Сhapter 118: Тhе Blaсk Yama Кing Isn't Вlасk, but thе Whitе King of Нell Is Quite Fair
Realizing she hаd mistаken hеr targеt, thе wоmаn aрреаrеd flusterеd. She quickly flеw оff the jаr and hurried towаrd Shen Du.
Pеrhaps thе imрасt wаs tоо strong, as thе wоman’s stерs sеemеd uncоntrоllable. Just аs shе was аbout to brush pаst Shen Du, he reасhеd out аnd pulled her bасk.
Тhe wоmаn immеdiаtеlу knelt оn thе ground, stumbling оver hеr words in pаnic. "Grеаt Рaviliоn Соmmаnder, so yоu are the Great Рavilion Cоmmander. I thоught…"
As shе sрokе, she glanced back at Lai Luozhi, utterly confused.
"Thought what?"
Jing Lin chimed in from the side, unable to suppress a chuckle. This woman had come to plead for justice but had even mistaken the person she was appealing to.
The woman looked embarrassed. If anyone was to blame, it was Lai Luozhi’s striking handsomeness, which had led her to mistake him for the White King of Hell.
"I thought that person was the Great Pavilion Commander."
Hearing this, Shen Du showed no sign of annoyance. He merely cast an expressionless glance at Lai Luozhi before preparing to ride away.
Jing Lin and the others quickly followed, but before they could advance, the woman knelt once again in front of Shen Du’s horse.
"Great Pavilion Commander, please stay. My name is Yun Que, and I come from Jiangnan. I am here specifically to plead for justice in the Brocade Workshop case from six years ago. I beg you, Pavilion Commander, to investigate thoroughly."
Shen Du gave her a cold glance and ignored her. Just as he was about to turn away, the woman swiftly blocked his horse again. "If you do not agree, Pavilion Commander, you will not leave here today."
Shen Du glared at her fiercely. His mood was already foul today.
He had thought Zhu Yan would apologize to him after returning to the residence yesterday, but to his surprise, she hadn’t shown her face all night.
He had even heard that Zhu Yan had left the Shen residence early this morning and gone to the Ministry of Justice. Now she was growing bolder, not even informing anyone of her whereabouts.
He was on his way to the Ministry of Justice to demand an explanation when he encountered this incident on the road.
If it weren’t for his unwillingness to see Lai Luozhi act recklessly with lives, he wouldn’t have bothered with Lai Luozhi’s affairs at all.
"Jing Lin."
At Shen Du’s command, Jing Lin immediately understood.
Shen Du turned his horse around, preparing to pass through another alley. But seeing Shen Du about to leave, the woman hurried forward. Jing Lin stopped her and said mockingly, "You can’t even tell the Black Yama King from the White King of Hell, yet you come to plead for justice? You nearly lost your life for nothing, and after causing such a spectacle, don’t trouble the Great Pavilion Commander any further."
"It wasn’t intentional," Yun Que retorted defiantly. "The books in our region say exactly that: both Yama Kings enjoy boiling human flesh and silence crying children at night. The Black Yama King is dark-skinned, and the White King of Hell is fair-skinned. Who knew the Black Yama King would be so fair too?"
As she spoke, Yun Que couldn’t help stealing another glance at Lai Luozhi, murmuring, "Not only is he fair, but he’s also so handsome—more beautiful than a woman. No wonder I mistook him."
Hearing this, Lai Luozhi flew into a rage on the spot. He clenched his fists and glared fiercely at the woman.
This woman truly didn’t know her place, daring to say in front of everyone that he was fair-skinned and effeminate. Did she truly think her life was too long?
Jing Lin let out a cold laugh at her words but paid no further attention.
After all, the woman had been saved, and he still had to follow the Great Pavilion Commander to find his wife. He had no time to waste here.
