Chapter 1019: Mysterious Box

"Ahem~" Sang Hong lightly coughed twice. "Let's not make a spectacle of ourselves here. Let's go to my room to discuss."

With that, he led them back to his room, simultaneously arranging for guards to stand watch far outside to prevent eavesdropping.

"A'Zu, have you found anything?" Sang Hong sat down at the head of the table, gesturing for them to pour their own tea, indicating they needn't be formal.

"I've found out who the person who sent the message to the capital is," Zu An was about to say, but Sang Hong stopped him.

Looking at Gao Ying and Pei You, he said, "We are on an imperial mission here, and you should all understand what that means. I know that your aristocratic families are deeply interconnected, and some of you even have relatives in Cloud-Mid County..."

Pei You's expression subtly changed, clearly realizing Sang Hong was referring to his relationship with Pei Shao.

Sang Hong continued, "But I must ask you all to understand the gravity of the situation. The situation in Cloud-Mid County is far more dangerous than you imagine. One wrong step, and we could all perish without a trace. Therefore, not a single word of our discussion must be leaked."

Pei You abruptly stood up. "If Lord Sang doesn't trust me, then I won't listen."

He made to leave, but Gao Ying quickly pulled him back, persuading him while apologizing to Sang Hong. "Lord Sang, please rest assured. We are not people who act without discretion. Let alone distant relatives in Cloud-Mid County, even if they were close kin, given the current circumstances, we would never leak a single bit of information."

Convinced by Gao Ying, Pei You also cupped his hands and said, "Lord Sang should know that while the Prefect of Cloud-Mid County and I both share the surname Pei, Pei Shao belongs to the Lin Hai Duke's lineage, whereas I belong to the Ju Lu Duke's lineage. It's well-known in court and throughout the land that our two lineages have differing political views. While not mortal enemies, our relationship can be described as being like fire and water. How could I possibly sacrifice my own interests to inform Pei Shao and his people?"

Sang Hong nodded imperceptibly. Lin Hai Duke Pei Zheng held the official position of Imperial Censor and was a pillar of Prince Qi's faction. Ju Lu Duke Pei Ming, as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, was at odds with Prince Consort Bi Qi, the Crown Prince's father. However, his son Pei Yi, Pei You's father, had an excellent relationship with the Bi family. Otherwise, Pei You would not have been chosen as one of the Crown Prince's guards when they entered the secret realm for the Crown Prince's examination.

He immediately smiled. "In my position, I have to guard against potential hidden dangers. I didn't mean to single any of you out, esteemed nephews. I hope you won't take it to heart."

Hearing him say this, Gao Ying and Pei You found a way to save face, and both cupped their hands, saying, "Of course, of course."

Only then did Sang Hong look at Zu An. "A'Zu, tell us what you've found."

Zu An nodded. "I've found out that the messenger was likely Shen Zhou, Duke of Cloud-Mid County's personal guard..."

He then briefly explained his findings to the others, naturally omitting any mention of Pei Mianman.

Sang Hong's eyes lit up. "Good. Discovering his identity provides a breakthrough. The next steps will be much easier."

"Have you found anything on your end?" Zu An asked curiously.

"Yes!" Gao Ying said in a deep voice. "We investigated the isolated chamber where the Duke of Cloud-Mid County disappeared and found a hidden secret passage."

Zu An raised an eyebrow. "Didn't the previous investigation report from Cloud-Mid County state it was a secret room?"

"It's possible they wanted to conceal something, or perhaps they simply didn't find it," Gao Ying explained. "The mechanism for that secret passage is extremely well-hidden. If I hadn't previously studied mechanisms, I might not have discovered it either."

A hint of smugness appeared on his face as he spoke.

"Could someone have used the secret passage to sneak in and assassinate the Duke of Cloud-Mid County?" Zu An asked, suddenly feeling a flush of heat on his face as he recalled his own secret meetings with Bi Linglong through a hidden passage.

"Impossible," Gao Ying shook his head. "This secret passage can only be opened from inside the room; no one can enter from the outside."

Zu An mused that Bi Linglong's secret passage was similar. "Where does the other end of the passage lead?"

"To the Jade Pavilion, several miles away," Gao Ying replied.

"Jade Pavilion?" Zu An was taken aback. The name sounded a little disreputable.

At this point, Pei You eagerly explained, "I've already inquired. The Jade Pavilion is the largest and most luxurious brothel in Cloud-Mid County. Every girl there has ample bosoms, slender waists, and long legs..."

"Ahem, let's stick to the main topic. There's no need to mention irrelevant details," Sang Hong reminded him.

Zu An suppressed a smile. "Why would the Duke of Cloud-Mid County's escape route lead to a brothel? Does he have a lover there?"

He recalled that Duan Zhengchun also seemed to have his subordinates dig tunnels to women's chambers, like Gan Baobao's, to facilitate secret evening rendezvous. Did the Duke of Cloud-Mid County have such a mistress as well?

