It was clear that the day before yesterday, in the courtroom, he still looked like he was about to collapse and go crazy...
Why have you suddenly become so decisive and rational now?
Could it be said that besides Wu Chao, after being taken into prison, she...had seen anyone else?
That intuition came to mind again, and Xu Mingyi subconsciously looked back slightly.
In recent days, she always felt like there was a pair of eyes staring at her secretly...
"There is no basis for your words. You claimed that you were coerced by the fourth girl from the Xia family. Are there any witnesses or evidence to prove this?" Ji Dong asked, looking at the girl kneeling in the hall.
"Witness..." Zhan Yunjiao seemed to think and hesitate for a moment before saying: "There is someone who can prove that I have been to Xia Mansion before, and it was Miss Xia Si who forced me to go there! But... I don't know if that person is willing to come forward for me.
Testify, I don’t know if she will protect Miss Xia Si..."
Ji Dong's eyes moved: "Who are you referring to?"
"Miss Zhou from the Minister of War's Mansion..."
Ji Dong stroked his beard after hearing this.
Under this seemingly ordinary action, he actually smoothed off several beards in one fell swoop.
...Why did the Minister of War’s office get involved again?
Why did he start this class without thinking? It must be because he had too much breakfast at that time!
But now that the arrow is on the line, you can't just slap your butt and walk away, right?
Thinking like this, Mr. Ji suppressed the uneasiness in his heart that "I don't know how many people I will offend this time." He turned around and ordered the Yamen servant: "Go to the Minister of War's Mansion quickly and send word to Miss Zhou to give a message -
—”
This kind of thing needs to be done quickly.
Otherwise, once the excitement spreads and these witnesses have enough time to react, their testimony will often change.
And why it was not reported at the same time that the four girls of the Xia family came to confront him in court - it was also out of consideration for the rigor of the testimony.
After all, even Zhan Yunjiao had thought that this witness would most likely cover up the suspect.
Normally when dealing with similar cases, he would ask suspects and witnesses to be interrogated separately as soon as possible to achieve the purpose of distinguishing the authenticity of the testimony.
The yamen officer responded quickly.
Zhou Shilang went to the Ministry of War early. At this time, except for the Shilang's wife, there was no one in charge in the house.
When the waiter's wife heard that someone from the Yamen wanted to summon her daughter for questioning, and that it was related to the case of a girl from the Xu family that had been widely circulated the day before, she was so shocked that all the preserves in her hand fell off.
She quickly put down the fragrant tea in her hand and hurried to the front hall to meet the officials, stuffing them with money and asking them to sit down and drink tea.
Seeing that she was so frightened, the chief official could only console her: "Madam, don't worry, it's just a testimony. As long as the girl from your house answers truthfully and proves that she has nothing to do with the case, we will send her back to your house afterwards."
"
The servant's wife was still worried, and when she wanted to ask a few more questions, she heard the official's tone became much stiffer: "This case cannot be delayed, so why don't you please make it convenient for me, madam? So as not to cause the people gathered outside to speculate about your government's intentions.
Obstructing official business."
The waiter's wife turned pale when she heard this.
Her husband is not at home? She cannot afford the crime of obstructing official duties...!
How did the Zhou family climb up the ladder step by step? She and her husband were both from ordinary families? That is to say, they caught up with the good opportunity not long after the founding of Daqing and were lucky enough to reach their current status.
In her heart, when it comes to the foundation of her family, it is far inferior to those of truly noble families. Therefore, she has always been extremely cautious and cautious, and she never dared to show off anything.
Thinking of this, the waiter's wife weighed it again and again, and finally asked someone to invite her daughter over.
"Answer well, what do you ask me? Tell me what you know..."
Listening to his mother's nervous instructions? Zhou Nu nodded hurriedly and said in a slightly trembling voice: "Don't worry, mother, my daughter knows."
Judging from the current situation, Ji Wanyou's plan seems to be going smoothly...
And even though she knew exactly what she needed to do next, she couldn't reduce her inner fear and uneasiness.
Not to mention that the process must be difficult? Speaking of the results alone, she can't control them at all...
Is she really not going to be involved?
Will the Zhou family...will have a conflict with the Xia family because of this?
Will Xia Xi really be punished? If Xia Xi is finally acquitted? Will she be charged with perjury instead? How will Xia Xi retaliate against her?
Because of these unknown speculations, she couldn't sleep a wink last night? She truly realized what it meant to regret.
