More Than One

Suicide was suicide.

Suicide out of fear of punishment was suicide out of fear of punishment.

A difference of a single word, yet worlds apart.

The fact that Xiao Bichang committed suicide was already indisputable.

The scene was perfect, and the initial autopsy results pointed clearly to this conclusion.

No one could fabricate a murderer out of thin air to overturn this physical fact.

Therefore, Gu Chengyin naturally wouldn't waste time tangling over this point.

He set his breakthrough point on the phrase "fear of punishment."

This was the motive, the qualitative nature of the act, and the bridge connecting Xiao Bichang's death with the Xiao clan.

Furthermore, it was the key weight in determining whether Xiao Song could be dragged back down into the mire.

If the Grand Secretariat ultimately finalized the case as a suicide out of fear of punishment, it would be equivalent to confirming Xiao Bichang's crimes, as well as the corruption accusations in his suicide note.

Conversely, Xiao Song would have a tremendous amount of leeway to extricate himself. Although he couldn't completely escape involvement, his situation would be vastly improved.

Suffering some damage to the muscles and bones was always better than being uprooted entirely.

Thus, when Cui Shifan wanted to use "suicide out of fear of punishment" as the preliminary conclusion, Gu Chengyin knew that this man was starting to make his moves.

The underlying logic was simply that the Second Grand Secretary was too eager to advance his own position.

Right after Gu Chengyin's words landed clearly, obvious astonishment flashed in the eyes of Hu Juzheng and Yuan Zhengqing.

Having navigated the sea of officialdom for many years, how could they not understand the difference?

Cui Shifan wanting to define it as suicide out of fear of punishment naturally had his political considerations behind it.

As collaborators, during the preliminary conclusion stage, as long as it didn't violate major principles, they wouldn't refuse to give him face.

Not to mention that the current findings from the investigation indeed matched a suicide out of fear of punishment.

Of course, if one had to be pedantic word by word, the more fitting term was still simply "suicide."

Because this was only a preliminary conclusion, confirming the cause of death was sufficient.

As for whether it was truly out of fear of punishment, that required the support of stronger evidence later on.

But they hadn't expected Gu Chengyin to directly point out this discrepancy, and with such a clear attitude, refusing to yield a single inch.

Cui Shifan took a deep look at Gu Chengyin. After a moment of silence, no anger appeared on his face.

Instead, he slowly nodded and peacefully admitted the slip:

"Marquis Gu's reminder is correct. It was my poor choice of words."

He looked back at Hu Juzheng and Yuan Zhengqing, reiterating:

"Regarding the case of the Left Vice Minister of Revenue, Xiao Bichang, it has been confirmed by the three Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet."

"We agree that the preliminary conclusion is: Xiao Bichang committed suicide."

"The specific reasons, and whether it involves corruption or other matters, await further detailed investigation."

"The subsequent handling and in-depth investigation of this case will require Marquis Gu to expend some effort."

Gu Chengyin immediately stood up, clasped his fist in salute, and said crisply, "This junior understands."

"This case is of great importance and time is pressing. This junior will not disturb the three Grand Secretaries any longer. Farewell."

With that, he turned around and walked out of the council hall with steady steps, without a trace of hesitation.

Watching Gu Chengyin's figure disappear, Hu Juzheng looked at Cui Shifan and smiled:

"Grand Secretary Cui, this Gu Chengyin doesn't seem to give you, the host, much face."

Cui Shifan glanced at Hu Juzheng. He naturally knew what Hu Juzheng meant by "host."

He was teasing him about Gu Chengyin being a guest at the Cui Manor.

Without even replying, he stood up and left elegantly.

.....

Coming out of the Grand Secretariat, Gu Chengyin returned to the Cui Manor's carriage waiting in a secluded spot, lifted the curtain, and slipped inside.

Inside the carriage, Cui Zilu was fidgeting restlessly. Seeing him return, she immediately leaned forward and asked nervously in a low voice:

"Brother Chengyin, how did it go?"

"Was my father very scary? Did he make things difficult for you?"

Cui Zilu clearly knew how majestic and intimidating Cui Shifan was in official settings.

Gu Chengyin sat down opposite her, nodded, his expression as usual:

"Grand Secretary Cui has long held a high position and managed the central government. His imposing aura is indeed not something ordinary officials can compare to." This evaluation was objective and fair.

Upon hearing this, Cui Zilu immediately nodded vigorously in deep empathy, her small face scrunching up:

"Right, right! When my father gets serious, he's terrifying! Once he pulls a long face and glares, no one dares to breathe loudly!"

"When I saw him like that as a child, I didn't even dare to speak. I wished I could find a hole in the ground to hide in!" She patted her chest, looking as if she still felt lingering fear.

Then, as if remembering something, a trace of slyness and pride appeared on Cui Zilu's pretty face. She lowered her voice and said:

"But, fortunately, my mother is at home! If my father dared to pull that stinky face in front of her, my mother wouldn't spoil him!"

"She scolds him when needed and lectures him when necessary. My father can only put on a smiling face, completely helpless! Hehe!"

Once Cui Zilu's chatterbox opened, family secrets tumbled out casually. Her completely guileless appearance made Gu Chengyin unable to help but chuckle.

However, these words also made Gu Chengyin's heart stir.

Cui Shifan, the powerful Second Grand Secretary of the Cabinet who held sway over the court, was actually a henpecked husband?

This couldn't help but remind him of another similarly henpecked old fox, Shangguan Yuan, who was currently grounded at home.

Thinking again of the relationship between Shangguan Yunying and Cui Zilu, Gu Chengyin became lost in thought.

Cui Shifan and Shangguan Yuan, these two old foxes, had no apparent personal relationship on the surface, and even had quite a few disagreements regarding court politics.

But in private, could they, because of this shared trait of fearing their wives, actually sympathize with each other and even share a secret friendship unknown to outsiders?

This thought flashed by, and Gu Chengyin didn't delve into it deeply, just finding it quite amusing.

"Back to the Left Vice Minister of Revenue's Manor."

Gu Chengyin told the coachman.

The carriage slowly started, leaving the Cabinet area and turning into the crisscrossing streets and alleys of the divine capital's inner city.

Going from the Cabinet to the Left Vice Minister of Revenue's Manor required passing through several relatively secluded small paths.

Although the roads were narrow, their advantage lay in being quiet and fast.

Inside the carriage, Cui Zilu was still chattering away about interesting matters at home, trying to relieve the pressure Gu Chengyin might have brought out from the Cabinet.

Gu Chengyin leaned against the carriage wall, listening very seriously and chiming in from time to time.

But in reality, he was multitasking, organizing in his mind the topics he might need to discuss in his upcoming meeting with Shangguan Yuan.

The carriage traveled for a while, the sound of its wheels rolling over the stone-paved road regular and monotonous.

Suddenly, Gu Chengyin's mind stirred, and an indescribable feeling welled up in his heart.

Something was wrong.

It was too quiet outside.

Even if this alley was secluded, there should still be pedestrians or peddlers.

But at this moment, apart from the sound of their carriage, he couldn't hear any other noises of the marketplace. Even the clamor of the distant main street seemed to have been cut off.

An unusual silence permeated the air.

This was not a normal quietness, but an artificial, deathly stillness.

Almost at the exact same time Gu Chengyin noticed the anomaly.

From outside the carriage came the deliberately lowered warning voice of the Cui Manor's coachman:

"Marquis Gu, we have a situation."

The coachman's tone carried not the slightest panic, but rather the sharpness and vigilance belonging to a martial arts master.

"Someone is following us."

He paused, his voice deepening as he added:

"And, it's more than just one."