Zhu Yan knew that Shen Du was busy rebuilding the Inner Cabinet, reporting to the Empress about the Lai Luozhi case, and using this opportunity to investigate the Mingtang corruption case and purge corrupt officials. He was incredibly busy.
Lai Luozhi was dead, and the Empress had recovered and returned to court. She reinstated Li Zhong as Crown Prince, with Princess Chaoyang assisting. The Zhou clan was severely punished, banished to their original hometown, and forbidden from entering the capital for life.
As for Yong’an, she ended her life with a cup of poisoned wine. Fortunately, Yuchi Yang had distanced himself in time and wasn’t implicated. Everyone said Yuchi Yang was lucky, but Zhu Yan didn’t think so. From their limited interactions, she knew that while Yuchi Yang appeared simple, he was very astute and understood everything about Yong’an’s affairs.
“How could Princess Chaoyang be content with this?” Lu Chuichui asked, puzzled as she cracked melon seeds.
Zhu Yan shook her head, furrowing her brows: “That, I don’t know. You should talk less about it too. It’s not something we should concern ourselves with.”
Lu Chuichui stuck out her tongue but then saw someone descend from the sky in front of them. Who else could it be but Shen Du?
Shen Du gazed at her intently, walking over with arms outstretched to embrace her, but Zhu Yan nimbly dodged him. He immediately looked dejected: “Wife.”
“Who’s your wife?” Zhu Yan pulled out the divorce letter from her bosom and threw it into Shen Du’s arms. She narrowed her eyes and bared her teeth, like an annoyed kitten. “Lord Shen of the Inner Cabinet, isn’t this the divorce letter you wrote yourself? Clear as day. Who’s your wife? Hm?”
Seeing her angry expression, Shen Du wasn’t bothered at all. Instead, he found it adorable and endearing. Disregarding the crowded teahouse, he pleaded softly:
“Wife, I was wrong. It was in a moment of urgency to protect you, so…”
“So what?” Zhu Yan put her hands on her hips, her small face puffed up like it was stuffed with sweet cakes. “When we got married, you threatened me saying I wouldn’t live past three months and that you’d divorce me. That was bad enough, but now you’ve given me a divorce letter again. A gentleman can endure, but I cannot!”
Pulling Lu Chuichui along, she raised her chin,
“Chuichui, let’s go.”
Lu Chuichui whispered, “We’ve been avoiding him for a month already. Are we still avoiding him?” When would this end?
Zhu Yan, still angry, dragged Lu Chuichui back to the Ministry of Justice. Only after calming down did she realize that Shen Du was still wearing his mask. Had his wounds not healed yet?
Hmph, he deserved it.
Shen Du stood there in public view, holding the neatly folded divorce letter, a bitter smile on his lips.
He had indeed lifted a rock only to drop it on his own feet.
The next day, Shen Du appeared at the Zhu family gate again, with Jing Lin carrying gifts behind him. They successfully caught Zhu Yan as she was preparing to leave for her duties at the Ministry of Justice.
“Wife.”
Zhu Yan glared at Shen Du and tried to bypass him to get into the carriage. As Shen Du moved to block her, Zhu Manshu came running out. Being trained in martial arts, she was dressed to personally escort Zhu Yan to the Ministry of Justice today.
“Shen Du, you again.” Zhu Manshu was also exasperated by Shen Du’s daily appearances at the Zhu residence. “My sister doesn’t want to see you. Please leave.”
Before Shen Du could speak, Jing Lin had a moment of inspiration and stepped forward to block Zhu Manshu.
“You!”
Zhu Manshu rolled up her sleeves, ready to fight, but when she saw Jing Lin’s face, she froze: “How come I haven’t seen you the previous times?”
Jing Lin reflexively replied, “This servant has come every time. Miss Zhu just didn’t notice.”
That was true. Previously, Zhu Manshu didn’t escort Zhu Yan to the Ministry of Justice every time. Sometimes it was Zhu Mojie or the other two brothers who had been dismissed from office due to the Lai Luozhi case.
Zhu Manshu looked at Jing Lin as if she had discovered a new world, examining him non-stop, completely forgetting about her sister’s safety.
Seeing that no one was paying attention, Shen Du pulled Zhu Yan into his arms. Zhu Yan stomped on his foot, causing him to release her in pain. He looked at Zhu Yan helplessly, his usually calm and composed dark eyes filled with grievance and innocence: “Wife, that hurts.”
