SGEIRS -Chapter 400 Obtaining Evidence

Late at night, Yu Chuan once again snuck into Lord Wei’s study.

Just as he had expected, there really was a hidden chamber. That keyhole was part of the mechanism, and the key Lord Wei always wore around his neck was the crucial item to activate it. The identical key Yu Chuan had secretly made worked just as well.

Inside the hidden chamber, Yu Chuan found three account books and several letters. After confirming that they were what his master was looking for, he took them away. As for the gold, silver, and banknotes inside, he did not touch them.

After returning to the Gu residence, Yu Chuan went to look for his master, but Qingqiu stopped him.

Yu Chuan said, “Miss Qingqiu, I have urgent matters to report to the Marquis. Please help pass on the message.”

Qingqiu replied gently, “Yu Chuan, the Marquis said that even if the sky were to fall, no one is to disturb him. If it really does fall, you should hold it up yourself and wait until tomorrow for him to deal with it.”

Yu Chuan: “?”

What did that mean?

Wasn’t the Marquis always very concerned about matters related to the case? Why did he seem so indifferent now? Such an important matter, yet he wasn’t following up personally and was so carelessly leaving it to him?

Seeing Yu Chuan fall silent in thought, Qingqiu asked, “Did something happen? Although the Marquis doesn’t want to be disturbed tonight, he did say that if it’s something you truly can’t handle, you should report it immediately.”

Yu Chuan replied, “It’s not really a big deal. Just a small issue. It can wait until tomorrow.”

Qingqiu said, “Then please return. Come see the Marquis tomorrow morning.”

Left with no choice, Yu Chuan went back first. Although he had successfully obtained what he wanted at the Wei residence, a small incident had occurred along the way. Even if he reported it now, it couldn’t be resolved tonight. It would have to wait until tomorrow.

After sending Yu Chuan away, Qingqiu returned to wait outside the main room. Hearing the blush-inducing sounds coming from inside, she more or less understood why the Marquis had forbidden interruptions. His dark expression in the morning was probably because his “good deed” had been interrupted, leaving him displeased.

Inside the room—

Meng Jinyao looked pitifully at the man and whispered, “Husband, everything should be done in moderation. Overdoing it will harm your body. I’ve heard that people who damage their health have to take tonics to recover. You don’t want to be taking supplements in the future, do you?”

Hearing this, Gu Jingxi felt as if thunder had struck his ears. He immediately intensified his “bullying” of the person in his arms while asking, “A-Yao, are you saying your husband is useless?”

Meng Jinyao hurriedly shook her head. “N-no, not at all. Husband is very capable.”

After that, she no longer knew how long he continued. At some point, she drifted off into a daze and fell asleep.

—

The next morning, sunlight spread across the land, bathing everything in brightness.

Gu Jingxi was already awake. He gently released the person still sleeping in his arms, got dressed, and went to wash up, so as not to disturb A-Yao.

After finishing, he had just stepped out when Qingqiu came forward, bowed, and said, “My lord, Yu Chuan came last night. He said there was a small problem, but nothing serious, so this servant asked him to return first.”

Gu Jingxi nodded and went to the front courtyard to look for Yu Chuan.

Yu Chuan had gotten up early. Upon learning that his master wanted to see him, he immediately brought the account books and letters he had found and went to the study. After saluting, he presented them.

“My lord, I have fulfilled my mission. I found these three account books and several letters in the hidden chamber of Lord Wei’s study.”

Gu Jingxi took them and first read through the letters. After finishing, he frowned, his expression turning grave.

When they had come to Huzhou, they had encountered that pitiful young woman begging for help. Although they had not kept her, they later learned that she and the couple were putting on an act. They just hadn’t known which family had sent them. Eventually, they stopped pursuing the matter.

Now, after reading the letters, everything became clear.

So it was the Han family.

Lord Wei’s hands were unclean, but Governor Han of Zhejiang was no better. Even the Han family’s main household in the capital—the Duke of Zhen State’s residence—was implicated. It had been the Han family that tried to plant informants back then, though they failed.

Once the Han family was involved, a small case turned into a major one.

Zhejiang was a wealthy region, and such places easily bred corrupt officials. As a provincial governor with great power, it was rare to be absolutely clean. It only depended on how far he went and whether he crossed the emperor’s bottom line. Once he did, he would certainly be eliminated.

Gu Jingxi then flipped through the account books. At first glance, he was shocked.

Lord Wei’s wealth far exceeded his imagination. Many entries recorded huge sums of income. This was Lord Wei’s private ledger—money gained through bribery and embezzlement.

The other two books recorded the real accounts of Huzhou Prefecture: actual tax revenues and expenditures for local governance and construction. The ones displayed in the yamen were flawless forgeries.

Once these books and letters were presented to the emperor, the Wei family would surely fall. As for the Han family, it would depend on His Majesty’s decision, given their status as the Duke’s household.

Closing the books, Gu Jingxi asked, “Yu Chuan, what happened last night?”

Yu Chuan replied hesitantly, “Everything went smoothly while opening the chamber and retrieving the items. But after leaving the study, just as I was about to go, I ran into a servant boy. He looked fifteen or sixteen, and from his clothes, he seemed to be a low-ranking servant.”

Gu Jingxi: “…And then?”

Yu Chuan said honestly, “Before he could react, I knocked him out at lightning speed and placed him in a pavilion, letting him lie over a stone table as if asleep. When he wakes up, he might think it was just a dream. Don’t worry, my lord. I was masked and dressed in night clothes. Even if he remembers something, he won’t know who I was.”

After hearing this, Gu Jingxi was not angry. Yu Chuan hadn’t silenced him permanently, which was the right thing.

Solving cases was important, but indiscriminate killing was unacceptable. Lord Wei deserved death, but that teenage servant did not. He was just a menial worker. Killing him simply for seeing Yu Chuan would make them no different from executioners.

Yu Chuan asked nervously, “My lord, what should we do now? I wanted to report this last night, but you forbade interruptions.”

Gu Jingxi replied calmly, “Even if you had told me last night, it could only be handled today. It was too late, and the city gates were already locked. We’ve already obtained what we needed. The rest is minor. Still, we must prepare ahead. Go and call Fang Xuan.”

Seeing how composed his master was, Yu Chuan finally relaxed and hurried off.

When Fang Xuan arrived, Gu Jingxi handed him the account books and letters and instructed him to disguise himself and immediately bring the evidence back to the capital, before Lord Wei discovered anything.

The twin brothers, Fang Xuan and Fang Ce, had not come with them openly. They had arrived earlier and kept a low profile, so Lord Wei paid no attention to them.

As for sending only Fang Xuan back first, it was because he was more mature and steady than Fang Ce, and more reliable in handling such matters. Fang Ce would stay behind and return to the capital with them the next day.