On our wedding night, my wife acted strangely.

Xiuzhu stared wide-eyed at the crystal-clear jade pendant.

Is this...is this for me? She hesitated to accept it.

"Your Highness, this is far too precious, this servant..."

"Take it." Nangong Jin's tone left no room for doubt. "This is what you deserve. If you do a good job of what His Highness has entrusted to you, you will be rewarded handsomely in the future."

"Yes, Your Highness, thank you for the reward!" Xiuzhu then accepted the jade pendant with trembling hands and carefully put it into her bosom.

Nangong Jin waved his hand: "Go. Be smart, don't let that beast Lin Yi find out."

"This servant understands!"

Xiuzhu bowed again, and then, led by Eunuch Suo, quickly left the courtyard.

Watching Xiuzhu's departing figure, Nangong Jin's eyes grew increasingly gloomy.

He walked to the stone table, sat down, and drank the now-cold tea in one gulp.

I need to calm down now. Anger won't solve anything; it will only lead to flawed judgment.

Lin Yi now commands the Divine Machine Battalion and has sealed off the capital, so his father, the Emperor, can't do anything about him for the time being.

If he were to force his way into the Regent's Palace, Lin Yi would have a pretext to deal with him, which would be a losing proposition.

The only option now is to outsmart them.

How can I enter the Prince's mansion and meet Qingyu without anyone noticing?

Bribing the guards?

No.

The guards protecting the Prince's mansion were all retainers of the Lin family, and they were also known as death squads.

Moreover, these are extraordinary times, and they would never betray Lin Yi for a few dollars.

Dig a tunnel?

That's even less realistic.

The Regent's Palace is so big, who knows which side room Qingyu is being held in? By the time I find out, their child will be able to cheat on someone else.

What should I do...? Should I disguise myself and sneak in?

That's one way to do it.

Thinking of this, Nangong Jin touched his face.

He considered himself dashing and handsome, but precisely because of this, his appearance was too distinctive in the capital. Simply changing his clothes and putting on a fake beard was of no use.

unless……

Nangong Jin's eyes suddenly lit up as she thought of someone.

"The sea!" Nangong Jin shouted towards the outside of the courtyard.

Eunuch Suo, also known as Suo Dahai, immediately trotted in: "Your servant is here!"

"Go, prepare a horse for me. I'm going to Yanlai Tower."

"Yanlai Tower?" Eunuch Suo was taken aback.

Yanlai Tower was the most famous den of iniquity in the capital, where not only were there beauties of heavenly beauty, but also all sorts of novelties.

Nangong Jin used to go there often, but these past two days, because of Luo Qingyu's matter, he was in no mood to seek pleasure.

"Your Highness, what's wrong...?"

"Stop talking nonsense and go!" Nangong Jin shouted impatiently.

"Yes, yes, yes, this servant will go right away!"

Suo Dahai didn't dare to ask any more questions and hurriedly ran out to make arrangements.

Nangong Jin got up, walked to the osmanthus tree, broke off a branch of osmanthus in full bloom, gently sniffed it, and then smiled cruelly.

"Qingyu, your favorite osmanthus flowers are in bloom. Wait for me, I'll come to see you soon."

Nangong Jin wasn't going to Yanlai Tower to find a girl, but rather the behind-the-scenes boss of Yanlai Tower—a remarkable woman known as the "Thousand-Faced Beauty," who was an expert in disguise.

As long as he can get her help, not to mention the small Regent's Mansion, even the Imperial Palace, Nangong Jin can come and go freely!

Hehehe, Lin Yi, you'd better wash your neck and wait.

Your Highness is about to present you with an unforgettable green gift!

......

While Nangong Jin was plotting how to cuckold Lin Yi, a completely different scene unfolded inside the Zichen Palace.

Luo Hongtu, an assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel, knelt in the center of the main hall, tears streaming down his face, crying so loudly that it shook the heavens and the moon.

"Your Majesty! You must do justice for this old minister! Waaah..."

He cried as he wiped his tears with the sleeve of his already tattered official robe, making him look as if he had just been dug out of a garbage dump.

