Chapter 61 - The Girl In The Well
Minhwa quickly finished preparing herself.
Seeing Jianhe still sleeping without the slightest movement had begun to irritate her, so she decided not to bother with her anymore.
Instead, she stepped out of the room to see what had caused the commotion.
As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she saw a large crowd gathered near the garden well.
Servants whispered nervously.
Guards stood around the area, trying to keep order.
Curiosity pushed Minhwa forward.
She squeezed through the small gaps between people until she reached the front of the crowd.
Then she saw it.
A body lay on the ground, soaked with water. The clothes were still wet, clinging heavily to the girl's frame.
Even though the girl looked slightly older than her, there was no mistaking it.
She was dead.
Minhwa stepped closer.
When her eyes finally saw the face clearly, her heart suddenly stuttered.
It was Yunluo. She was dead.
Minwha felt a chill run down her spine. For a moment, Minhwa simply stared.
Then she reached out and gently pulled one of the nearby guards closer.
He was clearly older than her.
"What happened to her?" Minhwa asked quietly.
The guard looked down at her in surprise. Seeing such a young girl standing so close to a corpse made him uncomfortable.
"You shouldn't be here," he said first, trying to persuade her. "Go back to your room. This is not something children should see."
But Minhwa didn't move.
"I asked what happened," she repeated calmly.
Seeing that she refused to leave, the guard sighed and finally explained.
"A gardener found the body this morning," he said. "It was in the well he uses to fetch water for the garden."
Minhwa's eyes narrowed slightly.
The well. So that was how she was found.
Which meant…
She was almost certainly killed.
But who killed yunluo?
And why?
Her mind quickly began turning.
Did Yunluo also die like this in her previous life?
Was that the reason she had never known that someone named Yunluo even existed back then?
The guard watched her expression carefully. Seeing how troubled she looked, he suddenly asked,
"Do you know her?"
Minhwa looked up.
"We've been trying to figure out her identity since morning," the guard continued. "Madam isn't here right now, so we don't know where the girl came from."
Minhwa paused then nodded slowly.
"Yes. I know her."
The guard straightened slightly.
"You do?"
"We're not close," Minhwa said honestly. "I only met her yesterday." She paused "I heard she is the illegitimate daughter of the Left Prime Minister. I'm not sure if it's true though."
"But I know her friends. Maybe you could find something from them."
The guard immediately looked relieved.
"Good, good," he said quickly. "What are their names?"
"Minke," Minhwa replied.
"And Jianhe."
The guard nodded gratefully.
"That's very helpful."
Then he looked down at her again, this time more gently.
"Now you should really go back to your room. We'll handle the rest."
This time, Minhwa didn't argue.
She simply nodded and turned around, heading back toward her room. But as she walked away, Yunluo's pale face remained firmly in her mind.
.
.
.
.
.
Just as Minwha left the courtyard and returned quietly to her room, the yamen constables arrived at Hanshen Ge not long after.
They had been sent by the county magistrate to investigate the death.
With Li Ming, the son of the right prime minister leading the group. Their first task was to question the gardener who had discovered the body.
The old man trembled as he explained everything.
How he had come early in the morning to draw water from the well. How the bucket had struck something heavy. How he had called for help.
Once he finished, the constables moved on to question the two guards who had helped pull the body from the well.
Unfortunately, their statements added very little. Neither of them had seen anything suspicious during the night.
Soon the investigation reached a standstill.
There were no witnesses. No clear clues.
No one who could explain how Yunluo had ended up in the well.
The constables then turned their attention to the workers and the gisaengs of Hanshen Ge. The result was the same.
Most of the people who worked near the great hall were adults, and they paid little attention to the young girls training in the compound.
To them, whatever happened to the children of Hanshen Ge was Madam's responsibility, not theirs.
After several rounds of questioning, the constables were already beginning to feel frustrated.
Li Ming sighed and rubbed his temples. Another closed the notebook he had been writing in.
"It might just be an accident," one muttered quietly.
Some of them were already considering closing the investigation early. That was when a Hanshen Ge guard suddenly stepped forward.
"I… may know something."
His voice cut through the quiet courtyard. Several constables immediately looked up. One of them straightened. Another who had begun turning away stopped mid-step.
"You know something?" Li Ming asked sharply.
The guard hesitated for a brief moment under their suddenly intense gazes, then nodded.
"A young girl told me."
