Compared to the brightly lit mansions surrounding it on Kuishou Street, the Su Prince’s Residence appeared rather desolate.

The Su Prince’s Residence was a mansion granted to the Xu family by the court. Since the Xu family had spent most of their years in Xiliang, the place was usually empty—just eight guards, plus Edward Clark and the old servant, making a total of ten people.

As for pretty maidservants, with Mrs. Brooks guarding strictly for fear that Edward Clark would be taken advantage of by unscrupulous young girls, all the cooks were men.

To put it plainly, Edward Clark was a rather pitiful heir.

On a snowy winter day, Edward Clark walked through the corridors to the study. Looking up, he saw an old servant sitting on the steps outside the door.

The servant’s name was Old Smith, one of Edward Clark’s guards. Last year, when they were ambushed near the Wei River, it was Old Smith who risked his life to help Edward Clark escape.

At this moment, Old Smith had placed his cane across his knees, his servant’s cap askew, licking his fingers as he flipped through a picture book. By the moonlight, the title “Spring Palace Jade Tree Illustrations” could be faintly seen.

“Ahem—”

“Hey~ Young Prince, you’re back! What a rare guest!”

The old servant quickly flipped his palm, stuffed the picture book into his sleeve, propped himself up with his cane, and shuffled over with a fawning smile:

“I told you, Young Prince, you can’t escape. Mrs. Brooks is a widow with nothing to do at home, so she watches your every move. If you disappear for three days, she’ll send the Imperial Guards to search the city. You’d better just stay at the Imperial Academy and study.”

“Let’s talk business.”

Edward Clark took a swig from his wine gourd. With such a ‘capable aunt’ to deal with, even the wine tasted bitter.

Old Smith hobbled alongside, chuckling softly: “Young Prince, the ‘Dragon Lock Gu’ you were poisoned with comes from Miaojiang. The court banned it long ago, and no one knows its origin. But a few days ago, I overheard some wandering alchemists say that ten years ago, when the Investigation Division cracked down on martial clans, the ‘Dragon Lock Gu’ appeared. The Investigation Division might know something…”

Because Dayue was founded on martial strength, there were many martial artists. As the saying goes, ‘heroes use force to defy the law.’ With so many unruly people, it naturally threatened those in power.

Ten years ago, when the new emperor ascended the throne, he sent heavy troops to suppress the unruly martial world. The Investigation Division was established then, specializing in such matters and also monitoring the various princes and nobles. Fierce as wolves and tigers, they were called the ‘Wolf Guards.’

Hearing that the Investigation Division might know something about the ‘Dragon Lock Gu,’ Edward Clark frowned:

“The Investigation Division hasn’t found any clues after a year in Chang’an. If they’re deliberately hiding something, asking them is useless. Is there any way to sneak into the Investigation Division?”

Old Smith shook his head: “The Investigation Division is too powerful. They monitor all the princes and noble families year-round, including our Su Prince. I’m afraid sneaking in is impossible.”

Edward Clark frowned: “Not even by planting a spy?”

Old Smith stroked the handle of his cane: “That’s possible… The Investigation Division’s Earth Dog Camp recently got a few new Wolf Guards. One of them is a young girl, only sixteen. I’ve watched her for a few days—she’s simple-minded…

…A few days ago, I tipped her off. She should be going to investigate Fulai Restaurant in Daye Ward. Fulai Restaurant has some powerful backers, and that girl will surely suffer a loss. We just need to wait and catch her in the act.”

“How powerful are Fulai Restaurant’s backers?”

“No idea, but definitely not as powerful as you, Young Prince.”

Edward Clark nodded, took his sword, and headed out.

Having been in this world for a year, Edward Clark hadn’t traveled outside, but he was quite familiar with Chang’an.

All 108 wards had their own wardens. Besides the regular Imperial Guards, each ward had three Wolf Guards stationed. There was no curfew at night, and it was common for the bustling wards to be lively until dawn.

Daye Ward was near the imperial city, filled with entertainment venues like brothels, teahouses, cloth shops, and jewelry stores—one of the most famous pleasure districts in Chang’an. The Longyin Pavilion on Zhuangyuan Street was so notorious that people said, “Sons of wealthy families enter with riches, but leave with empty sleeves.”

Edward Clark rode through the crowded Daye Ward, reached the back street, and saw a female constable sitting at a tea stall outside a restaurant.

She wore a standard black uniform, a badge at her waist, and a Yanling saber on the table—a typical Wolf Guard look. Her big eyes were bright, a headscarf tied around her hair. She looked about fifteen or sixteen, with an impressive chest and a fresh, pretty face.

“Young Prince, that’s the girl.”

Old Smith leaned on his cane, eyeing the female Wolf Guard in the distant restaurant, muttering seriously:

“I checked these past few days. Her surname is Zhu, given name Manzhi, from the Fen River area. She was born in the marketplace. After her parents disappeared, she became a constable and was transferred to the capital last month.”

Edward Clark glanced at her a few times, frowning slightly: “A rookie like her—how long would it take to train her enough to access the case archives?”

Old Smith thought for a moment: “The case archives are heavily guarded. Even people from the Investigation Division can’t just go in. There are three thousand Wolf Guards, divided into 108 squads of Heaven and Earth. Only the Heaven-ranked Wolf Guards can enter the archives…

…Being a constable is all about catching thieves. If she racks up enough merit and proves her skills, she could be promoted to the Heaven squad soon.”

“How much merit does she need?”

“She’d have to catch a few of the most wanted criminals on the Investigation Division’s bounty list—those with bounties over a thousand taels of silver. Then, with a little extra silver to grease the palms of the officers, that should do it.”

Edward Clark nodded, then sat quietly with his sword near the tea stall to wait, while Old Smith pretended to be a storyteller, rambling on.

Next up, of course, would be the classic scene of the female constable getting into trouble, the young heir coming to her rescue, and, in the process, Edward Clark completing the task assigned by Mrs. Brooks with a bit of swagger…