Zhu Yan nodded. Lu Chuichui, standing to the side with numb legs, said she was going to inquire about Kong Suier and Kuang Zhanxin’s affairs and left.
Xu Xiangren smiled, “Miss Lu still has that personality.” He shook his head and took out a document, handing it to Zhu Yan, “I’ve already told the Chief Constable about this, and he told me to inform you as well.”
Zhu Yan opened it to find several missing person case records tucked inside the document.
Without exception, they were all cases of missing courtesans, all occurring between April 15th and May 10th.
The portraits attached showed different faces, but they all had something in common.
Including this time’s Kuang Zhanxin.
At first glance, they all seemed vaguely similar.
“There are many missing person cases every year, but the proportion of missing courtesans is extremely low,” Xu Xiangren said. “It was the Magistrate of Chang’an who first noticed this. Because last year around this time, the madam of a missing courtesan was quite troublesome, giving him a headache. After seeing Kuang Zhanxin’s portrait, he felt something was off and called for the Chief Constable.”
“I heard that after the Imperial Guard took over, they didn’t pay much attention to this matter, so the Magistrate of Chang’an didn’t dare to report directly to the Ministry of Justice, bypassing the Imperial Guard,” Xu Xiangren sighed. “Everyone in Chang’an knows that the court officials are afraid of the White King of Hell when standing and the Black King of Hell when sitting. The Chief Constable and the Magistrate of Chang’an don’t dare to offend the White King of Hell either. Anyway, since you’re in the Ministry of Justice, if you think something is wrong, you can still report it and let the Minister of Justice decide. Besides, the White King of Hell surely won’t draw his sword to kill his wife because of this…”
Zhu Yan smiled slightly, “You’ve got it wrong.”
If it weren’t for the recent marriage, and if the Empress still remembered this incident, her head would have been placed next to the one in the sedan chair that day.
Flipping through the document, Zhu Yan said, “I’ll discuss this with the Director. If it’s a serial…”
“A serial what?”
The voice, cold as ice, made all the noise on the busy street disappear from Zhu Yan’s ears.
She didn’t turn around, but from Xu Xiangren’s bowing and retreating, she knew who the cold-blooded, annoying person behind her was.
Taking a deep breath, Zhu Yan turned around, “How does the Grand Commander have time to come to Pingkang Ward? Could it be that you have a sweetheart here? If so, this official won’t disturb you and will withdraw…”
Her chin was grabbed.
Shen Du, dressed in his official robes, raised his sword-like eyebrows slightly. His deep phoenix eyes glanced at her, and he sneered, “Isn’t my sweetheart right here? If you leave, how am I supposed to see my sweetheart?”
He used the word “sweetheart” twice in his speech. Although Zhu Yan knew he was mocking her, she still felt the place where he was holding her chin grow hot, like a boiling stone thrown into cold water, making her whole body feel like it was about to boil.
Quickly stepping back, Zhu Yan rubbed her chin and asked, “Why… why is the Grand Commander here?”
Jinglin, standing behind Shen Du, said coldly, “It’s all because the Sixth Miss didn’t return home all night. This morning, when Minister Zhang sent someone to deliver gifts and didn’t see the Sixth Miss, he thought we might have done something to the unruly Sixth Miss. It almost alarmed His Majesty.”
Shen Du said indifferently, “Perhaps His Majesty didn’t expect you to be here and with a Local Constablen no less.”
Before even considering what problem there might be with her being with a Local Constablen, Zhu Yan was shocked that she, a mere concubine-born daughter of the Zhu family, not returning home for one night could alarm the Emperor.
After a moment of silence, Zhu Yan understood, and for the first time, realized how terrifying a political game her marriage to Shen Du was.
Zhang Xingwei’s early morning gift delivery was certainly not out of concern for her safety. He most likely knew about her substitution marriage and was planning to either have her monitor Shen Du if she was alive or submit a memorial to impeach Shen Du if she was dead.
The Emperor’s concern over this matter was nothing more than using this kind of struggle between powerful ministers to maintain a balance of power.
Zhu Yan’s question about whether her parents would be implicated in this suddenly became unnecessary because regardless of the situation, both Zhang Xingwei and Shen Du would certainly be able to persuade the Emperor to remain calm and unconcerned.
“I spent the night with Second Sister at the Ministry of Justice,” Zhu Yan said. “Given the discord between us as husband and wife, returning home would only result in mutual disgust.”
After examining Kuang Zhanxin’s body yesterday, Zhu Yan and Lu Chuichui rushed to Pingkang Ward. However being unfamiliar with the area, they only learned upon reaching Tongming Hall that new guests needed to be introduced by the madam or have a recommendation from a regular guest to enter. Thinking of getting a recommendation from Lu Chuichui’s cousin today, and with the Zhu and Lu residences being too far to return conveniently, Zhu Yan and Lu Chuichui had returned to the Ministry of Justice before the palace gates were locked.
By that time, Shen Du had been completely forgotten, and it wasn’t until she was peacefully sleeping at the Ministry of Justice that she remembered him.
Recalling how she had tossed and turned last night unable to sleep because of this annoying man, Zhu Yan lowered her eyes, not wanting to look at Shen Du again.
Shen Du glanced at her and approved, “It’s good that you know your place.”
Zhu Yan completely didn’t want to speak with him anymore. She curtsied and was about to go find Lu Chuichui. However, as she passed by Shen Du, her path was blocked by his raised sword.
“However, regardless of anything else, you are now Madam Shen in the eyes of everyone,” Shen Du lowered his arm. “To prevent Zhang Xingwei from speaking nonsense in front of His Majesty, saying that I, Shen Du, am mistreating my new wife, today, you must stay with me.”
Stay with him all day? How was she supposed to investigate the case?
Zhu Yan reluctantly said, “The Imperial Guard has countless matters to attend to. Doesn’t the Grand Commander still need to handle the matter of the Liang family’s second branch for His Majesty? Bringing me along would only be inconvenient…”
“Are you dead or crippled?”
Zhu Yan choked, raising her head to look at Shen Du, “What does the Grand Commander mean?”
Shen Du gestured to his subordinates behind him with two fingers, then said to Zhu Yan, “Since you’re neither dead nor crippled, what inconvenience could there be, Madam?”
Without giving her a chance to refuse, Zhu Yan was pulled over. She watched as Jinglin very smoothly took her horse’s reins and led her towards the ward gate.
As the Imperial Guard went about their business, everyone else retreated. The street vendors and passersby on the main street wisely dispersed. Zhu Yan, hanging on Shen Du’s arm and walking backward, caught a glimpse