A Good Country Wife-Chapter 650 - 643_1

Although this wasn’t the most prudent method, given the circumstances, they hadn’t even been able to ascertain the situation, let alone devise any stratagems. There was no other choice but to proceed this way. After all, they were still in Xin’an City. Jimin Hall had been established in this area for many years and had deep roots. Moreover, Lin Yue had dispatched all the skilled family members there. In this respect, they still had the advantage. The remainder would depend on the outcome after taking action. At most, they had to be decisive and swift during the operation, catching the black-clad intruders off guard.

The group of black-clad individuals hadn’t noticed anything amiss; after all, the individuals sent by the Jiang Family to scout were very cautious. Due to the instructions from Manager Liu, they knew that these experts were from the Capital City and were not easy to deal with, hence they were even more careful than before. Nevertheless, the black-clad people had interrogated Master Xue and the guards for the last couple of days without yielding any results. Since Lin Yue had chosen these men to accompany Master Xue, it was because she valued their loyalty. They did not disappoint Lin Yue’s expectations, remaining steadfast; even under torture by the black-clad people, they did not speak a word. The black-clad people didn’t want to delay too long in Xin’an City, so they thought it better to take the captives back to the Capital City and consider their options, as the Aristocratic Family there had numerous methods to extract the information they desired.

"That’s the only way to go for now. We don’t have a better option. But, Manager Liu, I’m afraid you’ve made this decision in haste, without arranging many details. I think we still need to put a lot of effort into the details, even if we’re reduced to brute force. We need to minimize our losses. Since being familiar with the environment of Xin’an City is our advantage, then we should utilize this advantage."

"Madam Lin’s words make sense. Although we have more hands, those black-clad men are strong. If we can leverage our advantages, we will have a better chance of winning." Manager Liu then shared with Lin Yue the location and conditions of where the group of black-clad people had been found, and together they discussed some strategies.

"Let’s proceed with the plan then. I won’t return to Zhao Family Village tonight; instead, I’ll stay at our house in the city. If anything happens, it’s better to have someone to consult with. Besides, I can’t rest easy without knowing the outcome of this matter."

"That’s fine, Madam Lin needn’t stay anywhere else—just settle down in my courtyard. There are plenty of empty rooms in my house, after all. I’ll have my sister-in-law tidy up one for you to stay in—it will spare you the trouble of travelling back and forth, and it will be convenient for discussing matters."

Lin Yue had this in mind as well, but it was not fitting to say so. The house in the city had not been occupied for a long time, and it would take a considerable effort to clean up. Moreover, it was only for one night, so there was no need for all the trouble. She had thought about finding a nearby inn to stay for the night, but since Manager Liu had offered, Lin Yue readily accepted.

"This does make things much more convenient for me, so I will trouble your sister-in-law then."

"Not at all, it is rare for us to have guests in our house. My sister-in-law will be more than happy to see you. I’ll send someone to inform her right away."

After settling into Jimin Hall, Lin Yue was preoccupied with the night’s operation and had no appetite for dinner. ******** She just waited for nightfall. The night seemed particularly long, and it wasn’t until dawn began to break that word finally came from the front yard. Manager Liu’s dispatched men had returned, but many were injured, with two of them seriously so. The black-clad people were too skillful in combat. If it weren’t for the arrangements Lin Yue had discussed with Manager Liu beforehand, the losses would have been even greater. As it was, they had suffered a significant setback and had not managed to rescue Master Xue.

The black-clad men placed great importance on Master Xue. Realizing they were outmatched on the enemy’s territory and outnumbered, they retreated with Master Xue. However, a few guards were left behind, all confined in a firewood shed, beaten black and blue, their wounds chilling to look at. Thankfully, these hard men had endured, and it was only because they had caught the black-clad people by surprise that they could only hastily flee with Master Xue without having time to kill all witnesses. Thus, some information was leaked, as those black-clad people had never intended to leave any of the Protectors alive and sometimes spoke without restraint.

This outcome was neither good nor bad for Lin Yue. On the one hand, failing to rescue the most important person, Master Xue, meant that the black-clad individuals would be even more vigilant in the future, making it even more difficult to attempt a rescue. On the other hand, it wasn’t entirely bad, certainly not the worst outcome. At the very least, several Protectors had been saved, and they had gleaned more information about the black-clad men.

Because many were injured, Lin Yue could not inquire further at that moment. She had to first ensure the wounded were well cared for, especially the few Protectors that had been taken prisoner and tortured by the black-clad men, who had suffered greatly. Now, Lin Yue needed to soothe and reassure them, so as not to dampen their spirits. After all, they had each proven their mettle by not breaking under the black-clad men’s torture and revealing anything about the Zhao Family.

Although these Protectors had limited knowledge and revealing what they knew would have, at most, caused some trouble for Lin Yue, it was their loyalty that mattered. Everything in the world has its ups and downs, and after this ordeal, these men had passed a test. Lin Yue would certainly not mistreat them in the future, ensuring they had a good career ahead.

"Madam, it’s our fault that we were no match for those black-clad individuals and got caught. But you can rest assured, Madam, they wanted to know a lot, but none of the brothers spilled a word. We all remember the kindness you’ve shown us, and we would never be so ungrateful as to betray that. By the way, I remember that Brother Hai rushed out to send you a message. Have you seen Brother Hai? Is he okay?"

"Yes, I have seen him. Don’t worry, his injuries were quite serious, but fortunately, they weren’t critical. I’ve had Doctor Zheng treat him, and he’s much better now; he can get out of bed and walk around. He’s just been constantly worried about you all."

"That’s a relief. Dealing with that group of skilled and sinister black-clad individuals, all of us wanted to get the message to you as quickly as possible, Madam, to prevent you from falling victim to their schemes without any knowledge. Brother Hai was the best amongst us in terms of skills; hence, he was the one with a chance to break out."

"I am aware of your loyalty, and I will remember it. Rest up well; I will never let you down in the future."

Receiving Lin Yue’s promise, the Protectors were naturally elated. However, remembering previous discussions, they said, "Madam, those black-clad people are not of ordinary status. They are from the Capital City. I’ve heard them say they are from the Yin Family, which sounds like a large aristocratic clan, a century-old Aristocratic Family. You must be very careful, Madam. Those people are backed by powerful supporters and are ruthlessly efficient."