“They’ve covered their tracks so well, doesn’t that mean they won’t stop until they achieve their goal?” Zhu Yan asked, her voice tinged with urgency.
Shen Du lowered his eyes slightly. “The case is now in its final stages. If we can’t prove his motive within the given time, we might truly fail…”
“Impossible!” Zhu Yan interrupted her voice firm. “I won’t let things end like this. Even with only a few days left, I will find the evidence. Evil cannot triumph over good. I will save you.”
“He’s not as easy to deal with as you think,” Shen Du remained calm, sitting back in his chair and spinning the ring on his finger. “If it were simple, it wouldn’t have dragged on until now.”
Zhu Yan slumped into her chair like a deflated balloon, lamenting to the heavens, “Why am I so unlucky? From the day I married you, you only gave me three months to live. Investigating the case with you has brought trouble from people we shouldn’t provoke. Now, the path ahead seems like choosing how to die—whether to leave a whole body or become a pile of ashes. Should I just end it myself to avoid being tormented by you all?”
Hearing Zhu Yan’s words, Shen Du’s heavy heart lightened a bit, at least not as oppressive as before.
“Ending it yourself would still require enduring pain. If you truly find life meaningless, I might as well kill you with one swift stroke. That way, you won’t suffer much, and you’ll leave a whole body, won’t you?”
“You!”
Just as the atmosphere began to ease, Shen Du’s teasing reignited Zhu Yan’s anger. She pouted and stood up, “You just can’t stop joking. The Empress’s deadline is approaching. If you can’t find the murderer by then, you’ll have to take the fall yourself. I don’t believe that when your life is on the line, you’ll still be this defiant.”
With that, Zhu Yan turned and left. She didn’t want to deal with Shen Du, at least not for the moment.
Leaving the Ministry of Justice, Zhu Yan had nowhere to go. The situation was urgent.
Despite her dissatisfaction with Shen Du, the case still needed investigation. After a moment’s thought, she decided to find Lu Chui Chui to see if there were any leads.
Speak of the devil, just as Zhu Yan was about to return to the Ministry, she saw Lu Chui Chui rushing out, looking as if she’d seen a ghost.
“What happened to you?” Zhu Yan asked, approaching her. Lu Chui Chui, looking lost, pointed behind her. “He… why is he here?”
The “he” was Shen Du.
Zhu Yan was puzzled. Was Shen Du really that terrifying? Why did everyone react as if they’d seen a ghost?
Though he was known as the “White Yama,” after spending time with him, she found he wasn’t as heartless as the name suggested.
“He’s the Grand Chancellor. There’s nowhere in Chang’an he can’t go,” Zhu Yan said, supporting Lu Chui Chui as they walked away. “The Empress’s deadline is near. If we can’t solve the case soon, it will be troublesome.”
Lu Chui Chui nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something, looking at Zhu Yan with excitement.
“Buy me tea, and I have something to tell you.”
“Hmm?” Zhu Yan was confused. How could Lu Chui Chui joke at a time like this?
“Come on, the case is unsolvable for now. Let’s find a place to talk.”
Half-pushed, half-pulled, Lu Chui Chui led Zhu Yan to a newly opened teahouse.
Sitting across from each other, Zhu Yan learned something new from Lu Chui Chui.
Regarding court affairs…
Early in the Empress’s reign, some former ministers believed her ascension violated the natural order. They not only wrote poems to insult her but also openly gathered forces to oppose her, showing blatant disrespect.
The Empress, for the sake of peace, endured. But the minister, instead of restraining himself, repeatedly provoked her. Finally, unable to bear it, the Empress couldn’t act directly without tarnishing her reputation.
At this impasse, Lai Luo Zhi appeared. He crafted a large urn and, under a flimsy pretext, quarreled with the minister in court. As tensions escalated, Lai Luo Zhi, to punish the minister, threw him into the urn.
Initially, the minister didn’t take it seriously, believing his loyalty and popularity would protect him. He thought Lai Luo Zhi, a mere sycophant, couldn’t harm him, and even if he tried, others would intervene.
But this time, the minister miscalculated. Lai Luo Zhi acted with the Empress’s backing.
Lai Luo Zhi ordered the urn to be set on fire, roasting the minister alive.
The scene was unimaginable, and the minister’s agonized cries echoed through Chang’an for three days.
Even in the quiet of the night, his wails haunted the city, instilling fear among the people and officials.
Subsequently, Lai Luo Zhi, not stopping at half measures, purged all opposition to the Empress.
From then on, the throne was secure, and the Empress favored Lai Luo Zhi, appointing him as the Minister of Works, a high-ranking official outside the traditional six ministries.
Even Prime Minister Zhang Xingwei was subject to his oversight.
Lai Luo Zhi established the Court of Inquiry, involving themselves in all grievances.
The court feared Lai Luo Zhi’s methods, daring not to speak against him, while the Empress trusted him implicitly.
Thus, everyone lived in fear, and court affairs followed Lai Luo Zhi’s lead.
This situation persisted until the arrival of Shen Du, the “White Yama,” which brought an end to it.
There was talk in the court that Shen Du was the Empress’s pawn to counter Lai Luo Zhi.
Though harsh, there was truth in it.
Shen Du understood his role, balancing power to maintain court equilibrium.
Hearing Lu Chui Chui’s account, Zhu Yan was stunned.
She had been unaware of these past events in the court.
“How do you know this?” Zhu Yan asked, surprised. How did Lu Chui Chui know what she didn’t?
“I heard it, but it’s true,” Lu Chui Chui said confidently. “As women, we shouldn’t meddle in court affairs, especially when we were young and uninvolved. We enjoy peace now thanks to Shen Du’s efforts.”
“No matter how capable, he’s just a pawn of the Empress,” Zhu Yan stated. “Though harsh, he knows it, and some won’t tolerate his presence.”
“Even if they can’t, the Empress protects him. This case is crucial. If the Empress loses trust in Shen Du, the court will change, and we won’t be spared.”
Zhu Yan looked at Lu Chui Chui with surprise. “You seem simple-minded, yet you understand these complex matters. Did someone teach you?”
Lu Chui Chui blushed and quickly denied it. “What are you saying? I’m a ninth-rank official. I can figure these things out myself.”
Seeing Lu Chui Chui’s expression, Zhu Yan knew she was lying.
Pushing the tea towards Lu Chui Chui, Zhu Yan lowered her voice mysteriously. “Tell me quietly, who told you this and analyzed the pros and cons? I won’t tell anyone else.”