As the paper was unfurled, everyone leaned in, their eyes scanning the written contents in silence. After a long, heavy pause, Gu Yun carefully folded the sheet and sighed."Summon Shen Yulan to the residence," she said softly. "It's best if he handles this matter personally."
General's Mansion, Main Hall
Shen Yulan stared intently at the thin sheet in his hand. On it, Yang Lu had detailed the entire sequence of events concerning the missing gold. Shockingly, the mastermind behind the plot turned out to be none other than Ping Ran, former Vice Minister of Justice. It appeared he had long colluded with the rebel forces in the northwest. His method, eerily similar to what Miss Qing had surmised, was to knock Qu Ze unconscious, bury the gold under rocks in a cave, and divert it into an underground river. Once the coast was clear, the treasure would be secretly transported in batches to the rebels.
But just yesterday, Shen Yulan had reported the case to the Emperor and reviewed the records of all officials possibly implicated. Over the past three years, nothing suspicious had surfaced—Ping Ran included. In fact, he was renowned for his integrity. Could he truly be such a man?
Shen Yulan's doubts were natural. Gu Yun remarked,"Yang Lu is dead. This document isn't enough to convict Ping Ran, but it narrows our target. It's far easier to pursue concrete proof than to search blindly."
There was truth in her words. Shen Yulan frowned and said,"Ping Ran now holds a third-rank official post. Without solid evidence, we'll need imperial sanction to bring him in for questioning. I shall enter the palace at once."
He had only taken a few steps when he paused. From the side, Su Ren, who had remained quiet, smiled knowingly."No need to worry, Lord Shen. I've already stationed men in secret around the Ping residence. He won't escape."
Shen Yulan was momentarily stunned—he hadn't even spoken his concern, yet Su Ren had already anticipated it. Truly, no one in the Su family was ordinary.
"Report!"
A sharp voice rang from outside. Sitting near the entrance, Su Yu didn't bother calling the man in and asked lazily,"What is it?"
The soldier outside responded loudly,"There's been an incident at the Ping residence. Verified reports state that Ping Ran has taken poison and ended his life."
"He committed suicide?!"Everyone in the room reacted with alarm.
"How could this happen?!" Zhuo Qing murmured to herself. Why did things always take such a turn just as they made progress? Or perhaps Ping Ran wasn't the real mastermind at all—merely a pawn sacrificed?
Each person was lost in their own thoughts. Gu Yun sighed,"Lord Shen, please return to the palace and report this development. After all, a third-rank official has died. We will head to the Ping residence to examine the body."
"Very well."
There was nothing more they could do for now.
Nightfall – General's Mansion, Main Hall
Same hall, different night. Su Yu glared at the imperial edict before him and exclaimed,"Recover all the stolen gold before the celebration?! There are only two months left! A round trip to Pei City alone takes twenty days. Does His Majesty expect us to wipe out the rebel forces in a single month? That's impossible!"
When Shen Yulan returned from the palace, he brought not just an update—but an imperial decree. Since when did they become responsible for quelling bandits?
Glaring at the heavy golden silk in his hand, Su Yu made no attempt to hide his dissatisfaction."This mission is of utmost importance," Shen Yulan explained helplessly. "The Emperor wouldn't have mobilized the Su family army or appointed General Su Ling as commander otherwise."
Earlier that day, while reporting the case, Shen Yulan had coincidentally overheard the Emperor questioning General Lou Muhai about reports of the northwest rebels acquiring large quantities of military supplies. Upon learning that the national treasury's gold had funded this buildup, the Emperor was furious and immediately ordered a campaign. Shen Yulan had no choice but to accept the decree.
"By the way, where is Su Ling?" Zhuo Qing asked. She had been here for hours but hadn't seen any trace of him.
Su Yu, clearly annoyed, muttered,"Big Brother went out drinking. He could vanish for months with no word at all."
And now he was being summoned to suppress bandits over something so trivial? What was the Emperor thinking?
But the edict was clear—Su Ling had been named commander. Refusing the post would be defying the Emperor.
Shen Yulan was just about to remind them of this when Su Ren spoke first,"No matter. I'll lead thirty thousand elite soldiers to the northwest at dawn. We'll also send riders to find my brother and have him join us in Pei City. That way, we're still in compliance with the edict."
Shen Yulan couldn't help but smile—he had worried for nothing.
"Is this case truly closed?"Zhuo Qing's voice carried the doubt everyone felt. She had examined the corpse herself—Ping Ran had clearly committed suicide. But why now? Had they frightened him into action?
Even Shen Yulan, usually resolute, looked helpless."Ping Ran is dead. He left a letter confessing everything—the theft, the gold's whereabouts. The case ends here."
What the Emperor cared about now was the recovery of the gold and the defeat of the rebels.
Zhuo Qing turned to Gu Yun, expecting her to press further. But Gu Yun only said mildly,"All leads and evidence have run cold. What we hold now forms a complete and logical chain. The case must end here."
She had seen many cases that appeared watertight on the surface yet still left doubts lingering. But justice was built on evidence, and evidence had its limits.
With many cases still pending, Shen Yulan cupped his hands and took his leave. Zhuo Qing stretched and prepared to go as well—investigating the gold case with Gu Yun had truly worn her out.
Just as she turned to speak to Gu Yun, the latter looked at Su Ren and asked,"Are we setting out tomorrow?"
Su Ren paused, not answering immediately. Su Yu, hearing her question, cried out in alarm,"You're not going too, are you?!"
"I am," Gu Yun replied calmly.
"No way!" Su Yu shouted.
Gu Yun shot him a cold glance, smiling faintly."You think you can stop me?"
She had already memorized the mansion's layout and guard patterns. Once Su Ren left, no one would be able to keep her here.
Though Su Yu was reluctant to admit it, he knew she was right. He hastily grasped for an excuse."There are no women allowed in the army!"
Gu Yun shrugged indifferently."Then I won't enter the military camp."
She had two reasons for going to Pei City: the gold case was finished and she was growing bored, and more importantly, she wanted to get closer to Su Ling and discover the whereabouts of the Eight Trigram Disk.
"War is dangerous—it's not a game!" Su Yu snapped. "Why must you always stir up trouble just because you know some martial arts?!"
"Did I say I was going for fun?!" she shot back. Of course, fun was one of her main reasons.
"You—!" Su Yu was furious.
"If Sister-in-law insists, then depart with the troops tomorrow," Su Ren said, calmly intervening. "It's better than having her act alone."
There was no stopping her anyway. Better to keep her within reach. Once in Pei City, she'd be their elder brother's responsibility.
"Second Brother!" Su Yu glared angrily.
"Fine," Gu Yun agreed cheerfully.
Seeing the matter settled, Su Yu huffed resentfully."Then I'm going too!"
Su Ren chuckled and patted his shoulder."With the celebration approaching, someone must remain to oversee the General's Mansion."
And with Su Ren saying that, Su Yu had no choice but to stay. Still, he left in a huff, his displeasure plain.
A strange glint passed through Su Ren's eyes. It seemed he really must prevent his younger brother from spending too much time around Qing Mo.
"Are you truly going?" Zhuo Qing asked. The task of quelling bandits sounded far more dangerous than solving cases.
Gu Yun nodded firmly. Her physical condition had returned to its peak, and with her background in elite counterterrorism training and countless real-life missions, the danger and novelty of this assignment only intrigued her more.
To ease Zhuo Qing's worry, she added teasingly,"Don't worry. I'll make it back in time for your wedding banquet."
Zhuo Qing rolled her eyes at her but said no more. Gu Yun had always known her limits."Do as you wish. I'm heading back."