Chapter 67: The Murderer
Gu Lan was so startled that she dropped the bowl of mung bean sweet soup in her hand.
Song Miaohua fixed her gaze on Chen Pozi and demanded, "Tell me exactly what she said, word for word, without missing a single detail."
Chen Pozi hastily agreed and, after a moment's thought, replied, "Those two maids were both given to Concubine Yun by Madam Ji to serve her. Both were devoted to Concubine Yun, especially the one who died, Cui Ping, who was utterly loyal. The old woman said the miscarriage-preventing medicine and the labor-inducing medicine were stored separately in two different cabinets in the small kitchen. Unless someone had switched them, it would have been impossible to mix them up. After Concubine Yun became pregnant, Madam Ji often visited her and would even inspect the dishes prepared for her in the small kitchen..."
"Aside from Madam Ji and those two maids, no one else usually entered that small kitchen. Since the maids were loyal to Concubine Yun, they naturally wouldn’t harm her. That leaves only one possibility—Madam Ji must have switched the medicines. Concubine Yun drank the wrong decoction, which led to her premature labor and death..."
Song Miaohua fell silent after hearing this. In truth, she had long known that Concubine Yun had been murdered.
But she was certain Madam Ji wasn’t the one who killed her. Though Madam Ji appeared gentle and refined, she was actually quite proud. If she deemed something beneath her, no amount of coercion would make her do it. Compared to Yun Xiang, who had grown up with her like a sister, Madam Ji probably disliked Song Miaohua even more. Yet Song Miaohua had remained unharmed all this time—so why would Madam Ji have killed Concubine Yun?
Concubine Yun’s death was definitely no accident, but it wasn’t Madam Ji’s fault either...
Song Miaohua recalled the time of Concubine Yun’s death when she had secretly entered her chamber and seen someone sneaking out of the courtyard. Back then, her own position in the household had been unstable, so she hadn’t mentioned it to Madam Ji. Later, when she had secured her footing, she no longer felt the need to bring it up.
But if she didn’t speak up, who would believe Madam Ji wasn’t responsible?
In truth, there had been suspicions about Madam Ji back then. After all, both maids had been assigned to Concubine Yun by Madam Ji—perhaps they had acted on her orders... At the very least, that was what Gu Dezhao had suspected. But at the time, he still held some affection for Madam Ji, so despite his doubts, he never voiced them. Yet the distance between them grew until, nowadays, Gu Dezhao rarely set foot in Xiexiao Courtyard unless Madam Ji fell ill.
But if this maid’s testimony were to surface, it would confirm Madam Ji’s guilt in Concubine Yun’s death, and Gu Dezhao would undoubtedly sever ties with her completely.
...Gu Jinzhao had made her Lan Er suffer so terribly. If she didn’t retaliate, it would be unforgivable.
However, Chen Pozi’s sudden appearance was too convenient. She couldn’t help but wonder if Gu Jinzhao had set a trap—this Eldest Miss was truly not to be underestimated.
Having made up her mind, Song Miaohua asked Chen Pozi, "That old woman was released from service at sixty, and now she’s nearly seventy. How could she remember so clearly?"
Chen Pozi replied, "You wouldn’t know this, but she and Yu Ping were the ones who collected Cui Ping’s body. That incident left a deep impression on her. She told her family about it and even gossiped with the neighborhood women. Many of the local wives know about it..."
Seeing Chen Pozi’s expression, Song Miaohua knew the story was credible. After a moment’s thought, she asked, "What about the other maid—the one who survived, Yu Ping? Why didn’t she report this to the master back then?"Old Woman Chen sighed, "Yu Ping was originally a maid serving the mistress and had always taken care of the young master when he was little. She had deep affection for the mistress. Besides, how could she dare to expose the mistress? She could only watch helplessly as Cui Ping was beaten to death... This servant thought that if we could find this Yu Ping and offer her some benefits, she might reveal what happened back then..."
Song Miaohua's brows twitched slightly.
After pondering for a while, she had already formed a plan in her mind. She said to the old woman, "I understand the matter. After you leave, don't spread it around."
Old Woman Chen immediately felt uneasy. She had been quite excited when she heard about this, thinking her opportunity had come. If she could please Concubine Song with this matter, she might even become a stewardess in the future. Who would have thought Concubine Song meant for her not to get involved? All her haste in coming here without even finishing her grooming seemed wasted...
Song Miaohua noticed her hesitation. She nodded to Qiaowei and said, "Prepare fifty taels of silver for Old Woman Chen and send it to her place."
So much silver! Old Woman Chen's heart leaped with joy, and she repeatedly thanked Concubine Song.
If she couldn't become a stewardess, having silver wasn't bad either! With this thought, Old Woman Li bowed contentedly and took her leave.
After Old Woman Chen left, Gu Lan immediately grabbed Concubine Song's hand. "Mother, this is an excellent opportunity... If we can expose the truth about Concubine Yun's death, Father will surely despise Madam Ji even more!"
Song Miaohua thought for a moment but decided not to reveal the inside story to Gu Lan. Instead, she sighed softly and said, "That may be so, but if we can't find this maid, how can we bring it up to the master?"
Gu Lan knew her mother was very tempted; otherwise, she wouldn't have rewarded Old Woman Chen so generously to keep her quiet.
Recalling Old Woman Chen's words, an idea suddenly struck her. "Mother, what do you think a maid like her would usually do after leaving the household?"
Song Miaohua glanced at her and replied, "If her parents are still alive, she would return to her hometown to marry. Those who have served in wealthy households are more knowledgeable, and people are willing to marry them. Some who have lost their families might start a small business or rely on matchmakers to find a husband."