"Speak," the constable ordered.
The guard swallowed before continuing.
"The girl who died… her name is Yunluo."
He paused.
"She seems to be the illegitimate daughter of the Left Prime Minister."
The courtyard instantly fell silent.
One of the constables' eyes widened slightly. Another sharply inhaled.
Even Li Ming's expression stiffened.
"The Left Prime Minister?" one of them repeated under his breath. The atmosphere immediately grew heavier.
Even if she was only an illegitimate daughter, the blood of such a powerful official still flowed in her veins.
If word of her death reached the Left Prime Minister and they had no answers, although he can't really do much to Li Ming, the county magistrate would be the one to suffer first.
And they… would suffer next.
Li Ming's face darkened.
"Continue."
The guard quickly nodded.
"I also heard that two girls seemed particularly close to her."
The constables leaned in slightly, their earlier fatigue now gone.
"Who?" one asked.
"Min Ke… and Jianhe, Those are their names."
The guard quickly added,
"But I don't know who they are or where they are now."
The constables exchanged glances.
For men who had nearly reached the end of their patience, this small piece of information felt like a blessing.
Li Ming first turned to the Hanshen Ge's guard and says
"Thank you"
Before turning to his men and immediately gave an order.
His voice was firm now.
He separated two men out of the men, and told them to head to the left prime minister house to tell them their presence is needed here.
They two men immediately left, doing what they were told.
Then he turned to the rest and ordered
"No matter what it takes, find them."
"Yes, sir," they replied in unison.
And so the constables quickly spread through Hanshen Ge, beginning the search for Jianhe and Min Ke.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile, Minhwa, who had been told to return to her room, walked straight back without hesitation.
She pushed the door open. The moment she stepped inside, her eyes landed on Jianhe.
Jianhe was already awake.
She seemed to be hurriedly hiding something, her hands moving quickly as if trying to tuck something out of sight.
At the sound of the door, Jianhe looked up. For a brief second, her eyes widened in shock. Then, just as quickly, her expression returned to normal.
"Oh… you're back," Jianhe said, letting out an awkward laugh.
Minhwa said nothing.
She simply walked in, her gaze lingering on Jianhe for a moment before moving away.
The room fell quiet.
Then suddenly—
"Do you know Yunluo is dead?"
Minhwa's voice was calm.
Too calm.
Jianhe's body flinched. It was subtle, but unmistakable. Her reaction came a fraction too quickly.
"Yunluo… is dead?" she repeated. She let out a small, strained laugh.
" She's dead?"
Then, almost instantly, her expression changed. Tears welled up in her eyes and fell rapidly down her cheeks.
"What do you mean Yunluo is dead?" she cried. "How… how can she be dead?"
Minhwa watched her quietly. Something felt off.
The reaction was there— But it just didn't feel right. Still, she said nothing about it, not thinking much of it.
Even Vira felt Jianhe tears was completely fake,but she didn't interrupt Minwha.
"Anyway," Minhwa replied calmly, "I just thought you should know."
She paused briefly.
"If you want to see her, you can go downstairs. Since you're close."
Then she added, almost casually—
"I already told the guard you two are friends anyway."
This time— Jianhe's eyes widened for real. Her tears stopping abruptly. Fear flashed through her eyes before she could hide it.
"You did what?" she asked sharply.
Minhwa tilted her head slightly.
"Why are you startled?" she asked. "Shouldn't I have said that?"
Jianhe froze for a second. Then she quickly forced a smile.
"No… no, you should have," she said hurriedly. "Yes, she's my friend."
She nodded, as if trying to convince both Minhwa—and herself.
"Mmm," Minhwa hummed, still unbothered.
She turned slightly, about to head to her side of the room. But then her eyes caught something.
Marks. Clear nail marks on Jianhe's hands.
Minhwa paused.
"What happened to your hand?" she asked.
Jianhe stiffened.
Her gaze immediately dropped to her hands. The moment she saw the marks, her eyes widened again.
Quickly, she pulled her sleeves down to cover them.
"It's nothing," she said hastily. "I scratched it on something."
"Mmm," Minhwa replied again, she decided not to press further.
Without another word, she walked to her side of the room.
She lay down on her bed.
Host, I can't help but think Jianhe killed her. She's too suspicious." Vira couldn't help but say
Inside her she couldn't deny what Vira said, the way jianhe is behaving is just too suspicious.
