Zhang Baohuan, who was participating in the court session, furrowed her brows slightly. The Jinxiu Fang case was closely related to Han Shiyuan.
From the incident until now, Han Shiyuan had been harboring resentment towards her because of the Jinxiu Fang affair.
If they could take this opportunity to reopen the Jinxiu Fang case and clear the names of those involved, Han Shiyuan would no longer be considered guilty. He could then appear openly before everyone.
More importantly, it could alleviate the guilt and pressure he had been carrying for years. Perhaps then, their relationship could return to what it once was.
With this in mind, Zhang Baohuan bowed to the Empress, “Your Majesty, your humble servant also believes Minister Shen’s words have merit. If we truly consider the people’s interests, we should address their concerns and follow their wishes. Moreover, with the recent ghost stories, people are likely quite curious about the Jinxiu Fang incident from years ago. Wouldn’t reopening this case now demonstrate Your Majesty’s consideration for the people’s hearts?”
Hearing Zhang Baohuan’s words, the Empress found them quite reasonable.
Nodding towards Shen Du, she said, “Very well. To address the people’s concerns, this case shall be reopened. Minister Shen, I hereby entrust you with full authority to handle this case. You must investigate it thoroughly and get to the bottom of it.”
“Your humble servant accepts the imperial decree,” Shen Du finally breathed a sigh of relief.
This case had been weighing on Zhu Yan’s mind. Now that he had obtained permission to reopen it, he was sure Zhu Yan would be pleased when she found out.
In Daming Palace.
Zhang Baohuan hurried to the Empress’s side. “Your Majesty, all the gifts you sent to the Princess have been returned.”
As she relayed this message to the Empress, Zhang Baohuan’s expression was quite worried.
The Empress’s face grew solemn, and she let out a long sigh of resignation. “Is it the same reason as before?”
Zhang Baohuan nodded, “The Princess said that as she bears guilt, she dares not accept them. Your Majesty, since the Princess has said this, please don’t take it to heart. Now that Minister Shen has reopened the case, if it truly clears Jinxiu Fang’s name, wouldn’t that also resolve the Princess’s concerns? Then naturally, it could ease the tension between Your Majesty and the Princess.”
The Empress rubbed her forehead, taking Zhang Baohuan’s words to heart.
“If that’s the case, then it would be good. But I fear that the deceased has passed on, and the knot in her heart won’t be untied.”
“The Princess won’t be so stubborn. After all, there’s still a royal family bond between Your Majesty and the Princess. No matter how displeased she might be, this fact can’t be erased.”
The Empress nodded. Zhang Baohuan’s words made sense.
The deceased has passed on, but the living must continue to live. As long as one lives, one must plan for the future.
At Zhuqing Teahouse.
Zhu Yan and Xu Xiangren sat facing each other again, but this time was different from before.
Previously, it had always been Zhu Yan inviting Xu Xiangren here, but this time Xu Xiangren had taken the initiative to invite her. He must have important information to share with Zhu Yan.
Two cups of hot tea were served. Zhu Yan moved her cup aside and asked, “Second Brother Xu, did you invite me here because you’ve found some clues?”
Xu Xiangren nodded slightly, his smile appearing gentle. After the previous misunderstanding, Xu Xiangren had completely come to regard Zhu Yan as his sister. Now, having learned that the Empress had allowed Shen Du to reopen the Jinxiu Fang case, he felt quite pleased.
He had long known about the relationship between Han Shiyuan and Zhang Baohuan and had also investigated Han Shiyuan’s background. He had specifically come to tell Zhu Yan some things about Han Shiyuan.
Before speaking, Xu Xiangren took a deep breath.
Although Han Shiyuan was related to the Jinxiu Fang case, he was now also the Zhu family’s prospective son-in-law.
Zhu Yan was also part of the Zhu family and had a good impression of this future brother-in-law. Xu Xiangren wasn’t sure if telling her these things would change their current relationship.
Seeing Xu Xiangren’s hesitation, Zhu Yan sensed his difficulty. “Second Brother Xu, please speak freely. Since you’ve decided to tell me, I’m sure I can handle it.”
Hearing Zhu Yan say this, Xu Xiangren lowered his eyes and began to explain, “Han Shiyuan once had a conflict with Lai Luozhi. The reason was that he sympathized with the plight of Kuang Zhangxin, a former courtesan from Pingkang Fang, and wanted to redeem her. But he was threatened by Lai Luozhi, who even had people subject him to entrapment. Just as they were about to carry out the punishment, Princess Yong’an happened to pass by and save Han Shiyuan.
But Princess Yong’an is also a person of great depth. The reason she saved Han Shiyuan was entirely because she was attracted to his appearance and wanted to keep him by her side as a male favorite. However, Han Shiyuan refused, rejecting Princess Yong’an, which angered her. She even said things like if she couldn’t have him, she would destroy him.”
Hearing this, Zhu Yan’s brow furrowed even deeper. So her future brother-in-law knew Kuang Zhangxin and had interactions with her.
If there had been no relationship, he surely wouldn’t have tried to redeem her out of mere sympathy. Thinking of this, Zhu Yan realized that Han Shiyuan might not be as upright and honest as she had thought.
“Did you know that Han Shiyuan is Zhang Baohuan’s brother?” Zhu Yan wanted to learn more about Han Shiyuan, so she shared this information with Xu Xiangren.
Xu Xiangren smiled calmly, “There’s nothing we Local Constable don’t know.”
Zhu Yan had a sudden realization and scratched her neck. “That’s true. Does Princess Yong’an know?”
As she asked this question, Zhu Yan noticed Xu Xiangren’s expression. He seemed reluctant to answer, but after a moment’s hesitation, he nodded.
Zhu Yan was quite surprised. “If Princess Yong’an knows about Han Shiyuan’s relationship with Zhang Baohuan, why would she do this? Isn’t this deliberately humiliating Zhang Baohuan? And Zhang Baohuan is the Empress’s person, isn’t this…”
She couldn’t finish her sentence, not daring to say more. This could be a capital offense.
Xu Xiangren nodded gravely and continued, “Princess Yong’an is not the Empress’s biological daughter. Although she appears very respectful to the Empress on the surface, she’s quite deep and calculating. Don’t be fooled by her seemingly impassive exterior; in reality, she’s always weighing the pros and cons internally. When dealing with her in the future, you’d better be careful.”
Zhu Yan nodded, then suddenly thought of something and asked, “Second Brother Xu, haven’t you always been against me investigating Lai Luozhi’s affairs? Why are you taking the initiative to tell me about this today?”
Hearing Zhu Yan’s question, Xu Xiangren lowered his eyes and smiled lightly. It seemed Shen Du hadn’t had the chance to tell her about reopening the Jinxiu Fang case yet.
However, it would be better for Shen Du to deliver this news himself.
Zhu Yan had been concerned about the Jinxiu Fang case for quite some time. Now, if she learned that the case was being reopened, who knows how happy she would be?
“It’s nothing. You should head back now. The Grand Minister will bring you good news today. Don’t tell him I told you about it.”
Seeing Xu Xiangren’s mysterious expression, Zhu Yan felt confused.
Good news? What good news could there be? Just yesterday, they hadn’t even decided whether to present the Jinxiu Fang matter to Her Majesty. What good news could there be today?
It would be good enough if they didn’t add to her troubles.
With these doubts, Zhu Yan returned to Shen Manor.