Сhарtеr 148: Conviсtiоn 1
Zhu Yаn аskеd angrily, but Shen Du рrеtended tо be cоnfusеd аnd rерliеd, "Not bad."
"Еspecially that stir-friеd driеd bambоo shооts—уоu should trу sоmе."
Аs hе spоke, Shen Du piсkеd up а bite of foоd and plаced it in frоnt оf Zhu Yаn.
Zhu Yаn wаs thоrоughly annоуed; this wаs сlеarlу a рrоvocаtiоn agаinst her limits.
He knеw perfeсtlу wеll she hаd no apреtitе, yеt hе still sеrvеd hеr fоod. Наd this man’s brаin beеn crushed bу a dооr?
Вut she hаd tо sаvе face. Fuming, Zhu Yаn picked up the fоod and stuffed it intо her mouth, swаllowing it whоlе without еven chewing.
She couldn’t taste a thing.
Shen Du took in all her little actions but remained silent, a faint, elusive curve lingering at the corner of his lips.
"Do you even have a conscience? Is there really no explanation for what happened today? Why is it that I’m the one who made the contribution, yet you slander me and still have the nerve to leisurely eat the meal I cooked? I really want to take a dagger and cut out your heart to see what it’s made of—how can you be so inexplicable?"
Zhu Yan vented her emotions angrily. Given the current situation, she would not let it go until Shen Du put down his chopsticks.
"Can’t even eat a meal in peace. Women really are troublesome."
Shen Du finally set down his chopsticks and looked at Zhu Yan with interest. "What kind of explanation do you want me to give you?"
"However you look at it, it was through my provocation that Ji Fangming was brought to justice. Not only do you not thank me, but you also call me brainless. Tell me, shouldn’t I be angry?"
Hearing Zhu Yan’s words, Shen Du was in no hurry to explain. He lowered his head with a slight smile and said slowly, "Let me ask you: besides the people from the Ministry of Justice and the Inner Guard Bureau, who else was at the Ministry of Justice today?"
"Of course, there was Ji Fangming and..." Before she could finish, Zhu Yan suddenly stopped, as if she had thought of something.
"You already suspected this matter might be related to him. Since he was present, why did you still use such a provocation? When I called you foolish, was I wrong?"
Hearing Shen Du’s words, Zhu Yan was momentarily speechless. On second thought, it did make some sense.
Just as Zhu Yan didn’t know how to respond, Shen Du suddenly raised his hand. Zhu Yan instinctively stepped back, but Shen Du’s hand had already touched her cheek.
Zhu Yan had no idea what Shen Du intended to do and watched him warily. Gently, Shen Du used his thumb to wipe away a bit of sauce from the corner of her lips.
Zhu Yan froze for a moment, her face instantly burning hot, and her heartbeat quickened.
Flustered, she averted her gaze. Somehow, whenever Shen Du made physical contact with her, her heart would involuntarily race, and she would lose her composure.
Zhu Yan lowered her head in silence, the faint blush on her cheeks resembling the glow of a sunset, so beautiful it was intoxicating.
Shen Du was somewhat captivated but remained calm. Suddenly, he remarked, "No table manners at all—just like a pig."
The strange emotions that had just stirred in her heart instantly shattered. Zhu Yan’s eyes widened like copper bells, and the corners of her lips twitched uncontrollably.
Listen to that—was this even something a human would say?
Shen Du said no more and continued eating. Zhu Yan didn’t know whether to be happy or upset; her expression was incredibly complex, beyond description.
As if she had been steeling herself for a long time, Zhu Yan was just about to speak when Shen Du quickly cut her off. "Ji Fangming has already been detained. If we can convict him, the case will be closed."The sudden statement caught Zhu Yan off guard, her mind racing through thoughts.
If everything was indeed done by Ji Fangming, then closing the case here would not be unjustified. However, there was one thing she needed to verify.
This case was jointly tried by the Ministry of Justice and the Grand Cabinet, with Shen Du taking the lead and the Ministry of Justice assisting.
This was a conviction case, and once the trial concluded, it could be closed. Everything seemed to proceed naturally, yet Zhu Yan had always felt uneasy about it.
But where exactly did this unease lie? For the moment, she couldn’t pinpoint it clearly.
On the day of the trial, Ji Fangming knelt in the hall, his expression vacant.
The charges had been confirmed, and his fate was sealed. At this moment, Zhu Yan stepped forward and demanded that Ji Fangming write something down.
The others did not understand Zhu Yan’s actions, but Shen Du’s expression darkened as he allowed her to place paper and brush before Ji Fangming.
By now, Ji Fangming had no energy to question Zhu Yan’s motives. Looking at the paper and brush before him, he coldly asked, "Write what?"
"Write your name," Zhu Yan replied calmly, her thoughts completely inscrutable.
Ji Fangming frowned. "When I sign the confession later, my name will naturally be there. Why the rush?"
"That’s not for you to worry about. I have my reasons," Zhu Yan said. "Just do as I say."
Ji Fangming asked no further questions. He picked up the brush, wrote his name on the paper, and handed it to Zhu Yan.
Zhu Yan quickly took the paper aside and compared it with the receipt Yun Que had given her.
"Not the same," Zhu Yan murmured softly, shaking her head as she looked at Shen Du. "They’re not from the same person."
Shen Du seemed to understand something as well. After a moment of contemplation, he looked at Ji Fangming and asked, "Do you know Kong Xianrong, the owner of the Brocade Workshop?"
Ji Fangming nodded. "Not only do I know him, we are good friends. What, is Lord Shen interested in such matters too?"
Shen Du’s tone remained calm. "I have no interest in your affairs. I just want to ask you: were you the one who created the fire moth illusion at the Brocade Workshop?"
"No," Ji Fangming replied firmly, looking directly at Shen Du. Then, as if struck by a thought, he sneered at everyone present. "Is everyone so afraid of illusions because they know how many people died unjustly at the Brocade Workshop back then? Are you afraid their vengeful spirits will come for you?"
At these words, everyone present turned pale. The unjust case of the Brocade Workshop was well-known, and the number of wronged souls was great. Mentioning it sent chills down anyone’s spine.
"There are no ghosts or spirits in this world. If ghosts truly exist, they reside within people’s hearts. As long as one is upright and acts with integrity, why fear ghosts knocking at the door?" Shen Du’s words restored the confidence of everyone present.
And what he said was true—only those who have done wrong fear ghosts in the night.
Zhu Yan listened quietly from the side, then overturned her own deduction and recorded her findings in her notebook.
"Lord Shen is indeed upright, and your words are fair and just. But not everyone is as you described. Some people, even after doing wrong, will pretend to be good, blending into the crowd so you cannot distinguish right from wrong."
Shen Du remained silent, waiting for Ji Fangming to continue.
He had already uncovered some information, but he was waiting for Ji Fangming to speak for himself."Indeed, I do know Kong Xianrong of the Brocade Workshop. More than just knowing him, we are the closest of friends—the only true confidant of my lifetime."
Ji Fangming's expression remained calm as he knelt in the main hall, his gaze distant, as if lost in memory.
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