Although Zhu Zhaowei’s expression remained gentle, there was already a sinister look in his eyes: “Why has Fourth Brother come?”

Zhu Yushen said: “If this prince didn’t come, would I let you beat to death a current third-rank minister of the court on charges of harboring criminals?” With that, he said to the guards executing the punishment, “Release him.”

The Fourth Prince Consort Shen Jun was precisely Shen Xi’s third elder sister. Since Zhu Zhaowei had just stated that only those related to Shen Xi by blood could make decisions for him, now that Zhu Yushen had arrived, he couldn’t go back on his word.

So Zhu Zhaowei said: “Very well then. Fourth Brother can take Vice Minister Shen back, and along the way counsel your young brother-in-law not to get stuck in a dead end over momentary grief and sorrow, seeking death before this prince, making it seem as if this prince wants his life.” He smiled slightly, “Fourth Brother doesn’t know—these eighty strokes of the rod were what Vice Minister Shen asked for himself. Actually, this prince didn’t want to punish him too severely. Yesterday Minister Zeng even mentioned that the Directorate of Imperial Stud under the Court of Imperial Stud just received a hundred fine horses and is desperately short of people. This prince is still hoping Vice Minister Shen can recover from his injuries and take up his new post soon.”

Zhu Yushen let the soldiers behind him untie Shen Xi, ignoring Zhu Zhaowei.

Zhu Zhaowei gave another cold smile and left directly with his entourage.

Two soldiers wanted to carry Shen Xi to the Imperial Medical Bureau, but as soon as they lifted half his body, blood seeped through his clothing and dripped down the hem onto the ground.

Su Jin found the sight shocking and asked a nearby guard: “How many strokes has he received?”

The guard replied: “Reporting to Lord Su, fifty-two strokes have been administered.”

Su Jin only felt an empty desolation in her chest. In a daze, she heard herself shout at the two soldiers trying to lift Shen Xi: “Don’t move him yet!” Then she looked around, “Where are the people from the Imperial Medical Bureau? Are you all blind?!”

Shortly after, a medical officer carrying a medicine chest came running quickly. This person’s surname was Fang and given name Xu. Su Jin recognized him—he was one of the hidden agents on the list Shen Xi had given Su Jin, someone who could be trusted.

Fang Xu set down his medicine chest, first lifted Shen Xi’s eyelids to look, then took his pulse, and only then took out half a ginseng root from the medicine chest and had him hold it in his mouth.

Su Jin asked: “Lord Fang, how is Lord Shen?”

Fang Xu said: “Reporting to the Fourth Prince and Lord Su, Lord Shen’s pulse is weak and deficient, floating without strength. This is the condition of severe injury. Fortunately, there’s still a breath of life in him. This humble official can only use ginseng to maintain this breath for now, then examine his injuries afterward. But it cannot be done here—we must carry him back to the Imperial Medical Bureau.”

Zhu Yushen instructed the centurion at his side: “Que Wu, make do with this torture bench and have people carry Qingyue to the Imperial Medical Bureau.”

The centurion called Que Wu clasped his hands in acknowledgment, then immediately selected four soldiers from among the troops who quickly yet steadily carried Shen Xi away.

Only then did Zhu Yushen say to Su Jin: “Many thanks, Censor Su. If the censor hadn’t risked her life to block them, this prince wouldn’t have arrived in time to save Qingyue’s life.”

At dusk, as the evening wind rose on all sides, Zhu Yushen’s eyes were so deep in the twilight that one couldn’t see their depths. At his waist, an ancient羌笛 hung with timeless elegance, and remarkably, even a sword tassel was attached to the Qiang flute.

Su Jin recognized this sword tassel—Zhu Nanxian also had many of them. They were gifts from Shen Xi’s third elder sister, the Fourth Prince Consort known as Miss Shen the Third.

But even if he was Shen Xi’s third brother-in-law, should she trust him?

Su Jin couldn’t help but think that traveling back and forth between the Northern Grand Camp and the palace required at least two hours. The tax grain embezzlement case had begun its trial after noon, and Shen Xi volunteering to receive eighty strokes of the rod was an accident. So who could have summoned Zhu Yushen from the Northern Grand Camp so promptly to make decisions for Shen Xi?

