Chapter 39

Gu Qiancheng was not someone to be bullied; Lady Gu had long known this. If it weren't for Gu Qiancheng's sudden outburst at the wedding, Qianxue wouldn't have ended up as a concubine to Prince Chu.

Thinking of Qianxue's current situation, Lady Gu wished she could eat Gu Qiancheng's flesh and drink her blood. But Gu Qiancheng was no longer as easy to manipulate as before. Now, she even made Lady Gu lose face over a servant.

Lady Gu was so angry that her whole body trembled. Seeing that the rough maids had not returned after a long time, Lady Gu knew they had lost the trail. She was furious and glared fiercely at the steward Liu, "You blind dog, why haven't you taken this dirty old woman away yet?"

No matter what, she had to destroy the body first.

"Yes, yes, yes," Liu responded, but before he could give orders, Gu Qiancheng spoke up, "It's useless. Uncle, if you come, and the body is taken away, I can still have it brought back. If someone is killed in the Gu family's backyard, the old master will never let this pass."

Although Gu Qiancheng didn't know how women in the ancient backyard fought, she was very clear that no matter where, fighting was acceptable, but never to the point of taking a life. Once a life was taken, it would certainly draw the attention of those in power.

If a servant dies today, a master might die tomorrow, and it could be them. No one would tolerate a dangerous person around.

"Qiancheng, you... fine, fine, fine. I want to see how you can turn this old woman's accidental drowning into a murder," Lady Gu said, helpless against Gu Qiancheng. She gave Liu a look, signaling him to clean up the mess quickly.

Thinking of Gu Qiancheng's earlier words, Lady Gu deeply regretted it. If she had known, she wouldn't have left the body to see Gu Qiancheng's heartbreak and despair, only to add trouble for herself.

"Let me get a chair for the lady," Liu said, though timid, he was smart and immediately found an excuse to run away.

Gu Qiancheng knew what Liu was going to do, but she had no power to stop him, so she could only watch as Liu went to destroy the evidence.

Gu Qiancheng sighed inwardly, closed her eyes, and waited for the third master of the Gu family to arrive.

No matter what, she would not let the person who killed Sun Mama go unpunished. This was the only thing she could do for Sun Mama...

Zhao Mama was determined this time. By choosing to side with Gu Qiancheng, she had no way out. If Gu Qiancheng fell, she would be in trouble. Though not very smart, Zhao Mama knew that the third master was the key, and she had to bring him no matter what.

Fortunately, Zhao Mama had good luck. When she ran to the third master's courtyard, she happened to meet him taking a walk. As soon as she entered, she knelt down with a thud, "Third Master, murder, murder..."

Zhao Mama's voice was loud, and her shout not only startled the third master but also the third lady and the fifth young master.

The third master was a bastard son, and though his status in the Gu family was not high, he was not someone a rough maid could offend. His face darkened, and he scolded, "Shouting and making a fuss, what kind of decorum is this?"

The third master worked in the Ministry of Punishments and dealt with criminals every day. When he wasn't smiling, he looked fierce, let alone when he deliberately put on a stern face.

Zhao Mama's face turned pale, and her teeth chattered. The maids who followed her were so frightened that they all knelt down, "Third Master, forgive us. This old woman is crazy and has offended you. We will take her away."

"Third Master, I'm not crazy. It was the young miss who asked me to find you. There's a murder, someone has been killed in the manor," Zhao Mama said, though incoherently, she got the key points across.

"What happened?" The third master frowned, and the servants who chased Zhao Mama immediately started explaining, saying that the young miss's wet nurse had drunk too much and accidentally drowned at night, but the young miss insisted that someone had killed her wet nurse and was now arguing with the lady.

They also said that the young miss was deeply affected and refused to accept the wet nurse's death, acting like a madwoman, and the lady was going to get a doctor for her.

In short, all the blame was on Gu Qiancheng, who was causing trouble and disrupting the household.

The third master didn't want to get involved in the affairs of the main house's backyard, but hearing that it involved Gu Qiancheng, he hesitated. His deceased sister-in-law had been kind to him, and if it weren't for her, he wouldn't have married a virtuous wife or become an official. Now that his sister-in-law's daughter was in trouble and had come to him, how could he not help?

As the third master hesitated, the third lady came out, "Master, since it's a backyard matter, I'll go with you."

The third lady also remembered the kindness of Gu Qiancheng's mother and would usually take care of her, but as a bastard son's wife, her position in the Gu family was difficult, and her ability to help was limited.

"Madam..." The third master looked moved. With a virtuous wife by his side, he had nothing to worry about.

The third master and his wife went together, and the rough maids didn't dare to say no. Zhao Mama quickly stood up and led the way for the third master and his wife.

On the way, the third master roughly asked about the situation. Seeing Gu Qiancheng standing alone, facing off against Lady Gu, the third master and his wife were not surprised at all.

"Uncle, Aunt." Gu Qiancheng saw the newcomers and greeted them with a bow.

"Qiancheng, get up quickly." The third lady stepped forward and held Qiancheng's hand, "You were sick recently, and I didn't come to see you. Don't be angry with your aunt." The third lady was also helpless; it wasn't that she didn't want to see Gu Qiancheng, but she simply didn't have the time.

The old master was ill, and the old lady was making her, a bastard son's wife, copy scriptures for the old master. She had been copying scriptures in the small Buddhist hall every day, and her hands couldn't even lift.

Gu Qiancheng understood the situation of her uncle and aunt in the Gu family and naturally wouldn't blame them. On the contrary, she was deeply grateful that they had come. She would keep this gratitude in her heart.

Sun Mama's death had made her completely lose faith in the Gu family. She had to find another way out; otherwise, trapped in this small courtyard, she would eventually be played to death by Lady Gu.

The third master was Gu Qiancheng's best choice. The third master worked in the Ministry of Punishments, and her expertise could help her uncle, while also giving her a way out, so she wouldn't be trapped in this backyard.

If it weren't for this, she wouldn't have sent Zhao Mama to invite her uncle but would have directly reported the matter to the old master. After all, even if the old master didn't like her, he wouldn't allow a murder in the backyard.

"Big Sister." The third master and his wife greeted Lady Gu.

"Hmm." Lady Gu had always looked down on the third branch and paid no attention to the third master's small official position in the Ministry of Punishments. Knowing that her mother-in-law disliked this bastard son and the old master didn't value him, she didn't even bother with the formalities.

The third master and his wife were used to such treatment and didn't take it to heart. The third lady even patted Gu Qiancheng's hand, telling her not to be sad.

Gu Qiancheng shook her head indifferently. A virtuous wife means fewer troubles for the husband. Her unscrupulous father had married such a wife, and he was unlucky in this life. She was happy for him...