The Prodigal Son

After some discussion, they decided to split into four groups.

Pei Du led two hundred men from the Baojing Division to conduct a secret investigation from Xiaping County to the upper reaches of the Pingjiang River. The investigation focused on officials who had served in Xiaping County, as well as dock workers and inspectors along the way. At the same time, the investigation extended to Taozhou, which is only separated from Fangzhou by a river.

With so many people mining in the mountains, they must need a lot of food!

These grains must have been transported by waterway to that secret passage before being delivered into the mountains.

Perhaps some clues can be found from the dock workers and inspectors from that time.

Ruan Zhi and Di Rong led fifty Golden Armored Imperial Guards and fifty Baojing Division personnel to remain in Jiangning Prefecture. While assisting Fu Mingzhu in handling various affairs in Fangzhou, they also continued to conduct secret investigations from Fangzhou, focusing on those who had close ties with Sun Min.

Zeng Guan led the remaining Baojing Division troops on a secret expedition from Xiaping County City downstream along the Pingjiang River, then turned into the hidden passage and searched deep into the mountains.

Qin Yu then led his men and Guo Yang's men into the depths of Nanping Mountain to conduct a thorough search.

To avoid suspicion, Qin Yuhui would return to Haizhou under the pretext of rectifying the salt administration, and then secretly enter Nanping Mountain from Huai County.

After finalizing the plan, Qin Yu ordered someone to secretly prepare dry rations.

They're venturing deep into Nanping Mountain, and who knows how long they'll be staying? Having plenty of dry rations is definitely a good thing.

"Oh, right!"

Pei Du then remembered something else and said seriously, "His Majesty asked me to pass on a message to you: she says she believes in you!"

"hehe……"

Qin Yu gave a wry smile.

She probably meant to say that she believed she could find out the truth.

However, he relinquished both military and political power to himself.

The people from Baojingsi and Guo Yang also all came.

He basically has everything he wants now, and if this can't be investigated, even he himself feels he can't explain it.

With a wry smile, Qin Yu asked Guo Yang, "By the way, Steward Guo, how many of your men have come?"

As he spoke, Qin Yu gently twitched his nose again.

He had actually smelled it before, but he thought it was just the scent of perfume on Ruan Zhi that hadn't dissipated from the room.

When he looked at Guo Yang again, he suddenly realized that the scent of perfume was coming from Guo Yang.

They even used rouge and face powder?

Although he knew Guo Yang was a eunuch, the thought of him using rouge and face powder still gave him a slight chill.

"five hundred!"

Guo Yang's words were simple and clear, without any unnecessary details.

"Does the Empress Dowager have any instructions or requests?"

Qin Yu suppressed his disgust and asked again.

If this were a minor character, Qin Yu would probably tease him about using rouge and face powder.

However, this is a grandmaster!

He didn't want to get beaten up by Guo Yang.

"First, we can't let the real culprit die! Second, ensure your and Lü Si's safety."

Guo Yang lowered his eyelids, his voice was somewhat shrill, but firm and powerful.

"Thank you so much, Your Majesty!"

Qin Yu smiled and said to everyone, "Anyway, we still have to wait before we set off. If there's anything else you want to know, you can organize your thoughts and ask me! But let me make this clear first, I've told you almost everything I know, and there are many things I don't know either."

"Once you understand it, there's nothing more to understand."

Zeng Guan picked up the thread, "Let's all carefully review the entire case again, and look for any suspicious points! This matter is of great importance, so it's best to clarify all the doubts to avoid wrongful convictions!"

Zeng Guan personally witnessed that bloody purge.

At that time, the Baojing Division was directly managed by his adoptive father, Zhao Po, and he assisted him.

Both he and Zhao Po knew that many of them were innocent.

At that time, no one dared to persuade the late emperor, who was immersed in the grief of losing his son.

They knew perfectly well that many people were innocent, yet they still imprisoned them in the imperial prison and subjected them to torture.

They were powerless to help the women and children who pleaded so desperately.

Among them were even old friends of my godfather.

It was precisely because of this incident that his adoptive father was filled with self-blame and guilt. In the end, he handed over the Baojing Division to him and stopped concerning himself with court affairs, devoting himself to studying martial arts.

Now, the old case has been brought up again!

He did not want the tragedy to repeat itself.

