I Transmigrated and Already Had a Wife - Chapter 62

Knowing the cause of death of the victims, Jiang Zhou didn’t trouble herself to stay long. Places like this were unlucky, and just standing there was enough to feel chills down her back.

A death had occurred in the Imperial Prison. If the deceased had been an ordinary civilian, it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but the dead were three Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Revenue. The embezzlement case in the Ministry of Revenue hadn’t been thoroughly investigated yet, and the suspects had all died collectively in prison.

This incident caused the entire Ministry of Justice to be in a panic, fearing that they might be inadvertently implicated. In officialdom, being shrewd was important; everyone had connections. Even with political rivals, one had to smile politely in person, no matter what went on behind the scenes.

To say that they had no dealings with these three Vice Ministers would be impossible.

Everyone was afraid that this fire would spread to them and were frantically trying to distance themselves.

Regarding Jiang Zhou, the Emperor had only assigned her one person, whom she had already dispatched to watch the Fourth Prince’s Residence. Right now…

She glanced over the group of people from the Ministry of Justice, only to see everyone immediately lowering their heads. Finally, her gaze settled on a middle-aged man. The man had a square face and a solemn expression, looking straight ahead, standing out amongst the cautious crowd.

Jiang Zhou pointed at him. The man frowned slightly, walked forward, bowed, and respectfully said, “My Lady.”

“Who is this official?”

The man replied, “Your subordinate is Meng Yu, the Chief of the Department of Prisons in the Ministry of Justice.”

Jiang Zhou narrowed her eyes, her gaze lingering on him for a moment. “Does Minister Meng have anything pressing to attend to right now?”

Meng Yu responded, “What instructions does my Lady have?”

On the ball.

Jiang Zhou smiled cheerfully and said, “Minister Meng, please come with me.”

With that, she lifted her foot and walked towards her temporary office. She walked at a moderate pace, only quickening her steps when she heard steady footsteps behind her.

Jiang Zhou’s official position was temporary, assigned directly by the Emperor, and was not subordinate to the Ministry of Justice. During the investigation, she could freely dispatch any official in the Ministry of Justice.

This office space was also temporarily set up by the Ministry of Justice, separated from others. First, it was to show respect, and second, there were some internal affairs in the Ministry of Justice that an outsider like Jiang Zhou shouldn’t know.

This suited Jiang Zhou’s wishes. She led the man to her office area.

“Minister Meng, please take a seat.” Jiang Zhou gestured for him to sit.

Meng Yu was genuinely surprised that Jiang Zhou was so polite. He was startled for a moment, then quickly recovered, smoothed his robes, and sat down calmly.

Seeing his composure, Jiang Zhou smiled and sat down in her own chair. “To be honest with Minister Meng, I indeed have something that I need your help with.”

Meng Yu paused, then, speaking officially, said, “Please feel free to give your orders, my Lady.”

Jiang Zhou said, “It’s not exactly an order. I have no one I can truly rely on in the Ministry of Justice, and I urgently need help right now. A few days ago, I passed by Chang’an Street and happened to see Minister Meng handling a case. Your courage to stand up to the powerful and uphold justice for the common people truly earned my admiration. It would be a great pity for such a good official to be overlooked.”

She shook her head as she spoke, looking genuinely pained.

Meng Yu’s eyebrows furrowed, and his hands hidden beneath his official robes subtly clenched into fists. His nature was upright, and he had long detested the petty squabbling in officialdom. He had grand ambitions but lacked the cunning and social graces, which was why he wasn’t valued in the Ministry of Justice.

He hadn’t expected…

The initial wariness in his eyes gradually turned into gratitude, and his eyes even became slightly red.

A respectable man of his stature actually felt the urge to cry.

Meng Yu looked at her with a slightly emotional expression.

Jiang Zhou was first stunned, then habitually touched the bridge of her nose when feeling guilty.

She truly hadn’t expected that a casual remark, based on what she knew of his thoughts via her “golden finger,” could move him so much.

