Chapter 15: Minister Of The Court Of Judicial Review

The night was dark and windy. Aside from the chirping insects and croaking frogs drifting in from outside, it was very quiet.

Shen Yu sat by the table for most of the night, but the man in black never came.

Only after the patrol passed outside did Shen Yu mutter to herself in doubt, “Perhaps it’s because there are more patrols, so he didn’t come?”

After Lei Shengda burst into her bedchamber last night, the old master, fearful he might do so again, increased the guards’ patrols, practically surrounding her courtyard so tightly that only mosquitoes could fly in.

Thinking of last night tired Shen Yu. When the old master came, he sat in his wheelchair while she stood before him, upright but uneasy, because with a stern face he had asked, “Was there someone else in your room just now?”

Although her heart beat wildly, her expression did not change and she calmly lied, “Just now your granddaughter’s clothes were disheveled on the bed. Fearing General Lei would lack manners, I had to pretend someone was still in bed.” If she hadn’t lied, was she expected to tell the truth?

If she admitted there really had been someone in her room last night, not just anyone but a man, and a man who knew she was a woman… If she said that, the old master might not die of anger but of fright.

Since the old master’s stroke he could not handle any shocks, and the Shen family’s reputation and honor had always been his lifeblood. If he learned that the family’s greatest secret was exposed, Shen Yu truly feared she would frighten him to death.

The old master had formerly been Grand Guardian to the Crown Prince and an advisor, so his gaze had always been severe. Shen Yu feared nothing else but being glared at by those eyes, always feeling there was nowhere to hide under them.

To avoid being undone by his sharp stare, Shen Yu lowered her eyes and would not look at him. Perhaps because she had never lied to him before, the old master ultimately believed her. After all, he could never imagine there had really been someone on Shen Yu’s bed.

After sending the old master away, Shen Yu stood at the bedside and looked at her bed with disdain for a long time…

Shen Yu… had a mild cleanliness obsession.

She despised beds that others had lain in.

She picked up her pillow from the bed and patted it for a long time before convincing herself the man in black had not touched it. Taking the pillow to a chaise, she planned to spend the night there. The more she thought of that man, the angrier she became, pounding the pillow to vent.

She had been composed and reserved since childhood, rarely getting into conflicts. Even with the loud neighbor Lei Shengda she had not been much troubled, yet she had fallen victim to a rogue whose appearance she didn’t even know.

Snapping back to herself, she figured the man in black must have known the defenses had tightened. He would surely come again, so there was no point in waiting. Only after the servants replaced all the bedding with new linens did Shen Yu agree to go to bed.

After Shen Yu fell asleep, in the imperial palace Fang Rui was discussing with Rong Tai how he could leave the palace for several days without arousing suspicion.

“Your Majesty, are you really going to do this?”

Fang Rui raised an eyebrow and replied, “Rong Tai, do you have a better plan?”

“…How many days do you plan to be gone, Your Majesty?” He truly had no better solution. The only better plan would be to stop His Majesty from going anywhere, but he could neither obstruct nor dare to obstruct him.

Glancing at how quickly Rong Tai’s position shifted, Fang Rui rose from his chair and walked around the table, saying, “I gave Shen Yu a deadline of half a month, so I will naturally stay for half a month as well, and during that time I will of course return every other day.”

After he had left his bedchamber, he realized that if he returned to the palace, the only people protecting Shen Yu would be those she brought with her. He turned to Rong Tai and ordered, “Have several shadow guards secretly protect Shen Yu.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Although Shen Yu always escaped disaster, she never did so without injury. This time, if anyone dared to harm her even a bit, he would return it tenfold.

Whether Chen Chi’s fate would be reversed this time, or whether he would be silenced in the subterranean prison as in his previous life, remained unknown. After all, he could not remember every event and every day of the past life clearly, especially since his illness later caused memory confusion and blurring.

With the Empress Dowager’s power still at its zenith, there was no absolute certainty regarding Chen Chi’s case.

Shen Yu set out for the Court of Judicial Review before dawn. Although the Court of Judicial Review was also in the capital, it still took nearly four hours at a gallop, which was inconvenient for supervising Chen Chi’s case, so Shen Yu planned to stay near the Court of Judicial Review for about half a month to carry out her supervision.

Although called a supervisor, the role was nearly the same as that of the chief official.

At the same time, after court, Fang Rui fainted on his way back to the bedchamber with no warning. The imperial physicians diagnosed it as fainting due to recent overexertion and advised His Majesty to rest for a period to avoid long-term illness.

Because the Empress Dowager had long had restorative broths prepared for Fang Rui, she suspected nothing else about the fainting. She believed the toxin was starting to spread in his body. Worrying that the matter of him having an heir would remained unresolved, she ordered the chronic poison be temporarily stopped to avoid detection.

