Qin Yuan gave him a sidelong glance with a smile and said softly, "That girl is too smart. She’s probably going to be even more clever than Hong Ye when she grows up. It was Xiao Hong who sent me a message about Doctor Liu’s suspicious behavior, which made me pay attention. I have my own considerations regarding her, so don’t interfere."
The charming glance made Marquis Gu feel like his soul was floating, and he immediately chuckled, "It’s up to you how you use people. I only mention her because I can’t bear the thought and wanted to bring it up to you."
They exchanged smiles,
Both were undeniably attractive, yet Gu Shiliu found it unbearable to watch.
He could only lower his head.
He sighed inwardly: With his master like this, it’s only a matter of time before the madam catches him, and she’ll catch him good.
No matter how many treasure books General Jin sends, it’s useless.
Indeed.
Qin Yuan pulled out the notes from Qin Siyuan and Lin Ziqi and said casually, "If Lady Zhao really left during the day, then who killed the nanny? If the nanny died during the day, why didn’t anyone see? Is someone lying? If the Marquis doesn’t investigate properly, when the mansion opens and he has to go to the Great Camp, who knows what other tasks will fall upon him, who will care to investigate these? This matter will become an unsolved case. Zhao’s issue concerns the origins of two children, and it mustn’t be taken lightly."
Indeed, Qin Yuan intends to get Gu Jinghui occupied with some matters.
In her past life, she followed Lin Ziqi from a poor county’s County Magistrate, serving as parental figure to the county, supervising everything.
The people came to file complaints, and sometimes Lin Ziqi had to go to the crime scene for careful judgment.
When there was a suspicious case or important matter, the few notable officials of the county would gather together to ponder.
Qin Yuan often analyzed the case with Lin Ziqi.
The Zhao matter always seemed amiss to her.
The mention of Gu Jinghui made his back go cold, breaking into a cold sweat despite the summer heat.
Gu Shiliu looked full of admiration.
These days, they’ve been so busy, some lines were overlooked due to the smallpox situation.
From Zihe to the nanny, every word from the madam hit the crucial points, areas they had neglected.
Yet it’s precisely in these neglected areas where truths might be hidden.
Gu Jinghui said, "That nanny who followed the Sixth Master’s carriage back must be hiding something. I said her words are not very credible, one ran away, one died, the rest follow what she says."
Gu Shiliu said, "That old woman has a very hard mouth."
Qin Yuan asked, "Did she escape from the mansion first and then hid under the Sixth Master’s carriage to return?"
Gu Shiliu replied, "Yes."
Gu Jinghui remained silent.
Qin Yuan unfolded Qin Siyuan’s letter and skimmed it, then said, "That nanny ran out at night, feeling safer outside than inside the mansion; returned with the Sixth Master’s carriage, still felt hiding was safer. This is peculiar, did she encounter someone outside?"
Gu Shiliu’s eyes lit up, "Since the closing of Feng Mansion, there has been a group of practitioners guarding outside the mansion gate, they don’t seem like spies from other mansions. Shi Ba secretly investigated, they are very vigilant and dare not follow too closely. Could this be related to the nanny?"
Lord Marquis said, "It’s possible."
Qin Yuan said, "Things have become unusual, there’s often another reason. That nanny returned, either believing it takes time to realize it’s smallpox and thought she could still do something; or felt outside was too dangerous, inside relatively safer. What kind of people are so fearful of Marquis Mansion?"
Gu Shiliu said, "Yes, she insisted she knows nothing, we can’t well kill her, we might as well leave a way out."
If this speculation is correct.
What outside frightened her to rather return?
Qin Yuan opened Lin Ziqi’s letter, glanced over it, and said lightly, "Another possibility, this nanny carried a major task, returned to take action, but got caught unexpectedly."
A person’s action can lead to countless guesses and motives from others.
Gu Shiliu was speechless.
The madam’s earlier words are not impossible either.
Gu Jinghui couldn’t sit still anymore, stood up and said, "Sixteen, let’s go to the study for a discussion."
Gu Shiliu asked, "Which study?"
"The outer courtyard."
Gu Shiliu: "..."
Didn’t they just move back here.
Why go back again?
Gu Jinghui finally managed to linger back, he naturally wouldn’t leave easily, he told Qin Yuan, "Weren’t you tired earlier? Why not rest for now? If anything, send someone to the outer courtyard to find me or tell Sixteen. Wait for me to have dinner in the evening."
Qin Yuan nodded.
Only then did Gu Jinghui get up, hurriedly left with Gu Shiliu.
Hong Ye and Cui Ming rushed in to serve.
Hong Ye asked curiously, "What’s wrong with Marquis? He seems different from this morning."