Que'er knelt on the ground, her hands supporting her weight, her whole body trembling: "This servant...this servant knows. It was sometime last summer when this servant was serving you a bath, and I noticed the marks on your body. I asked you about them. But...but..."
Que'er timidly looked up at Gu Xin, feeling a little scared and unsure of what to say.
Gu Xin said softly, "Go ahead and say it. No one here will do anything to you."
After speaking, Gu Xin glanced at Madam Yun and Madam Feng.
After hearing Gu Xin's words, Que'er calmed down a bit and then said, "That time, I was beaten by you, Miss. You used a whip..."
"Impossible!" Madam Feng interrupted Que'er, denying it without hesitation. "Although Jinshu was raised to be spoiled and arrogant, she would never use a whip. Our Feng family is a family that values poetry, literature, and etiquette. Even the young men wouldn't use one, let alone our young ladies. You wretched woman, do you think you can spout nonsense just because Jinshu is gone?"
“Second Madam, I’m not talking nonsense. What I said is all true. Miss really does know how to use a whip,” Que’er retorted.
Madam Feng was about to hit someone when Gu Xin stopped her, saying, "Madam Feng, calm down and let Que'er finish speaking."
Madam Yun also pulled Madam Feng aside and advised, "Second sister-in-law, calm down and wait for the princess to finish asking her questions."
Que'er shrank back slightly, staring at Gu Xin with pleading eyes. She was scared and dared not continue.
But seeing Gu Xin's sharp gaze, she dared not remain silent.
So, trembling, she said, “There’s a whip hidden in the young lady’s room. Whenever she’s unhappy, or when she gets new wounds, she whips me. She forbids me from telling anyone, not even my sister Ying’er. I’ve never told anyone. Perhaps if it weren’t for this incident, and if the young lady’s wounds hadn’t been discovered, I would never have told anyone in my life. Please believe me, Second Madam and First Madam.”
Before Madam Yun and Madam Feng could speak, Gu Xin asked first, "Miss Feng was injured. As her personal maid, you should know that Miss Feng has been injured. Does Miss Feng usually go out alone without any of your maids?"
Que'er shook her head: "No. Except when the young lady doesn't let us sleep in her side room at night, the young lady is never alone at any other time."
Gu Xin turned to look at Madam Yun: "Madam Feng, how skilled are your guards? If someone sneaks into your residence at night, are your guards able to detect it?"
Madam Yun was taken aback, then said somewhat apologetically, "The guards in the house are all promoted from the servants, and they are all under the supervision of Steward Li. Steward Li is the head of the guards, and he came from the battlefield. He is responsible for training the guards. We also keep dogs. In theory, if someone breaks into the house at night, even if the people don't notice, the dogs should definitely be able to. But in all these years, there haven't been any cases of thieves breaking into the house. Steward Li is quite capable."
Gu Xin frowned and asked, "How old is Butler Li?"
Madam Yun said, "Steward Li should be around thirty years old. He joined the army at the age of fifteen. When he was twenty, his parents died unexpectedly. Our master had received kindness from his parents, so he was made to serve as the head of the guards in our house. At that time, he had just completed his five-year term of service."
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