AUBTN -Chapter 11 Accidental Success

Northern Zhenfu Office, Rear Courtyard of Zhao Prison.

“Guard Zhao… um, I know I’m a prisoner, but isn’t this braised lion’s head a little salty? Next time, could the cook use less soy sauce? Eating too much makes you bloated… not good for the camera… uh, I mean… not good for the execution ground.”

Yu Qing sat cross-legged on a Luohan bed padded with cushions, holding a delicate blue-and-white porcelain bowl in her hands.

A grain of rice clung to the corner of her mouth.

She blinked her big, innocent eyes and looked pitifully at the Jinyiwei guard at the door, Guard Zhao Conghu, who was responsible for keeping watch.

Zhao Conghu twitched at the corner of his mouth, veins standing out on the back of his hand as it rested on the hilt of his embroidered spring knife.

He was a respected guard of the Northern Zhenfu Office of the Jinyiwei, a man who could kill without blinking.

And yet here he was, reduced to delivering meals to this crazy palace maid.

The worst part: the Commander had explicitly ordered him to treat her well—no letting her starve, no beating or scolding.

“Eat if you want! Don’t eat, get lost!” Zhao Conghu said, dark-faced, thumping a plate of stir-fried vegetables heavily onto the table.

“You should be grateful to have food! Stop with the nonsense!”

Yu Qing shivered in fright, tears instantly brimming in her eyes, on the verge of falling. She looked completely pitiful.

“Wah… Sir, you’re so fierce! I know I was wrong… I’ll eat right away…”

Sniffling, she trembled as she picked up her chopsticks again, her expression as if she had suffered a terrible injustice.

What Zhao Conghu didn’t hear, however, was that at this very moment, Yu Qing’s heart was dancing with joy as if it were New Year’s.

【Wow, Guard Zhao looks fierce, but his physique is really impressive! Broad shoulders, narrow waist, classic inverted triangle! Just a bit hot-tempered—typical tsundere loyal dog type. That tall, skinny colonel who just passed by… so pale and clean-looking, like a cunning scholar-type shou. Heh heh, Northern Zhenfu Office isn’t a prison at all—it’s basically a uniform temptation headquarters!】

【This braised lion’s head is a bit salty, but way better than prison gruel. Following Lu Yan isn’t so bad—this must be the legendary internal perks! Free food and lodging, handsome guys to look at, just missing freedom. Who even needs a bicycle?】

Ever since Lu Yan discovered that no matter how he tried to scare her, she would immediately slide to her knees and beg for mercy in under a second—then in her mind, fire off a string of unspeakable insults at his entire family, and even start concocting forbidden secrets about him—the iron-faced, impartial Commander seemed to have given up on the idea of harsh interrogation.

He locked her in this small separate courtyard, half house arrest, half… enclosure?

While she was eating, the sound of firm, measured footsteps came from the courtyard gate.

Yu Qing pricked up her ears, immediately setting down her bowl and chopsticks and adjusting her expression.

In three seconds, she went from a ravenous eater to a pitiful, sorrowful lady of the inner chamber.

A tall figure appeared in silhouette.

He had just returned from interrogations in the front hall, still radiating residual hostility.

“Commander!”

Zhao Conghu immediately bowed.

Lu Yan nodded slightly, his gaze passing over Zhao Conghu to land on Yu Qing, who was shrinking into herself.

Yu Qing buried her head even lower, shivering.

“M-Master… I was very good today. I didn’t run around, and I didn’t speak out of turn…”

Her voice was thin as a thread, nasal with self-pity.

Lu Yan watched her act with a blank expression.

If he couldn’t hear her thoughts, he might truly have been deceived by her fragile appearance.

At this moment, her cheerful inner commentary echoed in his mind:

【Yo yo yo, isn’t this our icy-cool Lu Master? Your face is blacker than a pot bottom today—must be work frustrations. Let me guess, that Minister Li case is stuck, huh? Serves you right for scowling all day—you deserve to have no friends!】

A vein twitched at Lu Yan’s temple.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to throw this woman into Zhao Prison, and walked to the table to sit down.

“Zhao Conghu, bring the case files for Minister Li.”

Zhao Conghu froze—Commander, you’re going to work here, in this place?

But he didn’t dare ask more and quickly stepped back.

Before long, a thick stack of dossiers was placed on the desk.

Lu Yan rubbed his brow and opened the first volume.

Li Yan, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, suspected of selling offices and titles, accepting massive bribes.

The Jinyiwei had been watching him for over half a year. It had taken them considerable effort to catch even a hint of wrongdoing—but Li Yan was like a tough old boot: he bit down and wouldn’t let go.

All his accounts were airtight. On the surface, he seemed so incorruptible he could have passed for a saint.

At home, there wasn’t a single proper antique. Daily life was frugal; even his official robes were patched over and over.

During interrogation, this old man even wept bitterly, swearing to the heavens that he was innocent, and went so far as to bang his head against the pillars to prove it.

Now, many civil officials in court were shouting in Li Yan’s defense, claiming the Jinyiwei were framing an honest man.

If concrete evidence couldn’t be produced, this case would likely be ruined.

Lu Yan felt a surge of irritation and absentmindedly tapped his fingers on the desk.

Yu Qing peeked up, stealing a glance at him.

Then, her overcurious fingers carefully leafed through the dossier—and something just didn’t feel right!

【Vice Minister Li… isn’t he that Mediterranean-haired old man who, at a palace banquet, got drunk and tried to compose poetry, only to spill wine all over his crotch?】

Lu Yan’s fingers paused mid-tap.

【Let me think… a man like that is usually no good!】

【It says here he’s ‘upright and incorruptible,’ living only with his dutiful wife. Pfft—men’s words, lies and ghosts. The older and more proper a man acts on the surface, the dirtier he plays behind the scenes.】

Yu Qing muttered all this in her head while continuing to skim the dossier.

Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit her, and a melody bubbled up uncontrollably.

She dared not sing it aloud, but in her mind, the tune went cheerfully:

【Little cabbage~ yellow in the field~ Vice Minister Li, that old lecher~ so proper on the outside~ but inside, all thievery and seduction~】

【He’s probably already moved his assets to support a concubine… maybe even has kids!】

“Slap!”

A crisp sound.

Lu Yan slammed his hand onto the dossier, snapping it shut with a heavy thud.

Yu Qing flinched violently, and the song in her mind stopped mid-note.

She looked up in terror, meeting Lu Yan’s abyssal, penetrating gaze.

“M-Master?” Yu Qing stammered.

“I-I wasn’t looking on purpose, I won’t look anymore, I won’t!”

Lu Yan ignored her frantic excuses, as if he were trying to discern a flower blooming on her panicked face.

A concubine?

Has a child?

Transferred assets?

These keywords instantly cut through the fog in Lu Yan’s mind.

So this old fox Li Yan had transferred all his assets?

It made sense. The most dangerous place is often the safest.

Who would have thought that the Vice Minister, famed for fearing his wife and living only with a tigress of a lady at home, would dare secretly keep a mistress?

If true, this would be Li Yan’s greatest vulnerability—his secret he would die defending.

As long as he seized this leverage, he wouldn’t refuse to confess.