After arriving in the majestic courtroom, feeling the pressure and attention from all sides? The fear and anxiety were immediately amplified.
"Is this the eldest girl of the Zhou family you are talking about?" Ji Dong confirmed to Zhan Yunjiao first.
Zhan Yunjiao looked at Zhou Nu and nodded firmly.
"Returning to your lord? It was Miss Zhou who came to the place where the civilian girls lived and told me that Miss Xia Si wanted to see me, but because Miss Xia Si is now banned, this meeting can only be held at Xia Mansion.
So the girl exchanged clothes with Miss Zhou's maid, pretended to be her maid, and entered the Xia Mansion with her."
Ji Dong looked at Zhou Nu: "Miss Zhou, is this true?"
Zhou Nu's eyes were red, he opened his mouth, and his voice was as low as a mosquito: "Sir, I...I...can't remember clearly."
Ji Dong couldn't even hear what she said.
But seeing this expression, he already knew the answer.
If Zhan Yunjiao is lying, then Miss Zhou can categorically deny and refute it.
Looking like this, it's just that he doesn't dare to offend the Xia family by speaking rashly - hey, we are both fallen people from the end of the world.
But what can be done?
In this world, as long as you live, you will always encounter things that are difficult to choose.
But no matter what the situation is, you must remember one thing - in the face of interests that do not affect your life and safety, you should try to choose a path that makes your conscience easier, because this is what you need to face alone day and night.
Yes.
Of course, if doing so will cost you your life, saving your life is more important.
If your life is gone, what can you do to keep your conscience?
——A little tip from Mr. Ji that is not very bright and correct but is more practical.
"I have something to remind Miss Zhou - in court, every word must be true. If not, no matter what the reason is, you must be guilty of covering up, or even be punished as an accessory to the offender."
"..." Zhou Nu trembled when he heard this, bit his lower lip, and then nodded with a struggling expression.
"Back to your lord... what Miss Zhan said is indeed true. I did take her to the Xia Mansion to meet Miss Xia Si... This is what Miss Xia Si asked someone to send me a letter and asked me to do it in the letter.
.”
"Do you still have that letter in your hand?"
Zhou Nu nodded: "Still..."
Ji Dong asked her to order her personal maid to go back to the Zhou Mansion to pick up the letter, accompanied by official servants.
"Then do you know why Miss Xia wanted to see Zhan Yunjiao in the first place?" Ji Dong then asked.
Zhou Nu shook his head quickly.
"Sir, I really don't know! The letter didn't explain the reason. It just said that I was asked to find someone to take them to Xia Mansion! And after I brought them there that day, I was not present when they talked.
I have no idea what they talked about..."
As she spoke, she turned to look at Zhan Yunjiao: "Miss Zhan also knows these things!"
She said this to Ji Dong, but her eyes were fixed on Zhan Yunjiao, and she didn't dare to blink.
Will Zhan Yunjiao really clear her suspicions as Ji Wanyou said?
At this moment, Zhou Nu was extremely nervous.
She also realized more and more deeply that from the very beginning, from the moment she listened to Ji Wanyou's arrangements, everything about her was no longer under her control!
Ji Dong also looked at Zhan Yunjiao: "Is there any truth to this statement?"
"Miss Zhou is right." Zhan Yunjiao glanced at Zhou Nu and said slowly: "Miss Zhou just took me to see Xia Xi and didn't know about Xia Xi's plan - Miss Zhou went to see me that day.
When I was there, I saw that my family was in a dire situation, and she even gave me money. Based on this alone, I cannot wrongly accuse her."
Hearing these words, Zhou Nu's tense tone suddenly relaxed. She knelt there with her hands on her legs, lowered her head, and big tears rolled down on the back of her hands.
Ji Dong nodded and then asked: "According to this, the first time you met Miss Xia Si was in Xia Mansion - how did you pass on the news after that?"
If he said that he was brought there by the girl from the Zhou family disguised as a maid, then he would be lying if he said that the girl from the Zhou family didn't know about it.
"The subsequent plans were all passed on by a maid next to Xia Xi." Zhan Yunjiao answered truthfully.
"Girl? Can you still clearly describe what this person looks like?"
Zhan Yunjiao thought for a while and nodded: "I have seen her many times, I should give it a try."
After hearing this, Ji Dong immediately went to get drawing paper, and the master drew the portrait on the spot according to Zhan Yunjiao's description.
