Translator – Xiao He Lian
This is a translation hosted on KnoxT, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized. Please support the translator by reading it at KnoxT.
Chapter 49
Early the next morning…
The morning light pushed away the clouds and mist and Shen Shu and Qingli came to Chang’an West Market.
After getting off the carriage, they went straight to the medicine shop.
Most of the medicine shops in Chang’an are operated according to the “front store and back house” model. The front store sells medicine and the back house makes medicine. The division of labor was very clear.
Shen Shu looked up at the plaque of the Sun pharmacy and entered the front store.
She took off her curtain hat, handed over a prescription and said softly: “I want these.”
Doctor Sun took the prescription and took a closer look, frowned and said, “Who gave this prescription to you?”
Shen Shu smiled and said: “My husband’s family has been practicing medicine for many years and I want to compile a collection of medicines. Purchasing these medicinal herbs is for trial use.”
Doctor Sun nodded and then said to the medicine boy beside him: “Go and get the Tao, dew, Dinghong1(Hedinghong is a highly toxic chemical substance,) and Gongteng2(a sort of vine).”
“Understood.” The medicine boy said.
Doctor Sun weighed the medicines one by one in the medicine shop and said, “Ma’am, do you want raw medicine or cooked medicine?”
“Raw is fine.”
Shen Shu took the medicine, thought about it and then turned around and went to the next medicine shop.
But she didn’t notice that behind a hollow screen stood a tall man wearing a black cloak, looking at her.
Zhou Shu’an raised the corner of his mouth slightly. How many years has your husband’s family been practicing medicine?
If he’s not mistaken, shouldn’t he be the eldest daughter of the Shen family, the wife of Li Di?
“Lord Zhou, the medicine is ready.” Zhou Shu’an’s bodyguard, Chu Yi said.
Chu Yi followed Zhou Shu’an’s gaze and whispered, “Did you find anything suspicious, My Lord?” After following Zhou Shu’an for a long time, Chu Yi’s dull personality became a little smarter.
Zhou Shu’an nodded, “It’s indeed a bit suspicious.”
When she saw Shen Shu entering another pharmacy, Zhou Shu’an followed silently..
The reason for buying the medicine was the same as before, but the content of the prescription changed to, “Maman, Paoye, Hu Man, Chaoshan3(OKay so I googled these medicines and they don’t exist, my guess is the writer made up these meds. The reason for that you will know later in the story I guess).”
The previous store had these medicinal materials, so why didn’t she buy it from there?
It wasn’t until she entered the third pharmacy that Zhou Shu’an pieced together the whole prescription and realized what was happening.
The eldest daughter of the Shen family is not compiling a medicine collection, she is clearly trying to make poison4(Hence why the writer didn’t use real names of poisons I guess).
Shen Shuan checked the medicinal materials in her hand, put on her curtain hat, turned around, and happened to bump into Zhou Shu’an.
When their eyes met, the man’s heavy official authority pressed down on her.
Shen Shuo subconsciously tightened the medicine in her hand, trying to get around him quickly, but as she took a step to the left, he also took a step to the left.
And when she took a step to the right, he took another step to the right.
Shen Shu frowned slightly, her heart beating faster, hoping that the other party would take the initiative to avoid him.
Zhou Shu’an said nothing while his deep gaze rested on her for a long time and finally turned sideways.
The tips of her hair were filled with medicinal fragrance.
Shen Shu said almost inaudibly, “Thank you.”
Zhou Shuan’s eyes followed Shen Shu’s back. After a while, he said, “Go to report to Jingzhao Prefecture.”
——
After getting on the carriage, Shen Shu was a little panicked. She couldn’t help but lift the curtain and said to the coachman: “Hurry up.”
Her chest rose and fell and after a long while, she said to Qingli, “For how long was that man standing at the door just now? Did you notice it?”
Qingli noticed Shen Shu’s uneasiness, shook her head, and said honestly: “I don’t know. Madam who is that?”
“Minister Zhou Shu’an of Dali Temple.”
After saying that, Shen Shu gathered the messy hair around her ears in annoyance.
Shen Shu had not seen Zhou Shu’an many times, but every time they met left a deep impression.
The first time was the day Li Di made it into the imperial exam candidate list
That year was a year of pride for students from humble backgrounds. Among them, one passed the imperial examination and the other became the top scholar.
The person who became the successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations was Li Di, and the number one scholar was Lord Zhou just now.
On the day the results were released, there was a huge crowd. Shen Shu was squeezed by several matchmakers waving handkerchiefs, and she accidentally stepped on his shoes and the candy she was holding stuck to his chest.
Back then, Zhou Shu’an’s entire body was not as valuable as a pearl on Shen Shu’s forehead.
She nodded and apologized.
He said calmly: “It’s alright.”
The second time was the day when the Yunyang Maquis Mansion was ransacked.
After Yunyang Maquis received the decree, he was taken to Dali Temple Prison by Zhou Shu’an. Shen Shu pleaded with him to let her go in to see her father at least once.
He replied word by word: “Madam Li, please go back.”
