Chapter 20: Important Person
Because in her previous life, when she was imprisoned by Xiao Jingren in a dark courtyard, being fed chronic poison every day, and was on the verge of death...
It was the inconspicuous little medical girl Chu Yue, who disguised herself as a palace maid delivering medicine. She took the risk of being discovered and was sentenced to death. She sneaked in again and again, using her ancestral acupuncture skills to temporarily suppress the poison in her body, giving her a chance to linger!
In front of Chen He's eyes, Chu Yue's pretty face, which was full of determination, seemed to appear again.
She remembered Chu Yue whispering that her grandfather had been the chief physician of the Imperial Hospital. He had angered the Imperial Concubine by pointing out that one of the herbs in the Empress's prescription was incompatible with hers, and so he was framed and his entire family executed! The Chu family's medical tradition was cut short, and doctors from humble backgrounds could no longer enter the Imperial Hospital!
Chu Yue endured humiliation and studied medicine hard, and finally found an opportunity to enter the Imperial Hospital. Her lifelong wish is to restore the reputation of the Chu family medicine and restore the qualifications of doctors from poor families to enter the Imperial Hospital!
Unfortunately... her behavior was later discovered by the Queen, and the woman who was gentle on the outside but strong on the inside was eventually beaten to death with sticks and her body was abandoned in the wilderness...
And Zhou Yan'an...
Chen He's thoughts drifted back to the days when she was deposed and abandoned in the cold palace, becoming emaciated.
It was Zhou Yan'an, a minor official in the Ministry of Justice who was usually taciturn, always kept his head down, and seemed to have no sense of existence. He took the opportunity to deliver a file and secretly handed her a booklet wrapped in oilcloth.
That booklet was stained with dark brown blood!
Zhou Yan'an told her in a low voice that this was evidence he had secretly collected over the years, showing that the Third Prince Xiao Jingren had colluded with border generals, embezzled military pay, and even secretly communicated with the enemy country!
He said that his family had been loyal and good for generations, but because they accidentally discovered the mine of the Xue family (the queen's mother's family) on the border, in order to cover up the unspeakable secret, they framed and killed more than a hundred members of the Zhou family!
Only he and his younger sister, who were still very young at the time, managed to escape by feigning madness and stupidity! He had been lurking for years, searching for the truth and avenging this blood feud!
He entrusted this last hope to her, the deposed queen, and only asked that if she were ever cleared of her crime, she would make this evidence public.
However... the blood-stained account book was eventually found by Xiao Jingren and burned... and Zhou Yan'an was exposed and met a miserable end...
These kindnesses and hatreds from past lives were engraved deep in Shen He's soul like a brand.
Chu Yue's medical skills and meticulousness, Zhou Yan'an's tenacity and understanding of the Ministry of Justice are what she needs most now!
However, she could only bury these thoughts deep in her heart and not reveal a single word to the emperor.
She suppressed even the slightest fluctuation in her eyes, not letting it leak out in the slightest.
When he raised his eyes again, Chen He's face had returned to tranquility and indifference, as if the surge of emotion just now had never existed.
She carefully considered her words, her voice neither humble nor arrogant, just right: "Reporting to Your Majesty."
"Although the Chu doctor is still young, I have heard a little about her. Her family has been practicing medicine for generations. She has extraordinary insights and unique acumen in pharmacology, and her mind is even more meticulous and attentive."
"If the jade bracelet case is indeed related to medication, Dr. Chu, with her meticulous observation skills, might be able to pick up subtle clues that others haven't noticed."
"As for Zhou Yan'an..." At this point, Chen He paused slightly, as if weighing every word that followed, ensuring that they could convey his intentions without going beyond the rules.
Shen He paused and continued:
"I've heard that this person, although holding a low position, has worked in the Ministry of Justice for many years, managing the incoming and outgoing files. He's... well, a bit dull, but because of this, he's also very familiar with the Ministry's various regulations and old cases."
"He's like a walking file in the Ministry of Justice."
"This case involves a wide range of issues, and we may need to review old files to verify the details. Zhou Yan'an is familiar with the process and will not attract attention. This will make it easier to investigate from the bottom up and sort out the clues."
Finally, Shen He slightly emphasized her tone and pointed out the most crucial point, which she guessed would most impress the emperor:
"Most importantly, these two people hold low positions and have clean family backgrounds, and have no ties to any of the various forces within the court."
"Using them will not cause unnecessary speculation and interference, and will allow us to focus on the case itself without distractions."
"I believe that when investigating a case, we should use selfless people, so that we can achieve a fair result."
After Chen He finished speaking, he slowly lowered his eyes, like still water running deep.
In the imperial study, there was silence for a moment, as if even the air had frozen.
The emperor gently picked up the teacup on the imperial desk and slowly stroked the delicate wall of the cup with his fingertips. His deep eyes seemed to hide endless thoughts, making it difficult to guess his intentions.
Is he weighing the pros and cons, or is he secretly testing the waters?
Chen He's heart involuntarily rose to his throat, and he was so nervous that he could almost hear his own heartbeat.
It was eerily quiet in the imperial study, as if even the passage of time had stopped.
Every breath was like a taut bowstring, vibrating in Shen He's heart.
Finally, the fingers stroking the wall of the cup slowly stopped, as if foreshadowing that some decision was about to be revealed.
Emperor Xiao Chengze, an emperor with a mind as deep as the sea, slowly put down his teacup.
"Okay."
Although his words were light, they contained the imperial aura that could not be resisted. Every word was like a hammer, hitting Shen He's tense heartstrings, causing him to relax suddenly and almost collapse to the ground.
She struggled to support herself, took a deep breath of the slightly cool air, and kowtowed slowly: "Your humble servant, Chen He, bows to thank Your Majesty for your great grace!"
The emperor hummed softly.
"Fu'an." He raised his hand gently and called out to the door, with a barely perceptible laziness in his tone.
"Your servant is waiting here!" Outside the door, the personal eunuch Fu'an responded and came in.
"Send Miss Shen out of the palace for me." The emperor ordered calmly.
Fuan raised his head and gave Chen He a gentle yet somewhat scrutinizing smile.
"Miss Shen, please."
Chen He kowtowed again, then slowly stood up and followed Fu An, step by step out of the suffocating imperial study.
The palace door slowly closed behind him, blocking out that deep and unfathomable gaze.
It was not until Chen He walked a long way that he felt the thorny gaze disappear.
What she didn't know was—
Just at the moment the temple door closed.
A barely perceptible sharpness flashed across Emperor Xiao Chengze's seemingly calm face.
He whispered to the empty corner:
"Go, check it out for me."
"Chu Yue, Zhou Yan'an."
"Report every detail of these two people, no matter how big or small, without missing a word."
"Yes!" A low response came from the shadows, and then there was silence.
The emperor picked up the "Canglanghao" brush again, and lightly stroked the word "checks and balances" with his fingertips, his eyes dim and unclear.
"Chen He..."
He whispered the name, a meaningful arc appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Interesting..."
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