Chapter Fifty-Six
“Uncle Yan, how can you…”
“Alas, it’s a long story! When I was being chased by those people and had nowhere else to go, I came to Magistrate Bai for help. It’s precisely because of this that I managed to save my life and am standing here talking to you.”
As Gu Yu asked in surprise, Yan Min gave Gu Yu a bitter smile. He then briefly recounted his experiences over the past few days and the reason for his appearance at Magistrate Bai’s residence.
Unlike his ashen face and sweaty forehead during their last meeting, Yan Min now had a healthy complexion and appeared spirited. He must have been well cared for while recuperating at Magistrate Bai’s.
“It’s Gu Yu! Don’t just stand at the door; come in and sit.”
What surprised Gu Yu even more was when Aunt Chunhua’s voice echoed from inside the house. When Aunt Chunhua herself appeared before Gu Yu, he finally understood why Yan Min had recovered so quickly!
So, he had brought his wife over to seek refuge. This would prevent the Wang Clan from resorting to insidious tactics and using Aunt Chunhua as leverage.
“Yes, yes, come in and sit,” Yan Min said.
Hearing his wife’s voice, Yan Min finally noticed that the three of them were still standing at the doorway. He then hurriedly invited Gu Yu and Bai Wangzhi inside. After everyone had entered the house, he raised his hand and firmly closed the door.
Once Gu Yu stepped inside, he realized that, unlike rural homes where the living quarters were directly accessible from the entrance, this was a reception hall for guests.
After the three of them were seated, Aunt Chunhua did not linger. She yielded the space to them for their important discussion. As a woman, it was better for her not to be too involved.
“Now, can you explain?” Gu Yu wasted no time in pleasantries and directly asked for an explanation of the situation.
Setting aside Yan Min’s plea for help to Magistrate Bai, Gu Yu was very curious about how Magistrate Bai managed to contend with the powerful influence of the Wang Clan and why he had chosen to help Yan Min.
The Gu family, with Gu Yu and Gu Mengyao possessing their own unique skills, had no difficulty dealing with assassins. However, Magistrate Bai seemed somewhat weaker. Gu Yu wondered how he had managed to protect Yan Min…
“It’s nothing too complicated. You know that the letters hidden in Wang Changfang’s villa are with me. The Wang Clan attacked me to retrieve those letters, but fortunately, I was blessed with great luck and did not die in their hands… After contacting Magistrate Bai, I sought his protection, allowing me a safe place to recover these past few days.”
“I see.”
Although Gu Yu was eager to know what powerful means Magistrate Bai possessed, he was not familiar with Magistrate Bai yet. Asking directly would likely yield no specific answers, so it was better not to ask.
Coincidentally, Yan Min’s appearance before Gu Yu made it much easier for him to obtain the letters that Wang Changfang had hidden.
“After Magistrate Bai brought your Aunt Chunhua over, I was finally able to relax. However, remembering how I chanced upon you that day, I worry that the Wang Clan might target you.”
“Yan Min’s concern is spot on. Ling Xue, who was just here, must be from the Wang Clan! Gu Yu, to prevent your Gu family from suffering any harm, you should also move here during this time! This way, you can be protected from any harm. Otherwise, with the Wang Clan’s ruthlessness, your family is very likely to encounter misfortune.”
However, before Gu Yu could even mention wanting to see the letters, Magistrate Bai, sitting beside them, immediately chimed in after Yan Min spoke again, urging the Gu family of three to move to town. After all, the Imperial Envoy had repeatedly instructed him before leaving to keep a close watch on the Gu family and ensure that the three of them did not suffer any harm. If anything happened during this period, he would be held accountable!
While White Wangzhi was pondering these matters, his gaze towards Gu Yu grew more fervent. He wished that the Gu family of three were already staying with him to avoid any accidents. If Yan Min had not actively sought protection, White Wangzhi would not have known that the Wang Clan was so audacious as to dare to commit murder in Lian Town. Moreover, the Gu family was involved…
“Thank you for your concern, Magistrate Bai. However, we are not inclined to move too far from home. Coincidentally, I came to town this time to find Uncle Yan but didn’t know where he was… I didn’t expect to meet again in this manner.”
“Oh? Gu Yu, what is it you need me for?”
“It’s nothing major, I just want to see the contents of the letters Wang Changfang hid. After all, we are already being targeted. If we don’t understand more, we might suffer losses later.”
Upon hearing Magistrate Bai’s suggestion for his family to move to town, Gu Yu directly shook his head in refusal. Why would he move when he was living comfortably at home! Was he supposed to fill the surroundings with lightbulbs, preventing him and his little wife from having any intimate moments?
Furthermore, even if the Wang Clan sent people, it would be futile. They would essentially be delivering themselves… The assassin with the injured foot was still lying in Gu Yu’s space!
However, Magistrate Bai and Yan Min were unaware of the Gu family’s true hidden strength. They were worried about the three young children of the Gu family living in the countryside and feared they would be in danger if the Wang Clan made a move!
