"Fear of danger is instinctual. Naturally, the townsfolk would shy away from a place where something had happened. So, I just needed to find the inn with the fewest customers, and that would be where I needed to go," Ji Zizhao continued walking without pause, entering the tavern before her.
Wen Hui inwardly scoffed and followed Ji Zizhao in silence.
Perhaps due to the incident, the tavern's main hall was largely empty of diners. The waiters were busy cleaning up the aftermath. Broken bowls and plates littered the floor, along with toppled tables and chairs, and the bloodstains that were being scrubbed away.
Seeing the scarlet bloodstains on the ground, Ji Zizhao's heart tightened.
Thinking of Xue Yinuo and Xu Meiqing, who were still unconscious, Ji Zizhao had never been so anxious to find out what kind of beasts could commit such heinous acts!
A waiter, seeing guests arrive, hurried over, "Two young ladies, are you here for a meal or lodging?"
"I have some questions for you," Wen Hui said directly to the waiter. After all, she had been raised in the palace. Even though her bloodline wasn't royal, her demeanor and speech were strikingly similar to royalty.
In the capital, anyone would have shown her great respect.
However, at this moment, the waiter smiled apologetically, "My apologies, ladies, we don't know anything."
Wen Hui frowned at the waiter and snapped, "I haven't even asked yet, how do you know you don't know anything!"
But the waiter paid no mind and turned to leave.
Wen Hui had never experienced such dismissal. Even when she had traveled outside before, people had always shown her extra consideration upon learning she was Princess Wen Hui. Su Dan Novels.
"Do you know who I am..." Wen Hui clenched her handkerchief and was about to announce her identity.
But before she could finish, Ji Zizhao interrupted, "Give us a private room and bring us a serving of all your signature dishes."
Wen Hui's eyes widened, looking at Ji Zizhao in disbelief.
These were just common folk; what made them worthy of her willingly yielding?
Ji Zizhao merely looked at the waiter and dangled the silver notes in her hand.
The waiter's attitude changed immediately. Smiling, he returned and invited them upstairs.
Ji Zizhao surveyed every corner of the tavern as she walked. Noticing the signs of a struggle on the stairs, she calmly averted her gaze. After following the waiter into a private room on the second floor, she once again blocked his path.
"If you are here to eat, you are welcome. If it's for anything else, we can offer no information," the waiter said, eyeing Ji Zizhao with suspicion.
"We are indeed here to eat, but we also wish to inquire about something. However, if you are unwilling to speak, we will not press you. Please help us ask if anyone recognizes the people who were fighting today. For each person you identify, we will reward ten taels, and you will receive five taels for yourself."
The waiter clearly hesitated upon hearing about the money.
Ji Zizhao directly took out five taels from her sleeve and placed it in the waiter's hand before sitting down at the round table.
Wen Hui could not fathom that the woman who would eventually marry her Fourth Cousin would possess such a common touch, willing to lower herself to the level of commoners, utterly lacking any royal bearing.
After the waiter left the private room, Wen Hui couldn't help but say, "Eldest Daughter of the Ji family, have you forgotten that you are to marry my Fourth Cousin? If you continue to carry yourself with such commoner airs, even Fourth Cousin might be subjected to gossip."
"Then you shall endure it with me," Ji Zizhao said indifferently. If she lacked the courage to face such matters together, what kind of commitment could they expect? Besides, in her impression, Xie Jinglan was not someone who fussed over such trivialities.
Wen Hui: "..."
Never had she met such an audacious person!
"Even the people in this inn are unwilling to speak. What good is it even if you have more money, Eldest Daughter of the Ji family?" In Wen Hui's eyes, Ji Zizhao was simply foolish and wealthy.
Ji Zizhao offered no argument and suddenly stood up, walking towards the door.
Wen Hui: "..."
What was she up to now!
Ji Zizhao walked softly down the corridor on the second floor, examining each private room.
Since there were signs of a struggle on the stairs, it meant the main hall downstairs was not where the incident occurred. Moreover, young ladies like Xue Yinuo would typically seek private rooms when dining out.
As she walked, Ji Zizhao suddenly stopped.
Seeing Ji Zizhao stop, Wen Hui frowned displeasantly. But when she followed Ji Zizhao's gaze to the adjacent private room, her face immediately turned pale.
The private room, which could accommodate five people, was now in a state of utter disarray.
Traces of blood were everywhere in the room, some splattered, some flowing...
Even Wen Hui, who studied medicine, could not bear to look at the scene.
Compared to the hall downstairs, this place was simply hell!
Ji Zizhao slowly walked in, carefully observing the room. Seeing the bloodstains on the table corners, she remembered the indentation on Xue Yinuo's forehead. Passing by the shards on the floor, she thought of Xu Meiqing's unevenly bruised wounds...
Suddenly, Ji Zizhao stepped on something.
Lifting her foot, she saw a jade pendant lying quietly in the pool of blood.
Ji Zizhao's heart clenched fiercely. As she bent down to pick up the jade pendant, watching the blood drip from its tassel, her dark eyes trembled uncontrollably.
This jade pendant was something she had personally fastened onto her Fourth Sister when she returned with medicinal supplies for the first time.
Her intention was to protect her Fourth Sister's safety.
Years had passed, and her Fourth Sister had never taken it off.
Ji Zizhao carefully examined the cord of the jade pendant. It was clearly yanked off with great force...
This implied that her Fourth Sister had known the identities of Xu Meiqing and the others long ago and had deliberately left her jade pendant behind, because she was confident that her elder sister would do everything she could to find her upon learning of the situation!
Ji Zizhao tightly clenched the jade pendant in her palm, her body trembling uncontrollably. She could only take deep breaths, one after another, to calm herself down.
"Thump, thump, thump... Thump, thump, thump..."
Suddenly, footsteps could be heard from the stairs.
As Ji Zizhao quickly regained her composure, she grabbed Wen Hui and hurried out the door.
The two had just returned to their private room and sat down when the waiter opened the door and asked Ji Zizhao, "Do you stand by your word about what you just said?"
Without a word, Ji Zizhao took out another five taels and gave it to the waiter, then placed ten taels on the table.
The waiter quickly took the money and signaled to someone outside the door, "You can come in now."
Soon, a child of about a dozen years old, with a tender face, walked in.
Wen Hui looked at the child and let out a scoff, "Little brother, we don't have time to play games with you."
The child stared intently at the silver on the round table. "Actually, everyone in town knows the people who were fighting today. But no one dares to tell you who they are, except me."