Clouds and Moon Shadow

Chapter 278 My hands are really itching!

A few days later, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion spread the word that the child was being cared for in the countryside due to illness, but she was certain that the child had been sold.

She was so frightened that she fell ill for more than half a month before recovering.

But she couldn't say anything; she didn't want to die yet.

Until she saw Gu Qingyue at the villa in Lizhou last time, she felt that the nightmare had returned.

Gu Qingyue: ......

It was indeed the work of the Liu family!

The truth is so unbearable!

But why? She was just a little girl back then!

After thinking for a moment, Gu Qingyue invited her four older brothers to her grandfather's study and explained the findings of her investigation.

Everyone's first reaction was complete disbelief; they were utterly dumbfounded!

What kind of grudge did Liu Shi have against Gu Qingyue, who was just a little girl at the time?

That's definitely not the case.

That means he had a grudge against the second wife, or rather, against the Qin family.

However, Qin was always gentle and never argued with anyone. Since marrying into the Duke's mansion, she never made things difficult for anyone.

It could be said that she was somewhat weak-willed, so how could she have such a deep-seated hatred for the Liu family?

The group discussed it for an entire afternoon but couldn't figure out the reason, so it seemed they had no choice but to confront them directly.

Gu Qingyue had previously sent Jiang Luo to lie in wait outside the mansion to keep an eye on Liu Shi's itinerary and social interactions. Today, she took her two daughters-in-law to Ci'en Temple to offer incense.

It is said that it will take half a month, during which time one must observe a vegetarian diet and worship Buddha. Let's wait and see, there's no rush.

However, the old Duke wanted to send someone directly to Ci'en Temple to arrest the person and bring him back to find out the truth immediately.

The old Duke simply couldn't believe that Liu was behind Gu Qingyue's disappearance!

If Gu Qingyue told him that Qin Shi's poison might also have been administered by her, I wonder if the old man would faint from anger.

Forget it, there's no evidence yet, both witnesses and physical evidence are lacking, so let's not talk about it for now.

“Grandfather, let’s put this matter aside for now, there’s no rush,” Gu Qingyue thought for a moment, deciding it would be better to investigate what happened at the Duke’s mansion back then.

Although Granny Wu could be a witness, if Madam Liu insisted that she had no motive to harm her and had no other physical evidence, saying that Granny Wu was talking nonsense and refused to admit it, there would be no way to get her to admit it.

It is important to investigate the reasons clearly.

Another very important reason is that the adoptive parents who "found" him have not been found.

What exactly happened that year?

Who is that young man who obeyed orders and abducted Gu Qingyue?

If we could find the person who sold me out, we could slap Liu Shi in the face.

The old Duke pondered for a moment, nodded, and reluctantly agreed with Gu Qingyue's statement.

"Grandfather will send someone to Mingzhi County to investigate what happened back then, and make sure to confirm her guilt."

After saying this, the old Duke seemed somewhat weary, and it was clear that he was in a very bad mood.

The four older brothers looked angry. The joy of successfully tempering their bodies in the past two days had vanished, and their mood became even heavier.

Although we analyzed it before, and it was highly likely that it was Liu who did it, there is still no evidence.

Now, Granny Wu's testimony is tantamount to convicting Liu, but we can't arrest her yet, and even if we did, we couldn't convict her of a serious crime.

If she refuses to admit it, the wife of the heir of the Duke's mansion cannot be punished.

"Grandfather, let's leave it at that for now. Dinner is the most important thing." Gu Qingyue looked at the sky, which was already dark, and saw servants lighting lamps in the corridor outside. She belatedly realized that she was also hungry.

Lying in bed at night, he tossed and turned, thinking about Liu Shi and her adoptive parents.

According to Granny Wu, she didn't dare to look at the young man's face at the time, and she also recognized Liu's voice, so she didn't dare to look at her either.

Very well, we can investigate slowly. What's more important now is to find out about Qin's poison and to prevent anyone else from harming her.

As for the Liu family, they'll be dealt with eventually.

