Chapter 541: He Is There
Xiao Wu pattered back.
Ye Chutang raised a hand and wiped the trace of blood from the corner of her mouth, her gaze dropping to look at it for just a moment.
It was dark, almost black, within the red.
She quickly looked away and, as Xiao Wu approached, discreetly hid the stain on her sleeve.
Xiao Wu didn’t notice anything amiss and gestured toward her, then pointed behind her.
Ye Chutang turned around, only then noticing that Shen Yanchuan had forgotten his cloak.
She let out a soft breath.
"I’ll return it tomorrow."
...
Shen Yanchuan rode at full gallop and soon arrived at the Ministry of Justice.
Unexpectedly, right outside the main gate, he ran straight into Fan Chengzhuo, who had also just heard the news and rushed over.
The moment Fan Chengzhuo saw Shen Yanchuan, his brows furrowed.
"It’s so late. What brings the Princely Heir here?"
Shen Yanchuan raised an eyebrow. "I’m here for the same reason you are, Mr. Fan."
Fan Chengzhuo’s expression soured.
"The affairs of the Ministry of Justice are hardly the Princely Heir’s to meddle in, are they?"
From the sound of it, he had no intention of letting Shen Yanchuan take a single step inside.
Shen Yanchuan put away his riding crop and spoke unhurriedly. "With such a major incident, Mr. Fan must be burning with anxiety. I merely happened to hear about it and was concerned, thinking it would be good if I could help alleviate some of your worries. Why must you be so resistant, Mr. Fan?"
Fan Chengzhuo scoffed internally.
’Merely happened to hear about it?’
Even he, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, had only just received the news, yet Shen Yanchuan had arrived at the same time! It was a ridiculous claim!
Shen Yanchuan used to be somewhat restrained, but lately, for some reason, he had become high-profile and flamboyant. Now, he wasn’t even bothering to put on an act!
Fan Chengzhuo said sarcastically, "I wouldn’t dare trouble the Princely Heir. This matter has major implications. I would advise you to stay out of it, lest you invite trouble upon yourself."
Shen Yanchuan’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if he were recalling something.
"If I recall correctly, my men were the ones who captured those people in the first place. Now that they’re dead, I don’t even have the right to ask a single question?"
"This—"
Fan Chengzhuo was momentarily speechless.
Shen Yanchuan’s tone was nonchalant, but his eyes were cold.
"If Mr. Fan refuses, I’ll simply go to His Majesty and request an imperial edict."
How could Fan Chengzhuo dare to let that happen?
Shen Yanchuan held real power and already had the authority to investigate cases for His Majesty.
Besides, this matter was extremely serious. If it were delayed, and Shen Yanchuan later filed a complaint against him...
Reluctantly, Fan Chengzhuo cupped his hands in a salute.
"Princely Heir, you speak too gravely. We are all serving His Majesty, so we should act as is convenient. Princely Heir, please—"
Shen Yanchuan’s lips curled slightly. "My thanks, Mr. Fan."
He swung himself off his horse and, with a long stride, headed through the gates of the Ministry of Justice.
Fan Chengzhuo walked alongside him, discreetly sizing him up.
"Where has the Princely Heir come from? You seem to be in quite a hurry. Could it be you were out drinking somewhere?"
The smell of alcohol hadn’t dissipated; one could catch a whiff of it up close.
A flicker of movement in Shen Yanchuan’s brow.
’Is Fan Chengzhuo trying to probe my whereabouts?’
Before he could speak, someone suddenly ran out in a panic, shouting as they ran:
"This is bad! This is bad! Fire!"
Shen Yanchuan’s heart sank. He immediately stepped forward, grabbed the man, and asked in a low voice, "Where is the fire!?"
The minor official, face pale with panic, pointed a trembling finger inside.
"The prison... the main prison!"
Shen Yanchuan snapped his head up and saw a column of crimson flames shooting into the sky ahead!
