Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 323: Indeed, Numerous Secrets were Hidden in the Grandmaster Residence

Chapter 323: Chapter 323: Indeed, Numerous Secrets were Hidden in the Grandmaster Residence

A group of people arrived at the Grandmaster Residence, and Gu Qing got off the carriage, following Liu Shun with constables and a forensic doctor in tow, crossing the steps of the Grandmaster Residence.

Upon reaching the front hall, Gu Qing saw a circle of people seated and almost thought he was hallucinating.

Otherwise, how could he seem to see Prince Qiu and Princess Qiu?

Just as Gu Qing was about to rub his eyes, he heard a leisurely female voice greet him, "Magistrate Gu, it has been a while, I hope you are well."

Qi Yu smiled at him, her expression seemingly sincere, but Gu Qing still felt a chill down his spine.

Every encounter with this lady meant trouble!

Gu Qing glanced around and saw an old man with kind eyes but an aura of dignity seated in the center. His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly bowed, "Grandmaster Liu."

Liu Yao waved his hand and said with a smile, "Magistrate Gu, no need for such formality. I have long since stopped being the Grandmaster, just an old man now!"

Gu Qing also chuckled dryly a few times.

Afterward, he turned his gaze and greeted the other members of the Grandmaster Residence.

Finally, his eyes moved to the far right, where two imposing figures sat like Buddhas.

To Gu Qing, both of these individuals were not ones to be trifled with.

He grimaced with a slightly trembling voice, "Prince Qiu, Princess Qiu."

Li Mingjue gave a nod without any expression, while Qi Yu was quite enthusiastic, even asking, "I wonder how Miss Gu has been recently?"

Gu Qing scoffed internally — was this not like a weasel paying a New Year’s visit to a chicken? Nevertheless, he replied respectfully and politely, "Thank you for your concern, Princess. She is doing quite well."

Qi Yu nodded pretentiously and continued, "Today we invited Magistrate Gu here because, earlier, when Prince Qiu and I came to visit Grandmaster Liu, we strolled around the residence for a while. Accidentally, we lost our way and wandered into a secluded courtyard, and quite by chance, we found several bodies in a well there."

"Bodies?!" The shock raised the pitch of Gu Qing’s voice.

Qi Yu frowned slightly, sighing, "Yes, those people seemed to have died a horrible death, so we asked the steward to report it to the authorities."

As soon as she finished speaking, before Gu Qing had a chance to ask anything, a Madam seated next to Grandmaster Liu snorted coldly, "Isn’t it a bit too coincidental? It’s the Princess’s first visit to the Grandmaster Residence, and she accidentally finds several bodies at the bottom of a well!"

Ignoring the subtext of her words, Qi Yu blinked innocently, and with a sincere face, said to the sharp-faced Madam, "I also find it quite coincidental."

The Madam glared at her and turned her head away, no longer speaking.

Observing this scene, Gu Qing felt his scalp tingle.

He looked at Li Mingjue and inquired, "Prince Qiu thinks that this matter..."

He was interrupted before he finished speaking. With an indifferent tone, Li Mingjue said, "I have always admired the Grandmaster’s character. There must be something fishy about this matter. If someone seeks to harm the Grandmaster Residence, I will not tolerate it. I ask Magistrate Gu to administer justice impartially and thoroughly investigate this matter."

Hearing this remark, Gu Qing felt an ominous feeling about his future, and his vision darkened, almost fainting.

Investigate?

With what evidence could he investigate?

Even if he did manage to uncover something adverse to the Grandmaster Residence, the Empress would certainly not let him off the hook.

After pondering for a moment, Gu Qing decided he had no choice but to pass the buck.

He bowed slightly and said to Grandmaster Liu, "With only the power of my office, it may be difficult to clear the air and vindicate the Grandmaster Residence. In my humble opinion, it might be best to report this to the Ministry of Justice and let Minister Qiu Lian undertake a thorough investigation."

Grandmaster Liu narrowed his eyes, speaking in a casual tone, "It was merely a few servants who accidentally took a tumble into the well, no need to trouble Master Qiu. Master Gu only needs to have the forensic doctor investigate their cause of death and give their families an explanation."

Gu Qing dared not disagree and could only nod, responding, "Yes."

He was well aware that the Grandmaster’s words were both a reminder and a warning.

On the surface, it seemed as though he had been given a direction to investigate, but in essence, he hoped that Gu Qing’s eventual conclusion would correspond with his statement.

With this in mind, Gu Qing’s feelings changed as he looked again at Grandmaster Liu’s seemingly kind and benevolent face.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and, led by the butler, made his way to the back courtyard.

In the front hall, Qi Yu gave Li Mingjue a meaningful glance.

Understanding her cue, Li Mingjue said to Grandmaster Liu, "Grandmaster, since the Princess and I discovered this matter, we can’t be free from suspicion. We will have to impose on the Grandmaster Residence until things are cleared up."

Grandmaster Liu courteously replied, "Prince, Princess, what are you saying? Visitors are always welcome, and though the Grandmaster Residence isn’t large, there’s still room to accommodate several people."

Having said that, he then beckoned a servant to arrange guest rooms.

The Madam was somewhat reluctant to let them stay, seeing that the pair appeared to have ulterior motives.

But the decision was not hers to make; she could only huff lightly and allowed the maid to help her leave first.

Upon seeing this, Grandmaster Liu also showed signs of fatigue and waved his hand, "You both may do as you please, this old man must retire to my chambers for rest."

After most of the people in the front hall had left, Qi Yu commented, "The people of the Grandmaster Residence are certainly interesting."

Li Mingjue, not quite understanding, looked at her. "Hmm?"

Qi Yu offered a faint smile with a somewhat icy tone, "A death in the residence seems to be nothing worth mentioning to them."

Li Mingjue frowned, also sensing that something was off, "Grandmaster Liu has always been protective of his reputation. He will surely not ignore such an incident occurring in his residence."

Qi Yu raised an eyebrow, "It seems, indeed, that the Grandmaster Residence is hiding quite a few secrets."

With that, she stood up and headed in the direction of the back courtyard.

When they arrived, Gu Qing had just had the bodies retrieved from the bottom of the well and laid out on the ground, emitting bursts of a foul, decaying stench.

Gu Qing, looking at the rotting bodies, nearly struggled to keep from vomiting.

He covered his nose and quietly stepped a few paces back.

It wasn’t just him; even the burly constables couldn’t stand the putrid smell.

The only one who seemed composed was the forensic doctor crouched on the ground examining the bodies, whose brow was deeply furrowed, resembling someone facing a formidable challenge.

Qi Yu stopped outside the courtyard gate, smelling the odor, and drew two handkerchiefs from her sleeve, one to cover her own mouth and nose, the other tossed to Li Mingjue.

She took a few steps closer, looking at the bodies on the ground and couldn’t help but furrow her brow.

There were three bodies in total, two men and one woman, and even though their faces were already damaged, one could tell they were young, no more than seventeen or eighteen.

A moment later, the forensic doctor rose, his face green as he said to Gu Qing, "Sir, it appears these people did not die by falling into the well."

Gu Qing, who was at a distance and covering his nose and mouth, asked with a muffled voice, "Then how did they die?"

The forensic doctor paused, his expression grave, "All of these individuals have suffered severe abdominal injuries. From the looks of the wounds, it’s highly likely they were cut open while still alive."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Gu Qing, unable to bear it any longer, vomited.