Chapter 35: Progress Means Reporting at the Palace!

Shen Yuezhuang was led all the way to the inner hall of the Court of Judicial Review.

Unlike the Ministry of Revenue office, the Court of Judicial Review was a place for settling cases. Besides its prisons for holding criminals, it also had a front hall for interrogations. The office was many times larger than the Ministry of Revenue.

Passing through the front hall and crossing the backyard, Shen Yuezhuang followed the young attendant along the covered walkway.

The architectural style of the Court of Judicial Review was solemn, with deep brickwork. The only bright spot was a single magnolia tree in the backyard, blooming pure white and exquisite, as if it had surpassed the mundane world’s snow.

Looking at that magnolia tree reminded Shen Yuezhuang of the one Liu Yun had in her private residence. Her mind wandered, and when she came back to herself, she was already standing in front of the main hall, its doors and windows wide open.

She saw Lord Jiang sitting behind his desk, nearly buried under mountains of case files.

The young attendant led Shen Yuezhuang inside. Lord Jiang took a moment to glance at her.

Shen Yuezhuang was standing with her back to the light. Jiang Heng couldn’t make out her expression clearly. All he saw were the fluttering edges of her robes, catching two magnolia petals carried by the wind—one red, one white—as she burst into this otherwise somber, slightly gloomy hall.

Perhaps it was the sight of an official’s robe on a woman; it was inevitably different. Jiang Heng was stunned for a moment. Then, with a sigh of melancholy, he thought, It would be wonderful if she could just keep her mouth shut!

“Qiushan, serve tea.”

His voice was a little rough. Lord Jiang closed the file in front of him and rubbed his forehead.

Qiushan replaced the tea by his hand. Jiang Heng moistened his throat and said with a casual, joking tone, “I haven’t had the chance to congratulate you, Lord Shen, on your official appointment. What brings you to our humble Court of Judicial Review today?”

Shen Yuezhuang put down her teacup, stood up, and with exaggerated formality, bowed to Jiang Heng.

Jiang Heng was waiting for her to continue, but instead, Shen Yuezhuang walked up, grabbed Qiushan by his side, and shoved the man out of the room without any explanation. Before closing the door, she helpfully reminded him, “Mind the step!”

Jiang Heng: “…”

His heart seized up. How could this woman, before she even opened her mouth, be so… absurd and yet possess this inexplicable brand of ill-mannered politeness?!

With no outsiders in the room, Shen Yuezhuang lowered her voice. “Lord Jiang, I’m here on official business!”

“…” Jiang Heng clenched his fists. “If it’s official business, why close the door?”

“It’s official business for me, but personal business for you, my lord.”

After all, it wouldn’t look good to have it known that your family owed money, right?

At these words, Jiang Heng’s eyes grew even more wary.

Seeing the disbelief and suspicion on his face, Shen Yuezhuang hesitated briefly, then reached into her robe to pull out the account book.

Fine. When collecting debts, it’s best to be direct!

But before she could pull it out, Jiang Heng’s pupils contracted sharply. He took two steps forward and grabbed her by the elbow.

Lord Jiang was a man in charge of criminal cases. The intimidation in his face when it darkened was not something ordinary people could match!

Shen Yuezhuang hadn’t even managed to show the account book before she was scared stiff by his serious expression.

“Lord Shen, you’ve just entered the officialdom. It’s best to focus on doing your job properly. If you learn any of these crooked ways, you’ll not only disgrace your maternal grandfather’s decades of honest and upright service, but this official career of yours will become a complete joke!”

Seeing Shen Yuezhuang still looking confused, he glanced at her red official robe and his tone became even more severe and direct. “The Court of Judicial Review handles cases concerning officials of the seventh rank and above. You are now a Rank 5b official. I advise you, Lord Shen: The sea of criminal law is boundless; turn your head to the shore! Bribing an official within the Court of Judicial Review will get you arrested and thrown into the cell directly!”

Shen Yuezhuang: “…”

Alright, he thought she was here to offer bribes!

Shen Yuezhuang blinked. “Lord Jiang, I’m not here to give you money.” She paused, then pulled out the account book from her robe, opened it, and shoved it in front of Jiang Heng’s face.

“I’m here to collect money!”

“In the twenty-third year of Qian Yuan, the Elder Lord Jiang borrowed a total of two thousand three hundred and twenty-four taels from the court. I am ordered to come and collect it.”

Jiang Heng: “…”

The air of righteous indignation around him immediately deflated. His figure, turning his back to Shen Yuezhuang to look at the account book, was inexplicably awkward.

Shen Yuezhuang graciously comforted him. “Don’t worry, Lord Jiang. Who hasn’t had a hard time in this world? There’s no shame in borrowing money. My maternal grandfather, honest and upright for decades! He still owed the court over thirty thousand taels!”

“When you’re in debt, you just pay it back!”

She circled around to stand in front of Lord Jiang, holding out her upturned palm. “How does my lord intend to repay? Silver notes are best, but actual silver is fine too.” Her face beamed with a radiant smile.

