Arriving at the Ministry of Justice, Zhu Yan headed straight for the prison, where suspects or prisoners were held and subjected to various punishments.
She was constantly worried that her master would not be able to withstand the punishments, given his age and frail health.
However, when she reached the prison, she was surprised to find her master leisurely dressed in prison garb, drinking wine.
In front of him was a small plate of peanuts and two chicken legs.
This… Zhu Yan’s lips twitched. This was completely different from what she had imagined.
“Master,” Zhu Yan called out, tapping on the cell door, seeking answers from him.
“Oh, the girl is here,” Chen Wen said, looking at Zhu Yan with a relaxed expression. “Why not come in and have a drink with your master?”
“Master!” Zhu Yan was so anxious she was almost jumping. “What is going on? You’re in the Ministry of Justice’s prison, and you’re not worried at all?”
“Worried about what?” Chen Wen seemed quite at ease. “I didn’t kill anyone. Once you clear up the case, I’ll naturally be released. Besides, there’s food and drink here, and you’re all protecting me. Isn’t that nice?”
Zhu Yan was speechless. At such a time, her master could still say such things.
But then again, why was her master enjoying such treatment in prison? Was it because he was an old acquaintance of the Ministry of Justice?
Lu Chuchu arrived shortly after, seeing Chen Wen’s relaxed demeanor, and patted Zhu Yan on the shoulder. “You ran fast. Couldn’t you wait for me to finish speaking?”
“What is going on?” Zhu Yan asked urgently.
Lu Chuchu, out of breath, pointed to the cell and explained, “Master Chen has dealt with the Ministry of Justice all his life. We know what kind of person he is, so how could we mistreat him? Besides, your Da Ge Ling made it clear that Master Chen should be well taken care of. Who would dare to wrong him?”
Zhu Yan had already thought of the earlier reasons, but the latter ones surprised her.
Shen Du specifically instructed this. Why would he do that? Wasn’t he suspicious of her master?
With these questions in mind, Zhu Yan looked at her master with renewed concern. “Master, don’t worry. I will get you out.”
Chen Wen stood up, coughed lightly, and cleared his throat. “Some things can’t be rushed. The more you rush, the more tangled things become, like trying to see flowers in the fog. They’re right in front of you, but you can’t see them. Sometimes, if you just calm down and think, you might find unexpected insights.”
Chen Wen’s words were profound, leaving Lu Chuchu puzzled.
“What do you mean, seeing flowers in the fog? Master Chen, can you say something I understand?”
Chen Wen didn’t respond, seeing Zhu Yan deep in thought, knowing she had taken his words to heart.
He then turned to Lu Chuchu, “Lord Lu, the peanuts are almost gone. Could you bring me another plate?”
“…” Lu Chuchu was speechless. If it weren’t for him being Zhu Yan’s master, how could she, a ninth-rank official, be doing such things?
“Alright, Master Chen, wait a moment. I’ll have someone arrange it.” With that, Lu Chuchu turned and left.
Once Lu Chuchu was gone, Chen Wen approached Zhu Yan.
“Girl, if you can’t figure things out on your own, why not discuss it with Shen Du? You might get unexpected answers from him, or it might give you further insight into the case.”
His words were a wake-up call for Zhu Yan, and she suddenly understood her master’s meaning.
Her eyes were deep and dark as she stared at the elderly man before her. “Master, hold on. I’ll get you out soon.”
“As I said, my life isn’t worth much. You don’t need to worry about those irrelevant people for my sake. Just follow your instincts and don’t betray your conscience. That’s more important than anything.”
“Yes.” Zhu Yan nodded firmly. “Stay here and rest. I’ll assign more people to ensure your safety. Once I solve the case, I’ll bring two jars of good wine to personally fetch you.”
“Alright, it’s a deal,” Chen Wen replied cheerfully. “This time, I want Nu’er Hong, not anything else.”
“Yes.” Zhu Yan took a deep breath, her eyes misty as if sand had gotten into them. “Rest well. I’m leaving now.”
“Go on, I’m fine.” Chen Wen turned his back, not looking at Zhu Yan.
Zhu Yan knew in her heart that her master was worried about being a burden, which was why he acted so carefree.
As Zhu Yan left the prison, she encountered her father, Zhu Kuo, who had come to inquire about the case.
Zhu Yan was puzzled. Her father was usually a laid-back person, not one to stir up trouble. Why would he come to ask about the case today?
Could it be the Prime Minister’s doing?
Zhu Yan speculated but still welcomed her father’s arrival, had tea served, and sat opposite him.
“Father, is everything alright? Why have you come to inquire about the case’s progress today?” Zhu Yan asked, voicing her confusion.
Zhu Kuo looked somber, forcing a smile. “I’m not worried about the case’s progress, just concerned about you, so I came to see you.”
Hearing this, Zhu Yan’s tense heart relaxed a bit. It was good that he wasn’t sent by someone.
She was also deeply moved, realizing her father was worried about her current situation. It seemed he had heard about the court’s affairs.
“Everything is fine here, Father. You don’t need to worry.”
“Fine? The court is abuzz with rumors. The Empress only gave Shen Du ten days, and several days had already passed. You don’t have much time left.” As he spoke, Zhu Kuo was full of concern, worried his daughter wouldn’t overcome this ordeal, hinting that she should leave herself a way out.
Zhu Yan, being smart, understood her father’s meaning, but she was determined not to rest until the case was solved.
“Daughter understands your concern, Father, but the case has reached this point, and I can’t withdraw. The only solution is to solve the case and catch the real culprit.”
“At this point, you’re still thinking about catching the culprit?” Zhu Kuo couldn’t understand his daughter’s decision. “So much time has passed. If you could catch them, you would have by now. The culprit is cunning, and you have made no progress. Even if the culprit stood before you, without evidence, you couldn’t arrest them.”
His words were a wake-up call for Zhu Yan. They were like having everything ready but lacking the crucial element.
They had identified the suspect but lacked strong evidence.
Or perhaps, even if they had evidence, the suspect might be someone they couldn’t afford to provoke, making it impossible to arrest them.
“Father,” Zhu Yan said firmly, looking at Zhu Kuo, “the Buddha Swallowing 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 was silent. He could hear the helplessness in Zhu Yan’s words, but he understood that his daughter was determined to see the case through to the end.
He knew his daughter’s temperament well. Once she decided on something, nothing could change her mind.