"Wanchu." Liang Yuzhou quickened his steps and walked up to her.
Taking her cold hands in his, he couldn't help but frown deeply.
"It was the Princess Dowager who did this, right?"
Song Wanchu's face was ashen, and there was a dead look in her eyes. "Yu Jingnian had the ability to collude with the Ministry of Revenue to set a trap to frame Uncle, but his hand could never reach the Court of Judicial Review. It was the Princess Dowager."
Her tone changed from speculation to certainty. "The Court of Judicial Review is the last pure land of the court, yet the Princess Dowager has planted spies there. She is simply all - powerful!"
How could the Emperor allow the Princess Dowager to openly manipulate the court!
Where is justice? Where is the law!
Liang Yuzhou's eyes were cold. The ultimate goal of the Princess Dowager was to make him obedient and marry a woman she had arranged.
She was trying to force him into submission, making the Duke's Mansion collude with the Princess Dowager to oppose the Crown Prince.
Since the Princess Dowager couldn't get to him, she set her sights on the people around him.
Wanchu was implicated because of him.
"Although the evidence has been destroyed for now, the people in the Ministry of Revenue don't have conclusive evidence to prove that Uncle illegally hoarded private salt to evade taxes. Shi Jinglu would not be coerced by a bunch of minor officials from the Ministry of Revenue to convict Uncle without evidence.
He sealed off the Court of Judicial Review early this morning and will focus on weeding out the traitors in the next few days. The evidence is gone, but we can find it again. It's just that Uncle will have to stay in prison for a few more days."
Just a few more days?
They would work hard to find evidence, but would the Princess Dowager have people fabricate false evidence to solidify Uncle's guilt?
Song Wanchu's heart was like a floating log on a turbulent sea, rising and falling with the waves, feeling lost and desolate.
"Liang Yuzhou, what on earth should I do?"
She hated her own weakness at this moment, and even more hated showing her most vulnerable side in front of Liang Yuzhou.
But just when she had caught a glimmer of light, it was mercilessly snuffed out by the Princess Dowager's black hand. She felt as if an iron hand was choking her throat, suffocated and desperate.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she gritted her teeth, trying hard not to let them fall.
There was a hint of fierceness in Liang Yuzhou's eyes, but when he faced Song Wanchu's tears, his gaze softened.
He gently wiped away the tear from the corner of her eye with his fingertips, as if it were a silent consolation.
He remained silent, not wanting to make any promises without certainty.
What Wanchu needed least now was a fleeting hope.
"No, I have to go and see Aunt."
Song Wanchu forced herself to cheer up.
She was sad, and she couldn't even imagine how heart - broken Aunt would be when she learned that Uncle was going to be imprisoned again.
After a hasty wash, the kitchen brought out steaming hot breakfast, but Song Wanchu had no appetite at all.
Liang Yuzhou picked up a crystal shrimp dumpling for her. "Eat a little. You can't let your body break down."
Suddenly, a maid announced at the door, "Miss Qiao Ying from the Old Madam's house is here."
Qiao Ying was the senior maid who served the Old Madam and was one of the most respected servants in the Duke's Mansion.
Even Liang Yuzhou would address her as "Sister Qiao Ying" when he saw her.
Qiao Ying bowed. "Second Master, Madam, the Old Madam said that since there has been an incident in Madam's family these days, Madam doesn't need to pay her respects to her every day for the time being. If Madam has anything to say, just tell the Old Madam. After this storm has passed, the Old Madam will invite Madam to the Hall of Good Fortune and Peace for a chat."
The Old Madam's words were well - intentioned. Song Wanchu wasn't sure to what extent Liang Yuzhou could understand them, but she did.
It wasn't appropriate to ask for the document allowing concubines to leave now.
The top priority was to rescue Uncle.
Forcing herself to eat a few mouthfuls, Song Wanchu was sent by Liang Yuzhou to the Qi family.
"Zhou Sheng, let's go to the Court of Judicial Review." Liang Yuzhou's face was cold.
"Second Master, there have been undercurrents in the Court of Judicial Review these days. Is it appropriate for us to go there at this time?"
