Broken Jade - Chapter 117

Chapter 117

“Lord Sheng, delivering case files again?”

It was already February, and the bleak chill in the air had eased considerably.

Sheng Zhaoning was bundled up warmly. She had yet to shed her padded winter coat or fur-lined cloak, and only a glimpse of the dark green official robe beneath could be seen. The ensemble lent her a distinctive air of elegance.

At the voice, she turned with a thick stack of case files in her arms. The weight kept dragging her hands downward, and she was clearly struggling.

“Yes.” Sheng Zhaoning glanced at him. “Where are you headed, Lord Li?”

Seeing her slightly out of breath and the tall stack in her arms, Li Ji could hardly stand by and watch. He hurried over and took half the files from her.

“Several cases have arisen in the capital recently, and I need to report them to Lord Chief Minister. It so happens we’re headed the same way.”

At that, Sheng Zhaoning stopped protesting. After inclining her head in thanks, she walked alongside him with her now much lighter stack of files.

As Li Ji walked beside her, he kept catching the faint scent of medicine drifting through the air.

He glanced at Sheng Zhaoning and hesitated before asking, “Have you been feeling better lately, Lord Sheng?”

Ever since the New Year, Sheng Zhaoning had often been in poor health.

Li Ji remembered that she had never feared the cold before. Even in the dead of winter, she could walk through the snow in thin robes without showing the slightest discomfort.

But for some unknown reason, she had been falling ill every few days lately, either catching a chill or running a fever. Spring was nearly here, yet she remained wrapped in thick padded clothing. Even then, the cold often left her face deathly pale.

Sheng Zhaoning’s gaze paused for a moment before quickly returning to normal.

“I’m much better now.”

She had suffered another fever just two days ago. The Imperial Medical Institute had long since grown accustomed to this and prescribed her several medicinal decoctions, which had taken effect quickly enough.

By now, Sheng Zhaoning was used to relying on medicine to nurse her health. After falling ill over and over, she no longer thought much of it.

“It’s been cold these past few days. You should still take care, Lord Sheng.”

Everyone in the Court of Judicial Review now knew that Sheng Zhaoning was intolerant of the cold-a sickly invalid through and through.

Li Ji shared an office with her, and he and the others generally accommodated her by adding extra charcoal to the brazier.

Sheng Zhaoning nodded. “Thank you for your concern, Lord Li.”

They chatted intermittently and soon arrived at Tao Song’s study.

As the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and its highest-ranking official, Tao Song had a private office of his own.

Li Ji helped carry her files inside. When they entered, Tao Song was seated behind his desk, frowning as he leafed through something.

“Lord Chief Minister,” they greeted in unison.

Tao Song looked up from his desk. When he saw the two of them, he said, “Perfect timing. You’re both here.”

Sheng Zhaoning set the case files on a nearby table. At his words, she exchanged a puzzled glance with Li Ji beside her.

Seeing their confusion, Tao Song came straight to the point. “The Court of Judicial Review has investigated several cases recently, some of which are connected to old cases from years past. Upon reopening and reviewing them, we discovered numerous suspicious points. A great many cases that have lain buried for years are implicated as well.”

Ever since the Crown Prince decided to cleanse the imperial court, the Court of Judicial Review had handled more cases than anyone could count.

The relationships among the officials at court were complex and deeply intertwined. Investigating a single person could easily implicate a vast network of others.

Further investigation revealed that these cases were nowhere near as simple as they appeared. Many were linked to old cases, and the final conclusions of the new investigations contradicted the original findings.

Over the years, the Court of Judicial Review had also accumulated a considerable number of disputed cases that remained unresolved.

Tao Song had been plagued by headaches over the matter lately.

The Court of Judicial Review had countless cases to handle every day. Reviewing and adjudicating the cases submitted by the various regions alone was enough to keep them endlessly busy. Tao Song wanted to go back and investigate the old cases, but he simply did not have the energy to spare.

