Сhарter 141: Trаnsfеr Lеttеr
Тhe next dау, the Judiciаl Affairs Вurеаu dirесtlу sent a trаnsfer letter to the Ministrу оf Justicе, intending tо rеаssign Zhu Yаn to sеrvе аt thе Judiсial Аffairs Bureаu.
Тhis startlеd everyоne in the Мinistry of Justiсе. Тhе реоple frоm thе Judiciаl Аffаirs Burеau wеrе not to bе рrovоked, and thosе from the Inner Guаrd Вurеau wеre even mоrе untоuchаblе. Аftеr muсh dеliberаtiоn, the Мinistry оf Justice sеnt the trаnsfеr lеtter аlоng with а sеries of cоrrespondencеs to the Inner Guаrd Bureаu.
Upоn rеcеiving the letters, Shen Du was furious. Although Zhu Yan belonged to the Ministry of Justice, she was also his wife, Lady Shen. Lai Luozhi wanted to transfer her without a word, truly showing no regard for any face.
Since that was the case, there was no need for him to show any courtesy either.
He brought his men to the Ministry of Justice and calmly waited for Lai Luozhi’s arrival.
His people had suffered a setback and would certainly not let it go easily. They might even cause trouble for the Ministry of Justice. So he waited there, ready to personally confront anyone who showed up.
As expected, within less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lai Luozhi arrived at the Ministry of Justice with his men.
Seeing Shen Du there, Lai Luozhi showed little surprise.
Leading his men into the Ministry of Justice, he ignored Shen Du and directly asked the Ministry of Justice personnel about Zhu Yan’s whereabouts.
Knowing that today was a showdown between two formidable figures, the Ministry of Justice staff had long hidden themselves, not daring to show their faces. Only Wu Taiming, who had a decent relationship with Zhu Yan, stood alongside Shen Du.
This was to indicate that the Ministry of Justice still had someone present.
Upon hearing Lai Luozhi inquire about Zhu Yan’s whereabouts, before Wu Taiming could respond, Shen Du’s expression turned displeased. “Vice Minister Lai, although Lord Zhu is from the Ministry of Justice, she is also my wife, Lady Shen. If Vice Minister Lai wishes to take her away, shouldn’t you first ask whether I, as her husband, am willing?”
Hearing this, Lai Luozhi merely glanced lightly at Shen Du.
“Commander Shen, I simply admire Lord Zhu of the Ministry of Justice for her intelligence and courage and wish to recruit her under my wing for proper cultivation. Matters of officialdom have nothing to do with family. Isn’t Commander Shen overthinking this?”
“Overthinking?” Shen Du’s eyes turned icy cold, like a winter chill that chilled one from head to toe. “In front of me, you want to take away my person, and you say I’m overthinking? The habit of turning the tables remains completely unchanged!”
Lai Luozhi was also displeased by Shen Du’s words, his face darkening. “So what if she is your wife? Everyone in Chang’an knows that on your wedding day, Commander Shen held a knife to her neck and uttered the ‘three presumptions.’ A man like you, who frightens his wife even before she enters the household—life with you surely cannot be good. Since that is the case, Commander Shen still wants to prevent her from pursuing a promising career. Don’t you think that is highly inappropriate?”
“Vice Minister Lai just praised my wife for her intelligence and courage. If our marital life were truly as Vice Minister Lai described, would she still be considered a courageous person?”
Shen Du shot a glare at Lai Luozhi, leaving him speechless. Lai Luozhi had intended to boast about Zhu Yan to make Shen Du feel unworthy of her, but he never expected to be rebutted so quickly. It truly infuriated him.
Lai Luozhi’s expression turned ugly, yet he did not know how to retort. He could only swallow his losses and lead his men away from the Ministry of Justice in disgrace.
Even so, Shen Du could not help but grow suspicious of Zhu Yan. Returning to the Shen residence, he instructed Jing Lin to inquire about the case’s progress from Zhu Yan, reminding him to approach the matter indirectly.
Jing Lin, however, was utterly confused, completely failing to grasp Shen Du’s meaning.
“Forget it.”
Shen Du was annoyed. How had Jing Lin become so obtuse? Or was it that his own hints were not clear enough?After much deliberation, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Tonight, I must get to the bottom of this.
At that moment, Jing Lin suddenly clasped his fists and said, "Great Pavilion Commander, there has been progress in the investigation you assigned. Also..."
"Also what?" Shen Du's expression suddenly turned serious. He had been sending Jing Lin to investigate the movements of court officials, and now that there was progress, Jing Lin seemed hesitant to speak.
Could it be that this investigation had gone beyond his expectations?
"Also, the eldest princess of Mingsheng Temple..."
Before he could finish, Shen Du's face darkened completely. As expected, this news still came as a surprise to him.
As night fell, Zhu Yan had not yet returned from her outing. Shen Du felt worried, but even more uneasy. Could it be that she truly intended to work at the Judicial Affairs Bureau? Or perhaps she went to report the case to Zhang Xingwei.
These numerous suspicions weighed heavily on Shen Du's heart. After spending so much time together, he had unconsciously developed a special affection for Zhu Yan. It seemed he no longer found her as annoying as before—or perhaps he had never truly disliked her.
Shen Du couldn't make sense of it. When he returned to his room, he didn’t even light a candle.
He simply sat in the pitch-dark room, waiting for that woman to arrive.
He didn’t know what the outcome of tonight would be. If it were truly determined that Zhu Yan was a spy planted by his side, would he have to eliminate her?
He wasn’t sure.
It felt like a long time had passed when the door suddenly creaked, and Shen Du turned to look.
The sky had completely darkened, and as Zhu Yan entered the pitch-black room, it was so dark she couldn’t see her own hand in front of her face.
Stretching her weary limbs, she began to undress, preparing to bathe.
Shen Du remained silent in the darkness. He had already adjusted to the dim light, and the woman’s movements were clear to him.
She looked tired. Where had she been all day?
With this thought, his brow furrowed once again. How could he ask her without her noticing?
Zhu Yan had already settled into the bathtub. After a long day, the comfortable warmth washed away her fatigue, allowing her to relax.
Letting out a long sigh, Zhu Yan murmured contentedly, "It’s so much more comfortable at home. A bath can wash away the lingering smells. That stench of corpses really makes one feel uneasy all over."
Hearing this, Shen Du finally understood.
So she had been investigating a case again today, spending the day with corpses. Had he been needlessly suspicious of her? Perhaps he had truly overthought things...
"Hmm~"
Lost in her contentment, Zhu Yan began humming a tune. In the darkness, Shen Du’s lips curled into a smile. It was rare to see such a charming side of this woman.
As if she had finished bathing, Zhu Yan stood up and put on her robe. Just as she was drying her damp hair with a towel, a sudden voice startled her.
"You seem to be in a good mood."
Shen Du’s voice was not loud, but it was enough to startle Zhu Yan out of her wits. In a pitch-dark room, a man’s voice suddenly emerging would frighten anyone, not just Zhu Yan.
"Who’s there? Who is it?"
Zhu Yan was alarmed and quickly turned to look around, but the room was too dark to see anyone. In her panic, she stepped forward but accidentally slipped on a puddle of water, losing her balance and stumbling forward.Just as Zhu Yan thought she was about to face-plant, a solid wall of flesh suddenly blocked her path. In her panic, her hands flailed uncontrollably, tearing open Shen Du's clothes and giving a firm feel of his robust, well-defined muscles.
Zhu Yan was stunned, lying in Shen Du's arms, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
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