CHAPTER 389: CHAPTER 389: HUAI SILIU

Elder Qin knew that they had rushed over during the night, which showed their concern for this matter; he did not delay and recounted how he discovered that Old Master Lu was a runaway slave, as well as the events of that year.

"What was Old Master Lu’s name when he was at the Linglong Painting Boat?" Gu Jinli asked.

Old Master Lu had two names; he was previously called Lu Zhudan and changed it to Lu Xiangfu after making his fortune. However, they did not know the name he used at the Linglong Painting Boat, as Old Man Xue didn’t mention it in his letter.

Old Man Xue thought for a moment and said, "He had no name; he was just a menial worker. The menial workers at the Linglong Painting Boat all used the prefix Huai followed by a number as their names. His title was quite memorable; it was Huai Forty-Six, but I’ve heard my master refer to him as Huai Siliu."

Gu Jinli then asked, "What was his name before he sold himself to the Linglong Painting Boat? Do you know, old man?"

Old Man Xue shook his head, "Not very clear. I only know that before Huai Siliu entered the Linglong Painting Boat, he was a beggar in the city and had been mixing in the city for several months. He sold himself to the Linglong Painting Boat without even taking a penny."

"At the Linglong Painting Boat, many servants arrived in the same way; the boat did not deeply investigate their backgrounds. And Old Master Lu was the kind of inconspicuous person on the boat who did menial tasks, flattered guests, occasionally escorted guests home, or swam to amuse the guests to earn tips."

He added, "For such servants like Huai Siliu, they were insignificant figures on the Linglong Painting Boat, hard to remember."

Gu Jinli frowned upon hearing this, "Such characters, if the Linglong Painting Boat faced a calamity, it would be too easy for them to escape."

Something occurred to her, and she immediately asked Old Man Xue, "Grandpa Xue, you mentioned they swam to entertain guests. Does that mean a lot of people drowned while entertaining guests by swimming?"

Old Man Xue nodded, "Indeed, those who did this had to swim according to the guests’ demands. Those guests were descendants from Rich Families, usually lost in luxury and not valuing human lives highly. Many guests often made the swimmers hold their breath underwater to gamble, betting on whether the person you backed can hold their breath longer than the one I backed. Because of such contests, several menial workers would die each month."

Gu Jinli had already guessed how Old Master Lu had escaped.

Lastly, she looked at Old Man Xue and said, "Grandpa Xue, we need a witness; please accompany us to the county government to identify Old Master Lu."

Old Man Xue was reluctant to go, but since Gu Jinli had been kind to him and indebted to him, he pondered for a moment and finally agreed, "You all wait a moment, I need to go home to check on the little young master and arrange affairs in the manor before I can come with you."

Gu Jinli and the others certainly did not obstruct, hurriedly saying, "Please do as needed, old man. We will wait for you."

Old Man Xue nodded and went to the backyard.

Meanwhile, Gu Jinli shared her speculations with Gu Jin’an, "When Old Master Lu first went to the Linglong Painting Boat, he had already set the stage, never using his real name but initially posing as a beggar and then using a fake name to enter the Linglong Painting Boat. When the Linglong Painting Boat faced disaster, he must have escaped by swimming. Being an insignificant servant, even if he swam away, the soldiers wouldn’t deliberately check and would just assume he drowned."

Elder Qin kept nodding, "Xiao Yu makes a good point... This Old Master Lu is not simple; he thinks ahead, is meticulous, and difficult to deal with."

Gu Jin’an asked Gu Jinli, "Xiao Yu, you’re telling me this because...?"

Gu Jinli said, "The case of Old Master Lu will definitely be brought to trial, and being a girl, it is inconvenient for me to appear in court. When necessary, you will have to attend alone, Elder Qin."

Due to the secrets he carried, Elder Qin would certainly also not appear in court.

"Old Master Lu is tricky and difficult to handle; he will surely vigorously deny everything. You just need to adamantly claim he entered the Linglong Painting Boat under a fake name and then escaped by swimming."

"If he denies, he will definitely claim he cannot swim..." Gu Jinli smiled, "Then let the County Magistrate test him on the spot. When faced with the threat of death, even if Old Master Lu doesn’t want to admit it, he will instinctively swim to save himself."

Old Master Lu was a ruthless man who might just die to protect the Lu Family.

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But when a person struggles in the face of death, bodily instincts surpass the thoughts in their mind. By then, as long as Old Master Lu dives into the water, his lies will be self-defeating.

Gu Jin’an listened and nodded repeatedly, "Xiao Yu, rest assured, older brother remembers."

Elder Qin had been listening by the side, glanced at Gu Jinli upon hearing this, and thought how clever this girl was, sometimes too clever for a young child... Er Lang despised Xiao Yu, believing Xiao Yu would harm San Lang and cause him to lose the support of his wife’s family.

But San Lang’s response was resolute, and he quite liked that reply from San Lang.

Affiliation with the wife’s family depends on whom you marry; if you marry someone ungrateful or foolish, it is still better to marry a smart and capable country girl.

minutes later, Old Man Xue returned to the main hall of the front courtyard and said, "Let’s go."

A group of four hopped onto the mule cart, rushing towards the county.

It was already dark, and the county had a curfew; fortunately, Scholar Shang had already gone with County Captain Jiang to find County Magistrate Xu, informing him about Old Master Lu being a runaway slave.

County Magistrate Xu was very pleased upon hearing this, feeling that the Gu family truly brought fortune, as the merits kpt falling upon him since their encounter.

County Magistrate Xu immediately had Master Tian take his handwritten letter to meet them at the city gate.

Scholar Shang also arrived with Squad Leader Yang and Luo Wu. Seeing the mule cart approaching from the city tower, he immediately asked, "Is that Good Brother An?"

Gu Jin’an heard Scholar Shang’s voice and joyfully said, "Teacher, it is your student indeed."

Scholar Shang was delighted and immediately informed Master Tian.

Master Tian had the soldiers open the city gate, allowing Gu Jin’an and his group to enter.

As soon as the mule cart stabilized, Master Tian inquired, "Has Xue Mingyu been brought along?" He was crucial as a witness; without him, the matter couldn’t proceed.

Gu Jin’an bowed to Master Tian, saying, "Reporting to Master Tian, Grandpa Xue is in the cart."

"Good," Master Tian said, "Let’s go to the government office."

As a young girl, it was inappropriate for Gu Jinli to go to the government office. When they passed Jiang Mansion, she was sent there to rest.

Mrs. Jiang, knowing she had not eaten, invited her to her courtyard for a meal.

While they were eating, Gu Jin’an and the others had arrived at the county government, meeting County Magistrate Xu.

Upon seeing Gu Jin’an, County Magistrate Xu laughed heartily, "You are the Gu family’s young man, excellent, excellent, possessing both the grace of jade and the vigor of bamboo."

Gu Jin’an quickly bowed to Lord County Magistrate, respectfully saying, "Student greets Lord County Magistrate. You flatter me, my lord."

County Magistrate Xu, seeing not only his handsome appearance but also his decent scholarship and humble attitude, was very pleased. Such a young man was indeed rare, it was only a pity that his origins were humble, coming from generations of commoners. Otherwise, he truly wanted to welcome Gu Jin’an as his son-in-law.

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