Returning to Shen Manor with heavy steps, before the sun had set, Zhu Yan ordered hot water and solemnly bathed and changed clothes, donning a newly made auspicious crimson silk gown.
Her face, flushed from the steam, looked even more radiant against the crimson dress. The simple style couldn’t hide her perfectly proportioned figure. As she walked, she resembled a hibiscus flower blooming on a branch, more alluring and charming than usual.
“You…”
Shen Du’s eyes were full of admiration. He couldn’t understand why she was so dressed up today. The questioning words reached his lips but couldn’t come out, leaving only overwhelming amazement. His throat bobbed several times as a kind of expectation he couldn’t quite identify rose in his heart.
Zhu Yan smiled, placing the tray in her hands on the desk in front of Shen Du. Her seemingly boneless hand picked up the wine pot and poured wine into two cups.
“We’ve never drunk the wedding cup together. Shall we make up for it today?” Zhu Yan asked, but she was already holding the wine cup to Shen Du’s lips, just an inch away.
Shen Du’s gaze fell on Zhu Yan’s crimson gown, similar to a wedding dress. His lips curved up involuntarily as he took the cup, his eyes filled with shattered starlight. “Alright.”
It was the rainy season. A clap of thunder sounded, and large raindrops fell rapidly, pattering noisily.
But inside the room, the two only had eyes for each other. They gazed at each other lovingly as the wine cups gradually approached their lips.
The cool rim of the cup touched Zhu Yan’s lips. The poisoned wine inside seemed to grow thorns, instantly piercing from her lips to her heart. She steeled herself and, with lightning speed, knocked the cup from Shen Du’s hand while throwing back the poisoned wine in her cup.
“Zhu Yan!”
Shen Du sensed something was wrong. He rushed around the desk and caught Zhu Yan as she began to fall. His cup clattered onto the desk, the wine quickly foaming white. He looked at the lifeless Zhu Yan in his arms, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.
“I’m sorry, I almost harmed you,” Zhu Yan said weakly, a faint glimmer of tears blurring her vision.
“Don’t sleep, I’ll find a physician right away. The physician can save you, as soon as he arrives he can save you…” Shen Du picked Zhu Yan up, refusing to let her leave his sight for even a moment. He carried her towards the door, shouting, “Someone, find a physician! Find a physician!”
He had never been so distraught. Zhu Yan wanted to laugh but found it too difficult.
Is it almost over?
With her last bit of strength, she gripped Shen Du’s arm. Shen Du noticed, and she managed a faint whisper: “Shen Du, send my body to Lai Luofu. Make him… make him hand over the antidote. Save Third Sister.”
“I’ll save you both.” Shen Du held Zhu Yan tightly, their foreheads touching as he murmured for her not to sleep.
When the physician arrived, Shen Du finally snapped out of it. He felt wetness on his hand and looked inside his robe to see transparent, silk-like strands similar to those on Zhu Caiwei’s body.
“Lai Luofu!”
His eyes were bloodshot, and Shen Du looked like an asura from hell, his whole body seething with murderous intent.
When Zhu Caiwei was poisoned, Zhu Kuo summoned all the physicians in the city to the Zhu residence to treat her, but each was helpless. Shen Du knew these physicians couldn’t save Zhu Yan either. He sent them away and personally changed Zhu Yan into clean clothes, gently laying her on the bed.
Finally, Shen Du gathered the entire Internal Guard Office, radiating killing intent as they stormed into Lai Manor.
“Shen Du, what is the meaning of this? Forcibly breaking into an official’s residence with your men is lawless!” Lai Luozhi, wearing a dark patterned silk robe, came rushing out angrily. His unbound black hair fluttered lightly, and his jade-like face was covered with a thin layer of anger as he looked at Shen Du in annoyance.
Incompetent and ruinous, he shouldn’t have trusted that Zhu Yan woman to succeed.
Shen Du stared at him coldly, his fingertips digging into his palms, but he remained motionless.
Without hearing an order from Shen Du, Jing Lin and the others continued their assault, forcing Lai Manor’s people to retreat step by step.
“Shen Du, do you truly not fear His Majesty’s punishment?”
The response was Shen Du’s bone-chilling laugh. Lai Luozhi narrowed his eyes, seeing that Shen Du’s anger was more intense than usual. If the usual Shen Du was a lurking tiger, today he was a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey.
Lai Luozhi glanced at the faces of the men Shen Du had brought, not seeing Zhu Yan among them. He understood, and a smile touched his brow. “Where is Registrar Zhu? How come I don’t see her?”
Struck to the heart, Shen Du’s gaze turned into sharp, ice daggers. He wished he could carve them into Lai Luozhi’s body one by one. “Lai Luozhi, you could have touched anyone else, but you should never have touched her!”
The murderous tone made Lai Luozhi… feel quite pleased.
When he was killing people, Shen Du was still a little brat who only knew how to play. Now he knew how to threaten people, but he was still just a child putting on a brave face.
Lai Luozhi didn’t care at all.
As the two faced off, Jing Lin brought Lai Luofu forward. Lai Luozhi glanced into the shadows, and hidden guards revealed themselves.
But Shen Du was determined to take Lai Luofu away this time. The entire Shen Manor and Internal Guard Office had turned out in force, seizing Lai Luofu with overwhelming strength that couldn’t be resisted.
At dawn, as the palace gates opened wide, Shen Du carried Zhu Yan in his arms, while Jing Lin escorted Lai Luofu. They grandly entered the palace.
The officials all made their way, watching them and knowing that today would be another extraordinary day.
“Minister Shen is both brave and resourceful, truly promising for his young age,” said Zhang Xingwei, holding his ivory tablet with both hands at his abdomen. He glanced at Zhu Yan, whose face was only half-visible beneath her wrappings, with a smile.
Zhu Kuo followed behind him, his worried gaze never leaving Zhu Yan. He said, “The Prime Minister has already agreed. Are you confident?”
“Yes,” Shen Du replied, his steps steady as he climbed the stairs, his expression solemn.
As the morning court began and the Empress took her seat on the dragon throne, she saw Shen Du carrying someone wrapped in red cloth like a silkworm cocoon. Puzzled, she asked, “What is the meaning of this, Minister Shen?”
Zhang Xingwei stepped forward first, raising his tablet and speaking forcefully: “Your Majesty, this is Registrar Zhu. Yesterday, Minister Shen took her to investigate at the Lai residence. Unexpectedly, they discovered that Deputy Minister Lai was harboring the death row fugitive Lai Luofu. To conceal their crimes, the two poisoned Registrar Zhu to blackmail Minister Shen into keeping their secret.
“Lai Luofu is now detained in the side hall. The case files recording her murder case from years ago and the joint verdict from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review are all available here. If Your Majesty wishes to review them, they can be brought immediately.
As the head of the Procuratorate, Deputy Minister Lai has abused his power for personal gain and harbored a criminal. I request Your Majesty’s judgment!” Shen Du, steadily holding Zhu Yan, stepped out to the left.
“Poisoning? Harboring a criminal?” The Empress’s gaze fell lightly on Lai Luozhi.
Lai Luozhi’s heart tightened, and he hurriedly stepped forward. “Your Majesty, please see clearly. That is indeed my sister Lai Luofu, but she has already received all the punishment she deserved. All her crimes have been atoned for. Now she is just an innocent woman.”
“Heh, hiding away for a few years without appearing, and then all crimes are washed clean upon reappearance? How can the wrongfully dead rest in peace?” Zhang Xingwei looked at Lai Luozhi with contempt.