Chapter 1257: Chapter 1257

To think, how innocent she and her child were. She only wanted to live a peaceful life, simply seeking to protect herself. But... they wouldn’t give her that chance.

How cruel King Jin was—taking her as a concubine, ignoring her after doing so, and that was not enough. He even schemed against her, sending someone to defile her, branding her with a shameful label.

As Madam Zuo was lost in her chaotic thoughts, she suddenly sensed a noise coming from under the bed.

Long Liu heard it too. She stopped crying, lifted the bed curtains, and looked underneath.

There, the floorboards seemed to bulge upward, as if something was about to emerge.

Her eyes widened in shock. She immediately helped Madam Zuo down from the bed. Together, the mistress and servant clutched the barely month-old baby, retreating fearfully to the wall opposite. They stared at the trembling space beneath the bed.

When it rains, it pours. Their lives had already hit rock bottom, so what more terrifying thing could come now, trying to scare them?

The guards sent to the Ducal Residence soon returned with news: they hadn’t found Jin Wei. He hadn’t even gone back there.

Then where could he have gone?

The Emperor looked furious. The Duke of the Nation was relying on his seniority, causing a scene and feigning ignorance. He was using every trick in the book, refusing to confess that he had orchestrated the framing of King Jin all those years ago.

As for the father of the child, he staunchly denied it as well. He even went so far as to say that King Jin and Jin Wei got along too well in private, that young men often played recklessly together, trading women for fun. He claimed it wasn’t the first or second time, and he was too ashamed to admit it before.

So even if the child was truly Jin Wei’s, it still couldn’t prove he had conspired in the plot to usurp the throne.

Line after absurd line of reasoning left everyone flabbergasted and speechless.

Gu Youyou thought: No wonder the Empress refused to give in, even when the truth was obvious. With evidence staring her in the face, she still came up with countless justifications to deny it. Clearly, this shamelessness ran in the ducal family.

She couldn’t wait to see how he would continue arguing when the full truth was uncovered and laid bare before them all.

But the fact that Jin Wei had gone missing was a serious matter.

Jin Wei was a key player in all this.

"Could he have run off ahead of time? Or maybe he found the situation too stifling and sneaked out to drink away his sorrows?" Xie Qinyun said in a low voice to Gu Youyou.

If Jin Wei had been pushed into a desperate corner, she thought, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

Gu Youyou froze for a moment, furrowing her brow.

Previously, she had heard Jin Zijin mention that Xiao Jinyan had learned from his channels that Jin Wei was truly unwilling to get involved. It was said that when he was sent to climb over the walls of the Prince Jin Residence, he looked utterly miserable, like he had nothing left to live for—bearing an expression strikingly similar to that of King Jin.

Hearing Xie Qinyun’s suggestion, Gu Youyou found it plausible as well.

She turned to Jin Zijin and said, "Should we send someone to check the taverns?"

Jin Zijin narrowed his eyes and suddenly said, "No, he’s not at the taverns."

"Oh? Then where..." Gu Youyou began.

"I know." Without waiting for her to finish, Jin Zijin left briskly, his face dark.

Prince Qin caught a glance of him and hurriedly followed.

Meanwhile, by the Emperor’s side, the Duke of the Nation, King Jin, and the Empress were locked in a heated argument. Everyone’s focus remained on them, so no one noticed the First Prince and Prince Qin slipping away.

Xie Qinyun stood in stunned silence for a brief moment before hastily lifting her skirt and chasing after them.

Gu Youyou grabbed her arm and asked, "Hey, what are you doing?"

"I’m going to watch the commotion!"

Gu Youyou rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Spare me. Are you trying to tarnish your Prince’s reputation? Just stay put and behave."

Meanwhile, from beneath Madam Zuo’s bed, a person covered in dust had already crawled out of the hole in the floor.