After the case of Li Daniu murdering his wife was handed over to the Fast Constables, Gu Qingyun, being a night constable, did not take part in the subsequent investigation.
Still, Head Constable Liu, Wang Hu, and the others were veteran constables through and through. Moreover, Li Daniu had been caught red-handed murdering Yu Xiaohong.
Even though he refused to confess to intentional murder and claimed it was an accident, Head Constable Liu brought in everyone who had interacted with him.
The moment those people heard a murder had occurred, they spilled everything they knew about Li Daniu like beans from a sack, down to the minutest detail—even making crystal clear when he had gone out drinking with courtesans and when he had frequented brothels.
Following the clues, they naturally tracked down the mistress he kept on the side. Considering that the woman had not participated in the crime, yet Li Daniu had murdered his wife on her account, County Magistrate Yu sentenced her straight to three years in prison.
With ironclad evidence of wife-murder, the criminal Li Daniu was sentenced to immediate decapitation, to be executed on a selected day.
However, no one from Yu Xiaohong’s maiden family came to claim her corpse. Thus, Li Daniu’s house was sold to a property agency at a low price, and the proceeds were used to lay Yu Xiaohong to rest. With that, the case came to an end.
...
At the Gu household.
Today was the day Gu Qingyun, Head Constable Liu, and three other skilled constables were setting off for the prefecture capital. Early in the morning, the Gu household was already bustling.
Since the trip would take four or five days and the weather was bitter cold, Old Lady Zhang packed two sets of thick clothing for her. She didn’t dare make oily foods for the road either, instead preparing a whole basket of steamed buns to hang on the brown horse.
In her grandmother’s words, these buns had no oil, so eating them cold wouldn't easily cause a stomachache. Given Gu Qingyun’s huge appetite, she could finish them all in a single day anyway.
“Take this money. Don't be stingy about spending it in the prefecture capital. It’s freezing out, and while there's no helping it on the road today, once you get there, make sure you eat something hot every day. If you have a big appetite, then eat big—don't be embarrassed about it.
“Keep your money safely tucked away. Remember, never flaunt your wealth when you're away from home. And whatever happens, don't rush forward foolishly like you used to. You're the youngest among the constables, so just do whatever the veteran constables do.”
Old Lady Zhang nagged on and on.
“Grandma, I understand.”
She looked at everyone. “Eldest Aunt, Second Aunt, is there anything you need from Yingcheng this time? I can bring it back for you.”
Lady Zhao and Lady Wu both shook their heads. “Just focus on your own business, Qingyun. There’s nothing we need to buy. If there were, we wouldn’t be shy about asking.”
Gu Qingyun nodded. “All right then. It's winter now, so I'll see if they have any fashionable scented balms in the prefecture capital and buy a box for you to try. It's not often I get a chance to visit the prefecture capital.”
Lady Su gave her a fond glare. “There’s no need to buy any for us. Just get some for yourself and your sisters. We're old; we have no use for such things.”
Gu Qingyun casually wiped her face a couple of times. Seeing her rough mannerisms, Lady Su’s eyes widened in dismay—how could her daughter live so unrefined?
Gu Qingyun had no idea what her mother was thinking. Grinning broadly, she said, “Mother, I don't need it. I'm naturally stunning. You, Grandma, and my aunts should all use it. Our family’s circumstances have improved now, so we should buy what ought to be bought.”
Lady Su choked on her words. She realized that aside from being capable and having a huge appetite, her daughter now had another trait: thick-skinned. Wearily waving her hand, she said, “Hurry to the county yamen. Don’t keep your colleagues waiting.”
Gu Qingyun waved goodbye and swung herself onto horseback with long strides, leaving Old Lady Zhang and the others with only the dashing, carefree view of her back, which was quite a pleasant sight to behold.
Beside them, Xiao Guai, who had gotten up early to see Gu Qingyun off, gazed at her retreating figure with sparkling eyes. “Auntie is so amazing! She looks so cool riding such a tall horse.”
