Chapter 33
📖 CHAPTER 33: THE INVESTIGATION BEGINS
The Gu Manor was eerily silent when Gu Qingyan returned.
The news of the Emperor's decree had spread like wildfire, and everyone in the household knew—this was not just an investigation. It was a test of survival.
If Gu Qingyan failed, the entire Gu family would fall.
She stepped through the grand entrance, her every movement precise, controlled. The servants bowed low, their gazes flickering with fear and uncertainty.
In the main hall, the family had gathered.
Her father, Gu Tianren, sat at the head of the room, his expression unreadable. Her uncles, cousins, and elders lined both sides, whispering among themselves. The tension in the air was suffocating.
Gu Tianren's voice was calm, but firm. "What did His Majesty say?"
Gu Qingyan met her father's gaze evenly. "He has ordered me to oversee the investigation of our family's secrets."
A heavy silence fell.
Her eldest uncle scoffed. "How convenient. The Emperor places a blade in your hands, but the moment you make a wrong move, it will turn against you."
Gu Qingyan smiled faintly. "Indeed."
Her second uncle frowned. "Who would dare push this forward? The Second Prince? The Empress?"
Her fingers tightened slightly around her sleeve. "I have my suspicions."
Gu Ruoyun. The Second Prince. Feng Yusheng.
They were circling like vultures, waiting for her to make a mistake.
Her father sighed. "Yan'er, do you realize the danger you're in?"
She nodded. "I do."
He hesitated before speaking again. "And do you have a plan?"
Gu Qingyan's silver eyes gleamed. "Of course."
She turned, her voice cold. "The Gu family has stood for generations. If someone wants to bury us, I will make sure they are buried first."
Her uncles exchanged glances.
Gu Tianren's lips twitched slightly. "Very well. Do what you must."
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📍 Midnight – Secret Chamber
Gu Qingyan stood in front of the old study, her fingers tracing the intricate carvings on the wooden panels.
There were secrets in this manor. Secrets even she had never been told.
With a sharp flick of her wrist, she pressed a hidden mechanism. The bookshelf slid open with a soft creak, revealing a passageway leading into darkness.
Xiao Yue's eyes widened. "Miss, this—"
Gu Qingyan stepped inside without hesitation.
The air was thick with dust and age, but beneath it, there was something else.
A presence.
She moved deeper, her lantern casting flickering shadows along the stone walls. Then, her steps halted.
At the center of the chamber lay a sealed black chest.
Gu Qingyan narrowed her eyes.
Something about it felt… wrong.
Xiao Yue swallowed. "Miss… do you think this is what the Emperor wants?"
Gu Qingyan reached forward, her fingers brushing against the surface of the chest. A faint pulse of energy thrummed beneath her touch.
Not just an ordinary chest.
A trap? A warning? Or something far worse?
Her lips curled.
If this was what the Emperor feared… then she would uncover it.
Slowly, she reached for the lock.