with sharp and dangerous eyes. Gu Xiao was startled by his look and quickly said, "Wait!"
"Commander He, I heard it again!" Gu Xiao walked quickly to the west window of the water pavilion. His eyes were unusually bright as he looked out the window. "I heard the baby crying again."
All the Jinyiwei kept silent.
Those young masters also subconsciously kept silent.
There was silence in the water pavilion.
"Wow! Wow..."
Amid the rustling sound of the wind blowing the branches outside the window, there were a few sounds of babies crying, which only lasted two or three times intermittently.
After that, the crying stopped, leaving only the colorful flowers and trees in the garden swaying gently in the wind.
There was silence all around, the atmosphere was solemn and silent, and the air seemed heavy.
"It's there." Gu Xiao raised his hand through the open window and pointed to a rockery across the pond. "The crying sound just now should have come from there."
He Lie looked towards General Ni with an inquiring look. General Ni shook his head, meaning that they didn't find anything when they searched the small garden just now.
He Lie turned around and asked Gu Yuan, "Does your house have a secret room?"
"No."
"have!
Two different answers sounded at the same time.
The person who shook his head was Gu Yuan, and the person who nodded was Gu Xiao.
Everyone's eyes turned to Gu Xiao.
"Brother, please stop hiding it." Gu Xiao raised the corners of his lips slightly and sighed, "It's no secret that there is a secret room in the mansion. You know it, and I know it too. Hey, brother, you must have hidden the remnants of the Yu family in the secret room."
Gu Xiao raised his arm again and pointed in the direction of the rockery, and said in a sonorous and powerful voice: "The secret room is inside the rockery."
He Lie made a gesture to General Ni, who immediately understood and led seven or eight Jinyiwei towards the rockery with great momentum.
The maids and old women in the water pavilion looked towards the rockery with their heads craned, their hearts pounding and their hearts uneasy.
This time, the Jinyiwei moved quickly. Not long after, General Ni came back in a hurry and reported solemnly: "Commander, a secret room was found over there in the rockery."
"And there were cries coming from inside."
As he spoke, General Ni looked at Gu Yuan with complicated eyes.
The surroundings were quiet again.
Gu Xiao next to him raised the corners of his lips even higher, straightened his back, and looked at Gu Yuan provocatively.
He Lie stood up, brushed off his robe, and said to Gu Yuan: "Then... let's go over and take a look?"
"Please." Gu Yuan stood up obediently, his face showing no surprise or anger.
The other young masters also stood up, their faces looking somewhat solemn.
They knew Gu Yuan, and from the look on his face, it was obvious that he really didn't know that there was a secret room in the mansion.
This alone makes people feel uneasy.
No one is a fool. This is clearly a trap set by Gu Xiao!
A group of people surrounded Gu Yuan and He Lie and walked out of the water pavilion, around the pond and towards the rockery.
The air was filled with a solemn atmosphere like autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves.
"Commander, Captain Gu, this way." General Ni led everyone into the rockery cave and came to a small dark door. "The door of this secret room is very hidden. It took me a lot of effort to find it."
The door was less than seven feet high, and it was pitch black inside, with no idea where it extended to...
“Wow—wow—”
From the depths of the secret room, intermittent crying sounds were heard, sometimes loud, sometimes weak, and sometimes hoarse. The sound was slightly distorted as it passed through the narrow passage of the secret room, and it sounded a bit creepy.
There is obviously something hidden in this secret room.
He Lie's eyes gradually darkened.
"I have found the oil lamps!" Another Jinyiwei with a diamond-shaped face came hurriedly carrying two oil lamps.
He Lie ordered: "Go down and take a look."
Naturally, there was no need for He Lie to personally take action for such a small matter. General Ni led three or four Jinyiwei down the stairs holding oil lamps.
The others were standing outside waiting.
Fan Beiran, Lu Si, Yue Jun and others gathered around Gu Yuan, silently expressing their attitudes.
Their eyes all turned towards Gu Xiao, their gazes as cold as swords.
The wind carrying the fragrance of flowers blew towards me, but at this moment it made me feel short of breath and a little suffocated.
Gu Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, staring intently at the secret room in front of him where lights were dimly flickering.
At this point, what else does he not understand?
Since our family split up last month, outsiders definitely have no chance to hide in the mansion, which means that this person had been hiding here before the split.
Are you from the Yu family?
Nine times out of ten.
So, was it the second uncle or the lady who was harboring them?
Also, why did that person hide the Yu family?
The Yu family case has been settled and has become a foregone conclusion. There is absolutely no possibility of reversal. Given the character of my second uncle and the old lady, they would not take such a big risk.
unless……
Gu Yuan’s thoughts raced, his eyes darkened, and his face was stern and calm, making it impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry.
"A Yuan, this secret room in your house is really a bit crude." Fan Beiran opened the folding fan in his hand with a casual movement, and said nonchalantly, "My grandfather said that the best secret room in the capital is the Ning Wang Mansion."
"The Ning Palace was built by Li Yue, a corrupt official of the previous dynasty. In order to hide his financial reports, Li Yue built a very hidden secret room with complicated mechanisms. When Li Yue's house was searched by the emperor of the previous dynasty, it was said that the imperial guards searched for ten days before finding seven secret rooms."
"I've heard about it, too." Lu Si said, "It's said that the secret room in Prince Ning's mansion is not only well hidden, but also very well sealed. If you hide inside, even if you shout at the top of your lungs, no one outside can hear you."
"At that time, the bodies of two thieves were found in one of the secret rooms. The commander of the imperial guards who was in charge of the search guessed that the thieves accidentally locked themselves in there, but in the end, nothing could help them!" Young Master Fei Liu sighed.
Yue Jun patted Gu Yuan on the shoulder and said seriously, "Ah Yuan, you'd better check this house again someday. What if there is a secret room with some unknown corpse hidden? It would be unlucky!"
Several people were joking around, seemingly chatting, but in fact they were telling Gu Yuan in another way that they were all on his side. At the same time, they were reminding the Jinyiwei that the person hiding in the secret room might have sneaked in by himself.
“Bang!”
Suddenly, there was a sound of something being smashed in the secret room, and General Ni shouted, "Catch him!"
These two words made everyone outside change their expressions.
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(End of this chapter)
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