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墨書 Inktalez
Uncle Yu paid no attention to the others, especially Liu Fangshi and the thugs, not even giving them a glance.
He walked straight towards Qin Shuying, bowed respectfully, and said, "Your Majesty has heard that General Qin specifically dispatched officials from the Ministry of Justice to handle this matter. Knowing how much you value this issue, he was worried you might arrive late and miss the timing, or that you might find it difficult to manage alone, so he specially sent these gentlemen to assist you. As for me... I am merely here to guide the way."
The "gentlemen" he referred to were naturally the Imperial Guards.
This explanation seemed unremarkable at first. If it were an ordinary person, they might assume that the Emperor had heard that a friend was dealing with a troublesome matter and had sent someone to help.
If such a large effort was made, it would simply be because of the close relationship between the Emperor and General Qin, and helping him by dispatching a few people would be a matter of convenience.
However, Qin Shuying had grown up alongside Huo Yun'ai and was a few years older than her, so he understood her character well.
Both Qin Shuying and Huo Yun'ai were aware of the situation regarding Qing Wu. If it were truly just about Qing Wu, given Huo Yun'ai's temperament, she would likely have let Uncle Yu say nothing at all. After all, if their connection were known to others, it would only bring more trouble to Qing Wu.
Since such a lengthy explanation was given, there must be other purposes behind it.
Qin Shuying raised an eyebrow slightly, pondering that there were two layers of meaning in those words.
First, Huo Yun'ai was worried that something might happen at Liu Residence while Qin Shuying could not arrive in time; hence she sent the Imperial Guards to protect the Liu Family.
Second, even if he brought people from the Ministry of Justice and things could not be handled properly, the Imperial Guards could lend him a helping hand.
Qin Shuying understood the first reason. But what about the second...
He quickly contemplated. Glancing aside, he spotted Liu Fangshi and suddenly recalled something the Young Emperor had said when he saw Huo Yun'ai today.
—Pay more attention to Liu Fangshi.
The case that Huo Yun'ai had asked Qin Shuying to investigate had been ongoing for quite some time without any breakthrough. Now that he had finally found this lead in Liu Fangshi, he certainly could not let it slip away easily.
This time, could it be that he wants to capture this person openly, interrogate him thoroughly in the Ministry of Justice, and then find some clues from it? After all, Liu Fangshi made a mistake this time; even if he is imprisoned, it is due to his public provocation, and no one would suspect anything else.
However, Liu Fangshi is not an official; his case should fall under the jurisdiction of Jingzhao Prefecture. Even if the Ministry of Justice intervenes, they would have to send him to Jingzhao Prefecture for interrogation. However, if Liu Fangshi asks him to intervene, he would be "reluctant to decline hospitality" and would have no choice but to bring him into the Ministry of Justice's prison. When Jingzhao Prefecture comes to ask for him, he naturally would not hand him over...
Qin Shuying felt enlightened—after all, everyone knows that General Qin is always flamboyant in his actions. So occasionally doing something out of line based on his own intentions is not too much to ask?
He raised an eyebrow and smiled, saying loudly, "Liu Fangshi deliberately provoked officials of the court; his malicious intent is truly hard to express. He must be detained for thorough interrogation." He then smiled at Uncle Yu, "Since His Majesty's people have arrived, we probably have no business here. Let's have the Imperial Guard take him back."
Guo Daren from the Dali Temple frowned and said, "This matter should perhaps be handled by Jingzhao Prefecture..."
As he spoke halfway, he met Qin Shuying's cool gaze. Suddenly, he choked on his words and swallowed what he was about to say.
Qin Shuying gestured with his chin towards Zheng Ning.
Zheng Ning understood, tugged at the corners of his mouth, and turned to Guo Daren, saying, "Listen, are the new torture instruments at the Dali Temple still idle? If they are not used soon, they might become dull."
The officials of the Dali Temple exchanged glances.
A minor offender made a mistake that isn't even a major case; how could it relate to the torture instruments of the Dali Temple?
Guo Daren began to understand; his hand stroking his beard did not pause at all. He immediately smiled warmly and said, "That's right. It seems it's time to find someone to sharpen them."
Zheng Ning then cupped his hands towards Uncle Yu and said, "Please convey a message to His Majesty. If this matter disturbs His Majesty, it truly should not happen. It would be better for the Dali Temple to handle it."
Uncle Yu lowered his brows and glanced sideways.
One of the leaders from the Imperial Guard stepped forward with a smile and said, "Since we are already here, why trouble the esteemed officials of the Dali Temple? My brothers have been idle for quite a while; it's rare to receive His Majesty's orders to handle affairs; we must manage them well."
On one side, the Imperial Guard and the Dali Temple were "competing" for the person, while on the other side, Liu Fangshi and his thugs were sweating profusely.
They definitely won't escape this time; they are sure to be caught and thrown into prison.
If they are captured by the Imperial Guard, they might be fortunate enough to be personally interrogated by the Emperor.
...That would be the Emperor!
Listen, he is a young man with an extremely bad temper and a very cold demeanor.
If faced with him, could anyone expect to get a favorable outcome?
If they are taken by the Ministry of Justice, they will undoubtedly suffer various punishments.
...Will it be a hand or a foot that gets broken?
It's just a matter of a daughter being taken away and then coming to shout a few words. If injuries result from this, it would not be worth it.
After thinking it over, it turns out that the Ministry of Justice is the most reliable option.
Although General Qin is somewhat unreliable, there are benefits to being unreliable.
