Chapter 1014: Rushing to Send Out

To protect these important figures, while there are many guards, the most trusted and intimate ones are a fixed small group who work in three shifts.

These individuals are meticulously selected. Their cultivation level is secondary; the main criteria are a clean background and unwavering loyalty. Of course, those ultimately chosen cannot have a low cultivation level.

Earlier, Zu An had extracted information from the evil cultivator, learning that one of the Duke of Yunzhong's guards traveled to the capital to seek help, only to be pursued and silenced. Unfortunately, the evil cultivator had only refined the guard's remnant soul and didn't know his specific identity. However, it was likely that this person was one of the Duke of Yunzhong's personal bodyguards. Outer guards wouldn't have had access to such confidential information or the loyalty to risk their lives traveling thousands of miles for help.

"Members of the guard detail?" Gong Pan was surprised, clearly curious about Zu An's purpose, but nodded anyway. "Alright, I'll write a list for you."

He found paper and a pen, and as he wrote, he explained, "After the Duke's incident, this group of people gradually disbanded. Other officials couldn't possibly trust them, so they all established their own teams..."

Zu An nodded in understanding. It was like in his previous life, when a new leader took over a company, they would often dismiss the previous leader's "cheerleading squad" and bring in an entirely new one.

"Where are these people now?" Zu An took the list, scanning it while asking curiously.

"A few came with me here to see the Duchess. Another portion, disheartened, returned home to live in seclusion. The rest stayed at the Governor-General's mansion, but were eventually marginalized and reassigned to various other posts," Gong Pan explained.

Zu An patted his shoulder in comfort. It was truly regrettable to see the once-glorious Duke's mansion reduced to such a state.

At this moment, Gong Pan suddenly knelt halfway, bowing to him. "Sir Zu, please, you must uncover the truth behind our Duke's disappearance and bring justice to everyone."

"Please rise quickly." Zu An hurriedly helped him up. "This is my duty, and I will do my utmost."

Whether it was for the mission, his friendship with Yu Yanluo, or to resolve the doubts in his heart, he was determined to uncover the truth of the matter.

Pondering the entire case along the way, he unknowingly returned to the guesthouse to find that Sang Hong and others had already arrived.

Seeing his silence, Sang Hong comforted him, "Ah Zu, you don't need to take it too hard. We investigated at the Duke's mansion earlier, and according to the people there, Lady Yu hasn't received visitors for a long time. It's not personal against us, so it's perfectly normal that you didn't see her."

Pei You, rarely seeing Zu An frustrated, finally regained some confidence. Suppressing a smile, he put an arm around Zu An's shoulder and consoled him, "Brother Zu, we all know you're incredibly charming. It's just that Yu Yanluo is a woman who won't budge..."

Zu An nodded. "She really doesn't let other people in, but I went inside."

"It's normal if you didn't go in, none of us did, right?" Pei You instinctively began to console him, but then something registered as his voice suddenly rose. "You went in? You went where?"

Zu An paused. "Of course, I went in to see Yu Yanluo. Where else would I go?"

"That's impossible, isn't it? Lady Yu hasn't seen anyone for months, not even Acting Governor-General Jian Taiding. How could she possibly see you?" Even Gao Ying was suspicious now, wondering if Zu An was just trying to save face in front of everyone. After all, none of them could verify whether he had gone in or not, since no one else could.

Zu An spread his hands. "Didn't I tell you? She and I are friends with a deep connection."

Sang Hong had also been somewhat skeptical at first. After all, he'd heard that even the Emperor was refused an audience with Yu Yanluo back in the day. How could Zu An just waltz in and see her? However, he then remembered that Zu An wasn't one to boast idly, so he quickly asked, "Ah Zu, did you really see Lady Yu? Did you learn anything?"

"She seems to be in poor health and requires long-term rest, which is why she doesn't receive outside visitors." Zu An didn't specifically mention her sensitivity to cold. Yu Yanluo had trusted him enough to show him her vulnerable side, so he naturally couldn't be so tactless as to reveal these secrets, lest they be exploited by ill-intentioned individuals and endanger her.

"Also, it seems she doesn't live with the Duke of Yunzhong; they've resided separately for a long time."

He even suspected there were issues in their marital relationship, but he didn't voice this conjecture.

"You actually uncovered such a secret?" The others were astonished. They had spent half a day investigating the Duke's mansion and, though Lady Yu wasn't there, they had assumed she returned to the Yu family *after* the Duke of Yunzhong disappeared. They had no idea the couple had been separated *before* his disappearance.

"Furthermore, a small portion of the Duke of Yunzhong's close staff went with Lady Yu, while many more were recruited by Jian Taiding..." Zu An calmly recounted the information he had learned from Gong Pan.

Now, no one doubted that he had met Yu Yanluo. Gao Ying hesitated to speak, but Pei You was much more direct, embracing Zu An directly. "Brother Zu, no, Master! Please take me as your disciple!"

Sang Hong thought to himself, *Previous intelligence reports described this Pei family boy as gloomy and introverted. How did he become such a... clown in front of Ah Zu?*

But Ah Zu's popularity with women was truly astonishing. While his previous conquests were one thing, it was surprising that even a woman like Yu Yanluo had a connection with him. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but worry about his daughter. While Qian'er was both talented and beautiful, she didn't have an advantage when compared to either the Chu family's eldest daughter or someone like Yu Yanluo. It seemed he would have to rely more on Dan'er for support – *that* was their unique advantage.

Seeing many people asking Zu An for tips on gaining women's favor, Sang Hong finally came back to his senses, clearing his throat. "Let's get back to business first. We just visited Jian Yanyou's steward at the Duke's mansion. Some of the information he revealed corroborates what you mentioned, though it's far less detailed than what you obtained."

