Waking Up Five Years Later on the Wedding Night - Chapter 7

After the slap was thrown, Yan Zhining stood her ground. Seeing the blow coming, Madam Yan’s hand froze mid-air.

Huo Mingshu caught Madam Yan’s hand just in time. “Madam Yan, why the sudden anger?“

Huo Mingshu’s fingers were slender and strong. Though she held Madam Yan’s wrist with what looked like casual ease, it rendered the older woman completely unable to move.

Madam Yan’s face turned a pale shade of green. She could only force a laugh. “The Left Chancellor misunderstood. I just… I just saw the child speaking nonsense, and in a moment of frustration…“

“Speaking nonsense?” Huo Mingshu turned her head slightly, her tone calm and steady. “I only acknowledge the person I performed the wedding ceremony with. As for anyone else, I do not recognize them.“

“Left Chancellor…” Madam Yan’s voice rose sharply, carrying a trace of undisguised panic. “She is just a little girl.“

Upon hearing this, Huo Mingshu did not immediately retort.

She simply released Madam Yan’s wrist, her fingertips then smoothing out her own bamboo-patterned sleeve. The movement was slow and carried an elegance that seemed untouched by the dust of the world.

Morning light filtered through the sparse branches and leaves of the courtyard, falling just so across half of her face. Her skin was as white as porcelain, her nose bridge straight, and her expression held an unapproachable chill.

When she lifted her eyelids slightly to look at someone, there was no gentle softness typical of women, only a stillness like a deep pool, so quiet it seemed to reflect the most subtle anxieties hidden in one’s heart.

That one look caused Madam Yan to crumble, leaving her regretting the moment she decided to trouble Yan Zhining.

“Left Chancellor, she is truly just a little girl who was married to you.“

“A little girl?” Huo Mingshu repeated the words. Her voice was clear and crisp, yet carried a bone-chilling coolness. “When we were married, was she not a little girl then?“

“Now, it seems, you find it unacceptable for her to be with me. If it was unacceptable, why allow the marriage to take place in the first place?“

Madam Yan was rendered completely speechless. As Huo Mingshu left, leading Yan Zhining away, Madam Yan finally dared to turn around. She gritted her teeth in silence, determined that she would not be the one to prepare the wedding gown for Yan Zhining’s benefit.

She could not let Yan Zhining come out on top.

Yan Zhining was the candidate the old lady had chosen to become the head of the family. She had already usurped the position that should have belonged to Zhian and Zhihui, and now, even good things like this were being snatched away by her.

Madam Yan took a deep breath, her eyes darkening. The sunlight outlined the cruelty on her face.

After so many years, she could not let the cooked duck fly away. If she couldn’t kill her the first time, she would do it a second time.

The Chancellor’s carriage stopped in front of the Ministry of Justice. Yan Zhining poked half of her porcelain-white face out. As the morning light fell on her face, the fine fuzz on her cheeks was clearly visible.

“Why are we at the Ministry of Justice?” Yan Zhining wondered aloud. “Are they going to lock me up?“

Huo Mingshu stood by the carriage. Hearing this, she turned her head slightly, casting a faint shadow over her brow bone. The corners of her lips curled up in a mysterious smile. “It seems you have committed quite a few things yourself.“

Yan Zhining’s eyes widened. She followed her footsteps closely, not even having time to reply, when she saw a middle-aged man walking toward them with large strides.

“Left Chancellor, you are here.” The Minister of Justice bowed to the Left Chancellor. “Now that you are here, I finally have some peace of mind.“

Seeing the truth in those words—since the “bell” in her head did not ring—Yan Zhining couldn’t help but take a second look at the man. A man in his forties was looking to the Left Chancellor, who was only in her prime, as his pillar of support.

The three of them entered the Ministry of Justice, and the Minister began to speak. “We interrogated them all night, but they still refuse to tell the truth. If we use any more force, I’m afraid they might die.“

Upon entering the prison, a thick, bloody stench assailed them. Yan Zhining subconsciously covered her nose and mouth, while the other two remained as composed as ever, completely unaffected.

