Eyes on the Matter

The page was covered in crooked writing.

—Geng He's wife died of illness in the eleventh year of Longzheng. Geng He's daughter, Geng Rong, married Wu Peng in the fifth year of Longzheng and gave birth to a son in the sixth. Wu Peng was an inspector for the Five Cities Garrison. The family currently lived on Back Street of Qingping Street, in the sixth courtyard from the east.

"Wu Peng? Qingping Street?"

After reading it, a trace of surprise flashed through Chen Mu's eyes.

The reason for his surprise was simple. Not only did he remember Wu Peng, he was just as familiar with Qingping Street, because Qingping Street was the district near Xuanguo Estate.

As for Wu Peng, the inspector, he was responsible for patrolling that area. Every night, he led a team on schedule to patrol the broad area outside Xuanguo Estate. He also had connections to Xuanguo Estate himself.

Chen Mu shook his head.

After going around such a huge circle and even commissioning the investigation through Heaven's Secret Pavilion, he had never expected the person to be right under his nose. Yet without Heaven's Secret Pavilion's investigation, even if Geng Rong was a servant of Xuanguo Estate, he still would never have found her.

After all, the matter involved events from so many years ago, and the imperial power had changed hands in the meantime.

He said nothing more.

Chen Mu crumpled the yellow paper into a ball, ground it into powder between his fingertips, then stepped out of Heaven's Secret Pavilion.

Several breaths later, a white-robed figure emerged. With a gentle sweep of his sleeve, he drove all the powder out of the room, leaving the wooden table clean and tidy once more.

Qingping Street.

Back Street.

An inspector for the Five Cities Garrison was an official neither high nor low in rank. He was beneath only the Deputy Commander, holding Principal Eighth Rank. Placed in the provinces, that rank would count as quite high, and he could command quite a few people. But here in the Capital, especially in the eyes of the nobility, he was nothing more than a patrolman.

The courtyard where Wu Peng, the inspector, lived was a two-courtyard residence. Among two-courtyard residences, however, it was relatively large and well-appointed. It had several maids and servants, barely enough to qualify him as a "master."

Chen Mu found the place quickly.

He did not pay it much attention. After activating Spirit Sight and scanning it once, he took in everything within Wu Peng's courtyard. Three servants and two maids were busy with household chores.

There was also a woman living in the main rooms, as well as a child of around ten.

Wu Peng himself, the inspector, did not appear to be home.

Chen Mu did not mind. He had no particular interest in Wu Peng, nor in Wu Peng's child. He had come only to find Wu Peng's wife.

He walked forward.

Chen Mu raised his hand and knocked on the door.

The door opened quickly, and a servant stepped out. He was slightly surprised by Chen Mu's appearance, then hurriedly bowed and said, "Young master, what business do you have?"

"I came at someone's request to ask your mistress about something."

Chen Mu spoke calmly.

The servant froze for a moment.

He had assumed Chen Mu had come with business for Wu Peng, the inspector. That would have been normal, after all. But to ask nothing about Wu Peng and seek out Geng Rong directly was rather strange.

Still, seeing Chen Mu's extraordinary bearing, he did not dare neglect him. After hesitating briefly, he bowed, then hurried into the courtyard to report.

Meanwhile, Geng Rong was in the rear courtyard teaching her son, Wu Ming, to practice calligraphy.

When she was eight, Geng He had lost the family fortune, leaving her to wander. Before that, she had been a young lady of a respectable family and had learned to write. She had never abandoned the skill afterward, practicing from time to time.

When she heard the servant's report, Geng Rong was also somewhat puzzled. What matter could there be that did not involve Wu Peng but had brought someone to seek her out? And what old acquaintance was this person talking about?

For a moment, she could not make sense of it.

But in broad daylight, a young master had come to visit. Surely nothing could happen.

After thinking it over briefly, Geng Rong followed the servant out and went to greet him at the entrance.

She pushed open the door.

At a glance, she saw that the young master outside was even younger than the servant had described, no more than sixteen or seventeen. He indeed had an extraordinary bearing.

She did not dare neglect him and invited Chen Mu into the courtyard, bringing him to a side room used to receive guests. She ordered the servants to serve tea, then asked in puzzlement,

"Young master, may I ask what brings you here, and who sent you to seek me out?"

Chen Mu carefully examined Geng Rong.

Spirit Sight could see blood and qi, and it could see Spirit Veins, but it could not see the details of a person's features. After examining her closely, he could tell that Geng Rong had a healthy complexion, no sorrow on her face, and a plump figure. Clearly, as Wu Peng's principal wife, she had lived quite well all these years.

However, his scrutinizing gaze made Geng Rong uneasy. She had wandered in her youth and witnessed many dark things, so she knew that some masters did not like young girls and loved only married women. But Chen Mu was merely sixteen or seventeen. Surely he could not be like that?

Chen Mu naturally had no idea what a mess of thoughts had flashed through Geng Rong's mind. After examining her carefully and confirming her condition, he said mildly,

"The person who sent me should be an old acquaintance of yours. He said that he had failed you in this life, caused you to fall into hardship, and did not know how to make amends. So he did not ask for your forgiveness. He only asked me to inquire about your circumstances. But from the looks of things, you are free of illness and misfortune and living quite well."

As he spoke,

Chen Mu took two Gold Notes from his sleeve.

Yesterday, Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion had sent him twenty Gold Notes, each worth fifty gold. They said that the first glassware made according to the Glassmaking Method had sold at auction for two thousand gold, so they had sent him half.

Two thousand gold was already a figure that ordinary families did not even dare imagine. But to truly wealthy families, it was merely money to scatter freely in their daily lives.

In its early stages, the Glassmaking Method was indeed eye-catching enough. Its products were more exquisite and translucent than jade ware. As long as Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion could hold out and release only a tiny quantity each month, the price would slowly decline, but it could still remain extremely high.

Chen Mu handed the Gold Notes to Geng Rong.

"He asked me to give these to you. Use them for your daily expenses, and don't be hard on yourself."

"This..."

When Geng Rong saw the denominations on the Gold Notes, she was instantly shocked.

Although she was no longer part of an ordinary family, a hundred gold was still no small sum even for Wu Peng, an inspector. If he neither took bribes nor seized anything and relied only on his salary from the Imperial Court, he could not save that much in ten years.

Besides,

Geng Rong could not remember having any old acquaintance who could casually give her a hundred gold. That made the matter even more baffling. It seemed more likely that Chen Mu had produced the money himself.

The amount Chen Mu had given was indeed far too much—but her child was already ten years old!

"This is too much, young master. I truly cannot accept it. And if that old acquaintance has already become an old acquaintance, why seek me out again?"

Geng Rong refused.

Chen Mu did not take the Gold Notes back, nor did he care about Geng Rong's thoughts. He said bluntly, "Just accept this debt of cause and effect with peace of mind. Also, that old acquaintance asked about your mother and had me offer sacrifices on his behalf."

When Chen Mu mentioned her mother, Geng Rong froze. A trace of confusion flashed through her eyes. Could there really be an old acquaintance who had commissioned Chen Mu to come?

After a period of confusion, Geng Rong answered Chen Mu's questions. She also told him where her mother was buried and had a servant lead Chen Mu there.

Chen Mu took his leave at once.

With the servant guiding him, he soon arrived at the place where Geng He's wife was buried. It was also where Wu Peng's family tombs were located. For Geng Rong's mother to be buried there, it was clear that Wu Peng treated Geng Rong extremely well.