“My lord, do you intend to reopen the old cases and get to the bottom of them?” Li Ji asked.

Tao Song nodded.

“Since there are doubts surrounding these cases, we cannot leave them uninvestigated.

“However, there are far too many old cases involved. Investigating them all will require an enormous amount of time and effort. Several major cases at the Court of Judicial Review are still under examination, and we simply cannot spare the manpower. After giving it considerable thought, I believe the two of you are the most suitable people for the task.”

He knew Sheng Zhaoning’s capabilities well. Though she had not been at the Court of Judicial Review for long, she had adapted remarkably quickly. She was intelligent and decisive, bold yet meticulous, and unafraid of offending others-making her an ideal candidate.

Li Ji, meanwhile, had served under him for three years. He was thoughtful and meticulous, swift and efficient in his work, familiar with the relationships among court officials, and maintained dealings with every ministry. He also knew all the Court’s regulations and procedures by heart. His strengths perfectly complemented Sheng Zhaoning’s.

Naturally, neither of them would refuse Tao Song’s assignment.

Adjudicating disputes and investigating cases were the fundamental duties of the Court of Judicial Review. Now that doubts had arisen, it was only right that they uncover the truth.

“Yes, my lord,” they answered, accepting the assignment.

Tao Song specifically allocated several additional staff members to assist them. With so many old cases to examine, this was not a task that could be completed overnight.

When Wei Heng heard about the matter, he made a special trip to the Court of Judicial Review.

Li Ji was in the archives gathering information on the old cases, while Sheng Zhaoning was checking the suspicious points in the current cases.

Just as Wei Heng entered, Sheng Zhaoning looked up.

The instant their eyes met, both their gazes softened.

“Your Highness,” Sheng Zhaoning greeted first from her chair.

Wei Heng walked over and found her desk covered in stacks of case files. They all concerned people investigated in recent days, and the implications were far-reaching.

“Are you feeling better?” He stopped beside her, his body just happening to block a shaft of glaring afternoon sunlight.

“I’ve fully recovered.”

Wei Heng shared Li Ji’s confusion.

No one understood how the high-spirited Zhuangyuan who could hold her liquor against a thousand cups had suddenly become so sickly and frail.

Now, not only did she abstain from alcohol entirely, but her health had also grown so poor that even a gust of wind seemed capable of knocking her over.

All Wei Heng knew was that after their kiss on Queqiao that day, Sheng Zhaoning had fallen gravely ill. Since then, she had remained plagued by poor health and never seemed able to fully recover.

He had sought out every Imperial Physician at the Imperial Medical Institute to examine her, but Sheng Zhaoning’s pulse was so chaotic that no one could determine the cause. They could only prescribe ordinary tonics and nurse her back to health little by little.

“I’ve already heard everything that happened today. The Court of Judicial Review has countless old cases. Investigating them all will take a great deal of effort.”

Though Wei Heng hated to see her overwork herself, he never interfered in Sheng Zhaoning’s official duties.

She had her own ambitions and the things she wished to accomplish. Wei Heng would never question them.

Still, she had only just recovered from a serious illness, and he could not put his mind at ease. He had insisted on coming to see her for himself, and only after confirming that she could handle the work would he stop worrying.

“It’s all right. Since we’re investigating them, we must uncover the truth.”

Sheng Zhaoning knew just how profoundly the outcome of a case could affect everyone caught up in it.

When she and Wei Heng had investigated Shen Tongshu’s case together, everyone had called him a corrupt official and cursed him behind his back.

If they had not personally traveled to Pinghe County, Shen Tongshu would have borne that infamy forever and died unjustly condemned.

That was the first time Sheng Zhaoning truly understood how important the truth could be to a person.

She had been unable to stand by and let Shen Tongshu die under a false accusation. Naturally, she could not allow these old cases to remain shrouded in fog either.

Once, she had not understood what the official robes she wore represented. Now, she did.

Since she had entered the imperial court, it was her duty to preserve justice and clarity within her sphere of responsibility.