I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 269 What's there to complain about?

Marquis Zhongyong's brow twitched violently. "Who?"

"This princess!" Tang Zhao, carrying Steward Bai, threw him out like trash.

"Tang Zhao?!" Zhao was shocked. "How did you get in?"

"Come in," Tang Zhao said with an apologetic smile. "The gatekeeper of your residence has been tied up by my personal guards, so I was unable to announce your arrival. Please forgive me, Your Excellency and Madam."

Before the words were finished, dozens of uniformly dressed guards from the Protectorate General's Mansion, carrying guards from the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery who were tied up like crabs, surrounded the main hall.

The head guard of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion had his mouth stuffed with someone's smelly sock, and his face was stained red and green from the stench.

Tang Zhao hesitated for a long time, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to do it.

Wu Yi'er, with keen insight, stepped forward and ripped the smelly sock out of his mouth.

"My lord, there is a traitor in our manor!"

A traitor?! Bai Wei's mind raced, "Who is the traitor?"

"Lian Qiao!" The head guard's eyes widened in fury. "Lian Qiao, under the guise of the young lady, brought us food and drinks. After we finished eating, we felt dizzy and weak, and were completely unable to fight back before being kidnapped!"

Forsythia! Marquis Zhongyong gritted his teeth, "Where is that lowly maid?"

"Lord Zhongyong's words are too harsh! What do you mean by 'lowly servant'? Even though she sold herself into slavery, she is still a human being!"

"My servants from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion are none of Princess Zhaoshan's business to protect," Bai Wei sneered. "Princess Zhaoshan, you should mind your own business!"

Tang Zhao said leisurely, "I return those words to Marquis Zhongyong verbatim."

Bai Wei stood still, his mind racing as he considered the current situation.

Clearly, Tang Zhao has already taken over the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence. The only option now is to leave the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence immediately and reunite with Wan Qian.

Bai Wei was thinking when he suddenly reached out to grab Princess Xuan, who was standing to the side.

Princess Xuan had no time to dodge. Just when she thought she would be caught, a hand suddenly grabbed Bai Wei's wrist.

Bai Wei's pupils dilated in shock. "You're not dead?"

King Xuan struck Bai Wei in the chest with a palm strike, saying, "You're still a bit short of killing me."

Caught off guard, Bai Wei was slapped in the chest and stumbled back several steps until he came to a stop against the wall.

"My lord!" Madam Zhao hurriedly stepped forward to help him up.

With one arm around his wife's waist, King Xuan leaped out of the main hall and stood before Tang Zhao.

"Father and Mother," Tang Zhao looked them up and down, "Are you alright?"

Princess Consort Xuan smoothed her slightly disheveled hair. "Mother is fine."

"I have something to do!" King Xuan complained. "Zhao Zhao, what medicine did you put in the wine pot? Why does it hurt so much?"

Tang Zhao replied matter-of-factly, "It's the Heartbreak Powder!"

King Xuan: . . . . . .

Princess Consort Xuan: . . . . . . .

"It's a lower-cost version of the 'Heartbreak Powder' that was improved by the Ghost Doctor. It retains the symptoms of poisoning from the original 'Heartbreak Powder,' but its toxicity is greatly reduced."

Tang Zhao explained, "Acting has to be realistic, otherwise how can we fool the Marquis of Zhongyong?"

King Xuan: . . . . . .

King Xuan was so angry that his liver ached.

Bai Wei's face was grim. "How did you know I would put poison in your drink?"

"Naturally, it was your ally who told us," Tang Zhao fabricated. "Commander Wan told Father that the Marquis of Zhongyong harbored rebellious intentions. Father didn't believe him, so Commander Wan came up with this method to test you. Unexpectedly, you really did have ulterior motives!" "Wan Qian?!" Bai Wei's face was filled with surprise and uncertainty.

