Chарtеr 168: Sеnding Yоu Оff (1)
It wаs only thеn thаt Shеn Du rеmеmbered, but uneхрectеdly, the wоmаn sроkе first: "Хu Wan."
Xu Wаn?
"You are... Xu Zhaorоng Хu Wan, thе onе bу Неr Mаjеstу's sidе?"
Zhu Yаn cоuld hardly beliеvе that this bеautiful middle-agеd woman bеfore hеr wаs асtuаllу Хu Wan, the mоst сaраblе femаle оffiсial by thе Еmprеss's side—the deсisive and cараble Хu Wan who enjоуеd the Еmрrеss's grеаt trust аnd was highlу tаlentеd.
"What еlse did yоu think?" Shen Du wаs аmusеd by Zhu Yаn's аstоnishеd exprеssion.
Zhu Yan rubbed her nosе, her eyеs darting arоund. "Well, it's mу first timе meеting someone I admire, and I couldn't control myself."
Xu Wan burst into laughter. "To earn Madam Shen's admiration is truly an honor for me."
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Zhu Yan chuckled along.
Shen Du took her hand and examined her carefully again. Zhu Yan's ears flushed red, and she felt somewhat restrained. "I'm really fine."
Shen Du only stopped after confirming she was indeed unharmed. Xu Wan, standing nearby, smiled and said:
"Madam Shen probably doesn’t know this, but as soon as you entered the imperial study, Commander Shen came looking for me. He was worried something might happen to you and asked me to hurry over and mediate with Her Majesty."
She patted Zhu Yan’s shoulder.
"Madam Shen’s performance truly impressed me."
Just as Zhu Yan was about to say something, Xu Wan gestured, and the three of them headed toward the palace gate.
Only when they were far from the imperial study did Xu Wan speak: "Did Her Majesty give you any instructions?"
Zhu Yan shook her head, replying formally, "Not really. She just bestowed some rewards. Even so, I am already very satisfied. After all, being able to ease Her Majesty’s worries is a blessing I’ve cultivated over three lifetimes."
These were all polite words, and Xu Wan could easily tell that Zhu Yan was being cautious and unwilling to share more with her.
Xu Wan stopped walking, her gentle expression fading as she spoke earnestly:
"Lai Luozhi is not someone to be trifled with. You should keep your distance from him and avoid any interaction if possible."
Zhu Yan quickly nodded and bowed. "Zhu Yan understands." Doubts swirled in her heart, but she dared not ask further.
"It’s good that you understand." Xu Wan nodded slightly, then gave Shen Du a meaningful glance before turning and leaving.
Even after Xu Wan had walked far away, Shen Du’s gaze remained fixed on her. Zhu Yan teased:
"Commander Shen, staring at Xu Zhaorong like that—why not divorce me soon? Perhaps you’ll have a chance to become Xu Zhaorong’s favored companion?"
Shen Du glared at her and suddenly flicked her forehead. "That little head of yours, aside from investigating cases, is always filled with wild and improper thoughts."
Zhu Yan pouted. "What wild thoughts? Just look at how your eyes were practically glued to her earlier."
"Xu Zhaorong is beautiful and doesn’t look her age at all—she seems just over thirty. She’s also so capable, someone Her Majesty can’t do without. I can understand why you like her. I just wonder if Xu Zhaorong would accept you?"
"Tsk," Shen Du tugged at the braid hanging by her side. "What nonsense are you talking? When have I ever had such thoughts about her?"
Releasing her braid, Shen Du lowered his voice. "Back then, if she hadn’t helped me, I would never have been able to leave the Yeting Palace."
A shadow gradually crept into Shen Du’s brow. Zhu Yan fell silent. She hadn’t known about this—it turned out Xu Zhaorong had helped Shen Du leave the Yeting Palace, which explained their close relationship. She had misunderstood.
"I’m sorry," Zhu Yan apologized obediently.Shen Du glanced at the top of her head. "Did you think your little tricks could fool her? Not exposing you on the spot was already giving you plenty of face. Could anyone around His Majesty be as foolish as you?"
