There were two more letters from the eldest brother Zhu Molin and the second brother Zhu Mowen. The beginning of their letters was similar, expressing relief that Zhu Yan had returned safely from her journey and encouraging her to be dutiful in her official duties. They also mentioned that if she didn’t want to be an official anymore, she could stay with the family and just be happy.
Everything seemed normal until the end. Lu Chuichui held back her laughter as she read, “We’ve long heard that the Grand Secretary is temperamental. If you’re unhappy, Sixth Sister, just divorce that fellow and come home. Don’t worry, your brothers will support you.”
Zhu Yan’s heart swelled with emotion, her bright eyes misting over. It was wonderful to have such brothers.
At this point, Zhu Mansu stopped laughing and suddenly became serious. “Sixth Sister, we should stay away from that Shen Du. He’s cruel by nature. I heard that on this trip to Yingzhou, he even harmed Mo Qianzhi, his senior who once saved him.”
“I think he has no heart at all, only caring about supreme power. Sixth Sister, come back with me today. Don’t even bother about the things left in the Shen residence.”
For a moment, Zhu Yan couldn’t smile. Hearing Mo Qianzhi mentioned, she felt somewhat guilty.
She grabbed Madam Jin’s hand to hide her unease. “It’s not like that. Mo Qianzhi… I accidentally killed him.”
Everyone was shocked. Madam Ru quickly covered Zhu Mansu’s mouth. Madam Jin turned to look at Lu Chuichui, who made a gesture of sealing her lips, which put her at ease.
“It’s good that you know. Keep it to yourselves. Let Shen Du take the blame. After all, people already call him the White King of Hell.”
Zhu Yan wanted to say this wasn’t right, but Madam Jin was too serious, gripping her hand so tightly it hurt, making her unable to speak.
For a moment, no one knew what to say. Zhu Mansu, being outspoken, asked Zhu Yan:
“Sixth Sister, do you not want to divorce the Grand Secretary?”
“Of course not,” Zhu Yan’s delicate brows furrowed, her expression serious and focused.
They began to understand. Zhu Yan had always been someone who, once she made up her mind, rarely changed it. Unless Shen Du was coercing her, it must be that Zhu Yan was willing, or else…
“Sixth Miss, don’t sacrifice your happiness for the Zhu family. There must be a way,” Madam Ru said.
Seeing that it was difficult to change their minds for now, Zhu Yan didn’t say much more. She only tried to persuade them: “There were many complications and misunderstandings during this Yingzhou trip. Shen Du also had many constraints. He has always been very good to me, not just on a whim.”
“In my eyes, he is the most forbearing person, and besides you all, the man who treats me the best. I am willing to spend my life with him.”
Madam Jin’s heart raced to hear this. As she was about to say something, Madam Ru nudged her waist. They turned to see a tall, imposing figure appear at the door, and quickly fell silent.
Shen Du’s eyes were deep and dark as he scanned the room. He first bowed to Madam Ru and Madam Jin, then looked at Zhu Yan, his gaze immediately softening:
“I’ve come to retrieve the old case files from the Shen residence.”
Zhu Yan almost thought she was dreaming. Her face lit up with joy as she went to greet him, saying, “The old case files from the Shen residence are not in the Ministry of Justice.”
“Mm, related ones will do,” Shen Du said. Before Zhu Yan could get close, he stepped aside. Seeing Zhu Yan’s confusion and the knowing looks on Madam Ru and Madam Jin’s faces, Shen Du pointed to his cloak and smiled gently. “It’s cold outside. I don’t want you to catch a chill.”
So that was it.
With the misunderstanding cleared up, Zhu Yan also noticed the snow on his cloak. She quickly brought him hot tea, helped him remove his cloak, and hung it on the rack by the door, then led him to sit down.
Shen Du allowed her to fuss over him, his eyes following Zhu Yan’s every move as if everyone else had become invisible.
Madam Jin sighed as she watched Zhu Yan seem to lose herself at the sight of Shen Du. But looking at Shen Du’s handsome and distinguished appearance, and how he treated Zhu Yan so differently, she thought that if it were her, she would find it hard to resist too.
A mother can’t control her child’s heart.
Zhu Mansu felt her teeth. Good, they were still there, not rotted away by the sweetness of these two.
At this moment, Zhu Yan pulled Lu Chuichui along, her beautiful eyes curving slightly. “Wait here for a moment. I’ll go look for the files.”
Before Shen Du could respond, Zhu Yan and Lu Chuichui had already turned and gone to the back storeroom, leaving Shen Du alone with the Zhu family members.
