AUBTN -Chapter 159 Murder Case

Su Hewan held the teacup in her hand, gently blowing the froth, though her face still carried that calm, unflinching composure, as if the world could crumble before her and she wouldn’t blink.

“Calm down,” Su Hewan said lightly.

“She’s the ruler, and they are her subjects. When the ruler commands, the subjects must obey, even if it’s just to be invited for tea.”

“Tea? That’s not tea! That’s a mind-altering potion!” Yu Qing stomped her foot furiously, trying to convey the anger boiling inside her.

A crisp snap followed.

Then came a scream, like a pig being slaughtered: “Ah—! My foot!”

The same Yu Qing, who had been all set to tear the princess apart with her hands moments ago, was now clutching her ankle and collapsing onto the Luohan couch, wailing.

Su Hewan sighed helplessly, putting down her teacup and going over to check.

“Impressive! You couldn’t even win the argument and ended up hurting yourself first!”

Her words were scolding, but inside she let out a quiet sigh. Then her tone softened: “Alright, stop wailing. Consider this a reason—later, when Lu Yan comes back, cling to him. Make him feel guilty, so he won’t dare enter the palace casually in the future.”

“Sister Wanwan, you’re turning naughty,” Yu Qing said between gasps, giving a thumbs-up.

“But I like it.”

Meanwhile, at the princess’s separate estate, by the waterside pavilion and singing stage…

The luxury here rivaled even the imperial palace.

Columns of golden-threaded nanmu wood, gauzy sharkskin curtains, and even the carpets underfoot woven from wool tribute from the Western Regions.

Li Yunxi half-reclined on a concubine’s couch, fanning herself with a round silk fan, her gaze lazy yet piercing as it swept over the two men below.

Shen Jue’s lips curled into an inscrutable, faint smile.

Lu Yan stood there, exuding an aura so cold it was almost suffocating.

“I have been away from the capital for years, and it seems the city has changed greatly.”

Li Yunxi spoke casually, her voice a honeyed temptation.

“I’ve heard that recently a ‘Women’s Guild’ appeared in the market, helping those ladies who never step outside their doors to show their faces… and even assisting them with divorces?”

Lu Yan’s brow twitched imperceptibly.

“Your Highness, it’s just some trivial affairs among common women, nothing noteworthy,” Shen Jue stepped forward, calmly blocking Li Yunxi’s gaze toward Lu Yan, his tone respectful without a single flaw.

“Trivial affairs?” Li Yunxi chuckled lightly and slowly straightened her posture.

“How come I heard that the mastermind behind this guild actually lives in Your Excellencies’ Yuyuan?”

The air froze instantly.

Shen Jue and Lu Yan exchanged a glance.

“What’s the matter? Lost your voice?” Li Yunxi rose from the soft couch, stepping barefoot onto the wool carpet, approaching step by step, the scent of rare nanmu wood clinging to her so thickly it was suffocating.

“If I recall correctly, Supervisor Shen is a eunuch who lives a pure and austere life. Since when did Yuyuan harbor a beauty?”

A flicker of killing intent passed through Shen Jue’s eyes, but in the next instant it was replaced by an innocent expression.

“Your Highness must be joking,” Shen Jue cupped his hands, his tone sincere.

“That is my distant cousin. Her family suffered misfortune, so she came seeking refuge. Though I am physically incomplete, I cannot stand by and see my family left on the streets, can I?”

“Cousin?” Li Yunxi stepped in front of Shen Jue; the long protective plate of her armor nearly grazed his face as she smiled darkly.

“Shen Jue, do you take me for a fool? When did such a beauty suddenly appear as your cousin?”

She then turned her gaze to Lu Yan, even more blatant: “And you, Commander Lu? I hear you’ve stopped going to the imperial prison because of that woman living in Yuyuan, spending every day orbiting around her. Is she also your cousin?”

Lu Yan’s voice was stiff: “That is my wife, whom I have not yet married.”

“Wife?” Li Yunxi’s smile suddenly fluttered like a flower in the wind, though the amusement never reached her eyes.

“Lu Yan, you are the sole heir of the Lu family. Would Chancellor Lu allow you to marry a wild girl of unknown background?”

“That’s none of Your Highness’s concern.” Lu Yan stood his ground, unyielding.

Li Yunxi suppressed her smile and sat back on the couch, her gaze turning razor-sharp. She toyed with the jade ruyi in her hand, her tone icy. “Since she is the heart’s delight of the two gentlemen, I would really like to see her. Bring her to the palace one day so I can have a look.”

By the time the two left the villa, the sky was nearing dusk.

“She’s set her sights on them.” Lu Yan’s face was grim, his hand pressing against the hilt of his sword, knuckles turning blue with force.

Shen Jue fanned himself slowly, his eyes cold as ice. “She’s had her eye on them for a long time. Today was only her testing our limits. Looks like the Women’s Guild won’t survive this.”

Before his words even fell, a brocade-clad Wei officer came stumbling, pale as death.

“Commander! Master Supervisor! Something’s happened!”

“What are you panicking for?” Lu Yan barked sharply.

“The Women’s Guild… over at the guild…” The officer gasped, terror flashing in his eyes.

“They’ve doused the entire place with black dog’s blood! At the entrance… there’s even a skinned dead cat hanging from the door!”

Shen Jue snapped his fan shut, murder flashing in his eyes.

“There’s more…” The officer swallowed, his voice trembling.

“In the backyard well, there’s a woman’s corpse.”

The Women’s Guild, which had been a place full of hope that morning, had become a scene of carnage.

The stench of blood and decay hung thick in the air.

On the vermilion gates, dark red dog’s blood oozed down in winding streaks, shocking to the eye.

The dead cat dangling from the lintel had bulging eyes, as if accusing the world of its cruelty.

Su Hewan stood by the well, her face pale as paper, yet she held herself upright, refusing to collapse.

She squatted, staring at the stretcher carrying the corpse, swollen from soaking in water.

It was Lady Zhao.

Three days ago, this woman had knelt in the guild hall, crying about her husband’s drunken abuse, begging the guild to give her a way out.

That day, Yu Qing had slammed her hand on the table, indignant, saying she would help fight the case.

Su Hewan had even stayed up all night preparing the divorce papers and lawsuit.

Yet now, she lay silently here, her body covered in bruises and wounds, her eyes wide open, staring emptily at the sky.

“Ugh—”

Yu Qing bent over, unable to hold back a dry heave after just a glance.

“Step aside.”

A cold voice cut through.

Shen Jue strode over without even glancing at the horrifying scene, coming directly to Su Hewan’s side and holding up his hand to shield her eyes.

“Don’t look.”

His palm was broad and warm, carrying a faint scent of sandalwood.

Su Hewan shivered, clutching Shen Jue’s sleeve, her voice hoarse. “It’s Lady Zhao… she didn’t commit suicide… she came for help…”

“I know.” Shen Jue’s voice was low and heavy.

Meanwhile, Lu Yan had already put on deer-skin gloves and was inspecting the body.

“There are skin flakes under the nails, showing she struggled before death. There are blunt force injuries on the back of her head; she must have been unconscious before entering the water.” Lu Yan stated the autopsy results expressionlessly, though his eyes burned with anger. “This is murder.”

“Go check on that drunken husband!” Yu Qing shouted, her eyes red.

“He’s already been checked,” Lu Yan said.