“I…” Lu Chuichui stammered, “I said it was my idea because it was. Sixth Sister, don’t look down on me so much. I may not be as clever as you, but I do have a brain. Don’t always treat me like a child.”
“Oh…” Zhuyan had a sudden realization, looking at Lu Chuichui with a profound expression. “So our Second Sister has grown up. I thought some expert had taught you this. I was planning to find this expert to become their disciple. I never expected…”
“As if Jiang Langxing’s brain could be considered an expert…” Lu Chuichui said with disdain, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she was shocked, her lips twitching.
Zhuyan had been setting her up, and she had fallen into her trap as usual.
Hearing Lu Chuichui’s words, Zhuyan finally understood.
She should have thought of this earlier, but recent events had been so busy that she had forgotten about him.
Jiang Langxing, as a Local Constablen and older than them, 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 mind could never have come up with this on her own.
However, the fact that Jiang Langxing was willing to discuss these matters with Lu Chuichui suggested that their relationship… was worth pondering.
“Alright,” Zhuyan said, having achieved her goal and not wanting to tease her sister further. “Thank you for telling me these things today. Please convey my thanks to both of you. Once the case is solved, I will personally thank you both.”
With that, Zhuyan stood up, preparing to leave.
“Where are you going?” Lu Chuichui called out hurriedly.
Surely she wasn’t going to confront Jiang Langxing? Didn’t she care about saving face?
“Of course, I’m going to investigate the case. You, as a ninth-rank Clerk, don’t care about the case at all. Should I be as listless as you, allowing the murderer to roam free? If Shen Du is removed from office, we’ll all be implicated.”
Hearing Zhuyan’s words, Lu Chuichui felt slightly relieved. “I see. If you help Shen Du solve this case, you’ll not only be saving us but also yourself, Madam Shen.”
Lu Chuichui teased, and Zhuyan didn’t get angry. She just glared at her before turning to leave.
On her way back, Zhuyan felt extremely heavy-hearted.
In her mind, she seemed to have grasped the entire case, or at least understood some of the killer’s motives.
She just needed one last opportunity to obtain solid evidence to apprehend the killer. The truth seemed to be within reach.
Returning to the Ministry of Justice, she found that Shen Du had already left.
Zhuyan 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 would only benefit Shen Du without any harm. He wouldn’t make things difficult for her.
She could also use this opportunity to ask Shen Du for some leniency, or perhaps even grant her a divorce decree.
With these thoughts, Zhuyan quickly made her way to Shen Du’s study.
At this moment, Shen Du was calmly reading a book, seeming to have forgotten his responsibilities, or perhaps the deadline given by the Empress.
Zhuyan was so anxious she could jump. How could he be so leisurely at a time like this, not investigating the case?
“Are you not worried?” she asked.
Hearing her question, Shen Du put down his book and looked at Zhuyan. Seeing her anxious expression, he couldn’t help but smile. “What’s wrong?”
“What else could be wrong? It’s a critical situation, and you’re here reading. Can you even focus on the book?”
Shen Du looked puzzled and shrugged slightly. “How is it critical? Don’t we still have some time?”
“What can be done in just a few days?” Zhuyan was completely exasperated. She slammed her hands on the desk, glaring at Shen Du angrily. “If the killer was as easy to catch as you say, wouldn’t the case have been solved by now?”
“As you said, the killer isn’t easy to catch. Even if we’re anxious, it’s useless. You must be thirsty from your journey. Have some tea and let’s talk slowly.”
Zhuyan was about to spit blood. It was truly a case of the emperor not being anxious, but the eunuch was.
If Shen Du wasn’t even responsible for himself, why should she be anxious?
Zhuyan turned around angrily and sat in a nearby chair, taking a sip of tea. “Today, I heard some 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 about it?”
Shen Du didn’t respond, just looking at Zhuyan with an indifferent expression.
Zhuyan almost fainted. He knew she was impatient, yet he deliberately tormented her like this.
“I think the mastermind behind this case is Lai Luozhi,” Zhuyan shared her thoughts. “Previously, he was highly favored by the Empress. Since you appeared, the Empress no longer trusts him as she did before. You’ve taken some of his favor, so naturally, he’s jealous of you and wants to eliminate you first.”
Zhuyan’s reasoning was sound, but after listening, Shen Du shook his head in disagreement.
Shen Du stood up and walked to the window. “Although Lai Luozhi isn’t a good person, he doesn’t have such courage. All these years of opposing me haven’t brought him any benefits. Moreover, in the court, he and I only serve to keep each other in check. I have his dossier here, and he doesn’t have such hobbies. Besides, with his methods, if he wanted to kill someone, why would he need to be so elaborate?”
“What if he’s using someone else to deal with you?” Zhuyan thought of another possibility.
Shen Du chuckled, “That’s unlikely too. His power now is not what it used to be. Although the Empress still trusts him to some extent, she no longer relies on him as heavily as before. Moreover, right now, the Empress’s position is stable, and she’s strongly promoting benevolent governance. He should be laying low and minding his own business, not stirring up trouble for no reason.”
Shen Du’s words made sense, but this left Zhuyan at a loss.
It wasn’t that Shen Du didn’t care about the case. He had already considered all possibilities and deductions. He just felt that being anxious was useless, and it was better to calm down and carefully review the case once more.
Zhuyan lowered her head in silence. All her deductions had been refuted by Shen Du. She had hoped to use this opportunity to negotiate some terms with Shen Du, but now it seemed that he was being exceptionally gracious by not immediately throwing her out.
“What exactly did you hear?” Shen Du inquired, curious about why Zhuyan had focused on Lai Luozhi.
Zhuyan sighed, “It’s about your past. At that time, the Empress had just ascended to the throne. Lai Luozhi invented the ‘Lure the Enemy into the Trap’ punishment, intimidating all those who opposed the Empress. At that time, everyone in the court feared him. It wasn’t until you appeared that this situation in the court began to ease. Although you’re just a pawn of the Empress, you play a crucial role in the court. If you lose the Empress’s trust because of this incident, Lai’s faction will surely disrupt the court order, and the entire court, even Chang’an, will be turned upside down.”
“So, are you worried that this will implicate you all, or…” Shen Du didn’t finish his sentence. He had already come to stand in front of Zhuyan, using his index finger to lift her chin. In a low voice, he said, “Are you worried… about my situation?”