RWNEFE -Chapter 380 So You Just Didn’t Keep Looking? And They Were Siblings?

“Regarding the incident when Yunxue fell into the water, please, Young Master, tell us everything you know in detail,” Zhou Rulin asked politely.

Zhou Zhuangyun glanced at Zhao Zheng. Since this concerned the private matters of the women in the mansion, it might not be appropriate for an outsider to hear.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Zheng not only stayed but also humbly pressed for details.

“Please tell us the truth, Young Master. If the details aren’t clear, you should now call me your brother-in-law.”

Zhou Zhuangyun felt awkward and looked at Zhou Rulin. Seeing Zhao Zheng’s resolute attitude, Zhou Rulin could only give a helpless glance.

Shen Lanxi said, “The deceased takes precedence. Everything else can be set aside. Young Master must explain all the details clearly, so I can help the Ji Prince defend Yunxue’s honor.”

Zhou Zhuangyun frowned at Shen Lanxi, displeased.

Just because she didn’t care about reputation, did she think all women were like her?

“On that day, Sister Yunxue went out to enjoy the lake on invitation.”

Shen Lanxi glanced at those around her and gestured: “Record that.”

Zhou Zhuangyun, who had been recalling the events casually, stiffened and pronounced each word carefully, deepening his recollection.

“That was shortly after the Shen family was sentenced to exile,” Zhou Zhuangyun said deliberately, trying to annoy Shen Lanxi.

Unexpectedly, Shen Lanxi picked up on it without flinching and calmly countered, “Do you remember the exact date? Was it sunny or cloudy? Who were the maids attending Yunxue that day? Are they still alive?”

Zhou Zhuangyun furrowed his brow tightly. How could he possibly remember such long-past events clearly?

Zhao Zheng sneered coldly: “Are you asking, or are you coercing testimony? If you don’t know how to investigate a case, don’t interfere.”

Shen Lanxi shot back: “Coincidentally, I cracked the Wei Family Army case, bringing the descendants of the Li King to justice. That case went unsolved by the Dali Temple and the Ministries of Personnel and Justice for six years. Only after I returned to the capital and meticulously investigated every lead did I solve it.”

“Compared to the Wei Family Army case, Yunxue’s incident is trivial.”

Zhao Zheng’s face flushed—whether from anger or embarrassment, he didn’t know. Shen Lanxi had flustered him to the point of forgetting such a major case.

But he would never bend or admit defeat.

“Seems the Marquis of Yong’an already acknowledges Shen’s ability to handle cases,” Shen Lanxi said, smiling serenely.

Zhou Rulin and Zhou Zhuangyun twitched their mouths—“Shen?” They had never seen such audacity, nor anyone boast so brazenly.

“Since there’s no objection, Young Master, please continue your account.”

Zhou Zhuangyun reluctantly said, “It happened so long ago, I don’t remember clearly.”

He wasn’t trying to frustrate Shen Lanxi—it was genuinely hard to recall some things.

Shen Lanxi replied, “That’s fine. Just say whatever you remember.”

Zhou Zhuangyun thought she had relented and would take a casual account of the incident, but Shen Lanxi continued: “This was such a major event for the mansion, and Yunxue was hastily married off afterward. Surely someone remembers, and surely records exist.”

Zhou Zhuangyun: “…”

How could she be so infuriating?

“That day, I went out to meet friends. When I returned, the household informed me that my sister had fallen into the water. I hurried to see her.”

Shen Lanxi: “Did you see her? What did Yunxue say?”

Zhou Zhuangyun shrugged: “I didn’t see her at the time. Later, I heard she was to marry someone surnamed Fang.”

Shen Lanxi’s eyes darkened. “At the Yongwen Banquet, I saw you give Yunxue a seat. I suppose you, as her brother, cared deeply for her.”

Zhou Zhuangyun froze, silently gripping his chair.

“Continue.”

“Afterward, I secretly visited my sister and asked if she wished to marry the Fang family. She said she had already lost her honor, and refusing would bring shame upon our household.”

Shen Lanxi: “So she was unwilling in her heart?”

Zhao Zheng clenched his fists tightly.

Zhou Zhuangyun recalled: “She spoke of this matter with great sorrow. I didn’t press further. When I saw her again, she had regained composure and began preparing for the wedding.”

Shen Lanxi: “After that, she married into the Western Mountains and didn’t return for years?”

Zhou Zhuangyun guessed Shen Lanxi already knew something, otherwise she wouldn’t have asked that way. When she was still in the capital, she must have sought out Shen Lanxi.

“Later, the Zhou Dynasty was in turmoil. Even if my sister wanted to return, she was powerless to do so.”

Shen Lanxi: “So the imperial exams were the first time Yunxue returned to the capital after marriage?”

This made Zhou Zhuangyun look embarrassed.

Even if unwilling to admit it, after the Zhou Dynasty stabilized, Yunxue was not brought back for a reunion—this was a fact.

Zhou Zhuangyun, feeling like he had swallowed a fly, nodded reluctantly.

“Yes.”

Shen Lanxi: “After she returned to the capital, did she say anything to the mansion?”

Zhou Zhuangyun shook his head: “After returning and meeting guests, she went to stay at an inn. I tried to visit, but she wasn’t there at the time.”

So they didn’t continue looking? And they were siblings?

Shen Lanxi snorted, her eyes full of disdain.

Zhou Zhuangyun tried several times to argue back, but Zhou Rulin intervened humorously each time, defusing it.

Zhou Rulin: “You’ve been at the mansion so long, why haven’t you seen the Princess Consort?”

Zhou Zhuangyun’s expression changed, embarrassed: “Mother has been gravely affected by Sister’s incident, and not seeing her for so long made her ill.”

Shen Lanxi: “After Yunxue fell into the water, you couldn’t visit. Since your mother cares so much for your sister, she surely kept asking about the truth.”

Zhao Zheng: “Can we meet the Princess Consort?”

Zhou Zhuangyun looked even more troubled: “It’s not that she won’t see you. Mother is very ill and doesn’t recognize people anymore.”

Shen Lanxi frowned: “How could it be so serious?”

Zhou Zhuangyun: “The palace physicians said she couldn’t bear the shock and developed a loss-of-mind syndrome.”

A polite term for madness, in other words, she had gone insane.

“I obtained something of Yunxue’s from the Crown Princess’s mansion. Could we meet the Princess Consort? I want to give her what Yunxue used in life, as a keepsake.”

Zhou Zhuangyun initially wanted to refuse—there were plenty of Yunxue’s belongings at home. But he realized that hiding it might let Shen Lanxi misuse the opportunity.

“Fine. Mother is in the courtyard temple in the back garden. I’ll take you there.”

The group stood and followed.

The Ji Prince’s mansion’s temple was in the farthest corner of the back garden. The further they walked, the more secluded and desolate it became, with weeds overtaking the ground, uncared for.

Zhou Zhuangyun looked uncomfortable, silently cursing the servants. Once Shen Lanxi and the others left, he would teach them a lesson.

“After Mother became ill, she disliked anyone walking around nearby. Father had no choice but to seclude her in a remote area, so no one would disturb her recovery.”

Passing by an open courtyard, Shen Lanxi asked casually, “Who lives here?”