Chang’an, Prison of the Ministry of Justice.
The gloomy corridor was heavily guarded. Gray-blue brick walls and blackened wood all exuded a strong, damp chill.
Zhu Yan, the ninth-rank clerk of the Ministry of Justice, stood in this suffocating atmosphere, observing a thin man seated behind the table before her.
The thin man hung his head low, his jaw clenched, his eyes darting around various corners of the interrogation room. Zhu Yan watched him coldly, reaching behind her to take a pair of small children’s shoes from a wooden box, and placing them in front of the thin man.
The man’s gaze swept over the shoes. Suddenly, his whole body trembled as if struck by a realization, and he looked at Zhu Yan in shock.
Zhu Yan smiled coldly: “That’s right, just as you’re thinking, Wang Ruan’er was two months pregnant.”
The thin man was instantly terrified. He picked up the pair of shoes, then shook his head repeatedly and threw them away. “No, impossible, you’re tricking me! And even if she was pregnant, so what? She… that child would still have the Wang surname, would still look down on me like the rest of them!”
“That’s not the case,” Zhu Yan said coldly. “Cheng Xian, you resented being a live-in son-in-law and angrily assisted in the murder of Wang Ruan’er. But you didn’t know that she was devoted to you. Not only did she plan to give the child your surname after birth, but she also intended to entrust you with all of the Wang family’s assets after the child was born. As for She Huhu, the true culprit you’ve been hiding, Wang Ruan’er knew about her existence long ago and was willing to accept her into the family without holding grudges.”
“Cheng Xian, you’ve complained everywhere that Wang Ruan’er used her wealth and power to oppress you, but whether that’s true or not, you know best.”
“I’ll ask one more time, Cheng Xian. Are you truly unwilling to reveal She Huhu’s whereabouts to comfort the spirits of Wang Ruan’er and her unborn child?”
Cheng Xian covered his face, weeping with regret.
After recording She Huhu’s whereabouts, Zhu Yan packed up the box and left the prison. Nan Zhen, the Chief Constable of the Ministry of Justice, saluted Zhu Yan from afar as he approached, his mouth full of praise: “I’ve long heard Brother Chen say that Sixth Miss is formidable, especially skilled in investigation and interrogation. I didn’t expect you to surpass your teacher. Who knows how long Cheng Xian would have hidden She Huhu’s whereabouts if it weren’t for you? Fortunately, you participated in the official female examination for the Ministry of Justice, allowing me to find you at the ministry. Otherwise, if I, this rough fellow, had to go to the Zhu residence to seek out a delicate young lady, it would have damaged your reputation. Oh—where did that box of yours come from? We didn’t see it at the Wang residence that day.”
Nan Zhen was in his mid-twenties, with a full beard. He was the young sworn brother of Zhu Yan’s fifty-year-old master, Chen Wen. He was known to be quite talkative, and Zhu Yan had often heard Chen Wen complain about Nan Zhen’s verbosity, so she wasn’t surprised by his chatter.
Lifting the box now wrapped in a cloth bundle, Zhu Yan smiled slightly and said, “These aren’t from the Wang family. The baby shoes were made by my sister-in-law for my unborn nephew.”
Nan Zhen was extremely surprised, but after thinking about it, he realized that without this psychological tactic, Cheng Xian might not have revealed the truth.
Recalling Cheng Xian’s tight-lipped nature, Nan Zhen could only sigh helplessly. He said to Zhu Yan, “Someone from the Zhu residence just came to inform the Ministry of Justice that there’s been an incident at home. They want you to return as soon as possible. I’ve prepared a horse for you, it’s waiting outside. Thank you for your help this time, Sixth Miss.”
Zhu Yan had just taken office ten days ago and had already encountered several cases. After assisting in resolving them, she thought she could return home, but was then called to the prison. Now, hearing that something had happened at the Zhu residence, she was stunned for a moment and asked, “Is it about my third sister’s marriage to Shen Du?”
Nan Zhen shook his head: “I just met with the Chief Constable of the Local Constablen. It seems your sister has hanged herself.”
Hanged herself!