The two, filled with worry, had no idea… that the Wang Clan had already sent people to deal with the Gu family, only to suffer defeat twice.
“Since you want to see them, the letters are here.” Unlike Magistrate Bai, Yan Min had interacted with Gu Yu several times before and knew that Gu Yu was not easily persuaded. Therefore, he stopped urging Gu Yu to move to town. Although Gu Yu was only twelve years old, he was unlike ordinary children; his meticulous mind was even sharper than that of adults. Therefore, when Gu Yu expressed his desire to see the letters, Yan Min did not hesitate. He took out several white envelopes from his embrace and handed them to Gu Yu.
Gu Yu took the letters and curiously opened the first envelope. He then lowered his head to examine the contents written on the letter paper. As a result, Gu Yu’s brows furrowed deeper. After opening and reading the remaining envelopes, he looked at Yan Min with a serious expression, wanting to ask what these letters were all about!
“Uncle Yan, this…”
“That’s right, it’s quite shocking, isn’t it? That was my reaction when I first saw them… I wish I hadn’t discovered that box.” When Gu Yu looked at him, Yan Min shook his head with a helpless expression, stating that he was truly unlucky to have angered the Wang Clan because of these letters. Gu Yu, like Yan Min, now felt a sense of helplessness. He then looked down at the letter paper in his hand. Upon seeing words like ‘My heart, my liver, my little treasure,’ his expression became even more dejected. So, the letters Yan Min found in the Wang family villa were not evidence of Wang Changfang’s collusion with the Wang Clan, but love letters to a mistress… were they really worth hiding so securely! It had caused trouble for both Yan Min and himself… Looking at the letter paper in his hand and his gaze falling upon the outrageously mushy words, Gu Yu felt a surge of frustration, wondering if Wang Changfang’s wife was a tigress, forcing him to conceal even his affair so secretively.
“Now, even if I take these letters to the Wang Clan, they will never believe me. Instead, they will think I’m playing tricks on them. That’s why I’m temporarily staying here, stuck between a rock and a hard place, to prevent the Wang Clan from attacking me again.”
“Uncle Yan, you do need to stay here. The Wang Clan will not let you go easily. However, we in the Gu family are not their primary targets, so you don’t need to worry about our safety.”
Originally, Gu Yu had a well-thought-out plan. If he obtained the letters of correspondence between Wang Changfang and the Wang Clan from Yan Min, he would immediately lead the magistrate’s men to the secret tunnel and then move the weapons out of his space. This way, the crime of hoarding weapons could be directly pinned on the Wang Clan. Unfortunately, the letters in Yan Min’s possession were not what Gu Yu wanted, so this plan had to be abandoned, and a new one conceived.
“Since you’ve made up your mind, I won’t say any more. I can only advise you to be more careful. Last night, there was a sudden explosion at the Wang family mansion. By the time government officials arrived, it had already been reduced to ruins. Even the surrounding residents were terrified.”“An explosion?”
“I was also very shocked when I heard this news. After all, the Wang family mansion had been searched several times. With not even a needle left behind, why would someone want to blow up the house?”
Then, upon hearing that the Wang family mansion had been blown up into ruins, Gu Yu was utterly astonished. He thought about how they had just explored the Wang family mansion the previous night, and now it had exploded today! And they hadn’t heard any news… That’s right, as soon as they entered the town, someone had run into him. It seemed like bad luck struck when they least expected it; all sorts of bad things were happening at once.
Upon hearing this news, Gu Yu lost the mood to stay at Magistrate Bai’s residence. After saying his goodbyes, he immediately hurried home, thinking it was better to go home now. The Wang Clan was like a persistent plaster, impossible to shake off!
“Gu Yu, why are you still here! Something has happened at your house!”
“What!”
“Hey, wait for me! Let’s go together…”
As Gu Yu returned to Yang Family Village and was walking towards his home, a villager he passed saw him and abruptly exclaimed, making Gu Yu’s heart skip a beat. He wondered who at home had met with misfortune! Then, Gu Yu didn’t wait for the person to finish speaking. As he sprinted towards home with all his might, his heart pounded uncontrollably, making him feel extremely distressed. If the Wang Clan had truly harmed Gu Mengyao and her younger sibling, Gu Yu swore he would make their entire clan pay with blood.
“Yu, you’ve returned just in time. The imperial decree has arrived!”
“???”
Just as Gu Yu was rushing home, panting, a large crowd had gathered at the entrance of the Gu family’s house. Gu Mengyao, who was peering out at the entrance, showed a look of surprise and joy upon seeing Gu Yu. Then, what she said next completely stunned Gu Yu. What? An imperial decree?
…………
The three chapters for today are finished. The readers’ enthusiasm has made me a little intimidated, but if the monthly votes truly reach [6666], I will definitely enforce the promise of five updates a day for a consecutive week! Also, to those who have complained about the cover art, the author is quietly mentioning that a new cover is being drawn, and this time it should be eye-catching!
