Chapter 94 Zhou Yanan faces the saint
Chu Yue's resounding words were like another thunderclap, striking the hearts of everyone in the side hall!
Jade bracelet case!
Blood jade musk!
These two words, like an invisible thread, instantly entangled Chen Jiao's "accidental" fainting at this moment, the strange spices that appeared at the Putuo Temple ceremony, and the case that was neither big nor small!
The emperor's gaze, sharp as an eagle, suddenly moved away from Chu Yue and fell on Shen He in the corner, who was always calm and seemed to have everything under control!
There was scrutiny, inquiry, and a barely perceptible understanding in those eyes!
His heart moved, and he seemed to understand something.
Chen He felt the emperor's gaze and met it with neither arrogance nor servility.
She took a deep breath, suppressed the hatred surging in her eyes, took a step forward, and bowed to the emperor.
"Your Majesty."
Her words were as clear as spring water, each word was like a gem, penetrating the hustle and bustle of the hall, with a calmness and determination that transcended her age.
"Your Majesty has granted me the authority to judge the jade bracelet case."
"Your servant, Dr. Chu, and Lord Zhou from the Ministry of Justice have tirelessly traveled for days to investigate and finally confirmed that the substance etched into that jade bracelet was, as Dr. Chu said, the rare 'blood jade musk'."
Chen He paused slightly, his voice still steady, yet it seemed to carry a tremendous force. Every word he spoke struck everyone's heart with precision, stirring up ripples.
"This fragrance is sinister, vicious, and its medicinal properties are so strong that it is rarely seen in the world."
"According to investigation, this item is not from Dayin Central Plains. Its origin..."
She raised her eyes and looked directly into the emperor's deep eyes:
"Only in the far south, in the Yunzhou area."
"That place is mountainous and long, with pervasive miasma and an extremely harsh environment."
"The production of blood jade musk is already rare, and its refining method is a secret of the local tribe and has never been leaked."
Chen He lowered his voice slightly, with a hint of solemnity:
"We, your servants, have painstakingly searched all possible channels in the capital for access to the rare artifacts from Southern Border."
"After a painstaking search, we finally discovered that there is only one place in the capital that possesses both the power and secrecy to secretly trade such taboo items—that is 'Ren Xin Zhai'."
"But,"
Shen He changed the subject, a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes:
"When we followed the clues and found the place, we discovered that Renxinzhai had already been burned to the ground!"
"And the shop owner also died under strange circumstances, leaving no evidence!"
The clues are gone?! Such cruel tactics! Killing to silence witnesses, burning evidence! The person behind this is so meticulous and ruthless!
There was dead silence in the side hall.
Everyone was shocked by the information revealed in Shen He's words!
How could this be an accident? It was clearly a carefully planned conspiracy, one link after another! From the jade bracelet case to the current musk incident, they all point to the same source!
At this moment, a cold and obviously unhappy voice sounded.
It’s the Queen!
Her face was as cold as frost, her eyes as cold as ice cones, shooting straight at Chen He, her words filled with undisguised sarcasm and contempt:
"Oh."
"After much discussion, we finally found out that the man was dead and the shop was burned down."
"No evidence after death!"
"Then isn't all this still being said by you, Miss Shen?"
"Who knows if this so-called 'Blood Jade Musk' and 'Benevolent Heart Zhai' are just fabricated stories you made up to exonerate yourself or to frame others?"
The Queen's questioning also made some people who were originally wavering hesitate again.
After all, the chain of evidence did break at the most critical point.
Facing the Queen's questioning, Shen He remained calm.
She even raised the corners of her lips slightly, revealing a very faint but confident smile.
"The Queen is joking."
"Every word that this subject has spoken is true, and there is naturally evidence for it."
She turned her gaze towards the emperor, with complete trust and sincerity:
"It's just the relevant witnesses and evidence. This matter is of great importance and involves the criminal justice department's case handling procedures. I did not bring them with me today as I was attending the prayer ceremony."
"Your Majesty, I beg you,"
Shen He bowed slightly, his voice clear and firm:
"Summon the Ministry of Justice clerk, Zhou Yan'an."
"All the files and evidence concerning the death of the Renxinzhai owner and the investigation into the origin of the Blood Jade Musk are currently in the hands of Zhou Shuli!"
When the Queen heard that there was other evidence, her eyes changed and her brows furrowed. She had actually underestimated Shen He's ability!
The emperor's deep gaze moved between Shen He and the queen, and finally landed on Shen He's calm and confident face.
He was silent for a moment.
The air in the side hall seemed to freeze.
Finally, the emperor said in a deep voice: "Approved."
"Send it to Zhou Yan'an."
The eunuch took the order and left in a hurry.
There was another brief wait in the side hall.
Only this time, the atmosphere was even more tense, and everyone's heart was hanging in the balance, waiting for the clerk from the Ministry of Justice named Zhou Yan'an and the evidence in his hands that might reveal the truth!
A moment later.
There were footsteps outside the hall.
A young man dressed in the uniform of a low-level official in the Ministry of Justice walked in quickly, followed by a eunuch.
He looked to be in his early twenties, with a handsome face and a stern righteousness between his brows.
Although it was the first time I met the emperor, I was surrounded by royal relatives and the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was almost suffocating.
But this clerk named Zhou Yan'an, apart from the initial flash of nervousness that an ordinary person would have when seeing the emperor, his face was unusually calm and composed, without any sign of panic.
He walked into the hall and kowtowed to the emperor in a perfect and standard manner, his voice clear and loud:
"Zhou Yan'an, a clerk in the Ministry of Justice, kowtows to the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
What a man Zhou Yan'an is! A mere clerk, yet he possesses such magnanimity! Facing the might of Heaven, he maintains neither servility nor arrogance, and is filled with righteous indignation!
The emperor looked at Zhou Yan'an who was kneeling below, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes.
He subconsciously glanced at Chu Yue who was standing beside him.
The female doctor who also came from a humble background but made a shocking statement at the critical moment and revealed the secret of "blood jade musk".
The emperor suddenly remembered a sentence that Shen He had mentioned inadvertently before.
"Even among humble backgrounds, there are talents capable of managing the country, waiting to be discovered by those with the right heart..."
The emperor was moved at this moment!
Chu Yue's knowledge and medical skills, Zhou Yan'an's calmness and righteousness, all made him see the shining points of these children from poor families!
The corners of the emperor's mouth rose slightly for a moment, almost imperceptibly. In them, the emperor also saw his own hope.
These two young men really made him look at them with new eyes.
He withdrew his thoughts, looked at Zhou Yan'an again, and said in a deep voice:
"Are you Zhou Yan'an? Very good, please stand up."
"Miss Shen said that the evidence related to the Renxinzhai case is in your hands?"
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