The night was deep. Usually, by this hour, everyone in the Duke's mansion had retired. However, tonight, the lights were still blazing, and the servants wore looks of fear, moving about with trepidation.
Gu Sinian rushed straight towards Lanzhi Courtyard.
There were guards at the entrance of Lanzhi Courtyard. Gu Sinian recognized them as two experienced嬷嬷s who served his maternal grandmother.
Madam Qin, after marrying into the Duke's mansion, always reported good news and concealed bad. Furthermore, due to her naturally reserved disposition, she and her husband maintained appearances externally. After Gu Sinian was born, Gu Changwei never neglected their interactions with the Qin family during festivals. Consequently, the Qin family had always believed their lives were going quite well.
It wasn't until today, when Nanny Li ran back to the Qin family to deliver a message, weeping about Madam Qin's sudden poisoning and her experiences in the Duke's mansion over the years, that Madam Qin realized something was amiss. She had hastily brought people to the mansion.
Gu Sinian nodded at the two嬷嬷s, took a deep breath, and then walked into the house.
Passing the screen, Gu Sinian saw his two maternal aunts seated in the room.
"Eldest Aunt, Second Aunt," Gu Sinian bowed hastily, intending to go into the inner chamber.
Madam Wei, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Qin family, stopped Gu Sinian. "Anian, the imperial physicians are inside clearing the poison from your mother. Your grandmother and Nanny Li are with her. If you go in, you might cause trouble."
Madam Qin, hearing the commotion, came out, her face etched with fatigue. Gu Sinian quickly supported her. "Grandmother, how is my mother?"
"Her life is not in danger. Although most of the poison has been cleared, it has still damaged her foundation," Madam Qin said hoarsely. "I fear it will shorten her lifespan."
Gu Sinian clenched his fists tightly. "How could she have been poisoned out of the blue? Mother rarely leaves Lanzhi Courtyard, and the people in Lanzhi Courtyard are all trusted by her..."
Madam Qin patted Gu Sinian's hand. "Don't worry too much. The person has been apprehended. Earlier, when your mother's life was uncertain, your grandmother didn't have the time to interrogate them. Besides, this is the Duke's mansion. Although I am your grandmother, I cannot simply punish people without cause."
"Grandmother, when did this happen? And where is my father? Doesn't he know?"
With such a major incident occurring, and his grandmother present, his father should not be absent.
Speaking of Gu Changwei was better left unsaid. The mention of Gu Changwei caused Madam Qin's face to turn cold, and her voice became as biting as the wind in the depths of winter. "Your good father is probably in some forgotten corner, cherishing the memory of his deceased beloved."
Gu Sinian suddenly remembered. Today was the tenth day of the first lunar month, the day Concubine Dong had passed away. His father always disappeared around this time, and even his closest attendants didn't know his whereabouts.
Gu Sinian's heart grew colder by the moment, his voice carrying a chilling edge. "Bring the person over. I want to see who dares to be so audacious."
Madam Qin signaled to the people she had brought. Soon, two women, their hands bound behind their backs, handkerchiefs stuffed in their mouths, and their hair disheveled, were pushed in.
They were so disheveled that Gu Sinian couldn't immediately recognize them.
Madam Qin gestured for someone to remove the handkerchiefs from their mouths.
"You old hag, relying on your status to torment me! Does our Dong family have no one?" a sharp, hoarse voice, filled with malice, rang out.
The Dong family?
Gu Sinian narrowed his eyes, finally recognizing the disheveled woman. It was Dong Huan's aunt, Gu Sinian's maternal aunt, the Dong family's eldest aunt who looked exactly like the deceased Concubine Dong.
"Is there no law? To imprison me like this without regard for right or wrong? Do you think I'm a commoner with no backing? You want to bully me as you please? Untie me quickly, or you'll regret it when the Duke returns!" Dong Huan's aunt clamored imperiously.
Her head maid also looked indignant. "Why are you treating our young lady like this? She is the biological aunt of the Duke's eldest son!"
Madam Qin snorted coldly. "You ask why? When my daughter had her accident, you were conveniently present. Don't tell me you were there to speak of sisterly affection. I heard from the people in Lanzhi Courtyard that you provoke my daughter every time you visit. For that alone, I can keep you detained. My daughter has a good temper and doesn't bother with you, but I don't have such a good temper. Inquire throughout the capital, and you'll know that I am the most protective of my own. What, the mere Dong family, do you think you can leap onto our Qin family's head and act the bully? You only produced a concubine who couldn't even make it to the stage, protected by that foolish person who mistook a fish's eye for a pearl?"
The Dong family was merely a family of minor officials, truly insignificant in the capital. If Concubine Dong hadn't caught the Duke's eye, who would have known of the Dong family? After Concubine Dong's death, the Duke, out of affection for her, promoted the Dong family, and only then did they gradually become known. However, their foundation was weak, and they lacked ambitious descendants, essentially relying on the Duke's mansion for their livelihood.
Dong Huan's aunt's lips trembled with anger. She wanted to retort, but what was said was the plain truth.
"I am not a person with a good temper, nor do I have the patience to argue with you here. My mother was poisoned. Do you have anything to do with it?" Gu Sinian asked coldly. "I don't care who protects you."
Dong Huan's aunt felt a chilling murderous aura wash over her. She suddenly remembered her nephew mentioning that Gu Sinian had crawled out of a pile of dead bodies. This person, though appearing refined, was actually ruthless.
"Evidence, what evidence do you have?"
Evidence?
A grim smile flickered across Gu Sinian's face. "Gu Qing, give her the paper."
Gu Sinian was pointing at the Dong family's maid.
"It's still time to speak now. If you don't, you might not have the chance later," Gu Qing said.
Master and servant were unperturbed, showing no fear.
Gu Sinian nodded at Gu Qing. Gu Qing went out and returned with a basin of water, a roll of Xuan paper tucked under his arm.
The thin Xuan paper was soaked and plastered onto the maid's face, layer by layer. The first layer showed nothing, but by the fifth layer, the maid began to struggle violently, and the two women holding her could barely restrain her. Humans usually exhibit immense potential when facing death.
Gu Qing timely removed the Xuan paper from the maid's face. The maid greedily gasped for air, her overly flushed face slowly returning to normal.
"Let's continue," Gu Qing said, preparing to soak more Xuan paper.
"No, no, no, I'll talk, I'll say everything," the maid said, shaking her head in terror. That feeling of slowly suffocating was worse than death, and she didn't want to experience it a second time.
Dong Huan's aunt lunged at the maid. "Qianru, are you alright? It's my fault as your mistress for not protecting you. They actually want to force a confession! What's the difference between this and openly smearing us with dirt? The Duke will surely not forgive them when he finds out!"