Zhu Yan shuddered but didn’t relent: “Who’s your wife, Lord Shen? I advise you to restrain yourself.”
She was about to leave when Shen Du grabbed her wrist.
The distance between them closed. If Zhu Yan raised her head, she could touch Shen Du’s lips. Instead, she bit down on his collarbone with an “Om!” and then stepped back, looking smug. However, her expression changed when she saw what her fourth sister was doing.
Zhu Manshu was enthusiastically introducing herself to Jing Lin: “I’m Zhu Manshu. Your name is Jing Lin, right?”
Zhu Manshu smiled radiantly, but Jing Lin was nervously clasping his hands, his eyes darting around, clearly wanting to escape. He mouthed “save me” to Shen Du.
Shen Du hadn’t even managed to placate Zhu Yan yet, how could he possibly help him?
Zhu Yan pulled Zhu Manshu away, saving Jing Lin: “Fourth Sister, it’s time. If we don’t go now, we’ll have our monthly salary deducted.”
Jing Lin sighed in relief, patting his chest as he walked over to ask Shen Du how things were going.
But he was met with Shen Du’s cold gaze: “Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t.”
Jing Lin held his head: “This servant advised the Cabinet Leader at the time. You’ve gone too far this time. I’m afraid you won’t be able to win the madam back.”
This guy was gloating.
“I think you don’t need your month’s salary.”
“No, please!”
—
Although he hadn’t won his wife back yet, there were still important matters to attend to.
Shen Du entered the palace again. When he came out, Zhang Baohuan was with him, holding an imperial edict to publicly clear the names of the Shen and Zhu families.
Firstly, it was verified that the case that had implicated the entire Shen family years ago was mainly orchestrated by Lai Luozhi, with the Zhou clan’s involvement. The Empress had chosen to tacitly approve it at the time to protect the Zhou family. Acknowledging her mistake, she cleared the Shen family’s name, returned their original mansion, removed their criminal records, and bestowed numerous rewards.
Secondly, not only was the Zhu family innocent, but they had also rendered meritorious service. Their name was cleared, the two older brothers were reinstated to their original positions, Zhu Yan was promoted to Director in the Ministry of Justice, and was awarded the title “Great Zhou Female Detective.”
Thirdly, the rebuilding of Mingtang would be overseen by Zhang Baohuan with the Inner Cabinet’s involvement, ensuring the integrity of officials.
Duke Zhu’s decision naturally earned praise from the citizens across the city. However, many wondered why the Empress, advanced in years and having recently recovered from a “serious illness,” didn’t take this opportunity to abdicate the throne and enjoy her twilight years. Both Li Chonghe and Chaoyang were getting on in years as well, so why continue to struggle?
As for the Zhu family, upon receiving the imperial edict, Zhu Kuo immediately sought out Madam Ru and Madam Jin to discuss his resignation from office.
Madam Jin, still weak from the shock she had experienced, was resting in her chambers. Madam Ru was there, tending to her and engaging in intimate conversation.
Zhu Kuo promptly explained his intentions. Madam Ru, unsurprisingly, had no objections:
“Of course, you can resign. Our eldest and second sons have both been reinstated to their original positions, and Sixth Daughter has been promoted to Deputy Chief in the Ministry of Justice. Fifth Son is also actively preparing for the imperial examinations. Our family has already entered official circles and gained official status. We don’t need to cling to your minor post. It’s fine to resign.”
Madam Jin agreed: “My lord has never been adept at navigating official circles. You nearly sold off Sixth Daughter. It’s better to resign. Stay at home, tend to flowers, plant some herbs, and take the birds for walks. When you’re free, go watch some opera at Furong Garden. Don’t cause any more trouble for our children.”
Zhu Kuo’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. What did she mean by “don’t cause any more trouble”? Had his performance as an official been that poor?
Nevertheless, the matter was essentially unanimously approved. That very day, Zhu Kuo wrote his resignation and submitted it, returning home with a sense of relief.
When Zhu Yan returned home and heard about this, she didn’t have much of a reaction. Zhu Kuo had been indecisive in his official career, swaying like grass in the wind, and had nearly ruined the Zhu family. It was better for him to quietly retire at home.