Chapter 22
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Chapter 22:
When Liang Changfeng glanced down and saw Qi Leyuan lurking at the foot of the bed, he paused before nonchalantly raising an eyebrow and asking Li Chunzhou, "Why is there a chicken here?"
Li Chunzhou jumped off the bed barefoot, picked up the little chicken, and gestured for Liang Changfeng to see, saying, "Isn’t it cute? This is Li Li."
Qi Leyuan, like a teenager hiding in their room playing games on New Year’s Eve, was suddenly pulled out by his parents to perform a talent.
Under the gaze of both of them, Qi Leyuan quietly laid an egg in Li Chunzhou’s arms.
Liang Changfeng was silent for a moment, gave Qi Leyuan a scrutinizing look, then picked him up from Li Chunzhou’s arms by his wings.
Qi Leyuan stayed quietly in Liang Changfeng’s hands, looking calm on the outside but actually has been gone for a while.
"Do you like this one?" Liang Changfeng raised his sharp eyebrows, "It’s quite quiet and not afraid of people."
Li Chunzhou watched Liang Changfeng from the side, holding onto an egg, and said seriously, "Sometimes, there are hens like Li Li who think they are the top of the world."
Liang Changfeng: …?
A commotion came from downstairs, catching Li Chunzhou’s curiosity. Her attention shifted from the Second Prince to see what was happening outside. Seeing Li Chunzhou’s curious expression, Liang Changfeng called Jian Yi in and asked, "What’s going on outside?"
Jian Yi lowered his head respectfully and replied, "My lord, General Gu of the Jinwei Guard has come with his men to investigate a case, they are currently dispersing the guests downstairs."
The Jinwei Guard in Daliang is usually responsible for maintaining public order in Shengjing City. They also participate in security work during large events and can lead troops into battle in special circumstances.
The Upper General holds a rank of a second-grade official position, but it’s mostly honorary. The purpose of this position is mainly to accommodate royal family members or pacify local authorities.
"General Gu is quite imposing…" Li Chunzhou sarcastically remarked, then turned to the Second Prince and said, "Doesn’t he know the Second Master is here?"
"Whether His Highness is here or not, the case must be investigated." A cold and firm voice came from outside the door. Upper General Gu Jianxi walked into the elegant room and bowed to the Second Prince.
Liang Changfeng smirked without standing up for a long time. Li Chunzhou was speaking ill of someone behind their back, but when the person heard it, she remained calm. She stood behind the Second Prince, peeking at Gu Jianxi.
This man was exceptionally handsome, tall and slim. The badge of the Jinwei Guard was wrapped in a brocade pouch and hung on his left waist.
Despite his lower position, Gu Jianxi exuded a dignified air. Seeing the Second Prince ignoring him, he stood up straight on his own.
People judge by appearances, and he had fish, clouds, waves, and cliff patterns embroidered on his chest, back, shoulders, and sleeves.
Even though Li Chunzhou didn’t like him, she had to admit that Lord Gu was indeed good-looking. The bright red brocade outfit outlined his superior figure clearly. He had a strong back and a slim waist, indicating years of martial arts training.
The several lower-ranking colonels and warriors behind Gu Jianxi were also wearing over-the-shoulder robes. However, their demeanor was far inferior to Gu Jianxi’s. The Jinwei Guard of Daliang directly obeyed the current emperor, and Gu Jianxi had previously served as the emperor’s personal bodyguard before being appointed as the Upper General of the Jinwei Guard.
They were all close to the emperor and could usually interact directly with him, acting as the eagle dogs of the court. As the emperor’s eyes and ears, they could arrest anyone, including royal relatives, based on the emperor’s orders. Therefore, whether court officials or royal family members, few were willing to confront them directly.
Liang Changfeng did not have any grudges with the Jinwei Guard. The reason he did not give Gu Jianxi face was due to his feud with Prime Minister Gu, who was actually the only adopted son of the current Prime Minister Gu Chenxin.
Many years ago, Gu Chenxin openly sided with the eldest prince, showing clear support for him. He is over fifty years old and has no children of his own, so he adopted a child from his family and raised the child under his wife’s name. This adopted child is Gu Jianxi.
Liang Changfeng gave Li Chunzhou a look, and Li Chunzhou understood. She wore wooden clogs and stood next to the Second Prince, slowly saying, "The people from Dali Temple have been investigating this case twice, unlike General Gu who made a big fuss, causing our Spring Flowers Tower to lose business."
Her attempt to appear powerful and intimidating didn’t succeed, instead making her seem cute and silly.
Liang Changfeng smiled and looked at Li Chunzhou’s smooth and tender hand. Without speaking, he took off a green ring from his own hand and put it on Li Chunzhou’s thumb, as a sign of approval for her mature behavior.
