“Young man, we’re really not bad people. I’m Su Yan, the head of the Surveillance Bureau. I’m here to investigate Qingming’s case. Li Changyan is a very important witness. If she doesn’t come forward, the truth about her father’s death won’t be revealed so easily.”
"Pah..." The stuttering boy raised his head, spat at Su Yan, and cursed angrily, "Don't try to fool me, I'm not easily scared..."
"It seems you have no intention of revealing Li Changyan's whereabouts..."
The little stutterer turned his head away, refusing to continue the conversation.
It was supposed to be a very simple thing, but Little Stutterer was like the hardest pig to handle during Chinese New Year, completely resistant to reason.
With a deep sigh of helplessness, he glanced at Chen Yao, signaling him to let the person go.
Shen Yao understood immediately and released his arms from the little stutterer.
Suddenly released, the stuttering boy got up from the ground, completely bewildered. He didn't understand what Su Yan was up to.
Su Yan was well aware that the little stutterer was still wary of her and Shen Yao. She took out her token from her pocket and handed it over, saying, "This is my token. If you still doubt my identity, you can pick it up and check it."
The stutterer hesitated before taking a look, and his pupils widened in surprise; it was the first time he had ever seen a token made of gold.
I wondered, could it be a fake?
Su Yan saw through the little stutterer's thoughts at a glance. "Don't worry, if you still don't trust my identity, you can take this token to the county government to verify it. You can also inquire about me. If you want to find out my identity in Huai'an Prefecture, it should be a piece of cake."
Although the stutterer still looked somewhat suspicious, Su Yan didn't seem to be lying.
Moreover, he knew that the people sent from the capital had indeed arrived in Huai'an Prefecture.
Otherwise, he and Li Changyan would not have taken such a huge risk to sneak back to Huai'an Prefecture, with the aim of clearing Prefect Li's name.
Seeing this, Su Yan pressed her advantage, saying, "Young brother, I won't make things difficult for you. I have something to ask you to pass on to Chang Yan: I've always believed that her father was murdered."
After speaking, Su Yan glanced around the room.
She always knew that Li Changyan was hiding somewhere in the house, but she didn't intend to forcibly take her away.
Having delivered the message, Su Yan saw no need to linger any longer and glanced up at the sky.
He said in a deep voice, "It's getting late. If Li Changyan intends to cooperate with us, she should send someone to the inn to find us."
"Little stutterer, we'll be going now..."
After saying that, Su Yan led Shen Yao away from the thatched hut.
When Su Yan's figure disappeared completely, the stutterer immediately turned around and went back into the house, pried open the mud bricks, and pulled Li Changyan out from inside.
He looked her up and down anxiously and asked, "Changyan, are you alright?"
Li Changyan shook her head, "Brother Yan, I'm fine..."
After speaking, he looked in the direction Su Yan left with a complicated expression, lost in thought.
The stutterer immediately saw through what Li Changyan was thinking.
"Changyan, do you really believe what they're saying?"
Li Changyan stared into the little stutterer's eyes and nodded firmly. "I believe... my father is innocent. No matter what the outcome is, I will avenge my father."
Little Stutterer did not stop Li Changyan's decision. She felt sorry for her situation, but for her own safety, she had to be cautious.
"Changyan, I think we shouldn't rush things. Let me go out and gather information tomorrow before we make a decision, okay?"
Li Changyan nodded, "Okay..."
Meanwhile, Shen Yao, walking back to the inn, couldn't figure it out.
Even though they knew Li Changyan was hiding in the house, they hesitated. What if she ran away?
Seeing Shen Yao looking preoccupied, Su Yan asked with a smile, "What's wrong? You've been like this ever since we came out of the thatched hut."
"Su Yan, aren't you afraid they'll run away?"
Su Yan smiled calmly, "No, Li Qingming and his daughter have relied on each other for many years, and Li Changyan will not stand idly by."
"But she's only a child of about ten years old, so it's normal for her to be scared."
“If Li Changyan is afraid, she will not return to Huai’an Prefecture.”
Hearing this, Shen Yao asked, completely bewildered, "What do you mean?"
Su Yan smiled and said, "I just checked the house. Although it's dilapidated, it has all the furniture and items, which means the two of them have been living here for a long time."
"From what I've heard since childhood, we know that besides us, there are other people searching for Li Changyan. Yet Li Changyan still dares to take such a big risk to live in Huai'an Prefecture, which means she wants to overturn her father's case."
"So you knew from the beginning that Li Changyan wouldn't refuse to cooperate with you?"
After thinking for a moment, Su Yan shook her head at Chen Yao, "Actually, I wasn't sure at first either, but then I found some things in the house."
Shen Yao's curiosity was instantly piqued. "What is it?"
"It's a notice."
"A notice?" Shen Yao was completely confused.
Su Yan nodded. "That's right. I found the torn-down notices in the house, including our announcement in Luoshui Town about the punishment of Zhao He. This shows that Li Changyan has been paying attention to our movements."
After listening, Shen Yao suddenly realized, "No wonder you were so sure that Li Changyan would come looking for you."
"Shen Yao, we need to handle the matter concerning Li Changyan in secret. Let's split up and proceed."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yao expressed his confusion, "Why?"
"Just because we were able to find Li Changyan doesn't mean others can't. I hope you will stay by her side and protect her safety from now on."
"I'll just send Li Changyan somewhere no one can find her, won't that solve the problem..."
Su Yan immediately refused, "No, this is not our territory after all, and there are no secrets that stay hidden forever. With Little Stutterer's mediocre skills, if Li Changyan is discovered, it will be too late for us to regret it."
Shen Yao was very reluctant, "Su Yan, compared to Li Changyan, I'm more worried about your safety..."
Li Changyan has at least not been exposed yet, but Su Yan is now a walking target. If the other party were to kill her, she would face far more danger than Li Changyan.
"Shen Yao, don't worry! They won't target me for now, but Chang Yan is different; her life is in danger at any moment."
In the end, Shen Yao was defeated.
He agreed to Su Yan's suggestion and secretly protected Li Changyan's safety.
When the two returned to the inn, they found Shi Zhongyu sitting in the lobby, leisurely sipping tea, seemingly having been waiting for a long time.
As soon as Su Yan stepped into the inn, Tang Rong greeted her with a beaming smile.
"Commander Su, you're finally back. The Prefect invites you to have some tea together."
The weasel was offering New Year's greetings to the chicken; Su Yan didn't need to think to guess that Shi Zhongyu wouldn't come to the inn to find her for no reason.
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