Chapter 459 - Chapter 459: Chapter 646: Concerning the Overall Situation (2/2)

Having received Liu Xiu’s consent, Liu Kuan felt a heaviness in his heart, but he was adept at concealing his thoughts. He left the room as if nothing were amiss while pondering internally how to remove Liu Xiu’s suspicions, or perhaps it was time for him to start preparing an escape route for himself.

Yin Shi had been observing the unusual behavior and reactions of Liu Xiu and Liu Kuan all this while. He wasn’t a fool—if previously he had suspected that Han Yu spoke ill of him in front of Liu Xiu, he no longer thought so. The problem must lie with Liu Kuan—could it be…

In fact, regarding the presence of a traitor within their ranks, Liu Xiu and Han Yu had subtly hinted at this to Yin Shi, intending to make him more vigilant. Thus, upon realizing this, Yin Shi immediately thought of this issue, and his gaze towards Liu Kuan’s retreating figure changed.

The reason Yin Shi got along well with Liu Kuan was that there were no conflicting interests between them, and since Liu Kuan had a likable personality and was good at handling relationships, Yin Shi was happy to make more friends. But if Liu Kuan truly was a spy sent by the enemy, Yin Shi squinted his eyes sharply, filled with a touch of malevolence.

“Uncle Wen, is there something inappropriate about Liu Kuan? Otherwise, why would you send him to a less demanding post?” Yin Shi, having his suspicions, still asked after much hesitation—after all, if Liu Kuan truly was a traitor, the issue would be a grave one, and he needed to be cautious.

Liu Xiu looked at Yin Shi’s inquisitive expression, knowing that Yin Shi was not only his brother-in-law but their interests were tied together. There was no need to keep him in the dark. Besides, since Yin Shi had come to see him together with Liu Xiu, it showed their relationship was good, so it was best to have Yin Shi be on guard as well, lest Liu Kuan find an opening to exploit them, assuming, of course, that Liu Kuan indeed was a traitor.

Liu Xiu shared all of Han Yu’s suspicions and conjectures with Yin Shi. Even though Yin Shi didn’t get along with Han Yu, he was more inclined to believe Han Yu than Liu Xiu did, and he immediately regarded Chen Chu and Liu Kuan as traitors.

“Uncle Wen, this time Han Yu didn’t say anything wrong. In such matters, it’s better to err by killing a thousand than to let one hundred go free. Besides, they already have many suspicious points; most likely there is a problem. Han Yu wouldn’t have revealed anything if he wasn’t more than half certain. You can’t afford to be softhearted. As for those who betray their own side, no measure is too extreme,” Yin Shi shared the same outlook as Han Yu on this matter, but unlike the more diplomatic and tactful Han Yu, Yin Shi was more straightforward, mainly because he was outraged. No one would be polite when facing a traitor.

Liu Xiu actually disagreed with Yin Shi’s words, thinking that Yin Shi was too ruthless in his approach. He maintained his stance: without evidence, he would not act against his subordinates based on his own suspicions and doubts. Anyway, he had already decided to place Chen Chu and Liu Kuan in less important positions, which should prevent any significant harm.

“Cibo, these are all just suspicions and speculations; we have no evidence yet. Whether it is so still needs to be verified. It’s enough that you’re aware in your heart. The reason I told you was just to make you more alert and cautious, and not to let anyone exploit a vulnerability. As for the rest, I have my own thoughts on the matter.”

Hearing Liu Xiu speak in this manner, Yin Shi’s brows involuntarily furrowed, strongly disapproving of Liu Xiu’s approach.