Two more days passed, and life remained relatively calm.
Shen Du was not surprised when Zhu Yan was promoted, as if he had anticipated it.
After her promotion, Lai Luo Zhi visited the Ministry of Justice again, and Zhu Yan treated him with courtesy. Beyond that, she had no choice.
Finally finding some peace, Zhu Yan decided to reorganize the case files.
While sorting through the Ministry of Justice’s records, Zhu Yan discovered a startling clue.
It seemed that all the murdered individuals had some sort of conflict with Lai Luo Zhi’s people.
What was going on?
With this crucial lead, Zhu Yan decided to investigate further. Her first stop was to find the Assistant Minister of Justice, Gao Xuecheng.
“Lord Gao,” Zhu Yan greeted Gao Xuecheng politely, “There are some matters I don’t quite understand, and I would like to seek your guidance.”
Gao Xuecheng, ever humble, quickly replied, “Oh, Lord Zhu, just speak your mind. No need for formalities; you’re too kind.”
Gao Xuecheng was not wary of Zhu Yan’s recent promotion but rather of Shen Du, who stood behind her as Madam Shen’s husband.
Zhu Yan smiled, “I wanted to ask Lord Gao about Lord Lai Shaoqing.”
Upon hearing this, Gao Xuecheng’s face turned pale, and his lips twitched. “Why are you interested in his affairs? Besides, there are no major cases in our Ministry of Justice related to him. Why investigate him?”
Zhu Yan lowered her head and smiled, “There may not be any current cases involving him, but I still find the previous murder case suspicious, Lord Gao, that…”
“Let’s not bring up closed cases,” Gao Xuecheng interrupted before Zhu Yan could finish. “Besides, wasn’t that case handled by your husband, the Grand Secretary? It’s been resolved, and everyone is happy. Why stir up trouble?”
“But there are still many unresolved issues in this case. We must investigate thoroughly,” Zhu Yan insisted.
Gao Xuecheng, however, looked helpless. “Lord Zhu, we all know you’re honest and upright, but sometimes we can’t just focus on justice and ignore human relationships. Lord Lai Shaoqing is someone of importance, and we are not. You should drop this investigation.”
After saying this, Gao Xuecheng shook his head and walked away.
Zhu Yan wanted to say more, but Gao Xuecheng was already gone.
At that moment, she saw Chief Clerk Wu Taiming approaching from a distance.
“Chief Wu,” Zhu Yan hurried to meet him, still eager to uncover the truth.
“Oh, isn’t this the newly promoted Lord Zhu? Congratulations!”
Zhu Yan was displeased. It was one thing for Gao Xuecheng to flatter her, but even Wu Taiming, her colleague, was teasing her.
“Stop joking. I have some questions for you.”
Wu Taiming, with a knowing look, spoke before Zhu Yan could ask, “What is it? Unsure how to handle things as a new official?”
“Let’s be serious,” Zhu Yan urged, “Chief Wu, there are still many mysteries in that murder case. I want to understand the details from you.”
Upon hearing this, Wu Taiming’s expression changed instantly. He glanced around and lowered his voice, “That case is closed. Why bring it up again?”
“Because there are still many unresolved clues, and I can’t let it go.”
“What’s there to let go of?” Wu Taiming replied righteously, “The culprit has been punished, and the deceased has found peace. Why dwell on it?”
“But we can’t let this matter remain unclear,” Zhu Yan pressed.
She couldn’t understand why everyone seemed to be pretending not to know the truth.
It felt as if everyone understood the situation but was keeping her in the dark, which was baffling.
“Forget it, don’t ask anymore,” Wu Taiming stated his position clearly. “Some things are better left in the past. No matter how much you dwell on it, it’s useless. Some people are beyond our reach.”
Zhu Yan understood Wu Taiming’s meaning. In such peaceful times, no one wanted to stir up trouble.
Lai Luo Zhi was well-known, and everyone avoided him, especially those in minor official positions.
After parting with Wu Taiming, Zhu Yan encountered Squad Leader Jiang Ming.
Jiang Ming, aware of Zhu Yan’s setbacks that day, offered her comfort and advised her to give up.
Zhu Yan could only smile weakly. She felt that they were too insignificant, which was why they pretended to be deaf and blind to the matter.
The more they acted this way, the more curious Zhu Yan became. She was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Since the Ministry of Justice was unhelpful, she decided to seek out the Constables.
To ensure Xu Xiangren couldn’t refuse, Zhu Yan invited him to the Bamboo Green Teahouse.
“Brother Xu,” Zhu Yan pushed a cup of tea towards Xu Xiangren with enthusiasm, “This is a new teahouse, and the tea is quite good. Have you been here before?”
Xu Xiangren surveyed the surroundings, feeling satisfied. “It’s indeed nice. The Constables’ office has been busy lately. If not for your invitation, I wouldn’t have had the time to come.”
“That’s perfect. Please try it,” Zhu Yan encouraged.
Xu Xiangren lifted the tea, about to sip, but suddenly paused, looking at Zhu Yan with a meaningful gaze. “No one offers kindness without a reason. What do you need?”
Zhu Yan chuckled, “It’s nothing major. I just wanted to ask you about… the case we discussed last time.”
“Zhu Yan,” Xu Xiangren addressed her by name, unlike before, “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you the details. You must understand, as the Chief Constable overseeing all Constables, I’m not alone. For the sake of my brothers, I can’t disclose anything.”
His words left Zhu Yan speechless.
She understood Xu Xiangren’s position and didn’t want to make things difficult for him, so she didn’t press further.
But Xu Xiangren could see that Zhu Yan was stubborn.
Once she became curious about something, she wouldn’t rest until she figured it out. This made Xu Xiangren worry about her.
“The case is closed, and many other cases are waiting for you to resolve. Don’t get stuck on this one.”
After parting with Xu Xiangren, Zhu Yan remained unsatisfied. The Ministry of Justice wouldn’t talk, and neither would the Constables. But her master would surely tell her.
She was her master’s only disciple, and he had always doted on her. He would share the truth with her.
With this in mind, Zhu Yan brought two jars of fine Nu’er Hong wine to visit her master, Chen Wen.
Chen Wen was delighted to see Zhu Yan and, seeing the two jars of good wine, assumed she was there to celebrate his exoneration, so he didn’t think much of it.
“Girl, I’ve been out for so long, and you’re only now coming to congratulate me. Isn’t it a bit late?”
Zhu Yan realized her master misunderstood her intentions and quickly explained, “That matter is long past. I’m not here for that, Master…”