Translator – Xiao He Lian
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Chapter 69
(Continued from the previous chapter Dream)
Emperor Chengyuan practiced Taoism and completely delegated power. All officials were angry but dared not speak out. After all, everyone had witnessed Taoist Master Ge’s abilities.
Although there was a crown prince in the court as regent, the political infighting was as relentless as the flow of a river, and the various forces were fighting a war without swords.
During this period, the Crown Prince replaced many people in the court.
Just like Li Di, who took over the post of governor of Suzhou at a young age.
Although his appointment was considered a transfer away from the capital, Suzhou was an upper prefecture, and the governor of an upper prefecture was of the third rank and held real power, which was enough to show how much the Crown Prince valued him.
After Li Di was promoted, before he left, he made a concubine in his house, his second wife and gave birth to a son. People forget things quickly, and before winter even started, they had already forgotten the previous Minister of Works.
Who Shen Wenqi was and who Li Di’s wife was, was obviously not important.
There was heavy snow in Chang’an in October. The snow fell on the ground and turned into ice, chilling the hearts of many people.
On the seventh day of October, Zheng Zhonglian resigned due to poor health and prepared to return home. The Crown Prince handed the position of Jingzhao prefect to Lu Yan and took the opportunity to promote the descendants of the other two branches of the Lu family.
The Duke of Zhenguo’s Mansion knew very well that the Crown Prince’s move was a sincere attempt to win over the Lu family.
After being busy for nearly half a month, Lu Yan took some time to visit Chengyuan.
The flickering candlelight in the study shone on the two people. He lowered his head to copy the report, and she stood on the side grinding ink.
As Lu Yan wrote, he said, “If you are tired, just go and rest. You don’t have to wait for me.” After saying that, he looked up at Shen Zhen.
This time, Lu Yan raised his head and realized that she was rubbing her waist every few minutes, her whole face was pale and there was some sweat on her forehead.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?” Lu Yan asked.
As soon as the words fell, Shen Zhen immediately withdrew her hand from her waist and shook her head, “My Lord, I’m fine.”
Lu Yan put down the wolf hair brush in his hand, frowned, and whispered: “Come here and let me see.”
Shen Zhen bit her lip, knowing that he never said anything twice, so she had to bite the bullet and walked over.
The man placed his palm on her waist, and suddenly thought of the six beatings she had received and said slowly: “Is it because the weather has been cold recently that your waist injury has recurred?” Shen Zhen’s body was not strong and she was injured after receiving those six beatings. When the weather changed, she would feel a dull pain.
Shen Zhen waved his hands and said truthfully: “No, My Lord, I got my periods…”
Lu Yan paused, recalling the record in the medical book, “When menstruation is not smooth it causes lower abdomen pain.”
However, it was the first time he knew that she had symptoms of menstrual disorders.
“Why don’t you tell me it hurts?” Lu Yan looked up at her, with a hint of displeasure between his brows.
It was normal for a woman to experience lower abdominal and back pain during her menstrual period, but she also has a back injury and really cannot get tired.
Shen Zhen bit her lip and paused for a long time before saying, “I’ll tell you next time, okay?”
Lu Yan pinched his brows, sighed helplessly, took out a bottle of medicine from the drawer beside him, and said, “Turn around, I’ll apply you some medicine.”
Shen Zhen’s cheeks flushed slightly. She turned around obediently, unbuttoned her skirt, lifted her middle garment, revealing half of her slender, white and dazzling waist.
Lu Yan applied medicine on her, lowered his eyes and looked at the fragile waist in front of him. He couldn’t help but think of the board used to interrogate prisoners in Jingzhao Prefecture… His Adam’s apple moved slightly and he whispered: “I was the one who instructed the officials to beat you, do you blame me?”
Shen Zhen shook her head and said, “I was the one who broke the law first, and you are just following the law.”
“Moreover, you have shown me mercy …… I understand.”
Lu Yan’s eyes were deep as he tidied her clothes. “Okay, go back and rest. I still have case files to look at.”
“I see.”
Shen Zhen nodded and left the study.
It was not until three quarters past midnight that Lu Yan returned to the inner room. Seeing that the candle had not yet been extinguished, he could not help but raise the corners of his lips.
Lu Yan lay down on the inside and whispered, “Are you still awake?”
Shen Zhen grabbed a corner of the quilt and whispered, “Yeah.”
“Were you waiting for me?” The man’s tone was gentle, with a smile in the corners of his eyes.
Shen Zhen was stunned for a moment, then she placed her little hand in his palm. Her gesture was equivalent to saying, I was waiting for you to come back.
Lu Yan chuckled and held it tightly, “Okay, go to sleep.”
After she closed her eyes, Lu Yan turned his head and glanced at her for a long time.