Gu Jianxi coldly glanced at Li Chunzhou, seeming to dismiss her. He continued to gaze at the Second Prince confidently, saying without any regard for Li Chunzhou, "His Majesty has ordered the Jinwei Guard and Dali Temple to investigate together. With the Emperor’s decree here, Your Highness, please leave."
Li Chunzhou raised her eyebrows and scolded angrily, "How dare you speak to the Second Master like that! Do you even know who you’re dealing with…?"
As she was speaking, Gu Jianxi gave her a fierce glare, causing her to lose her provocation and deflate her confidence. However, Li Chunzhou still tried to maintain her bold demeanor, walking past confidently, lifting her fair and delicate neck, and saying, "…who do you think you are!"
After speaking, she quickly faced Gu Jianxi’s stern gaze, snatched the secret order from his hand as if she wanted to break his neck, then hurried back to Liang Changfeng and handed him the secret order.
Liang Changfeng’s face showed a fake smile as he gently embraced Li Chunzhou, soothing her quietly in a protective manner.
From start to finish, he never directly argued with Gu Jianxi. Instead, he let his little sidekick humiliate him. That’s why the Second Prince’s arrogance didn’t show in his words but in his attitude, oozing through every pore from a position of superiority.
This is also why Gu Jianxi disliked the Second Prince.
The Second Prince quickly read the secret order written by the emperor, then casually handed the scroll back to Gu Jianxi.
Lazily standing up, the Second Prince lifted Li Chunzhou’s chin in front of Gu Jianxi, leaned down to kiss her rosy lips, caressed her soft cheeks, and chuckled, "Good girl, I’ll come see you tomorrow."
Liang Changfeng walked up to Gu Jianxi, paused slightly, and patted his shoulder.
"By the way, General Gu," he tilted his head slightly, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, and said slowly and methodically, "Speed up the investigation… Don’t spoil the prince’s mood."
Gu Jianxi bowed again, "I will obey."
After Liang Changfeng left, Li Chunzhou naturally had no reason to stay. As she passed by Gu Jianxi, she deliberately hmphed loudly, rolled her eyes at him, and secretly quickened her pace.
In the past incidents at the Spring Flowers Tower, which hadn’t caused much commotion, she hadn’t interacted much with Gu Jianxi. Clearly, he disliked women, had good martial arts skills, and Li Chunzhou knew she was no match for him physically. Only a fool would confront him head-on.
But before she could leave the room, with a sudden "snap," Li Chunzhou’s wrist was grabbed by someone, she tried to pull away but couldn’t, and a look of panic appeared on her face.
Li Chunzhou was feeling upset, "What are you doing?!"
Gu Jianxi slightly lowered his head, with a cold and firm tone, he dragged her out, saying, "You are a woman of the tower, you must be familiar with the Spring Flowers Tower, come and assist in the investigation."
"I don’t want to!" Li Chunzhou struggled frantically, but she couldn’t get Gu Jianxi’s strong grip off her.
Gu Jianxi stopped walking, turned around and looked down at her, coldly saying, "Refusing to cooperate with the investigation shows guilt, suspects of aiding a crime, do you really want to visit the prison?"
He raised two fingers as if to touch her cheek gently, Li Chunzhou was familiar with such intimacy, but the next moment, Gu Jianxi’s hand suddenly gripped her throat, the veins on his hand slightly appearing.
He didn’t use much force, fearing the Second Prince, but with the most fragile part of Li Chunzhou’s body in another’s hands, she still felt frightened.
"Let go!" Li Chunzhou forcefully slapped Gu Jianxi’s prominent knuckles.
Gu Jianxi smirked, leaning in slightly, whispered in her ear, "Your delicate skin, when peeled off, will make a perfect beauty skin."
Li Chunzhou pursed her lips, feeling alone without Li Zhexuan and Chihong by her side. She lowered her head, pretending to be obedient and nodded. She said in a small voice, "I’ll cooperate with you, just let me go…"
Gu Jianxi looked down at her expression, nodded in satisfaction, released her hand, and then walked towards the room where the incident happened.
Li Chunzhou followed behind with small steps, trying to keep up. Gu Jianxi didn’t show any kindness, didn’t wait for her, and two Jinwei Guards were watching closely. Li Chunzhou was angry but dared not speak up, so she could only curse silently in her heart.
Gu Jianxi had already asked the madam to bring out the roster of all the people at Spring Flowers Tower that night and anyone who could not prove they weren’t at the scene of the incident. They were focusing on the few girls the victim called out before dying.
Seeing their setup, Mama Li knew they would be investigating all night. She greeted them with a smile as usual, trying to be diplomatic, but she didn’t dare use her connections to pressure them. After all, they were Jinwei Guards, and Mama Li didn’t know anyone who could directly influence them.
She looked worried but discreetly glanced at Li Chunzhou.
When Mama Li looked at her with concern, Li Chunzhou shook her head gently, indicating that Mama Li didn’t need to get involved, she could handle it herself.