Сhарtеr 21: Вetting with Life
Тhе shор аssistants began lighting thе lаmps. It was аlreadу раst thе hоur оf You, yеt the bustle in the streets showеd nо signs of diminishing.
Shеn Du withdrew his соld gаzе, raisеd а hаnd tо brush аside thе Flood Dragоn Сloаk woven from brоcadе, and lowеrеd his hеаd tо rе-еxaminе thе single blасk sеsamе seеd in his hаnd. He thеn sсoffеd, flicking it awaу casuallу tо jоin the dust.
Suddеnly, a voiсе intеrjeсtеd: "Веt оn whаt? Thе Grеat Рaviliоn Commаnder dоеsn't gаmble. I'll bеt with уоu."
Jing Lin dеeply fеlt it necessary tо restore his Grеat Pаvilion Соmmandеr's dignity and thoroughly suppress this spy of Minister Zhang, making her realize one thing clearly.
To challenge the White King of Hell was a path to certain death.
Amidst such impassioned mental preparation, the woman before him curved her deer-like eyes into crescents: "Fair enough."
Jing Lin couldn't help but feel that today's evening glow seemed slightly overshadowed by the woman before him.
However, seeing the calculation in Zhu Yan's eyes, Jing Lin shook his head—an illusion.
"If you win, and the perpetrator is a man, I will voluntarily request to divorce my wife, and even," Zhu Yan's gaze darkened slightly, "my life will be at the Great Pavilion Commander's disposal."
Jing Lin was startled and had yet to reply when Zhu Yan continued:
"If I win, and you lose, meaning the perpetrator is a woman, then the Great Pavilion Commander must personally divorce his wife, and my life remains my own."
Shen Du lowered his eyes, his right hand idly toying with a teacup. Upon hearing this, he suddenly lifted his gaze, his eyes gleaming with a cold light.
Fine beads of sweat dotted Jing Lin's temples: "This humble official cannot decide matters concerning the Great Pavilion Commander."
Zhu Yan paid no heed:
"Additionally, I wish to add one more condition."
"Please speak!" Jing Lin replied, looking as if he had lost both parents, his voice weak and dispirited.
Zhu Yan bared her teeth, pushing forward the lamb bone from which she had finished eating the meat, and licked her fingers: "When the time comes, you must parade around Chang'an City beating gongs and drums, loudly proclaiming, 'Jing Lin of the Inner Guard Bureau is inferior in solving cases to the Sixth Miss of the Zhu family.' How about that?"
Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled with cleverness and the sly triumph of having successfully teased someone.
The corners of Shen Du's eyes curved slightly upward—it was rare to see such a mischievously playful side of her.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Jing Lin slowly knelt and crawled to Shen Du's feet, clasped his hands, and kowtowed, the atmosphere heavy and tense.
The diners in the hall dared not even breathe loudly; some even cast sympathetic glances toward Zhu Yan.
The Sixth Miss of the Zhu family must be madly seeking death.
"Agreed!"
As the man's word settled the matter, Jing Lin wiped his sweat, secretly berating himself. Having already been tricked once, why did he provoke this woman again?
It shouldn't have happened, truly it shouldn't have.
No one noticed the fleeting, precious hint of a smile that flashed across Shen Du's lips, as brief and rare as a glimpse of a swan goose.
Today, with just this one meal and this one moment, it somewhat resembled the wedding night. However, if today's wedding had truly proceeded smoothly, what awaited him would likely not have been a meal, but rather... swords, spears, halberds, white arsenic, and the Eighteen Torture Instruments of the Inner Guard Bureau Prison.
Of course, Shen Du would never have allowed the wedding to proceed smoothly.
"Giggle, giggle..."
A sudden, delicate laugh rang out. Zhu Yan lightly stroked the goosebumps raised on the back of her hand, catching sight of a flash of red skirt hem edged with gold thread emerging from behind the curtain on the second floor. Someone holding a Butterfly Plays with Peony Silk Fan in one hand and beckoning behind with the other, wearing Phoenix Shoes and adorned with a Phoenix Hairpin, swept down like a gust of wind to stand before the two.
This person had a broad forehead and full cheeks, dragon-like eyes and a phoenix neck, with an extraordinary bearing and a faint aura of authority—the kind of presence cultivated from a young age by those who have long held high positions.
