"Master, is there any danger?" Lanqin couldn't help but turn around and ask the Fourth Master anxiously.
Just then, a cry of surprise suddenly came from the water.
"ah!!"
It was Chen Shou's voice. Everyone hurriedly looked into the water and saw him emerge from the water in terror, his expression indescribably eerie and terrifying.
"Quickly pull him up!" Fourth Master said hastily.
Su Peisheng immediately reached into the water, and Chen Shou frantically grabbed the oar. Su Peisheng then pulled hard backward, with the help of several maids behind him. Song Shi and Geng Shi couldn't intervene, so they could only stand by and let them pull.
Lanqin anxiously watched Chen Shou in the water, who was unharmed, before finally letting out a sigh of relief. But why had he shouted like that just now? And judging from his appearance, he was clearly extremely shocked!
After Chen Shou was pulled aboard by the crowd, he was soaking wet. As soon as he was over the gunwale, he lay on the ground, panting.
"Chen Shou, what's wrong? What's in the water?" Lan Qin ran over and squatted down next to Chen Shou to ask.
Chen Shou raised his head, glanced at Lanqin, then looked at the Fourth Prince, his face still showing an expression of having seen a ghost.
"Tell me, what exactly happened underwater?" Fourth Master also sensed something was amiss and asked sternly.
Chen Shou caught his breath and said, "Master, Master, what's underwater isn't a fish at all, but... but a skeleton!!"
These words caused an uproar. Several of the more timid maids couldn't help but gasp, but quickly composed themselves because the Fourth Master was present.
Lanqin, Song, and Geng were all startled and frightened, but they were not afraid of losing their voices.
"What did you say, Chen Shou? You mean what's hooking our fishing line at the bottom of the water is a skeleton?" Lan Qin asked, trembling.
“No, Master’s fishhook did indeed hook a big fish, but the fish burrowed into the chest cavity of a skeleton, which is why Master couldn’t pull it out,” Chen Shou said.
A chill ran down everyone's spine. They were all puzzled. How could there be a corpse in the lake? And it must have been dead for a long time, with only a skeleton remaining.
Suddenly, Lanqin remembered what Fourth Master had said about the silver carp being a carnivorous fish, and then she recalled Chen Shou's description of a skeleton at the bottom of the water, and the flesh on the corpse...
Lanqin felt a wave of discomfort in her stomach, followed by nausea. Being pregnant, she couldn't hold back her vomiting upon hearing such disgusting news.
"Qin'er, Qin'er, are you alright?" Madam Song quickly pulled Lanqin along and patted her back.
"That's enough for today! I'll handle things here myself. Help your master back!" Fourth Master said coldly. His words, along with Chen Shou's discovery underwater, instantly turned the slightly warm early summer into a chilling ice.
Lanqin left with the help of Cui Niang and the others. Song Shi and Geng Shi also left hastily with the help of their maids. The pleasant atmosphere was completely destroyed by Chen Shou's shocking words.
The Fourth Prince ordered Su Peisheng to fetch men to prepare for retrieving the body from the bottom of the water. Su Peisheng immediately went to fetch men, and soon a group of servants arrived. The Fourth Prince directed them to begin retrieving the skeleton from the water.
Several of the bolder servants took off their outer clothes and jumped into the water with a splash.
Several other servants, armed with ropes and tools, lay on the boat watching the movements in the water. The Fourth Master and Su Peisheng stood aside, watching them salvage the boat.
In a short while, a skeleton was indeed revealed on the surface of the water. Even a man like Su Peisheng was so shocked that he trembled. The Fourth Master just watched them retrieve the skeleton coldly without saying a word.
Meanwhile, the news of the discovery of skeletons in Bixin Lake spread rapidly throughout the inner quarters, likely from the servants guarding the garden, who loved to gossip and spread rumors for personal gain.
In the main courtyard, the Fujin was listening to Hongshi recite the Thousand Character Classic with his eyes closed. Lingxiu tiptoed in and whispered in the Fujin's ear.
A pair of eyes that had been quiet and peaceful suddenly opened wide. After looking at Lingxiu's expression, the Fujin understood what was going on.
"Alright, Hongshi, go out and play for a while with Qiuchan. You recited it very well." The Fujin interrupted Hongshi's childish voice.
After Qiu Chan led Hong Shi out, Ling Xiucai said, "It's been retrieved, and the thing has been taken to the morgue."
The princess narrowed her eyes slightly and said indifferently, "Hmph, just a skeleton. There are plenty of people who have died unjustly in this inner quarters. Didn't Madam Li kill several maids before, and they didn't disappear without a trace? Perhaps they all sank to the bottom of Bixin Lake."
Lingxiu smiled and said, "What you say is true, Madam. A skeleton can't possibly know who it belongs to."
The princess glanced at Lingxiu and said coldly, "Why are you trembling? Since when have you been afraid of these things? Are those skeletons sparrows?"
Lingxiu glanced at the Fujin and nodded. "This servant and Granny Li threw her into the lake, which was about the same spot where she was pulled out. This servant thinks it might be hers."
The princess consort rubbed a bracelet in her hand and said with disgust, "She's just a lowly servant girl. She's been dead for so long, and they still managed to find her and pull her out. What are you afraid of? She's dead, just a skeleton. Can she still speak?"
The Fujin's words were as cold as ice. Although the room was already hot and dry with the heat of early summer, Lingxiu still felt a chill run down her spine. After all, she was the one who had personally thrown Que'er into that lake. Now that the body had been found, even someone as ruthless and cold-blooded as Lingxiu felt a chill run to her very bones.
Meanwhile, Fourth Master and Su Peisheng were already standing beside "Sparrow's" body. They saw that the skeleton was still wearing a tiny bit of "clothing," just a small, water-swollen garment, its pattern almost indistinguishable, clinging to the bones. However, it was still clear that it was a woman's clothing, meaning that the skeleton belonged to a woman.
"Go and have Doctor Wu examine this body," Fourth Master instructed before leaving the morgue. He headed straight for the south courtyard, leaving the young woman quite frightened.
Fourth Master entered the south courtyard, where Lanqin was reading in the study. He didn't ask anyone to announce his arrival, and quietly went in, where he saw the young woman sitting there peacefully.
Lanqin was probably still thinking about the corpse in the water, and she seemed particularly sensitive at this moment. When the Fourth Master slowly walked up behind her, he unexpectedly startled her.
"Did I scare you, Master?" Fourth Master said.
"Hmm. Your sudden appearance has frightened me. Who is that corpse in the water?" Lanqin couldn't help but ask.
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