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Chapter 378 Truly well hidden

The two walked through the desolate front yard and headed straight for the main hall of the Marquis's mansion.

The weeds in the courtyard had grown to waist height, and the stone path was covered with moss, showing a sense of desolation and decay.

"Where did you see that pattern at the Marquis's residence?" Gu Junze asked as he walked, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.

Gu Cheng'an tried hard to recall: "It seemed to be in my father's study, on a painting hanging on the wall, the pattern in the painting..."

Gu Junze didn't stop walking: "Let's go to the study first."

The study of the Marquis of Anyang is located on the west side of the mansion. It is a relatively independent courtyard with closed doors and windows, making it even more quiet.

Gu Junze pushed open the half-closed courtyard gate, and a musty smell wafted out.

The study was dimly lit, and most of the items had been moved out, leaving only a few heavy pieces of furniture and some papers scattered on the floor.

The air was thick with the smell of dust, and sunlight streamed through the cracks in the windowpanes, casting dappled beams of light.

Gu Junze walked straight to the inner wall of the study, his gaze lingering on an inconspicuous corner.

Chu Ruohan once discovered a hidden compartment here.

He reached out and groped along the wall for a moment, and sure enough, he found the mechanism. With a gentle press, a wall panel slid open silently, revealing an empty hidden compartment.

"Han'er found my mother's belongings here before," Gu Junze said in a deep voice, carefully examining the inside of the hidden compartment. "Now it's empty."

He reached inside and confirmed that there were no other hidden compartments or mechanisms, nor any suspicious patterns.

Gu Cheng'an looked around the room, his gaze sweeping over the empty bookshelves and dusty tables and chairs.

His gaze finally settled on a rolled-up scroll in the corner.

He stepped forward and carefully unfurled the scroll.

The painting depicts a magnificent "Tiger Descending the Mountain," with the tiger's fierce eyes conveying a lifelike quality.

"Brother, this is the painting!" Gu Cheng'an pointed to the scroll. "Look here."

Gu Junze approached upon hearing the sound and looked in the direction Gu Cheng'an was pointing.

Against the backdrop of a mountain rock where a tiger is crouching, the textures and shadows of several rocks cleverly outline a peculiar pattern.

If not carefully examined, it is easy to mistake it for the natural texture of rocks, blending seamlessly into the overall picture.

"It was indeed well hidden." Gu Junze's eyes were serious as he leaned closer to examine the details of the pattern. "If you don't look for it deliberately, you won't be able to find it at all."

The lines of the pattern are simple yet strange, unlike ordinary patterns or symbols.

"What exactly does this pattern represent?" Gu Cheng'an frowned, completely baffled.

Gu Junze stared at the pattern, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "It seems that the matter involving Marquis Anyang is more profound than we imagined."

He raised his eyes and looked at Gu Cheng'an: "Do you remember that county magistrate? He said that all the benefits were taken by those above him."

Gu Cheng'an nodded: "I remember, he said he was just a pawn."

"This pattern might be a clue."

Gu Junze's gaze returned to the scroll. "Anything that the Marquis of Anyang would hide so carefully is definitely not simple. I will send someone to investigate the origin of this pattern."

“There must be others in the court who are involved in this matter, and they must hold high positions.”

"Brother, this pattern is no ordinary one, Father..."

Gu Cheng'an hesitated for a long time before finally finding his voice, "The fact that Marquis Anyang hid it so secretly must mean something of great importance."

Gu Junze's gaze was as deep as a pool. He withdrew his gaze and rolled up the painting again.

"The Marquis of Anyang is a man of deep thoughts and acts with caution. If the same flag had not appeared in the bandit camp, this secret would probably have remained buried forever."

He turned and walked out with steady steps. "Let's go back and interrogate that magistrate again."

Gu Cheng'an immediately followed up: "Brother, do you want to find out the origin of this pattern from him?"

"No," Gu Junze said coldly without stopping, "What I want to know is, who exactly is above him!"

The dark and damp prison was filled with a nauseating musty smell.

The county magistrate was roughly dragged in by two soldiers and knelt down in front of Gu Junze again.

Just seeing Gu Junze's cold face made the magistrate's body tremble like a leaf, and his forehead was instantly covered in cold sweat.

"General...General, spare my life..." The magistrate's voice was choked with sobs as he kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead striking the cold stone slab with a dull thud.

Gu Junze looked down at him, his eyes devoid of any warmth, as if he were looking at a dead object.

"I'll ask you one more time: who is the 'higher-ups' who instructed you to collude with the bandits and embezzle their profits?"

The magistrate suddenly raised his head, tears streaming down his face.

He kowtowed repeatedly, his voice shrill: "It's not that I don't want to speak, it's that I dare not speak! Their power is overwhelming, if I tell, my whole family will not survive! Please, General, spare me!"

His body trembled violently, almost collapsing to the ground, and every word he uttered was filled with deep-seated fear.

Gu Junze stared at him coldly.

The magistrate's genuine fear only confirmed his earlier suspicions.

The power behind the scenes is probably far beyond imagination, enough to make a cowardly official rather die than utter a single word.

Forcing it won't work.

Gu Junze understood. This fear was genuine; if the pressure was too great and the clues were cut off, things would become even more difficult.

"It seems you're truly afraid." Gu Junze waved his hand. "Take him away and keep a close watch on him."

"Yes!" The soldier immediately stepped forward and dragged the magistrate, who was limp as a rag doll, out again, leaving only his desperate sobs echoing in the empty cell.

Gu Cheng'an stood outside the door, having heard the conversation inside clearly, his brows furrowed.

"Brother, he still won't tell us?"

Gu Junze walked out of the cell, a chill emanating from him.

"He's terrified. It seems the person behind him is ruthless, making him afraid to speak."

He paused, his tone heavy: "You can't get it out of me by forcing it."

Gu Cheng'an was somewhat unwilling: "Then what should we do? Are we just going to let the trail go cold like this?"

Gu Junze raised his eyes and looked into the distance, his gaze sharp. "This path is blocked; we can only start with that pattern."

He turned his head and instructed Shadow Three behind him, "Shadow Three, investigate the origin of this pattern. Use all available resources and don't overlook any clues."

"Yes!" Shadow Three's figure silently disappeared into the shadows.

On the other side, at the Princess's residence

A crisp "clang!" was heard.

The white porcelain teacup was slammed to the ground and shattered into pieces.

Tea splattered with crumbs, staining the luxurious carpet.

Du Ruoling's chest heaved violently.

Footsteps sounded hurriedly, and Gu's mother walked in with a sullen face.

Her gaze swept over the mess on the ground, landing on Du Ruoling, and a mocking smile appeared on her lips.

"What? You can't even handle this little setback?"

"Who was it that swore back then that they could definitely win back Cheng'an's heart?"