Chарtеr 147: Ji Fаngming 2
“Just а mоmеnt ago, уоu sаid I оnlу have the skill оf еmpty tаlk. Now, let mе shоw уоu mу mеthods—whethеr I’m merely bluffing or not.”
Shen Du sроke сoldlу, giving Jing Lin а mеаningful glanсе.
Undеrstаnding his intеnt, Jing Lin gesturеd, and the brothеrs frоm the Innеr Guard Bureаu laid out vаrious instruments оf tоrturе bеfоrе thеm.
Thumb scrеws, silvеr neеdlеs, аnd whips… Тhough nоt аs cruel аs sоme оf Lai Luozhi’s methоds, they werе still highlу еffeсtive.
Seeing thе аrrаy оf tоrturе dеviсеs, Ji Fangming’s fоrеheаd brokе out in a сold swеаt, аnd his fists clеnсhеd tightlу.
Shen Du waved his hаnd, but just as Jing Lin was about to аpply thе thumb screws tо Ji Fangming, а suddеn annоuncement was made—Lai Luozhi had arrived with his men.
Taking in the scene before him, Lai Luozhi wore a meaningful smile on his face, his tone laced with disdain. “Chief Shen has always taught this official not to kill the innocent or treat human life as worthless. Yet, here you are, resorting to private torture—and on a court official, no less. Truly, this is a case of ‘the magistrate may set fire, but the commoners cannot light a lamp.’”
Shen Du’s expression darkened considerably. He was already displeased by Lai Luozhi’s arrival, and now the man’s words only added to his irritation.
“This case was entrusted to me personally by the Empress. I know my limits. Assistant Minister Lai need not meddle in matters here, lest I charge you with obstructing the investigation.”
“Chief Shen wields quite the authority—truly admirable. However, let me remind you that Minister Ji is, after all, an official appointed by the court. No matter how capable or powerful you are, you cannot subject anyone to private torture. Moreover, with insufficient evidence to convict, this looks like an attempt to extract a confession through torture. I cannot stand by and allow this.”
Seeing Lai Luozhi persist relentlessly, Zhu Yan realized the gravity of the situation.
If Ji Fangming refused to confess, Lai Luozhi’s interference would inevitably lead to his release without charges. This would not only be disadvantageous for them but would also damage Shen Du’s reputation. She could not allow things to proceed this way.
After a moment of thought, an idea formed in Zhu Yan’s mind. She looked sternly at Ji Fangming and declared, “Minister Ji, no matter how many flashy tricks you employ, illusions will never become reality. An imitation, no matter how convincing, can never replace the original. If you truly pin your hopes on this, I fear all your previous efforts will be in vain.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Ji Fangming roared angrily at Zhu Yan.
Seeing the fish take the bait, the corners of Zhu Yan’s lips curved upward. “I must have struck a nerve for you to react so strongly. My meaning is clear: no matter how perfect the imitation, it is not the real thing. Do you truly believe we cannot find the missing official?”
“Impossible!” Ji Fangming’s face turned exceptionally grim as he shouted, “No one ever goes to that abandoned temple. How could anyone find it?”
His words left everyone stunned.
Realizing his slip, Ji Fangming immediately pointed at Zhu Yan and cursed, “You dared to trick me?”
“Circumstances forced my hand, and I had no choice. Besides, if you were truly innocent, why would you reveal the crime you committed?”
Zhu Yan wore a meaningful expression and gave Jing Lin a glance. Understanding her order, Jing Lin led his men away from the Ministry of Justice.
Shen Du’s stern expression eased slightly. With a cold snort, he commanded, “Guards, take Ji Fangming to the dungeon and await further orders.”
“Yes, sir!” Two brothers from the Inner Guard Bureau stepped forward and escorted Ji Fangming away.Ji Fangming was filled with resentment, cursing at Zhu Yan and wishing her a miserable death.
Zhu Yan, unafraid, turned her gaze toward Shen Du. Meanwhile, Lai Luozhi, standing nearby, wore an unusually grave expression. Sensing the situation turning unfavorable, he was about to speak when Shen Du cut in, "Assistant Minister Lai was just defending Ji Fangming earlier. Now that he has confessed with his own words, what more do you have to say?"
Lai Luozhi’s lips parted as if something were stuck in his throat, but in the end, he couldn’t utter a complete sentence.
"If your throat is bothering you, go see a doctor. Don’t delay official matters here," Shen Du said coldly, already issuing a dismissal to Lai Luozhi.
Lai Luozhi’s face turned ashen, but he knew full well the situation was against him.
After a moment of frustration, he coldly uttered, "Let’s go," and led his entourage away.
With Lai Luozhi gone, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.
Having two formidable figures present at once had created an overwhelmingly oppressive atmosphere. Sending one of them away finally allowed for a bit of relief.
The matter was now satisfactorily concluded, and the Ministry of Justice officials admired Zhu Yan’s cleverness. However, Shen Du, standing to the side, remained grim-faced and silent.
After the polite exchanges were finally over, everyone gradually dispersed. In the main hall of the Ministry of Justice, only she and Shen Du remained.
"What’s wrong?" Zhu Yan stepped forward and asked. "The case is over, but you don’t seem happy. Is there something else that hasn’t been resolved?"
Shen Du didn’t speak, only turning slightly to glance at Zhu Yan. In a reproachful tone, he said, "Do you have any idea how dangerous your actions were just now? There were plenty of other methods you could have used, yet you chose the most foolish one. Provoking Ji Fangming was reckless. If anything had gone wrong, could you have borne the responsibility?"
Zhu Yan was puzzled, but more than that, she felt indignant. She looked calmly at Shen Du and said, "Please get your facts straight. I’m the one who solved the case, not you. So what if my method was a bit clumsy? It still got him to confess. Unlike you, the Great Pavilion Commander of the Inner Guard Bureau, who only knows how to extract confessions through torture and was even stopped by someone else, left with no recourse. In my opinion, your authority is nothing more than a facade. How dare you criticize me here?"
Hearing this, Shen Du’s expression didn’t change.
Instead, he spoke slowly, "Not everyone is as thoughtless as you. Some matters clearly have better ways of handling them, yet you insist on using the most foolish approach just to show off your superiority?"
Shen Du’s words thoroughly angered Zhu Yan. "Who are you calling thoughtless? Are you not clear about the situation? If it weren’t for me today, would you really have planned to torture a confession out of Ji Fangming, or were you going to fight Lai Luozhi to the bitter end?"
Shen Du said no more, only gently rubbing his abdomen. "Enough. Let’s leave today’s matter here. I’m hungry now—go cook."
Zhu Yan was completely bewildered. How could this man change topics so abruptly? They were discussing the case, and now it had shifted to mealtime.
But they had an agreement beforehand: no matter how important the case, if Shen Du said he was hungry, she had to cook—and eat with him.
It truly left Zhu Yan feeling helpless and frustrated.Upon returning to the Shen residence, Zhu Yan had already prepared a lavish feast, yet the events of the day still simmered with indignation in her heart.
She had clearly achieved great merit, yet she was being slandered in such a manner.
Was there no justice left in the world?
Watching Shen Du eat his meal with a leisurely expression, Zhu Yan puffed out her cheeks in anger, completely losing her appetite.
Moreover, the more she looked at Shen Du, the angrier she became. Finally, she slammed her chopsticks onto the table with a sharp "thwack" and asked, "Is the food delicious today?"
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