Shen Yun had a knack for interrogation. It was as if he were born with it, his understanding intuitive. He didn't resort to torture, yet with just a few words, he had Old Madam Quan pinned down, knowing exactly where to press.
Soon, he learned of her origins from Old Madam Quan’s own lips.
Her family lived in a narrow alley called Hu Zi Lane, near Guangning Gate on the western side of the outer city.
As for why she conspired with Taohua in this charade, it was because she had accepted money from someone.
When asked who had paid her, she claimed ignorance, unable to provide a clear answer.
“It was… it was an old woman I met while offering incense at Gan Quan Temple. She was about my age. She gave me some money, and then she handed over Miss Taohua to me.”
It seemed Taohua and Old Madam Quan had met by chance, with no prior connection.
And Old Madam Quan’s account was flawless, leaving no room for doubt.
Therefore, after the interrogation, Su Xiaoqi found herself even more confused.
“So, who exactly wants to use Taohua against you?”
At this point, Su Xiaoqi’s mind immediately went to the Su family.
She wondered if the Su family, seeing they had left Mianzhou City, had followed them to the capital.
Shen Yun conceded that it was possible.
At least, the scale of this operation was similar to the Su family’s methods, but the assassination attempt in the woods was definitely not their doing.
“Your Su family wouldn’t have the guts for that.”
After much deliberation, they found no answers and decided to check on Taohua in another room.
Seeing them approach, Taohua jumped in fright. After Su Xiaoqi had exposed her scheme, she had fled in a panic, her heart filled with fear as she walked.
Unexpectedly, while on her way, someone had knocked her out.
When she awoke, she tried to escape, but discovered she was being guarded.
She was terrified, thinking she had failed and that her captors intended to kill her.
Who would have thought that the person who arrived would be the one she longed for?
“Yun Lang…” Taohua called out, her voice trembling.
As soon as she spoke, Shen Yun shot her a glare: “Be quiet.”
Shen Yun’s face was like ice, his brows stern. When he stared at Taohua, a chilling glint emanated from his eyes, making her tremble all over.
Her lips parted, and she stammered, “Mr. Shen, Mr. Shen…”
Hearing Taohua finally address him correctly, Shen Yun coolly asked who brought her to the capital and what her intentions were today.
“I… I don’t know anything. An old woman came and asked if I really liked… really liked… Then she said if I was willing, she could bring me to the capital. Coincidentally, my father needed money, and when he heard she would give him a sum, he told me to come along.”
Despite her fear, Taohua, intimidated by Shen Yun’s imposing presence, finished her statement nervously.
Her words seemed to reveal much, yet they conveyed no useful information.
What she said aligned with Shen Yun and Su Xiaoqi’s earlier deductions.
Someone wanted to exploit Taohua’s misplaced affections, lure her here, and attempt to use her as a weapon against Shen Yun.
And the person who brought her was, naturally, Old Madam Quan.
But Shen Yun had already interrogated her once. She had taken money to help someone and knew nothing else.
After all this effort, they had gathered a lot of useless information but obtained nothing of value.
Su Xiaoqi felt a pang of disappointment.
Shen Yun, however, remarked, “That’s normal. If it were that easy for us to find out, this person wouldn’t need to hide in the shadows.”
Someone wanted to deal with him but didn’t want him to know who they were.
“Fine. Since that person is determined to remain in the dark, let them hide. But if they make another move, I will surely unearth them,” Shen Yun said calmly.
At that moment, Su Xiaoqi remembered the scholars who had spoken up for Shen Yun earlier.
“Did they just happen to be there today?” Su Xiaoqi felt she was becoming overly suspicious, finding everyone a potential suspect.
Back in Yizhou Prefecture, she had always felt that Gui Bang’s third-place finisher, Xi Jianzhi, seemed to harbor animosity towards Shen Yun.
After all, without Shen Yun, he might have been a contender for the top scholar along with Chang Wanqing, who came in second.
