The group nodded like little chickens pecking at food. In their eyes, their young lady was an invincible being, and they would do whatever she asked.
Soon they settled down. This place was different from the prosperity and wealth of the capital. All around, children were orphaned by war and wandering. The prefect, unable to bear seeing these children starve to death, specially ordered a wet nurse to cook two bowls of porridge daily and place them at the yamen gate. Any wandering child who came to beg would be given a bowl.
This porridge was only enough to keep them from starving. To prevent ordinary people from taking advantage, the porridge was made very thin and had a layer of dust floating on top.
Everything was normal at first, but recently, the number of children coming to collect porridge had decreased. In just a few days, it had halved.
The wet nurse dared not act on her own and quickly informed the prefect of the situation. The prefect frowned upon hearing this, sensing that the matter was not simple.
He immediately gathered people to investigate where those children had gone. He was surprised the moment he received the news.
Tian'er, who was busy sweeping the floor, heard a knock on the door and quickly went to open it. Seeing the official and the constables standing outside, her expression changed from fear to hatred. Before they could react, she slammed the door shut with a bang.
Then she ran to the backyard in a hurry, exclaiming, "Miss, it's bad! We have to escape quickly."
"What's wrong?" Wu Caiwei, who heard the commotion, rushed out and almost collided with the flustered Tian'er.
"Outside... outside are many soldiers. They must have been sent by the Zhou family to arrest us, right?" Tian'er was almost in tears. She knew without a doubt that if she were taken back by the eldest madam, there would be no good end for her.
Wu Caiwei pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "No need to panic. They are not here for that matter. Your appearance has only exposed us."
"Ah?" Tian'er looked at her young lady's retreating back, unable to understand her words. She stood there, frowning, scratching her head, and after thinking for a long time, she couldn't figure it out. She followed behind in realization.
The prefect looked thoughtfully at the door before him. Although the expression on the maid's face had changed very quickly, he had still captured it. He felt that the woman's identity was suspicious and her intentions were not pure. He exchanged glances with his trusted aides, and everything was understood without words. Everyone unconsciously raised their guard.
When Wu Caiwei opened the door, she saw their scrutinizing gazes. She knew that Tian'er's impulsive nature had exposed them completely, but she was not afraid.
Wu Caiwei curtsied with a smile and asked with feigned ignorance, "Your honors, what brings you here today?"
"Recently, there have been fewer wandering children in the city. My men discovered that you have taken them in. I wanted to check on their situation." The prefect said as he stepped aside and forcefully entered, feeling that they were strange and wanting to investigate.
Wu Caiwei knew what he was thinking. She simply stood aside and let them in, saying with feigned realization, "So, Your Honor is here for this matter. This humble woman feels that these children are very pitiful. They live in dilapidated temples and don't even have warm blankets. Although Your Honor is kind and prepares two bowls of porridge for them every day, this porridge is only enough to keep them from starving. They are growing children, and this porridge is not enough to fill their stomachs. If they fall ill one day and cannot come to beg for porridge, will they starve to death? I wish to do my small part."
Although her words seemed reasonable and her tone carried a sense of compassion for the world, the prefect still didn't believe her. He felt that this woman had too many secrets.
"Oh? Where are they now? As far as I know, you have taken in quite a few children, but we have walked for so long and haven't seen a single one." Those children were at an age of lively activity. With so many children together, the courtyard was so quiet, which made his heart involuntarily tighten, praying that these children were alright.
"Your Honor, please follow me." Wu Caiwei led the way. After passing through an arched doorway, they discovered that the neighboring courtyard had also become hers at some point, connected by a door.
The courtyard was relatively simple, with not many flowers or trees, and no bridges or flowing water. After walking for a short while, they actually heard the sound of reading.
"This is?" he asked in disbelief.
"These children are too young to work or do chores, so I gathered them together and hired a few teachers to teach them. For those with a talent for reading, I plan to cultivate them to participate in the imperial examinations. For those without such talent, I will teach them to recognize characters. This way, in the future, they can make a living by traveling and doing business."
The prefect, hearing her explanation, impatiently quickened his pace. Soon, they saw four large rooms, each with a teacher instructing a group of students. Seeing the familiar faces, his heart finally relaxed.
"If Your Honor doesn't mind, you can send the remaining children here. I will take in as many as I can." If she hadn't been afraid of attracting attention from above, she would have already taken in all the children. Despite her efforts to keep a low profile, she had still attracted their attention, so she decided to be upfront.
"What exactly do you want to do?" The prefect looked at her sternly, awaiting an answer.
"As I said, this humble woman just wants to help these children." Wu Caiwei remained calm and composed throughout, giving no indication of her true depths.
"I have investigated you. Your group arrived here ten days ago. What is your true identity?" The border region already had many spies and a mixed population. The prefect felt it was better to be cautious.
"Your Honor, can we speak privately?" Having been in the border region for more than ten days, she had already heard about the prefect's character and conduct. Although she didn't know what kind of person he truly was, based on his actions, he seemed to be a practical official.
When the two stood facing each other, Wu Caiwei began to weave her story. "To be honest with Your Honor, I come from the capital. My family has been engaged in business for generations and possesses considerable wealth. Three years ago, my parents passed away one after another. My uncle coveted my family's assets and moved them all back to his own home. Afterward, they married into a noble family and, not wanting me to marry outside, framed me for eloping with someone. Forced to do so, I fled here with my family's loyal servants. Seeing these homeless children, I felt a deep sense of empathy and truly just wanted to help them."
The prefect had been to the capital. From the moment he met them, he knew where these people came from. However, he had great doubts about the truthfulness of her words. If she truly cared for these children, it would be their good fortune. As she had said, despite his best efforts to help these children, every winter there were still children who died of illness or froze to death. It would be best if someone took them in. At most, he would make more trips in the future and check on their situation from time to time.