Once inside, Huo Mingshu spoke slowly. “The Right Chancellor’s only daughter is dead, found in a private residence. They caught the servants and learned she had slipped out in the middle of the night to meet someone in private. She met three people that night, all three were seen, but none of them admit to killing her.“

The Right Chancellor was causing a scene at the Ministry of Justice, demanding that the three be torn to shreds, making the Ministry a chaotic mess.

Yan Zhining blinked. “What do you want me to do?“

Huo Mingshu answered, “Determine if they are lying.“

They walked into the interrogation room. A blood-stained person was tied to a wooden rack, their hair disheveled and features unrecognizable. The sight shocked Yan Zhining so much that she hid behind Huo Mingshu.

Huo Mingshu pulled her out and nudged her forward. “Ask, did they kill her?“

Yan Zhining was pushed out, feeling numb with fear. She looked back at her “sister-in-law” (A-sao), who nodded at her, forcing her to speak up: “Did you kill her?“

“No…“

Yan Zhining waited for a moment, but the bell did not ring. She immediately nodded at Huo Mingshu.

Seeing this, Huo Mingshu frowned. “Ask them, when they saw the victim, what time was it?“

Yan Zhining swallowed hard and repeated the question. The person gasped for breath and said, “She invited me to go, but we didn’t say more than a few words. I turned and left, around the Hour of the Bo (roughly 9-11 PM).“

After finishing, Yan Zhining walked back. “They aren’t lying. What is going on?“

Huo Mingshu frowned and leaned close to Yan Zhining’s ear to lower her voice: “The Zheng girl was arguing for a divorce from her husband’s family, so she rented a house to live outside, and died inexplicably. The Right Chancellor is causing trouble for the husband’s family at the Ministry, and the three people here were caught. This one is her childhood sweetheart.“

“The other two are a zither player and her senior brother.“

Yan Zhining realized. “Who was the last person to see her?“

“The childhood sweetheart,” said Huo Mingshu.

Yan Zhining lowered her head, her lips pursed. She leaned in again, her breath brushing against Huo Mingshu’s cheek. Huo Mingshu frowned slightly and moved back calmly. As she retreated, Yan Zhining leaned in, and the faint scent of the girl followed her.

Huo Mingshu felt uncomfortable and wanted to step back further, but Yan Zhining said, “The last person to see her didn’t die, and he didn’t lie, which means there is a fourth person. What about the maid? Did the maid lie?“

Huo Mingshu’s backward movement stalled at Yan Zhining’s words. The girl’s warm breath brushed against her ear and neck, making her skin tremble.

She took a slight breath, moved away subtly, and looked down at Yan Zhining, who was almost pressed against her.

The girl was looking up with her face tilted, her almond eyes wide open, having completely forgotten about the overly intimate posture they were in. “I suspect the maid is lying. There must be a fourth person.“

Huo Mingshu did not retreat this time. Instead, she reached out two fingers and gently pressed against Yan Zhining’s forehead, pushing her away slightly. “Stand properly and talk.“

Her fingertips touched the warm, soft skin of the girl’s forehead.

Huo Mingshu pulled her hand back, her fingers curling almost imperceptibly, as if she had been burned.

Yan Zhining finally realized she was standing too close and flushed slightly. She hurriedly straightened up, her small hands nervously clutching her wide sleeves. But her thoughts were still immersed in the case. She muttered in a low voice, “A-sao, would it be okay if I saw the maid?“

Huo Mingshu glanced at her, thinking there was no harm in it. “Wait here, I’ll have someone arrange it.“

After speaking, she led the way out of the prison. In the office area of the Ministry, the Minister of Justice followed the Left Chancellor around like a puppy, which made Yan Zhining frown.

The Minister kept asking about their well-being and even ordered tea and snacks to be prepared. Yan Zhining hummed and grabbed a snack. “The Minister is very courteous.“

“And who is this young gentleman?” the Minister of Justice finally looked at Yan Zhining.

