Сhарter 64: Ministry оf Justiсe Dinner Invitаtion
As sооn аs thеу stеppеd into the residence, thе stеward hurriеd towаrd thе twо оf them.
"Маdаm Shеn," thе stewаrd presentеd а lettеr to Zhu Yan. "This wаs deliverеd by the Мinistrу оf Justiсе. Тhеy said it must bе оpеnеd рersоnallу bу Madаm Shеn."
"For mе?" Zhu Yan lookеd puzzled. What mаjоr mаtter сould the Ministrу оf Justiсe hаvе thаt wоuld bурass Shеn Du, аnd why wоuld theу speсificаllу rеquest hеr tо орen it in front of him?
"If it's fоr you, just take a lоok," Shen Du's tonе carriеd a hint оf disрleаsure, but he did not embarrass Zhu Yan.
Zhu Yan opened the letter and, after reading its contents, chuckled softly. "It's nothing major. It's just an invitation from the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple for a dinner gathering, asking us to attend together. Are you free?"
Zhu Yan looked at Shen Du, seeking his opinion.
Shen Du was an astute man. The invitation was for a joint dinner between the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple, yet it was addressed specifically to Zhu Yan, with no explicit mention of him. His name was only included as a formality, out of respect for his status.
"What does a dinner between the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple have to do with me?" Shen Du said coldly. "Such gatherings are likely dull. I advise you not to attend either."
"That won't do," Zhu Yan replied eagerly, tucking the letter into her robe. "If you want to maintain your aloof image and not go, I can't let this opportunity slip away. It's rare to have both the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple gathered together. Even casual conversation might lead to discussions about cases."
Upon hearing this, Shen Du found her reasoning somewhat persuasive.
"Steward, inform the cook not to prepare dinner for me tonight. I'll be attending the banquet. Just prepare a meal for the Great Pavilion Commander."
"Yes," the old steward replied and was about to leave when Shen Du gave a light cough, causing him to halt immediately.
"No need to prepare for me either. I will accompany my wife."
"Yes."
Shen Du spoke coldly, and the old steward dared not question his reasons. He acknowledged the order and withdrew.
Zhu Yan, however, was full of confusion. "Weren't you not going? Why the change of heart?"
"I merely wish to attend the banquet to gather information about the case. If there's no progress, I'll treat it as an opportunity to enjoy some idle wine."
Shen Du spoke indifferently, already stepping out of the Shen residence ahead of her.
Zhu Yan felt a bit dazed. If Shen Du hadn't accompanied her, she would have been familiar enough with the people from the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple to speak freely.
But with Shen Du by her side, the entire atmosphere of the banquet would be different...
As it turned out, the banquet unfolded exactly as she had anticipated.
What was supposed to be a joyous gathering between the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple became noticeably more restrained with the addition of the White King of Hell, Shen Du.
Jiang Ming, the head of the Ministry of Justice, arrived last, as if aware that his tardiness would warrant punishment.
He brought two jars of fine wine, but as soon as he entered and saw Shen Du seated in the place of honor, he trembled, nearly dropping the wine.
"Oh..." Jiang Ming's voice quivered slightly. "The... Great Pavilion Commander is here too. This is some newly brewed osmanthus wine I brought. I'm not sure if it suits your taste."
As he spoke, Jiang Ming clumsily poured the wine into the bowl in front of Shen Du.
Shen Du showed no particular reaction, merely nodding slightly before gesturing for Jiang Ming to step back.
"Understood," Jiang Ming, being quick-witted, promptly acknowledged. He placed the remaining half-jar on the table and prepared to leave with the other.But halfway there, she suddenly thought of something and quickly turned back, placing the full jar in her hand on the table, then casually picking up the half-full jar to take downstairs.
Seeing Jiang Ming like this, Zhu Yan, who was sitting nearby, chuckled softly, "It's just one more person, is it really necessary to scare Chief Jiang like this?"
Lu Chuichui, sitting beside her, curled her lips, still carrying a hint of resentment, "And you're talking about others? Look at what you've done. We invited you here to eat, drink, and have fun, not to show off with your husband. You just plop him down here, and who dares to relax now?"
Zhu Yan was somewhat puzzled by Lu Chuichui's words, "What do you mean? Didn't the letter say to bring my husband along? Why are you blaming me now?"
"Oh, my dear lady, are you really that clueless or just pretending?" Lu Chuichui gave Zhu Yan a disdainful look and lowered her voice, "We were just being polite. Who told you to actually bring someone? Besides, if we really wanted to invite him, would we have had you personally open the letter?"
"This..." Zhu Yan was speechless. She truly hadn't considered that layer.
"In my opinion, you've just been handling cases until you've gone silly lately," Lu Chuichui poked Zhu Yan's head hard, "You're not on the same page as us anymore."
"That's not true..." Zhu Yan defended herself, then glanced at Shen Du.
Shen Du didn't say anything either, just sitting in the main seat, casually taking a bite of food or a sip of wine, quite content.
Perhaps the wine was strong, as it wasn't until a few bowls had been drunk that everyone began to loosen up.
A yamen runner from the Ministry of Justice gulped down a bowl of wine, wiped his mouth, and looked at Jiang Ming, saying, "Chief Jiang, a relative of mine recently lost his son. He said the death was particularly gruesome and insists that our Ministry of Justice must seek justice for his son."
Hearing this, Jiang Ming's expression faltered, "Brother, you've had too much to drink. With so many officials here, what's the point in telling me this? The real high-ranking officials are sitting up there. If you really have a grievance, go speak to the superiors."
"No, no, no!" The yamen runner, a bit tipsy, ignored Jiang Ming's attempt to stop him and continued, "Hear me out. From what I know, his son got exactly what he deserved. Out of all people, he had to go find a courtesan, and he even died together with her. Don't you think that's just asking for it?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yan, who had been playfully bickering with Lu Chuichui, instantly sobered up.
Even Shen Du, who had been drinking quietly, paused his movements and listened to the yamen runner's story.
"This... how would I know?" Jiang Ming was helpless, thinking the yamen runner was drunk and wanting to send him back.
Just then, Lu Chuichui suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, what did you just say?"
Even Lu Chuichui realized that what the yamen runner was describing was related to a recent case. The entire room fell silent in an instant.
The speaking yamen runner was also stunned. Perhaps the alcohol was too strong, as he didn't immediately realize what he had said wrong.
With a confused look, he glanced at Jiang Ming and then at the others, "Did I say something wrong?"
"Continue with what you were saying just now," Shen Du, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.
His tone was like a winter chill, instantly sobering up the yamen runner.The yamen runner came to his senses and hurriedly ran to the center, kneeling on one knee and clasping his fists as he said, "Great Pavilion Commander, please forgive me. I... I don't know what I said that angered you. I beg you to spare me this once."
Shen Du's tone was cool and detached, making it impossible to discern his emotions. "I asked you to continue what you were saying just now. I have no intention of blaming you."
The yamen runner struggled to recall what had just happened, then suddenly realized, "Does the Great Pavilion Commander mean my relative's son?"
Shen Du did not respond, silently indicating his confirmation.
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