Given Gu Qingyue's temperament, if she had known that her loss was related to Liu Shi, she would have beaten her so badly that even her own mother wouldn't recognize her.

But she was his aunt, the wife of the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and he couldn't do that.

My hands are so itchy!

The next morning, while Gu Qingyue was still eating, she received several banquet invitations from the gatekeeper.

Among them, the Spring Festival banquet sent by Princess Qing'an was of the highest standard.

It is said that the event will be held in ten days at a villa in the suburbs of Beijing.

At that time, we will invite young masters and ladies from prominent families in the capital, literary figures and scholars, and even distinguished guests from the Nanzhao delegation that is currently negotiating peace in the capital.

The specifications are exceptionally high.

Gu Qingyue looked at the post over and over again.

After looking at the other posts, I found that Cui Jiaojiao had also posted a thread for herself.

Six days later, she went to her house to admire the peach blossoms. She also invited some of her girlfriends to join her, which looked quite interesting.

Now in early spring, the peach blossoms in and around Beijing are just beginning to bloom, making it truly a wonderful season for appreciating peach blossoms.

As for the other posts, such as those about Zhao Lingyun from the Jing'an Marquis's family (the Third Prince's wife's maternal family) and Wen Wanru, the eldest daughter of the Governor's Mansion, I either don't like them or don't know them, so I won't go there.

After careful consideration, Gu Qingyue decided to visit Minister Cui's home and attend the spring banquet.

One is to meet some like-minded girlfriends.

One reason was to go and see how Princess Qing'an planned to use underhanded tactics.

Now that she's back, rumors are flying around the capital. I bet a lot of people are waiting to see how incredibly unsophisticated this legitimate daughter of the Duke's mansion will be!

Hehe, I'll play along.

"Master, Sister Cui is here. Would you like to see her now or have her come later?" Jiang Wan asked tentatively as she stood at the door and saw Gu Qingyue engrossed in reading.

"Let Cui Shuming in. It must be something that needs to be done with Mother."

As Gu Qingyue spoke, she put down the bird's nest and wiped her mouth.

Qin has almost recovered recently, and the Gu worms will be expelled in the next couple of days. I'll probably need to ask about some specific details.

"Master," Cui Shuming said calmly, bowing her head and cupping her hands, looking quite different from when she was first seen.

The reason she was sent there to take care of Qin was also to train her.

Looking at it now, she seems steady and meticulous, quite capable, very good.

"Madam requests that you come over to speak with the master. The eldest young mistress has returned."

"Sister-in-law? Tell Mother I'll go right away," Gu Qingyue stood up and went back to her room to rinse her mouth and wash her hands.

After tidying up, Gu Qingyue led Jiang Wan and Zhu Qing to the main courtyard.

Upon entering the room, before even passing the screen, Gu Qingyue could hear a woman's voice inside, which piqued her curiosity.

"Yue'er, come here quickly and meet your sister-in-law," Qin's voice rang out as Gu Qingyue turned into the inner room.

Gu Qingyue looked up and saw a young woman sitting on the brocade stool.

The woman raised her eyes slightly, her eyes clear and gentle, holding a hint of a smile and scrutiny.

She has a small, oval face, fair and radiant skin, a slender figure, and an elegant demeanor.

She wore a long, moon-white dress embroidered with orchids, graceful and elegant, perfectly embodying the image of a beautiful woman with refined taste, a perfect match for her elder brother's gentle and scholarly demeanor.

The woman stood up immediately upon seeing Gu Qingyue.

Gu Qingyue had heard from her elder brother that her sister-in-law, Wei, had gone back to Wenzhou to be with her seriously ill grandmother.

Wenzhou is located southeast of the capital, about a five- or six-day drive away.

Two weeks before Gu Qingyue returned, she had taken the child back to Wenzhou.

Qin fell ill suddenly and kept the news from the outside world.

Gu Yuanjin did not inform the Wei family.

Therefore, Wei had just returned home when she learned that Qin had been seriously ill, and she rushed over immediately.