"The princess has bestowed a gift, why aren't you thanking her?" He kicked the clerk beside him in exasperation. It wasn't that the clerk lacked emotional intelligence, but rather that he was surprised that such a young boy had such a magnanimous manner. For a moment, he didn't react.
After realizing what had happened, he blushed and felt ashamed of his master. Although his family was in dire straits, there was no need to accept the gifts without any pretense of refusal. He wondered how the emperor had failed to learn the essence of the matter when he refused the fiefdom three times.
But since the adults had already said so, what could he do? He steeled himself and, on behalf of the constables, said to Zhao Shu, "On behalf of my brothers, we thank the princess for her generous gift." He searched for a long time for the right words, and felt that the word "brothers" was just enough to express his gratitude.
Zhao Shu chuckled, "You're too kind." This Zheng Hongsheng is quite a character. Nowadays, most scholars are aloof and arrogant; someone like Zheng Hongsheng is a rare find.
As they spoke, they arrived at the main hall, where two rows of constables stood on either side, each holding a dignified baton. The constables were all tall and imposing, their eyes fixed straight ahead, exuding an extremely solemn air.
"Princess, the person is over there." Chu Chun pointed to the sack next to the trial table and whispered to Zhao Shu. When she first arrived, she was startled to see Jiang Yue, but then she saw a note on it and assumed that Zhao Shu had sent someone to deliver it, which reassured her.
With a soft, cold laugh, she said, "From today onwards, Jiang Yue, you'd better pray for your own good fortune. If you don't avenge your mother's death, what kind of person are you? No, you still have a twin brother."
She only learned of such a deep-seated hatred today!
He took out the painting Sun Yun had finished, unfolded it, and asked Zheng Hongsheng, "Sir, do you know if your household can find anyone whose figure bears some resemblance to the painting?"
"Princess, rest assured, we can still find someone who bears a resemblance." She took the painting from Zhao Shu and handed it to the clerk beside her. "I wonder if the Princess has any other instructions? I will have them done."
"Does Your Excellency know about the four judges in the Fengdu Emperor's Palace: the Reward Envoy, the Punishment Envoy, the Investigator Envoy, and Judge Cui?" Zhao Shu asked.
Zheng Hongsheng narrowed his small eyes, his mind a little blank, unsure of what Zhao Shu was up to. However, he knew about these underworld figures, so he nodded, "I know."
"The prisoner I am to interrogate has committed numerous evils and is the murderer of my mother. I hope that you, sir, can assist in finding out the truth and get the prisoner to confess and sign the confession," she said coldly.
Zheng Hongsheng knew that Zhao Shu had lost her mother at a young age, but he had never heard that the Princess Consort of Yong had been murdered. Upon hearing this, his mind was in turmoil, but he quickly composed himself and decided to help Zhao Shu, no matter what conspiracy might be behind it.
Life is full of crossroads and choices. He only considered it for a moment before choosing the path of Zhao Shu. Now, judging from the current situation, the Yongwang Mansion is definitely worth his bold choice. The Yongwang Mansion has a small population. If the Yongwang Princess is murdered, there are only two possibilities: a crime of passion or a revenge killing. He is certain with his life that it is a crime of passion.
Without getting involved in politics, he was happy to befriend the Prince Yong's family. Moreover, as an official of the imperial court, it was his basic duty to speak up for the people and stand up for them. If he helped Princess Jun this time, and the person behind the scenes wanted to take revenge on him, the Zheng family, although only a minor family, was not someone to be trifled with!
"Please give your instructions, Your Highness. I will do my utmost to help you find out the truth." After making his decision, his attitude became even more respectful.
Zhao Shu chuckled. She had already made up her mind when she chose to come to the government office. Regardless of whether Zheng Hongsheng agreed or not, she would use this courtroom to complete the series of matters that followed. Naturally, it would be best if Zheng Hongsheng could cooperate.
In retrospect, Zheng Hongsheng was a remarkable man.
"This person has committed numerous evils, too many to count. Naturally, he should be punished by the Enforcer of Evil. I request that you, sir, act as the Enforcer of Evil and assist me in interrogating the prisoner."
Zheng Hongsheng, who was impersonating a person from the underworld for the first time, did not feel afraid. On the contrary, he was extremely excited. He was not an ignorant woman or child. He was a disciple of famous scholars and did not scoff at the idea of ghosts and gods. He recalled the description of the envoy of punishment in the play and said, "Please wait a moment, Your Highness. I will go and make some preparations."
"Okay." Zhao Shu forced a smile. He didn't mind and understood Zhao Shu's feelings perfectly. He then took his leave to prepare.
After seeing Zheng Hongsheng and his advisor off, Zhao Shu's gaze fell on the constables. Just as she was about to speak, the advisor turned back and came in again, saying, "The master wants you to go and prepare. Follow me."
"Please wait a moment, Your Highness, we will go and make the preparations." He bowed and led the constables out of the courtroom.
After the constables left, the entire hall immediately became quiet. Sheng Xia and the others surrounded Zhao Shu, fearing that a hidden arrow might fly from somewhere and harm her.
"Boil the medicine inside into a soup and feed it to Jiang Yue. It doesn't need to be too strong." She took out the sachet that Wei Tingsi had given her earlier from her sleeve. The sachet contained daphne, and she didn't know where he had found it. When she opened the sachet, there was nothing else inside except for the daphne.
Chu Chun looked at the sachet Zhao Shu handed over with suspicion. This sachet was so rough. All the princess's things were handled by them and were exquisite. When did such a rough sachet come about?
However, this was not the time to be curious about this thing, so he took the sachet and went downstairs to find a place to boil it.
As they walked out in early spring, Zhao Shu said to Shengxia and Wandong, "The three of you can stay together. You don't need to watch over me. I have people to protect me."
The three of them knew exactly what Zhao Shu was up to—that she wanted to avoid them. They were a little jealous, but considering they were powerless, they had no choice but to go together.
After dismissing the three people, Zhao Shu closed the open door, found a chair, and sat down quietly, waiting. However, the person she was waiting for never appeared. Instead, the injured Han Ying arrived. He burst into the room, and seeing that Zhao Shu was unharmed, he collapsed to the ground in relief.
Zhao Shu rushed over to check his injuries. Fortunately, he had only lost too much blood, and the knife wounds on his body had not reached any vital organs. "Someone come here!"
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