Yan Zhining couldn’t wait to state her identity: “The Left Chancellor is my wife.“

The Minister of Justice: “…“

He looked in shock at the young man, whose gender was hard to distinguish. With skin like cream and red lips, he didn’t look a day over seventeen. Then he looked at the Left Chancellor, who was in her prime—they were married?

The terrifying Left Chancellor did not refute it. Even in the middle of talking, she picked up her tea to take a sip. Her demeanor was dignified and graceful, and every movement left people unable to catch their breath.

The Minister of Justice laughed dryly. “The young gentleman is young and promising, very promising indeed.“

To be so young and already attached to the Left Chancellor, he would surely rise quickly in his career, saving himself twenty years of struggle.

Yan Zhining didn’t understand the implication, but Huo Mingshu did. She smiled faintly and looked at Yan Zhining, who had eaten two snacks and was sipping tea.

Even in her casual movements, there was an ingrained sense of propriety, showing that the old lady of the Yan family had taught her well.

A moment later, a minor official brought the Zheng family maid.

The maid was pushed in by two bailiffs. She was a woman in her early twenties, dressed in simple cloth clothes. Her hair was messy, her face pale, and her eyes darted around. As soon as she entered, she knelt to the ground with a thud, her body shivering.

Seeing that she didn’t even dare to lift her head, Yan Zhining walked over and crouched down to look at her. “On that night, who was the last person to see the Zheng girl?“

“Master Ji…” the maid cried out.

The sound of the bell rang… Yan Zhining covered her ears, looked up at the Left Chancellor, and shook her head slightly.

Huo Mingshu nodded. “Beat her until she is willing to tell the truth.“

“Wait, let me ask two more questions.” Yan Zhining stopped them and hurriedly asked, “After Master Ji left, someone else came, right?“

“No, no…” the maid denied.

The bell rang. Yan Zhining’s expression shifted instantly. “You are lying. There was someone else. If you don’t tell the truth, the Ministry of Justice has ways to make you speak. Who was it? Her husband?“

Upon hearing this, the maid trembled again, then shook her head frantically. “No, no…“

Lying again… Yan Zhining realized, so she asked, “Is her husband dead? Did you kill her, right?“

“No, no.“

The bell rang… Yan Zhining understood now. She looked down at the maid. “The girl is dead, and you are providing false testimony for the killer, aren’t you?“

The maid looked up abruptly, weeping until she was gasping for air, snot and tears streaming down her face. Yan Zhining looked down at her and scoffed, “The person who killed her is her husband, the one she was about to divorce, right?“

The Minister of Justice stood on the side, eyes wide in disbelief. Just by asking these random questions, the case was solved?

The maid seemed triggered. She knelt on the ground, wailing, “My Master… insisted it was Master Ji. I couldn’t expose the son-in-law.“

Yan Zhining was puzzled and turned to look at her “A-sao”: “Is the Right Chancellor a thief crying ‘thief’?“

The case had suddenly become complicated. Huo Mingshu narrowed her eyes, stood up, her skirts swaying as she moved. “Invite the Right Chancellor over.“

The Minister of Justice gulped. “Left Chancellor, the Right Chancellor might not be willing.“

Huo Mingshu smiled calmly, her profile cold and sharp. “In that case, we go to the palace. Bring the person with us, and we will see His Majesty.”

Hearing this, the Minister of Justice thought, It’s over, it’s really over. The Left and Right Chancellors had always been at odds; she wasn’t just going to hand over leverage to the Left Chancellor like this!

Before he could react, Huo Mingshu raised a hand, and her subordinates immediately dragged the maid out. The Minister stamped his feet, his gaze falling on the young man. He had solved the entire case in just three short sentences.

At this moment, Yan Zhining followed quietly behind Huo Mingshu. As she prepared to go home, Huo Mingshu reached out and held her back. “Where are you going?”

“Going home,” Yan Zhining blinked.

Huo Mingshu chuckled and reached out to touch her small face. She coaxed, “Come to the palace with me. If you do a good job, I will give you a reward.”

Seeing her act as if she were coaxing a kitten or a puppy, Yan Zhining’s heart stirred: “Then, can I sleep on the bed tonight?”

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