Upon returning to the Shen residence, Jiang Langxing had been waiting for them for quite some time.
“What’s the matter? Did you find anything?” Zhu Yan asked as she stepped forward. Jiang Langxing clasped his fists and bowed to both of them.
“We indeed have some discoveries, but they were well concealed. It took a great deal of effort to uncover the situation,” he replied.
“What exactly happened?” Shen Du asked, his expression serious. He was unwilling to waste words on the case.
Jiang Langxing continued, “We found out that Liang Jiren is also a frequent visitor to the Tongming Pavilion, but he always used an alias, which is why we didn’t notice at first.”
“Liang Jiren!” Zhu Yan exclaimed in surprise. Given his official position and good reputation, how could he possibly frequent such places?
Jiang Langxing nodded. “It’s true. I never expected a high-ranking official would indulge in such a place.”
Shen Du furrowed his brows, deep in thought.
“But…” Zhu Yan said, puzzled, “Why has Rong Zhui never mentioned this?”
She turned to Shen Du, who was likely pondering the same question. They had sought out Rong Zhui multiple times and had spoken with her, yet she had never brought up Liang Jiren.
Could it be that they were hiding something?
Jiang Langxing lowered his head, unable to comprehend the reason, and began to glance around the room.
“Madam Shen, I heard that Lord Lu accompanied you to the Liang residence today. Why didn’t he return with you?”
“You mean Lu Chui Chui?” Zhu Yan replied casually. “She went back to the Ministry of Justice long ago. Why do you ask? If you have something to say, I can relay it to her.”
“Uh… it’s nothing, nothing at all.” Jiang Langxing’s expression turned awkward as if he were concealing something. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave. I’ll inform you of any findings promptly.”
“Alright,” Zhu Yan responded, then added, “If you’re looking for Lu Chui Chui, you should check the Ministry of Justice first. If she’s not there, she’s likely at the theater; she’s well-known for her love of plays and tea. So if she’s not at the Ministry, she’s probably at one of those two places.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Madam Shen.” Jiang Langxing quickly expressed his gratitude, but after thanking her, he suddenly realized something was off.
He hadn’t even asked Zhu Yan about Lu Chui Chui’s whereabouts!
Zhu Yan’s self-questioning made Jiang Langxing’s face flush slightly.
“Uh… I…” Jiang Langxing stammered, unable to form a complete sentence, and finally muttered “I’ll take my leave” before hurriedly exiting.
Watching Jiang Langxing’s hasty retreat, Zhu Yan had already guessed the reason.
Lu Chui Chui’s springtime was approaching…
The thought filled her with joy, and she resolved to tease Lu Chui Chui mercilessly the next time they met.
However, when she turned around, she was met with Shen Du’s grim expression, and her joy evaporated instantly.
“What’s wrong? Are you still worried about the case?”
Zhu Yan stepped forward to inquire, feeling an inexplicable worry for Shen Du.
Shen Du’s brows were tightly knit. After a moment of contemplation, he placed a royal edict on the table. “This is the Empress’s edict. Take a look.”
Zhu Yan’s heart sank, a bad premonition washing over her.
She approached slowly, opened the edict, and upon seeing the words “ten days,” it felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
This was the final deadline; they had to solve the case within ten days.
“This…” Zhu Yan didn’t know what to say. “Isn’t this a bit too short?”
“This is the final deadline.” As he spoke, Shen Du suddenly stood up, a teasing glint in his eyes as he looked at Zhu Yan. “Aren’t you eager to be a widow? It seems that day is drawing near.”
“I…” Zhu Yan wanted to explain, but the words caught in her throat.
Her mind was in turmoil; she couldn’t understand why she was increasingly worried about Shen Du’s situation.
Wasn’t she the one wishing to be a widow? Why was she concerned about Shen Du at this moment?
Zhu Yan was at a loss for her thoughts, and by the time she regained her senses, Shen Du had already vanished.
Night had fallen, and a day had passed with only a few discoveries regarding Liang Chenzhong.
Only nine days remained. Zhu Yan clenched her fists, determined to uncover the truth of the case within this time.
The next morning, someone from the Ministry of Justice rushed in.
At that moment, Zhu Yan was having breakfast when she suddenly heard a shocking piece of news: “Rong Zhui has been apprehended.”
“Pfft!”
The porridge Zhu Yan had just swallowed came spewing out as she stared in shock at the person before her.
Shen Du was nearby, merely turning his head to glance at Zhu Yan before continuing to ask, “What crime has she committed?”
“Murder,” the Ministry of Justice official replied succinctly. “She was reported by the victim’s family, which is why she was arrested.”
“Murder?” Zhu Yan was confused. “Who did she kill?”
“A courtesan named Lu Yun,” the official explained. “The remains that were unearthed recently have been confirmed to belong to her. This courtesan was new to the Tongming Pavilion and had only been there a short while before she was killed.”
Zhu Yan gasped, looking at Shen Du in confusion.
Shen Du’s brows were furrowed, mirroring Zhu Yan’s thoughts; there was something amiss in this matter.
“Let’s go to the Ministry of Justice and take a look.”
Upon arriving at the Ministry, they found that the head official, Wu Taiming, was not present, and only the deputy, Gao Chengxue, was handling the case.
Gao Chengxue was in a difficult position; as a mere deputy, he had no authority to intervene in this case, and with the Ministry’s personnel in disarray, he could only brace himself to face the situation.
However, the case was not developing as smoothly as he had hoped. Rong Zhui adamantly denied the murder charge, which left him in a quandary.
“Bold Rong Zhui!” Gao Chengxue slammed the gavel, speaking with righteous indignation. “You are accused of murder; why won’t you confess?”
“I didn’t kill anyone,” Rong Zhui replied calmly, showing no sign of bending her knees.
Beside her knelt the family of the courtesan, presumably her parents.
The elderly couple wore tattered clothing, clearly impoverished, and had likely sent their daughter to the Tongming Pavilion out of necessity.
“If you didn’t kill her, then why did she disappear from your Tongming Pavilion without you reporting it? You must have something to hide!”
“Hmph…” Rong Zhui scoffed. “Lord Gao, if you’re going to convict me just because someone disappeared from my Tongming Pavilion, that’s absurd. You know what my establishment is for. It’s common for a courtesan to leave with a client without notice. If you convict me based on that, how can I accept it?”
“You! You’re simply being unreasonable!” Gao Chengxue was furious. “Then tell me, where were you on the first day of last month?”
When asked about the first day of last month, Rong Zhui fell silent, her expression darkening as if she had a secret she couldn’t share.
“Can’t answer, can you?” Gao Chengxue said smugly. “I knew it! Before I arrested you, I had already investigated your recent whereabouts. You were not at the Tongming Pavilion that day. Who did you meet, and what did you do? You know in your heart that it was on that day you committed murder and disposed of the body!”
Rong Zhui clenched her fists, her slender figure trembling slightly as if she were holding back her emotions.
“If you say I murdered and disposed of a body, then give me a reason why I would kill her. I’m the madam of the Tongming Pavilion; I rely on them to attract customers and make money. What benefit do I gain from killing them?”
“Uh…” Gao Chengxue was taken aback by Rong Zhui’s counter-question.
He didn’t know how to respond to her. If Rong Zhui was indeed the murderer, she had no motive at all.