In the urgency of the moment, Shen Tang pressed the dancer for answers, "A coffin? What coffin? When did this happen?"
The dancer, trembling like a sieve, held her head in fear.
Mr. Gu, his gaze profound, questioned Shen Tang with a hint of curiosity, "Do you not know what happened to you?"
Shen Tang responded impatiently, "I've been robbed."
"Robbed? What do you mean by that?" Surprisingly, Mr. Gu, instead of getting angry at her harsh words, humbly sought clarification, a reaction quite astonishing to those familiar with his character.
"I've lost my memory!" Shen Tang's confession caught everyone off guard.
As Mr. Gu stared, slightly wide-eyed with astonishment, she chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Are you surprised? I forgot everything before the exile! Even the identity of 'brother-in-law' mentioned by Gong Yunchi was assigned to me by him, and I just went along with it."
Mr. Gu was momentarily stunned, not expecting this turn of events.
After a pause, he asked, "But... why?"
"Why? Are you asking me why I assumed a false identity? No reason! Simply to avoid trouble for myself. Unfortunately, you all thought you were being clever! Furthermore, how would I know if the identity was genuine or not? Perhaps I truly am his brother-in-law."
Mr. Gu fell into contemplation.
Initially, he thought he had unraveled the mystery and discovered the truth. But with the dancer's revelations, things became even more complicated.
Lady Shen's disappearance, from Gong Cheng's reaction, indicated that neither he nor the Gong family were aware of the substitution of the new bride.
The current Shen Lang's amnesia—assuming his words were true—raised questions about his previous identity.
Why did he resemble Lady Shen so closely, and why was he used as a substitute to marry into the Gong family?
Could he really be a male heir of the Shen family, exiled and hidden away, given the unsavory nature often found beneath the surface of noble families?
Yet, if the two families had not encountered the Yi tribes or exile but instead smoothly formed a marital alliance, wouldn't the new bride's identity have been discovered? This was far from an alliance; it seemed more like an act of enmity! It wasn't a storyline from a market-town play script, where coincidences could create a tale; reality persisted relentlessly.
In the blink of an eye, Mr. Gu's mind was filled with countless thoughts.
Shen Tang felt even more troubled than him.
She didn't mind getting involved in the drama, but she did mind not understanding the drama unfolding around her.
Frustration often led to anger and loss of control. She lost patience and resorted to violence, attempting to force the dancer to calm down and answer her questions. Naturally, it didn't work. At that moment, Mr. Gu lightly tapped her shoulder and said, "Let me handle this."
"What can you ask?" Shen Tang retorted.
"I have my ways," Mr. Gu replied.
The power of words was a remarkable thing.
For two hundred years of chaotic times, there had long been unorthodox officials specializing in extracting truth from people's mouths using the power of words.
Unfortunately, he knew how.
Combined with his disdainful "way of the literati," to a certain extent, he was born for this profession—no one could lie in front of him, except for the person beside him. It was the first time he encountered someone who didn't require the power of words, solely relying on controlling their own mind to prevent prying.
This undoubtedly required immense self-control.
Shen Tang stepped aside, allowing the stage to be taken by Mr. Gu.
Mr. Gu held the dancer's chin between his two fingers.
Though his hands seemed frail, they possessed great strength. No matter how the dancer struggled, she couldn't break free, leaving visible imprints of his fingers, forcing her to meet his gaze. "With authority in hand, the mirror as the stage, one can expose evil and uphold righteousness, discerning truth from falsehood."
Summed up succinctly: "To discern truth from falsehood."
Shen Tang furrowed her brows.
She had heard this phrase from Qishan, but its effect was to dispel the illusions laid by enemy troops, gaining clearer insight into their movements. This Mr. Gu used it for interrogation, but the effect was to extract information.
Indeed, the same words could have different interpretations and applications in the hands of different people, yielding different results.
As the power of words was unleashed, Mr. Gu began his inquiry with confidence.
"When was the coffin delivered?" he asked.
The dancer's expression remained impassive. "Half a month before the wedding."
"Is Shen Lang perhaps an offspring of the Shen family?" Mr. Gu inquired.
The dancer hesitated, then replied, "I don't know."
"Not knowing implies uncertainty," Mr. Gu remarked.
"Do you know the origin of the coffin?" Of course, the dancer had no idea.
She recounted what she had heard about the strange coffin being delivered one night while eavesdropping on servants at the back gate.
Mr. Gu patiently asked, "Who delivered it?"
"The second master Shen," the dancer replied.
Mr. Gu then inquired about the identity of the second master Shen.
Unlike the main branch, Shen Erlang, the second master, was more interested in antique collections. He often engaged in leisurely conversations, indulging in wine, music, and the arts...
His words, usually ten out of ten, were just for fun.
Shen Tang didn't harbor much attachment to her original identity, but the partial truth revealed by the dancer was chilling—her original self lying in a coffin, sent by Shen Erlang, the antiquities enthusiast, in the dead of night. It was bizarre beyond imagination.
Mr. Gu pondered thoughtfully, "Could it be that Shen Lang is actually a hidden pearl outside the Shen family, nurtured by Shen Erlang? Perhaps he brought him back because of some ailment, conveniently filling the void left by Lady Shen and marrying him off?"
"Mr. Gu, do you enjoy reading market-town play scripts?" Shen Tang's remark hinted at her understanding of melodramatic plots.
Mr. Gu remained eerily silent for three breaths.
Shen Tang continued, "The Shen family is extinct, and those who knew the truth are gone. This dancer is merely an accessory. How much truth could she possibly know?"
Most likely, she wasn't one of those close attendants.
Otherwise, how could she not even know if she was a man or a woman?
Moreover, true personal attendants wouldn't be seen performing on stage. Even if they tried to learn, it wouldn't happen overnight.
Perhaps she had been a dancer raised by the Shen family from the start.
At this thought, Shen Tang's brow twitched suddenly.
She had caught onto something.
"What about you? Did you attend to Lady Shen?" she asked.
The dancer shook her head. "No."
"Tell me about your experiences," Shen Tang demanded.
The dancer recounted truthfully.
She was born into the lowest ranks of dancers, sold at a young age, and before entering the Shen household, was used by the madam to curry favor with wealthy fellow townsfolk. Unexpectedly, she bore a son and a daughter, discovered by the main lady of the house and
then sold off. Kind-hearted Lady Shen purchased her, keeping her to serve in the inner chambers, occasionally performing dances and music for the esteemed guests of the household, for which she received rewards.
However, due to her low status and relatively advanced age, she was ostracized by the other maids.
While she served in the inner chambers, it was only for menial tasks like cleaning.
Tasks like serving tea and water or helping Lady Shen with her grooming were always done by the maids who had served from childhood.
"Were those personal attendants also sent as part of the dowry?" Shen Tang anticipated the answer.
The dancer replied, "No."
The attendants brought with them were just temporary additions.
Personal maids who failed in their duties were beaten to death.
Shen Tang sneered, "This reason is a joke."
So, Lady Shen's disappearance was planned, taking away the trusted personal maids before vanishing.
The dancer shook her head, "It's not a lie, they were really beaten to death."
Shen Tang fell silent.