At the very least, since he took office at the Ministry of Justice, he has always based his decisions on evidence, and so far, there have been no reports of coerced confessions under his authority.
Liu Fangshi has never been one to stand firm against pressure.
Now that he sees the situation has reached this point, he has made up his mind. With a thud, he kneels at Qin Shuying's feet and clings to the leg of General Xuan Yi, crying pitifully.
"General! Master General, I beg you to show mercy and personally handle this case to bring about justice!"
At his age, looking so drained and weak while putting on such an act of crying is truly repulsive.
But Qin Shuying wanted exactly this kind of proactive approach.
Xuan Yi General initially refused to acknowledge him and turned to leave. Unfortunately, Liu Fangshi suddenly mustered all his strength and clung to his leg. Qin Shuying surprisingly couldn't move him an inch.
The henchmen also knelt down, crying and wailing.
After a stalemate for a while, Qin Shuying's expression darkened, and he sighed, "Since you are so sincere in seeking my help, I can only do my best!"
He then helped Liu Fangshi up.
Zheng Ning stood by, arms crossed, watching with amusement.
Qin Shuying smiled at him and waved his hand, instructing the Ministry of Justice officers to take Liu Fangshi and the henchmen away.
Seeing that the matter had been resolved, Zheng Ning personally escorted Guo Daren and the officials from the Dali Temple back.
Uncle Yu, however, did not leave immediately.
After whispering a few words with the leader of the Imperial Guard, he looked around. When he saw that no one was paying attention to him, he stepped toward a narrow alley by the street.
There was only one person in the alley. She had her hair neatly arranged and was dressed quite elegantly; it was Dou Mama.
Dou Mama had refrained from going out immediately after seeing the chaotic scene at the gate and had instead gone into this alley to avoid it for a while. She did not expect to be spotted by Uncle Yu, who specifically came over at this time.
Dou Mama knew he must have something to say. Seeing that there were no others around, she smiled and approached him.
Time was pressing. After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, Uncle Yu lowered his voice and said directly, "My lord has instructed me that if I could see you, there are a few things I need to tell you."
Upon hearing that it was a matter from Huo Yun'ai, Dou Mama did not dare to be careless and immediately became serious, listening attentively.
"The master is worried about the young lady, so please keep a closer watch on her. If there are any ill-intentioned individuals trying to approach her, you must find a way to stop them. Especially those of similar age who live nearby; they should be monitored carefully."
After conveying this message, Uncle Yu hurriedly left without any further matters to attend to.
This left Dou Mama alone in the alley, deep in thought.
...Similar age, living nearby?
She couldn't help but glance in the direction of the Wu Family.
But then she thought about "ill intentions" and felt that it had nothing to do with the Wu Family Young Master at all.
After pondering for a while, she still couldn't figure out who the master was referring to. She could only remember the emperor's words and think about following them in the future.
The He Family had been keeping a close eye on the situation outside, sending people to firmly restrain their children from going out. It wasn't until they heard that everyone outside had left that they finally breathed a sigh of relief and allowed Liu Anfeng and the others to move freely.
When Liu Fangyi returned, the matter had already passed.
After clarifying the ins and outs of the situation, he couldn't help but angrily say, "Foolish! He has always acted without any principles in previous years, but now after not seeing him for several years, he dares to be so arrogant!" Suppressing his anger, he went to find Zheng Ning to express his gratitude. After all, Mr. Zheng owed a significant favor to the Da Li Si for Liu Family matters.
Liu Fangshi's actions were too unreliable; although Liu Fangyi had already separated from him and had no ties left, he still couldn't let it go. Even after dinner, he remained upset and decided to practice swordplay in the courtyard.
Although this incident greatly affected Liu Residence, it couldn't delay important matters.
Once Liu Fangyi went to the courtyard, the He Family called Qing Wu over and asked her about her plans for tomorrow.
Seeing her mother ask so solemnly, Qing Wu carefully considered and replied, "Although there are some things I need to purchase recently, there's no rush. Tomorrow I will set aside these trivial matters and have no particular plans."
Looking at the girl’s solemn demeanor regarding the matter, the He Family smiled. They pulled her to sit beside them and said, "Daughter, there's no need to be so tense. Do you still remember Madam Wu mentioned the Xia Family in her letter?" Since Qing Wu was the only girl in the family and very well-behaved and sensible, the He Family would discuss some matters with her.
Xia Family?
I do have a strong impression of Qing Wu.
Over the years, my mother has been worried about the marriage of Brothers.
Especially for my eldest brother, Liu Anzhi.
Before he went to the Northwest, the He Family was already considering finding him a suitable match. After six years in the Northwest, the He Family was reluctant to let their son marry a girl from there, fearing that she would have to follow Liu Family to the capital and be separated from her family by thousands of miles.
Thus, my eldest brother's marriage has been delayed until now.
When Madam Wu mentioned the Xia Family, she specifically emphasized their daughters. Although the He Family did not directly mention it to Qing Wu, it was clear from their tone that they were preparing to return and take a look. After some interactions, if it seemed suitable, perhaps an engagement would be settled.
Thinking of this, Qing Wu couldn't help but feel a bit excited and asked, "Is Mother planning to meet them?"
Seeing Qing Wu so enthusiastic, the He Family couldn't help but smile and nodded, saying, "Madam Xia has invited Madam Wu to visit her home tomorrow, and Madam Wu has asked me to go along. If you have nothing else to do, you should come with us."
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