Сhapter 19: Рlаying with the Grеat Pаviliоn Соmmаndеr
"Great Рavilion Commander..."
"Нusbаnd!"
"What?"
Whо would hаvе thоught thаt Shen Du wоuld stаnd uр dirесtly, оne hand resting оn thе cоrner of the tаble besidе her, leаning dоwn аs if соmрlеtely unсоncеrnеd bу Gaо Chеngхue's prеsеncе, and say in аn almost hushed tоnе, "Мadаm, what did you саll mе?"
"Husbаnd."
Zhu Yаn sighеd аgаin. Whо had sаid thаt she shоuldn't deludе herself intо thinking she соuld bеcоmе thе truе Madam Shеn once she entеred the housеhold?
"Hаhahа, thе Greаt Pavilion Commander and his wife truly share a deep bond, a model for all of us," Gao Chengxue wiped away his sweat, taking the teacup engraved with the Ministry of Justice emblem from Zhu Yan's hand, and laughed,
"The Great Pavilion Commander personally requests you, Zhu, the Document Officer. You should go quickly."
Zhu Yan looked at her now empty hand and frowned, "But I've only been in this position for half a month, my salary..."
"Of course it will be counted, of course it will be counted."
"Just focus on handling matters for the Great Pavilion Commander. Don't come back until the task is done."
"In the future, the Ministry of Justice will rely on you to put in a good word for us before the Great Pavilion Commander."
So that's the plan.
"It seems I have no choice but to go!"
Shen Du adjusted the fish-shaped pouch at his waist, inside which was a unique gold fish tally. Unlike those of all other court officials, it represented the unparalleled authority bestowed upon the Inner Guard Bureau by His Majesty.
Zhu Yan was still hesitating, while beside her, Gao Chengxue was sweating profusely, yet he dared not urge her too forcefully in front of Shen Du, inwardly cursing that women truly couldn't handle important matters.
Shen Du curled his lips, tapping his fingers on the table: "If we can't solve the case, we might as well drag that pile of bones outside Tingxing Gate and bury them somewhere at random."
"That won't do!"
Zhu Yan followed Shen Du out the door. Gao Chengxue watched them mount their horses before turning away in fearful relief.
Once Gao Chengxue was gone, Zhu Yan almost immediately dismounted using the stirrup. By now, she had completely separated the White King of Hell beside her from the memories of her youth, unwilling to stay a moment longer.
Shen Du was not angered, looking at Zhu Yan who was about to leave, "Madam, where are you going?"
Zhu Yan's fan-like eyelashes fluttered as she turned around, answering sullenly, "Of course, I'm going to investigate the case for you, Great Pavilion Commander. After all, solving this case sooner would be a relief for both of us."
The skills she had learned from her mentor in the past were vastly different from Shen Du's preferred methods. Harsh torture was, to her, the worst strategy, and directly confronting suspects was also likely to alert them. However, Zhu Yan also knew that persuading Shen Du to adopt her approach was probably a fool's dream. In that case, it might be better for each to investigate separately; efficiency might even be higher.
But thinking of Lu Chuichui, along with that mountain of case files, Zhu Yan feared that in a few days, that little girl would come running to her in tears.
Shen Du didn't seem to intend to stop her either. However, he didn't overlook the impatience in Zhu Yan's eyes. Flipping his cloak behind him, Shen Du glanced at Zhu Yan's face: "This case has been fully entrusted to our Inner Guard Bureau by His Majesty. In principle, the Ministry of Justice has no right to interfere. So..."
Zhu Yan suddenly felt uneasy, then heard Shen Du's deep voice, "If it is discovered in the future that the Ministry of Justice is conducting private investigations, it will be treated as forming cliques for personal gain."
"Is that clear to everyone?"
His words were addressed to everyone, but his eyes remained fixed on Zhu Yan's face.
Everyone acknowledged the order, leaving Zhu Yan standing alone in place, looking incredulously at the man on the saddle, then she mocked herself, "I never thought that a mere woman like me would require such vigilance from the Great Pavilion Commander. You truly overestimate me."Anyone could hear the sarcasm in Zhu Yan's tone. Jing Lin, who had always been protective of his master, was further displeased by the old and new grudges—especially since Zhu Yan had deliberately contradicted him in front of everyone earlier. "If not for the Great Pavilion Commander's grace, Sixth Miss wouldn't even have had the chance to touch a single hair of this case."