“I brought eight servants. They’ll be more than able to carry it!”

~~~

Following the order Liu Yun had given her, after her maternal grandfather, Lord Jiang would undoubtedly be the easiest to collect from.

After confirming that his uncle had indeed incurred this debt, Lord Jiang’s willingness to repay was clear and strong. The only problem was that Lord Jiang had no money.

Lord Jiang had been buried in paperwork for over a decade, with no bad habits, no extra servants. He wasn’t extravagant in food or clothing. Usually, he just went between the office and home. His lifestyle was spartan to the extreme!

Lord Jiang had only one expensive hobby: supporting his nephew.

Jiang Heng was famously impartial. But bound by gratitude to Elder Lord Jiang, he was always doting on his nephew, giving him whatever he asked for!

Money, food, supplies—as long as it wasn’t murder or arson, Lord Jiang would scold him a little and then let it go.

“Huan’er still has some sense. He knows my salary scale, so he doesn’t ask for more. He has some playboy tendencies, but his nature isn’t bad.”

Listening to Lord Jiang defend his nephew, Shen Yuezhuang couldn’t help but let out a long sigh.

Shen Yuezhuang: “That’s a relief.”

Lord Jiang nodded and continued calculating, based on his salary, when he could pay off this debt. Then Shen Yuezhuang added, “It’s a good thing he’s not an official. Otherwise, Lord Jiang would be able to arrest him directly without even having to prepare the arrest paperwork!”

Jiang Heng: “…”

How could this girl be so vindictive?

Jiang Heng found it amusing. She was such a troublemaker herself. Compared to her, Huan’er was just a minor disciple. What was she so sulky about? Was she afraid he wouldn’t be able to pay back the money?

“Don’t worry. A debt must be paid—it’s only right. I will have this money paid back by the end of this month at the latest!”

Shen Yuezhuang stared at Jiang Heng for a long moment, then stood up, placing the brush and paper in front of him.

“Please write me an IOU, my lord.”

~~~

With the account book and Lord Jiang’s IOU tucked safely in her robe, Shen Yuezhuang and Lord Jiang walked out of the main hall.

“Recently, there have been several disappearances of women in the capital. Lord Shen, please be careful when you’re out and about.”

Shen Yuezhuang looked surprised. “Disappearances? Was the file you were just reading…”

“Exactly.” Lord Jiang’s face grew serious. “The Ministry of Justice sent it over a few days ago. Due to the large number of missing persons, it has been reported to the Court of Judicial Review.”

They hadn’t even passed the walkway in the backyard yet. Shen Yuezhuang quickly said, “My lord, no need to see me out. Disappearances are no small matter, especially when they involve women. We should catch the culprit as soon as possible to give everyone peace of mind!”

“I wasn’t actually seeing you off.”

Lord Jiang waved his hand, calling Qiushan over. “Prepare the sedan chair. I must enter the palace!”

Shen Yuezhuang looked curious. “My lord, have you already caught the culprit?”

“Not yet,” Lord Jiang replied. “But we’ve made some progress. I need to report to His Majesty so the Imperial Guard and Patrol Garrison can work together on this.”

“I see!”

Making progress meant going to the palace to report!

Shen Yuezhuang clutched the IOU in her bosom, walked out of the Court of Judicial Review, and called for Chun Rui.

“Prepare the sedan chair. This official needs to enter the palace!”

Jiang Heng: “…”

He couldn’t quite articulate it, but today he had an inexplicable feeling of being imitated!

In the end, two small sedan chairs stopped at the palace gates.

A young eunuch led them through the imperial grounds to the Imperial Study to see the Emperor.

It was Shen Yuezhuang’s first time at the Imperial Study.

A golden, dragon-engraved incense burner emitted a thick, swirling mist of ambergris. The chief eunuch, Liu Fushun, stood silently with his head bowed. The desk was piled high with a mountain of memorials.

The young Emperor, dressed in a bright yellow casual robe, sat behind the desk. The imposing imperial dignity effectively blurred the face of her childhood friend. The vermilion cinnabar on the desk tore open a veil called ‘Emperor.’

Her gaze dropped, and Shen Yuezhuang’s eyes landed on a plate of Floss Pastries on the corner of the table. Her gaze flickered, and she let out a deep sigh in her heart.

Times had truly changed! In the past, she could enter the palace whenever she wanted. Now, with all the back-and-forth announcements, it took over an hour just to get in! It was almost noon, and she was starving!

Li Jianyun looked up from the memorial in front of him. The moment he saw Shen Yuezhuang, his usually inscrutable eyes paused for a moment.

A woman with striking features was naturally suited for this flamboyant attire!

But an official robe was ultimately different from casual clothes. He had originally thought it would look incongruous on her, like a child wearing an adult’s clothes.

He never expected the outfit to fit so unexpectedly well. Not only did it not look out of place, it made Shen Yuezhuang look much more dignified!

