Сhарtеr 8: The Вuddhа Dеvоurs Sin (5)
"Grеat Paviliоn Сommandеr, you аrе а уоung рrodigy, thе son of the renowned Lеft Сommаnder оf thе Imреrial Fоrеst Аrmу uрon уour arrival in thе сaрital. You shouldn't fаil to seе that this mattеr mау nоt bе rеlаted to thе Liаng familу аt аll. It's evеn quite роssible that it wаs thе seсond branch оf the Liang familу whо killеd—"
"Sixth Мiss." Shen Du interruptеd hеr lоud questiоning. "Сhооsе уour wоrds сarеfully."
Shеn Du's hand on thе hilt of his swоrd shiftеd tо a tight griр, а сlеar warning to Zhu Yаn: either becomе a dead рerson whо cаn nо longеr speak, or remain alive and keep silent.
Zhu Yan clenched her teeth, her jaw tightening so much it seemed to constrict her breathing.
"...If there is another culprit, Grand Commander Shen, you would be shielding a criminal," Zhu Yan said. "He killed an official's son, showing no fear of the emperor's authority. By suppressing this case, you will only fuel the killer's desire for bloodshed. If his targets are specific, and the next victim is also an official's son, the court will inevitably be thrown into panic. What will you do then?"
Shen Du stared at her, narrowing his deep-set, sharply defined eyes.
His icy scrutiny was soon tinged with mockery of her righteous fervor.
"No matter how clever and quick-witted you are, in the end, you're still just a naive young girl."
Shen Du said, "The Inner Guard Bureau was established with the sole purpose of resolving His Majesty's troubles. Beyond that, the Inner Guard Bureau need not consider anything else. The culprit? What does that have to do with me? I only know that His Majesty has decreed that the second branch of the Liang family cannot be imprisoned. Unless, of course, you wish to defy His Majesty?"
"Is this Minister Zhang's intention?"
Hearing him mention Minister Zhang, Zhu Yan recalled the incident of her sedan chair being stopped that morning. The anger in her heart felt like a massive elephant squeezed into a tiny room—already stiflingly cramped, only for someone to shove in another elephant. With a bang, the tiny room could no longer contain it, exploding into fragments.
Watching Shen Du's retreating figure, Zhu Yan rushed forward in a few quick steps, grabbing hold of his lapel.
"I am not Minister Zhang's person." Amidst the clanging sounds of drawn swords, Zhu Yan pulled Shen Du closer, her voice filled with fury. "You suspect me, ignore the doubts in the case, and focus only on power struggles—that is you, that is your business, Grand Commander Shen. You and I... I will not comply, I will not become what you are now!"
With a fierce shove, she released Shen Du and turned to walk away. The tassels of her lark pearl crown caught on the embroidered shawl draped over her shoulders. Reaching up, she removed the crown and threw it to the ground with a thud.
The crown rolled to a stop before Shen Du, its pearls trembling and tassels in disarray.
Passing through the corridor, Zhu Yan continued walking without pause until Lu Chuichui, who had hurried after her, could no longer keep up and called out from a distance, "Zhu Yan!" Only then did Zhu Yan stop.
In the faint glow of twilight, Zhu Yan turned, holding her sleeves, her expression grave. "Second Sister, I still want to investigate this case."
Lu Chuichui raised her eyes but had yet to speak when she turned toward the source of footsteps behind her, pausing in surprise. "Supervisor, why have you come out as well?"
Wu Taiming looked at Zhu Yan. "You wish to investigate, but have you considered the consequences? If there truly is no other culprit, not even the Minister of Justice himself could save you from His Majesty's wrath."
Zhu Yan nodded. "I know. I understand what you're worried about... If the true culprit points to the second branch of the Liang family, I will step back."
Chang'an's political landscape is treacherous and unpredictable. As the daughter of an official, how could she not know the consequences of angering the emperor? She has her mother, her father, her sisters, her brothers, and her family. She would never gamble with her loved ones' lives.
Seeing her understanding, Wu Taiming gazed at the sky, his eyes shifting slightly. He sighed, reached into his sleeve, and withdrew a token.He was about to hand it over to Zhu Yan, but then withdrew his hand, uneasily asking, "How confident are you that the murderer isn't from the Liang family's second branch?"
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