The men from the Qiao family returned with soldiers, keeping a close eye on the hands and feet of the searchers.
Therefore, they had no room to maneuver.
Indeed, it was discovered that there was something inside the incense burner in full view of everyone.
The Qiao family immediately tensed up, exchanging glances and asking each other who had put something inside.
But all the answers were negative.
Everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
Oh no, they've really got their hands on me.
Deputy General Chen laughed heartily: "No wonder Second Master Pei said that no one was colluding with the enemy. It turns out he was defending his daughter and son-in-law's family. I wonder if Second Master Pei was involved and colluded with them."
Master Pei hadn't expected there to be anything in the incense burner, but he knew the Qiao family well; they would never do something so outrageous.
He said, "It's just a letter. We don't even know what it says. How can you try to convict someone? That's unreasonable."
Master Pei was confident, but the Qiao family was not, because they didn't know why a letter had appeared in the incense burner, or when it had been placed there.
Seeing that everyone in my family looked completely bewildered, I knew someone must have done something wrong beforehand.
Their hearts were in their throats, filled with a sense of impending doom.
“If the letter contains treasonous intent, then Second Master Pei would be protecting him, or even being an accomplice. The entire Pei family would be implicated and punished together,” the First Prince said.
Upon hearing this, Master Pei felt a chill run down his spine. He suddenly realized that if someone plotted against the Qiao family and wanted to condemn them to death, he would also lead the entire Pei family into a trap.
The current situation is likely a matter of life and death for both the Qiao and Pei families.
Master Pei tensed up immediately, feeling a chill run down his spine.
"This 'what if' is something not everyone can afford to bear," the Crown Prince said calmly. "Elder Brother, you're exaggerating a bit too much."
“The incense burner on the shrine is almost never moved except on holidays. Family members cannot desecrate it, and outsiders will not approach it. Hiding the letter inside shows that you were certain no one would disturb the incense burner.” The eldest prince said, “If there was no foul play, why would you hide the letter in such a place?”
Lord Liu said, "Your Highness may be exaggerating. Even if the Qiao family is cautious and puts the letter in the incense burner ash, it only means they don't want others to see the letter, and it doesn't necessarily mean it's related to collusion with the enemy."
"To send a letter openly and honestly, yet to do so secretly and covertly, speaks volumes in itself," the eldest prince said with an air of certainty.
Seeing that Qiao Lian'er was also silent and seemed to be trying to maintain her composure, he felt a surge of joy. No matter how clever Qiao Lian'er was, she hadn't anticipated this move.
Now that the letter is in their hands, she has no idea how to deal with it.
They were caught completely off guard and became fish on the chopping block, at their mercy.
"Our Qiao family is loyal to the Emperor and would never betray the country," the eldest brother of the Qiao family said firmly. "Besides, we don't know how there was a letter in the incense burner. Someone must have secretly hidden it there to frame our Qiao family. If it contained something bad, we would never accept it."
Deputy General Chen burst into laughter: "It's too late to say these things now. There's no such easy way to clear your name of the crime of colluding with the enemy."
Ponda also laughed. He had no tongue, so he could only make strange "ah ah ah" laughs that sounded extremely uncomfortable. His smug and petty manner was fully displayed.
Seeing the smug look on these people's faces, the Qiao family members were certain of their suspicions.
Everyone felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave, chilled to the bone.
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