Chapter 71 He joined the Ministry of Justice, but whose child is he? He even dares to come out and spread rumors…

Fangru's heart sank, but she maintained perfect composure on her face.

Rules? She sneered inwardly.

Does Zhou Ling even deserve to talk to her about rules?

Memories of those nights from her past life flooded back: how he relentlessly demanded more, how he whispered "one more time" in her ear, and how he refused to let go even when she was exhausted and begged for mercy.

During those passionate nights, he was obsessed with her body as if he were under a spell, wishing he could crush her in his arms.

Now you're talking to me about rules?

Fangru's nails dug deeply into her palms. If it weren't for your unrestrained behavior in her past life, haunting her every night, why would I have to worry about this inexplicable symptom today?

She recalled those mornings when he always liked to leave suggestive marks on her neck, never stopping even when she protested repeatedly.

Once, she was so angry that she bit him hard on the shoulder, but he chuckled and whispered in her ear, "I love your wildness."

That despicable culprit!

Fangru cursed inwardly. They turned me into this state, and now they put on this hypocritical act!

She suppressed her anger and instead put on a polite smile.

Since he's going to put on an act, she'll play along to the end.

"Your Majesty, may you be well." She curtsied, her voice calm and even.

As she straightened up, her gaze met those unfathomable eyes.

Zhou Ling's eyes revealed no emotion, like a pool of cold water that had been still for a thousand years.

"This humble woman is foolish," she began slowly, her voice clear and firm, "I was unaware that the Ministry of Justice's rules dictate that clues that might involve human lives must be ignored."

Zhou Ling walked slowly closer and stopped in front of Fang Ru, looking down at her and lingering his gaze on her slightly pale face for a moment.

“Miss Shen is quite eloquent.” His voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable authority. “But the Ministry of Justice doesn’t rely on verbal skills to solve cases.”

At this moment, Zheng Yu hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, Miss Shen has misunderstood. These female constables are all experts transferred from the Six Doors to assist in the investigation of the Baiyang Society case, and each of them is skilled in martial arts." He turned to Fang Ru, his tone somewhat anxious, "Miss Shen, investigating a case is not child's play, please go back."

Fangru's gaze swept over the female constables, then suddenly settled on the unusual weapon in the hand of one of them.

Those were a pair of mandarin duck axes, shaped like crescent moons, their blades gleaming with a cold light.

The female constable was clearly clueless, clumsily fiddling with her weapon, a hint of frustration on her face.

"Young lady," Fangru stepped forward slowly, her voice gentle, "may I borrow your weapon for a look?"

The female constable named Su Yan glanced at her disdainfully: "What do you know? This is a unique weapon of the Six Doors."

Fangru was not angry, but simply extended her hand gently: "If I am not mistaken, this pair of mandarin duck axes should be held like this."

Su Yan handed over the weapon with suspicion in her eyes.

The moment Fangru received the Mandarin Duck Axe, a long-buried memory surged forth like a tide.

It was a late night in the seventh generation, and the moonlight poured into the courtyard like quicksilver.

Zhou Ling dismissed all the palace servants and took her to the martial arts arena alone.

"Take it." He stuffed the pair of cold, mandarin duck axes into her hands and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

His chest pressed against her back, his warm breath brushing against her ear.

"You should do this with your wrist." His palm completely enveloped her hand, his fingertips gently caressing her wrist.

Fangru remembers that her whole body stiffened at the time, and she felt that his touch was as hot as flames.

"Focus." Noticing her distraction, his voice deepened, and his fingertips slowly moved up her arm, gently pressing on her elbow. "The power comes from here, not your shoulder."

Under the moonlight, his figure completely enveloped her.

Each time he wielded weapons with her, the friction of their clothing sent shivers down his spine. There were moments when his lips almost touched the side of her neck, his warm breath spraying onto her sensitive skin.

"Distracted?" Noticing her trembling, he chuckled softly, his voice tinged with a hint of mockery.

His hand remained firmly in hers, guiding her through one complex move after another.

The sound of weapons cutting through the air was exceptionally clear in the night, mingling with the intertwined breathing of the two.

At that time, she only felt humiliated and thought that he was taking the opportunity to molest her.

Looking back now, although his guidance at the time had a subtle flirting quality, he taught every move and technique with utmost seriousness.

"Remember this feeling." As the final move ended, his lips brushed against her earlobe, his voice husky, "You might need it someday."

At this moment, under the corridor of the Ministry of Justice, Fangru closed her eyes and concentrated, as if that moonlit night from her previous life was reappearing before her eyes.

Zhou Ling placed his palm on the back of her hand, his warm breath brushing against her ear: "Keep your wrist steady, the power comes from your wrist, not your arm."

She suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze sharp as lightning.

With a deft twist of her wrist, the pair of mandarin duck axes came to life on her fingertips.

The two axes drew two bright silver arcs, clashing together in the air and producing a clear sound like a dragon's roar.

Her figure moved with the grace of a startled swan; with a swift turn, the weapon was already firmly sheathed in her hand, and even the hem of her clothes returned to a perfectly still state.

