Chapter 32: Into a Political Intrigue Novel, Day 10

Chapter 32: The Tenth Day in a Power Struggle Novel

Ge Lian: "What about Wang Xian's residence?"

The soldier replied, "Still under siege."

"Summon the men!" Ge Lian barked, hurling his spear violently into the weapon rack with a resonant clang. "Muster the troops! We're heading to Wang Xian's mansion!"

"At your command!" The soldiers responded in unison.

Ge Lian led a contingent of fierce, armed soldiers and swept like a whirlwind straight toward Wang Xian's residence.

The vermilion lacquered gate was brutally forced open. Inside, the household, already paralyzed with fear since Wang Xian's arrest, descended into chaos—the wailing of women, the panicked scurrying of servants.

"Search! Turn the place upside down if you have to! Leave no letter, ledger, or hidden compartment untouched!"

Ge Lian, dressed in dark close-fitting attire, rested his hand on his saber as his hawk-like gaze swept over the extravagant mansion that reeked of new money. His face betrayed undisguised contempt and ruthlessness.

The soldiers dispersed like wolves and tigers. The sounds of ransacking, smashing, and shouting filled the air. Ge Lian personally led a few trusted men straight to Wang Xian's study.

The study was in complete disarray. Ge Lian's sharp eyes scanned every corner. He approached the massive desk, his fingers slowly tracing the cold surface. Suddenly, his fingertip paused at an almost imperceptible crevice.

"Pry this open!" Ge Lian ordered.

A soldier immediately stepped forward, using the tip of a dagger to carefully probe the gap and then pried it open with force!

A palm-sized, flawlessly disguised movable plank sprang open. Beneath it lay a highly concealed, built-in compartment!

The compartment contained no gold or jewels, only a few letters sealed with wax and a thin ledger recorded in special symbols.

Ge Lian picked up the top letter, which bore no signature on the envelope. He tore open the wax seal and pulled out the slightly worn, plain paper inside.

As his eyes scanned the few lines, Ge Lian's pupils contracted sharply! The content of the letter directly implicated Duan Mingde in a years-old corruption case involving embezzlement of massive sums during his supervision of river works in Jiangnan.

The details of inflated project costs, skimming of materials, and collusion with local officials to siphon funds were horrifyingly detailed. The names of several key figures now holding high office were listed prominently!

This was absolutely not something someone of Wang Xian's caliber could possess!

Suppressing the raging storm within him, he quickly flipped through the ledger.

It recorded, in excruciating detail, the massive gains Wang Xian had funneled to Duan Mingde's faction over the years through various covert channels.

Dates, locations, intermediaries, amounts—each entry was stark and shocking. The most staggering sums were unambiguously traced to their ultimate recipient: Duan Mingde himself!

Ge Lian meticulously examined the ledger and letters. Every name, every transaction clearly pointed to the heinous crimes of Duan Mingde and his core cronies.

Yet, oddly enough, from start to finish, there was not a single trace of the name "An Yi" to be found!

Wang Xian was actually hiding such deadly evidence?!

Not only did he know Duan Mingde's fatal weakness, but he also held solid evidence?

Impossible. This was something he could never have possessed.

Then how did these items end up here?

There was only one answer—they had been "carefully planted" here, waiting for him to discover them!

An Yi...

"Young Marquis! I found something!" Another soldier came running, holding a small, locked box made of black ebony.

Ge Lian suppressed his tumultuous thoughts, took the box, and forcibly broke the lock open.

Upon lifting the lid, instead of the expected letters or jewels, he found a neatly folded, slightly yellowed sheet of paper and a few pills wrapped in oil paper, jet-black like ink and exuding a faint bitter odd smell.

The prescription was written in a delicate hand, clearly a woman's handwriting, but its contents made Ge Lian frown—it listed several herbs that were all highly toxic. Alongside was a small annotation: "Slow-acting poison. Takes effect after three days. Appears like an acute illness."

Three days.

A thought struck Ge Lian: Wang Xian's death... Could it be that An Yi, when he "reassured" Wang Xian in the Department of State Affairs four days ago, had already decided to give him this deadly poison?!

Making Wang Xian cling to false hope, only to die in terror and agony?!

Ge Lian held the box containing the cold, black pills, feeling a chill seep into his bones. An Yi... this man's meticulous planning and ruthless methods sent a chill down your spine.

And the evidence—this evidence must also be something An Yi intended to deliver to him.

What was An Yi planning? Was he extending a peace offering, betraying Duan Mingde?

At that moment, the image of An Yi, his eyes flushed with anger, red at the corners, and that sharp question: "Could it be that you've taken a fancy to me?" uncontrollably surfaced in Ge Lian's mind.

It intertwined in his mind with the cold, brutal evidence before him, creating a bizarre and heart-pounding contrast.

"Hiss..." Ge Lian drew a sharp breath, feeling as if something had struck his chest hard, causing a numb, chaotic, indescribable palpitation and agitation.

He irritably stuffed the prescription back into the box, clutching the letters and ledger tightly in his hands.

"Marquis, these items..." The soldier cautiously inquired, seeing Ge Lian's changing expression.

Ge Lian's gaze shifted complexly. Finally, he waved his hand, his voice slightly hoarse: "This case is of great importance. I, the Marquis, will personally keep the physical evidence. The others, continue searching! Leave no clue overlooked!"

He looked down at the stack of evidence capable of stirring up a storm in the court—especially the medicine box and paper. His knuckles whitened from the grip.

An Yi... black-hearted An Yi... This time, you've truly handed me a 'surprise.'

A cold, oddly excited smile curved at the corner of Ge Lian's lips. This evidence was the fatal blow aimed at Duan Mingde. How should he use it? He calculated in his mind, yet the image of An Yi’s bright, furious eyes flashed involuntarily before him again.

Ge Lian shook his head abruptly, trying to dispel the unwelcome image, muttering a curse: "Damn it!"

His fingers twitched slightly: "An Yi, An Yi... Junheng... balancing both ends and using the middle, adapting to maintain constancy. Good indeed, 'Junheng'! Are you truly going to walk this path of balance?"