The warden considerately settled Chu Zhao in, then ambled over to see Deng Yi.

Deng Yi had already washed and changed clothes, and was in the process of putting on his robe. Upon seeing the warden, he raised his hand and tossed over a money pouch.

The warden reached out to catch it, smiling: “I just love Lord Deng’s style of not letting debts carry overnight.”

Deng Yi smiled without speaking, slowly fastening his belt.

“Lord Deng, this trip must have been exhausting, wasn’t it?” The warden sat down, observing Deng Yi’s slightly weary face after washing up, sighing that it wasn’t just physical exhaustion—there would inevitably be entanglements ahead. “The matter of the Chu family’s young miss is troublesome. Everyone avoids the name Chu Ling like the plague. I ask you, why did you rush to volunteer for this assignment?”

Indeed, contrary to what Chu Lan had said, this assignment hadn’t been forced upon Deng Yi—he had actively requested it.

Deng Yi picked up the tea on the table, slowly rotating it in his hand, narrowing his eyes: “You people don’t understand.”

Chu Ling wasn’t any kind of trouble at all. On the contrary, hidden about him was a coveted prize.

Just by taking this assignment, he had exchanged it with Prince Zhongshan for a cartload of gold, silver, and precious jewels.

……

……

Chu Zhao slept deeply in the prison cell. When she opened her eyes, daylight was already bright.

The cell the warden had arranged was indeed quite good—even semi-underground, she could still see light.

A’Le was inspecting the delivered food and happily told Chu Zhao: “The prison food is actually quite good.”

Chu Zhao smiled wryly. How could prison food be good? It was only their prison food that was good—after all, it was under the warden’s care, and they weren’t truly serving a sentence.

The female guard even brought water and a wooden basin. A’Le attended to Chu Zhao’s washing, and they sat down to eat.

“However, Miss,” A’Le was somewhat worried again, “are we truly imprisoned now?”

Although she had initially followed Chu Zhao fleeing at midnight, and the young miss had done many strange things and traveled through wilderness with a group of strangers, she hadn’t felt the slightest fear in her heart. But returning to the capital, her heart had been constantly on edge. The eldest master’s family paid no attention whatsoever to the young miss—completely unreliable.

Miss Liang’s father was a high official. What would the young miss do in this capital with no one to rely on?

“You’re overthinking.” Chu Zhao said, “Didn’t Uncle Zhong say? My father will handle it. I won’t be imprisoned.”

A’Le slapped her forehead: “I actually forgot about the General! Damn it, damn it! With the General here, and the General having said everything is fine, what am I worrying about?” She picked up her bowl and began eating in large mouthfuls.

Chu Zhao smiled, holding her bowl and eating slowly. Yes, with Father here, she need worry about nothing. Even after Father was gone, he had protected her for many years.

Only after Father’s people had been completely exhausted did Xiao Xun finally bring himself to kill her.

And it wasn’t just Father—

“A’Le,” she asked, gripping her chopsticks, “have you heard anything about my mother?”

A’Le made a sound of acknowledgment: “Miss, don’t be sad. Not everyone has a mother—my mother died giving birth to me too.”

She thought the young miss was missing her mother.

Chu Zhao wanted to laugh but also felt this wasn’t funny at all. She asked: “I mean, what kind of person was she?”

Nothing special, A’Le set down her chopsticks and bowl. The matter of Chu Zhao’s mother wasn’t a secret—everyone knew it.

The General had a chance encounter with a beautiful village woman. They fell in love, and the village woman voluntarily came to serve the General. The General had originally intended to bring her home to meet his elders and marry her properly, but military duties kept him too busy to return. This delay meant that before they could marry, the village woman became pregnant and had a difficult labor. She died giving birth to Chu Zhao, and the General, deeply devoted, never remarried.

Chu Zhao naturally knew this too—Father had told her this story since childhood. Of course, after returning to the capital, what she heard at her uncle’s house was somewhat different. For instance, it wasn’t mutual love—rather, the village woman had bewitched the General, attempting to climb above her station, not hesitating to engage in unmarried relations without a matchmaker.

Her aunt often sighed and admonished her: “Ah Zhao, as a woman you must be careful in word and deed, you cannot debase yourself, otherwise there will be no good outcome.” “Only matches of equal social standing can last.” “Those without shame bring calamity upon their family for three generations.”

Combined with the pointing fingers and private mockery from the young ladies of the capital, what had originally seemed a beautiful story when Father told it became shameful, and she no longer wished to mention this mother, wishing she had never existed.

After she became Empress, she was even more sensitive about her origins, forbidding anyone to mention her mother.

Just before death, Consort Liang had come to gloat, and when speaking of why His Majesty had married her, she mentioned not only her father but also her mother.

“By marrying you, your mother could also be used by His Majesty.”

This clearly meant her mother was still alive—otherwise how could a dead person be used by Xiao Xun?

She had already been force-fed poisoned wine and was withering unto death, but upon hearing this statement she crawled back up to grab Consort Liang, demanding to know what this meant. Consort Liang was frightened away, and she herself, sustained by this single breath, delayed dying, only to be strangled alive by a young eunuch.

She had thought she would never know, but unexpectedly she had the opportunity to start over.

Father had been hiding it from her all along. In the letter she had Uncle Zhong deliver, she had asked directly—she didn’t know if Father would give her an answer.

Footsteps sounded in the quiet prison cell, interrupting the master and servant’s conversation.

The female warden from the women’s section walked over, smiling: “Miss Chu, you may return now.”

Chu Zhao showed no delighted surprise, nor did she rise. She asked: “Has my case concluded?”

The female warden smiled: “What case? Minister Wei has already thoroughly scolded Magistrate Deng, saying he told him to find a person, not arrest one—how could he put you, Miss, in here?”

Deng Yi had indeed been scolded, which is why she had said that by bringing her to the prison cell, Deng Yi was actually bearing responsibility. Chu Zhao still sat without moving, made an acknowledging sound, then asked again: “Then what does the Court of Judicial Review say? Didn’t they say they commissioned Lord Deng—”

“The Court of Judicial Review said it wasn’t a case either.” The female warden explained with a smile. “Your uncle filed a missing person report. Now that you’ve returned, the case is closed.”

The female warden found it strange—why did this girl seem not to want to leave at all, still sitting and asking all these questions? This wasn’t some pleasant place—whatever questions she had, she could ask after leaving.

Chu Zhao understood. Uncle Zhong had conveyed Father’s message saying this matter was resolved, and indeed it had been resolved before her return. She didn’t know how Father had resolved it.

Father truly wasn’t the mediocre, barely surviving person she had thought him to be.

Chu Zhao said nothing more, but still didn’t immediately rise and leave. Instead, she finished all the food in her bowl before standing up.

Chu Zhao and A’Le, carrying their bundles, walked out of the Court of Judicial Review. Deng Yi didn’t reappear, nor was there anyone from her uncle’s household to receive them.

“Miss, how do we return?” A’Le asked.

Chu Zhao pulled a vermillion hairpin from her hair, turning it in her hand. This too was something she had stolen from her aunt when leaving home. Along the journey, what with expenses and gift-giving, this was the only one remaining.

“Take this,” she said. “Rent two good horses. We’re going home.”