Chapter 218: Chapter 54: Another Death
The scene looked as if something bad had happened. Although Gu Chengyu was still young, he was, after all, an outsider. The girl being seen by him might truly want to die from the shame and anger!
The servant exclaimed as he gasped for breath, "Cough! Cough! Mr. Gu, I almost got strangled by you!"
Gu Chengyu gave an embarrassed smile, "Urgent matters require urgent actions! Please bear with me, young brother!" He hurried over, dragging the servant by the collar.
Once the servant caught his breath, he asked, "Why did you pull me so fast, Mr. Gu? Maybe it was just some sister feeling wronged and came here to cry! But wow, youâre really strong, Mr. Gu! You carried me so fast!"
The servant thought it over and figured it must have been some maid serving the mistress, feeling wronged and came here to cry. After all, no one is usually here at night!
Gu Chengyu didnât explain the reason, only urging the servant to lead him through another way!
By the time Gu Chengyu and the others returned to the garden hall, the banquet was nearing its end. Ye Zhiqiu complained that Gu Chengyu had been gone for so long; he was young, couldnât drink, and wasnât good with words, so he just sat idly, bored!
"My stomach doesnât feel well, so I was a bit late. Donât worry, itâs almost over!" Gu Chengyu noticed that everyone was almost done drinking, and since nobody was really familiar, they wouldnât get too drunk before leaving! He glanced at Vice Magistrate Wang sitting below Prefect Jiang, realizing he didnât find an opportunity tonight, so heâd have to pay a personal visit tomorrow!
"Master!" Steward Yu walked briskly from outside the garden hall and leaned to whisper something in Prefect Jiangâs ear, which immediately made Prefect Jiangâs brows furrow. He then stood up.
"Everyone! Thereâs some matter in the mansion; weâll reconvene another day! Steward Yu, see them out!" Prefect Jiang said and hurriedly left.
"Gentlemen! Please follow me!"
Gu Chengyu watched Prefect Jiang leave in a hurry, deep in thought. What could be so urgent? He suddenly thought of the girl he encountered earlier. Could it have anything to do with her? But could a mere maid alarm the Prefect? Matters of the inner residence are typically managed by the mistress; why was the Prefect so anxious?
No matter, this had nothing to do with Gu Chengyu, so he followed the other examinees out of the garden hall. But when they arrived outside, they found a crowd gathered by the small lake on the right, people holding lanterns, some with sticks poking around in the pond, others shouting to get in and search!
Even from the garden hall, Gu Chengyu and the others could hear such commotion. No wonder Prefect Jiang promptly arranged for their departure!
Gu Chengyu felt a jolt in his heart as he thought of the girl. Could she have jumped into the lake? He hoped it wasnât what he thought because if so, it would be a sin. He just wanted to avoid trouble back then and hadnât anticipated the ancient chastity of women, maybe she was really insulted and committed suicide by jumping into the lake!
Feeling uneasy, Gu Chengyu glanced over several times, but the shouts from the lakeside made him suspect the worst, that the girl might have indeed jumped.
Gu Chengyu felt a bit distressed; the girl seemed pitiful. He wasnât sure if saving her would have been good or bad, but it was a human life!
"Hmm? Whatâs happening over there?" Ye Zhiqiu whispered softly into Gu Chengyuâs ear.
Suddenly someone shouted from that direction, "Got it! We got it!"
The lakeside wasnât far from here, and the light was sufficient, causing everyone to turn and look, shocked to see theyâd fished up a person?
Instantly, the examinees in front started whispering, "How did someone die?"
"Shush! Donât speak nonsense, these large households have plenty of drama!"
Steward Yu thought letting the crowd see this scene wasnât proper, so he quickened his pace, eager to escort the examinees out.
In such large households, a few servants dying isnât unheard of; officialsâ families frequently sell or beat them to death. For the steward, the death of a servant is nothing, but this time, the deceased was peculiar, prompting them to call the master over, mainly because the maid died in the outer courtyard!
"Madam!" Steward Yu, leading in front, suddenly saw Yu Family Madam coming from the inner courtyard. The inner courtyard had long been locked since the death occurred in the outer courtyard; they first informed the master before unlocking for the Deputy, but happened to run into her.
The Yu Family Madam, being an elder, meeting these younger ones amidst so many people, wouldnât spread any rumors, yet Steward Yu felt some difficulty. He surreptitiously glanced at Gu Chengyu standing in the crowd and shifted his body slightly to shield Gu Chengyu from view.
"Students greet the Prefectâs wife!" The examinees, having encountered her, had to salute.
"So itâs the scholars hosted by the master, no need for excess courtesy. There are family matters today, pardon our neglect, and please donât speculate about affairs of the mansion!"
Gu Chengyu had just glanced quickly at Yu Family Madam, finding her somewhat stately, but her haughty expression in speech showed she didnât hold them scholars in high regard.
In the Dayan Dynasty, bonded servantsâ lives were at their masterâs command. Meeting a kind master, serving well, one could survive, but a cruel master would mean bad luck for them. All these were dealt with privately; outwardly, mistakes would lead to selling out.
Such a matter as just now could be attributed to the maid failing in her duties and unable to think straight, thus jumping in the lake. Even an Imperial Censor couldnât impeach without evidence, at most criticizing them for not managing the inner residence appropriately.
"Steward Yu, escort them out!" Yu Family Madam waved her hand with a handkerchief, thinking how her master even thought to throw a banquet for scholars who werenât even graduates?
"Yes, madam!" Steward Yu stood still, planning to turn only after Yu Family Madam left. If she saw Gu Chengyu, it would cause major trouble.
Thinking of such a situation, Steward Yu felt a headache coming on. His madam was raised with pride by her natal family, and marrying the master was considered a step down. A similar incident years ago had caused a great fuss from her, not caring about the masterâs prospects.
Yet the master was calculative; even as her dowry manager, the head of the household was always the master! Naturally, he could only heed the masterâs command.
Yu Family Madam, however, didnât move. Who wants to deal with the dead at night? A maid like that is better off dead!
Steward Yu, seeing Yu Family Madam seemed disinclined to go to the lakeside, felt extremely troubled. He could only urge the scholars forward while doing his best to block Gu Chengyu.
Suddenly, Yu Family Madam remembered that this top student from the prefecture was an eight-year-old prodigy, and she wished to see him.
"Wait! Iâve heard that this prefectureâs top student is an eight-year-old child, I wonder who that is?" Yu Family Madamâs view was blocked by Steward Yu, hence her inquiry.