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*cough* *cough*... *cough* *hack*—Very... very sorry...

It's—it's alright! Sir... are <i>you</i> okay?

Why don't you sit down and rest for a while? You really look... quite ill.

I'm fine... I'm fine.

Sir, you dropped your—sir?

Are these... painkillers?

*hiss*... <i>Strong</i> painkillers at that... Whoever that was, he must be quite badly ill.

Doctor, if you're free, could I ask you to attend to that man too? You can bill his medical expenses to me.

I was worried about Grandfather's condition at the time, and didn't pay that encounter much mind—I was just planning to pay him a visit later at some point, when I had the time.

But after that winter, I never saw him again.

Doctor, thank you so much for all your work. Grandfather's back in perfect health now.

Right. And about the man I asked you to attend to...

Oh, you mean that Gu Quan man.

He died.

Was it his illness...?

No... I hear some kind of accident took him while he was on his way to Victoria.

But given his health, I can't imagine he'd have lived much longer even then...

Truth is, last I met him, his malady had taken root in his vitals—I could hear it in his breathing. I can't imagine how much he was suffering in life...

And it's a mystery to me why he'd decide to travel so far while that sick...

This... very room. It was the study Sir Gu Quan was using.

It's been ten years since he passed away. The place has gone through some changes in that time.

But...

This...

I couldn't tell you why... but I kept hold of this medicine bottle ever since.

Blaze... I really am so sorry...

N... No...

He was—my dad was nothing like that...

I don't think he was ever that fighting fit, but he was never <i>weak.</i> Whenever I was with him, he always had this light in his eyes—

How could...

Even now, I'm not sure I understand Sir Gu Quan... but I know he was a warm, gentle person. I could tell.

I blamed myself over and over, for not being able to do anything more for him...

Why are you bothering to... tell me all this...?

I know you suspect that my grandfather was somehow behind your father's passing. At the point, I can only tell you what I know, but—

You told me all of this just to try and convince me Ning Shu is INNOCENT?!

N—No.

I just wanted to implore you... please, find out the truth.

Whether for Sir Gu Quan's sake... or for the sake of the truth itself.

Whatever that truth—even is...

Are you...

You don't have to tell me twice... I <i>am</i> gonna get to the bottom of this.

What first struck Lin Qingyan about the Judicial Review Office was the solemn hush.

The first time she ever set foot through this courtroom's door, all noise promptly vanished behind her. She remembers Yu Cheng telling her why it was designed so.

Silence begets peace, peace begets thought, thought begets results.

Shouldn't the Judicial Review Office be drowning in work top to bottom? And yet you've got the office all to yourself, Deputy Minister Lin?

Jie Zhen...? What are you here for?

Censorate routine investigation. There are some issues we'd like to consult you on regarding the Yu Cheng case.

Consultation or investigation, which is it?

Deputy Minister Lin, after working together for years, I implicitly trust you on a personal level.

But the Department of Discipline and Supervision has a lot riding on this case. We have to go through the motions, Lin, if you'll pardon me.

Just... ask what you need to.

Name.

Lin Qingyan.

Gender.

...Female.

Um... let's skip the basic info for now. For the next few questions, you don't need to elaborate on your answers, just respond 'yes' or 'no'.

Are you grilling me?

Everything you say from hereon will be recorded. I'm worried what you say could fly against you.

If you have no further questions, let's begin.

Deputy Minister Lin, you passed Tianshi Bureau assessments in childhood and were exceptionally admitted per your outstanding grades, and followed the esteemed Cyanstorm Count in learning your Lei Fa.

After graduating from the Tianshi Bureaus, you chose to join the Judicial Review Office, and soon accompanied then-Deputy Minister Yu Cheng in investigations all across the realm.

In just a year, from Registrar, you rose several ranks to become the youngest Deputy Minister in the history of Yan.

Is this background, as stated, true?

Yes.

In your third month with the Judicial Review Office, as Registrar, you handed in a whistleblower report to Discipline and Supervision. It accused the Right Assistant Revenue Minister of embezzlement and extortion, and you recovered ten million in stolen assets.

In your fifth month, in Changji, you essentially singlehandedly shone light on the local academy's examination fraud. Over a hundred mandarins were implicated in this, the highest of which was second-rank, all were eventually rounded up.

Upon becoming Deputy Minister, you handled the case of former Judicial Review Office Deputy Minister Yu Cheng forging evidence, causing him to be expelled from the Office's Haoran Pavilion, with all status stripped from him thereafter...

Are these case histories, as stated, true?

...Yes.

With an academic background like this, surely everyone lauds you as a young up-and-comer blessed to the gills with talent.

And yet people can't help but wonder—what gives such a greenhand mandarin the courage, the capacity to handle these cases?

Can you get to the point?

If I'm remembering right, your good mother and father were Tianshis at the Chamber of Heaven's Designs, spending years building much in the north, even being vested personally by the True Lung.

The Lin family's a well-bred one, many Tianshi giants in its line. And on top of that, rumor has it they're quite closely-knit with the Lord Exorcist's household.

As for Cyanstorm Count... I think even the rank fails to sufficiently capture your shifu's importance to Great Yan.

...Are these relationships, as stated, true?

Jie Zhen, what are you doing?

You need only answer 'yes' or 'no', Deputy Minister Lin.

Don't think I'm deaf to your connotations... You're trying to say, it was only by leaning on my background that I could take on Judicial cases all these years?!

...I certainly didn't say that at any point.

Having known each other for years, I would never doubt your integrity. The Lin Qingyan in my mind's eye has always been a pursuer of justice.

But why, Lin, do you not pursue now?

Jie Zhen... Just why did you come to see me today?

How much do you really know about the Yu Cheng affair?

As I just said, I'm here to see you today on routine business.

As for the Yu Cheng case, what I heard in the courtroom that day is all I know.

What makes you so dead-set on the case, Censor Jie Zhen?

Before you decided you'd investigate it, I remember we actually had an argument.

I'm going to speak out of line here... the whole stripping of his rank aside, I really do respect people like Yu Cheng.

Now of all times, you're going to defend him again?

If a law enforcer does not themselves abide by the law, that's abuse of power. That goes for every last member of the Three Organs of Justice—what kind of double-standard could you possibly be applying here?

No, no... The Judicial Review Office's verdict is settled on Yu Cheng's mistake. I've little more to say there.

I'm just very curious... <i>What kind of truth</i> could have pushed him to such means to find it?

You must be more familiar with Yu Cheng than me.

In your opinion, was he a smart man?

Naturally. When it comes to sniffing out lies or chasing down leads, I'm no match for him.

Then did you ever wonder if, supposing Yu Cheng truly intended to cover up his own forgery, you should have been able to make such short work of the case?

You're telling me he let me find him out on purpose? What for?

That, I don't know. But he put you in charge of the scrollery fire case... To an outsider, I don't think I can say that Yu Cheng had no faith in you.

You've been all over Baizao the past few days investigating that case, I know that. I've heard as much.

And yet since yesterday, you've been loitering in the Judicial Review Office, acting like you've been grounded.