Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Gu Zhangyuan: "How about I call the steward of the manor over to ask?"

Xie Licheng: "No rush. Tell me everything you know first, and I'll help you analyze the situation."

Xie Licheng saw things differently from Gu Zhangyuan. All he knew at the moment was that two people had disappeared from the manor; he didn't know anything else yet.

If the problem was in the manor itself, seeing the steward now wouldn't do any good—he certainly wouldn't be stupid enough to admit it.

Because Xie Licheng had had Gu Zhangyuan's back before, Gu Zhangyuan still had quite a bit of trust in him.

Gu Zhangyuan thought for a moment, then told Xie Licheng everything he knew.

The Gu family owned quite a few manors. Usually, when something went wrong at a manor, the steward would come to report it.

If the steward couldn't deal with it, then it would fall to the Gu family's head steward, or to Gu Zhangyuan himself.

Gu Zhangyuan had dealt with manor problems before, but the previous situations were different from this one.

Whether it was a death at a manor, crops hit by natural disaster, or someone deliberately causing trouble, Gu Zhangyuan had always handled things in an orderly manner.

But this time, it seemed like someone was deliberately luring him in to handle it.

Two people had disappeared from this manor in a row, both of them strong young hired farmhands.

The manor's steward reported it to the officials, but they came, took a look, and then dropped it.

Worried that more problems would arise, the steward brought the matter to Gu Zhangyuan's attention.

Then Gu Zhangyuan's second uncle—the Second Master of the Gu Family—suggested that Gu Zhangyuan come personally to take a look.

There was something very strange: neither the person who went to the Gu residence to report the news, nor the Second Master, had told Gu Zhangyuan beforehand that the missing laborers were connected to the northern mounted bandits.

In other words, Gu Zhangyuan didn't find out there might be bandits in the mountains until he actually arrived at the manor.

Gu Zhangyuan had heard about the mounted bandits a long time ago.

At the time, the rumors said that people in the northern part of Lingzhou had spotted them.

Mounted bandits were different from ordinary robbers—they mostly traveled in large groups.

They liked to raid homes and steal, taking not just grain and money, but also beautiful women and young lads. In short, they were a group of vicious, ruthless criminals.

The place Gu Zhangyuan was staying now had been arranged by the people at the manor.

If the person outside just now wasn't one of his own men, then his current residence was extremely dangerous.

Xie Licheng listened and smiled. "Your second uncle—I'm afraid he has quite the scheming mind."

Gu Zhangyuan was a smart man. Actually, when he saw that person outside just now, a terrible thought had already vaguely formed in his mind.

But since it involved an elder—one who had been kind to him, no less—he instinctively didn't want to believe it.

Hearing Xie Licheng say this, Gu Zhangyuan couldn't help asking, "What do you mean?"

Xie Licheng sat down beside him, reached out to touch the long hair spread across the bed, and felt a sudden pang of sympathy for the person before him.

"Your second uncle—he probably doesn't really want you to be the head of the household."

"But if I'm not, then who in the main house can take over?"

The main house of the Gu family had only four children. Of the four, Gu Zhangyuan and Gu Tinghe were young lords, and Gu Yangxue was a young woman.

The only male heir was Gu Zhangyuan's younger brother, born of the same father and mother.

But his younger brother had been frail since childhood, and their mother had been traveling with him year-round seeking medical treatment.

Aside from Gu Zhangyuan, neither Gu Tinghe nor Gu Yangxue could hold up the family's reputation.

Xie Licheng: "The main house has no one to take over, but the second house—he has three sons."

In the novel, this second uncle of Gu Zhangyuan's didn't want Gu Zhangyuan to be the head of the household.

Just before Lingzhou City was about to descend into chaos, the second master's eldest son, who had run off with someone, came back.

The second house's eldest son was named Gu Qiheng.

Gu Qiheng returned with his lover, and that lover of his was extremely ambitious.

Before the two even came back, the lover, relying on being pregnant, had already been instigating Gu Qiheng to demand the position of head of the Gu family from the Second Master.

The Second Master was reluctant at first, but when he learned his eldest son was willing to return and would bring him a grandchild, he hardened his heart and planned to move against Gu Zhangyuan.

But in the novel, he never succeeded, because before he could unite others against Gu Zhangyuan, Lingzhou City fell into chaos.

Now the Second Master had suddenly made his move early. Was it because of the time Gu Zhangyuan publicly disciplined Gu Qiyue, or because Gu Qiheng had already contacted the Second Master by now?

Regardless of the reason, it was dangerous for Gu Zhangyuan to stay here any longer.

Gu Zhangyuan sat up from the bed, his face showing disbelief. "The second house does have three sons, but... my eldest male cousin ran away from home, my youngest male cousin is currently in the military camp, and the only remaining second male cousin is an invalid. My second uncle wouldn't do this to me over a cripple like him."

Xie Licheng: "But what if... one of the other two came back?"

Gu Zhangyuan turned his gaze toward him, a trace of sorrow gradually appearing in his lovely eyes.

He said, "If he wants this position, he could have discussed it with my father. Why must he treat me this way?"

Isn't his life worth something too?

