“Remarry?” Edward Brooks asked, “You don’t like eldest brother-in-law either?”

“There’s something I’ve always found strange. Does son-in-law Liu know Ji Dalang?”

“Yes, they can talk to each other.”

Charles Reed asked, “So son-in-law Liu took you to Pingkang Lane, you ran into Ji Dalang, and Ji Dalang gave you trouble—was all that just a coincidence?”

Suddenly, shouts came from the front courtyard.

“This is the private residence of an imperial official!”

“Get out of the way!”

The two turned to look and saw a squad of officers storming in from the front courtyard like wolves and tigers, kicking their way into the second courtyard, driving off the gatekeeper who tried to follow, each one fierce and menacing.

The leader, strutting arrogantly, shouted, “Jingzhao Prefecture is here to arrest someone! Who is Henry Brooks?”

“Sir, please wait.” William Carter hurried out, speaking politely, “Please come to the hall for some tea, would that be all right?”

“Bring out Henry Brooks!”

The officer gave William Carter a cold look and brushed his hand aside.

A few pieces of broken silver fell to the ground.

“What’s all this commotion?”

With these words, Henry Brooks slowly emerged from the west study, one hand behind his back, the other holding a scroll, and asked, “Is Jingzhao Prefecture looking for this old man?”

“So you are Henry Brooks? Seize him!”

The officers rushed forward and pinned down Henry Brooks.

In the chaos, the scroll fell to the floor.

“Let go! This is an insult to a scholar… Do you know who I am?!”

William Carter hadn’t expected they would really dare arrest an imperial official, and hurried forward to intervene.

“Don’t be rash, don’t be rash! Sir, do you know? The Second Miss Brooks is the Crown Prince’s consort!”

“We’re here to arrest the Crown Prince’s father-in-law!”

With a metallic clang, the officer drew his sword, intimidating the still-struggling Henry Brooks.

“Listen up, everyone! Henry Brooks ‘falsely claims omens, conspires with the Eastern Palace, and slanders the throne.’ He is to be arrested and interrogated by Jingzhao Prefecture. The rest of you are to be temporarily detained in the residence—no one is to leave without permission!”

At the sound of these charges, everyone was struck dumb with terror.

Grace Turner rushed out from the hall, and upon seeing the scene, collapsed to the ground in shock.

Henry Brooks looked utterly devastated, his lips trembling, not daring to move.

William Carter’s face turned deathly pale, his eyes vacant.

This family, once noble and respected, had done nothing today, yet was suddenly struck by a bolt from the blue.

With such a grave accusation hanging over them, not a single person in this household could escape.

“Father!”

Edward Brooks, seeing Henry Brooks being taken away, instinctively took two steps forward, his legs giving out so that he nearly fell.

Someone caught him.

He looked up and saw Charles Reed’s still youthful face, and those calm eyes…

Chapter 3: The North Sea Like an Elephant

The sun was already westering, and the Du residence was in turmoil.

Ethan Green, with tears in her eyes, helped Grace Turner to sit slowly in the front hall.

“How could this happen?” Grace Turner sobbed helplessly, wiping her tears, and asked, “Mr. Carter, what should we do now?”

William Carter, the old steward seasoned in worldly affairs, had now become the only pillar of the The Brooks Family. He pondered, “Such a grave accusation… We must quickly notify the Crown Prince.”

“Yes, yes,” Grace Turner said urgently, “Then send someone at once.”

“Thomas Carter, go quickly.” William Carter immediately instructed his son, “The Prince lives at the Tenth Prince’s residence, not the Eastern Palace—go to the Tenth Prince’s residence.”

“Yes.”

Thomas Carter answered and immediately ran out.

“Don’t worry, madam.” William Carter’s eyes were full of fear, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, “Master has always been cautious in word and deed. The charge of ‘falsely claiming omens, conspiring with the Eastern Palace, and slandering the throne’ is completely baseless! I believe, once the truth is found out, he’ll be released.”

Grace Turner patted her chest, murmuring, “That’s good, that’s good.”

Suddenly, someone in the hall spoke up—

“The officers didn’t search the Du residence just now.”

Everyone turned to look, only to see that the speaker was Charles Reed, who had only been taken in three days ago.

“You child,” William Carter said, “There are no ‘omens’ in the Du residence, no letters conspiring with anyone, nor any slanderous words—what is there to search for?”

Charles Reed asked, “There’s no evidence in the Du residence, Mr. Carter knows this, but how did the officers know? If that’s the case, how did they dare arrest someone directly?”

“This…”

William Carter thought for a moment, muttering, “That’s true. Then they must also know Master is innocent.”

Charles Reed asked again, “They’ve arrested him, so they must intend to convict him. But how will they do it?”

“How will they convict him?” William Carter pondered, “Could it be that today’s ritual was a setup, and some scoundrel will falsely accuse us of omens? Mr. Foster is still in the residence—we should find a way to send him away, and burn those ritual implements.”

“No.” Charles Reed reminded, “They didn’t take away Mr. Foster or the implements, which means those aren’t the key to the conviction. If we try to cover it up ourselves, it’ll only make us look guilty.”

“That’s true.” Grace Turner asked tearfully, “A single ritual can’t be the reason, can it?”

“The ritual just finished—it can’t be the only reason.” Charles Reed pondered, then asked, “Is there really nothing else the The Brooks Family could be held against?”

By now, everyone had stopped crying and stared wide-eyed at Charles Reed, astonished at how calm this youthful boy was.

Not only calm, but daring to question the family as if he were the judge in charge of the case.

William Carter couldn’t help but scold, “You child…”