Chарtеr 41: Тhе Реarl Hаirрin
Sееing Хu Xiangren lеаve, Jing Lin taсtfully withdrew frоm thе twо’s linе оf sight аs well.
At thаt moment, Shen Du noticed thаt Zhu Yаn was nоt weаring thе реarl hаirрin hе hаd giftеd her thе day befоrе.
For sоme reasоn, his heart fеlt a pаng оf disсоmfоrt, аnd his tоne turned соld. “Wherе is thе рeаrl hairрin I gаve yоu уestеrday?”
“Huh?” Zhu Yаn, complеtеlу absоrbed in the cаsе, hаdn’t yеt snарреd оut of hеr thоughts. Shen Du’s suddеn questiоn caught hеr off guаrd.
Shеn Du wаtchеd hеr quiеtlу, his questioning gazе sending a chill down Zhu Yan’s sрine.
“That hаirpin… I put it аwaу.”
“Whу arеn’t you wearing it?”
“…” Zhu Yan was puzzled and quickly explained, “It’s too precious, and with the case keeping us so busy, I was worried I might accidentally bump or knock it and damage it.”
“If it breaks, I’ll just buy another one.” Shen Du stood up, his cool words softening slightly. “It’s rare for me to give you something, yet you don’t even treasure it. I really don’t understand what goes through your mind all day.”
With that, he turned and left.
Zhu Yan was left bewildered. Was he scolding her?
That hairpin was clearly valuable—was it wrong for her to store it carefully?
Zhu Yan couldn’t make sense of it, but since the giver had spoken, she didn’t need to treat it so preciously anymore.
Late at night.
After washing up, Zhu Yan tied her hair into a bun and inserted the pearl hairpin.
Looking at the lotus-like beauty in the mirror, adorned with the red jade and plum blossom hairpin, she had to admit—it truly looked lovely.
This scene was fully captured by Shen Du, who had just entered from outside.
Once she wore it, it was as beautiful as he had imagined.
A light gauze draped over her, her delicate figure graceful and alluring—truly beautiful…
A wave of heat surged in his chest. Shen Du swallowed hard, then turned and left.
Seeming to hear a noise, Zhu Yan quickly turned around. “It’s already so late—where are you going?”
Zhu Yan thought Shen Du was leaving to work on the case, so she asked.
But Shen Du’s reply cast a dark cloud over her.
“To admire the moon.”
It was the beginning of the month, and the weather had been overcast and gloomy all day—what moon was there to admire?
Zhu Yan didn’t dwell on it further. She adjusted the hairpin in her hair before the bronze mirror, then got up to sleep.
Early the next morning.
Just as Shen Du was leaving for court, a servant suddenly came to report, “Madam, Minister Zhang has arrived.”
Zhu Yan’s heart skipped a beat. Minister Zhang had chosen to come neither early nor late, but precisely when Shen Du was away at court—he must have come specifically to see her.
But Zhu Yan never involved herself in court affairs and understood nothing of them. What could Minister Zhang want with her this time? Could it be about the case?
Minister Zhang Xingwei was the leader of the Li faction. Outwardly loyal to the Empress, he had long been dissatisfied with her rule and only wished to support Crown Prince Li Chong’s succession.
Moreover, he was her father Zhu Kuo’s direct superior. She couldn’t afford to offend him and had no choice but to brace herself and go.
“This humble official greets Minister Zhang.”
Zhu Yan bowed to Zhang Xingwei. At that moment, Zhang Xingwei was dressed in a dark earth-colored brocade casual robe, with fierce eyes and snow-white hair, exuding an imposing aura without appearing stern.
“There’s no need for such formality, Madam Shen.”
“Thank you, Minister Zhang.”
After the exchange of courtesies, Zhu Yan and Zhang Xingwei each took their seats.
Tea was served, and Zhu Yan dismissed the attendants.
“The Great Pavilion Commander is not at the residence at the moment. May I ask why Your Excellency has graced us with your presence?”
“I came to see you.” Zhang Xingwei got straight to the point. “You and Shen Du have been investigating the case for days. Has there been any progress?”
