Chaptеr 71: Тhe Emрeror Isn’t Аnхiоus, but thе Еunuсh Is
“I…” Lu Chuichui stаmmered, “I said I thought of it mysеlf, sо I did. Liu Niang, dоn’t loоk dоwn оn mе toо muсh. Еvеn thоugh I’m not аs smart as yоu, I аt leаst have a brаin. Don’t alwаys treаt mе likе а сhild.”
“Оh…” Zhu Yаn suddenly undеrstоod, lооking аt Lu Chuiсhui with a рrоfound eхрressiоn. “So our Erniаng has grown up. I thоught sоmе eхpert taught уоu аnd was рlаnning tо sееk оut this mastеr tо leаrn from thеm. I never еxресted…”
“Whаt kind оf ехpert is Jiang Lаngxing with that brain of his…” Lu Chuiсhui said disdainfully, but аs soon аs the wоrds lеft her mоuth, her face paled in shock, her lips twitching.
Zhu Yan had been setting a trap, and as usual, she had fallen right into it.
Hearing Lu Chuichui say this, Zhu Yan finally understood.
Actually, she should have thought of this earlier, but with everything so busy lately, she had completely forgotten about this person.
As an Unrighteous Agent and older than them, Jiang Langxing naturally had some understanding of court affairs.
He had even helped them analyze the pros and cons of the case. She knew that Lu Chuichui’s brain would never have come up with this on her own.
However, the fact that Jiang Langxing was willing to discuss these things with Lu Chuichui suggested that the relationship between the two… was worth pondering.
“Alright.” Having achieved her goal, Zhu Yan didn’t want to tease her friend any further. “Thank you for telling me all this today. Please convey my thanks to both of you later. Once the case is solved, I will personally thank you both.”
With that, Zhu Yan stood up, preparing to leave.
“Where are you going?” Lu Chuichui quickly called out to stop her.
Was she going to confront Jiang Langxin? What about her own dignity?
“Of course, to investigate the case. As a Ninth-rank Clerk, you show no concern for the case at all. Should I be as apathetic as you, letting the murderer run rampant? If Shen Du is removed from his position, we’ll all be implicated.”
Hearing this, Lu Chuichui felt slightly relieved. “So that’s it. If you help Shen Du solve this case, you’ll not only save us but also yourself, Madam Shen.”
Lu Chuichui teased, but Zhu Yan didn’t get angry. She just glared at her before turning and leaving.
On the way back, Zhu Yan felt unusually heavy-hearted.
It seemed she had already grasped the entire case in her mind, or perhaps she had understood some of the murderer’s motives.
All she needed was one final opportunity to obtain solid evidence, and she could apprehend the murderer. The truth seemed within reach.
Returning to the Ministry of Justice, she found that Shen Du had already left.
Zhu Yan hurried back to the Shen residence. The matter was too important for her to decide alone. She needed to share her thoughts with Shen Du and hear his opinion.
This matter was entirely beneficial to Shen Du, so he would certainly not make things difficult for her.
She could also take this opportunity to ask Shen Du for more time or, even better, request a divorce agreement.
Thinking this, Zhu Yan quickly made her way to Shen Du’s study.
At that moment, Shen Du was calmly reading a book in his hand. He seemed to have forgotten his duties, or perhaps he had forgotten the deadline given to him by the Empress.
Zhu Yan was so anxious she could stamp her feet. At a time like this, instead of investigating the case, he could still be so leisurely.
“Are you really not worried at all?”
Hearing the question, Shen Du put down his book and looked at Zhu Yan. Seeing her anxious expression, he couldn’t help but want to laugh. “What’s wrong?”"What's the matter? The fire is already at our eyebrows, and you're still here reading books. Can you even concentrate?"
Shen Du was puzzled, giving a slight shrug. "How is the fire at our eyebrows? There's still some time left, isn't there?"
"What can a mere few days accomplish?" Zhu Yan was completely frantic, slamming her hands on the desk and glaring at Shen Du with an angry expression. "If the culprit were as easy to catch as you say, would the case have dragged on until now?"
"Just as you said, the culprit isn't easy to catch. Even if we rush, it's useless. You must be thirsty after coming all this way. Have a cup of tea and speak slowly."
Zhu Yan felt like she was about to spit blood. It was truly a case of the emperor not worrying while the eunuch fretted.
Shen Du wasn't even taking responsibility for himself, so why should she be so anxious?
Fuming, Zhu Yan turned and sat in a nearby chair, taking a sip of tea. "Today, I heard some idle gossip from the court. Although it happened a long time ago, I think it might be related to the case. Do you want to hear it?"
Shen Du didn't respond, only looking at Zhu Yan with an indifferent expression.
Zhu Yan nearly fainted. He knew she was impatient by nature, yet he deliberately tormented her like this.
"I think the mastermind behind this case is Lai Luozhi," Zhu Yan voiced her thoughts. "He was once deeply favored by the Empress, but ever since you appeared, the Empress no longer trusts him as she used to. You've taken away his favor, so naturally, he's jealous of you and wants to eliminate you as quickly as possible."
Zhu Yan spoke with reason and evidence, but after listening, Shen Du shook his head in denial.
Shen Du stood up and walked to the window. "Although Lai Luozhi is no saint, he doesn't have the courage for this. Over the years, opposing me has never brought him any benefits. Moreover, in the court, he and I only serve to check and balance each other. I have his records here—he doesn't have such inclinations. Besides, with his methods, if he really wanted to kill someone, why would he need to make such a mystery of it?"
"What if he used someone else's hand to deal with you?" Zhu Yan considered another possibility.
Shen Du chuckled lightly. "That's also unlikely. His influence isn't what it used to be. Although the Empress still trusts him to some extent, she no longer favors him as before. Besides, with the Empress's position now stable and her vigorously promoting benevolent governance, he should keep a low profile and focus on self-preservation, not stir up trouble for no reason."
Shen Du's reasoning made some sense, but this only made things more difficult for Zhu Yan.
Shen Du wasn't indifferent to the case either. He had already considered all possibilities and inferences, but he felt that rushing was pointless. It was better to calm down and carefully review the case once more.
Zhu Yan hung her head in silence. All her inferences had been overturned by Shen Du, and she had hoped to use this opportunity to negotiate some terms with him. Now, it seemed he was already being exceptionally merciful by not sweeping her out the door immediately.
"What exactly did you hear?" Shen Du inquired, curious as to why Zhu Yan had set her sights on Lai Luozhi.
Zhu Yan sighed. "It's about your past. Back then, the Empress had just ascended the throne, and Lai Luozhi invented the 'Inviting the Lord into the Jar' punishment, which terrified all those who opposed the Empress."At that time, everyone in the court feared him. It was only after your arrival that this situation eased somewhat. Though you were a pawn of the Empress, you played a pivotal role in the court. If you were to lose the Empress's trust over this matter, the Lai faction would surely disrupt the court's order, and the entire court—even Chang'an—would be thrown into chaos."
"So, are you worried that this matter will implicate you all, or..."
Before she could finish, Shen Du had already stepped before Zhu Yan. He raised his hand, using the pad of his index finger to lift her chin, and murmured in a low voice, "You're worried... about my situation."
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