Chapter 1309 - 4: Testifying
Yun Chu gripped the food box tightly, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and walked away, turning back every few steps.
Madam Wen Yuan couldn’t help but look back.
Their eyes met.
Madam Wen Yuan’s tears instantly flowed down.
She took two steps and sat down on the bed, completely avoiding Yun Chu’s gaze.
Yun Chu didn’t dare to turn around, and naturally couldn’t see her mother again. She could only walk away without looking back.
Cai Die’s nose tingled; she had hoped the young lady would go far, but unexpectedly, she had chased all the way to the Capital City.
The Wenyuan Bo Mansion didn’t know which calamity they had provoked. Uncle was loyal to the court, sacrificed himself earnestly for the court, yet was suspected of colluding with the enemy and treason.
They even found collusive letters in Uncle’s study. Uncle was righteous and couldn’t bear such injustice, and he committed suicide to prove his innocence by hitting his head.
Now even the young lady found the Ministry of Justice Prison; they didn’t dare to say a word.
Madam Wen Yuan cried like a tearful person. She had always wanted to see her daughter. Now that she had, a burden was lifted, but it only felt heavier.
She knew her daughter would never live her life in hiding, changing her name as they had instructed her and Uncle.
But what could a young woman possibly do?
Upon leaving the Ministry of Justice Prison, Yun Chu turned back to take a final look.
She didn’t have much money on her. A single visit to the Ministry of Justice Prison cost her twenty-five taels, and the next time it would cost even more, not less.
She had no money left.
She thought about the ten thousand taels in silver notes.
Whether for finding someone or merely surviving, she needed money.
She could only borrow it first and pay it back later.
Although she didn’t dare ask who that Marquis was when returning the horse and money that day on the street, there weren’t many Marquises in the Capital, so she could eventually find out.
Clutching the food box, Yun Chu returned to the inn.
The Hidden Guard, along with two government officials, tailed her.
Lord Qian had been locked up in the Ministry of Justice Prison for over half a month, and the case hadn’t progressed at all.
Lord Qian was very tight-lipped, revealing nothing no matter how they grilled him.
Now someone had actually come to visit, and they didn’t know who dared to deliver food to Lord Qian at this critical moment.
The Chief of Staff saw this as a breakthrough and sent two reliable government officials to follow, to find out which house this visitor belonged to.
The officials followed all the way up to the front of an inn with Yun Chu.
The two officials exchanged looks, their brows furrowed deeply.
Had they been detected, or were they discovered?
The servant didn’t return home but went to an inn; this was clearly suspicious.
Yun Chu went upstairs, and the shopkeeper, seeing government officials come over, felt his heart racing.
These days, inns, aside from beggars, were not welcoming to anyone, especially not government officials.
When officials come, either something happened, or they’re causing trouble, affecting business.
While the shopkeeper wasn’t pleased internally, he still greeted them with a smile, "Are the two officers here for business or accommodation?"
The officials looked towards the stairs, "When did the young servant who just went up arrive?"
The shopkeeper was stunned; he was just busy calculating accounts and didn’t notice any servant going upstairs.
However, while he didn’t notice, the young worker did, who said hastily, "That guest checked into the inn three days ago, initially dressed like a noble family member, but today they have changed into a servant’s attire."
That young master seemed gentle-natured, hopefully not an evildoer.
Once more, the officials exchanged puzzled looks.
It seemed the servant hadn’t detected them and fled to the inn; it was his original place of stay.
Originally dressed as a noble family member, now in servant attire, there was certainly a problem.
The two officials discussed briefly, one stayed to watch Yun Chu, while the other went back to report.
They finally had a lead; they dare not act rashly. If they spooked the target and delayed the Chief of Staff’s investigation, they couldn’t bear the responsibility.
The official hurried back to the office and received the order to arrest.
Upon returning to the inn, the other official had already disappeared.
The shopkeeper told him Yun Chu had come downstairs, and the official followed him outside.
As for where they went, that was the guest’s private matter, and the inn didn’t have the right to ask.
The official had a headache.
The Capital is so large; where were they supposed to find him?
As for Yun Chu, she returned to the inn, drank a cup of tea, and took the silver notes to go downstairs.
The official, hiding in the shadows, watched as Yun Chu went from one shop to another, buying two thousand taels’ worth of goods.
Caring the food box, Yun Chu went to pay a visit. But being just a servant, even with valuable items in hand, people wouldn’t see her.
After being turned away from two places, Yun Chu had walked quite a distance and, exhausted, returned to the inn.
Just as she entered, her path was blocked by officials from the Ministry of Justice.