Chapter 461: 648: Beyond Doubt

Though the sparrow is small, it has all the vital organs; it’s convenient to come and go, and what’s more, information here is readily available, which is most suitable for us. If we were to find a place that is completely hidden but not well-connected, we might be safer, but whether it’s gathering intelligence or moving about, it would not be convenient, and we would rather be restrained.”

After Feng Ruolin finished speaking, she turned to Su Hengyi, “Husband, Brother-in-law really is reliable. Such a place is most suitable for our current situation, and it is mostly people from Jianghu that frequent this kind of area, which makes it convenient for me to make contact.” Feng Ruolin felt more and more satisfied as she spoke.

Su Hengyi nodded, his face showing satisfaction, but the words that came out of his mouth were quite critical, “Hmph, if he doesn’t have even this bit of ability, he still wants to be my brother-in-law? Does he really think my sister is someone just anyone can marry?!”

Feng Ruolin couldn’t help rolling her eyes. Her husband was so protective of his sister. Although he had acknowledged Han Yu as his brother-in-law in his heart after some time, he still put on this facade. Those who were unaware might really think he was dissatisfied with Han Yu as his brother-in-law.

“Husband, enough is enough, isn’t it? Just look at the pride on your face; it’s clear you are very satisfied with Brother-in-law’s work. Is it that hard to admit what you really feel?” Feng Ruolin was fed up with her father-in-law, her husband, and her brother-in-law; all three men of the family acted the same way. She couldn’t do anything about her father-in-law and brother-in-law, but she could certainly handle her own husband.

“Miss Lin, you…” Su Hengyi coughed awkwardly a couple of times, not having expected his wife to bluntly expose him like that, not even giving him a chance to save face. Honestly, she had never been like this before.

“Husband, where did that shopkeeper go? Why hasn’t he arrived yet?” Feng Ruolin knew she had been impulsive and made her husband lose face in front of everyone, feeling a little regretful, she immediately changed the subject, not wanting her husband to be too embarrassed.

“Sorry, sorry, for making all of you wait. I went to see an old acquaintance to inquire about some matters and got delayed a bit by soldiers inspecting the city. Please, forgive my lateness.”

“Are you the shopkeeper?” Su Hengyi’s gaze swept over the middle-aged man who had just entered, who appeared very ordinary, someone who would definitely not stand out in a crowd. However, Han Yu could sense something particularly different about him, yet couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“My surname is Fang, and indeed, I am this teahouse’s shopkeeper. The master has already sent me a message, informing me of your arrival, and told me to follow Young Master Su’s orders and instructions. Knowing that you would be coming these days, I specifically stayed in the store, not daring to leave for a moment, fearing that I might miss you. It’s just that the matter today was too important, and it is related to the purpose of your visit to Chang’an, which is why I was late. I ask for the Eldest Young Master and Eldest Young Mistress to pardon me.”

“So it is Manager Fang. Manager Fang, there’s no need for this; we have no intention of blaming you. Besides, Manager Fang was busy with legitimate matters and has done nothing wrong, so there’s no need to reproach yourself,” Su Hengyi helped Manager Fang up. It wasn’t just that Manager Fang had done nothing wrong; in reality, they would need to rely heavily on Manager Fang for many things in Chang’an. Although Manager Fang was Han Yu’s man and had to follow Han Yu’s orders, Su Hengyi didn’t want Manager Fang to assist them only for that reason.

In fact, Manager Fang didn’t mean to apologize but wanted to show Su Hengyi that he had not been negligent; rather, he had been busy with their matters, hoping to avoid any unnecessary misunderstanding. However, seeing the magnanimity of Young Master Su, and with his years of experience in judging people, he knew that despite appearing gentle and mild-mannered, Young Master Su was certainly not as simple as he seemed on the surface. But after all, being the master’s eldest uncle, how could he be a simple person?

“Thank you, Young Master Su, for your understanding. The master has commanded me, so if there is any order in the future, I will do my utmost to carry it out.”

“Then we must trouble Manager Fang. Manager Fang, earlier you said the errand you attended to is related to our purpose in coming to Chang’an?”

“Indeed. A friend of mine has a good relationship with a prison guard of the Prison of Heaven, and I entrusted him to inquire about the Marquis Bei’an’s situation. There had been no progress until this morning when he suddenly sent a message saying he had discovered something, and I hurried to attend to it. I had not expected that just at this time, you all would arrive.”

Though Manager Fang mentioned that his informant was only a prison guard, Su Hengyi didn’t underestimate the connection; sometimes, even a low-ranking person can play a significant role at a crucial moment.

“Oh? Did he find out any information?” Su Hengyi didn’t show anything on his face, but his tone was a bit more anxious than usual. After all, it involved his relatives, and even though he seemed composed on the surface, it wasn’t so easy to remain calm in his heart.

Being older than his sister-in-law, Su Hengyi shared more memories with the Main House and had a clearer recollection. Though the Second branch of the Su Family had split from the Marquis Beian Mansion, that was only publicly; privately, communications had not ceased. In fact, they had only split, not stopped interacting; it was just that the distance between them was too great, so reunions were infrequent. However, as the future heir of the Second branch of the Su Family, Su Hengyi’s contact with the Marquis Beian Mansion was still substantial, and he felt a stronger attachment to Marquis Bei’an and his son than did his sister-in-law.

Manager Fang hurriedly shared the news he had obtained with Su Hengyi, “That’s all there is. My friend’s friend is only a prison guard, and the Prison of Heaven is exceedingly tightly guarded, more so since Marquis Bei’an was imprisoned. Even the minor liberties that were previously allowed are now forbidden. Although my friend’s friend has tried his best to inquire, his power and abilities are limited. He can only find out the approximate location where Marquis Bei’an and his son are imprisoned, without knowing more details. However, he also said that he will continue to pay close attention to anything related to Marquis Bei’an and will immediately pass on any information to me.”

“To have discovered this much is already very good, as it at least confirms that my uncle and my cousins are safe. Manager Fang, you have worked hard. From now on, should there be any news about the Marquis Bei’an Mansion, please inform me immediately.” Su Hengyi was not disappointed with the limited information he received, as he said, it was not easy to gather intelligence under Wang Mang’s meticulous arrangements.

“This is part of my duties. Please rest assured, Young Master. I will do everything in my power to glean news of Marquis Bei’an. In fact, I have already asked several other friends, though there is no news for the moment. As soon as there is, I will promptly report to the Young Master,” Manager Fang assured.

Sending Manager Fang out and left alone in the room with just the two of them, Su Hengyi and Feng Ruolin finally relaxed and exchanged a look, both had come to an assessment of Manager Fang’s capabilities.

“Brother-in-law really has a number of talents under him. Not to mention Zhai Mo, this Manager Fang is definitely a remarkable person. He may appear ordinary, but his ability to handle affairs is unquestionable.”