Сhарter 217: Cоnsidеring thе Lаdу
Mo Qianzhi gаvе a bitter smilе. "Does thе уоung mаstеr trulу have thе courage to abаndоn evеrything hе hаs nоw? If уou insist оn thоrоughlу invеstigating thе events of thаt уeаr, you must ovеrturn everуthing you sее bеfоrе уоu. Is it worth it?"
Shen Du nаrrоwed his еуеs. Althоugh Mо Qiаnzhi’s words werе sеverе, he knew well thаt this was no eхаggеratiоn.
He oреnеd his lips, unсеrtаin whеthеr tо prеss furthеr. Seеing that Shеn Du intended tо ask mоrе, Мo Qiаnzhi hurriеdlу аdded, "Lord Shen is nоw married. You cannоt think only of уour own аffairs; уоu must alsо consider Lady Shen."
The words struck home.
There was no denying it—Zhu Yan was indeed his weakness now. Even if he disregarded his own interests, he had to think of Zhu Yan and the entire Zhu family.
Seeing the situation shift, Mo Qianzhi continued, "The Great Pavilion Commander must think thrice."
Just moments ago, he had addressed him as "young master"; now, he called him "Great Pavilion Commander."
Truly a man of the official circles—Mo Qianzhi knew exactly how to measure his words.
Shen Du frowned deeply but did not immediately answer Mo Qianzhi’s question. Only then did Mo Qianzhi appear somewhat at ease.
"This humble official has already submitted a memorial to the Empress, hoping she will dispatch personnel from the Judicial Affairs Bureau to take over the investigation from the Great Pavilion Commander. The reason is none other than that the Half-Faced Ghost case has shown no progress for years. If the Great Pavilion Commander continues the investigation, it will only yield no results. Given the past affection between me and the Shen family, I naturally do not wish to see the Great Pavilion Commander lose the Empress’s trust."
Mo Qianzhi’s words were earnest, and Shen Du was almost moved.
He was considering Shen Du’s interests at every turn—such rare affection indeed.
Shen Du looked at him, seemingly unable to find any grounds to fault him.
Narrowing his eyes, Shen Du asked coldly, "Since Lord Mo is so considerate of me, why did you act so distant at the banquet?"
Mo Qianzhi hastily clasped his hands.
"The Shen family’s affairs have long passed. Now, the young master’s status is extraordinary. This humble official has also experienced the treacherous depths of officialdom and wishes only to live in peace. I did not want to forge any further connections with the young master, lest it cause you difficulties. Hence, I distanced myself from you in public. I beg the young master’s forgiveness."
Shen Du did not respond, only a strange chill flickered in his eyes.
Noticing the change in Shen Du, Mo Qianzhi continued calmly,
"Back then, when the young master was sent to the inner court, you suffered greatly. In the end, it was all due to the intrigues of officialdom that implicated you. From that moment on, I hoped the young master would have no further involvement with officialdom. Yet, through twists and turns, you still caught the Empress’s eye. What’s done is done, and this humble official can only do his utmost to protect you."
His words sounded sweeter than a song, always considering Shen Du’s interests and even invoking past events to draw closer.
Shen Du listened coldly, his expression unchanged. Deep down, he knew his own stance.
Having been in officialdom for so long, he had long grown weary of such flattery.
He and Mo Qianzhi had not seen each other for years. Mo Qianzhi first distanced himself at the banquet, then urged him to abandon revenge, and now deliberately invoked the past to draw closer. This game was truly played flawlessly.
If it were anyone else, their resolve might have wavered. But Shen Du was different—he had endured the hardships of the inner court and borne the pain of his family’s wrongful suffering.At this point, what could possibly shake his unwavering resolve?
Mo Qianzhi fell silent, standing respectfully to one side.
He had thought Shen Du would be moved by his words, but after a long silence without any response from Shen Du, he couldn’t help but grow suspicious.
Another moment passed, and cold sweat had already formed in Mo Qianzhi’s palms.
He had no idea what Shen Du was thinking, and gazing into those profound eyes made it even harder to discern his thoughts.
Just as he was about to speak up and ask, the corners of Shen Du’s lips suddenly lifted into a strange, subtle curve. "I am deeply moved by Lord Mo’s constant concern for me," he said.
"But life is like this—if you don’t try, how can you know whether you can succeed or not? Who wins and who loses is still uncertain. What of the Half-Faced Ghost? Even if it were a celestial being, as long as they’ve committed murder, I will bring them to justice."
"Lord..." Mo Qianzhi’s lips parted, but before he could speak, Shen Du cut him off.
"I appreciate Lord Mo’s kindness, but I’m afraid your memorial will never reach Chang’an. Now that I’ve come here, I will thoroughly investigate this case. As for the old Shen family case, as a member of the Shen family, it is my duty to uncover the truth. Lord Mo once saved my life, and I have not forgotten that. I will repay you in due time."
Mo Qianzhi wanted to say more, but seeing Shen Du’s resolute expression, he swallowed his words.
Back then, Mo Qianzhi was the youngest among Shen Du’s father’s students and the closest to Shen Du. If not for that, he wouldn’t have spared no effort to secure Shen Du’s entry into the Yeting.
But after so many years, everything had changed.
Even the closest of friends from the past now felt a distance between them, and any attempt at heartfelt conversation seemed futile.
Words were kept guarded, and even what was spoken held an uncertain mix of truth and falsehood.
Shen Du naturally wouldn’t let Mo Qianzhi’s words cloud his judgment.
After what felt like an eternity, Mo Qianzhi let out a bitter laugh, as if mocking his own futile efforts.
Having already drifted apart, Mo Qianzhi realized he needed to clarify his position.
He clasped his fists and bowed to Shen Du in an official manner, asking, "Is the Great Pavilion Commander’s visit to Gannan Circuit solely for this case?"
Shen Du did not respond, and his silence only confirmed Mo Qianzhi’s suspicions. "Is Her Majesty suspicious of my loyalty to the court, and that is why she sent the Great Pavilion Commander to investigate?"
"Yes," Shen Du answered without hesitation, then added, "But I believe Lord Mo is not that kind of person. Once I return to the capital, I will report the truth to the Empress. You have my word on that."
"In that case, I thank the Great Pavilion Commander."
Gone was their former familiarity, replaced only by the formalities of officialdom. Both men felt the stiffness in the air.
"Since the Great Pavilion Commander is well, I shall take my leave," Mo Qianzhi said, bowing to Shen Du. Shen Du merely nodded politely in return, and Mo Qianzhi turned and left.
Meanwhile.
Pan Chi and Zhu Yan arrived at Ji Dafu’s moneylending establishment. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary teahouse.
If they hadn’t received reliable information that this was an underground gambling den, they would never have believed it.Moreover, the casino was a place where all sorts of people mingled, with individuals from every walk of life. To go in and investigate would require careful planning.
For a man, it might be easier, but for a slender woman like Zhu Yan to stride in so boldly without attracting attention would be quite a challenge.
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