sjar Chapter 617 The real culprit has arrived, and with evidence!
Chapter 617 The real culprit has arrived, and with evidence!
Looking at his wife, who seemed to have gone mad, and the servants who looked terrified, Master Gu was so angry that his face turned purple.
Just as he was about to order someone to drag her away, a calm voice came from the doorway: "Grandfather, what has caused your anger?"
Everyone in the courtyard turned around to see Gu Lü, the newly appointed third-ranked scholar, walking slowly into the courtyard, dressed in an exquisitely embroidered bright red official robe and wearing a black gauze hat with gold flowers, surrounded by a group of servants.
His dark eyes slowly swept over everyone in the courtyard, finally settling on Madam Gu's distorted face.
When the messengers saw the person in charge arrive, they quickly stepped forward again, beaming with smiles and offering their congratulations.
Suppressing his raging anger, Master Gu forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace.
When Madam Gu saw Gu Lu in his official robes, it was as if all her strength had been drained away instantly.
Then came an even sharper scream, "You, you weren't arrested? This is fake! It's all fake! You stole these clothes!"
Gu Lu ignored her madness, and simply turned to Third Master Gu and bowed deeply.
"My grandson has passed the imperial examination with flying colors, which should be a joyous occasion. However, I have an old case to resolve today, and I would like to ask my grandfather to help me."
Master Gu's heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of foreboding surged into his mind.
Gu Lu stopped looking at him and turned his gaze to Gu Xiaowu, who was trembling like a leaf.
"Gu Xiaowu, you say you saw 'me' being arrested with your own eyes. Then did you see clearly what that person looked like?"
Before Gu Xiaowu could answer, a man slowly walked out from behind Gu Lu. It was the down-on-his-luck scholar who had been arrested at the entrance of the examination hall that day.
He was still wearing Gu Lu's worn-out blue scholar's robe, and at this moment he bowed respectfully to Gu Lu.
"Thank you, young master, for saving my life. I have already used the two hundred taels of silver to hire a famous doctor for my mother, and she is much better now."
The truth is revealed!
This "golden cicada shedding its shell" tactic was like a resounding slap across Madam Gu's face, instantly shattering her last psychological defenses.
Master Gu looked at Gu Lu in astonishment. This grandson was truly outstanding, with courage and strategy... He could even see some of Gu Junze's qualities in him.
No wonder he was taught by Gu Junze...
Gu Lu's lips curled into a smile, and his gaze finally pierced straight at Madam Gu, like a knife.
"Grandmother, do you think that as long as I'm gone, the secret of how you killed my father will never be known?"
The words "killed his father" resounded like a thunderclap in the courtyard!
Master Gu suddenly turned to look at his wife, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Yang, who was standing nearby, was so frightened that her legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground.
Madam Gu's face turned deathly pale instantly. She vehemently denied it, "You're talking nonsense! You're spouting lies! Your father was useless and offended Minister Yang. He was beaten and died of illness. What does it have to do with me!"
"Really?" Gu Lu clapped his hands lightly.
Two servants carried up an old servant who was emaciated and looked timid.
“Grandfather, do you still recognize him? This is Wang Er, the steward who ‘took care of’ my father back in the day at the manor.”
Gu Lu's gaze was fixed on Wang Er. "Wang Er, tell everyone, how did my father 'die of illness' on the estate back then?"
Wang Er shuddered violently, and with a push from the servant, he fell to his knees with a thud.
He kowtowed repeatedly in the direction of Master Gu.
"Master, spare me! Master, spare me! It was the Third Madam, it was the Third Madam who ordered me not to call a doctor for Young Master Cheng, to give him only a bowl of spoiled rice every day, and not even a piece of charcoal in winter! She also told us to 'teach him a lesson' all the time..."
The old servant wept bitterly, his voice piercingly mournful: "Young Master Cheng's legs could have healed on their own, but he was tortured to death like this!"
Master Gu was struck as if by lightning; the enormous impact caused him to stagger back a large step.
He stared intently at his wife, his cloudy eyes devoid of pride, joy, and anger.
All that remained was an unprecedented, intense, and irrepressible killing intent.
Faced with Wang Er's accusations, Madam Gu completely broke down. She screamed and lunged at the old servant, but was held back by the servants.
"You dog of a servant! How dare you frame your master!" She pointed at Wang Er, her voice shrill and filled with venomous curses. "Who gave you the favor! Who sent you to implicate me!"
Gu Lu ignored her struggles and didn't even glance at Wang Er again.
"Grandmother, do you think this is the end?" His voice was calm, but it sent a shiver down Madam Gu's spine.
"You know better than anyone what happened back then."
Gu Lu clapped his hands lightly.
From behind the crowd, a well-dressed old woman with an arrogant expression slowly walked out.
She ignored the chaotic scene in the courtyard and walked straight to Master Gu, giving him a respectful but not servile curtsy.
"This servant is from the Yang family. I have come on the orders of my mistress to deliver a congratulatory gift to Scholar Gu."
As she spoke, she took a letter from her sleeve and presented it with both hands.
Master Gu's gaze shifted from the old woman to the letter.
He took it and tore off the sealing wax.
The letter was written by Madam Yang herself, but its contents were piercingly incisive.
The letter detailed how Madam Gu San had taken the initiative to come to her door, tearfully complaining that her illegitimate son was wicked and intended to curry favor with the powerful.
Madam Yang hated Gu Jiacheng for plotting against her daughter... and conspired to set up the trap that ruined Gu Jiacheng's reputation.
The Yang family simply broke Gu Jiacheng's leg, while Madam Gu "guaranteed" that the aftermath would be handled cleanly and would not cause the Yang family any trouble whatsoever.
At the end of the letter, it was also subtly mentioned that after the deed was done, Madam Gu received a considerable sum of "hush money" from the Yang family.
Including Gu Chengye's official position...
The witnesses and physical evidence are all there.
Master Gu felt dizzy and his vision went black.
He actually shared a bed with such a vicious and venomous woman for decades!
His prized son, whom he cherished, rose to power by stepping over the corpse of another son!
"You...you vicious woman!"
Master Gu suddenly raised his hand and slapped Madam Gu hard across the face.
The force was so great that she was knocked backward to the ground, her gold hairpins and jade hair ornaments scattered all over the ground, her hair disheveled, and she looked utterly disheveled.
Gu Lu watched this scene without the slightest fluctuation in his eyes.
He felt the play wasn't exciting enough!
“Grandfather,” he stepped forward, “have you ever thought that Father’s birth mother, your most beloved concubine Liu, just happened to ‘accidentally’ fall into the water?”
Before Master Gu could react, Gu Lu threw another yellowed confession at Madam Gu's feet.
"This is the signature of the servant who was in charge of the salvage operation back then. Aunt Liu has a mark on the back of her head from being hit by a heavy object. She was knocked unconscious before being pushed into the water."
"And the last person to see her before the operation was your most capable maid, who was later promoted by you to be your head maid and was also your grandmother's dowry maid—Zhang Mama!"