Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 140 Uninvited Guest

Upon hearing this, Shen Jianshen's sharp eyes caught sight of the black coffin nail that Zhou Zhao was playing with in his hand, and his heart skipped a beat.

“Zhou Zhao, you are now an official of the imperial court, yet you act so madly. The censor will surely impeach you. Officials of the Court of Justice who knowingly break the law deserve even greater punishment.”

Zhou Zhao looked at Shen Jianshen and found it amusing.

Seeing her like this, Shen Jianshen felt a chill run down his spine. "What did you do?"

Zhou Zhao shrugged. "I didn't do anything, but I bet the Censorate's memorial impeaching your Shen family has already reached His Majesty's desk. After all, your great-aunt has already solved the Ghost Bride case! Why don't you guess why Bao Chun'an was murdered?"

Shen Jianshen's expression changed drastically. He looked anxiously at Zhou Zhao, "Who, who killed Chun'an?"

Hearing this, Old Madam Shen also spoke up, saying, "What does this have to do with us?"
She was careless, going out after dark; who can she blame but herself for attracting the attention of a womanizer?

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhao and the others exchanged glances, all feeling a chill in their hearts.

Bao Chun'an is Madam Shen's own niece, yet she is so heartless; this shows how selfish and ruthless she is.

Fortunately, Zhou Xuan was about to leave this awful place.

Zhou Zhao did not answer Shen Jianshen's doubts, but looked at Zhou Chengan and said, "We're going to get my sister's dowry. If you dare not give it to us, you can go to the Court of Justice right now and accuse the Shen family of forcibly seizing my Zhou family's property."

Shen Jianshen's lips moved for a moment, then he looked at his servant and said, "Go and fetch the things that the lady mentioned earlier."

Upon hearing this, Madam Shen quietly put her hands behind her back.

Seeing this, Zhou Zhao looked at her coldly and said, "Are you going to take it off yourself, or should I do it myself? Be careful, or you'll have to pay for it if you break it."

Old Madam Shen, her hands sweating, reluctantly took off the bracelet. She wanted to throw it at him forcefully, but remembering Zhou Zhao's words, she shoved the bracelet into Zhou Xuan's hand rather irritably.

Zhou Xuan looked at everything familiar in the courtyard and said nothing more.

The courtyard was deathly silent, with only the clanging sounds of Zhou Wan arranging for everyone to move boxes and cages.

The servant was quick and efficient, and soon retrieved the jade items that Zhou Xuan had mentioned.

The dowry was carried out, one load at a time, just like it was carried in back then. Zhou Xuan didn't say much. She smiled and looked at Zhou Wan and Zhou Zhao, and finally her gaze fell on Zhou Cheng'an. "Let's go, we're going home."

Zhou Zhao smiled and said, "I'm going home!"

Zhou Xuan's dowry was quite large, and the procession was too extravagant. Before long, Zhou Zhao sensed something was wrong. She lightly stepped forward and disappeared from her spot, appearing directly behind a passerby with a coffin nail pointing at his lower back.

“I’ve seen your face four times since we left. What are you doing following us?”

Upon seeing this, the young man quickly raised his hand, "I have four brothers, and we all look alike."

Zhou Zhao sneered, then tightened his grip, causing the young man to groan in pain. "Do you think I'd believe that?"

Seeing this, the young man raised his hand to cover his face. "Lord Zhou, we are on the same side. General Su asked me to come and see if there was anything I could help with, but he has other business to attend to today and cannot come."

Zhou Zhao tightened his grip, and the young man let out a howl, tears streaming down his face.

"If Su Changying were to send help, he would arrange for Han Ze or Zhu Li, not a complete stranger like you. If you don't tell the truth, I might puncture your kidneys, and then..."

The young man was terrified. In that instant, he completely forgot his predicament and turned to look at Zhou Zhao in disbelief. "Lord Zhou, we have no grudge against each other! I'll talk, I'll talk..." he said, glancing at Zhou Xuan's dowry procession. Seeing that they didn't stop, he continued, "I am Zhao Huan, a soldier of the Southern Army. My general sent me..."

Southern Army?

Zhou Zhao frowned.

The city of Chang'an was divided into two armies, the Southern Army and the Northern Army. The Southern Army was responsible for the inner city of the palace, while the Northern Army patrolled the night to defend the capital. Their duties were clearly defined and they did not interfere with each other.

Not to mention now, even when Zhou Buhai was among the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, his family had no dealings with the people in the Southern Army.

"What is your general's name?"

Zhao Huan shook his head. "You will know when you get home. Military orders are paramount, and I dare not reveal the general's name."

Zhou Zhao didn't make things difficult for him and let go of his hand. Zhao Huan rubbed his lower back and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhou Zhao.

Now that he had been discovered, he didn't hide and openly followed Zhou Xuan's group.

The group returned to the Zhou family in a grand procession. When they arrived at the gate, Zhou Xuan belatedly realized that he was a little scared. "You all come with me to find Father and Mother. If they faint from anger, the four of us can carry two of them."

Zhou Zhao and Zhou Wan exchanged a glance, then both turned their heads away and secretly laughed.

The steward was waiting at the door. Upon seeing the group, he hurriedly said, "The master has asked you all to go to the flower hall after you return. Distinguished guests have arrived: the Prince of Dai and the Marquis of Xiao Lu."

Zhou Xuan asked in confusion, "The wedding is tomorrow, what brings the Prince of Dai here today?"

The butler shook his head. "They came to accompany guests."

"What distinguished guest is it that requires the Prince's company?" Zhou Xuan asked curiously, striding towards the flower hall.

Zhou Zhao walked side by side with Zhou Xuan at the front. As soon as they entered the door, they were met with Zhou Buhai's extremely distorted face. Zhou Zhao was too familiar with this expression of his. When she was a child, she had caused a great disaster but at the same time did something that made Zhou Buhai proud. He looked just like this.

Usually, Su Changying and Zhou Yan would take the blame for her, getting a beating, and then she would get to enjoy the praise.

Opposite Zhou Buhai, three people sat in a row. The Prince of Dai sat on the left with a smile, Su Changying sat on the right with a blank expression, and the person in the middle had a handsome face. Although he looked sickly, he was unusually energetic.

Upon seeing Zhou Zhao enter, Su Changying immediately stood up and stood beside him.

The Prince of Dai's smile froze as he looked at the scene. Should the Zhou family's son-in-law do this at this time?
He was the new son-in-law, while Su Changying had been the Zhou family's son-in-law for over a decade. He hesitated for a moment, then decisively followed Su Changying's actions and walked to Zhou Wan's side, leaving the sickly beauty sitting upright with an incredulous expression!

"Han Xincheng?" Zhou Xuan exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing in my house?"

Han Xincheng stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Zhou Xuan, and said, "I am Han Xincheng. I have come here specifically to ask for your hand in marriage upon hearing that Miss Zhou Xuan has returned home."

Zhou Xuan was instantly dumbfounded.

Zhou Zhao looked at it and thought to himself that it was indeed true; the Southern Army General that Zhao Huan mentioned was actually Han Xincheng.

"When my elder sister died and the kingdom was destroyed, Xin Cheng was burdened with the hatred of his country and family, and became a homeless person of a fallen kingdom. He dared not ask a girl for a marriage proposal with his weak and poor body. Later, when I met a wise ruler and joined the Southern Army, I wanted to ask for a marriage proposal, but it was already too late."

I thought I'd be alone forever, but today has come. I don't want to miss this opportunity again, so I'm visiting you unexpectedly. I hope you'll forgive my intrusion.