Both knees were swollen red all over, with wounds in the middle that had already formed shallow scabs. A faint medicinal fragrance wafted over, with light green ointment applied on the scabs.

That was the ointment “Huo Chang’an” had sent.

While Suzhen’s hands and face were tanned honey-colored, her legs were slender and fair, with veins faintly visible, making her injuries look rather pitiful.

Seeing how she had just held that cup with a face full of bitter resentment and gloomy shadows, resigned to her fate, Lian Yu’s gaze darkened a few shades as he examined her wounds.

He suddenly glanced at the roof and said in a low voice, “Xuanwu, is it you or your subordinates crouching up there? Clear the field immediately!”

Suzhen thought to herself, what a pervert who loves talking to himself.

Just as she was thinking this, she heard a clapping sound from the roof, as if in response—

She was instantly dumbfounded. There… there were people on the roof…

Seeing her looking completely stunned by pain, Lian Yu gently caressed the skin around her wounds with his large hand. After hesitating a moment, he said indifferently, “The tea that day, I also tasted it—it wasn’t too hot. When I was young and working in the palace, encountering those with bad tempers, I often received such injuries. Over time, I no longer felt much pain from them, but I overlooked that you and I are not the same.”

Although this man before her was handsome and had better-looking hands than hers, no matter how good-looking, they were still a man’s hands. His fingertips were rough and hot, and right now they were touching her thigh—something only Zhaoting should be allowed to do… Suzhen felt her blood rushing up, her whole body trembling with anger, panic, embarrassment—everything mixed together. She wanted to pull her foot away, but feared angering him and having him call for someone to chop her down. Yet not pulling away… wuu wuu… She couldn’t focus on what he was saying at all. When Lian Yu said “I,” she didn’t think much of it, only felt a vague sense of strangeness. This indifferent expression as if telling someone else’s story, these emotions devoid of joy or sorrow, seemed familiar, half-recognizable.

But she was absolutely certain that before that day at the inn, she had never seen Lian Yu.

“Does it hurt very much?”

In this moment of distraction, she suddenly felt her ankle tighten and was startled back to her senses by that slightly sharp voice.

Before her, Lian Yu’s enlarged face looked coldly carved like a knife, though his brow was furrowed in an incongruous manner.

Was he concerned about her?

But this concern was excessive—how could an emperor treat a subject this way?

It couldn’t be that he preferred men either.

If he wanted to keep male favorites or catamites, that would be easy enough. If he were going to be interested in men, he’d choose someone pleasing to the eye—how could he be interested in him!

She felt inexplicably flustered. Steadying her mind, she forced a smile and said, “It doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t hurt. Your Majesty’s such kindness overwhelms this humble subject.”

As she spoke, she glared at Lian Yu while struggling to pull her foot away. Lian Yu’s gaze grew darker, but he slowly let go.

“This subject takes leave now. May Your Majesty have sweet dreams.”

She hurriedly climbed down from the bed, bent to bow, and ran to the door in a few steps.

“Oh, did Minister Li come so late just to tour my bed?”

Sarcastic words drifted over faintly. Suzhen nearly choked on them. Turning back, she saw Lian Yu standing by the bed, not looking at her but gazing indifferently at the teacup she had casually placed on the ground.

She organized her thoughts, slowly lifted her robes, and knelt on the ground. “Your Majesty, this humble subject has been waiting for your reply.”

“Are you complaining that I don’t even dare give you an answer?”

Lian Yu raised an eyebrow with a smile, showing neither anger nor reproach.

Though Suzhen hated this man in her heart, she suddenly felt somewhat distressed. Lian Yu’s situation was not easy!

At least, he was different from those emperors she had seen in operas—those who played among dragons and phoenixes or traveled incognito, writing tales of romance and heroic passion.

At this moment, setting aside all hatred, he was her sovereign and she was his subject.

She stated her thoughts as a subject: “Your Majesty, this humble subject knows in her heart all your difficulties. Huaisu knows, Huaisu knows everything.”

“I also understand the choices made by the princes and ministers who support Your Majesty—what’s right and wrong, what’s important and trivial, choosing the greater and abandoning the lesser—this is correct. Your Majesty is also a good ruler. Knowing that decision was not wrong, yet you never directly rebuked or refused Huaisu. Your Majesty, Huaisu came tonight to tell Your Majesty that Huaisu will handle the Mochou case according to official procedures.”

“After all these high-sounding words, Minister Li ultimately fears being criticized by the world and has decided to help Mochou?”

Lian Yu’s gaze focused, suddenly looking directly at him, with a hint of something between a smile and not a smile in his eyes.

How could Suzhen not hear the sarcasm in his tone? She shook her head with a smile. “Huaisu has always been thick-skinned and doesn’t fear criticism from the world. Doing this is to seek justice for the dead, provide proper treatment for the living, and spare the innocent from death. Only this way can I live up to Your Majesty’s expectations when you personally bestowed upon me the position of Chief Justice.”

“Because this is Huaisu’s duty. Huaisu also wants to say, please let Your Majesty fulfill the duty of the Son of Heaven of Great Zhou when the time comes. The trial begins the day after tomorrow. Your Majesty may use various means to strike at me before the trial, preventing me from conducting normal interrogations, or you may overturn Huaisu’s verdict after the judgment. Of course, Huaisu will resist to the end. I’ve thought long and hard—this approach seems very foolish, but at least I won’t betray my own heart, and Your Majesty is the same. Because we must both be responsible for our responsibilities. We can lose, we can be misunderstood and scolded, but we cannot retreat, cannot abandon our duty.”

Lian Yu seemed not to have heard clearly what she was saying, just staring at her like a hawk surveying prey during a hunt, his gaze sharp and penetrating. Across the table and chairs, he watched her kneel on the ground, her eyebrows slightly curved.

Suzhen felt good about her statement and was nearly moved by her own words. Under his stare, she felt chilled to the bone. Seeing that he apparently had no intention of telling her to rise, she made a quick decision to get up herself, waved her hand, and went to open the door.

Unexpectedly, the young man behind her suddenly said, “Chief Justice Li, do as you think best. I will not stop you, nor will I make things difficult for you.”

Suzhen’s whole body shook, doubting she had heard correctly. She turned around sharply, only to see Lian Yu’s lips slightly upturned, his gaze like lightning.

She clearly saw the undisguised pride and confidence in his eyes.

Different from that night when they first met—cunning and self-serving. Different from his elegant nobility on Ning’an Street. Different from his strategic retreat in the Golden Throne Hall. Different from his silent acceptance of various ministers’ attitudes in the Imperial Study. Different from the blood-hot youth in the morgue who seemed unwilling to be secretly despised by He Sai.

As if all those were masks picked up at random.

She stared in a daze, hearing him say word by word, “You blaze the trail, I’ll provide protection. Go.”