Song Wanchu wiped away her tears.
Her eyes were sore, but her gaze was resolute.
She had shed too many tears for Liang Yuzhou. Now that her aunt had lost her backbone, she had to be the one for her.
She couldn't be weak anymore.
"Aunt, let's go to the Court of Judicial Review."
They had wasted a lot of time because of Cai Die blocking the carriage. By the time they arrived at the Court of Judicial Review, it was completely dark.
The front of the court was heavily guarded. Torches flickered, illuminating the hideous stone beasts in front of the gate.
Before they even entered, a cold and terrifying aura assailed them.
Wen was timid and trembled with fear. She clung tightly to Song Wanchu, clutching her wrist so hard that it hurt.
Song Wanchu had never been to such a place full of killing aura either. She suppressed the panic in her heart and kept boosting her courage before she dared to approach the gate step by step.
Suddenly, a ninth - rank clerk in official robes trotted up to greet them.
"Are you Mrs. Liang, the second wife? I'm sorry for not being able to receive you well due to the busy official business!"
The clerk's attitude was very polite and respectful. He bent slightly and made a "please" gesture.
Song Wanchu and Wen looked at each other in surprise.
Song Wanchu had thought of all kinds of cold - shouldering situations, but she never expected that Shi Jinglu, who had no relation with them, would send a clerk to greet them personally without Liang Yuzhou's presence.
Shi Jinglu was well - known for being unyielding to sentiment. Among all the officials in the capital, only he dared to offend the eldest princess.
The clerk led the two women into the inner hall and personally brewed tea for them and arranged seats.
"Lord Shi still has some official business to deal with. Please wait a moment, ladies."
Song Wanchu and Wen thanked him, but neither of them was in the mood to drink tea.
Wen was very conscious and was about to give the clerk some silver. Just as she stretched out her hand with the silver, Song Wanchu stopped her.
Shi Jinglu was a man who couldn't be bribed even by the eldest princess. His subordinates must also be as upright as him.
Silver might work in other places, but it definitely wouldn't work in the Court of Judicial Review.
Wen understood Song Wanchu's look and nodded obediently, putting the silver away.
Before long, Shi Jinglu came in.
He was about thirty years old, with a square - shaped face, thick eyebrows and big eyes, and his eyes were bright.
Among all the men Song Wanchu knew, his temperament was the most special. There was an indescribable killing aura on him, but somehow he made people trust him.
"Mrs. Liang, the second wife." He bowed to Song Wanchu and then nodded to Wen. "Mrs. Qi."
Wen never expected that the famous "Living Yama" would be so polite. She was flattered.
"Lord Shi, we're sorry to bother you so late—"
As soon as Song Wanchu opened her mouth, Shi Jinglu got straight to the point. "Mrs. Liang, there's no need to say more. I know you're worried about Qi Yuanjun, but his case is a bit complicated. Ma Weiliang, the small boss who hid the private salt, committed suicide out of fear of punishment. The evidence is cut off, and the situation is very unfavorable to Qi Yuanjun."
He didn't beat around the bush at all, nor did he soften his words. He was concise and to the point, which was very much in line with his style of doing things.
As soon as Wen heard this, she immediately panicked and lost her wits. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and sobbed.
"Aunt..." Song Wanchu didn't know how to comfort her either.
"Lord Shi, that Ma Weiliang must have been instigated by someone. Maybe he was threatened and had to commit suicide. This whole thing is very strange. The inspection of the goods by the Ministry of Revenue was just an excuse. They were just targeting Uncle!"
Song Wanchu was quite calm when talking to Shi Jinglu.
Maybe it was because she trusted that Shi Jinglu would never misjudge a case.
Shi Jinglu showed his approval of Song Wanchu. "Mrs. Liang's analysis makes sense, but Qi Yuanjun can't leave the Court of Judicial Review until the case is cleared up."
Wen had her old problem again and wanted to take out the silver. "Lord Shi, please take good care of my husband. We're willing to spend money to buy the best supplies and food for him in prison!"
"Aunt!" Song Wanchu quickly stopped Wen. "Lord Shi handles cases impartially. He will treat all suspects who have only doubts but haven't been sentenced equally!"
Only then did Wen realize that her words just now had the suspicion of bribing Shi Jinglu.
Such words would also make Shi Jinglu misunderstand and not trust his character.
Shi Jinglu looked at Song Wanchu with new eyes.
Sure enough, the woman Liang Er liked must not be a delicate young lady raised in a deep boudoir, ignorant and innocent.
She was not only quite knowledgeable but also familiar with the ways of the officialdom.
Her words were also smooth and flawless.
Seeing that Shi Jinglu was straightforward, Song Wanchu didn't beat around the bush to say polite words either. She directly asked, "Can we visit Uncle?"
"I can only allow one of you to go in, and you have to come out in a quarter of an hour."
The case was unclear and full of doubts. Visiting the suspect at this time was very sensitive.
Song Wanchu knew that Shi Jinglu had made an exception for her.
"Aunt, you wait here for a moment. I'll go in and see Uncle."
Wen knew that she had no idea. If she saw Qi Yuanjun, she would only cry sadly, which would only add to Qi Yuanjun's troubles.
"Go ahead."
Qi Yuanjun was greatly surprised when he saw Song Wanchu.
"Uncle, are you okay?"
He was stunned for a while and then quickly walked to the prison door. "Wanchu, how did you get in? Lord Shi actually made an exception to allow family members to visit?"
He was in good spirits. He wasn't scared out of his wits. He wasn't wearing dirty prison clothes, and there were no fetters on him.
He was just a bit haggard, with deep anxiety hidden in his eyes.
"I'm fine, Wanchu. I'm afraid I won't be able to get out for a while. Your aunt is timid and likes to think too much. Please take good care of her during this time."
Song Wanchu nodded. Time was limited, so she got straight to the point.
"Uncle, Lord Shi said that Ma Weiliang has committed suicide out of fear of punishment. Do you have any evidence to prove that you knew nothing about hiding the private salt? Or is there anyone who can prove that you have nothing to do with this matter?"
Qi Yuanjun was trapped in the prison, but Song Wanchu could look for evidence under his guidance.
"The day before the officials from the Ministry of Revenue came to check the goods, the keys to the warehouse were lost for two hours. At that time, I was busy counting the goods in the shop and didn't pay much attention. When I went back, the keys appeared again. I think they were stolen by Ma Weiliang."
"He couldn't have stolen them by himself. He must have instigated one of the clerks to steal them."
Song Wanchu understood immediately. "Uncle, I know what to do."
With that, she took out a bag of silver and stuffed it through the gap in the prison door. "Uncle, the prison is different from the outside. Don't let those yamen runners treat you badly."
Qi Yuanjun held her hand for a moment and then quickly let go. His eyes were full of heartache. "Wanchu, it's not easy for a girl like you to investigate these things. Plead with Liang Yuzhou and ask him to help you. It will be easier."
The three words "Liang Yuzhou" were like a knife suddenly stabbing into her heart.
His resolute back when he left was still in front of her eyes.
She wouldn't plead with him anymore.
...
At the Star - Filled Tower.
Princess Lingyang's eyes widened when she saw Liang Yuzhou. There was both confusion and anger in her eyes.
"Brother Liang Er, you—you still can't let go of this slut!"
A weak voice faintly reached Liang Yuzhou's ears. "Cousin, I knew you would come."