Lady Su, who had been staring blankly at her daughter's back, smiled upon hearing this. “You can do it too in the future, Xiao Guai. When you grow up, we'll have your aunt teach you.”
Lady Su rubbed Xiao Guai’s head. This child—perhaps having lived so cautiously in the He household—had begun helping them with chores around the house ever since returning to the Gu family.
Whenever she saw Gu Qingling and the others sweeping the floor or washing dishes, she would quietly sneak over to help, her practiced motions aching at their hearts.
“Xiao Guai, us adults are here for the household. You just focus on growing up well. There's no need to wake up so early in the future; children need more sleep to grow tall. You don't have to see your aunt off either—she won't be angry.”
Xiao Guai nodded. “Grandma, I understand.”
She looked at Lady Su with affectionate devotion, letting her stroke her head. Grandma's hand was so warm; in fact, all three grandmothers were so gentle.
Great-Grandma was the same, secretly slipping eggs to her to eat. Her aunt often brought her malt candy, and her uncles would lift her onto their shoulders and spin her around. She was so happy. She wanted to stay here for the rest of her life, and when she grew up, she would take over her aunt's post and become someone just like her.
Only when Gu Qingyun’s figure vanished from view did the family reluctantly close the courtyard gate.
...
“Qingyun is here! Have you eaten breakfast yet?”
Gu Qingyun nodded and hopped down from her horse. “Uncle Liu, you all arrived quite early.”
Standing by the side, Wu Yong took a look at Gu Qingyun’s outfit and chuckled. “Qingyun, dressed so handsomely, are you planning to outshine the constables from the other counties with your looks?”
Gu Qingyun was wearing the tailored martial robes gifted by the Zhu family. The fabric was comfortable, and figuring that clothes make the person, she had dressed up a bit nicer for this trip to the prefecture capital.
Seeing Head Constable Liu and the others wearing standard constable uniforms, she unhurriedly retrieved a constable vest from her bundle and slipped it on over her clothes. Truth be told, it looked quite sharp.
Noticing the horses behind Wu Yong, Zhang San, and Zhao Si, she asked in surprise, “Uncle Wu, where did you get these horses?”
Wu Yong burst into laughter. “From our drill ground! Since only a few of us are heading to the prefecture capital this time, taking out three horses from the drill ground was allowed. Still, we have to pay a rental fee of thirty copper coins per day. Ordinarily, they wouldn't let anyone borrow them. You can only borrow them with the County Magistrate’s approval and the advisor’s signed paperwork.”
“Indeed. Since we're traveling on horseback this time, we should be able to reach the prefecture capital in two days. All right, is everything packed? Let's not waste any time—we set out now.”
At Head Constable Liu's command, Gu Qingyun and the others rode out of the city. Seeing them, the commoners along the road proactively cleared a path. Quite a few recognized Gu Qingyun and exclaimed:
“Isn't that the Horse-Carrying Constable? Officer, where are you headed?”
Nearby, half-grown children who had come out early to help their parents immediately turned their heads to stare at her, chiming in as well:
“The horse-carrying big sister! The horse-carrying big sister!”
Gu Qingyun rolled her eyes speechlessly, wishing she hadn't heard a thing. She had carried a horse just that one time—why did these people still remember it? It almost made her want to dye the color of her horse's coat.
Catching out of the corner of her eye the teasing looks from the constables beside her, Gu Qingyun maintained a deadpan expression and rode straight through the city gates toward the prefecture capital, kicking up clouds of dust behind her.
Once outside the county seat, Head Constable Liu and the others roared with laughter. “The Horse-Carrying Constable! Qingyun, seems like you did quite an extraordinary deed!”
“Yeah, my head was in a daze back then, so I did something foolish,” Gu Qingyun said with a fake smile. Looking toward Head Constable Liu, she changed the subject. “Uncle Liu, are we riding straight through the night to reach the prefecture capital, or will we find a courier station to rest at night?”
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