Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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The woman, dressed in a bright red gauze skirt, tightly twisted a handkerchief in her hands.
Her waist was slender as a willow, her face like a lotus blossom, her eyebrows like crescent moons and her eyes like cicadas in autumn— she was exceptionally beautiful and captivating.
Even now, in her rage, her beauty remained dazzling.
Yu Linlang was not frightened by the shattered porcelain cup; she just stood calmly before the woman, meeting her gaze. She neither retreated nor yielded, remaining composed and unperturbed.
Madam Huo stared at the face that bore no resemblance to her own, feeling a deep loathing.
Seeing the woman staring at her so disrespectfully, she raised her hand and smashed another cup, her voice sharp and stern as she rebuked, “Kneel down! Do you know your crime?”
Yu Linlang raised her eyes. “I wonder what crime Madam wishes to punish me for?”
“For over ten years, the manor has been peaceful and tranquil without a single incident, but as soon as you returned, someone died. You truly are the nemesis of our governor’s manor! A jinx has entered the house, bringing unrest to the household.”
Upon hearing this, Jiu Jin trembled with rage.
Such vicious accusations would be unspeakable even to a stranger, let alone being made by one’s biological mother!
What sins did her miss commit in her past life to deserve such a terrifying mother?
Yu Linlang remained calm, her voice unusually indifferent, “A murder has occurred in your governor’s mansion. Shouldn’t you, Madam, be the first to be held accountable? Madam is in charge of the household affairs, yet you have been lax in managing the household, leading to this murder. Instead of reflecting on your own actions, you’re trying to shift the blame? What kind of head of household are you, what kind of lady are you?”
All the concubines and young ladies in the hall gaped, their eyes fixed on this unassuming young girl.
The room fell silent; until you could hear a pin drop.
Only Madam Huo was so enraged by her daughter that her eyes blazed with anger. She twisted the handkerchief in her hand tightly, staring at her as if she were an enemy. “What did you say? How dare you speak so recklessly and disrespectfully? Aren’t you afraid I’ll punish you for a grave act of filial impiety!”
“Mother.” Sitting beside Madam Huo, Yu Pianpian, who had been sitting silently with her brows furrowed, quickly stood up to soothe her. “Mother, please don’t be angry. Your health is the most important thing.”
She turned to Yu Linlang, her brows furrowed. “Linlang, why do you speak so veiledly? Mother is your elder, how can you be so disrespectful to her?”
“Kneel down and apologize to Mother! Do you really want her to punish you for a grave act such as filial impiety? The laws of this dynasty are strict. If you are convicted of a grave act of filial impiety, you are punishable by death!”
Yu Linlang said expressionlessly. “If Madam wants to pin a grave act of filial impiety on me, she can go to the yamen and beat the drum to appeal. You are not afraid of losing face for the entire household, so what do I, alone, have to fear?”
“Your entire governor’s mansion is interconnected; we all share the same fate. If you’re not afraid I’ll tarnish the reputation of all the unmarried girls in the mansion, then go ahead and sue! It’s just a matter of filial impiety. I, Yu Linlang, can bear the title of ‘jinx,’ so why should I fear bearing another great act of filial impiety?!”
“You! You!!” Madam Huo never expected this girl to be so defiant. Her eyes widened, and she clutched her chest, almost unable to breathe from anger.
“Mother, Mother.” Yu Pianpian was also frightened and quickly patted Madam Huo’s chest, urging the maids around her, “What are you all standing there for? Quickly bring a cup of tea to soothe Mother’s throat and help her catch her breath.”
The maids were trembling with fear. Upon hearing the second young lady’s order, they hurriedly went to fetch teacups and add water.
Outside the door, the governor looked embarrassed, glancing furtively at Prince Mu and Lord Lu, and said with an awkward smile, “My daughter just returned home yesterday, and perhaps there’s been a small misunderstanding with her mother and sisters. Prince, Lord Lu, please come to the main hall.”
Mu Zhao smiled faintly, “To call her a ‘jinx’ is perhaps too much of an exaggeration. Even as an outsider, I feel…uncomfortable hearing it, let alone a young girl who has just returned home, being ostracized by her family like this. It doesn’t seem quite right.”
“Of course, this is the governor’s family matter, and I, the young master, should not interfere.”
“But Lord Yu also knows that in cultivating oneself, regulating one’s family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world— regulating one’s family comes before governing the state. The governor can’t even manage his own household; how can he have the energy to handle state affairs? How can the Emperor believe that you can properly handle the resettlement of the disaster victims?”
These words caused Yu Shoudao to break out in a cold sweat and repeatedly apologize.
Lu Qian glanced at Governor Yu, lowered his brows, and said nothing more. The group entered the main hall, and only after the deceased’s husband was summoned in did the atmosphere gradually return to normal.
“The deceased was a kitchen helper in our household. She entered the household two years ago with her husband, Niu Erji, and signed a ten-year contract.”
Yu Shoudao pointed to the trembling man kneeling on the ground. “This man is Niu Erji.”
Lu Qian took a thin booklet from the guard, flipped through a few lines, and then looked down at the trembling man kneeling on the ground. “Niu Erji, according to our investigation, you and your wife had a big fight last night, and you even threatened to chop her up? Is that true?”
Niu Erji was so frightened that he almost collapsed to the ground, trembling all over as he cried out, “My lord, my lord, no, I didn’t kill her! It wasn’t me! How could I, how could I kill my own wife, my lord!”
Lu Qian slammed the case file on the table and asked coldly, “Several people now identify you as having motive for the crime. What did you argue about yesterday? Where did you go after the argument?”
“My lord, I stayed inside the house the whole time and didn’t go out! After the argument, I went to sleep, I went to sleep.”
“Still lying!” Mu Feng jumped up and shouted, “We’ve already investigated, and there are witnesses to prove it. You left right after arguing with your wife!”
“You’ve been hiding so much. Could it be that you killed her?” Mu Feng pointed at Niu Erji and threatened, “Speak! Why was your wife locked in the kitchen backyard this morning? Did you cut open her stomach? Are you playing a trick on her? Did you cut open her stomach and take out her heart, liver, spleen, and lungs? What were you trying to do?”
Niu Erji was so frightened that he wet himself and collapsed to the ground, waving his hands repeatedly, “Sir, sir, sir, it wasn’t me! I didn’t kill anyone! I’ll talk, I’ll talk! Yesterday, my wife found out that I had lost two months’ wages at the Chang Le gambling den, so she had a big fight with me.”
“What good things can come of arguing, sir? I was just spouting nonsense about chopping her up, but she’s still my wife, how could I possibly chop her up? After that, I left the manor in a fit of anger, and then… I went to the gambling den and gambled a few more times, not returning until late at night. The gatekeeper can vouch for that!”
“Was your wife still there when you went back to your room?”
Niu Erji shook his head, confused. “I… I was a little drunk at the time, and when I got back to my room I… just went straight to sleep. I really don’t know if she was still there.”
“Sir.” Coroner Old Li limped in, bowing respectfully.
“What’s the situation?” Governor Yu asked first, “Is it related to the male corpse on the street?”
Old Li pondered for a moment and nodded. “The methods are consistent; there are no visible wounds, only the abdomen was cut open, and the heart, lungs, liver, etc., were removed.”
“Is it possible to deduce the time of death?”
“Based on some external characteristics, the deceased was likely murdered around midnight.”
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