Hearing Zeng Guan's words, everyone nodded emphatically, except for Guo Yang, who remained indifferent.

He didn't care about any wrongful imprisonment; all he wanted was to find the real culprit who murdered the Crown Prince, hand over his entire family to the Empress Dowager, and let her vent her anger!

After chatting briefly for a while, the group left the study.

Once outside, Ruan Zhi and Nan Que'er were still somewhat dazed.

This is more than just troublesome!

This is absolutely deadly!

They get a headache just thinking about it.

No wonder Qin Yu told them before that if they found out later, they would have fewer headaches.

"Xu Wan, don't come with me! Go with him!"

Zeng Guanchong and Qin Yu nodded, their meaning all too clear.

"Need not!"

Xu Wan shook her head and refused, "If I wanted to find an opportunity to be intimate with him, I would have plenty of opportunities! Solving the case is the priority now, not the time for romance!"

Perhaps because of the ordeal of the past few days during the Lunar New Year, Xu Wan seemed much more generous.

She no longer shied away from discussing her relationship with Qin Yu.

Zeng Guan glanced approvingly at Xu Wan, then turned to Qin Yu: "You see? It's not that I want to break you two up, it's that she doesn't want to!"

"You still have the nerve to tease the two of us?"

Qin Yu rolled his eyes at Zeng Guan, "The entire Baojing Division has been mobilized this time. If this case isn't solved, you won't be ashamed, but I will be ashamed for you!"

Ah!

Instead of putting pressure on yourself, put pressure on others!

I can't do this all by myself!

"I……"

Zeng Guan was indeed under pressure; even the smile on his face disappeared. "Alright, I'm not going to argue with you guys anymore. I'm going to go and review the whole case again!"

With that, Zeng Guan patted his throbbing head and left.

Guo Yang also retreated to the side and quietly pondered, no longer participating in their conversation.

Qin Yu asked someone to arrange accommodations for them, and then took Nan Que'er and Xu Wan to his room.

Back in the room, Xu Wan took Qin Yu's arm and sighed softly, "You've really stirred up a hornet's nest this time..."

"well enough!"

Qin Yu chuckled and asked, "By the way, where did Boss Zeng find those dozens of cartloads of treasure?"

"In a tributary of the Qujiang River!"

Xu Wan pursed her lips and said, "Back then, Yu Wu's men sank dozens of cartloads of treasure into a tributary of the Qujiang River. Then, some people became greedy, causing them to kill each other. In the end, only three people survived. Boss Zeng led his men to search for a long time before they found their hiding place and captured them..."

Speaking of which, Zeng Guan was quite unlucky.

Less than three days after returning from Min, Pei Du rushed back to the capital and delivered Qin Yu's letter to Zhao Luan.

That very night, they gathered their men and left the capital.

"How much silver are those treasures worth?"

Nan Que'er asked with intense gaze.

Xu Wan: "According to Boss Zeng, it's worth at least five or six million taels of silver."

"Only this much?"

Nan Que'er was surprised.

"Only... this little bit?"

Xu Wan was both amused and exasperated. "Have your standards risen from spending so much time with Qin Yu?"

Only... five or six million taels of silver?

Nan Que'er smiled, "I thought it would be at least ten million taels of silver!"

"What are you thinking about!"

Xu Wan scolded, "Those dozens of carts of treasure were mostly silver, a little gold, and the rest were jade and the like. Some of them should still be missing."

"oh."

Nan Que'er smiled knowingly, "Were there any utensils or treasures among those things that bore the script of our people?"

"So, after all that beating around the bush, this is what you wanted to ask!"

Xu Wan suddenly realized, "I really didn't know that, but Boss Zeng has already led his men to escort those treasures back to the capital. If you want to know, you can have Qin Yu ask His Majesty after we get back to the capital!"

"Let's talk about this when we get back to the capital!"

Qin Yu chuckled and pulled Xu Wan into a hug. "We haven't seen each other in so long, shouldn't we get intimate first?"

"Pooh!"

Xu Wan blushed and scolded, "After such a big thing happened, you still have this thought?"

"Yes! Of course there is!"

Qin Yu laughed heartily, "It doesn't interfere with anything, what's wrong with being affectionate for a bit?"

With that, Qin Yu gave Xu Wan a fierce kiss on the lips, then pulled Nan Que'er over and gave her a deep kiss as well...