With this thought, Su Jin said: “The Fourth Prince appears to be in a hurry. You must still have military affairs to attend to. If Your Highness cannot get away, once the Imperial Medical Bureau has tended to Lord Shen’s injuries, you may entrust Lord Shen to this humble minister.”

Whether or not Zhu Yushen already knew she harbored suspicions, he didn’t seem to mind, saying coolly: “Very well.” He turned and led his soldiers through the Gate of Receiving Heaven to get their horses, then rode away.

Only then did Su Jin turn to Zuo Qian, walk up to him and bow: “I must trouble General Zuo to dispatch two Golden Guards to watch over the Imperial Medical Bureau. As soon as Lord Shen can leave, have them inform me immediately. We mustn’t let the Fourth Prince’s people get there first.”

Zuo Qian said: “Censor Su may rest assured.”

Su Jin lowered her eyes and thought for another moment, a dark color floating up from the depths of her eyes: “I must also trouble General Zuo to dispatch eight more Golden Guards for me. I’ll wait right here.”

Zuo Qian nodded: “Very well, Zuo will go to the garrison post immediately.”

The people around had nearly all dispersed. After Zhu Zhaowei left, no one else came to question Su Jin about the crime of interfering with punishment.

Su Jin stood alone like this on the vast Xuanyuan Platform, letting the evening wind assault her, waiting for the sky to slowly darken.

Before long, someone came hurrying from the distance—actually a censor from the Imperial Censorate. Drawing near, this censor said to Su Jin: “Lord Su, Lord Qian asked this humble official to tell you that since the New Year festival, Lord Su has been constantly busy and working tirelessly, which is truly exhausting. For these remaining days, you should return home to rest and need not attend duty. He also said, please be assured that he will watch over matters at the palace for you. The matters you’re concerned about and anxious over, he will be concerned about and anxious over them on your behalf.”

There seemed to be an apologetic tone in his voice.

But when Su Jin heard this, she couldn’t help but laugh: “Not exhausting? How could this official be exhausted? When Lord Liu and Lord Qian—one lingering on a sickbed, one burning incense and chanting prayers—can still find time to manage myriad affairs daily, handling major cases in a way that makes people applaud, if this official calls this exhausting, wouldn’t that damage the reputation of our Imperial Censorate?”

The twilight gathered at the bottom of her eyes,染上霜寒之气 taking on a frosty chill, transforming into a deep lake beneath the night.

Eight Golden Guards were already rushing toward Xuanyuan Platform. The leader bowed to Su Jin: “Subordinate Golden Guard Banner Chief Yao Jiang, following General Zuo’s orders, at Censor Su’s complete disposal.”

Su Jin responded with an “Mm”: “Follow me.”

Su Jin remembered that last year when Zhao Yan had taken her on an inspection tour of various areas of the Imperial Censorate, he had paused before a dark chamber.

At the time she had found it strange—the Imperial Censorate already had several interrogation rooms and torture chambers, so why would they need an extra dark chamber? Zhao Yan’s answer had also been vague, saying there were always some cases that Lord Liu had to personally interrogate.

So Su Jin recalled that when Liu Chaoming had turned over the embezzlement case witness Feng Mengping to Qian San’er, he had given an extra instruction: “Take him to the dark chamber for interrogation.”

She had always been someone who saw through things like fire. During these days at the Imperial Censorate, she wasn’t unaware that whenever there were cases involving current affairs, Liu Chaoming and Qian Yueqian mostly interrogated them in the dark chamber.

Since the witness was inside the dark chamber, then the evidence was probably also inside the dark chamber.

By now it was already the hour of You. Only a handful of low-ranking censors remained at the Imperial Censorate. Seeing Su Jin barge in with eight Golden Guards, none dared to obstruct her.

Su Jin circled around the front courtyard, circled around the main hall, and went directly to the dark chamber in the middle courtyard, about to push open the door.

Only then did the guards in the courtyard react to what Censor Su intended to do. They barred their arms before Su Jin. One of the guard captains said: “Lord Su, Lord Liu has instructed that without his orders, no one may enter this dark chamber.”

Su Jin looked at him expressionlessly and called out: “Golden Guards.”

