"Rest assured, my lord! The national law is clear and heaven's justice is intolerable!"
Beside him, Chu Zhenyue's voice was resonant, like the clash of swords, "Lin Yaozu and his associates are safer within the Captain Bureau's prison than anywhere else! I guarantee it with my head!"
Li Yan nodded, his face expressionless.
......
That night, south of Jinling City, within the flower hall of a deep mansion.
The instrunts had long been withdrawn, leaving only oppressive silence and anxiety.
The hall was brightly lit, casting light on faces either pale or sullen.
Present were officials in civilian clothes, and wealthy, imposing rchants—the representatives of the Gusu Lu Family and Qiantang Xie Family in Jinling, along with local officials bound by their interests.
"It's over... all over!"
A corpulent gentleman in silk robes trembled as he spoke, "How could those mud-legs from Locust Tree Village leave letters behind?"
"Xuan Sacrificial Officer! Northern Town Guard of the Captain Bureau! Ministry of War decree!"
An official turned pale, "How did people from the Capital arrive so quickly? Qiu Mingyuan is a notorious lackey, and with Chu Zhenyue the Killing God... it's obvious they're targeting us! That Lin Family case..."
"What are you panicking for!"
An elder with a composed deanor and scholarly appearance slamd the tea table.
He was Xie Yunzhi, the spokesperson for the Xie Family in Jinling, unlike the others, he remained calm and said in a deep voice: "I've inquired, that Qiu Mingyuan claims the 'Dragon Sacrifice Ceremony' and the Tai Lake battle take precedence, temporarily suppressing the Lin Family case."
"This is our breathing room!"
"Suppress one mont, cannot suppress forever!"
Lu Mingyuan from the Lu Family in Jinling spoke with a grim expression, "The Lin Family case is not important, the evidence is solid, even if so small fry escape, they can't turn over. The key is the 'Silk Cocoon Sect'!"
"Those mud-legs claim we've forced them into joining a cult, this violates the Emperor's taboo. The urgent task is to quickly clear evidence from the Silk Bureau."
"What use is there saying this now?"
Xie Yunzhi took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, "Clear evidence, but what about the silver? Who will make up the deficit?"
An official cautiously spoke: "Over in Japan..."
Upon hearing this, fury flickered in Xie Yunzhi's eyes, "What nonsense are you talking! No one can ntion anything about Japan!"
Seeing several officials drop their heads in silence, his tone softened, offering consolation: "We've barely dipped our fingers into the silver mines there, we must endure this ti before seeing returns, the court must not find out."
"As for the people from the Capital... as the 'Dragon Sacrifice Ceremony' approaches, we need only cooperate well, and soone will trouble them."
"Seize this ti to quickly go to Jinzhou, borrow silver from the banks, cover the deficit, then destroy the books; the court won't catch us!"
"Mr. Xie's plans are ticulous!"
"We'll follow Mr. Xie's lead..."
Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief and raised their cups in celebration.
What they failed to notice was, in the dark corner, a mouse returning into its hole. It scurried through the dark, damp underground for a long ti before erging from a gutter in a secluded alley.
Soon, the mouse was caught by soone, squeaking furiously.
The one holding the mouse was Lv San.
After hearing this, he furrowed his brow slightly and said to Li Yan beside him, "These people indeed have issues, but it's unrelated to the 'Silk Cocoon Sect'. It seems they're mining silver in Japan."
"Japan?"
Li Yan pondered.
He vaguely rembered, there seed to be silver mines there.
Could it be these people have extended their reach into Japan?
But from what they said, they don't seem to be allies with the Silk Cocoon Sect.
Then why did the Silk Cocoon Sect murder Tian Qianhu?
Li Yan had a flash of insight, "Co, return to the Captain Bureau!"
He had a feeling the Lin Family case might hold even deeper secrets...
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