The Duke of She told Confucius: “In my village there is an upright man. When his father stole a sheep, he testified against him.” Confucius replied: “The upright in my village are different. A father conceals for his son, and a son conceals for his father. Uprightness lies in this.” (Analects 13.18)
Later law reflected the same principle. The Tang Code did not punish members of the same household and close relatives who concealed one another’s crimes.