AUBTN -Chapter 57 Overnight Interrogation

Only four characters.

Su Hewan felt immediately that something was wrong.

“The Jiang family… the entire Su City magistrate’s household was wiped out, yet before dying they wrote only these four characters. Are they a cry for help? Or pointing to the killer?”

“That Jiang Ruyi—she was already in Su City before coming to the capital. Is she really from the Jiang family? Or is the chaos in Su City somehow connected to this suddenly appearing fiancée?”

Yu Qing, equally frightened, covered her mouth. “Holy crap! This is intense! This isn’t a romance drama—this is a suspense horror movie!”

Shen Jue stared at the four bloody characters, his eyes swirling with emotions he couldn’t understand.

If the earlier water-spirit vengeance had been only speculation, then this blood-written letter was undeniable proof.

The magistrate of Su City was an appointed official, responsible for local salt administration.

Yet the person he sought help from before death was… the Jiang family.

At this crucial moment, what role did Jiang Ruyi—appearing with a token from the Shen family—truly play?

“Lord Lu,” Shen Jue turned to Lu Yan, a faint curve forming at the corner of his mouth.

“It seems this time, we’ll have to make a trip to Jiangnan together.”

Lu Yan pressed his embroidered spring knife against his waist, his eyes burning with battle intent.

“Just as I like it.”

Outside the window, thunder rolled and rain poured.

Lightning flashed, illuminating the white marble steps outside the imperial study with a ghostly brightness.

The torrential rain washed over the box of blood, yet it could not clear the darkness from their hearts.

“Bring her in!”

Lu Yan’s voice was as cold as the freezing rain, with not a hint of warmth.

In just a moment, Jiang Ruyi glided in gracefully.

“I wonder why Lord Shen summoned me so late at night?” Jiang Ruyi asked first.

Lu Yan wasted no words and immediately presented the plea-for-help letter to her.

Upon seeing the shocking “Jiang” character, her whole body stiffened, and she let out a piercing cry.

“Uncle! It’s Uncle’s handwriting!”

Shen Jue sat on the grand counselor’s chair nearby, his long fingers tapping the armrest absentmindedly.

“Miss Jiang recognizes it?”

Shen Jue’s voice was soft, yet chilling.

“We thought Miss Jiang only knew how to embroider and play with birds.”

Jiang Ruyi suddenly lifted her head. Her small, tear-streaked face was pale as paper.

“Your Excellency! I… I do recognize this handwriting! It belongs to the head of the Jiang family in Su City—my uncle!”

“The Jiang family of Su City is a prominent family of Jiangnan. My father’s branch was relocated to the outskirts of the capital early on due to exclusion and cut off contact with the main family… sob sob… I thought it was merely infrequent visits between relatives, but… but I never imagined my uncle’s household would suffer such a disaster!”

Her words were flawless: she acknowledged the relationship while distancing herself from culpability.

Lu Yan snorted coldly, looking down at her from above. “Cut off contact? Then why, before coming to the capital, did you deliberately detour through Su City for half a month?”

Jiang Ruyi shivered, tears streaming down like broken beads.

“I… I only wanted to pay respects at the ancestral tombs, and along the way… see if the two families’ relationship could be mended. After all… after all, I came to the capital alone seeking my family, so I hoped for some support…”

When she spoke the words “seeking family,” she deliberately looked at Shen Jue. Her gaze was three parts grievance, seven parts clinging devotion.

As if Shen Jue were a heartless man who had abandoned his wife and children.

“Your Excellency… this jade pendant was left by your mother. I never dared to forget it… Now that the Jiang family is in trouble, and this blood letter was sent to them, it must be that my uncle died with unrest, seeking me to avenge him!”

“If the Overseer and Lord Lu don’t believe me, this humble woman is willing to accompany you to the south! Even if I die in Jiangnan, I must uncover the truth and restore the Jiang family’s honor!”

