Chapter 651 - 644_1
"The Yin Family in the Capital City," Lin Yue murmured to herself. Ever since the group of men in black had kidnapped Master Xue, their movements had been shrouded in secrecy, and their heightened alertness left no clue as to their whereabouts. So this was the first time she had such a clear understanding of the specific identity of the adversary.
The Yin Family from the Capital City, Lin Yue had heard of this family when she was in the capital. It too was an aristocratic family that had flourished for a century, but as the family’s talent waned, so did their fortunes. Now, although they still bore the name of an aristocratic family, they were no different from other noble families of the court. Their facade was attractive, but inside they were riddled with problems, no longer the family they once were. They were even running deficits in their public offices, spending beyond their means. It was no wonder they had set their sights on the Zhao Family.
Zhao Erhu himself had come from a humble background with no substantial foundation, yet his sudden wealth had even caught the Emperor’s attention, who entrusted him with significant responsibilities. This showed just how high the profits were. If they could get their hands on that secret recipe, the family’s predicament could be resolved. As for the Emperor, as long as they acted covertly, who would know it was them? And even if the Emperor did find out, without concrete evidence, he couldn’t do anything to them. After all, they were an ancient aristocratic family. Even in decline, the arrogant pride ingrained in their bones hadn’t changed; they were still as haughty as ever, without considering what their end might be.
Although the Emperor had already decided to eradicate these aristocratic families and at the very least dismantle their power, their fates could still differ. At the very least, if they showed a good attitude, even though they might lose their past glory and power, their lives and fortunes could be spared. If they acted recklessly, they could not avoid a tragic fate of having their entire families executed and their estates confiscated—perhaps even an even grimmer end.
"Are you certain it’s the Yin Family, not some deliberately misleading information left by those people? Under what circumstances did they reveal this? Think back, and tell me the details. No, you should recount everything that’s happened since you were captured by those men in black, no matter how trivial," Lin Yue cautioned. She had to be careful, as those men in black had been extremely cautious and careful. Now that they had left such important clues, who knew whether it was intentional or if it was the work of one of the Yin Family’s rival families, trying to deflect suspicion from themselves, or even killing two birds with one stone by setting the Zhao Family against the Yin Family, and simultaneously inciting the Emperor’s displeasure towards them.
Of course, this was just Lin Yue’s speculation. The actual situation had to be assessed for a final judgment. After all, they had struck the men in black suddenly, and in the absence of their preparedness, perhaps they had indeed been careless—this was why Lin Yue wanted the Protector to detail every aspect of what had happened.
The Protector understood that there were aspects to this situation that he might not comprehend fully and feared that his judgment might mislead the investigation. Since the lady had made such a request, he went over the events in his mind once more, and then began to narrate every detail as thoroughly as possible.