Qin Guan had just stepped into the courtyard when she noticed the light in her room was on. Pushing the door open, she indeed saw Qin Yan and Qin Shuang waiting inside. After a brief moment of thought, her expression softened slightly as she asked, "Third Brother, why are you here?"
Qin Yan glanced behind Qin Guan, "Where is the Crown Prince?"
Qin Guan walked in calmly, while Fuling and Baiying closed the door behind her.
"His Highness went to Prefect Wang's office. They plan to work through the night to clarify several cases."
Her tone was gentle, a stark contrast to the heaviness she carried when leaving Chang Shi's courtyard earlier. Qin Yan narrowed his eyes, "What exactly is this case about? Just now, Qing Niang mentioned something about the past... She called herself Qinghuan? Was she also part of the Double Purity Troupe? And what was that about a senior sister? Jealousy? A massacre?"
Qing Niang's words had been vague. While Qin Guan, Yan Chi, and a few others who knew about the old case could follow along, someone like Qin Yan had been left completely in the dark. After a brief hesitation, Qin Guan asked, "Third Brother, have you heard of the Gold Heist Case that occurred in Mengzhou, northwest, fifteen years ago when the Western Rong invaded?"
Qin Yan's dark pupils contracted, "You mean... the case where the military funds were stolen?"
Qin Guan nodded. Qin Yan drew a sharp breath, "I don’t know much about that case. I was just starting to remember things when it happened, so I only have a vague impression. Later, I heard people mention it, but even after fifteen years, it remains unsolved."
After a slight pause, Qin Yan's voice carried a hint of tension, "Is Qing Niang referring to this old case?"
His eyes gleamed with a grave intensity. He never imagined that a visit to Qinghui Garden would connect to a fifteen-year-old case, and one as significant as the Gold Heist Case at that. This was no ordinary robbery. Fifteen years ago, when the Western Rong invaded, the national treasury happened to be depleted. For the first time, the Emperor withdrew stored gold to be sent as military funds to the northwest. The general in charge of the transport took every precaution to ensure the safety of these funds, yet they were still stolen.
These funds were crucial to the survival of the Great Zhou. Their loss prolonged what should have been a swift war by over half a year. Due to the urgency of the military situation, despite the utmost efforts in investigating the case, the impact was too great, and it eventually became an unsolved mystery.
"That’s the very case," Qin Guan confirmed. "Qing Niang was also part of the Double Purity Troupe back then, a contemporary of Qing Li. Her master was Qingxi, who was of the same generation as Qing Yun. Qingxi won the favor of General Zhenwu and left the troupe to marry him. The heist occurred four years after their marriage. I don’t know the exact details of the case, but it seems Qing Yun exploited their shared background to uncover General Zhenwu’s route and plans. Then, when the general let his guard down, she struck. Besides Qing Yun, Pang Fuliang, Liu Renli, and Qing Li were all accomplices. Qing Niang stayed in the Pang residence all these years to seek revenge."
After a pause, Qin Guan's tone grew more complex, "She originally sought only revenge but ended up encountering other unfortunate souls, so she helped Chang Shi and her daughter."
"Was Chang Shi also an accomplice?" Qin Yan reacted swiftly.
Qin Guan hesitated briefly, "She likely knew about it, but whether she was an accomplice will depend on Prefect Wang’s investigation."At this point, Qin Yan understood Qin Guan's implication. He nodded, no longer inquiring about Chang Shi's matter, his expression growing increasingly grave. "The Pang family is actually connected to the Gold Heist Case from back then—"
Qin Yan had long felt this trip was a grave mistake. Now that the Gold Heist Case was involved, his heart grew even heavier. Initially, he had assumed Pang Fuliang and Liu Renli's collusion was merely corrupt dealings between officials and merchants, and the resulting homicide case had nothing to do with the Qin family. But now it seemed Pang Fuliang had committed such atrocities in the past, and his current wealth was tainted. Worse still, the Qin family had engaged in dealings with the Pang family on several occasions.
Seeing Qin Yan's solemn expression, Qin Guan hesitated before asking, "Third Brother, may I ask—what exactly is the connection between Pang Fuliang and the Marquis's household?"
Qin Yan looked at her. Clearly, Qin Guan had pieced together far more than she let on.
Qin Yan didn't believe matters of the Marquis's household should be casually discussed with the women of the family. Yet, facing Qin Guan, he felt no need to conceal anything. Omitting some details, he said, "The Marquis's household has its own enterprises. Since Yuzhou is neither too close nor too far from the capital, Father acquired some properties there a few years ago. During that time, he had dealings with Pang Fuliang on several occasions. Father met Pang Fuliang twice, and Pang was very eager to assist with matters concerning the Marquis's household, offering help a few times. In return, Father reciprocated in kind."
