“You just said I only had a talent for talking. Now, let me show you my methods and prove whether I’m merely bluffing or not,” Shen Du said coldly, exchanging a glance with Jing Lin.
Understanding the signal, Jing Lin gestured, and the Imperial Guard brothers immediately laid out various instruments of torture before them.
Finger presses, silver needles, and whips… Though not as cruel as some of Lai Luozhi’s methods, they were still quite effective.
Seeing the array of torture devices, Ji Fangming’s forehead began to bead with cold sweat, his fists clenched tightly.
Shen Du waved his hand, and just as Jing Lin was about to apply the finger press to Ji Fangming, a sudden summons was heard. Lai Luozhi entered with his men.
Observing the scene before him, Lai Luozhi’s smile held deep meaning, his tone tinged with disdain. “Chamberlain Shen always lectures this official about not killing the innocent or treating life carelessly. Yet here you are, abusing your power with illegal torture, and on a government official no less. It truly embodies the saying, ‘Only the magistrate is allowed to set fires, while the common people can’t even light lamps.'”
Shen Du’s expression grew exceptionally gloomy. He was already displeased by Lai Luozhi’s arrival, but these words further irritated him.
“Her Majesty entrusted this case to me personally. I know what I’m doing. Vice Minister Lai, there’s no need for you to meddle in affairs that don’t concern you. Don’t make me charge you with obstructing an investigation.”
“My, my, Chamberlain Shen, what impressive authority you wield. This Lai truly admires you. However, no matter how great your skills or how much power you possess, you can’t arbitrarily torture someone, especially an imperial appointee. Moreover, with insufficient evidence to convict, this appears to be an attempt at forced confession. This Lai cannot stand idly by and watch such injustice.”
Seeing Lai Luozhi’s persistent interference, Zhu Yan realized the gravity of the situation.
If Ji Fangming didn’t confess, and with Lai Luozhi’s meddling, they would have no choice but to release him without charges. This would be detrimental to their cause and damage Shen Du’s reputation. They couldn’t allow the situation to unfold this way.
After a moment’s thought, Zhu Yan devised a plan. She looked at Ji Fangming with righteous indignation and said, “Lord Ji, no matter how elaborate your tricks may be, they can never become reality. Even the most convincing impersonator can’t truly replace the original. If you’ve placed your bets on this, I’m afraid all your efforts will be in vain.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Ji Fangming roared at Zhu Yan, enraged.
Seeing that the fish had taken the bait, Zhu Yan’s lips curled into a slight smile. “I must have guessed your intentions correctly to provoke such anger. My meaning is clear: no matter how convincing the imitation, it’s not the real thing. Did you truly believe we couldn’t find the missing official?”
“Impossible,” Ji Fangming’s face darkened as he shouted, “No one goes to that abandoned temple. How could anyone have found him?”
This outburst took everyone by surprise.
Realizing he had misspoken, Ji Fangming quickly pointed at Zhu Yan and yelled, “You dare to trick me?”
“Circumstances forced my hand. It was unavoidable. Besides, if you were truly innocent, how could you have revealed your crime?” Zhu Yan’s face was full of meaning as she exchanged a glance with Jing Lin, who understood and left the Ministry of Justice with his men.
Shen Du’s gloomy expression eased slightly. With a cold snort, he ordered, “Take Ji Fangming to the dungeon to await his sentence.”
“Yes, sir.” Two Imperial Guard brothers stepped forward and led Ji Fangming away.
Ji Fangming, filled with resentment, cursed and swore at Zhu Yan, even wishing her an untimely death.
Zhu Yan remained unfazed, turning her gaze to Shen Du. Nearby, Lai Luozhi’s expression had grown exceptionally grave. Sensing the unfavorable turn of events, he was about to speak when Shen Du cut him off. “Vice Minister Lai, you were just defending Ji Fangming’s innocence, but now he has confessed with his mouth. What more do you have to say?”
Lai Luozhi’s lips moved as if something was stuck in his throat. In the end, he couldn’t utter a complete sentence.
“If your throat is uncomfortable, go see a physician. Don’t waste this official’s time here,” Shen Du said coldly, effectively dismissing Lai Luozhi.
Lai Luozhi’s face turned ashen, but he was well aware of the unfavorable situation he found himself in.
After a moment of frustration, he coldly said “Let’s go,” and left with his men.
With Lai Luozhi’s departure, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.
Having two “Kings of Hell” present simultaneously created an oppressive atmosphere. Seeing one of them leave allowed people to relax a bit.
The matter was finally resolved satisfactorily, and the Ministry of Justice staff admired Zhu Yan’s intelligence. However, Shen Du maintained a gloomy expression, not uttering a word.
After the customary pleasantries were exchanged and everyone had gradually left, only Zhu Yan and Shen Du remained in the main hall of the Ministry of Justice.
“What’s wrong?” Zhu Yan approached and asked, “The case is closed. Why do you look displeased? Is there something else that hasn’t been dealt with?”
Shen Du remained silent, only slightly turning to glance at Zhu Yan before speaking in a reproachful tone, “Do you realize how dangerous your actions were earlier? Of all the methods you could have used, you chose the most foolish one. Provoking Ji Fangming like that was reckless. What if something had gone wrong? Could you have taken responsibility?”
Zhu Yan, confused and indignant, looked at Shen Du calmly and said, “Let me remind you, I solved this case, not you. So what if my method was a bit clumsy? It still made him confess. Unlike you, the great Chamberlain of the Imperial Guard, who could only resort to forced confessions and was then stopped, left with no plan. In my opinion, your authority is nothing but a facade. You have the nerve to criticize me?”
Hearing this, Shen Du’s expression remained unchanged.
Instead, he spoke slowly, “Not everyone is as brainless as you. Some matters have better solutions, yet you insist on using the clumsiest approach. Is this how you demonstrate your capabilities?”
Shen Du’s words thoroughly irritated Zhu Yan. “Who are you calling brainless? Have you not grasped the current situation? If it weren’t for me today, were you planning to force a confession out of Ji Fangming, or did you intend to fight Lai Luozhi to the bitter end?”
Shen Du said no more, only gently rubbing his abdomen. “Enough. Let’s end the discussion of today’s events here. I’m hungry now. Go make dinner.”
Zhu Yan was completely baffled. How could this man change the subject so abruptly? They had been discussing the case, and suddenly he switched to talking about food.
But they had an agreement: no matter how important the case was, whenever Shen Du said he was hungry, she had to cook, and they had to eat together.
This left Zhu Yan feeling both exasperated and annoyed.
After returning to Shen Manor, Zhu Yan prepared a table full of delicious dishes. However, the day’s events still left her feeling indignant.
She had accomplished a great feat, yet was being criticized for it.
Where was the justice in that?
Watching Shen Du eat the meal with a serene expression, Zhu Yan’s cheeks puffed out in anger, her appetite completely gone.
The more she looked at Shen Du, the more irritated she became. Finally, she slammed her chopsticks on the table with a loud “clap” and asked, “How’s the food today?”