As soon as they stepped into the residence, the steward hurriedly approached them.
“Madam Shen,” the steward said, presenting a letter to Zhu Yan. “This was delivered by someone from the Ministry of Justice, and they requested that you open it personally.”
“For me?” Zhu Yan was puzzled. What matter could the Ministry of Justice have that would bypass Shen Du and require her attention, especially in his presence?
“It’s addressed to you. Just take a look,” Shen Du said, his tone carrying a hint of displeasure, though he didn’t show it to Zhu Yan.
Zhu Yan opened the letter and, after reading its contents, chuckled softly. “It’s nothing major, just an invitation from the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple for a meal. They want us to join them. Are you free?”
She looked at Shen Du, seeking his opinion.
Shen Du, being the astute person he was, understood immediately. The Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple were inviting Zhu Yan specifically, and his mention in the letter was merely out of courtesy.
“What does a meal with the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple have to do with me?” Shen Du replied coolly. “Such gatherings are usually dull. I advise you not to go.”
“That won’t do,” Zhu Yan said eagerly, tucking the letter into her sleeve. “You may want to maintain your aloof image, but I can’t let this opportunity slip by. It’s rare to have both the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple together. Who knows, a casual conversation might lead to clues about the case.”
Shen Du considered her point and found it reasonable.
“Steward, inform the cook that there’s no need to prepare dinner for me tonight. I’ll be attending the banquet. Just prepare a meal for the Grand Secretary,” Zhu Yan instructed.
“Yes,” the steward replied, preparing to leave, but Shen Du suddenly cleared his throat, causing the steward to stop.
“No need to prepare for me either. I’ll accompany my wife,” Shen Du said.
“Yes,” the steward replied, not daring to question Shen Du’s decision, and withdrew.
Zhu Yan was puzzled. “Weren’t you not going? Why the change of heart?”
“I just want to see if there’s any progress on the case at the banquet. If not, I’ll just treat it as a chance to drink,” Shen Du said coldly, already heading out of the Shen residence.
Zhu Yan was a bit bewildered. If Shen Du didn’t accompany her, she could freely chat with the people from the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple, whom she was familiar with.
With Shen Du attending, the atmosphere of the entire banquet would change…
As it turned out, the banquet was just as she expected.
Originally a day for the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple to enjoy drinks together, the presence of the “White Yama” Shen Du made everyone noticeably more reserved.
Jiang Ming, the head of the Ministry of Justice, arrived last, as if aware that being late would result in punishment.
He brought two jars of fine wine, but upon seeing Shen Du seated at the head of the table, he trembled, nearly dropping the wine.
“Oh…” Jiang Ming’s voice shook. “The Grand Secretary is here too. This is my new Osmanthus wine. I hope it suits your taste.”
Jiang Ming poured the wine into Shen Du’s cup awkwardly.
Shen Du merely nodded slightly, indicating for Jiang Ming to step back.
“Yes,” Jiang Ming replied quickly, placing the half-empty jar on the table and preparing to leave with the other jar.
But halfway through, he seemed to remember something, turned back, placed the full jar on the table, and took the half-empty one with him.
Seeing this, Zhu Yan chuckled. “It’s just one more person. Is it necessary to scare Head Jiang like that?”
Lu Chui, sitting beside her, pouted with a hint of resentment. “You’re one to talk. Look at what you’ve done. We invited you to eat, drink, and have fun, not to show off your husband. Now that he’s here, who dares to relax?”
Zhu Yan was puzzled by Lu Chui’s words. “What do you mean? Didn’t the letter say to bring my husband along? Why blame me now?”
“Oh, my dear, are you really that clueless or just pretending?” Lu Chui gave Zhu Yan a disdainful look, lowering her voice. “We were just being polite. Who told you to bring him? Besides, if we wanted him here, would we have asked you to open the letter?”
“This…” Zhu Yan was speechless. She hadn’t considered that possibility.
“In my opinion, you’ve been so absorbed in the case that you’ve lost your wits,” Lu Chui said, tapping Zhu Yan’s head. “You’re not on the same page with us anymore.”
“No, I’m not…” Zhu Yan defended herself, glancing at Shen Du.
Shen Du said nothing, simply sitting at the head of the table, occasionally eating a dish or drinking a cup of wine, seemingly at ease.
Perhaps the wine was strong, but after a few cups, everyone began to loosen up.
A yamen runner from the Ministry of Justice gulped down a bowl of wine, wiped his mouth, and said to Jiang Ming, “Head Jiang, a relative of mine recently lost his son. He said the death was particularly gruesome and wants the Ministry of Justice to seek justice for him.”
Hearing this, Jiang Ming’s expression faltered. “Brother, you’ve had too much to drink. With so many officials here, what’s the point of telling me this? The real officials are sitting up there. If you have grievances, speak to them.”
“No, no, no!” The yamen runner, slightly inebriated, ignored Jiang Ming’s attempts to stop him and continued, “Let me finish. As far as I know, his son deserved it. Of all people, he chose to be with a courtesan and died with her. Isn’t that just desserts?”
Hearing this, Zhu Yan, who had been playfully bantering with Lu Chui, suddenly became alert.
Even Shen Du, who had been drinking quietly, paused to listen to the yamen runner’s story.
“How would I know?” Jiang Ming was exasperated, thinking the yamen runner was too drunk and wanted to send him home.
At that moment, Lu Chui suddenly shouted, “Wait, what did you just say?”
Even Lu Chui realized that the yamen runner’s story might be related to the recent case, and the room fell silent.
The yamen runner was stunned, perhaps too drunk to realize what he had said wrong. He looked at Jiang Ming, and then at everyone else. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Continue with what you were saying,” Shen Du, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.
His tone was like a cold winter wind, instantly sobering the yamen runner.
The yamen runner, now clear-headed, quickly knelt in the center, clasping his hands. “Forgive me, Grand Secretary. I… I didn’t know what I said that angered you. Please forgive me this once.”
Shen Du’s voice was cold, revealing no emotion. “I asked you to continue your story. I have no intention of blaming you.”
The yamen runner thought back to what he had said, suddenly realizing, “Are you referring to my relative’s son, Grand Secretary?”
Shen Du did not respond, indicating his acknowledgment.