Chapter 701 - 694_1
"Lady Lin, please remain calm. I haven’t figured out what’s going on either. How did they escape from the Government Office? This is a great injustice. I don’t even know if someone is trying to frame me. Why don’t you come to the office to rest for a moment, Lady Lin? I will immediately investigate this matter and give you an explanation," Ceng Lu said, although a bit bewildered, he responded quickly and smartly, still thinking of keeping them at the office.
Lin Yue naturally wouldn’t stay foolishly. It was urgent to return to Zhao Family Village, which was safe. Xin’an City was always within Ceng Lu’s sphere of influence. Even though she brought so many people, it would be disadvantageous to her over time, "No need, I cannot trust a single word from Magistrate Sir. If you truly mean well, please let my children and me leave immediately."
"No, you cannot leave! I still don’t know what happened. How could the children have run out from the Government Office? As for the heroes who stand up for justice, that’s all made up by them without any proof. Who knows what really happened? I have not done such things, I can’t let you slander me like this. You all must come with me to the office and wait until the truth is clear and my name is cleared. I represent the Court, and its reputation cannot be ignored," Ceng Lu insisted on keeping Lin Yue and her children, shamelessly using all kinds of grand-sounding nonsense that everyone knew wasn’t true, yet he spoke with an air of moral righteousness.
"Sir, the truth is as clear as day. Are you blind? Do you think we are all fools with neither eyes nor ears? You wish to forcibly keep us here, but you’ll have to see if you have the ability to do so. With those good-for-nothing servants of yours, if it comes to blows, we surely won’t be the ones at a loss!"
Lin Yue said coldly, her words brimming with confidence and mockery. She didn’t take Ceng Lu’s men seriously, yet she was somewhat worried. Even if Ceng Lu was incompetent, she understood that he was right about one thing—the Government Office represented the Court’s face. Starting a fight here would easily give others a handle on her and they could hold this incident over her head in the future. It was best if she could intimidate Ceng Lu into releasing them willingly; otherwise, she would have to use force and later find ways to mitigate the repercussions of this event.
Despite Ceng Lu’s grandstanding, he didn’t even take his words to heart, so naturally, he wouldn’t understand Lin Yue’s calculations. Hearing her brave words, showing no fear of his authority and being ready to fight, he felt hesitant when he thought about his side’s chances of winning, even though he was reluctant to accept it.
Just as Ceng Lu was uncertain, a servant stumbled out from the office, his face bruised, clearly having been beaten severely. It indeed was one of the people Ceng Lu had assigned to guard Dalang and his brothers. Now realizing the urgency, he came forward to report to Ceng Lu, hoping to escape blame by showing they had tried their best; it wasn’t their fault they were beaten. It was the skilled masked Hero; we couldn’t defeat him, so don’t blame us, he pleaded.