There were three portraits, and the differences were not too big. In the end, Zhan Yunjiao pointed out the one that looked most like him.
But to say they are the most similar is only in comparison.
She said that she could barely draw a rough outline. But the maid was very ordinary and had no special features, so that was all she could describe.
And you can’t say in public that this master is not good at painting, right?
Just leave it like that, you'll still recognize her if you meet her face to face.
Ji Dong took the portrait and looked at it. When he was about to say something, a government servant suddenly came over from behind and whispered something in his ear.
And quietly handed over a folded piece of drawing paper.
Ji Dong's eyebrows moved slightly and he unfolded the drawing paper in front of him.
I haven't seen the maid in person yet, let alone her resemblance, but the level of expressiveness alone is enough to amaze people.
With such a comparison, he couldn't help but take a second look at his master - he seemed to understand why the suspects in many cases, after the common people described their appearance, had their portraits drawn by his master's hands and put them up for arrest, but in the end they were all arrested.
The reason why I couldn't catch anyone...
Moreover, the portraits drawn by the master of the few suspects who were caught often gave people the impression that they could not be said to be exactly the same, they could only be said to have nothing to do with each other.
In this regard, Master explained that the description was far from clear enough.
——I really want to know who Wu Shisun asked to paint this. Can I lend it to him for free in the future?
Seeing Mr. Ji in the hall looking towards him, Wu Chao nodded slightly in response to the portrait.
Immediately, Ji Dong ordered people to go to Xia Mansion.
He said it very politely: "Take the portrait and go there. If there is anyone who looks similar, please ask Miss Xia Si to come and clarify my doubts."
The officer accepted the order and left immediately.
The master glanced at the drawing paper in the officer's hand - No, why does it seem like he didn't draw it?
Outside the hall, Xu Mingyi glanced at Wu Chao through the gauze hanging from the curtain hat.
Wu Chao knew that she must have something on her mind, so he moved closer to the person and leaned slightly in her direction.
Xu Mingyi stood on tiptoe and whispered something in his ear.
The girl's breath lingered softly on the boy's ears through the gauze, like a warm breeze blowing in mid-spring.
Wu Chao nodded, and when he straightened his body again, he felt that the ear that had been blown by the warm wind felt itchy and hot, and he wanted to rub it.
A group of official officials soon arrived at Xia's house.
But I heard that Xia Xi was not in the house.
"What an unfortunate coincidence. My young master has been frightened for some reason recently. My wife took the four girls outside the city early in the morning to offer incense and get amulets to ward off evil spirits... I haven't come back yet." The chief steward, who is also the chief officer, said.
.
He did not tell lies. After all, if such a blatant lie was told by the city gate guard, it would only be more troublesome after being exposed.
Since something like the Second Young Master happened in the mansion last year, everyone in the Xia Mansion is now much more cautious and restrained in their words and deeds than usual.
If it were in the past, this mere official would not be worthy of being greeted by a great butler in person.
Even if he was given a cold bench to sit on, Ji Dong didn't dare to say anything.
Of course, the person named Ji doesn't dare to do anything now, but the master has said that no one in the house can catch the slightest clue.
"It turns out Miss Xia Si is not in the house." The head official took out the portrait and said, "I wonder if the person in this painting is Miss Xia Si's maid? Can you let this person go with us first?"
Looking at the portrait, the butler's brows twitched.
...Why do they look so similar?!
He has such an ordinary face, but looking at this portrait, one can immediately tell which one it is.
Under such circumstances, he just wanted to argue that it seemed that the house would not be able to survive without this person.
"...This is indeed the maid in our fourth girl's yard." The butler said calmly: "But since this is a personal maid, she will naturally be with the girl at all times. Today, when the girl goes out to offer incense, this maid will also accompany her.
Let’s go.”
After saying that, he raised his hand to the official and said: "I will send people out of the city to invite my fourth girl back. It's just that it will take an hour to come back. No matter what, you guys might as well go back and explain the situation to Mr. Ji."
——”
One hour is enough to ask the master for instructions.
In fact, he had already sent someone to convey a message to the master a quarter of an hour ago - and all he could do was to stabilize the situation before the master came back.
Unexpectedly, the official said: "Of course I have to reply to your lord, but it is enough for me to go back alone. I am here to invite Miss Xia Si on your order. Before I see Miss Xia Si, I can only wait here for official business."