Qin Guan pressed her lips together. She knew Qin Yan wouldn't reveal the full truth—it was surely far more serious than what he had just described. After a brief pause, she said, "There's still time. The Prefect is conducting interrogations tonight, so word of this won't spread so quickly. Third Brother should send a letter back immediately to inform Uncle of the situation. I trust he will know how to respond. By the time this case is fully investigated and the memorial is submitted to the capital, it will at least be after the New Year."
Qin Yan studied her for a long moment. Noticing the depth in his gaze, Qin Guan quickly added, "I merely offer this as a suggestion. Naturally, Third Brother knows best how to proceed—these matters are not for me to interfere with."
Though her resolve was no less than a man's, Qin Guan was well aware of her position in Qin Manor. As a woman, and not even a daughter of the main branch, she had no business meddling in the covert affairs of the main household. Were it not for Ninth Miss's connection to the Qin family, she wouldn't have even offered this advice. But once this case was resolved, they would soon depart for the capital. Once there, she would be inextricably tied to the Marquis's household. As long as it didn't overstep propriety, she naturally had their interests in mind.
To her surprise, Qin Yan's lips curved slightly. "No. Without Ninth Sister's involvement, the Marquis's household might have been dragged into deep trouble this time. I should thank you for your earlier warning. You're absolutely right—I'll send word to the capital at once."
With that, Qin Yan turned to leave, only to pause after a few steps and glance back. "Rest well tonight, Ninth Sister."
Then he strode away briskly. Qin Shuang, who had been standing nearby, arched an eyebrow. Though she had been present the entire time, Qin Yan had completely ignored her. She huffed inwardly before turning to Qin Guan. "So, you helped the Crown Prince solve another case? I've been with you these past few days—how come I didn't notice anything unusual?"
Qin Guan smiled at her briefly. "It's rather nice that you're so carefree."
Fuling and Baiying exchanged a glance, both thinking "carefree" could easily be replaced with "oblivious."Qin Shuang shook her head, then suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Qin Guan's arm. Qin Guan was taken aback. "What are you doing?"
With a slight curve to her lips, Qin Shuang said, "Well... since the case is now clear, we'll be returning to the capital soon. You grew up there, so you must be more familiar with it than I am..."
Qin Guan sat down on the couch, and Qin Shuang nestled beside her. "Once we're in the capital, you'll have to look out for me."
Qin Guan was about to pour herself some tea when she heard this and couldn't help but laugh. "Once we're in the capital, it'll be Uncle's home. Why would you need me to look out for you?"
Qin Shuang sighed. "But I've never even met Uncle..."
Qin Guan paused to think—she hadn't met Loyal Marquis Qin Shu either and wondered what kind of person he was.
Her thoughts turned to Qin Yan, and her expression grew serious.
To have raised Qin Yan into the man he was at such a young age—he must be no ordinary figure.
Qin Guan exhaled and patted Qin Shuang's hand. "Let's look out for each other, then."
......
......
This was the best night's sleep Qin Guan had had since arriving at Qinghui Garden. With the heaviest burden in her heart lifted, she awoke the next morning to find the sun already high in the sky. As she steadied herself, she could faintly hear Fuling and Baiying talking outside.
"That incident in the Herb Garden will surely reach the master's ears. Let's see how high and mighty she acts then."
"Even though she's the legitimate daughter of the third branch, she's brought shame to the Qin family."
"At first, she seemed gentle and refined—a bit proud, perhaps, but not unreasonable. Who knew she'd turn out like this?"
"I'm the same age as the young miss, to be honest. I barely remember what the Marquis Manor was like. But after all, the capital is the capital. The servants there are well-mannered and disciplined, not like in Jinzhou... Well, never mind. We're going to the capital soon, so there's no point dwelling on Jinzhou. The master and mistress passed early, but the young miss was practically raised by the grand uncle. Surely he'll treat her well, right?"
Fuling chattered on while Baiying only occasionally chimed in. Listening, Qin Guan fell into deep thought.
She had always longed to return to the capital, but it wasn’t as though she could immediately start investigating her father’s case upon arrival. Moreover, she was now Qin Guan, not Shen Guan. Ensuring she didn’t give herself away in front of Qin Shu and his wife, who had raised her for years, was an extremely delicate matter. Only by establishing herself firmly in the Loyal Marquis Manor could she gradually begin probing into her father’s case.
At this thought, Qin Guan’s brow furrowed.