How could this turn into a personal attack?
Zhu Yan felt a wave of embarrassment, the muscles on her face twitching uncontrollably. "So, in that case, was I just showing off my meager skills in front of an expert?"
Shen Du let out a cold laugh. "At least you still have some sense."
Zhu Yan no longer wanted to pay any attention to Shen Du.
The two returned to the Shen residence, where Han Shiyuan sent someone to inform Zhu Yan that he wished to meet with her privately to discuss important matters.
Though Han Shiyuan was right there in the Shen residence, he insisted on a private meeting. Zhu Yan couldn't help but be suspicious. She left Shen Du behind and went alone to the guest room where Han Shiyuan was staying.
Hearing the door open, Han Shiyuan quickly turned around, took a few steps toward her, and said anxiously:
"Liu Niang, that Lai Luozhi is not someone to be trifled with. The several times he has made things difficult for me were entirely because I offended him. Although I have had conflicts with Princess Yong'an, she has never been so determined to see me dead. The root cause of all this is that Lai Luozhi is the one pulling the strings behind the scenes."
Zhu Yan listened with a furrowed brow. She hadn't even begun investigating Lai Luozhi yet, and people were already strongly urging her against it.
What if she truly wanted to get to the bottom of this? Wouldn't that condemn her and her family to eternal suffering?
The mere thought sent a shiver down Zhu Yan's spine. If it were just her alone, it would be one thing, but dragging the entire Zhu family down with her would be an unforgivable sin.
However, before Zhu Yan could fully weigh the pros and cons, Han Shiyuan continued:
"In the case of the Brocade Workshop, regardless of whether Chen Huo'e is the true culprit or not, she is Lai Luozhi's person. So, whether she is truly dead or not is irrelevant. You must not touch this case anymore."
"..."
Zhu Yan's lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
She was not alone. Now she was not only Zhu family's Liu Niang but also Madam Shen. What if she implicated Shen Du in this case? If they could overcome the challenge, it might be fine, but if they couldn't, wouldn't it all be in vain and unjust?
Thinking of this, Zhu Yan's heart grew heavy, and for a moment, she was at a loss.
On one hand, she wanted to seek the truth of the matter, but on the other, she also had to consider the safety of those around her.
This truly left her in a dilemma.
Feeling stifled and dazed, Zhu Yan found herself wandering out of the Shen residence without realizing when, arriving at Vermilion Bird Street. The street was sparsely populated, dusk had fallen, and the far end of Vermilion Bird Street was bathed in the orange glow of the evening sunset.
A passerby bumped into Zhu Yan, snapping her out of her reverie. Only then did she realize how lost in thought she had been, having walked so far without noticing.
Zhu Yan smiled self-deprecatingly. Perhaps she had been too exhausted lately.
As night descended, Zhu Yan stood on the long street paved with bluestone slabs, hesitating for a moment before turning to head back. Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed by, causing her heart to sink.
She turned around in a panic but found no one. "Could it be that my eyes are playing tricks on me?"
Zhu Yan murmured to herself, rubbing her forehead as she walked forward. Just as she was about to take a step, a sudden chill swept over her neck. Unbeknownst to her, a knife had already been pressed against her throat.
"Madam Shen, I am only following orders. When you become a ghost, don't blame me!"Zhu Yan's eyes were wide open. She had thought today was already a frustrating enough day, but she never expected death to come so quickly.
A storm always arrives without warning.
"Who are you?" Zhu Yan asked, trembling. Even in death, she wanted to be a ghost who understood the truth.
"I won’t tell you who I am. Just don’t blame me, Madam Shen. When you reach the King of Hell, he’ll tell you why you brought this disaster upon yourself. Now, I’ll send you on your way."
As soon as the words fell, the person behind her gripped the knife with both hands and swiftly, sharply pressed it against Zhu Yan’s skin, aiming for the spot on her neck where the pulse beat fastest.
Zhu Yan closed her eyes. This way of dying wasn’t painful at all. It was fine.
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