Chapter 1011: Doubts Arise

Meanwhile, on the other side, Zu'an slept until noon and woke up feeling refreshed.

Servants at the guesthouse had prepared fruits and snacks. Looking at the variety of meat dishes, Zu'an thought, "This is the Northwest indeed; even the snacks are much more hearty."

He casually ate a little; he wasn't particular about food anyway.

A short while later, there was a sudden commotion outside. It turned out to be Sang Hong and his group returning.

"Was it not smooth?" Zu'an noticed that their expressions weren't very good and asked curiously.

Sang Hong hummed in acknowledgment, while Pei You, standing beside him, eagerly spoke up: "We went to the Yu Manor and waited there for half a day, only to be told that Madam Yu was unwell and not seeing visitors. It really infuriated us!"

They had yearned to catch a glimpse of the most beautiful woman, and on the way, they had even planned how to present themselves to leave a lasting impression. But they were turned away, leaving them truly frustrated and dejected.

"Could she have been placed under house arrest by that Jian Taiding?" Zu'an asked curiously, which was also their previous speculation.

Sang Hong shook his head, saying, "We previously thought Yu Yanluo lived in the Duke's mansion, but later inquiries revealed she has always resided in the Yu Manor. She is the spokesperson for the Yu family in Yunzhong Commandery, and the Yu Manor is essentially staffed by her own people. Who could possibly place her under house arrest?"

Gao Ying also smiled wryly: "Ultimately, she simply doesn't want to see us. The key is her special status, and as a woman, there's really nothing we can do."

"If we can't see Yu Yanluo, we can't even begin to investigate the Duke's disappearance. As the Duke's wife, she would know most things," Pei You complained.

Sang Hong also frowned deeply: "I can't understand why she refused to see us. Could it be that she doesn't want us to find the culprit?"

Zu'an's heart skipped a beat as he recalled Qiu Honglei's warning in Yi Commandery. She had also said that Yu Yanluo was by no means the harmless innocent woman people imagined her to be.

He pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "I'll go visit her and try."

"It's no use. Even Lord Sang was just turned away," Pei You said, putting an arm around his shoulder.

"Exactly. Years ago, Yu Yanluo's renowned beauty meant that countless nobles and aristocrats in the capital wanted to see her but couldn't. Some young gentlemen, full of self-proclaimed talent, went with great confidence and were also turned away," Gao Ying recounted stories he had heard from the capital back then.

Although Zu'an knew Yu Yanluo was popular, he hadn't realized just how popular. What was key was that, according to others, her image was extremely aloof, yet he hadn't felt that at all before. He said, "I think she will see me. We're quite familiar with each other."

As soon as he spoke, silence fell over the group. Gao Ying, Pei You, and others stared at him with extremely strange looks, and Sang Hong hesitated several times before speaking.

Finally, Gao Ying said earnestly, "Brother Zu, we know you've always had good luck with women, but Yu Yanluo is no ordinary woman. There's no need to waste your energy on another trip."

Pei You nodded in agreement repeatedly, and even Sang Hong said in a deep voice, "If we can't see Yu Yanluo, we'll have to start investigating from other members of the Jian family."

Although they spoke tactfully, their meaning was clear: they all thought Zu'an was bragging.

Who was Yu Yanluo? When she was renowned as the most beautiful woman in the capital, this young man was probably still a baby. Would she be familiar with him?

But to save his face, no one pointed it out directly.

Zu'an let out a sound of acknowledgment and said, "I'll give it a try. There's no harm in it."

The group assumed he was just unwilling to lose face and didn't know what to say. They figured he'd realize his mistake after hitting a wall. At that point, given their past friendship, they resolved not to mock him.

Just like that, the group went their separate ways. Sang Hong and the others went to the Jian family to inquire for information, while Zu'an went alone to find Yu Yanluo.

The Yu family was not hard to find. The most luxurious and imposing residence in the entire Yunzhong Commandery was not the Prefect's Mansion, nor the City Lord's Manor, nor even the Yunzhong Duke's Estate, but the Yu Manor, which had centuries of accumulated heritage.

According to rumor, half of Yunzhong City's territory belonged to the Yu family.

While perhaps exaggerated, it indirectly illustrated the Yu family's influence in Yunzhong Commandery.

Arriving before a magnificent mansion, Zu'an was somewhat lost in thought, feeling as if he had come before a miniature imperial palace.

No wonder the Emperor was so wary of the Yu family; this was truly a bit excessive.

Thinking back, the Chu family, which dealt in salt and iron in Brightmoon City, was also said to be as rich as a nation, but compared to the Yu family, there was clearly a significant difference in scale.

Arriving at the entrance, he said to the guard, "Please inform your madam that an old friend from Jackal Valley outside Brightmoon City has come to visit her."