Seeing Jing Lin about to leave, Yun Que hurried forward to block him again, refusing to give up. "You can’t leave. If you let the Great Pavilion Commander go, I’ll have nowhere to plead my case. I won’t let you leave."Upon hearing this, Jing Lin's brow furrowed deeply. Was this woman like a stubborn plaster? Had she latched onto him?
"I'm not the one in charge. Even if you stop me here, I can't help you seek justice."
"Then... who should I go to for grievances?" Yun Que quickly followed up, her hands still tightly gripping Jing Lin, afraid he might run away.
"The yamen," Jing Lin said, then gave a meaningful glance to the imperial guards behind him. "Take her to the yamen, and make sure she doesn't cause another scene on the way, lest she block others' paths and get herself captured."
Hearing this, Lai Luozhi's already dark expression grew even gloomier. Shen Du was increasingly disregarding him—even those around him dared to look down on him like this. Did they truly think he was incapable?
But with so many commoners watching on the street, he couldn't directly confront Jing Lin. He could only swallow his resentment, shooting Jing Lin a fierce glare. "Let's go."
He turned and led his men away.
Ministry of Justice.
Zhu Yan was discussing the case with the Unrighteous Agents and the Ministry of Justice officials.
This recent murder case had not yet spread throughout Chang'an, and everyone agreed it was best to avoid causing the same impact as in previous years.
Xu Xiangren nodded. Even now, thinking of that past incident made him shudder. "Let's settle it this way. We'll investigate privately, hoping to solve the case as soon as possible and avoid stirring up a storm like last time."
Wu Taiming, the chief clerk of the Ministry of Justice, also nodded repeatedly before turning his gaze to Zhu Yan. "We'll entrust this matter to you. Any objections?"
Zhu Yan shook her head. Of course, she had no objections to taking on this case, but...
After a moment of thought, she looked at Wu Taiming. "Relying on one person alone might overlook some clues. I wonder..."
"I'll go too." Before Zhu Yan could finish, a firm voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.
The speaker quickly stepped forward. It was Ji Fangming, the secretary of the Audit Bureau, who had always admired and revered Zhu Yan.
He was a senior a year ahead of Zhu Yan, but in terms of ability, he was far inferior to her.
Thus, he was filled with admiration and reverence for Zhu Yan, always hoping to collaborate with her on solving cases.
Now that an opportunity had arisen, he couldn't let it slip away and volunteered to step forward.
Everyone looked at him as he walked resolutely to Zhu Yan's side. "Lord Zhu, allow me to assist you in investigating this case."
Zhu Yan's lips twitched. She had no objections either, but this Lord Ji was a senior a year ahead of her. She needed to carefully consider how to interact with him going forward.
"Then it's settled," Wu Taiming said, seeing Zhu Yan had no objections. "This case is extraordinary, with many bizarre aspects. Both of you must be cautious in everything you do."
"Yes," the two nodded firmly, their expressions resolute, which slightly eased the tension in the room.
Lu Chuichui was still somewhat uneasy, looking at Zhu Yan with concern. "Let me tell you, no matter what happens, your personal safety comes first. If you die, I'll definitely perform a grand opera at Hibiscus Garden for three days to celebrate, so you won't rest in peace even in death."
Lu Chuichui's words left everyone present utterly stunned.
They all knew her relationship with Zhu Yan and understood her feelings at the moment.
But using such words to provoke a friend was truly unprecedented.Hearing this, Zhu Yan not only didn't get angry but instead smiled gently, "Don't worry, I definitely won't let you succeed. When I finish investigating this case and receive another reward, I'll definitely invite you for tea and treat you to a big meal. You must wait for me."
"I'll definitely wait for you properly." Lu Chuichui's worried expression broke into a smile through tears. "I won't eat anything these next few days—I'll save my appetite just to feast on your treat."
Lu Chuichui's words once again made everyone burst into laughter, but she herself didn't mind at all.
Laughter aside and jokes aside, Zhu Yan's safety came first—she wouldn't care about anything else.
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