Yet, this time, he had stepped forward with Chang Wanqing to defend Shen Yun.
“Their presence there was not a coincidence. There’s a branch of the Zhuangyuan Tower, and many scholars gather there for networking. Perhaps they saw by chance.”
Their appearance was not accidental, but their intervention surprised him.
“Don’t worry. If they have intentions, they will likely approach us soon.” Shen Yun was not concerned about this.
He did not fear facing his enemies directly; it was simply a matter of meeting force with force.
Seeing no signs of dejection on Shen Yun’s face, Su Xiaoqi also let go of her worries.
She then added, “I received a letter from Yiyi earlier at Gan Quan Temple. She said that Lord Du has been transferred back to the capital as an official, and she will return with Madam Du once the river thaws. She also asked me to visit the Duke of Yu’s residence to pay respects to the Duchess.”
Shen Yun nodded. They hadn’t planned to visit the Duke of Yu’s residence immediately, but now he felt it was necessary.
It wasn’t about seeking favors from the Duke of Yu’s mansion, but rather hoping Su Xiaoqi could receive their protection, so as not to be implicated by him.
“Wife, I regret it,” Shen Yun suddenly said, pulling Su Xiaoqi into his embrace and resting his forehead against hers. He spoke softly.
Su Xiaoqi raised an eyebrow: “Regret what?”
“Regret bringing you to the capital.”
Before they came, he had anticipated some danger, but he hadn't expected it to be this perilous.
Had he known, he would never have dragged his wife into such a risky situation.
“There is no regret medicine in this world,” Su Xiaoqi said, taking it in stride.
Make the best of the situation.
The couple discussed how to handle Taohua and Old Madam Quan.
Taohua was the easier one to deal with. Her home was far away in Yizhou Prefecture, and her father was of a certain disposition.
Therefore, a sum of money could resolve the matter.
However, Old Madam Quan was more problematic.
According to Taohua, she lived in the capital, and during her time in the capital, she had been staying at Old Madam Quan’s home.
So, after questioning her, they would have to let her go.
With that, Su Xiaoqi stopped worrying.
Shen Yun would handle it.
However, she couldn’t help but remind him: “If trying to leverage Old Madam Quan proves fruitless, perhaps we should investigate her family.”
Shen Yun’s eyes lit up; this was a good idea.
A person’s actions were never without reason; there was always something that made them willing to do what they did.
After they had decided, Shen Yun beckoned to the two black-clad figures standing outside the courtyard. As they approached, he gave them an instruction.
The two responded respectfully.
After they had escorted the women away, Su Xiaoqi looked on with curiosity and a hint of hesitation.
Before she could ask, Shen Yun preempted her, “One of them is named Zhang Feng, and the other is Zhang Lei…”
“Is there also a Zhang Yu and a Zhang Dian?” Su Xiaoqi couldn’t help but joke to lighten the mood.
To her surprise, Shen Yun actually nodded: “That’s right.”
“Ah…” Su Xiaoqi’s expression turned awkward. She had intended to ask where these people came from, but then she thought better of it, fearing Shen Yun might be unable or unwilling to answer, or that the answer might be something she couldn’t bear to hear. She wisely retracted her question.
But Shen Yun was exceptionally perceptive and said, “There’s really nothing to hide. They were given to me by Mr. Gu, and they arrived just a couple of days ago.”
He paused, then added, “Zhang Yu is a woman. She will be following you from now on.”
Su Xiaoqi blinked. She looked at Shen Yun. In the setting sun, his profile was handsome, his features sharp, and his eyes deep.
His long eyelashes cast a dark shadow beneath his eyes, shrouding his face in a veil of mystery.
Shen Yun had changed!
Su Xiaoqi, with her keen senses, realized this.
“Are you… are you alright?” Su Xiaoqi asked hesitantly.
She felt this might be a precursor to Shen Yun’s darker side emerging.