Rong Tai issued orders ahead, stating that His Majesty was unwell and needed rest, so morning court would be suspended and documents should be sent to Zichen Hall for imperial review.

But Fang Rui, who should have been resting in Zichen Hall from overexertion, had already left the palace and was riding hard toward the Court of Judicial Review. Though still on the road, his thoughts had long flown to Shen Yu.

The carriage had reached the Court of Judicial Review and Shen Yu sighed. If the man in black did not come, she would have to find someone else to carry out the task the Emperor entrusted to her. She had reasoned that since this man already knew her greatest secret, one more secret wouldn’t matter. As long as he hadn’t made any demands, he wouldn’t expose her true identity.

Undoubtedly, the man in black was the most suitable candidate, not only because he knew her secret but because of his skills. The Grand Guardian’s Residence was not lightly guarded, so an ordinary martial artist could not infiltrate silently. Even if someone succeeded once, a second time would not be easy. Thus his abilities could not be poor. If Lei Shengda hadn’t suddenly burst in last night, she likely would have already negotiated terms with him today.

Lei Shengda had long been a mountain bandit by habit and could not change. If she could, she wished to move house. Even in ordinary times his loud voice could pierce the estate’s walls and be heard at the Grand Guardian’s residence.

At the Court of Judicial Review, Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Cui Hao hurried out with a smile still on his face. Upon seeing Shen Yu, he laughed, “Lord Shen, why didn’t you send someone to inform me you were arriving early so I could come out to welcome you?”

The Court of Judicial Review Minister’s given name was Cui Hao, about forty years old, appearing honest yet somewhat shrewd.

Shen Yu’s expression was flat as she said, “I have come to assist you in handling the case, Minister, not as a guest.”

Shen Yu and Cui Hao held the same rank, but Shen Yu was a supervisor personally appointed by Fang Rui. Though ranks were equal on paper, one was currently favored by the court, and even at the same rank there were gradations of standing.

Cui Hao understood very well that if he spoke ill of Shen Yu before the Emperor it would have no effect and might even backfire. Shen Yu would get a different reaction, however. If she were displeased with him before the Emperor, he would surely be summoned and scolded the next day.

“Lord Shen has traveled for four hours. Would you like to take a rest first?”

Shen Yu shook her head and said, “First I will go see the accused Chen Chi.”

Cui Hao, who had expected this, nodded and said, “I have official matters to attend to and will not accompany you, Lord Shen.”

Shen Yu responded with, “Very well.”

Cui Hao then instructed the prison steward beside him, “You will take Lord Shen to the cell to see the accused Chen Chi.”

Shen Yu followed the prison steward to the cell. Watching her back, Cui Hao slightly curled the corner of his mouth. He and Minister Wang had already discussed a plan during Wang’s late-night visit yesterday: Shen Yu’s appointment as supervisor was a godsend. If Chen Chi died while under her supervision, the Court of Judicial Review’s culpability would be significantly reduced.

And the method to have Chen Chi take his own life had long been prepared.

When Fang Rui arrived at the Court of Judicial Review it was already past noon. Although he wore black, it was not night-travel attire. After all, wearing nighttime clothes in broad daylight only drew more attention. His face was masked, and although some people glanced twice, they paid little heed. After all, this was the Court of Judicial Review’s jurisdiction and many types of dress could be seen here. Some who looked like wrongdoers might be working for the Court of Judicial Review, so one could not judge good or bad by clothing alone. Even among those serving the Court of Judicial Review there might be bad actors, but that was not the common people’s concern.

Fang Rui dismounted before the Court of Judicial Review, tied his horse, and openly walked up the stone steps to the gate, only to be stopped at the entrance.

“Who goes there?”

Fang Rui glanced at the guards and said, “I am a subordinate of Shen Yu, Lord Shen’s subordinate. Please notify him and say Jia Ming has arrived.”

The guard stared him up and down and said, “Then wait here. I will go and report it.”

Shen Yu, emerging from the cell, heard that someone claiming to be her subordinate named Jia Ming had arrived.

Jia Ming was clearly an alias. (In Chinese, the word for a fake name is ‘jiaming’.)

Shen Yu immediately thought of the man in black and paused in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to come so quickly. His speed made her suspect he knew that the Emperor had asked her to find someone highly skilled to assist her. Otherwise, how could he have come so promptly and so ostentatiously within an hour of her arrival?

She suppressed the urge to immediately order him to be shot with arrows and instead took a breath that appeared pleasantly surprised but was actually an attempt to calm herself.

“Have him wait at my office.” Before meeting him she had to tighten her chest slightly. In that man’s presence she felt no safety. Now that she thought about it, his gaze had clearly been the sort that… wanted to strip her bare.