Chapter 11: The feeling of being controlled was more terrifying than any outright threat...
Inside the Zichen Palace, the cool, refreshing scent of ambergris almost lingered.
Fangru knelt beneath the throne. The chill of the gold bricks seeped into her knees through her official robes, but it was far less oppressive than the scorching gaze from the throne.
She raised her head, her neck forming a delicate yet defiant arc, her gaze meeting those deep, pool-like eyes: "Since Your Majesty is unwilling to release Gu Zhou, could you please grant me permission to reinvestigate Gu Zhou's treason case? I will exert all my strength to find evidence and clear his name."
Zhou Ling did not respond immediately.
He slowly rose to his feet, the dark patterns on his black dragon robe flowing in the light and shadow, like a lurking beast.
He walked down the imperial steps one by one, the sound of his boots striking the ground echoing in the silent hall, each strike like a blow to Fangru's heart.
He stopped in front of her, so close that she could smell his unique masculine scent, a blend of power and coldness.
He leaned down slightly, his slender fingers not touching her, but seemingly carrying an invisible warmth, slowly tracing the contours of her cheek, finally using only the back of his fingertips to lightly brush against her trembling chin.
“Fangru,” he began, his voice low and almost a whisper, with a hint of lazy hoarseness, “you always so eagerly put yourself under my nose for another man… Do you know that my patience is not endless?”
The touch of those fingertips was both close and distant, like a feather scratching, yet also like a branding iron burning hot.
Fangru felt a shiver run down her spine, and her breath caught in her throat slightly.
She forced herself to calm down, even slightly raising her face so that her misty, stubborn eyes could be clearly seen in his eyes: "Your Majesty, I only ask for the truth. Your Majesty has also said that you appreciate my persistence."
A deep, dark glint flashed in Zhou Ling's eyes, as if he was pleased by her direct gaze, or perhaps annoyed by her stubbornness.
He chuckled softly, his breath brushing against her lips: "Very well. I will give you a chance to be persistent. One month..." He held up a finger, almost touching the tip of her nose, his tone carrying a slow, cruel control, "If within a month you cannot find the 'evidence' I want... then, Gu Zhou, be executed immediately, without exception."
This is not a favor; it is a high-stakes gamble with Gu Zhou's life and her own life at stake.
The air was thick with a silent struggle and a tension that was about to erupt.
Fangru clenched her fist in her sleeve, her nails digging deep into her palm, using the slight pain to keep herself awake.
She met his gaze, which seemed capable of devouring everything, and clearly saw that what surged within it was not only the oppressive aura of an emperor, but also a thick, possessive desire and aggression that only men have for women.
She took a deep breath, parted her red lips slightly, and uttered a single word: "Okay."
Zhou Ling's gaze suddenly turned sharp and deep, as if he wanted to completely devour her resolute yet moving appearance at this moment.
He slowly straightened up, casting a shadow over her, and a cryptic smile curved his lips: "I'll wait and see what you... can do."
When Fangru left the Zichen Palace, she felt weak all over, and the small patch of skin that had been touched by his gaze was still burning hot.
His possessive and erotic gaze terrified her more than any direct threat.
She understood that she had stepped into not only the mystery of the case, but also a carefully woven web of love and a hunting ground for the emperor.
Gu Zhou was convicted because he donated a small amount of money to Ciji Temple, which had previously produced a traitor named Zhou Jun, who had a close personal relationship with Gu Zhou.
Fangru brought over the case file of Zhou Jun and spent days reading through it, her eyes turning blue from exhaustion. However, she could not concentrate fully, and Zhou Ling's burning eyes, which seemed to be able to peel off her official robes, would often appear in her mind.
The case file was meticulously detailed, and she rubbed her temples in frustration.
Suddenly, a thought broke through the fog: if it cannot be directly proven that Gu Zhou is not involved in Zhou Jun's treason, perhaps... if we can find the accomplices in Zhou Jun's case who have not yet been caught, this great achievement may be enough to persuade Zhou Ling to give Gu Zhou a break.
Suddenly, a thought struck her! Fangru immediately stood up, her heart pounding with this hope, and prepared to lead her men straight to Zhou Jun's former residence for another search.
She had just stepped out of the duty room when she nearly bumped into someone.
Fangru looked up and saw Su Wanqing holding a small food box, smiling at her.
“Lord Shen,” Su Wanqing stepped forward and tugged at her sleeve, her tone carrying a hint of concern and reproach, “You have solved several cases recently and redressed grievances for the people. The people of the capital all praise you as a just and upright official! But you can’t be so careless about your health. This is a ginseng soup that I specially brewed. Drink it quickly to refresh yourself.”