Thinking back to when he first met her, she was only sixteen years old, as pure as a blank sheet of paper, unable to lie, not very scheming, and just stood there, looking stubborn.
In the blink of an eye, a year passed, and she finally learned the skill of bowing her head and pleasing others.
To be honest, Lu Yan knew very well in his heart that he had not treated her well at all. On the one hand, he demanded that she be obedient, while on the other hand, he was enjoying her beauty and body wantonly.
He had indeed never thought of marrying her.
He himself couldn’t even tell when he had that inappropriate thought.
Maybe it was a long time ago, maybe it was after she came back from Yangzhou, maybe it was when she said she wanted to see Su Heng…
When she mentioned Su Heng that day, he was furious and told her in a cold voice to clarify her identity.
Both he and she understood what these four words meant: to be clear about one’s identity.
Sure enough, as soon as these words came out, the little girl’s eyes immediately turned red.
In fact, he regretted it as soon as he said it.
But no one knew the panic in my heart and the trembling of his palms.
It was then that he realized clearly that he really couldn’t bear to hurt her, and even more so, he couldn’t bear to let her follow him in secret forever.
Lu Yan smiled bitterly. It was time for him to pay a price for the four words “reluctant to let go“.
——
The next evening, in Jingzhao Prefecture.
Lu Yan put away the case file in his hand and was about to leave when he saw Yang Zong and Fu Qi hurriedly walking in.
“My Lord, something happened to Madam Li…”
“What’s going on?” Lu Yan raised his eyes and asked.
“Madam Li accidentally killed Governor Li on his way to Suzhou.”
Lu Yan slammed the table and stood up, “What did you say?”
When Shen Shu left the capital this time, Lu Yan secretly sent someone to protect her. His original plan was to take her away while traveling by water if she didn’t want to go to Suzhou.
Fu Qi whispered, “We were on the official road at the time. Governor Li and Madam Li were riding in a carriage together. The incident happened suddenly and we didn’t know what happened inside. We only heard a few screams and saw blood on the curtains of the carriage… Only then did we realize something was wrong…”
“Where is Shen Shu now?” For murdering a third-rank official, sentencing one to death by hanging would be a light sentence.
“Madam Li is fine, she just fainted, but…” Fu Qi hesitated for a long time, as if he had something else to say.
“Say it!”
“Young Master, I wanted to rush forward to take the blame, but I didn’t expect that Lord Zhou from the Dali Temple would get there first.”
Lu Yan frowned slightly and asked in a deep voice, “Are you talking about Zhou Shu’an?”
Fu Qi nodded, “Yes, there were people all around at the time. In addition to the Li family’s Second Mistress and the old lady, there were also many servants of the Li family. Lord Zhou rushed out from nowhere, publicly confessed to the crime and knocked Madam Li unconscious.”
Lu Yan turned the ring on his hand and said slowly: “Who took Lord Zhou away?”
“People from the Ministry of Justice.”
Lu Yan took a deep breath and said, “Let’s go to the Ministry of Justice now.”
When they arrived at the Ministry of Justice Prison, Lu Yan showed his badge and met Zhou Shu’an smoothly.
Zhou Shu’an was sitting on a low table. When he saw Lu Yan, he greeted him like an old friend, “You came?”
One has to say that this man in his thirties, no matter whether he is wearing official uniform or prisoner uniform, as long as he straightens his back, he still looked heroic.
Lu Yan walked over, unlocked the door for him, and spoke directly, “I will find a way to transfer you into the Jingzhao Prison.”
“Lord Lu, you don’t have to do this.” Zhou Shu’an raised his eyes, “I want to ask Lord Lu for another favor.”
Lu Yan looked at him for a long time without saying anything.
“Wait until Shen Shu wakes up and send her away from Chang’an for me.” Zhou Shu’an said calmly.
“What about you?” Lu Yan asked.
“I have my own bargaining chips to exchange with the Crown Prince. It is not difficult to save my life. As for the rest, Lord Lu, please do not worry about it.”
The two of them, one was the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture and the other was the chief judge of Dali Temple. They were very familiar with the court and laws of the Jin Dynasty, so there was no need to say anything extra.
The prison was narrow and damp, and the silver lamps on the walls made a crackling sound from time to time.
“Will you regret it?”
In fact, Lu Yan didn’t know whether he was asking Zhou Shu’an or himself.
Zhou Shu’an lowered his head and smiled, then said slowly: “Who knows?”
“What if she wakes up and wants to come see you?”
Hearing this, Zhou Shu’an laughed and said, “With her temper, not only will she not thank me, but she will blame me instead.”
“So, forget it.”
T/N – Today is my Birthday!!🥰🥰🥰
