Chapter 1647

"With so many suspicious points, yet you don't investigate?"

Chen Guanlou picked up the wine pot and filled the other party's cup. "Was it an order from the Ministry of Justice, or did the Count's Mansion speak up?"

"Don't ask me!" Li Tou laughed heartily; he only said what he could say and didn't involve other people. "We at the Six Shanmen all act on orders; whatever those above tell us to do, we do."

"You don't care about wronging people?"

"Jiang Jiang Yucheng Chen is joking. There are so many innocent people in the Heavenly Prison—can you manage them all?" Li Tou retorted.

Chen Guanlou smiled and nodded. "That makes sense! Everyone sweeps the snow from their own door, who cares about the frost on others' roofs. Just manage your own affairs. However, I accepted someone's benefits and promised to help investigate the truth; I can't take the money and not do the work. If this gets out, what will happen to my reputation?"

"What do you want me to do?" Li Tou lowered his voice and asked, "Let's be clear first: it cannot endanger our own safety."

Chen Guanlou nodded with satisfaction. Talking to a smart person is simple; there's no need to spell things out—just point it out, and the other party understands your meaning. Refuse what should be refused, and cooperate where cooperation is needed.

He took out a stack of silver notes and pushed them toward Li Tou. "Help me find out the truth! Whether you report it to the Ministry of Justice, you weigh that yourself. I don't need any explanation; I only need the truth."

Li Tou didn't rush to take the money; he was weighing the pros and cons.

"Although it is not yet clear who the real culprit is, this case definitely involves the Count's Mansion. I am small and weak; I fear I cannot withstand the pressure from the Count's Mansion."

He wanted to make money.

But he didn't want to have the life to earn it but not the life to spend it.

Not everyone has the courage to investigate the Count's Mansion.

The Hou Fu can afford to not put the Count's Mansion in their eyes, but a small Six Shanmen agent doesn't have that kind of confidence. Not only must they put them in their eyes and hearts, they have to treat them like gods!

"I will withstand the pressure from the Count's Mansion for you!" Chen Guanlou was very straightforward and made a promise on the spot. "If there is any danger, tell me, and I will solve it for you. I only want the truth!

Actually, I could find the truth myself. Although I don't know how to investigate cases, I know how to force a confession. The reason I asked for your help is only because we are both in the criminal justice business; under normal circumstances, I am willing to abide by the law and willing to act within the rules. Do you understand what I mean?"

Li Tou nodded to show he understood.

If a Ninth-Rank warrior is determined to force a confession, he believes no one can resist and they must tell the truth.

Yet Chen Guanlou is willing to abide by the rules and willing to play within the rules—this is commendable.

The Six Shanmen often deals with martial artists. Those martial artists, relying on their martial strength, often bully the weak and do not put the imperial court in their eyes. Plus, with the backing of sects or powerful aristocratic families, they are all incredibly arrogant. The word "law" doesn't exist in their minds.

For Chen Guanlou, as a Ninth-Rank warrior, to still be willing to abide by the law—this is too rare!

It can be called a model!

Li Tou was still not quite at ease. "What will you do once you find the truth?"

Chen Guanlou chuckled and said in a light tone: "Every debt has its debtor. Since I have taken someone's money, if Zhu San didn't kill anyone, naturally I cannot let him be the scapegoat. At that time, the pressure will be on the Ministry of Justice, on the Mei family, and on the Count's Mansion. In any case, it won't be on the Six Shanmen. Moreover, I will hide you well; you are only responsible for investigating the case, and the subsequent matters will absolutely not involve you. I can guarantee this! You know my capabilities in the Ministry of Justice."

Li Tou stared at the silver notes on the table, thinking for a good while before saying: "The person who received the money might not be from the Count's Mansion. But to be able to make the Count's Mansion go to such lengths to help cover it up, the other party's identity must not be simple."

Chen Guanlou sneered and said sternly: "In the capital, any noble with the strange habit of abusing women—one by one, they will all be revealed. It's fine to play wildly, but it's not right to play until someone dies. Third Miss Mei is not an ordinary person, yet she still couldn't escape her doom.

One can imagine that before this, this person didn't know how many lives he had on his hands. He has already played to the point where ordinary women cannot satisfy his strange habits. This kind of person should be directly crippled."

Li Tou agreed.

Everyone is a man; everyone knows what kind of character men have. Being a bit flashy or having a bit more desire is acceptable. But playing until someone dies—and Miss Mei was a maiden and an official's daughter—this kind of thing is absolutely not allowed.

Everyone has sisters, wives, and daughters.

If this kind of person isn't found, what if one day they play with one's own family? Who would you go to complain to?

If no one stood up, that would be one thing, but since someone is willing to stand up and uphold justice, Li Tou felt he could also contribute.

He accepted the silver notes. "Fine, I will investigate this case clearly. If I encounter resistance, I will tell you at the first opportunity."

"Many thanks!" Chen Guanlou raised his wine cup to toast.

Li Tou downed it in one gulp, his mood a bit excited.

"If Jiang Jiang Yucheng Chen hadn't stepped forward, this Zhu San would have had to be the scapegoat. It is his great fortune to have met you. From now on, things will surely turn for the better!"

"I thank you on his behalf! I am also just taking money to do a job and doing my part."

The two discussed for a while, and Li Tou enjoyed himself for once, but didn't stay the night. That same evening, he returned to the Six Shanmen to flip through the case files and look for clues.

The next morning, Chen Mengzhi handed the guest list of the Count's Mansion to Chen Guanlou.

"I asked the Head Steward, and he said that for this banquet, the Count's Mansion invited only relatives by marriage and old acquaintances—friends and relatives with deep connections. It belongs to a medium-scale banquet. The Head Steward was also very strange as to why the Count's Mansion would invite a merchant as a guest. For a banquet of this scale, merchants aren't even qualified to sit at the table."

Chen Guanlou flipped through the guest list, and sure enough, he saw many familiar names on it.

"Did the Head Steward say anything else?"

"The Head Steward also said that although the matter of the death at the Count's Mansion was kept quiet, the noble circle all knows about it. Everyone is discussing it, and there are all sorts of versions. However, the Head Steward said that although the descendants of the Count's Mansion have mediocre aptitude, he hasn't heard of anyone playing so wildly. He has never heard of anyone having such bad habits."

Chen Guanlou understood in his heart. "Does the Count's Mansion have any men of marriageable age?"

"Yes. I heard from the Head Steward that there are three men of marriageable age in the Count's Mansion who haven't been betrothed yet. However, the Count's Mansion doesn't intend to marry into the Mei family again."

"Is this news certain?"

Chen Mengzhi nodded. "The news came from the inner residence of the Hou Fu, so it should be certain. I also heard that the Count's Mansion intends to marry into our Hou Fu, but the Hou Fu doesn't seem very willing."

"Is it marrying out or marrying in?"

"Either way works."

"And they aren't willing for either?" Chen Guanlou asked curiously.

Chen Mengzhi shook his head to indicate he didn't know; he had only heard it. He didn't know the specific details.

Chen Guanlou had someone copy a guest list, and then instructed Chen Mengzhi, "Take this guest list and give it to Li Tou of the Six Shanmen."

Chen Mengzhi didn't understand, but he was obedient; he took the copied list and headed toward the Six Shanmen.

Chen Guanlou, meanwhile, thought that he had to meet Zhang Laosi.