“Yes!”

Even though the enemy outnumbered them, the Golden Guards weren’t comparable to ordinary guards from the Six Ministries. In short order, they had these guards restrained to one side. Yao Jiang fished out the keys from the guard captain and handed them to Su Jin.

Su Jin unlocked it and reached out to push open the door of the dark chamber.

Dusk had fully descended, and dark night was beginning. A sinister bloody smell with a trace of dampness came rushing at her face.

By the dim candlelight on the desk, Su Jin could see clearly that this so-called dark chamber was actually more like a prison—a long corridor with several dark rooms divided on the left and right, filled with various torture instruments.

In the nearest dark room, someone seemed to be suspended from a torture rack. Su Jin felt suspicious and picked up a candlestick from a desk to one side, walking toward the dark room.

Drawing closer, she could see clearly that this person’s body was covered with whip marks, not a single patch of intact skin remaining on his entire body. His right hand’s five fingers were also gone, but his chest rose and fell—clearly he was still alive.

This person’s head had originally been hanging down, but upon hearing the sound, it moved slightly. And it was this movement that made Su Jin feel this person looked somewhat familiar.

She brought the candlelight a bit closer and asked: “You are—”

That person suddenly raised his face and looked at her with hollow eyes. After a moment, he opened his mouth and seemed to emit a hoarse mournful cry from his throat, saying as if he had lost his senses: “I’ll confess, I’ll confess everything!”

The candlestick in Su Jin’s hand suddenly fell to the ground. As the candle flame touched the damp ground, it extinguished with a “tss” sound. She retreated several steps until her back hit a prison pillar, then supported herself on the pillar to steady her mind.

She recognized this person.

He was precisely that person who should have died long ago—the eldest young master of Minister Qian’s household, Deputy Commander of the Feathered Forest Guard, Qian Yu.

Su Jin knew that Qian Yu’s current state was already a fate worse than death. Liu Chaoming or Qian Yueqian keeping him alive was definitely not to save him. But what did they want to extract from Qian Yu’s mouth using such cruel torture?

However, her thoughts only wandered for this instant before returning to their proper course. She remembered her purpose in coming to this dark chamber.

Su Jin steadied herself, stepped forward to pick up the candlestick from the ground, relit it, withdrew from Qian Yu’s dark room, and walked toward the deeper recesses of the dark chamber.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

At this moment, a calm and indifferent voice came from behind.

Su Jin didn’t need to turn around to know it was Liu Chaoming.

Accompanying him were also several Embroidered Uniform Guards. They held torches, illuminating this dark chamber so glaringly bright, as if not at all concerned about exposing this filthy dark chamber reeking of blood under the firelight.

“Looking for solid evidence of Qian Zhihuan’s embezzlement? Trying to clear the Shen family’s name?” In a moment, Liu Chaoming’s voice actually carried a trace of mockery.

Su Jin’s heart sank. She turned around, but before she could speak, she saw that Liu Chaoming was actually smiling.

His smile was extremely gentle. Positioned in this dazzling firelight, his entire person was like a jade piece radiating brilliant light.

But Su Jin saw derision in the depths of his eyes.

She had never seen Liu Chaoming like this, yet for an instant, she actually felt that Liu Chaoming should have been like this all along.

In Su Jin’s eyes was a deep lake at night, with undercurrents already surging at the lake’s bottom.

She asked: “Where is the solid evidence of Qian Zhihuan’s embezzlement?”

The smile at the corner of Liu Chaoming’s lips didn’t fade. He called out clearly and lightly: “Embroidered Uniform Guards.” Then said, “Please escort Censor Su out of here.”

Two Embroidered Uniform Guards responded. They didn’t use force, but rather made a “please” gesture to Su Jin: “Lord Su, please don’t make things difficult for us.”

Su Jin made no sound.

She walked directly in front of Liu Chaoming, slightly raised her face, and after taking in fully the derision manifested in his eyes, she returned the smile. “Does Lord Liu remember?” she said. “Distinguish between right and wrong, set disorder right, speak direct counsel, guard the heart as one.”

Then she withdrew her smile, and startling waves suddenly appeared in her clear eyes: “Where is the justice I wanted?!”