Zhou Sheng was afraid that Liang Yuzhou would be targeted by those with ulterior motives, who might use his close association with the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and his attempt to exonerate Qi Yuanjun as an excuse to cause trouble.
But he had to go.
The Court of Judicial Review was in turmoil, and there might be traitors planted by the Princess Dowager causing chaos.
They might threaten Qi Yuanjun with his family to force him to sign a confession.
Qi Yuanjun needed his reassurance now.
Also, he wanted to see Yu Rongbai and ask him what he had said to Wanchu last night.
If Yu Rongbai couldn't keep his mouth shut, Liang Yuzhou wouldn't mind doing it for him.
For four consecutive days, Song Wanchu stayed at Uncle's house, eating and sleeping with Wen Shi.
Liang Yuzhou sent Zhou Yan to deliver messages to her twice, saying that they were still looking for new evidence.
But there was no real progress in the matter, and it seemed a long way off for Uncle to be cleared of his unjust charges.
Song Wanchu was getting more and more anxious.
On the fifth day, Wen Shi couldn't shed any more tears.
She seemed to have aged ten years in just a few days. Every day, besides crying, she would just sit blankly by the window, embroidering the pair of golden silk pillowcases with good - luck patterns that seemed never to be finished.
"Miss, a little eunuch from the Princess Dowager's Mansion has sent this."
Nan Zhi entered the room and handed an envelope to Song Wanchu.
Hearing the words "Princess Dowager", Song Wanchu felt a surge of hatred.
Opening the envelope, it was an invitation.
Song Wanchu remembered that in the side hall of the Lingxiao Pavilion, the Princess Dowager had told her that for the night banquet seven days later, it was either life or death, and she was waiting for her reply.
Tonight was the day of the night banquet at the Princess Dowager's Mansion.
This invitation was the final ultimatum from the Princess Dowager.
Uncle was still in prison, and his fate was uncertain. How could she have the heart to go to such a luxurious and decadent occasion?
The invitation in her hand was like a hot potato.
"Madam, Miss, the notice from the Court of Judicial Review has been delivered to our house!"
The old butler suddenly rushed in in a flurry. At the mention of the "Court of Judicial Review", Wen Shi's dull eyes suddenly lit up.
She got up in a hurry, grabbed Song Wanchu's hand, and her face was full of anticipation and joy. "Is your uncle going to be released from prison?"
But Song Wanchu frowned deeply, a sense of foreboding welling up in her heart.
Liang Yuzhou hadn't even found the evidence yet, and the case was still pending. It was unlikely that the notice from the Court of Judicial Review would say that Uncle was going to be released.
Wen Shi snatched the notice from the old butler's hand and took a look. Her face froze.
Song Wanchu also saw it.
The notice said that the Court of Judicial Review had found the key witness, proving that Qi Yuanjun had colluded with Ma Weiliang, attempting to hoard more salt than the amount permitted by the court in order to evade taxes and make a profit. He was fined three thousand taels of silver and sentenced to five years in prison.
Wen Shi's face turned as pale as paper. Her body, which had been held up by sheer will for many days, suddenly collapsed, and she fainted straight away.
The Qi family was in a complete mess.
...
Twilight was falling.
A carriage galloped on the street, heading towards the Duke's Mansion.
Song Wanchu was extremely anxious.
At such a crucial moment, she couldn't get in touch with Liang Yuzhou.
He was the only one she could rely on now.
Perhaps it was because the sense of security he had given her in the past few days was so strong. Her heart was like a floating log that had finally reached the shore, and she regained a long - lost sense of security.
Liang Yuzhou had told her to trust him...
Such a steady and powerful assurance left her with no reason to doubt.
The carriage stopped at the gate of the Duke's Mansion.
As soon as Song Wanchu got off the carriage, she saw Liang Yuzhou about to help the Princess Jiahe into the carriage.
The Princess Jiahe had been under house arrest for some time. She looked listless and dejected. She walked unsteadily, and her eyes were swollen, as if she had just been crying.
What had happened? How could the old Duke have released the Princess Jiahe?