Did he have to die for them to be satisfied?

Xie Licheng sighed upon hearing this. "Because you're still quite capable, you have considerable prestige in the Gu family, and your temperament is fairly kind-hearted. Add to that the fact that you're from the main house—he can't just brazenly demand it, because that would damage his son's reputation. If his son didn't do as well as you, many people would compare him to you. Outsiders would say, 'So what if the second house's young master is a man? In the end, he's not even as good as a mere young lord.' And so..."

Xie Licheng didn't finish the rest, but Gu Zhangyuan understood exactly what he was trying to say.

Gu Zhangyuan continued his words: "So... he wants me dead, or disappeared. As long as I can't return alive, and the main house has no other child who can hold up the Gu family, then he can justifiably have the second house's young master take my place. Even if the second house does poorly in the future, everyone will at best fondly remember me a little—they won't put him down because of it."

Gu Zhangyuan had many character flaws, but his business acumen, shop management, and household management were indeed quite impressive.

It was just that he was rather young, and sometimes he trusted his family too readily.

A person like him wasn't easily fooled by outsiders—but was easily schemed against by his own family.

His tendency to trust his family too easily wasn't entirely his own fault.

Even a man like Xie Licheng could be a bit too trusting of his family at times.

Gu Zhangyuan's family background was quite good. Aside from his mother not being around much, his father had always doted on him immensely.

For someone from a good family, it's only natural to trust your family—hardly a fault.

Gu Zhangyuan: "Since this whole thing was set up against me, there's no point in calling the steward over now. It might just put me in more danger."

Xie Licheng reached out and pulled him up, saying, "Let's go. We leave now."

He said it so suddenly that Gu Zhangyuan was caught off guard.

Gu Zhangyuan: "Now? But the city gates are shut by now. Even if we leave, we won't get in."

"We still have to go—I think there are bandits in this estate too."

The steward had arranged Gu Zhangyuan's lodgings.

It was all to make him vanish completely and to keep their plot from being found out.

The ones who actually wanted Gu Zhangyuan dead were the mountain bandits.

Xie Licheng figured the Second Master of the Gu family had teamed up with the bandits.

He'd hired the bandits to kill Gu Zhangyuan, and in return, they'd get the whole estate.

It had been barely half an hour since Xie Licheng came looking for Gu Zhangyuan.

Too many red flags—one outside the courtyard, and now another right outside the bedroom window.

Too often for it to be about hiding their tracks.

More like... they were getting impatient and wanted to strike now.

With that in mind, before Gu Zhangyuan could even get dressed, Xie Licheng grabbed an outer robe, wrapped it around him, and yanked him out of the bedroom.

The loud kick of the door startled Yuan Qiao in the next room and alerted the guards at the gate.

Yuan Qiao ran over and asked, "Young Master, Young Master, what—wait, horse slave, what are you doing dragging him?"

Xie Licheng: "Get Xuan Cui—now!"

Yuan Qiao was about to ask why, but Gu Zhangyuan cut in, "Go get her, now!"

Yuan Qiao's heart raced. He rarely saw the Young Master this serious.

He quickly said "Okay" and ran off to get her.

Just then, the guard from outside walked in.

He glanced at Xie Licheng, then at his young master.

"Young Master, what's going on...?"

Gu Zhangyuan tried to pull his hand free, but Xie Licheng wouldn't let go, so he told the guard, "Harness the carriage. We're leaving now."

The guard was about to obey when Xie Licheng said, "No time. We're going now!"

With that, he dragged Gu Zhangyuan toward the courtyard gate.

The guard was baffled, but he didn't want Xie Licheng to just take the young master, so he chased after them without a second thought.

Soon, he understood why the young master had to leave.

Because as he reached the gate, a group of bandits in farmer's clothes surrounded them, torches in hand.

The two patrolling guards rushed over. One drew his sword and barked, "What the hell are you doing? This is Gu family land in Lingzhou! Back off now!"

A man with a mole on his face, who looked deceptively honest, hefted the big saber in his hand.

The Mole Man said with a smile, "Don't blame us for being harsh. Blame your young master—an omega who thinks he can run the household."

Just then, Xuan Cui and Yuan Qiao came out too.

Seeing the crowd outside with torches and blades, Xuan Cui panicked and grabbed Gu Zhangyuan, trying to pull him back inside.

But Xie Licheng stopped her. "We can't go back. Someone's already slipped in. There are probably more of them inside."

Hearing that their own courtyard had accomplices too, Yuan Qiao and Xuan Cui spun around and saw a short, middle-aged man with a small dagger walking toward them.

If Xie Licheng hadn't come by that night, Gu Zhangyuan would already be dead.

But who knew this Eldest Young Master was so horny and reckless that he'd call for a male slave in the middle of the night?

Seeing someone else in the room and knowing he couldn't take them alone, he signaled the others to come.

Gu Zhangyuan's heart lurched when he spotted a stranger in the courtyard.

He instinctively tugged Xie Licheng's hand, warning him about the man in the courtyard.

Xie Licheng felt the tug and looked down at him.

Xie Licheng: "Don't worry. They're just a bunch of trash."