Zhou Shu’an, courtesy name Rongjing, was born in Jiaxing, Suzhou. He was appreciated by the Emperor from the year he entered the officialdom and he continued to rise in the ranks. In just four years, he already held great power.
He was like a god-like figure in the eyes of poor students.
But Shen Shu knew that no matter how honest and upright he looked, he would never be able to sit in that position without a profound and sophisticated mind,
Shen Shu clasped her palms and prayed secretly: “He must not hear anything.”
As the carriage wheels spun around, making a very fast rumble, it was not as fast as Shen Shu’s heartbeat.
This is a translation hosted on KnoxT, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized. Please support the translator by reading it at KnoxT.
She had an inexplicable feeling of foreboding.
As soon as they crossed Zhuque Street, they heard someone in front of them say: “Stop!”
The coachman pulled up the reins and said anxiously, “What can I do for you, My Lord?”
Sun Xu reached over the coachman and lifted up the curtain of the carriage.
When he saw Shen Shu, he was stunned, then he coughed and said, “I am a Magistrate of the Jingzhao Prefecture. I heard that Madam was carrying suspicious drugs, so I came here to investigate.”
There were more than a dozen bags of medicine with Shen Shu, both large and small, and it was impossible to hide them.
Sun Xu actually did not recognise these medicines.
But since Master Zhou of Dali Temple said she was suspicious, then she is suspicious.
Shen Shu was finally brought back to Jingzhao Prefecture by Sun Xu.
Sun Xu blushed and pulled a yamen servant aside, and then said hoarsely: “Keep an eye on the lady for a while, I’ll go to the toilet first.”
Immediately, he ran away in a hurry.
When he came out of the toilet, Sun Xu’s whole face was wrinkled and his feet also lost strength. After going back and forth several times, he finally gave up.
It was really impossible to sit in court like this.
He held his abdomen and entered the room. He took two steps forward, knocked on Lu Yan’s table and said painfully: “I am having diarrhea. Can Lord Lu interrogate someone for me?”
Lu Yan glanced at him, then pointed at the stack of files in front of him and said calmly: “Lord Sun, there is nothing I can do to help.”
Sun Xu continued: “Today’s suspect is a bit special. Lord Zhou from Dali Temple sent someone to report that he saw her buying poison but I have never known anything about drugs. I think it would be better for Lord Lu to sit in the court for interrogation.”
What answered Sun Xu was the sound of Lu Yan dipping his pen tip into ink.
Sun Xu smirked. Sure enough, Lord Lu never cared about face when he wanted to refuse something.
He should have guessed.
However, what Sun Xu couldn’t guess was that the delicate woman hidden in Lu Yan’s house had a slight fever yesterday, and her face was still red in the morning. And right now he wished more than anything to just put down his brush and go home now.
Sun Xu’s stomach growled twice and he gritted his teeth and said, “I’ll write the report on Lord Lu’s desk for you later.”
Lu Yan weighed it up, put down his brush, made way for Sun Xu and said seriously: “Lord Sun, please take a rest.”
As Lu Yan walked into the hall and asked the Yamen: “Are the torture instruments ready?”
The Yamen replied in a low voice: “Lord Sun just said that we should try the case first and then impose punishment…”
Lu Yan sneered and said, “Is it a female suspect?”
The Yamen nodded, “Yes.”
“Where is she from?”
“She is from the capital.”
Lu Yan said: “Ask someone to bring the torture instruments.”
She is just a female suspect who bought poison. She is not a villain who hurts people and sets fire to other people’s houses. How can it be difficult to interrogate her?
Based on Lu Yan’s experience, generally when it comes to interrogation tools, at most ten striked from a board is enough to tell the truth.
As soon as Lu Yan entered the hall, he saw the back of a graceful figure.
He sighed and couldn’t help but curse: Lord Sun is really getting more and more ridiculous.
Admittedly, he really wrongly blamed Sun Xu. Sun Xu is a womanizer, what kind of beauties have he not seen before? But Shen Shu is different. Before she got married, the eldest daughter of the Shen family had been the dream partner of many men in the capital.
Sun Xu couldn’t do it no matter what. He couldn’t bear to keep running to the toilet in front of Shen Shu…
Lu Yan put on the black gauze hat, fiddled with his cuffs and walked forward.
The two officials behind him were holding a ladle and two boards.
He sat in the hall and said coldly to the woman in the middle of the hall: “After entering the Yamen, why don’t you take off your hat?”
Upon hearing Lu Yan’s tone, the two officials couldn’t help but give a thumbs up in their hearts. When it comes to justice, Lord Lu is the one who is the most fair.
Shen Shu closed her eyes and thought to herself: In terms of bad luck, she has it the worst.
After thinking for a moment, she raised her hand and took off her curtain hat, and met Lu Yan’s eyes.
Lu Yan’s face darkened when he saw the person clearly.
His whole body froze, as if all the blood in his body was flowing backwards.
Shen Shu?
How can I judge this case?
Just then, the two officials with serious faces, holding boards, stood beside Shen Shu.
A posture that shows no mercy.
After a while, Lu Yan’s Adam’s apple rolled and he said in a deep voice to the two officials: “Both of you please leave.”