It was in the direction of the Ministry of Justice Prison!
Everyone panicked.
The Ministry of Justice Prison held numerous inmates! A sudden fire could easily result in deaths!
But Shen Yanchuan was worried about another, far more critical issue—the bodies of those Southern Hu Blade Men were still inside!
If they were burned before an autopsy could be performed, all leads would be lost!
Shen Yanchuan shoved the man aside and charged inside!
Fan Chengzhuo immediately blocked him. "Princely Heir! It’s dangerous inside, don’t go! If something were to happen to you, how could I possibly bear the responsibility!?"
Shen Yanchuan stared at him, his gaze as sharp as a blade.
"And if I don’t go, and just let this fire burn, is that a responsibility you can bear?"
Fan Chengzhuo choked on his words.
"I will dispatch men to extinguish the fire at once! We will strive to rescue everyone. Your status is noble; you mustn’t put yourself in harm’s way!"
Shen Yanchuan paid him no mind and headed straight inside!
When you send people to fight a fire, they save the living. Who would care about the dead?
Especially dead men who were being held in secret!
"Hey—"
Fan Chengzhuo shouted, intending to follow, but one look at the fiercely burning flames made him stop in his tracks.
’The heat from this fire is practically scorching my face!’
Shen Yanchuan wasn’t afraid of death, but he had no desire to follow him to his doom!
Many officials from the Ministry of Justice came running and, upon seeing this scene, stared at each other in dismay.
One man couldn’t help but step forward and ask with a worried expression, "Sir, why did the Heir of Duke Dingbei charge in? If anything happens to him, you and I will be in deep trouble!"
’What kind of status does Shen Yanchuan have?’
If something happened to him at the Ministry of Justice, not a single person present would escape blame!
The Eldest Princess, Shen Youyan—which of them was easy to deal with!?
Fan Chengzhuo was incredibly frustrated. "I just tried to dissuade him several times, but he wouldn’t listen. What was I supposed to do!?"
"But..."
"If you’re so worried, why don’t you go after him?"
Fan Chengzhuo’s single sentence successfully choked back any further words from the man.
After speaking, his gaze swept over the crowd.
"You? You? Or you?"
The people he pointed at all lowered their heads, their expressions awkward.
They weren’t idiots. With a fire raging to the heavens like this, wouldn’t following him in be suicide?
Who didn’t want to rise to power and live in splendor? But the prerequisite was staying alive!
If you died in there, what was the point of all the posthumous glory in the world?
Fan Chengzhuo snorted coldly. "If you can’t do it, then don’t make such grand claims! What are you all standing around for? Put out the fire!"
"Yes, yes!"
The crowd quickly scattered and began to fight the fire with all their might.
But the fire had started very suddenly and was spreading with extreme speed. The basins of water they threw on it were but a drop in the bucket.
Fan Chengzhuo took a step back, the scorching heat already palpable on his face.
The roaring flames reflected in his eyes, like leaping will-o’-the-wisps.
...
「Ye Mansion.」
After leading Xiao Wu to wash up, Ye Chutang thought for a moment, then went back to put away the cloak Shen Yanchuan had left behind.
It seemed to still carry a faint, icy chill.
It was a trace left from Shen Yanchuan’s frantic ride, from when he had held the wooden box to his chest.
Ye Chutang’s movements paused.
Shen Yanchuan’s words echoed in her ear again.
"You should know what I want."
’That man...’
Suddenly, a clamor of noisy sounds came from outside.
Ye Chutang returned to her senses, a little puzzled. ’It’s already so late, why is it so noisy all of a sudden?’
She took a few steps toward the door. "What’s happening outside?"
A young maidservant hurried over. "Second Miss, it seems there’s a huge fire outside! Many people have run out to look!"
’A fire?’
"Where?"
The young maidservant scratched her head. "I don’t know either. I just heard people say it seems to be in the direction of the Ministry of Justice—"
Ye Chutang’s heart sank!