Chapter 1246

Gu Yiyang also concluded that those people must have been aimed at him.

As for the reason for the fight, it was actually very simple: it was about fighting over a woman and getting angry! They didn't like each other, and without a word, they picked up teacups and threw them. Then, they fell into a brawl.

He suspected that if Chen Guanlou hadn't arrived in time, the one who might have died would have been him.

If that were the case, could it be that it wasn't aimed at Imperial Consort Shu, but that someone really wanted his life?

"You think someone wants your life?"

Chen Guanlou was very skeptical.

"Your life isn't worth that much."

Pure disdain.

"Unless you offended someone, and they want your life just for revenge, just to vent their anger."

"Who could I have offended? If I really have to say I offended someone, it's those few 'good brothers' at home."

"Don't just think about what happened recently; think back further. You have several brothers, and it's not the first day you've been fighting; if they wanted your life, you wouldn't have lived until today. Moreover, families like yours should have unwritten rules, right? Fighting is fighting, but you can't involve human lives; that should be the bottom line."

Gu Yiyang nodded. Indeed, the fighting between brothers went on year after year, day after day; it was impossible for them to break the rules and take his life. Besides, he wasn't the eldest son, so even if they divided the family property, he wouldn't get the lion's share. As for being favored, he didn't even rank.

As for the shops, farms, and villas the family gave him, the other brothers had them too, and more than him, so there was no reason to be jealous of him.

Since it wasn't his brothers at home, it must be someone from the outside.

Who could it be?

"Could it be Xiao Changsheng?"

Chen Guanlou was very disdainful. "You had contact with him; did you offend him? Don't tell me that arguing a few words in the Heavenly Prison counts as offending him. Is it worth it for him to kill you?"

"If it's not Xiao Changsheng, then who could it be?"

"Since you have no clues here, investigate from the deceased. I'll go find my brothers at the Six Sects and ask them to help."

"I'll go find people too and ask around; maybe I can find something out."

"Tomorrow at the hearing, watch my eyes and don't take the lead."

"Brother Chen, I'll listen to you."

After the two agreed, they went their separate ways.

Chen Guanlou didn't just find the Six Sects; he also found Qi Wuxiu of the Brocade Uniform Guard.

The Brocade Uniform Guard had more sources of information, and they had archives on many secret matters.

"The Nanguo Mansion is suing you? Are they crazy?" When Qi Wuxiu learned that Chen Guanlou had gotten into a legal mess, he started cursing immediately.

"What do you mean? The Nanguo Mansion; I only know they've always been very low-key."

Chen Guanlou didn't pay attention to these nobles on weekdays; he only knew some information that the general public knew. He was also too lazy to chat about these noble gossips with the Mansion; he didn't know any of them, and there was no sense of participation in the gossip.

It was like seeing gossip about a celebrity you didn't know on the internet; you'd have no interest and just scroll past. If it were gossip about Heavenly King Liu, you'd have to look at it thoroughly, inside and out, and you'd have to participate!

Qi Wuxiu started complaining, "Low-key? They're clearly a declining family. There's only one title left in the family; they look glamorous on the outside, but on the inside, everything that could be sold or pawned has been, leaving only an empty shell, and they still owe the Ministry of Revenue a lot of money.

Before, when the palace was selecting palace maids, they were thinking of sending their daughter into the palace, buying their way to glory, and seeking a real official position. Unfortunately, their daughter's looks could only be considered ordinarily pretty, and plus, His Majesty didn't look favorably upon their family, so she wasn't selected."

"What do they gain by suing me? I can swear to heaven that I definitely didn't kill him. If I were to kill someone, I wouldn't give others a handle against me in broad daylight. I have plenty of ways to do it without anyone knowing."

Qi Wuxiu believed one hundred percent that he didn't kill anyone. Why would a Ninth-Rank warrior need to kill someone in a street brawl? With a thought, a burst of Qi energy into the body would do it silently.

"I'll investigate this for you! The Nanguo Mansion might be the bird that sticks its head out; I don't know if there's anyone behind them pulling the strings."

"I'll give you a direction. I suspect they are aimed at Gu Yiyang, not me. You can focus your investigation on who has a conflict with Gu Yiyang and wants to put him to death."

"Okay, I got it!"

Qi Wuxiu knew time was tight, as the hearing was tomorrow, so he hurried away.

On the Mansion's side, Chen Guanlou gave them a heads-up.

The Chief Steward was so worried and anxious that he ran to his house personally and found him. "The Nanguo Mansion is suing you for murder? Are they tired of living?"

"What is your opinion, sir?"

"How about this: you come with me to the Nanguo Mansion personally; I want to ask their old man what exactly he means. How dare he sue you."

"It's mainly suing Gu Yiyang."

"Wrong! Gu Yiyang is nothing; you are the focus."

"But the conflict that night was clearly aimed at Gu Yiyang. My going to the brothel was a last-minute decision, otherwise, we wouldn't have met at all."

"How do you know no one was tailing you? Seeing you go to the brothel, they staged a brawl there in advance."

Chen Guanlou laughed immediately. "Is there anyone in this day and age who can tail me? I'm not bragging, but unless it's a Grandmaster, no one can tail me."

"Don't be arrogant! The peddlers selling goods on the street, the young girls passing by—would you pay attention to them?"

"I wouldn't pay attention to those people. However, I can feel the gaze of others watching me; if it's slightly different, I'll definitely sense it."

"You know the City Gate Army, right?"

"I know them!"

"If it were someone professionally trained like the City Gate Army tailing you, could you detect it?"

"This..." Chen Guanlou hesitated; he really wasn't sure he could detect that kind of incredibly smooth and natural gaze.

For example, a peddler hawking goods beside him, watching him in hopes he'd buy—what could be strange about that gaze? Young girls on the road, seeing he's handsome and dashing, looking at him a few more times—what could be strange about that? The shopkeeper's wife calling him over to tease him a bit—what could be strange about that?

But...

"What's the use of targeting me? I'm just a lowly prison warden; I haven't offended anyone."

"Are you sure you haven't offended anyone?"

Chen Guanlou pinched his nose; if he had to talk about offending people, the prisoners in the 'Jia' cell block had all been offended by him. Basically, everyone had been subjected to his sharp-tongued attacks. Even on the Ministry of Justice side, many officials didn't look favorably upon him. And then there was the Jixia Academy...

By this count, he had offended a sea of people.

This conversation couldn't go on!

The Chief Steward was very certain that this lawsuit was aimed at Chen Guanlou, not Gu Yiyang.

Chen Guanlou was half-believing. "There's no reason to target me. Prison guards disciplining criminal officials is a matter of course."

"Have you ever taken money and not done the job?"

"Absolutely not! My credibility can stand the test!"

"I still have to go personally and ask the Nanguo Duke what he wants to do. Is he tired of living?"

The Chief Steward was very unhappy!

A lowly Nanguo Duke, not knowing his place, actually dared to sue a member of the Chen family. If he didn't show them some color, they'd really think the Mansion was easy to bully.

Chen Guanlou didn't go.

He was worried that if he went, the other side wouldn't tell the truth.

Some communication must be conducted in private.