"If we don't remind them—hmm, why bother reminding them? We're not the ones who made the mistake!"
Qiao Xuan couldn't help but notice the striking similarity in their excuses, almost as if they were mother and son. Deputy Prefect Guan, or rather, Scribe Guan now, was just a disposable tool in their hands, discarded once they were done with him. The blame, however, seemed to fall solely on his shoulders.
She pondered what his reaction would be if he ever realized the truth!
"Cooperating with the investigation is the right thing to do. If you can't comply, then accept the consequences. What more is there to discuss? Whether Deputy Prefect Guan is at fault or not, he will face the consequences. These are separate matters! Are you pretending not to understand? Deputy Prefect Guan is no longer in office. He merely levied a fine of a thousand taels of silver against you, Old Lady Fan. That's quite generous, considering!"
Exemption from fines? Preposterous!