Chарtеr 166: Тhе Yun Family's Cоnсealmеnt
The аttасk оn Yun Quе’s рarents nаturally did not escaре the susрiciоn оf Shеn Du аnd Zhu Yan.
Zhu Ying аlsо sеizеd this оpрortunity to rightеоusly bоast to Shen Du аbout her еarlier dесisiоn.
"I tоld уоu thе Broсаde Wоrkshор cаse wаs rеlated tо thеm. If we hаdn’t kept them рrotectеd in thе Shеn residеnce, theу wоuld hаve bееn еliminаtеd lоng agо."
Тhe twо walkеd side by sidе towаrd thе guеst quartеrs, with Zhu Yаn unаblе to resist showing оff to Shen Du along the wаy. "Thanks tо my cаlm deсisiоn-making, rеsourcefulness, and foresight, you’d be regretting it now otherwise."
Listening to Zhu Yan’s self-praise, Shen Du remained silent, merely walking beside her and occasionally glancing at her with interest.
Upon arriving at the guest quarters, Yun Que’s parents were both there.
Faced with the arrival of Zhu Yan and Shen Du, the elderly couple appeared visibly flustered, nervously offering tea and inviting the two to take a seat.
The two sat down politely. Noticing Yun Que was not in the room, Zhu Yan got straight to the point. "Uncle, Aunt, you must understand why we’ve come, but I still hope you’ll be honest this time. Even if you don’t consider yourselves, think about Yun Que’s future."
Yun Que’s mother’s face instantly turned pale. She glanced nervously at her husband before lowering her head, murmuring, "What does the Hall Leader’s Wife mean by this? We don’t quite understand."
Zhu Yan’s lips curved upward, her eyes turning cold.
"What a fine ‘don’t quite understand.’ Let me be frank with you. We’ve already found out why you were attacked in Chang’an. If you still intend to hide anything at this point, even our Grand Commander Shen won’t be able to protect you."
After speaking, Zhu Yan quickly nudged Shen Du under the table with her foot. Shen Du understood immediately and adopted an aloof demeanor.
"My wife speaks the truth. It was her idea to keep you in the Shen residence in the first place. Now that such a major incident has occurred, if you still refuse to confess truthfully, I won’t be able to help you either."
Seeing Shen Du speak this way, the couple’s expressions grew even more troubled. They exchanged glances, as if still unable to make up their minds.
Noticing their hesitation, Zhu Yan let out a cold laugh, feigning impatience.
"Husband, since neither of them is willing to speak, there’s no need for us to waste time here. After all, Uncle and Aunt are elderly and can’t withstand this back-and-forth turmoil. But I’m timid and dare not stir up more trouble. Why don’t we pack their belongings and let them leave the Shen residence under cover of darkness?"
"Very well," Shen Du said with a doting expression. "Those who lurk in the shadows prefer to act at night. Let’s not provoke such trouble. Since it’s none of our concern, we should stay out of it."
The couple shared a knowing smile and prepared to stand up and leave. At that moment, Yun Que’s father could no longer remain seated.
"Wait, Great Pavilion Commander, Hall Leader’s Wife…"
Yun Que’s father wore a pained expression, stopping the two as they were about to leave. He opened his mouth several times but hesitated, unable to utter a complete sentence.
The two sat back down, Zhu Yan’s sharp gaze fixed on Yun Que’s father."Uncle Yun, the Brocade Workshop case involves many people. Even if you hide the truth from us now, do you really think they will let you off? Yun Que is still so young—surely you don’t want to watch her fall into danger?"
Before Yun Que’s father could speak, her mother quickly chimed in, tears streaming down her face, filled with remorse. "We wronged them, it’s our fault, but we had no choice. If we meddled, our entire Yun clan would be wiped out."
As her words fell, Yun Que’s mother buried her face in her hands and wept bitterly. Her father immediately pulled her into his arms to comfort her.
Nodding, Yun Que’s father looked earnestly at Zhu Yan and Shen Du. "Back then, as soon as we received those documents, we realized they were forged. We wanted to inform Boss Kong immediately, but that very night, mysterious figures threatened us and targeted a branch of our clan, forcing us to keep silent. Over the years, whenever they sensed anything amiss, they would attack our kin. The only reason they spared the two of us was to maintain the appearance of the Brocade Workshop case’s authenticity, to avoid arousing suspicion. So… we kept our promise, never daring to seek justice for the Brocade Workshop. But who could have imagined… things would change with Yun Que."
Beside him, Yun Que’s mother nodded repeatedly, then seemed to remember something. She grabbed Zhu Yan’s arm and pleaded, "Hall Leader’s Wife, Great Pavilion Commander, you hold high positions and great authority. We beg you, please help Yun Que. We two old folks are not worth worrying over, but Yun Que is still young. Please, you must help her."
Zhu Yan naturally understood what Yun Que’s mother meant. She immediately assured them that since they had chosen to reveal the truth, she would ensure their safety.
Shen Du ordered the two to be taken into custody but secretly dispatched Jing Lin and numerous brothers from the Inner Guard Bureau to protect them.
When Yun Que learned of this, she was unable to accept it. After a bout of noisy protests, Zhu Yan spent considerable effort calming her down.
As Zhu Yan put it, their move was entirely to lure the snake out of its hole. Moreover, the safety of the elderly couple was the responsibility of the Inner Guard Bureau, allowing Yun Que to rest assured.
Sure enough, on the very night the elderly couple were imprisoned, they were attacked by unknown assailants.
The intruder was highly skilled, fighting fiercely with the Inner Guard Bureau brothers for quite some time before Jing Lin managed to gain the upper hand.
Just as Jing Lin was about to deliver the final blow, a cold arrow suddenly shot out from the darkness, striking the intruder directly.
The black-clad figure was sent flying and crashed to the ground some distance away, while another group quickly stepped forward, using blades to restrain them.
Jing Lin recognized the newcomers and was utterly astonished. "What are you doing here?"
This group was from the Judicial Affairs Bureau. Due to Lai Luozhi’s influence, neither side wanted to escalate tensions.
"We were merely passing by when we heard a commotion and came to investigate. Unexpectedly, we caught a thief. That’s just as well—we’ll take them to the Judicial Affairs Bureau for questioning. You needn’t concern yourselves with this."
"This is no ordinary thief," Jing Lin quickly interjected. "They may very well be the culprit behind the Brocade Workshop case from years ago. You cannot take them away."
"Oh?" The Judicial Affairs Bureau members feigned surprise. Using their longswords, they lifted the black-clad figure’s veil—it was none other than Chen Huo’e!"What a coincidence," the Judicial Affairs Bureau personnel remarked. "We thought it was just an ordinary thief, but we never expected it to be connected to such a major case. This works out well—taking the person back will count as a meritorious deed. Thank you, Brother Jing Lin."
With that, they prepared to take the person away without waiting for Jing Lin's consent. Jing Lin stepped forward to block them, but the Judicial Affairs Bureau men intercepted his path.
"What's this? Could it be that Brother Jing Lin intends to interfere in Judicial Affairs Bureau matters?"
That was certainly not Jing Lin's intention. As for those people from the Judicial Affairs Bureau, he wished he would never have to see them again in his lifetime.
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