“Naturally, it is Commander Wan, Lord Wan,” Tang Zhao said, his story becoming more and more coherent. “Lord Wan said that my father is Your Majesty’s uncle, so naturally he trusts Your Majesty the most. Entrusting the Northwest to my father was Emperor Gaozu’s decision, and Your Majesty has no intention of taking it back.”

"His Majesty has long suspected that you harbor resentment towards your father because of your daughter's broken engagement, which is why he set this trap to test you!"

"Nonsense! A year ago, it was clearly Wan Qian who came to me on her own initiative," Bai Wei said, then realized, "You're bluffing me!"

Tang Zhao narrowed his eyes, "That's right, you really did collude with Emperor Pingyuan long ago!"

A year ago, that's quite early.

King Xuan's gaze darkened. "Bai Wei, what you have done today has truly severed the last shred of affection I have for you."

"Your Highness need not speak so grandly. When Rouyin was rejected by the Prince's Mansion, an irreparable rift appeared between us. However, before we realized it, the rift grew wider and deeper until it was irreparable."

"I never regret my choice, and if I had to do it all over again, I would still make the same choice!"

King Xuan stared intently at Bai Wei, then closed his eyes after a long while. "Take him down, dead or alive!"

No one made a move.

King Xuan: . . . . . .

Tang Zhao:. . . . . .

King Xuan turned his head to look at Tang Zhao.

Tang Zhao smiled ingratiatingly at King Xuan, "Take him down, dead or alive!"

The guards of the Protectorate General's mansion swarmed forward like wolves and tigers. Bai Wei was no match for their combined strength. After a short while, his limbs were dislocated and he was tied to the ground.

Zhao's hair was disheveled, and she was pressed to the ground in a sorry state.

"Father, Mother!" Bai Rouyin, who had watched the whole thing from the sidelines, stumbled over and knelt at the feet of Prince Xuan, pleading, "Father, my parents were deceived. They didn't mean to harm you!"

"Father, please spare my parents for the sake of the child in my womb!"

Bai Wei shouted hoarsely, "Rouyin, stand up! Don't beg him!"

Bai Rouyin ignored him and pleaded with King Xuan through tears.

King Xuan looked down at Bai Rouyin, who had caused all of this, and said, "You want me to spare your parents for the sake of the child in your belly?"

Bai Rouyin nodded.

"How can a child who doesn't even exist have so much influence?"

Bai Rouyin stood there, stunned. "Father, what... what did you say?"

"Bai Wei, you keep saying you did all this for your wife and daughter, but in the end, didn't you also take advantage of your daughter?"

Seeing that Bai Rouyin was still unaware of the situation, Tang Zhao couldn't bear it and told her the truth, "You're not pregnant at all."

"Impossible!" Bai Rouyin shouted. "I've seen seven or eight doctors, and they all say I'm pregnant!"

“That was caused by drugs,” Tang Zhao said, looking at Lian Qiao standing to the side. “Your parents put drugs in your food to induce a false pregnancy in order to lure your father and mother to the Marquis of Zhongyong’s residence. They then made you pretend to be unwell and return to the residence to rest and prepare for pregnancy. They planned to come back to pick you up after three months when the pregnancy was stable.”

Bai Rouyin kept shaking her head. She wanted to deny Tang Zhao's words, but reality prevented her from uttering a single word.

"Father, Mother!" Bai Rouyin looked at the Marquis of Zhongyong and his wife with hopeful eyes. "Tang Zhao was lying, wasn't he? You didn't use me, did you? I'm really pregnant, aren't I?"

Zhao turned her head away, not daring to meet her daughter's gaze.

Bai Rouyin's heart sank suddenly.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me!" Bai Rouyin broke down in tears. "You kept saying I was your precious daughter, why did you use me? Why did you lie to me?"

Bai Wei couldn't help but say, "As a daughter of the Bai family, you've lived a life of luxury since childhood, getting whatever you wanted. It's just that you faked a pregnancy for the sake of the family. What's there to feel aggrieved about?"