Fangru was preoccupied with the case and had no appetite for soup. She hurriedly said, "Wanqing, I appreciate your kindness, but I have urgent business to attend to..."
She was about to walk around Su Wanqing when she said that. Su Wanqing stopped her again and pleaded softly, "It's not a big deal if you're in a hurry! Look at you, your eyes are all dark circles... Fine, fine, if you really don't want to drink, then let me go with you! At least I can help you out, it's better than you having to endure it all by yourself."
Fangru couldn't persuade her otherwise, and seeing that she genuinely wanted to help, she had no choice but to agree: "Alright, but you need to stay close to me and be careful in everything you do."
The two men, accompanied by two constables, hurried to Zhou Jun's old residence.
Just as they reached the alley entrance, they were stopped by several constables from the Ministry of Justice.
Zheng Yu stood to the side with his hands behind his back, still using that annoying tone:
"So it's you, Chief Justice Shen, who has graced us with your presence." He strolled forward slowly, his gaze lingering for a moment on Fangru's slightly tired but still bright eyes before shifting away, his tone businesslike, "Unfortunately, the Ministry of Justice is currently handling a case in this alley, and it has been temporarily closed. If Lord Shen wishes to visit Zhou Jun's residence, I'm afraid he will have to wait a few days."
Fangru was extremely anxious, and her anger flared up immediately upon hearing this: "Zheng Yu! You are clearly deliberately making things difficult! Zhou Jun's case has been closed for a long time. What case is the Ministry of Justice handling here now? I think you are intentionally obstructing my Dali Temple's investigation!"
Su Wanqing chimed in, her voice soft yet sharp: "Lord Zheng, your ability to block the road is far superior to your ability to solve cases."
Zheng Yu was repeatedly rebuked by the two, especially Fang Ru's eyes, which shone even brighter with anger, glaring at him, leaving him speechless for a moment, his ears burning slightly.
He forced a straight face: "Stop talking nonsense! The Ministry of Justice handles matters without needing to explain to you!"
"I think you're just feeling guilty!" Fangru didn't back down, taking a step forward and almost pointing her finger at his nose as she rebuked him, "If you're really handling a case here, why are there only constables blocking the way, and no investigators? Zheng Yu, let me tell you, I'm going in today! If you stop me again, I'll report you directly to His Majesty and have you charged with dereliction of duty and obstruction of official business!"
Zheng Yu's face turned pale and then red after being scolded by her.
He did have a deliberate intention to delay, but deeper down, it was perhaps a kind of displeasure at seeing her work so hard for Gu Zhou, and... a clumsy way of trying to get her attention that was hard to put into words.
He was annoyed by her sharp words and saw her resolute attitude. Yet, he was also inexplicably intimidated by her fierceness.
"...Fine!" He finally seemed to give in, irritably waving his hand to make way for the constables, his tone curt, "Go ahead if you want! But you must be under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice, and you must not act without authorization or disturb the scene!"
Fangru snorted coldly, too lazy to waste any more words on him, and pulled Su Wanqing inside.
Upon reaching Zhou Jun's abandoned house, Zheng Yu couldn't help but speak up again: "Hurry up, don't dawdle, this place..."
"Lord Zheng!" Fangru turned around abruptly, interrupting him, her eyes sharp as knives. "If you really want to help, shut your mouth. Either work together to find clues, or take your men and get away! Is this the investigative discipline the Ministry of Justice taught you, pointing fingers and babbling on and on?"
Zheng Yu was so speechless that he lost all his temper.
Looking at Fangru's serious, focused, and even somewhat fiercely beautiful profile, the awkward feeling in his heart strangely turned into helplessness.
He touched his nose and actually stopped talking. Instead, he waved for his subordinates to step back and then silently followed, beginning to carefully examine the surrounding environment. He had actually changed from "supervising" to "cooperating".
Su Wanqing saw all of this, leaned closer to Fangru, covered her lips with a round fan, and chuckled softly, her tone knowing and teasing: "Fangru, I think this Lord Zheng... is a bit fierce, but he seems to treat you very differently."
Fangru was engrossed in her search when she heard this. Without even looking up, she frowned and said, "Don't talk nonsense. He's just afraid I'll really report him."
The three of them said no more and split up to search carefully in the dusty, abandoned house.
Zheng Yu was in charge of the bedroom, Su Wanqing checked the living room, and Fangru went straight into the study.
The rooms are adjacent, separated only by a broken screen or curtain.
