AUBTN -Chapter 13 Suspicions Arise

Unless… there’s still an East Depot eye hidden somewhere inside the Northern Patrol Office?

A murderous intent surged in Lu Yan’s heart, yet his face remained calm, even pressing a step forward, pushing his advantage.

“Thank you for your concern, Chief.”

Lu Yan looked straight into Shen Jue’s eyes, a faint, cold smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Compared to my petty domestic affairs, Chief Shen is truly someone with eyes and hands everywhere.”

“Oh?” Shen Jue raised an eyebrow.

“I heard Chief Shen didn’t idle last night either—sending people overnight to seal the private accounts of the Grain Transport Commissioner,” Lu Yan lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear.

“Those Grain Transport accounts are notoriously messy; no one has ever been able to make sense of them for decades. Yet, Chief Shen could pinpoint the few inconspicuous allowances hidden in millions of entries, and incidentally, he dumped this dirty business onto my Jinyiwei, instructing the Censorate to accuse me of poor oversight.”

Lu Yan paused, his gaze sharpening.

“Chief Shen’s move of striking from a distance is impressive. Surely there must be a master advising him—otherwise, with that bunch at the East Depot who only know how to extract confessions by force, they probably wouldn’t even understand an abacus.”

Now it was Shen Jue’s turn; his smile froze.

His fingers gripping the red agate beads stilled abruptly.

The Grain Transport deficit case… he had only gotten solid evidence for it last night.

It was that woman, Su Hewan, who had deduced it from old, forgotten accounts.

This was highly classified; not even his closest aides knew the exact entry point.

How could Lu Yan know it so clearly?

The two stood three steps apart, their eyes clashing in the air as if sparks could fly.

A gentle breeze swept through the Imperial Garden, yet it could not disperse the strange, oppressive tension between them.

At this moment, both of their hearts were stirred into a tempest.

Shen Jue narrowed his eyes, thinking: Lu Yan has always been skilled with sword and blade, and while he knows a thing or two about political maneuvering, he has never displayed such sensitivity to trivial accounts. That he knows my moves must mean he has an extremely precise intelligence source.

Lu Yan tightened his grip on his blade, a cloud of doubts forming in his mind: That eunuch, Shen Jue, is usually a master at framing others, but this time, his strike at the Grain Transport’s loophole was too accurate—almost as if he had witnessed the falsification himself. And he knows the details of my internal purges as well.

An utterly absurd yet extremely logical thought appeared simultaneously in both their minds:

The other has a top-tier strategist at their side!

And this strategist isn’t just brilliant—he can read minds, anticipate moves, even predict the next step of the opponent!

Silence lingered.

Shen Jue first broke the stalemate, lightly stroking the bright red agate beads, meaningfully saying: “It seems, Lord Lu, that your household has also recently gained a noble benefactor.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Lu Yan replied, unyielding.

“And Chief Shen is no slouch either; that master must be hiding well, right?”

Their eyes met, both flashing a hint of astonishment before transforming into deep caution.

At that moment, both couldn’t help but think of the absurd funeral sacrificial ceremony.

The two palace maids, originally meant to be buried alive, yet survived by flailing and kicking, only to be taken away by the other party.

In Lu Yan’s mind flashed Yu Qing’s face—innocent on the surface, yet rich with inner schemes.

That woman, though crazy, always provided terrifyingly accurate intelligence.

Could it be… the maid Shen Jue took away is also such a prodigy?

In Shen Jue’s mind surfaced Su Hewan’s cool, rational face.

That woman, though outwardly fragile, had the mind of a tireless genius, able to draw from hundreds of years of history, deducing the direction of court politics from the smallest clue.

Could it be… that the crazy girl Lu Yan took back also possesses this ability?

If there were only one, perhaps it could be called a coincidence.

But now there are two appearing at the same time—one ended up in the Eastern Depot, the other in the Northern Patrol Office.

One excels at analyzing situations and is well-versed in historical references; the other is skilled at reading people and knows the secrets of the marketplace.

How could this be a coincidence?

This is clearly a chess game deliberately arranged by someone!

Or… perhaps these two women already share some hidden connection?

“Lord Lu.” Shen Jue suddenly smiled, though this time the smile had less of its usual malice and more of a probing curiosity.

“The third day of next month marks the Empress Dowager’s birthday. There will be a grand banquet in the palace. As Commander of the Jinyiwei, you will presumably be responsible for palace security, correct?”

Lu Yan immediately understood the implication behind his words.

“Naturally,” Lu Yan replied coldly.

“With so many people and eyes, Lord Shen, you must also keep a close watch on your own talent, lest you offend the nobility.”

“Of course,” Shen Jue nodded slightly, his gaze deep and inscrutable.

“We’ve recently acquired an interesting little ‘toy,’ but there’s no one to truly appreciate it. Since Lord Lu also has refined taste, perhaps at that time… we could compare notes?”

This was a challenge.

And also an invitation.

They both needed to verify their speculation—who exactly are these two women?

“With all due respect, I obey,” Lu Yan said coldly, tossing the words over his shoulder as he turned and walked away.

The hem of his flying-fish robe cut a sharp arc in the wind.

Watching Lu Yan’s receding figure, the smile on Shen Jue’s lips slowly faded.

“Xiao Li,” he called.

The young eunuch immediately bowed. “Lord Commander.”

“Go back and tell Su Hewan,” Shen Jue played with his prayer beads, his tone grim.

“These next few days, review all palace rules and etiquette. During the Empress Dowager’s birthday, we will bring her into the palace.”

“Yes, Lord Commander.”

Meanwhile, Lu Yan strode out of the Imperial Garden, his expression dark and terrifying.

Zhao Conghu cautiously followed. “My lord, that eunuch Shen, in all his words and between the lines, is probing us. Could it be that he’s discovered Miss Yu—”

“He discovered it long ago,” Lu Yan interrupted, his voice low and deadly.

“He hasn’t just discovered Yu Qing, he’s also holding another card in his hand.”

Zhao Conghu froze. “Another card?”

“Go,” Lu Yan stopped in his tracks, eyes fixed in the direction of the Northern Patrol Office.

“Go find Yu Qing two of the best training matrons. Tell her that if she doesn’t learn the rules properly, and makes a fool of herself on the Empress Dowager’s birthday, I’ll throw her into the moat for the fish.”

“And,” Lu Yan paused, a hint of amusement curling at the corner of his mouth, “Tell her that if she behaves, she will get to meet the… best friend she’s been longing for.”

Since these two women are a team, then let them meet.

Human or ghost, once together, their true nature would inevitably show.

At this moment, in the back courtyard of the Zhaoyu Prison, Yu Qing was eating a crystal pork knuckle, while in the Eastern Depot study, Su Hewan was gnawing on a cold steamed bun while auditing accounts. Both sneezed loudly at the same time.

Yu Qing rubbed her nose, a wild internal barrage running through her thoughts: 【What the—Who’s scolding me? It must be that Lu Yan, that greedy skinflint! I only ate two more of his knuckles, that’s it! Is it really necessary?!】