Zhu Yan roughly guessed the newcomer's identity and shook her head almost imperceptibly. What a pity. Though this appearance was excellent, the Sun and Moon Corners on both sides of the temples were somewhat shallow. In the words of a fortune-teller, perhaps... there was no Destiny of an Emperor.However, the rumors about this person suggested he was not entirely devoid of the Heart of an Emperor.
"Your Highness the Prince of Ying."
Shen Du stood up to bow, kicking Zhu Yan under the table to alert her.
Zhu Yan snapped back to attention and followed suit, rising to bow. "A thousand years to Your Highness the Prince of Ying."
"Hahaha, no need for such formalities. Please rise."
Only then did everyone in the hall stand up. Prince Ying and Princess Yong'an lowered their heads to scrutinize Zhu Yan, the sharpness in the tails of their Phoenix Eyes unmistakable:
"You are the sixth daughter of the Zhu family?"
Zhu Yan was startled and had yet to reply when a lady beside her spoke softly, "It must be her. Earlier, she used a case as a wager to request a divorce. She seems quite clever, yet she managed to control the Great Pavilion Commander. Minister Zhang’s skill in training people is truly remarkable."
Zhu Yan frowned. She could roughly tell that the lady beside Princess Yong'an was targeting her. Though each sentence seemed unrelated, each one painted her as a target. To praise someone in such a way—was she some kind of spirit?
"This lady must be joking. This humble official..." Zhu Yan paused, her gaze fixed on the silk fan in the lady’s hand beside Princess Yong'an. It was the White Silk Gauze Fan with Peonies she had seen outside the Western Brightness Temple.
"This humble official is merely a Ninth-rank Clerk in the Ministry of Justice, responsible for investigating, recording, and questioning cases. I am unaware of any connection to Minister Zhang that this lady speaks of."
Zhu Yan then looked at Shen Du. "Since I am married to my husband, I naturally defer to him."
Shen Du’s gaze shifted toward her. Zhu Yan pursed her lips and smiled, appearing quite natural, her words sounding sincere. Shen Du did not look at her but turned to the lady instead.
"What? Does Madam Tang suspect that I, Shen Du, am colluding with Minister Zhang?"
The lady referred to as Madam Tang brought the White Silk Gauze Fan with Peonies closer to her nose and lowered her eyes.
"I wouldn’t dare. The Great Pavilion Commander must be joking."
Zhu Yan bit her lip, her gaze meeting Shen Du’s, but he immediately looked away...
After only a brief moment of contemplation, Zhu Yan stepped forward, took Shen Du’s hand, and wrapped it in her own, speaking softly and sorrowfully:
"Husband, please allow your wife to investigate the case. I won’t mention divorce anymore. From now on, I will listen to you."
Zhu Yan’s deer-like eyes were misty, her cat-like lips cherry-red. As she shook Shen Du’s arm, she resembled a cat coaxing you awake in the morning...
Shen Du’s expression was inscrutable. Jing Lin’s outstretched hand hesitated, unsure whether to withdraw it.
His master had been taken advantage of.
"Hahaha, so it’s just marital affection. I misunderstood, my apologies to both of you."
Princess Yong'an was assisted to her seat, while Madam Tang sat to her right. The thin gauze slipped, revealing a fair wrist with distinct joints and faint calluses.
Almost simultaneously, Zhu Yan caught a whiff of Hundred Minds Incense and couldn’t help but glance at Madam Tang a few more times.
"Madam, have you been to the Western Brightness Temple? Around dawn today?"
Madam Tang nodded slightly. "I went. I set out for the Western Brightness Temple at the end of the Yin hour to pray for my late husband."
"Indeed,"
Zhu Yan hadn’t expected Madam Tang to admit it so directly. "A series of murders occurred at the Western Brightness Temple today. Twelve bodies were unearthed in total, and the temple gates were closed early. Why did Madam Tang remain there?"
Madam Tang did not answer immediately. Instead, she glanced at Princess Yong'an, swept her gaze over Shen Du, and then looked back, her expression still faintly indifferent.
"If others could stay, why couldn’t I?"
Her dark eyes carefully scanned Zhu Yan, though the face beneath them remained tightly concealed.
"Is Madam Shen suspecting me?"At this, Princess Yongan also looked over and asked curiously:
"Earlier you were betting on whether the murderer was male or female—what of it? Does Madam Shen suspect that Madam Tang is the female murderer you spoke of?"
Author's note: Zhu Yan: They're butting heads.
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