The entire corridor was completely silent.

Su Yan stared with her mouth agape as the sword in her hand clattered to the ground.

The other female constables were even more dumbfounded, and some unconsciously took a half step back.

Zheng Yu gasped.

Fangru smiled slightly and deftly tossed the Mandarin Duck Axe back to Su Yan: "This Mandarin Duck Axe is all about skillful execution." She said calmly, "If Miss Su is interested, I can offer some pointers."

Su Yan hurriedly caught the weapon, her cheeks flushed red.

A fleeting, almost imperceptible ripple crossed Zhou Ling's eyes; those usually calm and collected eyes finally stirred with a genuine emotion.

He clapped his hands slowly, the crisp sound of which was particularly clear in the quiet corridor.

"Excellent." His voice remained steady, but the hidden admiration in it shocked everyone. "I didn't expect Miss Shen to have such skills."

He turned to Zheng Yu, his tone resolute: "From this day forward, Miss Shen will be of equal rank with all the constables and will participate in case investigations."

Fangru lowered her eyes, recalling the stern expression on Zhou Ling's face when he taught her step by step in their seventh life.

At the time, she thought he was deliberately torturing her or taking the opportunity to get close to her. She never expected that his skills would become a life-saving bargaining chip.

"Your subject obeys the decree," she replied softly, catching a glimpse of the arc traced by Zhou Ling's dark sleeves as he turned to leave.

As dawn broke, Fangru changed into an indigo blue men's official robe, neatly tied her black hair in her crown, and stepped into the Ministry of Justice on time.

Zheng Yu was already waiting in the courtyard. When he saw her attire, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly returned to normal.

He led her through the corridor to a side room filled with files.

“These are the case files that have been piling up in recent years.” Zheng Yu pointed to the documents that were almost reaching the rafters, his tone calm but with a hint of probing. “Since Miss Shen has volunteered to serve in the Ministry of Justice, let’s start by organizing the case files.”

Fangru looked around the dusty room, her gaze sweeping over the cobweb-covered beams and pillars and the mountain of documents.

She knew this was Zheng Yu's way of putting her in a difficult position. Although she had been personally permitted by the Emperor to enter the Ministry of Justice, why would His Majesty care about the fate of a mere female constable? These long-standing cases were clearly meant to make her back down.

But having gone through seven lifetimes, what kind of scene hasn't she seen?

"Your humble servant obeys." She bowed calmly, her sleeves fluttering as she stirred up fine dust. Her posture was neither humble nor arrogant, as if she were facing no difficult task, but rather a routine official duty.

After Zheng Yu left, she carefully washed her hands and sat down at the table.

Just as I opened the first case file, I heard footsteps outside the door.

"Oh, Miss Shen, you've arrived quite early." Su Yan leaned against the doorframe, holding several volumes of files, her tone laced with sarcasm. "You were so glamorous at the flower-viewing banquet yesterday, and now you're content to be sorting through documents here?"

Fangru didn't even look up, but picked up her pen and wrote on the book: "If Officer Su has some free time, he might as well go to the training ground and practice the Mandarin Duck Axes more."

Su Yan's face darkened, and she slammed the dossier in her arms onto the table, raising a cloud of dust: "What are you pretending to be so high and mighty for! Everyone knows your fiancé was just executed, and you're already rushing to the Ministry of Justice to find a job. What, Gu Zhou's body is barely cold, and you're already looking for another job?"

Fangru slowly put down her pen, and when she looked up, her gaze was as cold as ice: "Officer Su seems to care more about my personal affairs than about investigating cases."

"Did I hit the nail on the head?" Su Yan took a few steps closer, raising her voice, "You showed your face at the flower-viewing banquet, and today you've come to the Ministry of Justice dressed as a man. If you didn't know better, you'd think you were looking for a new husband!"

Fangru stood up, the hem of her official robes drawing a clean arc: "Since Constable Su is so concerned about my marriage..." She walked slowly closer, her voice growing colder, "then why don't you tell me about He Baihu of Hexian Town's yamen, who suddenly broke off his engagement with you the other day?"

Su Yan's expression changed drastically: "What nonsense are you talking about!"

"Whether it's nonsense or not, Constable Su knows perfectly well." Fangru lightly stroked the files on the table with her fingertips. "If people knew that Constable Su only cared about spreading rumors while on duty, I wonder which family would dare to come and propose marriage?"

A few suppressed laughs came from outside the door, and the eavesdropping constables hurriedly hid. Su Yan blushed and pointed at Fang Ru's nose: "You dare to investigate me?"

"It was just a coincidence that I overheard it." Fangru picked up her pen again, her tone nonchalant. "If Constable Su has the leisure to concern himself with other people's marriages, he should spend more time on cases. After all..." She glanced up, "that's the real job."

Su Yan glared at her fiercely, then slammed the door and left.

Fangru lowered her eyes to sort through the files, a cold smile appearing on her lips.

Once she found Huang Jiang and cured herself of the poison, she left the capital to enjoy a carefree life in Jiangnan. As for these clowns, they were nothing more than fleeting clouds on her path to rebirth.

