Mumu’s face turned ashen.

She shook her head frantically, “I truly don’t know.”

Ji Yinshu grabbed her arm. “This matter is of critical importance. If you continue to withhold information, I’m afraid even when the case is fully resolved, you still won’t be able to leave here.”

That frightened her!

Mumu’s palms began to sweat. She struggled to search through her mind for any “traces of clues,” stammering, “My lord, I truly don’t know! I asked her many times, but she just wouldn’t say. Every time I brought it up, she would only say she would soon be leaving the household, saying that person would come to fetch her.”

“What else?”

“Nothing more, truly nothing more.” Mumu shook her head desperately. No trace of lying could be found on her face.

Ji Yinshu wouldn’t let any detail slip by. She held Mumu’s hand, softening her voice slightly. “Think carefully again. Perhaps she mentioned it to you unintentionally, and you simply overlooked it.” Mumu looked at Ji Yinshu holding her hand. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. Before her eyes, Ji Yinshu in official robes appeared gentle and handsome, her gaze like water. When it fell upon Mumu, it carried a hint of sympathy. Involuntarily, her face flushed red. She lowered her eyes slightly, suppressing the surging emotions in her heart, and calmly searched through her memories for the words Hua Ling had spoken to her back then, or any subtle behaviors of Hua Ling’s.

After a long while—her eyes brightened, though she spoke uncertainly, “There was a period when I saw her embroidering a sachet. It was pink with several jasmine flowers embroidered on it. After she finished it, she even asked me if it looked nice, but the next day I never saw that sachet again. I think she probably already gave it to her sweetheart.”

Ji Yinshu thought for a moment. “That means the day after the sachet was completed, she met that man.”

“This… I’m not clear about that, but probably so.”

“That day, did she go out?”

Mumu nodded vigorously. “Yes, she did go out that day.”

“Where did she go?” “The Linglong Embroidery House mentioned before!” Mumu explained. “Every few days, the household would send someone there to collect satin. Previously, it wasn’t Hua Ling who went, but once she accompanied one of the household’s aunties there. After returning, she voluntarily told the auntie she wanted to take over that task. The auntie had trouble with her legs and feet, so she was more than happy to have someone replace her.”

Linglong Embroidery House!

The place where Hua Ling went when leaving the household had been mentioned multiple times.

Could it be that she used the time for collecting satin to secretly meet with her lover?

Ji Yinshu’s gaze deepened.

…

Soon.

Jiang Lan brought information about Linglong Embroidery House. Linglong Embroidery House was quite famous in the capital. The silk, gauze, and yarn they sold… all came from renowned weaving workshops in Suzhou, Qingzhou, and other places. There were even fabrics woven from premium Western Region mulberry silk. They were deeply loved by the high officials, nobles, and wealthy households in the capital. It was said that even the cheapest fabric there sold for over a hundred taels of silver. If you weren’t wealthy, you truly wouldn’t dare even approach the threshold. The big boss behind it was called Chen Youfu, just over thirty years old, which could be considered young. In his early years, he took his inherited property and opened an embroidery house called “Jinyu Embroidery House,” but within just a few years, he lost everything. Later, it was said that Chen Youfu bought a plot of abandoned land elsewhere, and beneath it was buried gold. He suddenly became wealthy and prosperous again. However, that was just hearsay—whether there was actually gold underground remained unknown. In any case, he made a comeback! So he reopened the embroidery house, but changed the name to “Linglong Embroidery House.”

“Lord Ji, why are you investigating this? The matter of those dozen or so craftsmen from the Ministry of Works is still under investigation!” Jiang Lan reminded her.

She closed the file about Linglong Embroidery House in her hand and asked, “Have you found anything?”

“Not yet!”

Then why are you talking nonsense?

Jiang Lan asked skeptically, “Are you certain the murderer is one of those craftsmen? They all seem quite honest, and none of them knew Hua Ling. They never even crossed paths with Hua Ling in the household. There’s simply no motive for murder! Obviously, Yu Wang’s suspicion is greater. Don’t make a mistake.”

“Yu Wang is just a cook who knows absolutely nothing about craftsmen’s work. To be able to chisel open a hole in the wall, seal a person inside, and ensure the surface showed no abnormalities such that even people from the Ministry of Works couldn’t detect it—Yu Wang doesn’t have such great ability! Only craftsmen who had contact with and were familiar with that wall could accomplish this.”

“That may be true, but all those dozen people have alibis.” How distressing.

Ji Yinshu was distressed too!

She stood and walked to the window, her expression worried.

Thinking and thinking…

An hour later.

She changed into plain women’s clothing, dressed very simply, passed through the bustling streets, and arrived at the entrance of Linglong Embroidery House.

Ji Yinshu looked at her own coarse cloth garments and shoes, worried that after going in, people would disdain her shabby appearance!

Who cares!

She stepped inside!

Linglong Embroidery House was very large, occupying the most expensive ground in this prosperous area—truly worth its weight in gold.

As soon as she entered, she couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement!

Not only was it large, it was also quite luxurious. All around hung bolts of expensive fabric with a lustrous sheen like pearls, dazzling to the eye.

Inside were several elegantly dressed matrons and delicate young ladies from respectable families selecting fabrics.

From the moment Ji Yinshu entered that door, an embroiderer in the shop kept watching her with cold eyes, looking at her as if guarding against a thief.

This infuriated Ji Yinshu to no end!

This was even more disgusting than going to Watson’s!

At least there, people welcomed you.

As Ji Yinshu prepared to walk further inside, the green-clad embroiderer quickly stepped in front of her to block her path.

“Miss, this is Linglong Embroidery House. We sell premium snow satin. The cheapest is also over a hundred taels, and at most…” The green-clad embroiderer covered her mouth and laughed, her disdainful gaze laid bare for all to see.

Ji Yinshu wasn’t annoyed, nor did she reveal her official identity. She said politely, “I’m only here to place an order for my household’s madam.”

“Oh? Which household?”

“The household of Lord Jiang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.”

Upon hearing this, the embroiderer’s face lit up with smiles. She pulled Ji Yinshu along to quickly select fabrics while saying, “Miss, you should have said so earlier! Such an esteemed guest—we must properly attend to you.”

She enthusiastically took out samples one by one to show her. Although merchants had money, they still couldn’t compare to officials! Having official household customers meant having backing. So customers like this from official families were VIP guests. Moreover, this was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice—a position where, should the Minister of Justice die, the Vice Minister would take over. So the embroiderer, upon hearing this, couldn’t stop fawning over her.

Ji Yinshu thought to herself: Vice Minister Jiang’s reputation certainly carries weight.

“Did your madam say which style she wanted?” the embroiderer asked cordially.

“Hmm…” She hesitated for a brief moment.

The embroiderer said, “The fabric here is the finest in the capital.”

She stroked her chin and said “hmm” again, then feigned difficulty. “My household’s madam only said she wanted good fabric, plain fabric, but not in too light a color. She didn’t specify which kind.”