"Unlikely," Gao Ying shook his head. "Lady Yu was once known as the most beautiful woman in the world. All the women at the Jade Pavilion combined couldn't compare to her. With such a peerless beauty at home, how could he possibly be interested in those common beauties?"

"Not necessarily. Even rare delicacies get tiresome after a while," Zu An thought to himself. Lady Yu Yanluo and the Duke of Cloud-Mid County had been separated for a long time; it was uncertain whether he had even enjoyed such "delicacies" recently.

The others immediately exchanged strange glances, as Zu An's wife was also a beauty capable of toppling cities. Was he speaking from personal experience?

Gao Ying then added, "We specifically investigated, and that exit is not in any courtesan's courtyard, but in a desolate backyard that even the Jade Pavilion staff rarely visit. So, the Duke of Cloud-Mid County likely just used a high-traffic place like the Jade Pavilion to conceal his movements and facilitate a safe escape if anything happened, rather than having an affair with a courtesan there."

"A good analysis," Sang Hong said with a look of approval in his eyes. "However, despite that, let's still send a few people to discreetly investigate the Jade Pavilion. Be careful not to alert anyone."

"Yes!" Pei You's eyes lit up, and he eagerly volunteered. Such a task was naturally one he wouldn't shy away from.

Visiting a brothel on official expenses – the mere thought was exhilarating.

Sang Hong's expression was odd. He thought to himself that A'Zu was more reliable; although he had many female confidantes, at least he attracted them through his own charm, not by visiting a sordid place like a brothel.

"Ahem, I've also made some discoveries," he continued. "These past few days, I've questioned servants and maids from the Duke's mansion, as well as officials in Cloud-Mid County. There are two noteworthy pieces of information."

"First, the chief steward of the Duke's mansion is called Uncle Ming. He's reportedly highly trusted by the Duke of Cloud-Mid County, and he, along with Guard Captain Gong Pan, largely manages all affairs inside and outside the mansion. His status is even higher than Gong Pan's."

"However, after the Duke of Cloud-Mid County's incident, he didn't go to Lady Yu Yanluo like Gong Pan did. Instead, he remained in the Duke's mansion, responsible for various matters. Since Jian Taiding is now acting as interim governor, the Duke's mansion is virtually under his control."

Zu An frowned. "It seems Uncle Ming sided with Jian Taiding early on; otherwise, he wouldn't have continued working under him so smoothly."

Sang Hong hummed in agreement. "Whether it was pre-meditated collusion or opportunistic defection, it needs further investigation. We represent the court, after all, and cannot simply convict someone based on speculation."

"Lord Sang is right," the others said, their expressions becoming stern.

Sang Hong then continued, "The second matter I learned from visiting the Cloud-Mid County Prefect's mansion is a rumor that Jian Taiding harbors a special affection for his sister-in-law."

Pei You chuckled. "It would be strange if he didn't have feelings for a sister-in-law who's considered the most beautiful woman in the world."

He also felt a twinge of regret that he hadn't seen the legendary beauty when he visited the Yu mansion previously.

Zu An, however, was more interested in something else. "Could it be the Prefect of the County who told Uncle?"

Sang Hong sneered. "That old fox wouldn't come out directly. Of course, it was revealed through casual conversation by other officials in his mansion, but it was clearly on Zuo Su's behalf."

Next, they summarized all the intelligence details gathered during this period. Finally, Sang Hong assigned tasks: "Gao Ying, investigate Shen Zhou's social connections before his death for any suspicious links. Pei You, investigate the Jade Pavilion, but be careful not to reveal your identity. A'Zu, go to the Yu mansion and investigate Shen Zhou's belongings. Right now, you're the only one who can enter there."

"Understood!" they all replied, accepting their orders.

As Zu An left, he let out a yawn. Sang Hong reminded him earnestly, "While youth is a time of peak vigor, you must still take care of your health."

Zu An immediately broke into a sweat. "I was investigating the case very late last night, so I didn't get much rest."

To some extent, Sang Hong was his father-in-law, so he certainly couldn't let him know about those things.

"Heh heh." Sang Hong clearly didn't believe his excuse but said nothing more.

To prove his vitality, Zu An didn't return to his room to rest but went directly to carry out his mission.

Before leaving, he first went to Xiao Jianren's room. "Lord Xiao, are the items I asked you to prepare last time ready?"

Xiao Jianren cupped his hands. "Lord Zu explained it in such detail that if we couldn't produce it, it would tarnish the reputation of the Embroidered Uniform Guards."

With that, he handed over a box. "This has a magic array on the outside to seal off air. Lord Zu, please be careful when using it."

Zu An took it, examined it, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Well done."

Xiao Jianren sighed with admiration. "Lord Zu is truly remarkable to come up with such an ingenious device. But what exactly is its purpose?"

"It will certainly be very useful later," Zu An chuckled, put away the box, and hurried towards the Yu mansion.