Chapter 1269: Chapter 1105: Suspect Candidates

Gu Chengyu looked at the large bowl in front of him, his brow twitching slightly. The folk customs here are indeed fierce; they don’t use wine cups, but rather large bowls.

Under Qi Huan Yu’s gaze, Gu Chengyu picked up the large bowl and downed the wine in one go.

"This wine is indeed strong, quite different from the Capital’s," Gu Chengyu smiled, putting down the bowl, and the nearby maid quickly stepped forward to refill it for him.

Qi Huan Yu’s gaze lingered on the wine bowl before Gu Chengyu, and such boldness surprised him a bit.

"I didn’t expect Mr. Gu to be such an excellent drinker, truly unexpected; you must be quite accustomed to drinking. Come, let’s have another bowl. This wine is rare at the border; Mr. Gu should savor it well."

Qi Huan Yu raised his bowl to Gu Chengyu again, gestured, and also drank it in one gulp.

Gu Chengyu’s brow subtly furrowed; this person seemed warm, but starting with alcohol was unusual. He had only wetted his lips with that previous bowl, while the rest was diverted into space.

He was unfamiliar with this person, especially given the sensitive situation; who knows if the other party might drug the wine?

"General Qi, I come here seeking General Qi for a significant matter. The Emperor sent me to the border precisely due to concerns about Da Xing spies infiltrating Dayan. Has there been any change at the border? Yuhe Pass is the first checkpoint; does General Qi know any details?"

Gu Chengyu didn’t raise the wine bowl but instead brought up his intended purpose. He suspected if he didn’t speak first, the person might keep playing dumb.

"Oh! This matter, indeed, this general noticed something earlier, but there’s some speculation without evidence, so it’s not advisable to make reckless declarations!" Qi Huan Yu put down the large bowl, looking at Gu Chengyu with a serious expression.

"Then, what has General Qi discovered? Why not speak, and we can discuss it together?" Gu Chengyu also adopted a serious tone, exhibiting a posture of attentive listening.

Qi Huan Yu suddenly fell silent, taking quite a while before saying, "The implications are extensive, involving not just Yuhe Pass but also affecting Yumen Pass. However, I haven’t been able to gather evidence yet, so this general can’t divulge details; I ask for Mr. Gu’s understanding."

"I am here by imperial decree, specifically for this matter. General Qi, with the border under attack, spies have infiltrated the court. If we don’t thoroughly investigate, Dayan is in peril. I ask that General Qi not hold back; just share your suspicions."

Qi Huan Yu has a somewhat handsome appearance, stationed long-term at the border, carrying a severe and sturdy aura. However, Gu Chengyu always felt the person doesn’t give a sense of integrity.

Perhaps it’s preconceived notions! Or the person seems very smooth; anyway, Gu Chengyu’s impression of this person isn’t good.

"Since Mr. Gu said so, this general will speak. Actually, this general has found some clues, one person being Tiger General Ren Xiuguang of Yumen Pass."

Qi Huan Yu leaned forward, looked around, and then lowered his voice to reveal a name.

"Who? General Ren?" Gu Chengyu was taken aback; Ren Xiuguang is the main general stationed at Yumen Pass, and the likelihood of him being a spy seems low.

Yet, the person’s words aren’t baseless; even if it’s framing, it must come with mud thrown upon, right? It can’t be just bare falsehoods; who would believe it?

"Precisely him! This matter is a long story; recently Da Xing retrieved a prince from the common folk; has Mr. Gu heard of this?"

Hearing this, Gu Chengyu knew the prince must be Gu Wanqian. The timing matches; Gu Wanqian returned to Da Xing recently.

"Upon arriving at the border, indeed I’ve heard; unsure of its relevance to this matter?" Hearing a familiar name in this situation, Gu Chengyu didn’t show much emotion.

"I heard the prince was previously lost among the common folk, only recently reclaimed. Initially, Da Xing Imperial Family had eight princes; with him, that’s nine. One can imagine how intense the royal struggle is. But who would think this prince, once recognized, caught the eye of Prince Du Min. Now backed by Prince Du Min, he can contend with other princes, even exhibiting signs of surpassing them."

Since Gu Wanqian left the last time, Gu Chengyu heard of him for the first time. Undeniably, Gu Wanqian establishing a foothold in Da Xing relieved him somewhat. But that’s all; they are just strangers now.

"This general found out he and General Ren had interactions, though Mr. Gu might not know, General Ren and him are cousins!"

Qi Huan Yu drank half a bowl again and then squinted at Gu Chengyu, trying to observe his reaction.

"Since you’ve said this prince and General Ren are cousins, naturally, there must be entanglements. Has General Qi found any compelling evidence?"

Gu Chengyu felt the reason doesn’t hold water, not solid.

"Doesn’t Mr. Gu find this sufficient? Dayan and Da Xing are on the brink of war, never peaceful for a long time. Even being cousins, there shouldn’t be any interaction. Moreover, they’ve met more than once, not coincidentally."

"There’s another matter: General Ren was originally Princess Yilun’s cousin, childhood companions growing up together. How much entanglement inside, outsiders genuinely can’t know, but this deepens General Ren’s suspicion. They had oral betrothal back then, but the princess was forced into marriage. Who knows if General Ren still holds old affections; an old acquaintance’s child might be significant to him."

Hearing this, Gu Chengyu had to admit Qi Huan Yu made a valid point. But he would say, how many are truly sentimental in this world? Years have passed; even deep emotions should fade, right?

Moreover, the person has long gone; how much feeling remains? Merely reminiscing occasionally, the rest are past.

Gu Chengyu chuckled softly, "Not to mention the princess has long perished, and years have passed; perhaps you’re overthinking. Does General Qi have evidence of General Ren’s collusion with this prince?"

"They are very careful; this general originally sent someone to follow, but each time they lost track. They never correspond via letters, making it hard to approach, so this general mentioned lacking evidence. This must rely on Mr. Gu for investigation; after all, you’re an official of Dali Temple, adept in investigations more than us rough soldiers."

Qi Huan Yu talked a lot, only mentioning Gu Wanqian and Ren Xiuguang’s connection; is he digging a trap or revealing clues?

Gu Chengyu doesn’t know, leaving him to investigate himself. Even if the opponent provided supposed evidence, Gu Chengyu couldn’t fully trust it, still needing his own methods to verify.

"This issue can’t be sorted in a day or two, let’s discuss the matter of Imperial Censor Yin now!" Gu Chengyu naturally shifted the topic.

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