The First Venerable of the Prosperous Age

"My lords, why do you perform such a grand ceremony?" Chang'an asked with a half-smile.

Du Xian gritted his teeth and took out a letter from his pocket.

The cover is red, with a red flower attached.

Chang'an exclaimed in shock, "This...this is...!"

Du Xian smiled wryly and said, "So you already know about this, young friend. It seems my son was right. You are perhaps the only person we can rely on now."

Chang'an asked, "Is this letter addressed to you?"

Du Xian clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, and gritted his teeth as he said, "That's right, this is the letter that Aunt Gongsun wrote to me."

The young and beautiful noblewoman kneeling beside Du Xian, her face alternating between blue and purple, must be Madam Du.

"How come Madam Du is so young? She doesn't look like the mother of a seven-year-old child at all. Could it be... a stepmother? Hmm... Du Xianying is known for his stern nature, otherwise he wouldn't have received this flirtatious letter..."

Chang'an thought to himself, then asked with a wry smile, "And how did you manage to get involved with Gongsun Da Niang?"

Du Xian's eyes flickered, filled with regret and guilt: "Actually, I... never provoked her..."

Chang'an laughed and said, "You haven't provoked her? Could this letter be from me?"

Du Xian sighed, "This is really... alas..."

Although Chang'an did not know the truth of the matter, he understood this expression.

This is a kind of helplessness that only men can feel.

Then I saw young Du Fu gritting his teeth and rubbing his aching knees.

Chang'an felt a pang of pity and said softly, "You should all get up and speak. I am just a commoner and do not have such a strong desire for officialdom."

A large group of people helped each other to their feet, but Du Xian was the first to step forward, pull Chang'an aside, and bow, saying:

"Thank you for your understanding, young friend."

Chang'an smiled and said, "I know there are some things that can't be said in front of family. Once they are said, there will be endless trouble."

Du Xian looked at him with approval and admiration, saying, "I didn't expect you to have such insight at such a young age."

Chang'an laughed and said, "Hey, it's no big deal. You'll know everything once you read more books."

"But speaking of which, what exactly is going on between you and Granny Gongsun?"

Du Xian sighed deeply, "What a tragic fate, what a tragic fate..."

"You really...? No way!" Chang'an exclaimed.

Du Xian said, "Young friend, rest assured, I have only respect for Lady Gongsun and have absolutely no improper thoughts. I have a clear conscience after doing all this."

Then he changed the subject and began to tell the story in detail.

"Two days ago, Magistrate Xu of Yancheng took office and held a lavish banquet at Zuixianlou, inviting Du and many colleagues."

"With flowers in abundance, fine wine and delicious food, everything is available. It's truly wonderful," Chang'an said.

Du Xian sighed, "But you should know that these are not reasons why I absolutely have to go."

Chang'an said, "I understand. If everyone else goes to this event and you don't, then you're clearly going against the 'big shots.' At best, you'll be demoted to a commoner; at worst, your entire family will be executed."

Du Xian sighed, "But my wife doesn't understand these things. She only knows that I have a cold and she advises me every day not to drink alcohol anymore."

Chang'an nodded. "So she still doesn't know the origin of this letter."

“And she’s still angry right now,” Du Xian said.

"But you must know the origin of this letter. What does your feasting and drinking at your mansion that night have to do with Granny Gongsun? Could something have happened at the banquet?" Chang'an pressed.

Du Xian shook his head, his face showing even more helplessness:

"The banquet went very smoothly, just like following a set procedure. People said what they were supposed to say, offered toasts as they were supposed to offer, and those who got drunk fell into the arms of beauties, while those who didn't get drunk also fell into the arms of beauties."

Listening to him recount the details with such familiarity, Chang'an smiled and said, "That was indeed quite smooth."

"But things didn't go so smoothly after that. After bidding farewell to the gentlemen, I ran into a group of hooligans in the alley outside the restaurant, who were humiliating a beautiful woman in red."

Chang'an exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be Lady Gongsun?"

"I'm 70% sure it's her," Du Xian replied.

Chang'an smiled wryly: "What's the reason for this uncertainty?"

Du Xian sighed, "I was really drunk at the time, and my eyes were almost blurry, so all I can tell you is that the woman's graceful figure and beautiful smile are exactly the same as Gongsun Da Niang's."

Chang'an said, "And then you went to play the hero and save the damsel in distress."

"Du holds an official position; how could he stand idly by when a villain committed a crime?"

"However, Du's actions were entirely out of public interest, and he had absolutely no improper thoughts toward Granny Gongsun."

Du Xian sighed deeply again, "After driving away those thieves, the girl in red only left with a meaningful smile before departing. It wasn't until yesterday that I found this letter on the table..."

Chang'an pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "That's not right. Lady Gongsun's swordsmanship is unparalleled, so why would she need the government's lowly soldiers to save her?"

"But...it's also possible that she's using this as bait, pretending to be weak to catch someone else..."

Du Xian said, "It's very possible. I learned from the yamen files that this is actually the seventh case of a matchmaker murdering a family, and each one uses the same method, from the restaurant to the red letter."

Chang'an exclaimed in surprise, "The seventh case! And they're all the same?!"

"That's right, the first five victims were all ordinary people, until last night..."

Chang'an sneered, "Only when the devil's claws reach out to you do you realize you need to apprehend the culprit?"

"Sigh...it's embarrassing to admit."

"Don't be ashamed, I'm used to this kind of behavior. Just tell me, what do these seven victimized families have in common?"

Du Xian said, "Those being targeted are mostly strong men in their thirties."

"You must be a lecherous middle-aged man, otherwise you wouldn't have come to me for help," Chang'an said with a smile.

"This..." Du Xian stammered, looking as if his secret had been exposed.

"If I'm not mistaken, the reason for Lord Guo's murder should have already spread throughout the government. If Lord Du requests more guards now, wouldn't that be tantamount to telling his colleagues that he's also gotten himself into this mess?"

"This is not a good thing for your career, is it?"

"Since the government officials are unreliable and incapable of solving the case immediately, we can only place our hopes on martial arts masters."

Du Xian bowed deeply again, "Young hero, your foresight is truly divine. I, Du, only ask for..."

"You don't need to say anything. Even for your son's sake, I will definitely help you with this."

Upon hearing this, the gloom on Du Xian's face finally dissipated, and he immediately bowed to the ground: "Young hero, your righteous assistance is deeply appreciated by the entire Du family!"

Chang'an smiled and said, "Let's express our gratitude after we get through this ordeal."

"And I have one more condition."

Du Xian said with righteous indignation, "As long as Guo can do it, I will go through fire and water without hesitation."

Chang'an waved his hand, "No need to be so noble. After I catch the real culprit, I want you to release all the innocent servants and maids in the Guo family!"

"That's natural."

"I haven't finished yet. During my investigation, I must ensure that the jailers treat these servants well. You know, you officials are no greater than them. If they suffer injustice in prison, then I can only let you suffer injustice too."

"Young hero, rest assured, I, Du, will do everything in my power to ensure their safety."

"I hope you remember your promise. Now, you need to think about how to catch the thief."

At this point, he couldn't help but start to think: "All of this doesn't seem like something Sister Gongsun would do... But then again, I only met her yesterday, how could I really know her?"

"But I trust those two girls from the Yun family..."

"But that night I did see Granny Gongsun sneaking out of the Guo residence..."

"Alas, in any case, Granny Gongsun is now the prime suspect. The only way to clear her name and save the Guo family servants is to capture the real culprit."

"But it does save a lot of trouble. Tonight I just need to wait at the Du residence."