Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 834 - 670: Preparing to Make a Move

Ha! They really are a pair of good friends! Does Lu Chen not even want his future anymore?

If he returns empty-handed this time, the Emperor will definitely not trust him again, but does Lu Chen really think he can leave unscathed?

At worst, a label of incompetence and inability will be slapped on him. How will the Emperor ever trust Lu Chen to carry out tasks in the future?

"I must apologize to you for this matter, for I have implicated you! You know, the movements of aristocratic families in the Capital are always under others’ watchful eyes. From the moment we left the Capital, perhaps our itinerary was already under control."

Gu Chengyu was somewhat surprised by Lu Chen’s frankness, but he did not believe Lu Chen’s words.

If what Lu Chen said was true, then do aristocratic families really have no privacy left?

Gu Chengyu smiled noncommittally, "Since the Yan Family is visiting, there’s no harm in seeing their intentions."

However, before Gu Chengyu could receive the second master from Yan Mansion who was supposed to visit, trouble arose at Yi Mansion that night.

"Sir! There was a fire at Yi Mansion last night, it was significant. Before, I saw two groups of people attacking Yi Mansion by night; this fire might have been set by one of them." Ding Ba reported the situation at Yi Mansion to Gu Chengyu.

Gu Chengyu raised his eyebrows, is it time for action again?

"What about those two groups? Have they retreated already?"

"Before I returned, they hadn’t. However, the defenses at Yi Mansion are truly formidable. They fought against the two groups to a draw, even though all three parties suffered casualties. Their response was quick. When things looked wrong, I immediately returned to report. Before leaving, I instructed Ding Wu. If those people have retreated, then follow them."

Ding Ba knew that a few days ago, losing track of the men in black had made the boss somewhat displeased.

This time, he dared not delay and quickly returned to report.

Gu Chengyu pondered, the external aid to Yi Mansion is indeed powerful. But Yi Mansion surely wants to use the treasure map to exchange for something.

Yi Family aiming to monopolize the treasure map is undoubtedly wishful thinking.

Gu Chengyu thought of how the Yi Family, in recent years, is no longer as obscure as it was during the late Emperor’s reign; now, two distinguished individuals have emerged within the family.

The fourth generation of Yi Family has grown, signaling their intention to enter the bureaucracy. But who could be cooperating with Yi Family?

Among the three major families in Hejian Prefecture, Yi Family is currently at a low point. Who would ignore the flourishing families of the other two and instead choose a family in decline?

Perhaps they have seen the potential in Yi Family, wanting to utilize them for their own needs.

Gu Chengyu thought carefully about the qualities of the Princes and felt the Second Prince and Prince Jing seemed quite likely.

Of course, perhaps not only the Princes have come to Hejian Prefecture, but some court Ministers may have also participated.

"So the treasure map is still with Yi Family?" Yi Family’s resilience made Gu Chengyu feel this situation was becoming tricky.

"Did you keep an eye on Ma Zhihong these past days? Did he show any unusual behavior?"

Gu Chengyu thought of Ma Zhihong as the public imperial envoy. However, he had been in Hejian Prefecture for quite some time already, with unclear intentions.

Ma Zhihong is aligned with the Eldest Prince. Only by finding out with whom Ma Zhihong has been interacting can the movements of the Eldest Prince’s faction be controlled.

Before coming to Hejian Prefecture, Gu Chengyu had already instructed close surveillance on Ma Zhihong, who is a key figure.

"Reporting, Sir! Mr. Ma has been staying at the inn each day, only leaving twice to drink at a tavern."

Ding Ba recalled carefully, ensuring that nothing unusual occurred with Ma Zhihong over these two days, nor had anyone visited him at the inn.

Gu Chengyu was somewhat surprised, Ma Zhihong is indeed cautious.

It seems the Eldest Prince’s faction hasn’t contacted Ma Zhihong yet, or perhaps there is a hidden guard of the Eldest Prince at the inn.

"Keep a close watch on Ma Zhihong; he should show signs of action these days."

Considering it’s been delayed this long and the people of Hejian Prefecture know Gu Chengyu is here, Ma Zhihong should understand his predicament and cannot stay still.

"Sir! Ding Wu’s group is back!"

Gu Chengyu was invigorated, "So soon? Let them in quickly!"

"Sir! We tracked the black-clad attackers from Yi Mansion and discovered their hiding place. Also, there’s been a development with Mr. Ma; he disguised himself as a rural farmer and met with the leader of one of the groups."

"The leader of another group went to Qu Mansion, and after entering, he never came out."

Gu Chengyu frowned; the person Ma Zhihong met should be affiliated with the Eldest Prince. But why has there been no movement from the Third Prince’s side?

The Qu Family has intervened; is it their own action, or have they reached an agreement with a particular faction? Might the Third Prince be behind the Qu Family?

"Continue to monitor closely. If there’s another night attack on Yi Mansion, quickly report back. We might take advantage of the situation to fish in troubled waters."

Actually, today would have been an opportunity. If Gu Chengyu had known the news earlier and rushed over, perhaps he could have stolen the treasure map.

Anyway, with others leading the way, they wouldn’t have noticed him.

Ding Ba’s and his group’s martial arts skills are lacking, and they are just a few people.

The defenses at Yi Mansion are so tight that having Ding Ba’s group attempt theft is certainly impossible.

Besides, he doesn’t know where the treasure map is hidden in Yi Mansion. If he could find out in advance, stealing it would be easier.

The incident caught them off guard, but Ding Ba’s group reported back as soon as it happened, which was timely.

Those attackers retreated within such a short time; even if they hurried over now, it would be too late.

Gu Chengyu contemplated, thinking that further waiting wasn’t an option. An active approach might yield better results.

If they plan to steal the treasure map from Yi Mansion, they’d need to understand the layout and where the map is stored.

Gu Chengyu suddenly smiled; since Lu Chen was tagging along, how could they not act? He couldn’t have kept Lu Chen around for nothing! 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

The next day, Lu Chen came to the study in high spirits.

"Jinyu! Last night, Yi Mansion was attacked, and there was a fire."

Lu Chen boldly walked in and sat across from Gu Chengyu.

"Oh? Do you have any idea who did it?" Gu Chengyu was incredibly surprised and raised his eyes to observe Lu Chen.

"There were two groups, one from Qu Mansion, and the other is still unknown."

Lu Chen’s eyes sparkled as he took a sip of tea thoughtfully offered by Ming Mo.

"Did you send men to follow them?" Gu Chengyu hoped to glean more information from Lu Chen to identify who was behind the other group.

"Of course, but the Qu Family must have forged an alliance. Previously, they already targeted Yi Mansion with significant losses. Now they’ve returned swiftly, surely with someone’s support."