On the dragon throne, Nangong Xiong's face was ashen, and he was annoyed just looking at this incompetent minister below him.

"Enough, stop howling!" Nangong Xiong snapped impatiently. "You're deafening me!"

Luo Hongtu's crying subsided a bit after being yelled at, but he was still sobbing, his shoulders trembling, looking just like a wronged wife.

"Your Majesty, my home is gone! That beast Lin Yi led his men into my residence and looted everything! He even took the screen that was part of my wife's dowry! He even ordered Fatty Wang to beat the newly appointed top scholar Zhang Yuan to death right in front of me! His body is still stuck in my well! Your Majesty... I can't live like this anymore!"

Luo Hongtu became more and more excited as he spoke, and couldn't help but howl again.

As Nangong Xiong listened to these appalling accusations, his temples throbbed.

In fact, he already knew about these things through his undercover agents.

Lin Yi's arrogance far exceeded his expectations. Tearing up imperial edicts, forcing the prime minister to kneel, killing officials in public, and seizing the property of his subjects... each of these acts was a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.

But unfortunately, he has absolutely no way to deal with this traitor.

The Divine Machine Battalion has sealed off the capital, making him a caged bird. He dares not even send anyone out of the palace to scold Lin Yi, let alone send troops.

Who knows if this madman will even try to force his way into the palace?

"Your Majesty, you can't abandon this old minister!" Seeing that Nangong Xiong remained silent for a long time, Luo Hongtu began his performance again. "This old minister only married his daughter to that madman according to your orders! Now that something has happened, if you abandon him, this old minister will only have one way out: death!"

That sounded slightly threatening.

Nangong Xiong's eyes narrowed slightly.

People like Luo Hongtu are just opportunists, always switching sides. If I push him too far, what if he desperately runs to Lin Yi? Even if he doesn't dare to harm me, he might still reveal these things. Where will I put my face then?

No, we must keep him calm.

Thinking of this, Nangong Xiong's expression softened.

He stepped down from the dragon platform and personally helped Luo Hongtu up.

"My dear minister, please rise. I know your grievances. Alas, how could I not feel wronged?" Nangong Xiong patted his shoulder, appearing as if he were deeply in love with his subject. "Don't worry, you have served the country and done things for me this time, and I remember it all. I will never let you suffer in vain."

Life is like a play, it depends on acting.

Luo Hongtu thought he acted quite well, but little did he know that Nangong Xiong was even more skilled than him.

These few words moved him deeply: "Your Majesty... with your words, this old minister would be willing to die!"

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Nangong Xiong said sternly. "How could I let you die? You are a meritorious official of the Great Zhou!"

He helped Luo Hongtu sit down on a chair beside him, then sat back on the dragon throne himself, sighed, and said, "Alas, that traitor Lin Yi has gone mad. Relying on his troops, he is arrogant and lawless. I am powerless to stop him."

He started playing the victim.

"But don't worry," Nangong Xiong changed the subject, "Before I destroy someone, I must first make them arrogant!"

Goodness, they're truly father and son; they even speak in exactly the same way. (Snowflakes are falling~~)

"I have already thought of a way to deal with him, so just bear with it and don't provoke him."

"Ah... Your Majesty, this old minister did not provoke him, he came to us on his own..." Luo Hongtu tried to explain.

Nangong Xiong waved his hand, interrupting him: "I know all this. How about this, it's not safe for you to stay in your residence now. I'll arrange a separate residence for you in the palace, and you and your family can move there. No matter how arrogant Lin Yi is, he wouldn't dare to lead troops into the palace, would he?"

"What?!" Luo Hongtu could hardly believe his ears.

To live in the palace? What an honor that is!

Throughout history, apart from imperial relatives, what minister has ever received such an honor?

He trembled with excitement, slid off his chair, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed repeatedly to Nangong Xiong: "Your Majesty's grace is boundless! Even if this old minister were to be shattered to pieces, he could not repay even a fraction of Your Majesty's great kindness!"

Luo Hongtu now feels that having his home raided isn't such a bad thing after all.

It's worth it to have the chance to live in the palace!