The group traveled through the maple forest quickly.
By the time they approached the big mirror lake, someone rushed over with a hand warmer and clock.
This time, Qin Gui accepted it gracefully. She draped the cloak around her and cupped the hand warmer, her icy body finally feeling a bit of warmth.
“Master, this maid has already sent… someone to call a physician over.” An elderly mama respectfully reported, “Great Master also understands some medical skills, so this maid also invited him over to take a look at the little young master first.”
Empress Wei nodded and quickly walked ahead.
Warm water was already prepared in the private room. Empress Wei had Qin Gui hurry and go take a shower and also ordered Youbai to serve upon her.
Youbai helped Qin Gui remove her clothes, and then her outer garments. What she saw was Qin Gui’s skinny back, all skin and bones.
Seeing this, Youbai sucked in a cold breath.
Not only was this little young lady skinny, but her back was full of purplish bruises and some faint bumpy scars criss crossing over. There were new and old scars, and it was quite shocking to the eye when one glanced at her fair smooth skin.
Clearly, this was the result of years and years of abuse!
Youbai’s sudden silence suddenly made Qin Gui freeze. Then, she let out a low gasp and frantically tugged the clothes sitting on the screen down, covering herself. “Lady Youbai, I am fine on my own. You can leave first.”
Youbai looked at Qin Gui, wanting to say something but then stopped. Seeing her uneasy expression, she nodded, afraid that she might make her even more uncomfortable.
After Youbai left, she hurried over to the private room on the right.
In the private room, Empress Wei was feeding the Sixth Prince ginger soup. The head monk of Tranquil Temple had just taken a look at Sixth Prince, and he said that he was saved just in time. The child was okay, comforting Empress Wei by a great amount.
Seeing that Youbai came in, Empress Wei delivered the ginger soup to the mama by her side. Then, she gave a look for Youbai to leave the room with her. She then eagerly asked, “How is it?” Her expression was painted in anxiety.
Empress Wei had Youbai serve Qin Gui to shower because she wanted to know if she had a birthmark on her.
From the first time she saw Qin Gui, Empress Wei thought she was really familiar. Her eyebrows were extremely similar to that of her sister.
The Wei Family’s generations’ ladies looked mostly like their grandmother. They had a pair of almond eyes. Her sister’s almond eyes were bright and clear, extremely beautiful. That lady’s eyes looked the same as her sister’s!
Not only did that lady’s facial features look like her sister’s, but also her grandmother’s. Even more, she looked a bit similar to herself too.
An incredulous thought bloomed in Empress Wei’s heart.
“Master,” Youbai hurriedly answered, “The girl doesn’t have a birthmark behind her back…”
“No?!” Empress Wei blurted incredulously, “The birthmark should be behind her lower back…”
“Master, there is only a scar.” Youbai described the scar behind Qin Gui’s lower back in detail. “It’s the size of a copper coin and it should be a burn mark. It seemed quite old.”
“Scar…”
Empress Wei carefully chewed on the words, her gaze flickering a bit.
A scar the size of a copper coin would be enough to cover the birthmark.
She recalled that Qin Xin had a scar about the same size behind her lower back, where the birthmark should be.
When she saw it, her heart just ached for her. But now, she seemed to be able to link the two matters together.
Empress Wei remembered that after her sister chose a wet nurse back then, she had once talked to her leisurely about how the wet nurse had a daughter that was only two months old. Her sister also said that she’d allow the wet nurse to bring her child into the residence, so she could also take care of it. She didn’t want mother and daughter to part.
Could it be…
Empress Wei widened her beautiful eyes.
“Master, the girl’s body was covered in injuries.” Youbai considered her words and said, “This maid guesses that she might’ve been abused long-term.”
“What?!”
Empress Wei slapped the table and stood up.
Youbai was Empress Wei’s most trustworthy palace maid, and she understood her master’s heart most. She knew why her master wanted her to look at the girl’s birthmark. Therefore, she described all of Qin Gui’s injuries in detail, murmuring, “…Besides the scar on the back, the girl has injuries on her arms and legs too. The new injuries were probably from a week ago, but the old injuries were at least for a few years already. There were some from beatings, some from being burnt, and others from being cut.”
