A bloody arm came into everyone's sight.
"Ah!"
The female members of the Gu clan present screamed in fright.
Old General Gu roared coldly, "All of you, shut up!"
The hall immediately fell silent.
Old General Gu, who had commanded armies on the battlefield, was naturally not afraid of bloody scenes. He looked at Gu Qianying and asked in a deep voice, "What is this...?"
"An arm that your granddaughter cut off with her sword. It belongs to the governess. Your granddaughter cut it off because she was disobedient while I was apprehending and interrogating her. Here, this is the price of her disobedience. However, now that this arm is severed, it has become obedient!"
Gu Qianying said this in a casual tone, as if she were discussing a trivial matter.
Her expression was also extremely calm.
This made Gu Yumei, who was kneeling on the ground, Gu Mingyue, who was standing by, and the maids who were obeying Gu Mingyue and Gu Yumei tremble and lower their heads in fear.
"What exactly is going on here?"
Old General Gu asked.
Judging by Gu Qianying's tone and the meaning behind her words, Old General Gu had already realized that the matter was not as simple as it seemed.
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince sent a governess to the manor to personally look after Gu Mingyue. However, this governess not only took care of Gu Mingyue but also had the energy to pass messages to her own master. Just a few days ago, when Gu Mingyue and Gu Yumei conspired to deal with your granddaughter, this governess conceived a plan to exploit the jealousy of Gu Mingyue and Gu Yumei for the benefit of her master."
"Yesterday's incident of poisoning someone with蛊虫 (gu worms) to frame your granddaughter was a scheme concocted by these individuals. They used the scent of蛊香 (gu incense) to lure the King of Gu Worms, thereby establishing your granddaughter as the culprit who used蛊虫 (gu worms) to poison others."
As she spoke, Gu Qianying glanced at Gu Mingyue and Gu Yumei, then continued, "However, Gu Mingyue and Gu Yumei do not understand蛊术 (gu arts). But even if they don't, it doesn't mean others don't. According to my investigation, this governess Lan is a novice蛊术师 (gu practitioner). Raising a few蛊虫 (gu worms) and using them to poison people is an easy task for her. After helping them harm others, she would inform her master of all the situations in the manor via carrier pigeon."
"Moreover, without the cooperation of Gu Mingyue and Gu Yumei, governess Lan would not have been able to act so stealthily. Of course, if they were to cause trouble in the Gu Manor and be discovered, they would naturally hope that their accomplices would save them. Thus, governess Lan left behind evidence of her interactions with Gu Mingyue and Gu Yumei."
As she spoke, Gu Qianying took out a letter from her sleeve and slowly unfolded it. The inside of the envelope faced her, and then she handed the letter to Old General Gu.
Old General Gu, who received the letter from Gu Qianying, frowned upon seeing only the four characters "陪着演戏" (playing along) written on it, but he said nothing.
"Grandfather, this letter contains the details of how governess Lan, Gu Mingyue, and Gu Yumei carried out the entire framing plan. It mentions the silver and jewelry they bribed the maids in Mother's courtyard with. If these can be found, it will also prove the truthfulness of the contents of this letter written by governess Lan."
At this moment, Gu Qianying suddenly turned around to face Gu Mingyue and Gu Yumei. "Of course, if you confess your crimes, there's no need for all this trouble. Alas, it's a pity about governess Lan's arm. If her fingers were cut off, I suppose the outcome would be the same. After all, whether it's an arm or fingers, the pain is the same." Gu Qianying then walked to the personal maid behind Gu Yumei, lifted her chin, and said slowly, "If you are also disobedient, then I will chop off all ten of your fingers."
Her slender fingers moved from the maid's chin to her neck, and she grasped her throat, her voice tinged with bloodlust. "Suddenly, I feel that cutting off ten fingers is too troublesome. It would be better to just cut off your throat and let you bleed to death slowly! What do you think of that method?"
*Thump!*
When Gu Qianying released her hand, the maid in front of her legs gave out from under her and knelt on the ground. Terrified, she confessed everything she knew. "My mistress and the second young lady had long planned how to frame the eldest young lady for murder. That day..."
After Gu Yumei's personal maid confessed, Gu Mingyue's maid, also terrified, confessed everything she knew.
With the testimonies of the two maids and governess Lan's confession, Gu Mingyue and Gu Yumei immediately slumped onto chairs and the ground respectively, their faces equally pale.
As the truth of the matter surfaced, Old General Gu was furious. "You scoundrels! How dare you be so wicked! Guards, seize these two unfilial daughters and send them to the authorities for investigation!"
"Grandfather, I was wrong. I was foolish for a moment. I will never dare to do it again. I beg Grandfather not to send me to the authorities. I beg Grandfather to spare me, sob..." Gu Yumei crawled to Old General Gu on her knees, hugging his trouser legs and crying, begging him to spare her.
Old General Gu kicked her away and said angrily, "You committed such a heinous crime, and you still have the audacity to beg for mercy? Guards, drag this unfilial daughter away, quickly!"
Two servants entered, grabbed Gu Yumei, and dragged her away.
Gu Mingyue did not beg Old General Gu for mercy like Gu Yumei. Instead, she touched her bulging belly and glared at the servants who were about to seize her. "I am the Crown Prince's soon-to-be concubine, and I am carrying the Crown Prince's child. Who among you dares to touch me!"
The two servants stopped in their tracks, not daring to step forward. They secretly looked at Old General Gu. Seeing that Old General Gu remained silent, they were even more hesitant to step forward and seize her.
Gu Mingyue, using the fact that she was carrying Crown Prince Nan Rongqi's child as a shield, believed that even if her maids confessed her actions, nothing could happen to her. Thus, she became even more arrogant.
"Grandfather, I was also foolish for a moment, which led me to do such a stupid thing. I implore Grandfather to be lenient and not hold this against me. After all, it only resulted in the death of two young ladies from outside the manor. If Grandfather is willing to let Fourth Sister bear all the blame as if it were all her doing, then in the future, after I move into the Eastern Palace and give birth to a prince, I will definitely speak highly of you, Father, and Eldest Brother to the Crown Prince. In the future, I will also find opportunities to benefit our Gu Manor. Grandfather, I am tired and need to rest. Let's end today's proceedings here!"
Gu Mingyue's attitude was completely haughty, as if she did not take the current situation seriously.
In her opinion, with her carrying a prince, her grandfather, father, and even that wretched Gu Qianying would not dare to do anything to her. She was the Crown Prince's woman!
Gu Mingyue was very arrogant. The maid kneeling at her feet also immediately stood up, hurried forward to support Gu Mingyue, and said ingratiatingly, "Miss, you must take care of yourself. If anything happens to you, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will surely blame this servant. In the future, if you give birth to a prince, you might even be conferred the title of secondary consort. This servant congratulates you in advance."
Hearing the maid's words, Gu Mingyue's mood greatly improved, and she no longer cared about being betrayed by her maid earlier.
"Alright, stop talking nonsense. Hurry and help me back to rest. I'm tired."
"Yes, Miss."
Gu Mingyue walked out with her maid.
The servants who had rushed into the hall did not dare to stop her.
"Ah!"
A hairpin "whooshed" and embedded itself into the back of Gu Mingyue's personal maid's leg. The maid cried out in pain and knelt on the ground, almost passing out from the agony.
Gu Mingyue looked back in disbelief at the woman slowly walking towards her.