She gave an awkward smile. To cover her guilt, she quickly poured Meng Yu a cup of tea and changed the subject. “As you’ve seen, the deceased were the Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Revenue. His Majesty places great importance on this matter. I want to ask for Minister Meng’s help in investigating suspicious persons in the capital recently. It is indeed difficult to ask you to investigate without a specific target, but still.”

She touched her nose again, paused, and continued, “The city gates were sealed immediately after the murders occurred. I believe the killer must still be within the city. I kindly request Minister Meng’s help to secretly investigate this killer.”

Hearing Jiang Zhou’s words, Meng Yu was deeply moved. He slightly lowered his eyebrows, collecting his emotions.

Finding people was what the Ministry of Justice did best. For some reason, he instinctively trusted this sudden appearance of Lady Jiang.

He stood up, cupped his hands, and said, “Your subordinate will not fail in this mission.”

Jiang Zhou nodded, then suddenly recalled Sun Pei mentioning strangers entering the Fourth Prince’s Residence. After some deliberation, she said, “Minister Meng, you could investigate strangers who have dealings with the Fourth Prince’s Residence.”

Meng Yu, who was about to leave, paused and looked up at the young person before him. To dare to rashly investigate a Prince without concrete evidence—how much audacity did that require?

He suddenly felt a little hesitant.

Jiang Zhou naturally heard his thoughts and met his scrutinizing gaze without fear.

After a moment, Meng Yu gritted his teeth and said, “Thank you for the reminder, my Lady.”

Jiang Zhou smiled. She knew Meng Yu had made up his mind, and she felt a sense of relief.

The gentle breeze of early spring was refreshing, instantly making her feel clear-headed and invigorated.

Meng Yu took the order and left without delay.

Watching his sturdy figure disappear from sight, Jiang Zhou wore a satisfied smile. Meng Yu was upright, disdained associating with others, yet yearned for recognition.

Jiang Zhou wasn’t worried that he would harbor any ill intentions. The reason was simple: he wanted to realize his ambitions, and this was currently his only opportunity to be noticed by the Emperor. If he wasn’t foolish, he’d know how to choose.

With the matter settled, Jiang Zhou stretched.

Sigh~

A twinge of pain shot through her lower back.

The young man rubbed her lower back under the bright sun, an involuntarily doting smile appearing on her face.

Since she had nothing else to do, she planned to find a random excuse to leave. However, before she could act, a clerk came to report, “My Lady, someone is asking for you outside. She says she is your wife.”

Wife?

Jiang Zhou was stunned.

Lin Muwan?

In the next moment, the clerk only saw the case files on the desk fluttering in the breeze and a fleeting shadow disappearing around the corner.

The clerk was left staring blankly at the empty courtyard of the Ministry of Justice. A light breeze swept through, and the ancient ginkgo leaves rustled.

He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

He hadn’t expected that his superior was actually henpecked.

The clerk mumbled to himself, shaking his head at the empty courtyard.

Where there are people, there is gossip, regardless of gender. The story of Jiang Zhou being henpecked spread quickly, but that was a later development.

Jiang Zhou rushed to the gate of the Ministry of Justice and saw her family’s carriage. A woman in a moon-white long dress stood beside the carriage. Her slightly bulging abdomen added a touch of tenderness to her already delicate features, making her exquisite. Her tranquil demeanor was like the most captivating color in the world.

“Wife, why have you come?” Jiang Zhou stepped forward and took Lin Muwan’s hand, her eyes blazing with light.

Lin Muwan glanced at her and tried to pull her hand away, but Jiang Zhou held it tight, refusing to let go. Her face flushed slightly. How could this lecherous person be so handsy right at the entrance of the Ministry of Justice? What if someone saw…

Thinking this, her face turned redder, and she only wanted to leave quickly. She said, “Husband, have you forgotten? It’s the Seventh Prince’s wedding, and we need to prepare a gift today.”

Jiang Zhou squeezed her slender, pale fingers, smiling. She leaned closer and deliberately lowered her voice, “How could I forget? This is my wife’s, ow, wife, it hurts, it hurts,”

Before she could finish, her ear fell into the grip of those delicate fingers. Jiang Zhou instantly regretted getting so close.

