Chapter 1027: Get Paid More

Gong Pan shook his head and let out a long sigh. "Alas, I regret my dull wits. I truly couldn't find anything, so I can't avenge our brothers who died unjustly."

Seeing him grit his teeth, clench his fists, and tremble slightly as he spoke, Zu An thought that if it was an act, his performance was truly impeccable.

He cleared his throat and prompted, "What about the personal effects of those guards?"

Gong Pan then had an epiphany and retrieved six bags from several drawers. "Everything is here," he said. "They were all unfortunate souls and didn't leave much behind."

Zu An went over and opened the six bags one by one. These were the belongings of the six fallen guards, and his attention naturally gravitated towards Shen Zhou's possessions.

While chatting casually with Gong Pan, he discreetly examined the contents of Shen Zhou's bag: a charred saber, a waist token, a nail file, a slightly dented canteen, a heavily burned notebook, and several intact booklets.

"What's this?" Zu An asked, noticing that all the other guards' belongings included similar notebooks. He casually picked one up and began to flip through it.

"This is something every guard carries," Gong Pan explained. "It's used to record our daily tasks and patrol details. Our line of work is risky, and any day could be our last, so it also serves as a kind of last will."

Zu An understood. The Embroidered Uniform Guard also had something similar, called a "Soul-Snatching Ledger," used to record the owner's identity, recent missions, people encountered, and so forth. This ensured that even if an Embroidered Uniform Guard was silenced, others could use the ledger to uncover various clues.

His gaze fell upon Shen Zhou's belongings. He surmised that the heavily damaged booklet must have been burned in the warehouse, while the other intact ones were likely retrieved by Gong Pan from Shen Zhou's home.

He felt it would be improper to examine Shen Zhou's items directly in front of Gong Pan, so he said, "General Gong, I'd like to take these items back for a thorough investigation."

"This..." Gong Pan's expression showed some hesitation.

Zu An smiled. "Does General Gong not trust me? I represent the imperial court and have no connections to the various local factions in Yunzhong Commandery."

Gong Pan hastily bowed. "Lord Zu, you're too kind. It's only right to cooperate with your investigation. However, I will need you to sign a transfer document."

"No problem," Zu An replied. He knew this was standard procedure in official circles and naturally wouldn't refuse.

After signing, he took all six bags with him. Upon returning to the guesthouse, Sang Hong also joined him to examine them.

Zu An examined the other items, all of which were quite ordinary. Soon, everyone's attention shifted to the booklets.

The charred booklet was so fragile it would crumble at a touch. He gently turned a few pages, but even if a few words were vaguely discernible, it was meaningless.

Moreover, since everyone knew the burned body wasn't the real Shen Zhou, this booklet was likely also a fake.

So, the group began examining the other booklets retrieved from Shen Zhou's home. Unfortunately, they only contained records of patrols, shifts, and guard duties over the years, yielding no useful information.

"So the clues just end here?" Sang Hong frowned slightly, clearly unwilling to give up.

"This is to be expected," Zu An reassured him. "If there had been anything truly valuable, it would surely have been erased by Gong Pan or the mastermind behind this."

"Ah Zu, you visited the Yu family again today," Sang Hong asked. "Do you think Yu Yanluo or that Gong Pan could be the mastermind?"

"Hard to say." Zu An recalled his various encounters with Yu Yanluo and Gong Pan from earlier that day, feeling a moment of bewilderment.

He had originally intended to probe them, but somehow, a business deal had materialized. If she truly was the mastermind, wouldn't he be dragged into their illicit activities?

Sang Hong hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but advise, "That woman is not simple. Back then, many prominent figures in the capital fell for her charm, even the current Emperor... hehe. Don't mistake her for the kind of young girl you've encountered before, and don't let her beauty cloud your judgment."

Zu An's face darkened slightly. "Uncle, you worry too much," he said. "I won't let mere beauty influence my judgment."

At the same time, he wondered: he knew the current Emperor Taishi's temperament all too well. If the Emperor truly desired a woman, how could she possibly refuse? Moreover, Yu Yanluo seemed so delicate and weak, not at all like a cultivator; it was as if she had no power to resist.

Sang Hong was about to say more when Gao Ying returned. He immediately changed the subject. "How did your investigation into Shen Zhou's social connections go?"

Gao Ying replied, "Shen Zhou was a solitary person with no close friends."

"However, his colleagues mentioned that in the past few months, he seemed to smile more often and appeared younger and happier than before."

"Happier?" Zu An and Sang Hong exchanged glances. In their view, that period should have been when Shen Zhou discovered the truth about Duke Yunzhong's murder; shouldn't he have been in a state of constant dread?

"Yes, I also found it strange and specifically asked his colleagues," Gao Ying said, his expression equally puzzled. "According to them, Shen Zhou's only concern at the time seemed to be a tight budget, as he even borrowed money from them."

"Borrowing money occasionally among colleagues shouldn't be a problem, should it?" Sang Hong asked, puzzled.

Gao Ying replied, "The main point is that as personal guards of the Duke's mansion, their monthly salaries and bonuses are quite substantial. Others might run short due to excessive spending, but Shen Zhou was always frugal, so theoretically, this shouldn't have happened to him."

The people in the room fell into deep thought. Zu An replayed the keywords—"smile," "young," "tight budget"—feeling as though he was on the verge of uncovering a truth, yet he couldn't quite grasp it.

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Pei You entered, muttering to himself.

