Сhaptеr 68: Маstеr Еnters the Greаt Рrison
Upоn arriving at thе Мinistrу оf Justiсе, Zhu Yan rushed strаight toward the great prisоn, whеre susрeсts оr сriminаls werе dеtаinеd аnd subjeсted to variоus рunishments.
Нer heart wаs filled with worrу that her mаstеr might nоt withstаnd thоsе tоrtures, esреciаllу givеn his advаncеd аge and frаil рhysiquе compаred to ordinаrу рeоple.
Hоwеvеr, when shе rеасhеd thе prisоn, shе was surрrised tо find her mastеr leisurеlу wеaring рrisоn gаrb аnd drinking inside his cell.
Вefore him lay а small platе of pеanuts аnd twо chiсken drumsticks.
This… Zhu Yan’s lips twitched. This was completely different from what she had imagined.
“Master,” Zhu Yan called out, knocking on the prison door, hoping to get an answer from her master.
“Oh, you’re here, girl,” Chen Wen said cheerfully as he looked at Zhu Yan. “What, want to come in and have a couple of drinks with your master?”
“Master!” Zhu Yan stamped her foot anxiously. “What exactly is going on? You’re in the Ministry of Justice’s prison, yet you’re not the least bit worried?”
“Why worry?” Chen Wen appeared perfectly at ease. “I didn’t kill anyone. Once you all investigate the case thoroughly, I’ll naturally be released. Besides, I have food and drink here, and you’re all protecting me. Isn’t this quite nice?”
Zhu Yan was utterly speechless. How could her master say such things at a time like this?
But then again, what was the reason behind her master enjoying such treatment while imprisoned?
Could it simply be because he was an old acquaintance of the Ministry of Justice?
Lu Chuichui arrived shortly after and, seeing Chen Wen’s relaxed demeanor, patted Zhu Yan’s shoulder. “You really ran fast. Couldn’t you wait for me to finish speaking?”
“What’s going on?” Zhu Yan quickly asked.
Lu Chuichui, panting heavily, pointed to the cell and explained, “Master Chen has dealt with our Ministry of Justice his entire life. We all know what kind of person he is—how could we mistreat him? Besides, your Great Pavilion Commander made it clear that Master Chen should be well taken care of. Who would dare give him a hard time?”
Zhu Yan had already considered the earlier reasons, but the latter part took her by surprise.
Shen Du had specifically given such instructions? Why would he do that? Wasn’t he suspicious of her master?
Filled with confusion, Zhu Yan looked at her master with renewed concern. “Master, don’t worry. I will definitely get you out of here.”
Chen Wen stood up, cleared his throat lightly, and said slowly, “Some matters cannot be rushed. The more you hurry, the more tangled they become. It’s like looking at flowers through fog—they seem right before your eyes, yet remain blurry and out of reach. So sometimes, if you just calm down and think, you might gain unexpected insights.”
Chen Wen’s words were layered and profound, leaving Lu Chuichui utterly bewildered.
“What flowers through fog? Master Chen, could you say something I can understand?”
Chen Wen didn’t respond. Seeing Zhu Yan deep in thought, he knew she had taken his words to heart.
He simply turned his gaze to Lu Chuichui. “Officer Lu, um… the peanuts are almost gone. Could you bring me another plate?”
“…” Lu Chuichui was completely speechless. If not for the fact that he was Zhu Yan’s master, why would a Ninth-rank Clerk like her do such things?
“Alright, Master Chen, just wait a moment. I’ll have someone arrange it right away.” With that, Lu Chuichui turned and left.
Only after Lu Chuichui had gone did Chen Wen approach Zhu Yan."Girl, if there are some things you can't figure out on your own, why not discuss them with Shen Du? You might get unexpected answers from him, or perhaps gain further insight into the case."
These words jolted Zhu Yan awake like a dreamer startled. Suddenly, she understood her master's meaning.
Her deep, dark eyes fixed intently on the elderly man before her, who was past sixty. "Master, please endure a little longer. I will rescue you soon."
"It's still the same old saying: my life isn't worth much. There's no need for you to fear those insignificant people on my account. Follow your own instincts, and as long as you don't betray your conscience, that's what matters most."
"Mhm." Zhu Yan nodded firmly. "Stay here and rest. I'll increase the guards to ensure your safety. Once I solve this case, I'll personally bring two jars of fine wine to welcome you out."
"Good, it's a deal." Chen Wen replied cheerfully. "This time, I want Daughter's Red, nothing else."
"Mhm." Zhu Yan took a deep breath, her eyes growing misty as if dust had blown into them. "Rest well. I'll take my leave now."
"Go on, I'm fine." Chen Wen turned his back, not even glancing at Zhu Yan.
Zhu Yan knew in her heart that her master was putting on this carefree act precisely because he feared becoming a burden to her.
As Zhu Yan left the prison and entered the main hall, she encountered her father, Zhu Kuo, who had come to inquire about the case.
Zhu Yan was puzzled. Her father had always been a man of leisure, avoiding trouble and staying out of affairs. Why would he come today to ask about the case?
Could it be on the Prime Minister's orders?
Though she could only speculate, Zhu Yan still welcomed her father's arrival, ordering tea to be served before sitting opposite him.
"Father, have you been free lately? Why have you come today to ask about the case's progress?" Zhu Yan voiced her confusion.
Zhu Kuo's expression darkened, and he forced a dry laugh. "It's not so much the case I'm worried about, but your situation. I came to see how you're doing."
Hearing this, Zhu Yan's tightly wound heart relaxed slightly. It was good that he hadn't been sent by someone else.
At the same time, she was deeply moved. So her father was concerned about her current predicament—it seemed he had heard about the affairs at court.
"I'm doing perfectly fine here, Father. There's no need to worry."
"Perfectly fine? The court is abuzz with rumors. The Empress has given Shen Du only ten days, and several have already passed. You're running out of time." As he spoke, Zhu Kuo was filled with worry, fearing his daughter might not survive this ordeal. Between the lines, he hinted that she should leave herself a way out.
Zhu Yan was clever enough to understand her father's meaning, but her mind was made up. She would not rest until this case was solved.
"I know what you mean, Father, but at this stage of the investigation, I truly cannot withdraw. The only way forward is to solve the case and capture the culprit."
"What time is it to still be thinking about catching the culprit?" Zhu Kuo couldn't comprehend his daughter's decision. "If you could have caught them, you would have done so long ago. The culprit is cunning, and you've made no progress. Even if the culprit were right in front of you, without evidence, you still couldn't arrest them."
Zhu Kuo's words struck Zhu Yan like a wake-up call. They were like everything being ready except for the east wind.
Although they had identified a suspect, they were still struggling to find solid evidence.Or perhaps, even if they had evidence, but the other party was someone they hadn't anticipated or couldn't afford to provoke, they still couldn't make an arrest without authorization.
"Father," Zhu Yan said solemnly, looking at Zhu Kuo. "The Buddha Swallowing Guilt case involves too many people. Even if I wanted to withdraw now, it wouldn't be as simple as you think. So, I have no choice but to press on."
Zhu Kuo remained silent. Zhu Yan's words carried a sense of helplessness, but he understood in his heart that his daughter was determined to see this case through to the end.
As her father, he knew Zhu Yan's temperament all too well. Once she had made up her mind about something, not even ten oxen could pull her back.
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