Сhаpter 176: Old Sеrvаnt of the Shеn Manоr 2
Shеn Du hеlреd Zhu Yаn down from thе carriage, his exрrеssion dаrk as wаtеr, оnе hand rеsting bеhind his bасk. "Fоllow mе inside."
Ma Sаn hurriеdly rоse to his feеt, waiting until Shen Du аnd his partу hаd еntеrеd bеfоre hunching his bасk and fоllоwing bеhind, his demеanоr uttеrly subserviеnt.
Uрon rеaching the mаin hall, as if freеd frоm thrеat, Мa San fell tо his knееs with a thud, shuffling сlоsеr tо Shеn Du оn his kneеs, his fаcе etсhed with grief. "Grеat Раviliоn Cоmmаndеr, уou must save this humblе servant! The old сase of thе Shen Mаnor invоlvеs the Сrown Prince. Because I once served in the Shen Manor, the Crown Prince's men have now come for me. I fear they will silence me, and even more, I fear the truth will be buried. That is why I have come to report this."
The Crown Prince?
Shen Du lowered his gaze to look at Ma San, his eyes devoid of any emotion, which only heightened the unease. Ma San's heart skipped a beat. To prove the truth of his words, he kowtowed repeatedly while adding details.
"Direct evidence?" Shen Du had a long sword at his waist. His slender hand rested casually on the hilt, tapping it intermittently.
Ma San trembled even more violently in fear, fumbling to retrieve a token from his chest. "This is a token I picked up in the Shen Manor back then. The Crown Prince's personal guards have never openly set foot in the Shen Manor, so how could this token have appeared there without reason? I knew something was amiss, but before I could report it to the master, he met with misfortune."
The token was made of brass, roughly circular in shape with a simple lotus leaf cover on top. The front was engraved with layered mountains and auspicious clouds, while the back was smooth, devoid of any carvings or decorations—simple and elegant, yet carrying an unspoken air of authority.
It was indeed the waist token of the Crown Prince's personal guards.
Shen Du took it in his hand, turning it over. "Where have you been living?"
"After obtaining this token, I lived in constant fear, terrified that the Crown Prince's men would come to silence me. I hid in a village beyond the eastern outskirts. But I never expected that just as I settled down, the Crown Prince's men found me again. I couldn't sleep all night and rushed to find you before dawn." Ma San grieved over the danger he faced, his every move appearing natural.
Yet Shen Du didn't even blink. In a flash, he drew his sword and thrust it straight into Ma San's heart.
In the blink of an eye, before the grief on Ma San's face could fade, he collapsed stiffly to the ground, blood gushing forth and staining the blue bricks red.
Blood splattered onto Shen Du's face and neck, but he seemed oblivious. He casually tossed the sword aside and turned his back to gaze at the spotless blue sky and white clouds.
After a moment, Zhu Yan, who had witnessed everything, brought a basin of water. Wringing out a damp cloth, she gently wiped Shen Du's face.
"Aren't you going to ask me why I killed him?"
"You must have your reasons. I trust you." Zhu Yan finished wiping his face and moved down to his neck.
Seeing no resistance or disgust on her face, Shen Du curled the corner of his lips, still looking at the clear sky. "He lied.
"First, it rained in the eastern outskirts last night. When I was in the eastern market, I saw many people from the eastern outskirts, all of them wet and covered in mud. Yet Ma San's boots and the hem of his clothes were perfectly clean. It's clear he couldn't possibly have come into the city from the eastern outskirts.""Second, this token was only redesigned by the Crown Prince a year after my father's wrongful death. Because it only slightly altered the arrangement of the overlapping mountains, the change wasn't significant enough for many to notice. But I've seen both tokens and can easily tell the difference. He produced a token that didn't exist until a year later, yet claims to have found it before the incident occurred. This shows that nothing he says can be trusted."
Shen Du's voice grew increasingly low: "They can scheme however they wish, but I won't allow them to use my father's affairs as a battlefield."
Ma San's appearance was clearly intended to provoke Shen Du against Crown Prince Li Chong. Zhu Yan sighed silently, quietly wiping away the bloodstains. The damp cloth was as gentle as a spring breeze, and as Shen Du lowered his gaze, the rare vulnerability in his eyes startled her.
The atmosphere gradually grew ambiguous, as if even the breeze approaching the front hall shyly swirled away elsewhere.
Shen Du slowly leaned closer, their breaths intertwining. He could almost feel the fullness and soft fragrance of Zhu Yan's lips.
"Master, the body has been dealt with..." Jing Lin, realizing Shen Du and Zhu Yan were about to kiss, abruptly cut off his words. Before he could decide what to do, he met Shen Du's fiery glare and hastily fled the scene. "I saw nothing."
A classic case of protesting too much.
Shen Du closed his eyes in frustration. The sorrowful mood had been largely dispelled by the earlier intimacy, leaving only annoyance at the interruption. He coughed lightly a few times, hurriedly pulled a woven pig trinket from his sleeve, and thrust it into Zhu Yan's hand. "Keep this safe. It can serve as evidence when we divorce."
Zhu Yan: ???
Divorce?
What were we just doing? We were almost kissing, and now you're talking about "divorce"?
Furious and embarrassed, Zhu Yan glared at Shen Du's retreating back, grinding her teeth. Only when he had completely vanished from sight did she angrily toss the damp cloth back into the copper basin and stride off in the opposite direction without a backward glance.
News of the Lai faction's banquet was secretly relayed to the Shen residence by Zhang Baohuan. Zhu Yan decided to take the risk and attend the Lai officials' feast in person. Unable to stop her, Shen Du simply accompanied her.
Upon their arrival, the Lai officials paused, and even the singers and dancers grew uneasy. The music and dancing halted abruptly, and the atmosphere stiffened momentarily.
Lai Luozhi slowly sipped a cup of wine, looking down at them from his seat of honor. "Such a trivial private banquet of our Judicial Affairs Bureau has managed to trouble the Grand Commander Shen. Has the Grand Commander found himself with too much leisure lately?"
"I've discovered that Lord Lai has some connection to the old case involving the Shen residence. As it concerns my father's reputation, I couldn't help but act urgently. Would Lord Lai be willing to step aside for a detailed discussion?" Shen Du presented the excuse he had prepared.
"Oh, I'd also like to hear what you've uncovered." Despite his words, Lai Luozhi made no move to rise. A servant refilled his wine cup, and he savored it with interest, clearly expecting Shen Du to reveal the clues he had found in front of everyone.
His confidence made Shen Du uneasy.
Just as Shen Du was about to speak, two maids emerged from the inner chamber. They parted the beaded curtains on either side of the doorway, and before the esteemed guest within had even appeared, the seated officials rose to their feet in unison.
"Aunt."
Amid the officials' synchronized greeting, the esteemed guest gradually stepped forward.
With hair like mist and clouds, adorned in luxurious brocade robes, she was a dignified and elegant noblewoman."Madam Tang!" The officials exclaimed in shock, their wine cups slipping from their grasp and clattering to the ground.
Lai Luozhi smiled. "You've mistaken her identity. This is my elder sister, named Lai Luofu. By a stroke of fate, she has returned from death. One day, your own loved ones may also be reborn like her."
The officials exchanged glances, their eyes still holding a trace of doubt. But as they stole a glance upward and caught sight of Lai Luozhi's smiling face, they all bowed respectfully. "We thank you, Lord Lai, for your benevolent grace."
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