Truly, fine feathers make fine birds; it takes clothes to make the man…

Before Li Jianyun could finish his thoughts, he saw her staring fixedly at the Floss Pastries on the table. The breath nearly caught in his chest, and he let out a sneer in his mind.

This person really was a monkey in a robe, not a prince!

Then came the kowtows and the order to be seated.

Li Jianyun ordered tea to be served. Seeing that it was getting late, a plate of tea snacks was placed before each of them.

Lord Jiang paid little attention, focusing solely on discussing the details and progress of the missing women case with the Emperor, as well as the arrangements for the city’s defenses.

Shen Yuezhuang sat behind Lord Jiang, listening intently while seriously eating her pastries.

When she heard Lord Jiang mention that the date of the first woman’s disappearance was uncertain, something occurred to her.

“Are the missing women only from respectable families?”

At her question, Lord Jiang turned to look at her, barely resisting the urge to wipe the crumbs off the corner of her mouth. He thought for a moment. “According to the files from the Ministry of Justice, yes, only women from respectable families have been reported missing so far.”

Shen Yuezhuang said, “Then it’s hard to determine the date,” Shen Yuezhuang said. “When a woman from a respectable family goes missing, someone will know. But if a woman from a brothel goes missing, it might go unnoticed for a long time. My lord might want to inquire at the brothels, check their registers of servants and entertainers.”

“If it’s as you say, that this person is operating a systematic trafficking scheme, they might not have had the courage to snatch women from respectable families at the very start.”

Shen Yuezhuang’s reasoning had some merit. Jiang Heng’s brow furrowed deeply. If this was indeed the case, the situation had just become even more complicated and difficult. He looked up at the Emperor. Li Jianyun raised a hand.

“Liu Fushun, summon the Capital Prefect and the Marquis of Yongding to the palace.”

The Capital Prefect governed the capital; the Marquis of Yongding commanded the Patrol Garrison. Summoning them on this matter was the right call.

But the Marquis of Yongding?

Shen Yuezhuang’s eyes widened like brass bells. “Your Majesty!”

Her voice cracked slightly. “Your servant has a matter to report!”

Once she reported it, she needed to leave quickly. She absolutely did not want to run into her father in the palace!

But Li Jianyun leisurely picked up his teacup. It was a long time before he put it down. He glanced at the sky outside. “Lord Shen, don’t be impatient. It’s already noon. Why not stay and have lunch with Lord Jiang in the Imperial Study before you go back?”

Shen Yuezhuang was fidgeting, desperate to escape. It was Jiang Heng who spoke up. “Your Majesty, summoning the two lords at this moment might be too conspicuous. To cast a long line and catch a big fish, there’s no need for such haste at this time.”

“That is reasonable.” Li Jianyun raised an eyebrow. “So, Lord Shen, what matter do you wish to report?”

Seeing that Liu Fushun hadn’t moved, Shen Yuezhuang breathed a sigh of relief. She handed the box she was holding up to the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, your servant went to collect a debt today. The 53,962 taels that Grand Preceptor Huo owed have been fully paid.”

The brocade box jingled and clanked. Li Jianyun opened it. Inside were silver notes and some loose silver.

This was not surprising. The Grand Preceptor had taken half a month’s leave just to give his granddaughter face, all so those people wouldn’t come begging him to intercede on their behalf.

Li Jianyun closed the box, looking pleased. “Lord Shen has worked hard. Is there anything else?”

“No.” Shen Yuezhuang blinked. “The task Your Majesty assigned to your servant has shown progress. I came to report on that progress!”

Li Jianyun: “…”

Wasn’t this something everyone had known about since the declaration of war against the Xiongnu? Getting a task and immediately rushing to take credit for it—what a remarkable ‘progress’!

Jiang Heng: “…”

He had a nagging feeling he was being imitated!

An eerie silence descended upon the Imperial Study for a few breaths. Li Jianyun let out a dry laugh, attempting to change the subject.

“Both of you have worked hard. It’s getting late. The Imperial Kitchen has prepared a new dish today, Drunken Duck. Why don’t you both stay and try it?”

When the Emperor offers a meal, it’s always a formality. A clear hint for you to leave. Jiang Heng stood up and bowed.

“Thank you, Your Majesty, but there are trivial matters to attend to at my office…”

Shen Yuezhuang immediately stood up and bowed alongside him.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. Your servant humbly accepts your gracious offer!”

Two voices sounded together. They locked eyes, each seeing utter disbelief in the other’s face.

Shen Yuezhuang: Lord Jiang’s family is so poor, why wouldn’t he take the chance to freeload a meal from the Imperial household?

Jiang Heng: Why does she keep imitating me! And… are those crumbs still on her mouth?

In the end, Lord Jiang, who had declined the offer, left the palace. Shen Yuezhuang, who had the audacity to stay, remained to freeload a meal.

The Emperor then “suddenly remembered” that he hadn’t seen the Empress Dowager in a while, so he took the freeloading Shen Yuezhuang with him to the Empress Dowager’s palace.