The Ministry of Justice was shrouded in solemnity in the afternoon.

Fangru sat upright in the duty room, intently organizing a file on a case concerning the Grand Canal.

Suddenly, a series of synchronized footsteps came from outside, accompanied by the crisp sound of armor clashing together.

She recognized the voice all too well; it was the distinctive ceremonial gait of the imperial guards.

Her pen paused slightly. Looking through the half-open window, she saw Zheng Yu leading several officials in a hurry to greet them at the yamen. The hem of his official robe was almost touching the threshold, and fine beads of sweat could be seen on his forehead.

Immediately afterwards, that familiar bright yellow figure appeared in the courtyard.

Zhou Ling, dressed in a nine-dragon court robe and wearing a golden crown, walked slowly in, surrounded by guards.

The afternoon sun shone on him, and the gold thread embroidery on his dragon robe reflected a light that was too dazzling to look at directly. The emperor's majesty silenced the entire courtyard.

Fangru's heart sank suddenly. She subconsciously took half a step back, completely hiding herself in the shadow of the window frame, and even unconsciously softened her breathing.

"Your Majesty's sudden arrival, what are your instructions?" Zheng Yu's voice came through the wall, tinged with obvious fear.

"Everyone, gather in the main hall for the meeting." Zhou Ling's voice was calm and authoritative, clearly penetrating the thin walls.

Fangru secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she had escaped a disaster. But then the voice paused and added, "Everyone, without exception."

Her heart pounded again, so she could only lower her head and blend into the back of the crowd, quietly slipping into the main hall with the flow of people. She chose the least conspicuous corner to stand in, trying to minimize her presence.

Zhou Ling sat upright in the main seat, his gaze sweeping across the entire room like that of a hawk. When his gaze passed over the corner where Fang Ru was, he seemed to pause for a moment, his sharp eyes seemingly able to pierce through any disguise.

"The Baiyang Society has already planted 'Crimson Flame Thunder' in various locations around the capital." He got straight to the point, his tone cold and stern.

A suppressed gasp immediately filled the hall.

Fangru's face turned deathly pale instantly; she was all too familiar with this "Crimson Flame Lightning."

In her fourth incarnation, she drove a carriage loaded with these firearms into a valley on the outskirts of the capital, where she was shattered to pieces amidst a deafening explosion.

Those memories haunted her like ghosts: the scorching heatwave, the flying debris, and the excruciating pain of flesh being torn apart...

“This substance is mainly made of saltpeter and sulfur,” Zhou Ling continued, his voice echoing in the silent main hall, “mixed with specially made ‘light-reflecting sand,’ which ignites upon exposure to light. Each ‘Crimson Flame Thunder’ is hidden in a specially made glass dome. When the sunlight is strongest at noon tomorrow, the sunlight will focus through the glass and ignite the light-reflecting sand, causing it to explode on its own.”

His slender fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the rosewood chair, each tap resonating in everyone's hearts: "At that time, the entire outskirts of the capital will be engulfed in flames, and not a blade of grass will grow within a radius of ten miles."

Fangru unconsciously touched her left arm, where she seemed to feel the intense pain of being burned by flames again.

She clearly remembered that at noon in the fourth life, the moment she drove her carriage into the valley, the sky was dyed blood red by the flames.

Although she paid the ultimate price, she successfully led the carriage away from the populated villages, saving countless innocent lives...

"Scared?"

Zhou Ling's voice suddenly rang out, startling Fang Ru back to her senses.

She looked up and met his scrutinizing gaze. His deep eyes revealed no emotion, yet they sent a chill down her spine.

"If you're afraid..." Zhou Ling's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority, "it's not too late to back out now."

Su Yan covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her gaze towards Fangru full of mockery.

The other young female constables also showed disdain and whispered among themselves:

"It's just a firework, is it really worth making such a fuss about?"

"That's right, Baiyang Society is just bluffing."

"Some people are just cowards..."

Fangru listened to these ignorant comments and a cold smile appeared on her lips.

These frogs in a well have no idea of ​​the true power of "Crimson Flame Thunder".

She suppressed her fear and raised her head, saying, "This humble woman is only... worried about the safety of the people."

Her cool gaze swept over the female constables who were mocking her, and her voice, though not loud, was firm and resolute: "After all, not everyone has witnessed the scene of 'Crimson Lightning' leveling an entire hill."

These words froze the smiles on the faces of the female constables.

Su Yan was about to retort, but Zhou Ling stopped her with a look.

Zhou Ling said no more and continued to make arrangements for the search.

Throughout the rest of the meeting, Fangru could feel that faint gaze constantly fixed on her, as if an invisible thread was binding her firmly within the emperor's sight.

After the meeting, everyone filed out.

Su Yan deliberately raised her voice and said to her colleague next to her, "Some people, their health is all questionable, yet they still come to join in the fun. If you ask me, since you're pregnant, you should stay home obediently."

The female constables exchanged knowing glances and began to whisper among themselves.

"Exactly, the scene at the Princess's residence that day was quite unsightly..."

"I wonder whose child he is, yet he dares to show his face in public."