Only after Zhu Yan’s figure disappeared did Shen Du turn his attention to his mother-in-law and sister-in-law.
All three of them had guarded looks in their eyes. They exchanged glances, then came over to surround him.
Shen Du felt a bit nervous, remembering how Madam Jin had come to scold him before. He immediately became alert.
The fearless Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet was most afraid of these two mothers-in-law behind his wife.
Nudged by Madam Jin, Madam Ru, as the principal mother, had to cough a few times before speaking first:
“Well, Grand Secretary, I don’t mean to be rude, but in our Zhu family, the Sixth Miss is the most clever one we’ve married off to you. You must not mistreat her.”
Shen Du responded respectfully, “I will certainly treasure Madam like a precious jewel.”
Madam Ru: …
“Um, well,” Zhu Mansu interjected, remembering the previous marriage decree controversy, “Our Sixth Sister has a fiery temperament and can’t stand being one of many wives. She often tells me that she wants to be with one person for life.”
Shen Du also replied with sincerity, “This Grand Secretary will have only Zhu Yan as his wife in this lifetime. The Shen residence will have only one mistress. I will not take concubines.”
Zhu Mansu: …
After two consecutive defeats, Madam Jin stepped closer. To her surprise, Shen Du immediately stood up and respectfully moved to the side, his posture stiff and his face inexplicably nervous.
Madam Jin suddenly remembered that perhaps he was frightened by her scolding during her previous visit. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“I don’t have much else to say. When Sixth Miss was young, she was once kidnapped by traffickers. After being rescued, her personality changed dramatically. She became fascinated with examining corpses and such, and paid no attention to feminine virtues or needlework,” facing such a Shen Du, Madam Jin lost her anger. The scolding words were on the tip of her tongue, but in the end, she could only say helplessly, “I’m not saying this for any other reason. Sixth Miss doesn’t have any of the qualities a normal woman should have. If one day the Grand Secretary grows tired of her, just send someone to inform the Zhu residence. We’ll take her back. You’re not allowed to drive her out yourself. We couldn’t bear that.”
Personally go to the Zhu residence to inform them. He laughed self-mockingly in his heart. Wouldn’t that be going to the Zhu residence to be scolded?
Perhaps because the Yingzhou trip had been too long, he had forgotten the difficulty of dealing with his mother-in-law after marriage. Despite his eloquence and countless schemes, both open and hidden, when faced with a group of family members who truly cared for Zhu Yan, even his silver tongue was left speechless.
Just then, a cry of alarm came from the direction of the storeroom where the case files from over the years were kept.
Shen Du’s expression tensed. Without time to apologize, he rushed over to check the situation.
He arrived just in time to see Zhu Yan with one foot on a wooden ladder, the other foot dangling in the air as she stretched to reach for a book, losing her footing.
“Be careful!”
Shen Du leaped forward, catching Zhu Yan around the waist. Seeing Zhu Yan bury her head in his chest, her arms tightly wrapped around his narrow waist, he knew she must have been frightened. He swallowed the words of reproach, sighed helplessly, and asked her which book she wanted.
Zhu Yan quickly jumped out of Shen Du’s arms, still shaken. She told him the name of the book.
Shen Du looked up to see its location, retrieved it with a single leap, and then raised his hand to gently pat her head, his eyes brimming with tenderness. “Never take such risks again.”
Before Zhu Yan could say anything, Lu Chuichui, standing nearby with her hands clasped to her chest, exclaimed dreamily:
“Wow, the Grand Secretary is just like the domineering, passionately devoted, martially skilled, and dashingly handsome male lead in a play. I should write a play about the Grand Secretary.”
Shen Du’s lips curved into a smile at the praise. Zhu Yan stared at him, dazed. Shen Du caught her gaze, making her blush and turn her head away as she spoke about the matter at hand:
“Here are the case files from the Shen residence for the past three years. I’m not sure if they’re related, but I brought them all out. We’ll only know after looking through them.”
Shen Du nodded, glanced outside, and said softly, “There’s no rush. Your family is here today, I can’t not entertain them.”
Surprised that Shen Du was so thoughtful, Zhu Yan was moved. She gathered the files together. “Then let’s take them back and look through them slowly.”
Shen Du was more than willing. He took Zhu Yan’s hand as they went out, respectfully expressing his wish to invite Madam Jin and the others to the Shen residence for entertainment.
But Zhu Yan thought the journey was too far and suggested choosing a restaurant in the market street to treat them, with a formal invitation to the Shen residence to be extended another day.
Shen Du naturally agreed to whatever Zhu Yan suggested. The Zhu family had no objections, and Lu Chuichui was fine with anything. So it was decided.