Chapter 53: It Was a Bluff All Along!

Du Yu knew exactly what the breach of the study signified.

After summoning all the sentries for a sweep, it was confirmed that the failure lay in the defense at the corner of the garden. Just before the banquet began, the sentry on duty had been temporarily replaced due to sudden abdominal pain.

It was only a momentary lapse, but for a seasoned veteran, it was more than enough.

"It must have been the person who killed He Jianzhong—it must be them! How did they slip in? With so many people surrounding the manor walls, how did no one notice?!"

The Marquis of Guangling was frantic and agitated, sweeping a pile of books off his desk onto the floor.

The guards knelt in a row before him: "We wouldn't dare make such a mistake; there was no opening left unguarded. However, with so many guests today, it is possible they slipped in amidst the chaos."

The Marquis was jolted out of his agitation, but his soul felt half-gone: "Could they have slipped in among the guests?!"

Du Yu urged, "Go and investigate immediately! Among everyone who arrived today, find out who cannot be accounted for!"

Just as he finished issuing orders, a messenger arrived from the Prince's manor.

Both father and son found it strange; after all, Yan Bei had departed from here only two hours ago.

However, Yan Bei had never interfered in the affairs of the Du family before; at most, he would only question them if the censors criticized them harshly. The Marquis of Guangling assumed it had nothing to do with the breach of the study, so he quickly composed himself and headed to the Prince's manor.

When he was led to the Yangrong Study, Yan Bei was waiting for him inside.

The widower's study exuded an air of austerity; every wall was lined with either bookshelves or weapons, without even a single potted flower.

Yan Bei had changed into casual, loose-fitting robes and sat cross-legged on a brocade couch by the window, holding a scroll.

The twilight filtered in through the window, casting the face of the man sitting with his back to the light into deep shadow.

The Marquis of Guangling, relying on their kinship, would usually take any opportunity to engage in idle chatter, but seeing him like this, he found himself holding his breath unconsciously.

"Your Highness, this official has arrived."

Yan Bei closed the scroll in his hands, his eyelids drooping slightly: "Du Minghuan, do you know your crime?"

The Marquis's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained his composure: "This official does not know what crime he has committed?"

Yan Bei let out a cold laugh and tossed two case files onto his lap: "I have already cleared up the He family case. On the night of the third day of the seventh month, three years ago—the very night the late Emperor passed away—He Jianzhong and his son, along with Zhang Shaode and his son, were both absent from their respective manors.

"Tell me, where did they go?"

The Marquis of Guangling's vision went dark!

He had been overjoyed when Yan Bei unexpectedly deigned to attend the banquet today, and in his excitement, he had completely forgotten about this!

He fell to his knees with a thud: "Your Highness! I... I do not know!"

"You don't know?" Yan Bei snorted again and threw out an account book that Gao An had delivered to him that morning. "Then let me remind you once more: three years ago, your Du family was so poor you could barely afford a few servants.

"How is it that the moment you took over the Imperial City Bureau, you suddenly struck it rich?"

The account book landed right in front of the Marquis, and it happened to be open to a page where every single entry was a land deed for a manor that he had personally handled!

The Marquis's hands went cold. It took several attempts for his lips to part and produce a sound: "Your... Your Highness, what... what is the meaning of this?"

A stinging sensation throbbed in his temples, as if thousands of insects were crawling beneath his skin.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Yan Bei remained cross-legged, but leaned slightly toward the man below. His cold face was barely a foot away. "You always boast about Prince Jingyang being your cousin, yet behind my back, you engage in such life-threatening schemes!

"Du Minghuan, if you want to die, don't drag me down with you!

"On the night the late Emperor passed, both He Jianzhong and Zhang Shaode left the city. They were both your trusted confidants.

"Since that night, you have relied on them even more as your right and left hands.

"They struck it rich alongside you, and now that I have stripped your assets bare through investigation, you tell me you don't know anything?"

The Marquis tried to speak several times, but no sound came out.

Yan Bei stood up and walked toward him: "I heard from the officials of the Court of Judicial Review that Princess Yongjia died a most gruesome death. The killer did not even spare her three-month-old child, and not a single one of her attendants was left alive.

"She herself was surrounded and assassinated by a hundred killers, leaving not even a whole corpse behind. Have you heard?"

"Your Highness, mercy!"

The Marquis collapsed to the floor, his head hitting the ground with a heavy thud!

If he had been able to resist before, he could certainly deduce everything now that Yan Bei had even mentioned the hundred killers!

He wailed in despair: "This truly has nothing to do with me! I really don't know what He Jianzhong and the others were doing. Your Highness, please investigate thoroughly!"

After he had sent the case files of the He and Zhang families last time, he had clearly made proper arrangements with Du Yu.

It wasn't surprising that Yan Bei could find the family wealth; with the capabilities of Prince Jingyang, he could uncover it with a little effort.

But how did Yan Bei know the whereabouts of He Jianzhong and Zhang Shaode?

And how did he link those two men to the death of Princess Yongjia?

The thing the Marquis of Guangling feared most had finally happened since the He family incident began.

The crux of the matter was that he never dreamed Yan Bei could amass so much evidence in such a short span of time!

If that were the case, wouldn't the identity of the person who had secretly entered his study be obvious?

As he cried, his face began to twitch.

If the items were in someone else's hands, he might still be able to use the power of the Imperial City Bureau to seize them back.

But in the hands of Prince Jingyang, even if three more versions of himself appeared, it would be impossible to reclaim them!

It had been three years, and the mastermind behind him had long since erased all traces. No one had ever suspected He Jianzhong or Zhang Shaode; simply because of a few deaths in the He family, Yan Bei had actually uncovered this much!

Not even a god could be as formidable as him!

Panic-stricken, the Marquis crawled forward: "Your Highness, you know me. Though I may commit minor errors, how would I dare to commit such a crime as murdering imperial kin?

"I swear to Heaven, I have nothing to do with Princess Yongjia!"

Yan Bei glanced toward the backyard where Hua Lin was examining A-Li's body. His throat tightened, then he withdrew his gaze and kicked the Marquis squarely in the chest!

"You'd better.

"If I find any other evidence after this—Du Minghuan, I've counted. There are forty-three members of your Du family. The executioner's blade at the execution grounds certainly won't only provide forty-two seats!"

With that, he turned and walked into the inner room behind the screen.

The Marquis sat dazed on the floor. After a long while, his eyes shifted downward to look at the account book.

He then raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat trickling from his temple. As he bent down to pick up the book, he cast one more glance toward the screen.

A sharp glint flickered in his eyes.

He hadn't misheard. Yan Bei had said he would deal with him *after* finding more evidence.

Since he still needed to find evidence, it meant this was all still speculation; he was merely bluffing!

He pushed himself up from the floor. Halfway through standing, the corners of his mouth twitched imperceptibly. He brushed off his robes and walked out the door.

Facing the wind, his posture straightened once more.

As long as there was no conclusive evidence, it was fine!

Even if that stack of incriminating evidence was lost, it was no great matter. With the prestige of the Imperial City Bureau, he would eventually find a way to collect it again.

The only regret was that string of beads!

Those beads were the leverage he had kept for himself, and yet—he had let Yan Bei take them too!