When Jiang Xingbang heard Princess Grand Consort Kangning’s words, his miserable wails, born from having his manhood destroyed, cut off abruptly, like a chicken whose neck had been seized. Not another sound came out of him.
After Princess Kangning left the Ministry of Justice prison and boarded her carriage, her hard exterior instantly crumbled. She hated Jiang Xingbang for deceiving her, for treating her like a fool to toy with, but after so many years, there had been real feelings between them too.
So many years of marital devotion, of standing by each other through thick and thin, all of it shrouded in shadow in a single morning. How could it not hurt?
Seeing his mother in such pain, Jiang Bin set aside his own heartache and put an arm around Princess Kangning’s shoulders to comfort her. “Don’t cry, Mother. You still have me.”
Her son was now the only comfort Princess Kangning had left. Fortunately, after going through this ordeal, he had matured considerably, he even knew to shield her from the wind and rain now.
Jiang Bin realized he could no longer keep living the idle life of a wastrel. He had to start planning for his own future, and for his mother’s.
With his crime-solving prowess, Shen Shixu had firmly established himself at court. The ministers regarded him with both admiration and wariness. At first, they had only worried that their secrets might be exposed by the system within him; now they genuinely admired how quickly he solved cases. At this rate, their Great Qian dynasty might just produce a legendary detective!
Emperor Wu’an was the most delighted of all. Previously, the system within Shen Shixu had caught a corrupt official in the court, and now the man himself proved so capable as well.
Paying one salary and getting two capable helpers, how could he not be pleased?
Jiang Xingbang’s affair caused an uproar at court. Beyond the shock of his misdeeds shattering everyone’s image of him, there was the question of what would happen to his position now that he was sentenced to be executed after autumn.
A gleam lit up many ministers’ eyes, who in officialdom didn’t want to climb higher? But before they could even compete for it, Emperor Wu’an announced his choice for the new Minister of Personnel.
“Ahem. With Jiang Xingbang’s fall, someone must step up as the new Minister of Personnel. I already have a candidate in mind.” Hearing this, the ministers lowered their heads, each secretly guessing who it might be.
Then they heard a name that was unexpected yet entirely reasonable: the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, Zheng Yusheng.
Zheng Yusheng had been Emperor Wu’an’s study companion and was also a nephew of the Empress Dowager’s family. A man of brilliant literary talent, he had handled several cases admirably since entering court. But he was rather content to coast through life, rather than working for the emperor, he preferred teaching students and reading books.
This time, Emperor Wu’an had no other choice. The previous evening, he had summoned Zheng Yusheng to the palace for a long, intimate talk, hoping to persuade him to take on the burden of the position. He simply couldn’t trust anyone else to be Minister of Personnel.
Zheng Yusheng had never liked attending court, finding it boring. But after hearing about Shen Shixu, his enthusiasm for morning court sessions now burned bright, all so he could catch the latest gossip from Shen Shixu. So he agreed to Emperor Wu’an’s request.
With the Minister of Personnel settled and no other matters before the court, the morning session was adjourned.
Shen Shixu had barely stepped out of the Qianqing Hall when Xiao Jinyi called out to him, saying he wanted to celebrate the solved case and inviting him to Tianxiang Restaurant at noon.
Though the case hadn’t taken long, wrapped up in just two or three days, they had put a great deal of effort into it, so a proper celebration was in order once things were done.
So Shen Shixu agreed. Seeing him agree, Xiao Jinyi’s lips curved up slightly. “Good then. I’ll come pick you up at the Court of Judicial Review at noon.”
Shen Shixu nodded and returned to his office at the Court, where he pored over old case files partly to learn, and partly to check for anything he didn’t yet understand.
Just as he was getting absorbed in his reading, Zhang Ming, the minor clerk who had once shown him around and had since used connections to get placed under Shen Shixu’s command, came in.
“Your Honor, there’s someone outside claiming to be your servant, called Little Shitou. He says he has something important to tell you. I’ve brought him in.”
Shen Shixu set down the file he was holding, puzzled that Little Shitou had come looking for him at this hour, and told Zhang Ming to bring him in.
Though it wasn’t Little Shitou’s first time seeing his young master in official robes, this was the government office.
Seeing him here felt far more imposing than at home. But because Shen Shixu was so young and so handsome, he didn’t give the impression of a judicial official at all, he looked more like a prince’s tutor.
“Young Master, the Eldest Young Master has come.”
At those words, Shen Shixu shot to his feet, bracing both hands on the desk before him, his face full of joy and astonishment. “Big Brother is here? Didn’t I only have you send the letter two or three days ago? How did Big Brother get here so fast?”
Seeing him so happy, Little Shitou grew happy too. “Young Master, the Eldest Young Master never received the letter I sent. He came ahead of it. According to Brother Jinbao, who serves the Eldest Young Master, he was worried you wouldn’t be used to being alone in the capital.
He made an excuse before Master and Madam, saying he was coming to the capital on business but really, he came specially to see you.”
The thought of Shen Zexi filled Shen Shixu with genuine happiness. In his last life he’d been an orphan; in this one, he not only had both parents but an older brother as well.
And this brother of his loved him like life itself, even more doting than his parents in this life. From childhood to now, he hadn’t suffered a single grievance; even his food and drink and daily things were always the best his brother could manage.
When Shen Shixu came to the capital for the examinations, Shen Zexi had wanted to come with him, but he’d had a very important business deal on his hands at the time.
Shen Zexi had been ready to give it up in his eyes, no business, however important, mattered more than his brother. It was only because Shen Shixu persuaded him that he stayed behind to close the deal.
Judging by his arrival in the capital today, he must have finished the business and rushed straight here without pause.
“That’s Big Brother’s style, all right. Go back and tell him I’ll come see him as soon as I’m off duty.” After saying this, Shen Shixu suddenly remembered he had an appointment at noon. “Oh, right and tell Big Brother I’ll be bringing a new friend home with me.”
Shen Shixu didn’t want to give up seeing his brother, but he didn’t want to stand Xiao Jinyi up either, so the only solution was to bring Xiao Jinyi along to meet his brother.
Xiao Jinyi arrived at the Court a quarter of an hour early. Shen Shixu was marking a case file with a red brush, and seeing him, assumed he himself had run late and grew a little flustered.
“Give me a moment, I’m almost done here.”
Worried that he might be anxious, Xiao Jinyi quickly said, “Don’t rush, I came early. Your shift doesn’t start for a while yet!”
Only then did Shen Shixu relax. After finishing up the files in hand, he went to the back to change into casual clothes.
“I’m ready, let’s go. Oh, right my older brother came to see me. Come back to my place with me first so I can have a few words with him, and then we’ll head to Tianxiang Tower together!”