Chapter 371: Liu Guanshi passes away

After his shift, Chen Guanlou walked home slowly. Just as he sat down to eat a few bites of food, the courtyard gate was knocked.

He opened the door in his straw sandals and saw Liu Xiao Chuan standing outside.

Liu Xiao Chuan's face was an unnatural white, his brows drooping, looking lifeless, as if his spirit had been sucked dry by a demon, and he could collapse at any moment.

Chen Guanlou asked him, "Why are you here? How many days have you not slept?"

Liu Xiao Chuan looked up at him, pursed his lips, and said, "My master is gone; the mistress asked me to invite you over."

What the hell?

Chen Guanlou frowned, "What did you just say?"

Liu Xiao Chuan said expressionlessly again, "Liu Guanshi is gone; can you go over there?"

"Liu Guanshi was fine; how could he be gone?"

Chen Guanlou couldn't bother to eat, locked the courtyard gate, and followed Liu Xiao Chuan to the Liu residence.

Liu Wan Shi, as the widow, had already changed into mourning clothes, looking miserable. Seeing Chen Guanlou, she burst into tears on the spot.

"My master was so miserable; he died so miserably!"

"What exactly happened?" Chen Guanlou looked at the newly arranged mourning hall. Liu Guanshi was a martial artist and also a manager of the Marquis's residence—a dual identity, with no illness or disaster, how could he suddenly pass away?

Liu Wan Shi seemed to be overcome with grief and couldn't support herself, so she sat down with the help of a maid.

Chen Guanlou looked at Liu Xiao Chuan, "You tell me, how exactly did Liu Guanshi die?"

Liu Xiao Chuan wiped his forehead; it was a hot day, and he was covered in cold sweat, "I don't know the specific situation. The master went out on business; he was fine when he left, but when he returned, they said he encountered bandits. The other party was numerous and powerful, and the master was no match, dying of exhaustion. It was the local people who reported the case, and the local government verified his identity before arranging for someone to notify the Marquis's residence. His remains were only transported back this morning."

"Where did the incident happen?"

"Dangzhou Prefecture, three hundred li away." Liu Xiao Chuan said with a hoarse voice.

"Do you know what business Liu Guanshi went out to handle?"

Liu Xiao Chuan shook his head, indicating he didn't know.

Chen Guanlou looked at Liu Wan Shi again, and Liu Wan Shi cried and said, "My master said when he left that this trip was to transport a batch of goods. Now, the goods are gone, and the person is gone. How can I live from now on!"

"What did the Marquis's residence say?"

"The Marquis's residence will give a sum of consolation money. But no matter how much silver there is, what's the use if the person is gone."

"Did the Marquis's residence not say what goods were being transported? Flying the Marquis's banner, yet still encountering bandits? Since when was the Marquis's banner so ineffective, and bandits so rampant?" Chen Guanlou snorted coldly. If it were just simple transportation of goods, they could have entrusted it to a security firm or a guild; there was no need for Liu Guanshi to make the trip himself.

Bandits are rampant these days, especially in places outside the capital region; this is a fact. However, bandits also have a sense of judgment—which merchant caravans can be provoked and which cannot, they know clearly.

For noble families like the Marquis's residence, bandits usually avoid them; no one would be so foolish as to provoke a giant like the Marquis Pingjiang's residence. Once provoked, it would invite encirclement by government troops, imperial arrest warrants, and even the Six Shanmen and the Embroidered Uniform Guard would be dispatched. Against local garrison forces, bandits aren't afraid, but against the Six Shanmen and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, bandits don't have the confidence.

In the end, it's just bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

But how did bandits, who always bully the weak and fear the strong, have the guts to rob a caravan personally escorted by a manager of the Marquis's residence? And even kill the person.

Strange!

It completely does not fit the normal style of bandits.

Liu Wan Shi shook her head repeatedly, "The matter was too sudden; the Marquis's residence might not know the cause of the incident either. However, the Marquis's residence has already sent people to Dangzhou Prefecture to urge the local government to investigate. If possible, they will also mobilize the local Embroidered Uniform Guard. With the Embroidered Uniform Guard involved, I think the case will be solved soon. It's just a pity for my master, who died so miserably, without even a complete corpse."

Liu Wan Shi got up and threw herself on the coffin, crying uncontrollably.

Chen Guanlou sighed secretly and called Liu Xiao Chuan to a corner to talk.

"Tell me the truth, what exactly happened? Was there anything strange about Liu Guanshi going on this trip?"

Liu Xiao Chuan wiped his face and said in a deep voice, "I originally intended to go on the trip with the master, but the master didn't let me go. He said this trip might not be peaceful and told me to guard the house. If there were any accidents, at least there would be a male in the house to support the household."

"You mean, Liu Guanshi realized this trip was dangerous before he left?"

Liu Xiao Chuan nodded, "Yes."

"What exactly was being transported on this trip?"

"I don't know; I really don't know. The Second Master should know."

"What do you mean by 'should know'? Liu Guanshi is the Second Master's man; wasn't he ordered by the Second Master to go out on business?" Chen Guanlou had too many questions.

Liu Xiao Chuan shook his head, looked around, and whispered, "The master told me that this trip was ordered privately by the Head Manager. Whether the Second Master is clear about it, I'm actually not sure."

Chen Guanlou looked surprised, "Liu Guanshi would listen to the Head Manager's orders? Isn't he from the Second House?"

"No matter which house they are from, as long as it's something ordered by the Marquis, it must be done. Not only must it be done, but it must be done well."

"You mean, the Head Manager ordered Liu Guanshi to go out on business on behalf of the Marquis?"

"Exactly." Liu Xiao Chuan had a gloomy face, "Do you think the First House deliberately harmed my master?" He had red eyes, full of indignation.

Chen Guanlou sneered, "What ability does Liu Guanshi have to be worth the First House racking their brains to harm him? You think of things too complicatedly. I reckon the problem isn't with the person, but with this batch of goods. The goods Liu Guanshi was escorting might have been problematic and were targeted by someone. They used the name of bandits to kill him to silence him."

Liu Xiao Chuan's face turned gray instantly, "That's also the First House's responsibility. The First House has people to use, but they didn't use them, and insisted on letting my master go on this trip."

"How do you know the First House's people weren't on duty? Liu Guanshi's death, simply put, was killed by bandits. More complexly, there must be an inside story. But you say the First House deliberately schemed against Liu Guanshi—that's not the case. A mere Liu Guanshi isn't that important. Like this, I'll go and inquire; during the time Liu Guanshi went out on business, who else in the residence was away, and if they also went out on business."

"What's the use of inquiring about these?" Liu Xiao Chuan stiffened his neck, looking unconvinced.

"Calling you stupid, you are truly stupid. I already told you, more complexly, there is an inside story. If at the same time, multiple managers went out on business, this is not a simple matter that you or I can participate in and solve. Don't worry, no matter what, the Marquis's residence will definitely take care of you. Liu Guanshi and the mistress have no children; now you are the pillar of the Liu family. Don't act on impulse; if there's anything you don't understand, come and ask me." ===== CHAPTER 372 =====