Relying on her memories from a few days ago, Gu Qianluo bypassed a stone arch bridge and finally arrived at Luoying Palace.
The three large characters at the entrance of Luoying Hall had been removed by the carpenters and thrown to the side of the pond.
The decorations in Luoying Hall have all been changed to white, white banners are hanging everywhere on the eaves, and a coffin is placed in the center of the hall.
On the table were incense burners, offerings, candlesticks, and an ever-burning lamp. Servants dressed in mourning clothes wailed by the brazier, and the entire hall was shrouded in a sorrowful atmosphere.
Her heart skipped a beat. She pulled off her veil from her sleeve and slowly walked into the hall. When the servants saw someone approaching, they looked up at her one after another, and then they cried out in joy.
Her eyes dimmed, and she asked softly, "Miss, may I ask which one has passed away?"
A maid who was lighting the eternal lamp whispered, "It's our original mistress of Luoying Palace—Gu Qianluo!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianluo narrowed her eyes, her body trembled, and her mind went blank for a moment. She slowly stepped forward and glanced at the person in the coffin. She saw that the person's whole body was swollen, and she was wearing Gu Qianluo's clothes, lying quietly in the coffin.
"How...how did she die?" Gu Qianluo asked, her hands trembling as she lit a candle for her.
Discussing the dead is disrespectful, so the maid glanced at her and went back to mourning.
Another maid, who was adding gold paper, leaned close to her ear and whispered, "She went to pick tea on the mountain, accidentally fell into the river, and drowned."
"Ha! Hahaha! I am still alive and well, yet someone is impersonating a deceased person? I will demand that the Marquis's mansion give me a fair explanation for this matter!"
After Gu Qianlu finished speaking, she flicked her sleeves and left gracefully. Coincidentally, before she could even leave the Marquis's residence, two familiar figures slowly passed by her.
When the two first stepped into the gates of Luoying Hall, they were all smiles, but once they entered the "mourning hall," they began to wail.
"Second sister-in-law! You died such a terrible death! How could you be so careless? You were just picking tea on the mountain, how could you have fallen into the lake?"
Second sister-in-law, how am I supposed to explain this to Jinheng and me? Waaah!
Gu Qianlu raised her eyes slightly and saw Zhang Shi crying so hard that she collapsed to the ground. She couldn't help but think to herself, "..."
"Hehe, you acted so convincingly!"
"Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law! Please accept my condolences! My second sister-in-law has just gone to the Western Paradise! Don't be too sad. If she sees you so heartbroken, she won't be able to leave in peace."
Lin Ruoyan helped Zhang Shi to her seat in the main seat, then picked up a red candle, lit it, and placed it on the candlestick.
"Little sister Luo'er, how could you be so careless? You were in the prime of your life, with unparalleled beauty, and now you've turned into this, boohoo!"
Luo'er, how pitiful you are.
You left us before you even had children, before you even celebrated your paper wedding anniversary with Jinheng!
Seeing this, Gu Qianluo's brows twitched slightly. Lin Ruoyan seemed to have been born with a pitiful appearance.
Tears streamed down her face like a waterfall, her trembling body and sobbing appearance evoked pity in everyone.
After finishing their performance, Zhang and Lin Ruoyan walked out of the mourning hall, supporting each other.
Gu Qianluo's eyebrows twitched slightly as she slowly retreated to hide beside a rockery outside the gate of Luoying Palace.
As soon as the two stepped out of the Luoying Hall, their heartbroken expressions instantly transformed, from their grief-stricken demeanor in the mourning hall to their flawless, radiant laughter.
Gu Qianlu's heart skipped a beat. Just as she was about to go out and argue with them, Zhang Qinhe spoke up smugly.
"Oh dear, Miss Lin is so clever, knowing how to use this trick. From now on, there will never be another Gu Qianluo in this Marquis's mansion."
"Sister-in-law, you flatter me! Now, the only way to preserve the reputation of the Marquis's mansion is to use a trick of substitution."
“You are highly talented and have two children with Jinheng. After this fake Gu Qianluo is buried, I will talk to the Lady of the Marquis about betrothing you to Jinheng.”
"You have two children, who can disobey you as the matriarch?"
"Sister-in-law, please stop talking! It's not even close to being a done deal yet!"
"By the way, where did you find the one lying in here?"
"Sister-in-law, have you forgotten? This is Shui Yao from Luoying Palace! When the guards tried to capture her, she was stubborn and refused to submit, and accidentally fell into the lake."
Shuiyao's older sister worked in the palace, so she begged the Marquis's mansion to handle her funeral arrangements properly.
The young woman thought to herself that her figure was comparable to Gu Qianluo's, and rumors were circulating outside that Gu Qianluo was having an affair with a guard, as if he had made such a deal.
In this way, after her funeral in a few days, who would dare to gossip about the Marquis's mansion?
"Hahaha! Miss Lin, you've done a fantastic job!"
Once this place is renovated, we'll move An'ge'er and Ping'er here.
"Thank you for your kind words, sister-in-law."
The two figures gradually disappeared from outside Luoying Palace. Gu Qianluo slowly walked out from beside the stone mountain, her jade fingers forming a fist.
"Zhang Qinhe, Lin Ruoyan, I'll deal with you when I find the evidence!"
Lotus Garden
Gu Zijun, Zhu Ying, and Liu Yue searched the streets of Shangjing for a whole day, but still couldn't find Gu Qianluo.
Gu Zijun's expression was heavy, his eyes were deep and unfathomable, and he didn't touch the food on the table.
After Liu Yue and Zhu Ying finished their meal, Gu Zijun remained seated in the main seat, drinking alone. No matter how Liu Yue tried to persuade him, he refused to eat a single bite.
"Master! People need food to survive. If you faint from hunger, how will you find the young lady later?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Zijun slammed his fist hard on the table, then suddenly landed in front of the dining table, finishing a bowl of white rice without any expression.
As the sun set, Gu Qianluo, dressed in men's clothing, wandered the streets, pondering where to look for Xiao Cui.
Xiao Cui is two years younger than her and is the daughter of Gu Qianluo's wet nurse. They grew up together since childhood. Although they are mistress and servant on the surface, Gu Qianluo has long regarded her as her younger sister.
Now that Xiao Cui has fallen into a brothel because of her, she really can't get over it.
The night market in Shangjing was particularly bustling. As dusk fell, the lights shone brightly, and vendors set up their stalls. The sounds of hawking, laughter, and opera singing filled the air as all sorts of products were put on the market. The streets were crowded and noisy.
Gu Qianlu brought 1,000 taels of silver with her when she came out, enough to cover her expenses for several months. Following her memory, she entered one brothel after another, just to find out where Xiao Cui was.
The waiter from Mingchunlou brought over two jugs of wine and slowly approached Gu Qianluo, asking hospitably, "Sir, would you like tea or wine?"
"Tea will suffice."
This was already the eighth brothel Gu Qianluo had visited. She rested her chin on her hand, staring intently at the play on stage, her gaze gradually dimming as she murmured...
Where exactly is Xiao Cui?
Just as the waiter was about to leave, upon hearing the name "Xiao Cui," he suddenly turned back and whispered in her ear, "..."
"So, sir, you've come to find Miss Cui Ling?"
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