"Mmm". She only hummed to inform Vira that she agree.
Her stomach suddenly growled.
Host why don't you go down to get something to eat " said Vira when she heard Minwha stomach.
Minhwa didn't bother answering.
Hanshen Ge was in complete chaos this morning. No one had bothered preparing breakfast.
Everything revolved around Yunluo's death. She thought to herself
There was nothing she could do now. For now, ignorance was safer.
Minhwa closed her eyes.
Within moments— She forced herself asleep. Leaving jianhe to her devices.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Outside Hanshen Ge, the narrow street was thick with tension, lots of people where gathered to watch. But inside officers of the yamen—constables and runners clad in dark uniforms—moved around the compound.
Their expressions grave as they searched for Minke and Jianhe. The wooden signboard of the establishment creaked softly in the wind, as if mourning in advance.
Just then, the distant clatter of hooves broke through the heavy air.
A lacquered carriage, adorned with understated yet unmistakable elegance, rolled to a halt before the gates of Hanshen Ge.
The murmurs of the gathered citizens died instantly. Curtains were drawn aside, and from within descended an elderly man, his bearing dignified despite the years etched into his face.
His robes were of deep, muted silk, embroidered with patterns that spoke of rank and power.
This man was none other than Ji Wanghao, the Left Prime Minister.
Behind him, a woman followed. Though no longer in her youth, she carried a delicate beauty that had not yet faded.
Her eyes were gentle, her movements refined, but there was a fragility about her—as though her heart lived too close to the surface. This was Chen Ye, the Third Concubine of the left prime minister… and Yunluo's mother.
The moment their feet touched the ground, the people parted like a tide retreating.
From within the compound, Li Ming, the head constable, caught sight of them. His expression tightened, and he immediately hurried forward, bowing deeply.
"Prime Minister Ji," he greeted respectfully, cupping his fists. "I am Li Ming, the magistrate assigned to your daughter's case."
Ji Wanghao regarded him calmly, though his sharp eyes missed nothing. "Li Ming…" he repeated. "The son of the Right Prime Minister Li, is it not? How fares your father?"
Li Ming straightened slightly. "He is well, sir. I will convey your regards."
Ji Wanghao gave a faint nod, then his voice turned colder. "Now tell me—why have I been summoned here?"
Li Ming hesitated only for a fraction of a moment before lowering his gaze. "I… offer my deepest condolences, Prime Minister. Your daughter, Ji Yunluo… was found dead in the well within Hanshen Ge. It seems she fell during the night."
The words had barely settled in the air when a sharp gasp tore through the silence.
Chen Ye staggered back as if struck, her hands trembling violently. "Dead…?" she whispered, the word breaking apart on her lips. "What do you mean… dead?"
Her voice rose suddenly, laced with disbelief and terror. She rushed forward, grabbing at Li Ming's sleeve with desperate fingers.
"You're lying!" she cried, her composure shattering completely. "Constable, you must be mistaken—my Yunluo… my daughter… she is fine, she was—she cannot be dead!"
Tears spilled freely down her cheeks as her voice grew frantic, almost hysterical.
"Tell me you're lying! Tell me this is some cruel mistake!" She shook her head repeatedly, as if refusing reality itself. "She's afraid of the dark… she wouldn't go near a well at night… she wouldn't—she wouldn't leave me like this!"
Her breathing became uneven, and she clutched at her chest, her body swaying.
She turned abruptly to Ji Wanghao, grasping at his robes like a lifeline. "My lord… Wanghao… tell him to return our daughter to me!" Her voice broke into a wail.
"She's my only child—my Yunluo… I carried her for ten months, I raised her with my own hands, she just wanted to learn how to dance… how can she just be gone? How can the heavens be so cruel?!"
Her cries echoed painfully in the stillness, raw and unrestrained, drawing uneasy glances from the citizens.
But Ji Wanghao's face remained like carved stone.
Without warning, he pulled her sharply toward him—and in the next instant, a loud crack split the air.
His hand had struck her.
Chen Ye froze, her cries cut off abruptly as the force of the slap turned her face to the side. For a moment, there was nothing but stunned silence.
"Compose yourself," Ji Wanghao said coldly, his voice low but commanding. "Wailing like this, are you trying to disgrace me."
Chen Ye's body trembled, her lips quivering, but no sound came out. With that single act, the chaos she had created was forcibly silenced.