Gu Lan smiled. "This maid was once Gu Jinrong's personal attendant... Do you think Jinrong might remember where her hometown is?"
Song Miaohua was stunned.
She hadn't considered this angle. After a moment's thought, she said quietly, "Jinrong was only four or five years old at the time. Would he remember?"
Gu Lan chuckled. "I don't know either. I haven't replied to his last letter yet. I can ask him and find out."
She didn't want to marry Mu Zhizhai. For this, she would do anything.
Gu Lan returned to Cui Xuan Yuan.
Concubine Song stepped out of the room and stood under the corridor, gazing at the water lilies in thought. After a while, she said to Qiaowei, "Prepare some pastries. Let's go visit Concubine Du. Since Gu Yi is engaged, we should congratulate her no matter what."
Qiaowei quickly prepared a large box of assorted dried fruits in six compartments and several plates of pastries. She followed behind Song Miaohua as they headed to Tong Ruo Lou. Located next to Cui Xuan Yuan, Tong Ruo Lou was a two-story wooden building with a pavilion on one side and a side room on the other. There were no east or west wings, only a southern-facing back house. Concubine Guo lived upstairs, preferring tranquility. A few paulownia trees grew beside Tong Ruo Lou, their flowers having just bloomed, casting a canopy of shade.The Tong Ruo Lou was surrounded by tall trees, and now the clamor of cicadas had begun to fill the air.
Upon hearing that Concubine Song had arrived, Concubine Du invited her to speak in the nearby pavilion, having her maid serve candied orange peel tea.
"...I don’t particularly like those bitter, astringent teas. I prefer sweet and sour flavors. If not for the newly made plum syrup having just run out, I would have offered some to you, Concubine Song," Du Jingqiu said with a smile, gesturing for her to sit on the stone stool.
Concubine Song frowned at the incessant noise of the cicadas around them.
Du Jingqiu quickly explained with a laugh, "Please don’t mind it. This is actually the quieter time. By midsummer, when the cicadas on over a dozen trees all start chirping at once, it’s so loud it hurts your ears! I don’t know how Concubine Guo stands it... I’ve asked the master many times to move these big trees elsewhere, but not only did he refuse, he even said I lacked appreciation for elegance. How could someone like me, barely literate, understand such refined tastes? To me, it’s just noise."
Song Miaohua smiled faintly. Du Jingqiu was quite the smooth talker. But she was getting older now—though traces of her youthful beauty remained, fine lines had begun to form under her eyes. Otherwise, she might still have been able to win Gu Dezhao’s favor.
Song Miaohua signaled Qiaowei to bring over the gifts. "...I heard that Yi’er is engaged to the young master of the Wuqing Du family, so I came to offer my congratulations. Yi’er has grown so much—I still remember how she used to cry for you to hold her when she was little..."
Du Jingqiu gave an uneasy smile. Such words would never be spoken in front of the mistress. Even if Yi’er was engaged, what did it have to do with her?
The older Gu Yi grew, the less she resembled Du Jingqiu, and her temperament had become increasingly withdrawn. Watching her from afar, Du Jingqiu sometimes felt as if she hadn’t given birth to her at all. They barely exchanged a word in weeks, and when Du Jingqiu missed her, she had to sneak over to the Yi Zhu Lou to catch a glimpse.
"Seeing Yi’er reminds me of Concubine Yun from back then. It’s strange—Yi’er’s temperament is quite similar to hers, so gentle and quiet..." Song Miaohua remarked, watching Du Jingqiu’s eyes as she spoke.
Du Jingqui smiled faintly, lowering her gaze to the dried fruits Song Miaohua had brought. She picked through them with her fingers, selecting an almond to pop into her mouth.
"You must still remember, Concubine, how tragically Concubine Yun died all those years ago—how the child wouldn’t come out even after a full day and night of labor. When the baby was finally delivered, it was already strangled by the umbilical cord, and Concubine Yun died from hemorrhage. The master grieved for years and still hasn’t forgotten. If our Concubine Luo hadn’t looked so much like Concubine Yun, the master would never have taken her in."
Du Jingqiu forced a smile. "Of course I remember. How could I forget?"
"And you shouldn’t forget," Song Miaohua said coolly. "If you did, who else would remember? I know you’ve been living with guilt all these years. It’s been nearly eight years, and you’ve been walking on eggshells, not even daring to compete for favor..."
Du Jingqiu’s face paled as she stared blankly at Song Miaohua.
"You were always so clever, and back then, your beauty rivaled mine. Aside from Concubine Yun, weren’t you the master’s favorite?" Song Miaohua sighed. "Yet all these years later, you’re trapped in Tong Ruo Lou, unable to escape, with neither the standing nor the strength to vie for favor anymore."
Du Jingqiu clenched her hands, her lips trembling. After a long pause, she whispered, "Concubine... why bring this up now..."Song Miaohua tilted her head to look at her, then smiled and took her hand: "Don't be nervous, I'm here to help you. Now that Gu Yi is engaged, and you're already thirty-four this year, just listen to me, and I'll ensure you and Gu Yi remain secure in the Gu household. But if you refuse... well, let's just say things might not go so smoothly."
Du Jingqiu took a deep breath, the bitterness of almonds slowly rising in her throat.
"...What do you want me to do?"
Song Miaohua shook her head with a smile: "Quite the opposite—I just want you to do nothing. Leave everything to me."
PS:
Looking at that pitiful new book pink ranking list, I'm already at the tail end and about to drop off~ Can you guys give me a hand?
Even though it's single updates this week, the condition for bonus chapters at ten votes still stands—just three more votes needed If you have extra pink votes, please toss one my way. Bowing in gratitude
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