Zhou Youjia

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Zhou Youjia (周佑嘉)
Alias(es)	Lord Zhou; Brother Youjia — forms of address 80 83
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Great Xia; Court of Judicial Review 79
Occupation/Role	Judicial official responsible for criminal investigations and arrests 45 46 81
Marital Status	Betrothed to Jiang Zixuan; their wedding is scheduled for the beginning of the following spring 93
First Appearance	Mentioned in Chapter 45; appears in person in Chapter 46 45 46

Appearance

Zhou Youjia is described by Jiang Mengqing as handsome. His attraction to Jiang Zixuan becomes visible when he blushes and stammers while welcoming her to the Court of Judicial Review 79 82.

Personality

Zhou Youjia enjoys judicial work and takes his responsibilities seriously. Investigating ten disappearances leaves him without proper sleep for days, and he reacts angrily upon learning that monks have been trafficking the missing people. Even his enthusiasm has limits: the flood of cases generated by Jiang Nuan’s revelations eventually leaves him complaining that he cannot keep up 46 93.

He is cautious without being cowardly. During the Lantern Festival, he advises the royal party to leave a dangerous area and urges an early escape when rebels surround them. Believing he may die, he nevertheless resolves to fight back. Around Jiang Zixuan, his professional confidence gives way to embarrassment; after admiring her face, he recognizes that his stare is impolite and smiles awkwardly 80 81.

Abilities & Skills

Criminal Investigation

Jiang Mengqing regards Zhou Youjia as highly capable and credits him with recently solving a major case 79.

• Recognizes the rescued missing people from their case portraits once Jiang Yehua identifies them by name 46.
• Organizes the arrest of trafficking buyers and implicated monks, borrowing Jiang Yehua’s soldiers because he has brought no judicial personnel 46.
• Searches a captured thief, recovers stolen money pouches, and verifies ownership before returning them 80.
• Brings Gong Xiaofang and her children before witnesses, exposing Du Zhuoran’s concealed family 98.

Hearing Jiang Nuan’s Thoughts

Zhou Youjia can hear Jiang Nuan’s inner commentary and the information Guagua supplies through it. He quickly recognizes its investigative value 81.

• Deliberately moves between captured rebels so Jiang Nuan’s attention follows him, allowing Guagua to reveal their connections 81.
• Memorizes intelligence about accomplices and dispatches soldiers to intercept them along their escape route 81.
• Invites Jiang Nuan to tour the Court’s cells and silently records her revelations about prisoners 81 83.
• Uses information heard through her thoughts, but does not possess a gossip system of his own 81 98.

Suspect Restraint

Zhou Youjia acts quickly to prevent prisoners from avoiding interrogation 81.

• Dislocates Du Hai’s jaw and removes the poison concealed between his teeth 81.
• Crushes the poison underfoot; nearby soldiers follow his example with the other captives 81.
• Orders the rebels transferred to the Court of Judicial Review for individual interrogation 81.

Relationships

• Zhou Zhengwei — Father; deputy minister of the Court of Judicial Review. Zhou Youjia is his eldest son 79.
• Jiang Yehua — Close friend and investigative ally. Yehua supplies rescued victims, information, and soldiers for the trafficking investigation; Zhou later prepares to search for him when he is late returning from a hunt 45 46 95.
• Jiang Nuan — Royal acquaintance and valuable investigative helper. Zhou wishes he could recruit her outright if she were not a princess, and encourages her to visit the Court 81 83.
• Jiang Zixuan — Fiancée. Their mutual interest develops during the Lantern Festival and Court visit, before their families settle the marriage 81 82 93.
• Jiang Mengqing — Speaks favorably of his looks and competence while helping Jiang Zixuan evaluate prospective husbands 79.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Pure Brahma Temple Trafficking Case

Jiang Yehua sends for Zhou Youjia because he is responsible for the capital’s missing-person investigation. On arrival, Zhou discovers that Yehua has already found the victims. Learning that they were abducted and sold through Pure Brahma Temple, he borrows soldiers to arrest the buyers discreetly. Jiang Nuan helps identify the suspects, and the operation captures both buyers and implicated monks while leaving uninvolved monks behind 45 46.

Lantern Festival Rebel Attack

After recovering stolen purses—including Jiang Linxi’s—Zhou warns the royal party that the festival may become dangerous. Rebels subsequently surround them, but a larger force of soldiers arrives and captures the attackers 80 81.

Guagua’s revelations identify the leader as Du Hai and expose his connection to someone inside the Court of Judicial Review. Zhou considers having his father investigate corruption within the Court and immediately sends soldiers after fleeing accomplices. Impressed by how easily the intelligence breaks the case open, he arranges for Jiang Nuan to visit the Court the next day 81.

Court Visit and Growing Caseload

Zhou welcomes Jiang Nuan and Jiang Zixuan, becoming visibly flustered at Zixuan’s arrival. During the prison tour, he listens to Jiang Nuan’s commentary and learns that Wu Mazi did not kill the person whose finger was found in his steamed buns; Guagua instead identifies Butcher Wang as that killer 82 83.

Jiang Nuan’s continuing discoveries bring so many suspects into custody that cells become overcrowded. Zhou’s father proposes expanding the Court, but the request is rejected for lack of funds. Zhou himself becomes exhausted by the increased workload 93.

Betrothal and Farmstead Outing

After Jiang Zixuan speaks to her father, the two families agree to the marriage. Zhou later arranges his work to join a Farmstead excursion and invites her along. Although he promises to catch her a rabbit, he returns with a palm-sized fox that immediately wins her affection 93 94 95.

Du Zhuoran’s Arrest

The outing becomes another investigation when Du Zhuoran’s deception is exposed. Acting on Jiang Nuan’s thoughts, Zhou brings the cook Gong Xiaofang and her two sons into the room; the children call Du “Daddy,” destroying his devoted-husband reputation before witnesses 98.

After Zhu Xiu divorces Du and alleges that he may have caused her parents’ deaths, Zhou identifies himself as a Court official and takes Du into custody for investigation 98 99.