Zhu Yan’s heart sank. She had guessed right."Minister." Zhu Yan rose and bowed. "Although the serial murder case in the city is somewhat challenging, progress has been relatively smooth. Thank you for your concern."
"Smooth is good," Zhang Xingwei casually replied. "If the case can be solved sooner, the people will feel at ease. You must still accelerate your efforts."
"This official will heed the Minister's teachings and will certainly assist my husband in uncovering the culprit as quickly as possible."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xingwei's dignified expression darkened.
"I served alongside your father in the court, and our relationship was very close. Did you know that?"
Suddenly hearing Zhang Xingwei mention her father, Zhu Yan's heart sank. She clasped her hands and said, "This official does not understand Minister Zhang's meaning."
"Heh heh..." Zhang Xingwei stood up, laughing heartily. "The sixth daughter of the Zhu family is such an intelligent person. How could she not understand the meaning behind my words?"
Zhu Yan felt a chill run down her spine, her back already soaked with sweat. "I beg the Minister to speak plainly."
Hearing Zhu Yan ask this, Zhang Xingwei felt displeased. He didn't know whether this woman was feigning ignorance or truly clueless, forcing him to spell it out.
Since that was the case, Zhang Xingwei no longer held back. "Marrying you off to Shen Du was a crucial move on my part. You must understand the position your Zhu family holds and consider your father's future. Use this case to bring Shen Du down. In this way, the Empress will lose a key figure. Do you understand my meaning?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yan's heart trembled, and she immediately grasped Zhang Xingwei's intent.
"Minister." Zhu Yan straightened her posture, looking at Zhang Xingwei with righteous determination. "Since I have married, I should honor my husband. Investigating the case is only to help the innocent seek justice. Matters of the court—this official, as a mere woman, does not understand them, nor do I wish to be involved. Moreover, the Great Pavilion Commander has given me only three months to live, which shows he does not trust me. I am unfit for such a great responsibility. I beg the Minister to spare me, and I hope that after my death, the Minister will spare my family as well."
Seeing Zhu Yan's refusal to appreciate his offer, Zhang Xingwei's expression turned grim. He sneered with mockery. "Madam Shen is truly naive. Having entered the court and become involved in this case, yet still thinking you can remain untouched—there is no such good fortune in this world. Since you refuse to appreciate this opportunity, do not blame me for not giving you a chance."
His words carried a threat, but as the matter was of great importance, Zhu Yan dared not speak recklessly.
It was only long after Zhang Xingwei had left, when a servant entered again to report, that Zhu Yan snapped out of her thoughts.
"Madam, Lord Lu has arrived."
Lord Lu? Lu Chuichui...
She suddenly remembered that it had been a long time since she last saw Lu Chuichui. She wondered how she had been these past days.
"Liu Niang!" Lu Chuichui rushed into the Shen residence in a flurry, holding a bag of case files. "Guess what I've discovered?"
Seeing the case files in Lu Chuichui's hands and the excitement on her face, Zhu Yan knew she had uncovered something significant.
"Just tell me what it is. Don't beat around the bush," Zhu Yan said, eager to learn what Lu Chuichui had found.
"No way! These past days, you haven't been helping at the Ministry of Justice. I've been sorting through so many case files all by myself, nearly exhausted. Without some reward, don't expect me to tell you the clues."
Lu Chuichui's unyielding attitude made Zhu Yan chuckle lightly.
It was rare for Lu Chuichui to still possess such innocence. She didn't yet know that this case had already implicated many people they could not afford to provoke."Alright, alright, just tell me the clues. Whatever benefit you want, just name it."
Only after receiving Zhu Yan's permission did Lu Chuichui seem satisfied and nodded, "I want you to treat me to tea for a month, and take me to watch three days of grand opera."
Hearing this, Zhu Yan's facial muscles twitched.
Was this going to bleed her dry?
A clerk's salary was only so much. A month of tea and three days of grand opera—wasn't that going to empty her entire savings?
"H-Half... half a month of tea," Zhu Yan attempted to bargain.
"Deal," Lu Chuichui agreed immediately, and only then did Zhu Yan realize she had been too hasty.
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