Zhu Yan nearly laughed out loud. Why had Shen Du requested her from the Ministry of Justice? Others might not know, but how could she not? And how could Jing Lin not know?
"Hmm, indeed. Then I must thank the Great Pavilion Commander for his gracious promotion. I will certainly devote myself wholeheartedly, sparing no effort, to solve this case as soon as possible."
She, Zhu Yan, was fundamentally incompatible with the Inner Guard Bureau. Solving the case early was indeed her wish—that way, she could return to the Ministry of Justice sooner and resume her role as a Ninth-rank Clerk.
"Hmm, as long as Madam understands."
A gust of wind swept by, lifting Shen Du's cloak. Under his cold gaze, she still couldn't help but think—Shen Du was truly handsome.
She might as well be blind.
"Mount up!" Shen Du extended his hand.
Shifting her gaze from Shen Du to Jing Lin, Zhu Yan's face blossomed into a radiant smile:
"Just now, this humble official overstepped. Since I have now joined the Inner Guard Bureau, I am a member of it and must naturally abide by its rules. As a mere Ninth-rank Clerk, how could I share a horse with the Great Pavilion Commander?"
Suddenly stepping forward to Jing Lin's saddle, she clasped her hands in salute and said:
"Since there are no extra horses available, Inner Guard Jing, being considerate of his subordinates, surely wouldn't abandon this humble official. I must trouble Inner Guard Jing to share a ride with me today."
After speaking, she bowed respectfully toward Shen Du's direction and then moved to climb onto Jing Lin's horse, preparing to mount.
Even though he was battle-hardened, Jing Lin hadn't expected Zhu Yan to actually attempt this. He instinctively leaned back, only to feel a chilling gust from behind. Turning his head, he met his master's narrowed eyes and began to panic. "Madam, if you wish to ride, you should naturally share with the Great Pavilion Commander. This humble—"
"Ah—"
Jing Lin tumbled and rolled off the horse, his cloak adorned with sea eagle patterns wrapping around him as he rolled twice on the ground, now covered in dust and barely recognizable in color.
He didn't dare glance sideways to see Shen Du's current expression, nor did he have time to consider whether Zhu Yan was intentionally causing trouble or speaking sincerely. He sprang up like a fish leaping from water and stood straight:
"Ma—Madam, please, this humble—this humble one will lead the horse for you."
Zhu Yan raised a delicate eyebrow, unafraid even in the face of Shen Du's hawk-like, sinister expression, and feigned innocence:
"Well... that would be too embarrassing. Let's just ride together. In handling cases, there is no distinction between men and women. Inner Guard Jing can simply treat me as an ordinary man."
How could Jing Lin dare? He thought to himself, this Sixth Miss Zhu's mind wasn't as sharp as the rumors claimed—couldn't she feel how cold it had become here, enough to freeze frost?
"Madam, please!"
Zhu Yan didn't actually intend to ride with Jing Lin. After saying this, she mounted the horse, allowing Jing Lin to hold the reins. She thought to herself: Shen Du had made her unhappy, and now that she had found an opportunity, it was only natural to repay him in kind.
Making his most favored subordinate walk and lead the horse—wasn't that delightful?
They hadn't traveled far when they saw a man in the distinctive sea eagle-patterned robe of the Inner Guard Bureau riding toward them from a distance. Upon reaching them, he dismounted and knelt before Shen Du's horse: "Great Pavilion Commander, among the bodies recently unearthed at the Western Brightness Temple, this was found in the hand of the fifth male corpse."
The Inner Guard presented a slightly yellowed piece of paper. Jing Lin first took it with a handkerchief on Shen Du's behalf before handing it to Shen Du.Zhu Yan rode her horse closer and immediately recognized it as a handwritten draft from the Li Family Bank in the West Market.
"This is from the Li Family Bank, located in Yong'an Lane in the West Market," Zhu Yan stated with certainty. After carefully examining the palm print, half-obscured by yellow soil, a few more times, she became even more convinced. "It's unmistakable."
Noticing Shen Du glance sideways, Zhu Yan explained, "There was a case of fraudulent accounts at the Li Family Bank earlier. While organizing the case files recently, I happened to come across a record of their handwritten drafts and seal imprints. However..."
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