In the past, her father had held various provincial posts and thus knew many in official circles. But his upright and unyielding nature meant he had few true close friends. Later, in the capital, his position as Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was highly sensitive, and she rarely saw him entertain guests at home. He had never spoken to her about the depth of his political connections. Now, thinking of the capital—a place teeming with power and opulence—Qin Guan found herself at a loss as to whom she could turn to for help. And even if she had candidates, how could she, in her current identity, possibly approach them?Among the few colleagues of her father that Qin Guan had met, apart from some old acquaintances from the Northwestern Penal Department who had transferred to the Ministry of Justice, there were only a few officials from the Court of Judicial Review. One of them was Li Muyun, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, who had recently accused her father of shielding Prince Jin. In Qin Guan’s memory, the current Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was a very refined middle-aged man. This time, he had originally attended Prince Yu’s birthday banquet, but on the day of the banquet, the sudden incident of Qing Li’s death caused chaos among the crowd, and she hadn’t noticed Li Muyun’s presence.
Now, with her return to the capital imminent, whether Li Muyun had come or not no longer mattered.
Under the brocade quilt, Qin Guan clenched her delicate fists tightly. Li Muyun was a few years younger than her father and had once been someone her father greatly admired. His position had been beneath her father’s, serving as his right-hand man—so why had he accused her father like that?
She had never doubted her father’s integrity. What were Li Muyun’s true intentions?
Was he acting under someone’s orders, or was he coveting her father’s position as Minister of the Court of Judicial Review?
Qin Guan carefully recalled the details of those days and remembered even more clearly the grave expression on Shen Yi’s face in the days leading up to the incident. Their family had been swiftly and ruthlessly destroyed, as if Shen Yi had committed some heinous crime. Such a ruthless approach couldn’t have been orchestrated by Li Muyun alone. Qin Guan pressed her lips together, and in her mind, Li Muyun’s refined face turned cold and indifferent.
Gritting her teeth, Qin Guan slowly narrowed her eyes.
Her father’s case had already been concluded, sealed by the Emperor’s decree. In all the historical legal texts Qin Guan had read, she had never seen anyone successfully challenge a case decided by the Emperor. Though her eyes were wide open and daylight streamed in from outside, the bed curtains before her seemed shrouded in gloom. Not just here—in this room, on the road from Yuzhou to the capital, and in the power-laden, glory-driven capital itself—a dark haze loomed over everything.
And she knew all too well that the closer she got to the capital, the darker and heavier that haze would become.
Qin Guan abruptly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Difficult—she had known it would be difficult from the start. To others, it might even seem impossible. But was returning from death to life possible? Yet she had done exactly that…
When she opened her eyes again, they were clear and resolute. She draped her robe over her shoulders, tied up her hair, and stepped outside.
“Miss, you’re awake! You slept late today—you must be well-rested now.”
Fuling chirped cheerfully as she hurried over to help Qin Guan freshen up. Just as she finished, Zhou Huai arrived to summon her.
When she arrived at Qin Yan’s courtyard, she found Qin Xiang and Qin Shuang already there. Qin Xiang, who had rarely shown herself these past few days, still wore a frail and delicate demeanor, though her chin remained slightly raised, exuding an air of haughty pride.
Seeing Qin Guan arrive, Qin Yan’s lips curved slightly. “Come, have breakfast. This afternoon, we’ll send someone to buy provisions for the journey. We can leave Yuzhou first thing tomorrow morning…”
His tone relaxed as he added, “These were all bought by Steward Zhou. Try them.”The breakfast on the table had been completely refreshed, looking so appetizing it could whet anyone's appetite. Qin Guan took her seat. Though she had considered they would leave soon, Qin Yan's words made her wonder when Yan Chi would depart. Although the case was now clear, gathering evidence and determining the sequence of events would still take some time. Given its connection to the Gold Heist Case, a trip to Mengzhou might be necessary, along with retrieving old case files. Would Yan Chi personally oversee this, or would he leave it to Prefect Wang?
"Another group of constables arrived half an hour ago. All the bodies have been sent back to the yamen, and several members of the Double Purity Troupe were taken away. Madam Pang was also summoned for questioning. It seems the case will soon be resolved. Qinghui Garden and all of the Pang family's assets will likely be confiscated. With everything clarified, there's no need for us to stay any longer."
Qin Yan added a few more words, while Qin Shuang cheered excitedly, "It's about time we left!"
Qin Xiang remained silent, and Qin Guan seemed lost in thought. Qin Yan glanced at Qin Guan for a moment and was about to speak when Zhou Huai suddenly entered from outside. "Ninth Miss, the Crown Prince has sent someone to request your presence at Chaohui Tower."
OpenNovel