Everyone knew her words held hidden meaning, and no one dared to respond. On the surface, they feigned outrage, but inwardly, they secretly speculated about the true killer.
Madam Lou put on a show, summoning everyone implicated and interrogating them in front of the crowd.
The servants involved looked desperate as they pleaded their innocence, knowing their fate was sealed and hoping to save their lives.
"Old Madam, we are truly wronged. We guarded the entrance and heard nothing," a wet nurse kowtowed, begging for mercy. During the day, they had ensured Gao Xuejuan didn't slack off. But at night, when Madam Lou specifically sent word to let things slide, they understood. They retreated to guard the door, and whatever their young mistress did was no longer their concern. If they had known this would happen, they would have rather offended the third branch and seen this villainous act through to the end.
"They guarded the door and heard nothing. What about you, who accompanied her inside?" Madam Lou pointed at Gao Xuejuan's personal maidservant, her voice full of anger.
"Old Madam, your servant ate dinner with the young mistress last night and felt extremely dizzy. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't control it. I thought I was ill and found a corner to lean on. Who knew I'd fall asleep? I was only woken by the wet nurses this morning and learned what had happened. I truly heard nothing of the commotion last night. I suspect someone tampered with our food," the maidservant was not foolish. The intervening time had allowed her to figure many things out. She quickly stated her suspicions in front of everyone.
"How could there be a problem with the food in my Lou family's household? I suspect you, this maidservant, were negligent and allowed your mistress to meet with disaster. At this moment, you are trying to shirk responsibility," Madam Lou quickly retorted upon hearing this.
"Whether that's true or not, we'll find out when we investigate. Our eldest son finally has a new wife after more than twenty years, and she has lost her life after only a month in our household, dying under mysterious circumstances. I will not rest until I find this mastermind," Madam Lou, the third wife, swept her gaze across everyone's faces, her words carrying a pointed meaning.
"Third sister-in-law, what do you mean by that? Everyone has agreed to help you find the killer. Why are you looking at us, are you suspecting us?" Madam Er, the second wife, was the first to jump out, expressing her displeasure.
"I didn't say any such thing. However, if anyone claims our new bride took her own life because she couldn't bear it, I will not believe it. She was happy last night. There is only one possibility: certain people couldn't stand her and didn't want her to survive in this world. Even if we can't find evidence now, I believe she will eventually reveal herself," Madam Lou, the third wife, knew there would be no conclusion today. The other party was clearly premeditated and would not be easily discovered.
"Since you don't believe us, we will continue the interrogation," Madam Lou said, ordering benches to be brought. She sat in the courtyard and began to interrogate these people thoroughly.
Madam Lou, the third wife, watched coldly as they were beaten. The outcome was as she had expected: nothing was learned. These people were beaten to within an inch of their lives, crying out their innocence.
In the afternoon, Lou Qinshu returned and, after hearing about the incident, personally went to the ancestral hall to take a look. Then, he went out.
Wu Caiwei and Shangguan Ke looked at the dejected Lou Qinshu with some surprise and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
"She's dead," he said, his eyes red.
After a moment, the two realized he was talking about Gao Xuejuan and quickly asked, "How did she die?"
Lou Qinshu briefly recounted what had happened at home the previous night and then sighed, "The task you entrusted me with is now complete."
"But you don't look well. Don't feel guilty. We warned her long ago, but she didn't listen and ended up losing her life. This is clearly a deliberate murder," Wu Caiwei said, shaking her head helplessly as she watched his sadness. She wondered when he would ever get rid of his tendency to be overly sympathetic.
"I came to ask for your help today. She was murdered, but I can't find any evidence. You know our family's situation. This is a great opportunity to completely break free from them. But if we can't find evidence of them harming us, how can we find an opportunity to turn against them?" Lou Qinshu said somewhat sheepishly.
The couple agreed without hesitation. Lou Qinshu felt a warmth in his heart at their promptness.
He and the couple had met two months ago during a horse race. His horse suddenly bolted uncontrollably, and he was terrified, believing he was going to die. Unexpectedly, the passing couple saved him. He had vowed then and there to repay their kindness tenfold.
He had spent a lot of time with them during that period, hoping for an opportunity to repay their kindness. When Lou Qinshu learned that the couple wanted to find a disadvantageous marriage for Gao Xuejuan, he volunteered. He shamefully revealed his sexual orientation in front of them. He had expected them to mock him, but to his surprise, they accepted it calmly and expressed their respect. At that moment, he felt tears welling up in his eyes. In this world, there were still people who could understand their special feelings.
The couple had asked him to consider it carefully. He had stated that he would not regret it and that it was not a rash decision. He knew his feelings were not accepted by society. If he married Gao Xuejuan, and because of her admiration and devotion to him, he remained unmarried for life, it would serve as a legitimate excuse to the outside world.
The couple thought about it and decided it was a win-win situation, so they agreed. Little did they expect Gao Xuejuan to actually die, and for this child to feel guilty.
Lou Qinshu had no feelings for Gao Xuejuan. Unlike other noble sons, he was naturally kind and couldn't bear to see others die because of him. Guilt and regret occupied his heart. Reason told him this was wrong, but his emotions were uncontrollable. However, he also knew what would be beneficial for him at this moment, such as coming to the couple for help if evidence couldn't be found.
That night, he brought the couple to the ancestral hall. At first glance, it appeared to have no flaws. However, the couple didn't overlook the slightest detail and examined everything meticulously.
They didn't even spare the cushion Gao Xuejuan had knelt on. And indeed, she discovered a problem: there were traces of a stupefying drug residue on the surface of the cushion.
They went to the courtyard and carefully examined the area around the well, finding nothing. They then went to the vicinity of the courtyard wall. Since the people guarding the door had heard no commotion, it was likely the perpetrator had entered by climbing over the wall.
Near the eastern wall, beneath a flower bed, the soil was loose. Wu Caiwei guessed that they had likely jumped from the courtyard wall into the flower bed. This would have lessened the sound. Furthermore, the courtyard wall of the ancestral hall was higher than that of ordinary courtyards. Only by jumping into the relatively high flower bed could the impact be reduced.