Chapter 6: I, of the Mingjing Office, handle matters—do we really need evidence?

"Who else could it be?"

"My dear second uncle, could it be that you can't even recognize your little nephew's voice?"

That teasing voice sounded again.

Two silhouettes stepped out from deep within the house at a steady pace.

Chen Kaiyuan followed the voice, and after seeing the newcomer's appearance, his pupils dilated gradually, exclaiming in surprise: "Chen… Chen Yan?!"

"How could it be you?"

"Why are you here?"

Chen Kaiyuan's voice, even his whole body, trembled.

It was filled with disbelief.

Just now I only thought the voice sounded familiar, but never expected it would actually be him?!

He reappeared, pompously, right before me....

Jiang Chucheng was also dumbfounded, eyes wide in shock.

"Because your little nephew, I miss you a lot, second uncle!"

"So I came especially to meet you...."

Chen Yan clasped his hands to his chest, with a half‑smile, and said meaningfully.

Longing?

After such a long separation, of course Chen Yan missed his second uncle to death!

"No!"

"Wrong!"

Chen Kaiyuan, frightened, kept stepping back, staring straight at Chen Yan, asked: "Shouldn't you be in Tianlao?"

"Aren't you supposed to be sentenced to Torture Extreme Punishment in three days?"

At that moment, Chen Kaiyuan felt his head buzzing.

The least likely person appeared out of nowhere, without any sign, right in his own mansion, his own home....

"Ah!"

Jiang Chucheng seemed to recall something, screamed in terror, her complexion turning pale, "Are you a human or a ghost?"

Chen Kaiyuan's words reminded her: appearing unnoticed like a spirit, and still being able to leave the heavily guarded Tianlao—could a human do that?

Then it could only be a ghost!

"You guess?"

Chen Yan, with amusement, admired their bewildered expressions, his playful spirit rising.

"Guards!"

"Guards!"

Chen Kaiyuan forced himself to calm down, shouting loudly.

Regardless of whether the person before him was human or ghost, the immediate priority was to summon the guards to ensure the safety of the two of them.

After all, although he was the Zhenyuan General, he was appointed due to his father's merits, essentially just a figurehead.

"Guards?"

Chen Yan raised an eyebrow, pointed at himself, and smiled: "Your little nephew is right here, second uncle, what orders do you have?"

In the next moment, the main house's Damen was pushed open.

Chen Kaiyuan was instantly overjoyed.

However, before three seconds passed, his complexion changed.

He didn't recognize the guard at all....

"Sir, the Zhenyuan General's mansion has already been completely cleared!"

Song Fei glanced at Chen Kaiyuan, stopped before Chen Yan, bowed, and reported.

"Well done." Chen Yan patted Song Fei's shoulder, nodding with satisfaction.

Chen Kaiyuan was stunned, unable to accept the reality, roared: "My mansion's guards didn't even resist, and they were taken down so easily?"

"How could that be?"

"Chen Yan, who are they?"

Even if they were a few hundred pigs, it wouldn't be that easy to catch them, right?

Moreover, they were hundreds of guards skilled in martial arts.

Why were they dealt with completely without a single sound?

Song Fei, looking at Chen Kaiyuan's hysterical demeanor, cast a gaze toward Chen Yan that held a bit more respect.

The reason they weren't with Chen Yan was that each had taken hallucinogenic smoke to act.

In his ears still echoed the words this Mirror Master said when holding a meeting to make decisions:

"Don't worry about whether it's below or above three levels of filth; as long as it can be used well, that's enough...."

"Second uncle, my good second uncle, your little nephew knows you're a fool, but you're not that blind, are you?"

Chen Yan's mouth curled into a mocking smile, and he sneered: "Can't you see their attire?"

As he spoke, he lifted his hand, and his fingertips brushed Song Fei's clothing.

Chen Kaiyuan stared, and was instantly stunned, unable to speak: "Ming… Mingjing Office?!"

"How did you summon them?"

"And still call you 'Sir'...."

In Great Zhou, any official in Chang'an would know the Mingjing Office, wouldn't they?

That is the nightmare of countless people; once you go in, you may not be able to get out....

Founded by Founding Emperor, it is now in the hands of Grand Overseer Great Loyalist, a notorious intelligence organization.

This makes him even more terrified than Chen Yan's appearance.

Calling them a hypnotic judge would not be an exaggeration....