As Zheng Yu searched, he spoke to Fang Ru through the barrier as if by accident, his tone still carrying his characteristic, irritating teasing: "Director Shen, search carefully, don't miss any crucial clues, or we'll have to ask the Ministry of Justice for help again."
Fangru didn't even look up, and retorted sarcastically, "Lord Zheng should take care of his own business first. If you can find any clues that the Ministry of Justice has overlooked, I will definitely bring generous gifts to express my gratitude."
The words "generous gift" were pronounced with a profound meaning.
Zheng Yu seemed to chuckle softly, about to say something more.
Suddenly! A muffled thud, accompanied by a suppressed groan of pain, came clearly from the bedroom!
Fangru felt a chill run down her spine and immediately looked up at the next room: "Zheng Yu?"
No one responded.
An ominous premonition instantly gripped her.
She jumped up and rushed to the bedroom door, about to peek inside.
A ghostly black shadow tumbled down from the roof beam without warning!
A flash of cold light appeared in the dark figure's hand, and Zheng Yu was already lying on the ground, his shoulder and back covered in blood. The steel knife was raised again, slashing towards Fang Ru with lightning speed!
Everything happened so fast!
Before Fangru could even cry out in alarm, the chill of death had already swept over her!
At this critical moment, Su Wanqing, who was in the living room, screamed and rushed over without hesitation, forcefully pushing Fangru away!
"Thud!" The sharp blade struck Su Wanqing's back hard, the cut reaching the bone! She let out a shrill scream, blood gushing out, and she collapsed to the ground like a kite with a broken string, instantly losing consciousness, her life hanging in the balance.
"Wanqing!" Fangru was pushed and staggered to the ground, watching helplessly as her friend suffered a serious injury because of her, her eyes wide with rage.
Without hesitation, the assassin raised his blade and slashed at her again! Fangru moved backward in vain, closing her eyes in despair...
The expected excruciating pain did not come.
Instead, there was a sharp, metallic clang, and a muffled groan of pain from the assassin.
Fangru opened her eyes, trembling.
A figure in black appeared out of nowhere, descending like a god, and stood perfectly in front of her.
Zhou Ling held a long sword with a chilling gleam, its tip trembling slightly. He had just effortlessly parried that fatal blow.
His tall figure enveloped her completely like a mountain, the wide sleeves of his dragon robe fluttering even without wind, carrying a chilling killing intent and an inviolable majesty.
The assassin was so shocked by the sudden interception that his hand went numb, and a look of horror flashed in his eyes.
Zhou Ling didn't even turn around to look at Fangru, who had fallen to the ground in a disheveled state.
His gaze, as cold as ice, was fixed on the dark figure before him. His voice was deep and calm, yet contained a thunderous rage. It was a pronouncement to the guard Li Zuo who had just rushed in, and also to this small space: "I want him alive. If he dies, you will bring me your heads."
"Yes!" Li Zuo led his men and pounced on them like wolves and tigers.
Only then did Zhou Ling slowly turn around.
He looked down at Fangru, who was sitting on the ground, pale-faced and covered in dust. His deep eyes were filled with unreadable emotions: the fear of her taking danger, the relief of seeing her unharmed, and a deep, possessive desire that almost devoured her.
He extended his hand, which was not holding a sword, his fingers long and slender with distinct knuckles, exuding the strength of a martial artist, and offered it to her.
His voice was slightly softer than before, but it still carried an undeniable imperial majesty: "Rise."
Seeing that Fangru was too shocked and worried about Su Wanqing to move, he leaned down slightly and took her arm. With a little effort, he pulled her up steadily from the ground.
The warmth of that hand seeped through the fabric, firm and scorching.
"Are you injured?" he asked, his gaze quickly sweeping over her body. After confirming that she was unharmed, he turned his attention to Su Wanqing, who was lying unconscious beside him, her clothes stained with blood. His brows furrowed. "Li Zuo, summon the imperial physician immediately! Do everything in your power to save her!"
His appearance, his actions, and his undisguised concern and control all carried a strong, unsettling force.
He seemed to have anticipated her danger and arrived just in time to pull her back from the brink of death under his wing.
Fangru leaned against Zhou Ling's solid body. The lingering vibrations in his chest from the sudden exertion, along with the heat mixed with ambergris, the smell of blood, and pure masculinity, enveloped her tightly like an invisible net.
My heart, still reeling from the shock, beat even more erratically because of the close proximity and the powerful protection, and an indescribable sense of trepidation coursed through my limbs.
A note from the author:
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