As for what happened last night, Jiang Zhou was too focused on the current pain to think about it. Her easily embarrassed wife was afraid she would utter a single word and had used all her strength. For a moment, Jiang Zhou suspected Lin Muwan would actually twist her ear off.

“Wife,”

“Wife, I won’t say anything,”

“Wife, it hurts so much,”

After a while, Lin Muwan pursed her lips and let go. She turned her face away in annoyance, unsure if it was out of concern or anger. In any case, she didn’t want to hear Jiang Zhou’s yelping sound right now.

“Wife.” Jiang Zhou quickly rubbed her flushed ear. “Could you be gentler next time? Look at my ear, it’s hot and throbbing.”

She spoke somewhat pitifully, hoping to gain a little sympathy from Lin Muwan.

Still thinking about a next time, Lin Muwan pursed her lips, her fingers twitching slightly.

Seemingly sensing the danger, Jiang Zhou took a step back, covering her ear and watching Lin Muwan warily.

Her eyes showed a hint of grievance. “Wife, you…” Before she could finish.

Just then, a cry was heard nearby.

“This is terrible, Lady Jiang,”

A clerk ran out from inside the Ministry of Justice gate, panting, his voice somewhat choppy. He said, “Lady, Lady Jiang, something’s happened,”

Jiang Zhou frowned. “What happened?”

The clerk caught his breath, pointing towards the Imperial Prison. “It, it’s Minister Lin. Something happened to him.”

“What?” Jiang Zhou raised her voice.

The hand in her palm suddenly tightened. Jiang Zhou held it back, instinctively pulled Lin Muwan closer, and asked, “What exactly happened?”

The clerk said, “An assassin suddenly appeared in the cell. Minister Lin was stabbed by the assassin and collapsed, bleeding profusely.”

How could something like this happen? “Was the assassin caught?”

The clerk replied, “The assassin fled after succeeding. Our people have already gone to chase him.”

Jiang Zhou composed herself and slowly said, “Hurry and send for the Imperial Physician.”

Then, holding Lin Muwan’s hand tightly, she reassured her, “Wife, don’t worry. Father-in-law will be fine. Let’s go in and take a look first.”

She was also in a panic right now. Everything she had done was to save her father-in-law, and yet, at the last moment, something like this had occurred.

She looked at Lin Muwan. The woman’s lips were tightly pressed, and her face was pale.

She instantly felt a surge of heartache, gritting her teeth. “Wife, don’t be afraid.”

Lin Muwan nodded slightly. Supported by Jiang Zhou, she came to the Imperial Prison. The officials of the Ministry of Justice, who had rushed over at the news, had already formed a circle. Everyone’s expression was very serious. Last time it was the Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Revenue, this time it was the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. It was as if having any connection with the Ministry of Revenue would cost them their lives.

Jiang Zhou stepped forward and saw Minister Lin lying on the straw, covered in blood. The blood from the wound was still gushing out.

Lin Muwan’s body trembled, and she clutched Jiang Zhou’s sleeve.

“Wife, it’s alright, it’s alright,” Jiang Zhou soothed Lin Muwan.

The people around them didn’t dare to approach. She released Lin Muwan’s hand and let the maid behind her support her.

Jiang Zhou walked closer, knelt down, and looked at the profusely bleeding wound. She lifted the hem of her official robe, exposing the white undershirt, and immediately tore off a large piece of it, pressing it onto the gushing wound.

She turned her head and shouted, “What are you staring at? Hurry and rush the Imperial Physician! Do you all want to lose your heads?”

The silent officials behind her immediately became a chaotic mess. Some went to find the Imperial Physician, and some arranged to capture the assassin. The Minister of Justice straightened his robes, only waiting for Jiang Zhou to get up so they could go to the palace together to apologize to the Emperor.

The Ministry of Justice was not far from the Imperial Medical Academy. In a short while, the Imperial Physician was rushed into the cell, carried by two clerks running all the way.

The clerks put down the Imperial Physician and handed over the medicine box they held.