Chapter 614: First Volume, Chapter 614: Are You Foolish, or Am I?

First Volume, Chapter 614: Are You Foolish, or Am I?

Yan Ruyu, who had returned to Jingdu with Li Xiaolan and remained hidden among the crowd without drawing any attention, blocked Xie Yun'er, who was in a state of panic.

Even facing this dire situation, Yan Ruyu still wore a relaxed expression.

"Yun'er, don't panic."

"If only your father were alone in DaTang, I wouldn't stop you from rushing out."

"But don't forget—Qin Feng is here."

"Qin Feng has been secretly and openly clashing with Li Qian for years—he knows Li Qian inside and out, and can handle this easily."

"At this moment, our only task is to stay calm and not hinder Qin Feng or create unnecessary complications."

Overwhelmed with anxiety, Xie Yun'er felt the confidence in Yan Ruyu's gaze and finally exhaled in relief.

As long as Qin Feng was present, even if the sky fell, it would never crush those beside him.

Xie Yun'er's restless heart instantly calmed; she peered through the door crack, secretly watching Qin Feng.

Seeing Qin Feng's calm expression, even somewhat lazy and carefree, Xie Yun'er felt as if she had swallowed a calming pill.

Her confidence surged instantly.

Just as Li Qian and Lin Taibao had cornered Xie Bi and believed turning Xie Bi's case into an ironclad one was merely a matter of time, Qin Feng's sudden laughter echoed through DaTang.

The Dali Temple magistrate struck his gavel against the desk: "Silence!"

Li Qian's heart lurched—he knew Qin Feng was full of devious tricks and always acted unpredictably, making him impossible to guard against.

"Qin Feng, what are you laughing at?"

"Or do you think overturning the case is hopeless, so you've given up and decided to go down in flames?"

Not only the Dali Temple magistrate and Li Qian, but even Xie Bi frowned slightly, his eyes filled with confusion.

Sensing the Dali Temple magistrate's reproachful gaze, Qin Feng finally restrained himself.

Yet his face still carried a deep, lingering smile.

"Who said you can't prove your innocence if you can't find the person who copied it?"

"Chen Si left Jingdu first; the secret letters were seized later—with several days between."

"If Uncle Xie truly intended to collude with the enemy, why didn't he send the secret letters while Chen Si was still in Jingdu?"

"Isn't that hard to explain?"

Before the Dali Temple magistrate could react, Lin Taibao's cold shout rang out upon hearing Qin Feng's argument.

"Chen Si is a general of Northern Di and the Diplomatic Envoy for these State Peace Talks—he is under strict Surveillance by the Shadow Guard."

"Even if Xie Bi wanted to hand the secret letters to Chen Si, he could never evade the Shadow Guard's eyes."

"Therefore, Xie Bi could only watch helplessly as Chen Si departed, missing his chance to send the message."

Upon hearing this, Qin Feng's smile widened.

He gazed at Lin Taibao with a smug, amused look—as if staring at an idiot.

Lin Taibao's face darkened. "Do you think I'm wrong?"

Qin Feng shrugged, avoiding an answer and asking instead.

"Oh, may I ask, Excellency Taibao, what material are these secret letters made of?"

Lin Taibao snorted, without hesitation: "Of course, paper."

Hearing Lin Taibao's answer, Qin Feng feigned astonishment, his face full of disbelief.

"So they're paper? I thought they were forged from primordial cold iron!"

"Impervious to blades and fire, immune to water and heat."

Lin Taibao frowned—he knew Qin Feng was brewing something foul.

But now, he had no choice but to press on.

"Qin Feng! If you have an opinion, just state it plainly—why speak in such sarcastic tones?"

Qin Feng narrowed his eyes, staring at Lin Taibao with an eerie gaze.

"If these secret letters were truly written by Uncle Xie…"

"Knowing he had no chance to send them, why would he keep such an important item in his home?"

"Did he think the letters were impervious to blades and fire, and couldn't be destroyed?"

"Or are these letters so unique that once destroyed, they cannot be replicated?"

"Heh—he keeps something that concerns his life, his family's survival, right by his side."

"Who is foolish—Uncle Xie, or you, Lin Taibao?"

Although Qin Feng's argument couldn't directly clear Xie Bi's suspicion, it undeniably exposed a flaw.

It caused cracks to appear in what was thought to be an ironclad case.

Lin Taibao's face turned grim—he never expected Qin Feng's mind to be this sharp at this critical deadline.

After a stunned pause, Lin Taibao hardened his heart and snarled: "Qin Feng! You're a detained suspect—how dare you disrespect me, the Taibao?"

"If you dare do it again, don't blame me for treating you harshly!"

Seeing Lin Taibao deliberately change the subject, Qin Feng burst into laughter, wearing a smug, infuriating grin as he asked mockingly: "Lin Taibao, just how exactly do you plan to treat me harshly?"

These words stabbed Lin Taibao's heart like a knife—he nearly suffocated.

Qin Feng, though appearing lazy and careless, was in fact terrifyingly fierce.

Even the Liang Emperor had been humiliated by Qin Feng and was forced to Withdraw and Seek the Next Best, desperately appeasing him.

What could Lin Taibao possibly do to Qin Feng?

Seeing Lin Taibao's face flicker between anger and uncertainty, Qin Feng pressed further, his voice suddenly turning sharp and demanding.

"Excellency Lin, explain clearly—why didn't Uncle Xie destroy the secret letters?"

"If Lin Taibao cannot answer, let me answer for you—because Uncle Xie has no knowledge of this secret letter's existence, how could he possibly destroy evidence?"

Lin Taibao was left speechless, his aged face flushing red.

He had served in court for years, and through his hands, the number of political rivals eliminated was more than Lin Taibao himself could count.

When it came to verbal prowess, when had Lin Taibao ever lost?

But today, facing Qin Feng, this mere youth, Lin Taibao felt as if a bone were stuck in his throat, unable to utter a single word.

He counts as one who failed to preserve his later years' dignity.

Lin Taibao felt a foul fire surge from his heart straight to the crown of his head, causing him to stagger backward two steps uncontrollably.

Lin Taibao's reaction was seen by all present.

Li Qian did not dare delay; he immediately seized the opportunity and shouted loudly.

"You audacious Qin Feng, truly a smooth-tongued trickster, eloquent and persuasive—but in the end, you rely solely on guesswork, with no concrete proof!"

Li Qian clung stubbornly to the point that Qin Feng had no evidence.

But at that moment, the voice of the Dali Temple's Chief rang out.

"Though lacking concrete proof, Qin Feng's words have undoubtedly undermined the authority of the secret letter as evidence."

"The secret letter can no longer provide a coherent and reasonable chain of evidence for this case."

At these words, Li Qian's heart sank halfway.

Even if Xie Bi could not fully clear his name, he could no longer be convicted.

Li Qian had prepared as much as he could against Qin Feng, yet he had grossly underestimated Qin Feng's strength—this man's reasoning was so meticulous it sent a chill down Li Qian's spine.

Li Qian refused to lose to Qin Feng so easily!

He immediately rose and growled: "This case concerns the safety of Shedynasty—how can it be treated so lightly?"

"To clear Xie Bi of suspicion, you must present evidence equal to that of the secret letter."

"Otherwise, I will not abandon this matter!"