"Oh, results from the Jadeite Pavilion?" Zu An quipped.

"Don't even mention it," Pei You said, looking utterly dejected. He cupped his hands to his mouth and blew warm air, then hurried to the charcoal stove to warm himself. "The Jadeite Pavilion isn't open yet."

He had been incredibly excited when he heard he could visit a brothel on official business. As soon as the task was assigned, he couldn't wait to rush to the Jadeite Pavilion.

Unfortunately, brothels typically operate at night; after a long night's work, the girls need to rest during the day.

As someone who frequently visited pleasure houses, Pei You naturally knew this, so he figured he could go in by the afternoon.

To his dismay, he waited and waited, but the Jadeite Pavilion remained closed even when it should have opened. Finally, unable to bear the cold outside, he went to inquire and learned it was still too early for them to open.

He was initially furious, thinking they were deliberately toying with him, but after their explanation, he understood the real issue.

Because Yunzhong Commandery was in the remote northwest, tens of thousands of miles from the capital, he had been waiting based on the opening hours of brothels in the capital. However, dawn arrived several hours later there, and dusk similarly later.

Consequently, everyone's daily routines were several hours behind the capital's, and the Jadeite Pavilion's opening hours were naturally delayed as well.

As a result, while Gao Ying was indoors drinking tea and chatting, and Zu An was being treated to fine wine and delicious food by Yu Yanluo, Pei You alone had been braving the biting northwest wind and snow for several hours.

Realizing all this, Pei You was crestfallen and returned utterly dejected.

Upon hearing the full story, Zu An and Gao Ying couldn't help but burst out laughing, and even Sang Hong couldn't suppress a chuckle.

Pei You was furious and was about to retort when his gaze fell upon the personal effects on the table. He suddenly let out a surprised "Eh?" "Aha, Brother Zu," he exclaimed, "you really did go to the Jadeite Pavilion behind our backs!"

Zu An was baffled. "Are you frozen silly?" he asked. "When have I ever been to the Jadeite Pavilion?"

"Still trying to deny it? What's this?" Pei You said, pointing to the inconspicuous nail file on the table. "This is a small gift from the Jadeite Pavilion to its guests, polished from jade scraps. While not a treasure, it's certainly not cheap, and usually, only honored guests are eligible to receive one."

Zu An and Sang Hong exchanged glances. Recalling the earlier mention of Shen Zhou's newfound happiness and his sudden financial struggles, they immediately blurted out, "The Jadeite Pavilion!"

Pei You looked stunned. "I *am* talking about the Jadeite Pavilion," he said.

Zu An and Sang Hong ignored his foolishness and immediately began to discuss:

"It seems Shen Zhou's money was spent at the Jadeite Pavilion."

"No wonder he was short on money. Even though a duke's guard earns a generous salary, it's no match for spending at such a money pit."

"Alas, after seeing his wife and children, I thought he was a family man. Who knew that handsome-looking fellow was such a scoundrel!"

Pei You, who was standing nearby, was dumbfounded. He didn't understand what was happening until Gao Ying explained.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Pei You exclaimed excitedly.

Sang Hong cleared his throat. "I'll leave this matter for you two to investigate. My position makes it inconvenient for me."

As a dignified imperial envoy, if he were discovered visiting brothels in Yunzhong Commandery, the imperial censors would tear him apart with their criticism.

"Xiao You," Zu An said, patting their shoulders, "this kind of task is certainly for you. You can go undercover at the Jadeite Pavilion first. Brother Gao, you can go and inquire among Shen Zhou's colleagues. With both approaches, we'll find out which girl Shen Zhou was involved with."

"What about you?" Pei You asked, puzzled.

"Naturally, I'll be here strategizing and waiting for your updates," Zu An replied with a straight face.

Pei You gave him a disdainful look, but thinking that the Jadeite Pavilion's opening time shouldn't be far off, he didn't say anything more. After all, visiting a brothel on public expense was still quite a pleasant assignment.

Gao Ying was a steady person and naturally had no objections.

After the two left, Sang Hong looked at Zu An with concern. "You haven't slept a wink investigating this case for the past two days," he said. "Go get some rest and recharge. I'll handle things here."

Zu An smiled. "Uncle still cares for me the most. I'll go to sleep then."

Watching his retreating back, Sang Hong thought, *If you wear yourself out here, what will happen to my daughter in the future?*

A few hours later, news came back: Shen Zhou's lover had been found.

Zu An and Gao Ying arrived at the Jadeite Pavilion, where Pei You was already waiting impatiently. "Hurry, hurry!" he urged. "What took you so long?"

Seeing the lipstick stain not yet wiped clean from his face, Zu An couldn't help but chuckle. "Looks like you're having quite a grand time here," he remarked.

"Hmph, I call this dedicating myself to public service," Pei You said, puffing out his chest with a show of dignity.

"Pfft."

"Shen Zhou's lover is coming out," Pei You interjected.

"Young Master Pei, why aren't you coming in yet?" a flamboyantly dressed woman called out. Her expression changed when she saw Zu An and the others. "So many of you? I can't take on this many customers."

Pei You hurriedly tried to persuade her. "We've come from afar, precisely because of Miss Taohong's reputation," he said. "How can you send us away disappointed?"

The woman hesitated slightly, then suddenly noticed Zu An's striking features and outstanding demeanor. A hint of shyness appeared on her face. "It's not impossible for this young master to join us," she said coyly, "but there will be an extra charge!"