The guard looked him over, then waved his hand dismissively: "Go away, go away. Our madam is unwell and has already refused to see any visitors recently."

Having been a gatekeeper for so long, he had seen countless people come up with all sorts of strange reasons to approach their madam.

This young man was so young, barely old enough to shave. Would the madam be friends with him?

All guards of the Yu family felt a natural sense of duty to protect their madam and keep undesirable people away.

This feeling had grown even stronger, especially after the Yunzhong Duke's incident.

Zu'an felt a sense of déjà vu. This scene felt familiar; back then, at the Yu family's branch in Brightmoon City, when he went to find Yu Yanluo, he was also given a hard time by the doorman.

However, his mindset was completely different now. He showed no anger at all: "I'm not lying. I even have a token from your madam here. Take it inside to inform her..."

Mid-sentence, he suddenly froze, remembering that Yu Yanluo had already taken back the jade pendant she had given him when they were in the capital.

Seeing his expression, the guard said coldly, "Don't waste your effort. Our madam isn't seeing anyone. She didn't even see the Imperial Commissioner who just came. Are you more important than an Imperial Commissioner?"

Zu'an frowned slightly. Just then, a surprised and uncertain voice suddenly came from beside him: "Cheng... Brother Cheng?"

A guard in white clothes and white trousers was returning to the manor from the street. As he passed by, he noticed the commotion, took a few more glances, and then exclaimed.

Zu'an turned his head and saw the person's face. It seemed familiar, but he couldn't recall who it was for a moment.

"Brother Cheng, don't you remember me? I'm Yu Bin. You saved me outside Brightmoon City back then," the guard said with a smile.

"Oh, it's you," Zu'an finally realized. Back then, he was only focused on accumulating rage points, and the person's name had flashed several times in the background, which was why he didn't remember clearly.

As for why the other person called him Brother Cheng, it was mainly because he had used the alias Cheng Shoubing to conceal his identity at the time.

"Yu Bin, you know this person?" The gate guard beside them was dumbfounded.

Yu Bin chuckled, "Of course. He even saved Madam's life once."

The previous gate guard quickly apologized to Zu'an: "I'm so sorry, I misunderstood you, young master... I almost turned away Madam's savior. I deserve to die."

As he spoke, he suddenly raised his blade to his neck. Fortunately, Zu'an was quick-witted and slapped the knife away: "What are you doing? It's just a small matter!"

"I've let Madam down, and I've let you down, young master..." The doorman's expression was agitated.

Yu Bin quickly tried to persuade him: "Brother Cheng isn't blaming you, and Madam certainly wouldn't. Why go to such extremes..."

The two finally managed to calm the man down. During this time, Yu Bin learned of Zu'an's purpose and said, "Brother Cheng, I'll take you inside. However, Madam hasn't been in good health or spirits recently and truly hasn't seen outsiders. I can't say for sure if she'll be willing to see you."

"Thank you, Brother Yu." Zu'an followed him into the Yu Manor, observing the various arrangements and defensive measures along the way, while asking, "Why did that man just try to commit suicide with his blade?"

The recent scene made his heart pound, because the man's attempt to take his own life was no act; if Zu'an had reacted even slightly slower, he would have truly died.

"Everyone in the manor deeply reveres Madam. You are Madam's savior, and yet he caused you to suffer humiliation, so naturally, he felt desperate," Yu Bin said, as if describing something commonplace.

Zu'an secretly frowned. Were the people of the Yu family a bit too fanatical in their devotion to Yu Yanluo?

He could see that there was no lust or wicked intent in their eyes, just pure, extreme respect for a beautiful woman.

Qiu Honglei's words to him resurfaced in his mind, and his resolve began to waver. Yu Yanluo was indeed not simple.

Yu Bin had Zu'an rest in the living room, then hurried inside to report.

Before long, he ran out, his face excited, and said, "Brother Cheng, Madam is asking for you to come in."

"It's truly unexpected; Madam hasn't seen outsiders for a long time."

"Brother Yu, my name isn't actually Cheng Shoubing..." Zu'an took the opportunity to explain his true identity to him. "I used an alias back then because I was worried about retaliation. I hope Brother Yu can forgive me."

Yu Bin was slightly taken aback but didn't seem to mind: "Brother Zu's meticulous thinking is admirable; and now, your willingness to speak truthfully truly shows you are a gentleman. Please come in!"

He led Zu'an to a room and then quietly stepped out. Zu'an walked through the doorway and immediately felt a warmth spread through his entire body.

Outside, it was freezing, but inside felt like summer. He instinctively loosened his collar.

"There are surely too many braziers in here," Zu'an muttered to himself, but he was soon astonished by the sight before him.