"I'm unworthy, my little nephew temporarily assumes the Zhuque Guard Mirror Master role!" Chen Yan shrugged, his face full of smiles.

"What?!"

"You..."

"You..."

"You..."

Chen Kaiyuan was shocked, and Jiang Chucheng, equally stunned, exchanged a glance, raised a hand to point at Chen Yan, and remained silent for a long time.

It was impossible to digest in an instant.

The great nephew, who should have been in Tianlao Death Prison awaiting execution by Torture Extreme Punishment in three days, not only walked out of Tianlao alive....

And transformed into the Zhuque Mirror Master of the Mingjing Office?!

What kind of joke is this!

"Stop the me‑me‑me...."

Chen Yan stepped forward a few paces, pressed his hand onto Chen Kaiyuan's shoulder, applied a gentle pressure, leaned close and whispered, "Second Uncle, I heard everything you and Aunt said just now; aren't you going to say anything?"

Chen Kaiyuan shivered violently, panicked, his legs going weak as he knelt on the ground, repeatedly saying, "A Yan, listen to Second Uncle's explanation!"

"The one who targeted you is your father!"

"And also your two younger brothers!"

"They framed and betrayed you, then reported you!"

Chen Kaiyuan did not hesitate at all; he sold out his elder brother completely.

He truly is a model of brotherly and fraternal devotion.

"Indeed!"

"A Yan, those matters have nothing to do with your Second Uncle!"

Jiang Chucheng, seeing this, immediately echoed, "It was your father and your brother who planned and executed everything!"

The couple, in a few words, shifted all responsibility cleanly.

They were like two pure little white flowers.

"Oh."

Chen Yan replied absentmindedly, turned his head toward Song Fei, and ordered, "Take them back to the Mingjing Office!"

He paused, then deliberately added, "Including all of Second Uncle's children...."

"Yes."

Song Fei nodded, waved his hand to summon a few embroidered‑cloak envoys, and began dragging the couple.

"Chen Yan, on what grounds do you arrest me?"

"First, no evidence; second, no...."

Chen Kaiyuan struggled wildly.

But before he could finish, a Big Ear Seed shouted at his face.

"Snap!"

It was crisp and resonant.

"I handle affairs for the Mingjing Office; do I really need evidence?"

Chen Yan clapped his hands, snorted coldly and retorted.

Principally, investigations require evidence, but now the principle is in Chen Yan's hands.

His reasoning is simply reasoning.

"Little Qiuzi, how dare you hit me?" Chen Kaiyuan felt the burning sting on his face, experiencing a profound humiliation.

Having lived so many years as the second son of the Old Wei State Duke, when had he never been slapped?

Or was it by a junior from his own family....

Song Fei glanced sideways at the embroidered‑cloak envoy restraining Chen Kaiyuan, "Won't you seal his mouth and take him away quickly?"

"Yes."

The next moment, Chen Kaiyuan's mouth was sealed, and he was dragged away like a dead dog.

"Old Zhang, imprison them separately!" a playful glint flashed in Chen Yan's eyes as he instructed Zhang Wenqian.

He paused, then looked at Song Fei, "Old Song, you stay to inventory the household; after counting all the property, bring everything back to Zhuque Tang...."

Mingjing Office.

Zhuque Tang.

Jiang Chucheng's detention place.

"Chen Yan, where did you lock your Second Uncle?"

"We are all your relatives and elders!"

"How can you be so heartless and cold‑blooded?"

Jiang Chucheng, seeing Chen Yan walk in alone, impatiently bombarded him with questions.

But he didn't notice that he had sent the outside guards away.

"Aunt, I see you still retain your charm!" Chen Yan walked forward unhurriedly, licking his lips, half‑smiling.

Jiang Chucheng startled, clutched his chest, retreated repeatedly in fright, and panicked, "Chen Yan, you… what are you trying to do?"

"You better not act recklessly!"

Chen Yan pressed Jiang Chucheng against the wall corner, then stopped, reached out and pinched her jaw, saying meaningfully, "Aunt, you don't want your whole family stuck in Bright Mirror Hall, unable to see tomorrow's sun, do you?"

Until this very moment, how could Jiang Chucheng not understand the implication?

She lightly bites her red lips, as if having made some resolve.

"Is it that if I submit to you, you'll let go…?"

"Of course…."