He felt a bit frustrated saying this. Among their group, there were many capable officials and strategists, yet their combined findings couldn't compare to what Zu An had learned alone. It was certainly a bit embarrassing. No wonder it was popular in official circles to cultivate connections through women. He, too, needed to find an opportunity to ask Ah Zu for advice on this.

"Sir Sang, you're being too humble. Your role is also very significant. A matter like this inherently requires gathering information from various channels; otherwise, it's easy to be misled by incomplete or biased accounts."

Hearing Zu An say this, the smiles on the others' faces became even more genuine.

Sang Hong stroked his beard in satisfaction. This person was far more capable than his own good-for-nothing son. He hoped his future grandson would inherit Ah Zu's good qualities, making his past efforts worthwhile. "Ah Zu, how do you think we should proceed with this case?"

Zu An pondered for a moment and said, "I think we can split into three teams. One team should investigate the site where the Duke of Yunzhong was in seclusion, as well as various parts of the Duke's mansion, to see if any clues can be found. Another team should question relevant individuals, including not only the maids, servants, and guards from the Duke's mansion at the time, but also people from the Governor-General's office and the Prefect's office. Perhaps some of Jian Taiding's political rivals might provide unexpected information. And finally, a third team should investigate the information regarding the guard who went to the capital to report but was silenced. Although he's dead, everyone leaves various traces in this world. We should start by looking into his connections to see what we can uncover."

Sang Hong nodded secretly. Ah Zu's thinking was truly clear; in a few words, he had clarified the entire chaotic situation. "Excellent. Gao Ying and Pei You will be responsible for investigating the scene. I will question witnesses from all parties. Ah Zu will be in charge of investigating the information related to that guard."

Gao Ying was meticulous, and Pei You was quick-witted, making them perfect for investigating the scene together. The second team needed to deal with the officials in Yunzhong Commandery, and the others clearly lacked the necessary standing, so Sang Hong had to take charge. As for the silenced guard, Zu An already knew the most about him. Furthermore, he had intended to assign someone to keep an eye on the Crown Prince of Qi, but then learned that Zu An had already sent Xiao Jianren there. Satisfied, he felt like a father-in-law looking at his son-in-law, liking him more and more the longer he observed.

Over the next few days, everyone began investigating their assigned tasks according to the division of labor.

Inside the Pei manor, a beautiful young woman sat at a table, drawing her eyebrows, while the maid behind her combed her hair. Glancing enviously at her mistress's chest resting on the table, the maid spoke, "Miss, have you had something happy happen recently? Your complexion looks much better than before."

"Is that so?" Pei Mianman touched her cheek, looking at her radiant, flower-like face in the mirror, and couldn't help but chuckle dreamily.

"Miss, you've been laughing like this for no reason lately. It seems you're very pleased with the Crown Prince of Qi." The maid thought to herself how smooth her mistress's hair was; a comb would just slide right off it onto the floor, unlike her own dry, tangled hair.

"Him?" Pei Mianman scoffed softly, but didn't bother to elaborate.

The maid, not sensing the disdain in her tone, continued, "The Crown Prince of Qi seems quite devoted to you, Miss. He's been coming to the manor every few days recently, sending all sorts of pastries, rouge, and jewelry. How much longer will you keep him waiting? I think it's been long enough. He is, after all, a royal prince, and it wouldn't be good to anger him." In her opinion, her mistress's consistent avoidance was likely a tactic to play hard to get. However, there was a limit to such games, and she felt the timing was now right.

"I won't see him!" Pei Mianman said with some irritation, her thoughts on that scoundrel who hadn't come for days after taking advantage of her. Men were indeed ungrateful; once they got what they wanted, they didn't know how to cherish it.

"Won't this seriously offend the Crown Prince of Qi? And the Master and Madam are also in a difficult position," the maid advised.

"What does that have to do with me?" Hearing "Master and Madam," Pei Mianman's expression turned cold. "You haven't accepted favors from the Crown Prince of Qi to persuade me on his behalf, have you?"

"No, no!" The maid, frightened, quickly waved her hands. "Miss, your kindness to me is as vast as a mountain. How could Hongzao be disloyal?"

Since Pei Mianman was not the legitimate daughter, she was not favored in the manor in her early years and was only assigned a sickly young maid to serve her. Because the maid's complexion wasn't good, Pei Mianman often saved her own portion of red dates to help her vital energy and blood. Over time, she simply started calling her Hongzao (Red Date). Later, as Pei Mianman grew older and her peerless beauty began to emerge, the Pei manor gradually started to value her more and offered to assign her more maids, but she refused. The mistress and maid had relied on each other for many years, and Hongzao was also grateful, always considering her mistress's best interests.

Pei Mianman said, "Hongzao, I know you mean well and want me to escape this predicament soon. The Crown Prince of Qi is indeed a good match for most women, but I simply don't like him."

Hongzao looked worried. "Miss, are you still thinking of that special someone from Brightmoon City? But both the Crown Prince of Qi's manor and the Pei family seem intent on facilitating this marriage, and I'm afraid..." As her mistress's personal maid, although the mistress hadn't explicitly said anything, the changes in her since returning from Brightmoon City hadn't escaped Hongzao's notice.

"Don't worry, he has his ways." Thinking of Zu An's mischievous nature, Pei Mianman's eyes filled with smiles.

Seeing her like this, Hongzao didn't know what else to say and changed the subject to the manor's affairs. "The Crown Prince of Qi came again today. He seemed to be discussing the imperial envoy delegation with Master. I overheard him seemingly intending to ask Miss to do something, and Master seemed a bit hesitant. That prince is really a bit much; you haven't even married into his family yet, and he already wants to order you around..."

Before she could finish, Pei Mianman stood up. "What? Quickly, take me to the reception hall!"