Madam Lin furrowed her brows and glanced at Gu Youyou as if nothing was amiss, but she asked Lin Qianqing, "Daya, what exactly happened? What do you mean the coachman was switched while you were sitting in the carriage?"
Lin Qianqing shrugged and said, "I don’t know, I was in the carriage and didn’t notice the coachman had been switched at all. It was my cousin who said that. We only realized the driver wasn’t our servant after we got off the carriage."
Since Lin Qianqing brought herself into the conversation, Gu Youyou also had no choice but to pluck up her courage and say, "I knew the coachman was switched because his voice sounded wrong."
"And what about the person on top of the carriage?" Madam Lin asked urgently.
Gu Youyou glanced at Lin Qianqing and said, "I haven’t had the chance to mention this yet, but I know who the person on top of the carriage was."
Everyone turned their attention to Gu Youyou.
"It was Yue Rujing. I saw him in Jinxiu City, and he told me," Gu Youyou replied honestly.
"Then..." Madam Lin wanted to ask something else but didn’t know where to begin.
Gu Youyou said, "I really don’t know anything else. Maybe Yue Rujing knows more. Aunt, why don’t we invite him to the manor for questioning?"
...Madam Lin was left speechless.
Invite Yue Rujing for questioning at the manor? She had the nerve to come up with that.
Lin Qianqing suddenly said, "Cousin, you went to meet with Princely Heir Yue when you came downstairs?"
Gu Youyou nodded and said, "Yes, I just happened to see him from the window."
The whole affair was puzzling, yet their account of it was crystal clear.
Madam Lin the elder pondered thoughtfully.
Madam Lin had wanted to pursue the issue of Lin Qianqing following Gu Youyou to Jinxiu City, but with this bizarre incident, the trip to Jinxiu City seemed trivial in comparison.
After thinking for a moment, she said to Madam Lin the elder, "Mother, this matter is no simple affair, we must wait for Xingyi to return and discuss it properly."
Madam Lin the elder glanced at Gu Youyou and nodded slightly, saying, "Indeed, let’s wait for Xingyi to come back before we discuss it further."
Gu Youyou took Xiang Chun back and carefully applied medicine to her face, asking, "I was only inside for a short while and you were beaten up . They asked you questions, you should have just answered them. Why suffer in vain by being stubborn?"
Xiang Chun cried and said, "When the young ladies make a mistake, they cannot be beaten, it’s up to the maids close to them to take the punishment. Miss, the beating I received had nothing to do with what happened on the road. They grabbed me and without saying a word, gave me a few slaps; I understood right away."
This shocked Gu Youyou profoundly, witnessing the wounds Xiang Chun suffered for her, she truly felt the terrifying power of ancient rulers.
As a servant without status, being beaten or punished needed no justification; they would beat you whenever they wanted, and if you died, they could just find an excuse to dispose of you, the Governor’s Office would not bother to investigate a maid of inconsequential status in a Minister’s mansion.
"You’ve suffered, you don’t have to do anything for the next few days, just rest well."
That was all Gu Youyou could do for her; doing anything more might reach her aunt’s ears, who knows what would become of it then.
At night, without Xiang Chun to keep watch, there was one less bowl of soup to worry about.
Jin Zijin arrived very late, when the bustling Beijing had fallen into a deep silence.
Gu Youyou told him about the events of the day, and Jin Zijin frowned deeply, saying, "Since Ajing has already settled it, don’t inquire further."