“With so many opponents, if I cannot act myself, I must use others even if not Lai Luozhi. No matter how recklessly they behave, they would never betray me,” the Empress said.
Could it be that the Empress was beginning to doubt Lai Luozhi?
“Minister Shen can supervise the officials, but when it comes to those unorthodox punitive methods, he’s no match for Minister Lai. I can only use Minister Lai, do you understand?”
Zhu Yan expressed her honest thoughts: “Though this humble servant doesn’t know, I understand that no one is perfect. Even Your Majesty, as the Son of Heaven, is human. I wish to be a loyal minister, speaking frankly to correct errors.”
Xu Wan’s eyes narrowed slightly, a flash of sharpness passing through them. She clapped her hands and praised, “Well said about speaking frankly to correct errors. Lord Zhu is straightforward, I like that.”
The Empress stood up again, rubbing her temples, her face showing weariness. Xu Wan stepped forward to help her sit up, while Zhu Yan stood up straight, lowering her head and not daring to say more.
The Empress simply walked to the window, looking through the gauze curtains at the desolate winter scenery outside:
“Earlier, Minister Lai came to pay respects to me, speaking at length about Lord Zhu’s achievements, urging me to make good use of Lord Zhu.”
Zhu Yan knelt again, too quickly, her brow furrowing in pain: “This humble servant is terrified. I have no connection with Lord Lai, nor do I want any rewards or important positions. I only wish to examine the corpses, solve cases, and bring justice to the dead. These are my only wishes, I beg Your Majesty to grant them.”
The air froze once again. The cold wind howled outside, unable to penetrate the room. The charcoal fire crackled, emphasizing the quiet within.
“This humble servant is willing to confront Lord Lai face to face. My position is low and my words carry little weight. I don’t know Lord Lai’s intentions in recommending me, but if it comes to that, I should stand with the Cabinet Leader, never betraying him or switching allegiances.”
A light chuckle reached her ears. Zhu Yan didn’t dare raise her head, her hands flat on the ground, her forehead lightly touching the floor. Due to nervousness, her entire body was tense.
“Alright, the ground is cold. Stand up and speak.”
Zhu Yan thanked her and obediently stood up, cold sweat breaking out on her palms.
Just then, a palace maid announced from outside. Xu Wan went out and quickly returned, whispering something in the Empress’s ear.
Zhu Yan felt time crawl by, sensing an intense gaze directed at her, not knowing what awaited her today.
It seemed the Empress had begun to doubt Lai Luozhi. If the Empress also suspected her of maneuvering between Shen Du and Lai Luozhi, she might not leave alive tonight.
If so, would Shen Du fulfill his promise to take care of the Zhu family? Should she reveal that the Fire Moth Party was actually behind Lai Luozhi?
As these chaotic thoughts swirled, Zhu Yan saw a pair of ornate gold-embroidered phoenix shoes appear before her. Her confused mind instantly cleared, but she kept her eyes fixed on the ground, not daring to move.
“Cabinet Leader Shen fears I might eat you alive. If I don’t let you go soon, he might storm into my Peppercorn Palace himself.”
Zhu Yan’s expression softened, wrinkles appearing at the corners of her eyes. All this was observed by others.
The Empress turned over her well-maintained hand, revealing an intricately carved palace token with the character “Zhou” in the center – the Empress’s palace token.
“Take it. Seeing you is like seeing my younger self. From now on, when you have time, come to the palace and talk with me.”
“I haven’t left the palace for many years. I wonder what the outside world looks like now?”
Hearing the longing in the Empress’s voice, Zhu Yan took the token, feeling relieved: “From now on, this humble servant will be Your Majesty’s eyes to the outside world.”
After bidding farewell to the Empress, Xu Wan escorted Zhu Yan out, telling her that receiving the palace token meant gaining the Empress’s trust. The Empress intended to win over Zhu Yan, and through her, Shen Du. She advised Zhu Yan to be mindful of this.
Zhu Yan noted everything and hurried out of the palace.
It was nearly noon, with the bright sun shining on the earth, but Zhu Yan didn’t feel much warmth. She pulled her cloak tighter and quickened her pace.
She hadn’t thought much of the Daming Palace before, but this brief stay had felt like a lifetime of life-and-death experiences. The majestic palace walls seemed like a beast about to devour her. Thinking of the Empress being confined here for half her life, Zhu Yan didn’t know how to feel.
The Empress had said so much to her, essentially explaining that as the first female emperor of the dynasty, consolidating power in this male-dominated world was extremely difficult. She still needed to consider public opinion, so she found Lai Luozhi to be her executioner, eliminating opposition and strengthening imperial power.
Naturally, she had shown considerable indulgence towards Lai Luozhi, but did the Empress truly not know about all of Lai Luozhi’s private actions?
Zhu Yan suddenly slowed her steps, looking at the man in front of her wearing a deep purple official robe embroidered with taotie patterns.
The man was rather thin, not matching the greedy taotie on his robe.
Squinting her eyes, she said, “Zhu Yan, Head of the Ministry of Justice, pays respects to the Deputy Chief of the Judicial Investigation Bureau.”
Hearing this, the man turned around. His effeminate face was unnaturally pale, oddly reminding Zhu Yan of the deceased Lai Luofu, who always had a deathly pallor.
“Did Lord Lai wait here specifically? Is there nothing to say?” Zhu Yan didn’t want to engage with him. She needed to hurry home and discuss matters with Shen Du, feeling that something was about to happen in the capital and the Daming Palace.
Lai Luozhi curved his lips in a smile, the thinness of his face deepening the lines around his mouth, making him look particularly frightening:
“What does Madam Shen mean? This official just came from the Empress and lingered here for a moment before encountering Madam Shen. If not a coincidence, could it be that Madam Shen was waiting here specifically to speak with this official?”
Lai Luozhi’s smile was eerie and sinister, giving Zhu Yan goosebumps all over.
“Lord Lai jests. This lowly official had no intention of seeking you out. I’ll take my leave now.”
Zhu Yan finished speaking, bowed, and quickly tried to walk past Lai Luozhi, but was stopped.
Halting her steps, Zhu Yan turned back to look at him, her eyes full of impatience: “What instructions does Lord Lai have?”
This attitude was completely different from before. Lai Luozhi secretly hated it, his eyes showing a hint of sharpness:
“Does Madam Shen know that the investigation of the Kanaqisheluo family is under the jurisdiction of the Judicial Investigation Bureau?”
“This lowly official knows.”
Lai Luozhi: “Heh, Madam Shen has spent too much time with that Shen Du. I don’t know about other things, but your audacity has certainly grown.”
“I don’t understand Lord Lai’s meaning,” Zhu Yan’s heart raced, hoping Lai Luozhi’s intentions weren’t as she had feared earlier.
Seeing Zhu Yan still not admitting it, Lai Luozhi raised his hand to shade his eyes, too lazy to mince words:
“Since you know it’s under the Bureau’s jurisdiction, Madam Shen should also know that the extermination of the Kana Qiselo family was sanctioned by the Empress. You dared to aid the Kana Qiselo family in escaping their fate and even presented the case to the Empress, opposing the Tribunal. Do you not realize that you are smearing the Empress’s reputation? How could you be so reckless?”
Lai Luo’s accusations implied that Zhu Yan was not only opposing the Tribunal but also daring to involve the Empress.
Zhu Yan, maintaining her composure, responded, “Even if it was indeed my doing, what of it? Minister Lai, you have also deceived and misled, disregarding the law and human lives. Isn’t that equally reckless? We are merely reflecting each other’s faults.”