RWNEFE -Chapter 313 You Can Hold Onto the Corner of My Clothes!

When Zhou Ruyuan heard her mention “serving water three times in one night,” he instantly became furious.

“Shen Lanxi, back then it was I who wronged you, but it was you who asked Father Emperor for the divorce decree. I never once wanted to divorce you!”

A mocking smile appeared on Shen Lanxi’s face. “Must Your Highness force me to recount what happened back then in detail?”

Seeing her cold expression, Zhou Ruyuan had no doubt that she would truly do so.

The scene from six years ago rose again before his eyes—that marriage which everyone gossiped about and treated as a joke, the greatest humiliation of his life.

He had already humbled himself this much—why was Shen Lanxi still unwilling to let it go?

“Lanxi, do you really have no feelings left at all?” Zhou Ruyuan looked at her with a wounded expression.

Wei Dongzhuo frowned and reminded him, “Your Highness, we are investigating a case. His Majesty is urging us.”

Discussing such matters in a prison, in front of so many people, was disrespectful to her.

Zhou Ruyuan’s gaze turned cold. Although he disliked Wei Dongzhuo, what he said was correct.

This was indeed not the time to discuss matters between himself and Shen Lanxi.

“Lanxi, I hope we can sit down and talk properly about what happened between us.”

Shen Lanxi frowned. “I don’t think there is anything between us worth talking about.”

Zhou Ruyuan said, “Don’t refuse me so quickly. I think you also don’t want the common people to keep treating us as gossip.”

Shen Lanxi’s voice turned cold. “Are you threatening me?”

“No,” Zhou Ruyuan said. “I only want us to sit down calmly, talk things through, and clear up the misunderstandings from back then.”

Shen Lanxi looked at him deeply. “All right.”

After speaking, she and Wei Dongzhuo entered the secret passage one after the other.

The passage was silent. Torches lit by those who had entered earlier crackled from time to time.

“I never expected there would be such a secret passage beneath the Court of Judicial Review,” Shen Lanxi said, examining the corridor built of blue bricks. Such construction could not have been completed in a single day.

Wei Dongzhuo was still thinking about Zhou Ruyuan’s words, but when he heard her speak, his gaze shifted to the surrounding walls.

“This place must have been built at least ten years ago.”

“More than thirty years,” Shen Lanxi said firmly.

Wei Dongzhuo did not ask how she knew so precisely, only looked at the walls again in mild surprise.

He himself could not tell.

“Then it would have existed even before His Majesty ascended the throne,” Wei Dongzhuo said, puzzled.

That was also what puzzled Shen Lanxi.

“I believe His Majesty will give us an answer to that.”

Wei Dongzhuo did not understand, but he did not ask, choosing instead to wait and see.

The passage was long, with many branching paths. When they reached a fork, Shen Lanxi suggested splitting up.

Wei Dongzhuo immediately objected, worried. “The two groups who went in earlier haven’t returned. We shouldn’t separate.”

Shen Lanxi did not insist. The result would probably be the same either way.

“Alright.”

Wei Dongzhuo looked at the person ahead of him and quietly quickened his pace.

“It’s a bit dark here,” he said awkwardly.

Shen Lanxi looked at him in confusion. “You can’t see clearly at night?”

“A little,” he replied.

She raised an eyebrow. “Then hold onto the corner of my clothes.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Wei Dongzhuo answered with a single word: “Alright.”

A faint smile curved Shen Lanxi’s lips.

After walking for about half an hour, they finally came upon a door.

“I’ll open it,” Wei Dongzhuo said, stepping forward. “Step back a little,” he added, cautioning her before opening it.

Shen Lanxi moved to one side and reminded him as well, “Stand to the side.”

If someone was hiding behind the door, standing in the center would be the most dangerous position.

Wei Dongzhuo moved to the side and pushed the door open.

Light suddenly poured in. After waiting a moment and seeing no one, Wei Dongzhuo stepped out first.

“This is an abandoned courtyard.”

Shen Lanxi thought to herself: Just as I expected.

“The secret passage here is the same as the one discovered in the Northwest.”

Wei Dongzhuo had already suspected as much when the passage was first found; now it was confirmed.

“From the Northwest to the capital… their power is immense.”

Shen Lanxi corrected him, “It started from Dongchuan.”

Wei Dongzhuo glanced at her, then after a moment asked, “Should we check the other passages?”

She shook her head. “No need. The other passages should be the same. Let’s go back.”

Unwilling to give up, Wei Dongzhuo searched the abandoned courtyard again but found nothing useful, and finally left in disappointment.

The Imperial Guards looked at Shen Lanxi and Wei Dongzhuo as if they had seen ghosts.

Weren’t these two inside just now? How had they come out from outside?

They had clearly surrounded the place as tightly as an iron barrel.

Under the guards’ astonished gazes, Shen Lanxi and Wei Dongzhuo returned to the Court of Judicial Review.

The two groups sent earlier had already returned; they had not been slow, but had gone to explore other branches.

Zhou Ruyuan watched the two of them come back from outside, sitting upright, his eyes fixed on them.

Why was he holding onto the corner of her clothes?

Did Shen Lanxi have to embarrass him in front of so many people?

“The secret passage yielded nothing. Its end leads to abandoned courtyards in the city,” Wei Dongzhuo reported.

Zhou Ruyuan said grimly, “I have already ordered people to investigate the owners of those courtyards.”

Che Mingyuan stepped forward immediately when he saw Shen Lanxi return, waiting for instructions.

Shen Lanxi said, “His Majesty is waiting for news. Is it appropriate for us to send a report saying we found nothing?”

As she spoke, she looked at Zhou Ruyuan.

“Then how should it be written?” he asked.

Shen Lanxi said, “Where are the construction plans of the Court of Judicial Review?”

Che Mingyuan had already found them and now presented them.

“Send the plans to the palace along with the report,” Shen Lanxi said. “Write that the passage was built more than thirty years ago, and that it is uncertain whether it is related to the previous dynasty.”

After a moment of silence, Zhou Ruyuan nodded. “We’ll write it that way. I’ll personally deliver it to the palace.”

Shen Lanxi added, “Whether the passage should be sealed should also be decided by His Majesty.”

Zhou Ruyuan rose and left. As he passed Wei Dongzhuo, his gaze was as sharp as a blade.

“Let’s rest as well,” someone suggested. “Tomorrow will likely be even busier.”

Shen Lanxi did not go to the Shen residence, but returned to the Marquis of Zhenbei’s residence to rest.

Shen Congwen waited until midnight for his daughter, but she never came. He became so angry that heat sores formed at the corners of his mouth when he attended court the next day.

The discovery of the secret passage in the Court of Judicial Review was suppressed by Emperor Renxiao. During the morning court, no one mentioned the Court, nor the passage.

After the court was dismissed, Emperor Renxiao kept Shen Lanxi and Zhou Ruyuan behind.

“What I am about to tell you is a palace secret. Anyone who spreads it will be treated as committing treason.”

Shen Lanxi said, “This minister will keep it strictly confidential and will not let a fourth person know.”

Zhou Ruyuan said, “Your son-subject will also not let a fourth person know.”

Emperor Renxiao sighed faintly, as if recalling the past.

“That secret passage was likely built by one of the emperors of Great Zhou. The matter of the passage was known only to the emperor of each generation.”

A shadow of gloom passed through his eyes.

“When I ascended the throne in a time of crisis, the late emperor passed away before informing me about the passage. Therefore, I had no knowledge of it.”

That made it strange—if even the emperor did not know, how had others learned of it?