Having said this, she slammed her forehead to the ground in a deep kowtow, blood instantly seeping from her skin.

What a picture of a frail woman showing fiery loyalty, risking herself to avenge her family!

At that moment, a sudden commotion arose outside the door.

“Your Majesty! Please do something for Yuanyuan!”

The voice came before the person appeared.

Then, a pink figure disregarding the eunuch’s attempts to block her, fluttered into the side hall like a bright butterfly.

It was Song Zhaoyuan.

As soon as she entered, she saw Jiang Ruyi kneeling on the ground, and a faint, almost imperceptible look of disdain flashed in Song Zhaoyuan’s eyes.

She quickly masked it with an expression of panic and worry.

“Oh my, what’s wrong with Sister Jiang?”

She feigned surprise, covering her mouth, then turned to rush toward Lu Yan… but upon seeing his cold, piercing gaze, she abruptly swerved and knelt before the young emperor.

“Your Majesty, I heard something happened in Jiangnan? Yuanyuan grew up in the waterways there and knows the seventy-two routes like the back of her hand! If Sister Jiang is going, then Yuanyuan must go too!”

The young emperor rubbed his sleepy eyes, still holding the unfinished milk tea in its bamboo cup.

“Sister Song, this isn’t a trip for fun.”

“Yuanyuan understands!”

Song Zhaoyuan took a red “conjoined hearts” knot from her bosom and held it out to Lu Yan, her gaze intensely pleading.

“Lord Lu, this knot was personally given to Yuanyuan by you back then, with the promise that it would serve as proof when she met the right person. Yuanyuan may not be talented, but she knows the journey south will be extremely dangerous. The salt trade in Sucheng is deeply entrenched, and the waterways are as intricate as a maze. Without someone familiar to guide the way, it would be perilous…”

She paused, then her voice became soft yet determined: “Yuanyuan asks for nothing more than to stay by Lord Lu’s side to guide him. Even if it means… serving as a maid, bringing tea and water, she is willing.”

Good grief.

One sells her loyalty through tragedy, the other offers her devotion with performance.

They’ve essentially volunteered for all the logistics and guiding duties for the journey!

Shen Jue and Lu Yan exchanged a glance.

A flicker of meaning passed between their eyes.

These two women—appearing at the perfect time with perfectly valid reasons.

If they weren’t brought along, it would seem suspicious and make it impossible to expose the fox tails behind them.

“Approved.”

Although the young emperor was small in age, thanks to the modern education from Su Hewan and Yu Qing, his mind worked quickly.

He put on a stern little face, and his childish voice echoed through the spacious hall.

“My decision is final. Lu Yan shall be appointed as Imperial Envoy to inspect the Sucheng salt taxes; Shen Jue will secretly follow to investigate the massacre of the Jiang family. As for the Jiang and Song families…”

The young emperor glanced at the two tokens presented.

“Since they are victims and guides, they are specially permitted to accompany. But let this be clear: if there is even a single mistake, I shall personally take care of these two heads first!”

The next morning, the rain had cleared, and the sun shone bright.

However, Su Hewan and Yu Qing’s mood was dark as storm clouds.

“What?! That green-tea Jiang girl and the white-lotus Song girl are coming too?!”

Yu Qing slammed her hand on the table, making the blush powders and cosmetics jump three times.

“This isn’t an investigation, it’s clearly a public-funded trip plus a matchmaking event! No, I absolutely cannot let Lord Lu fall into that woman’s claws!”

Su Hewan, however, was much calmer, methodically packing her belongings.

Yet the rolling barrage of scrolling messages betrayed the turmoil in her heart:

【According to unofficial histories, this ‘fiancée’ trope usually comes with a series of melodramatic events: spiked drinks, arrows blocked, someone falling into the water… Shen Jue may be a fake eunuch, but his face is too tempting. Jiang Ruyi isn’t weak—if she gets close, and discovers Shen Jue’s secret…】