On our wedding night, my wife acted strangely.

The Imperial Palace, Zichen Hall.

Nangong Xiong sat on the dragon throne with his eyes downcast, while a man and a woman below the stage wept bitterly.

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

Luo Hongxiang wailed as if he were attending a funeral; his official robes were wrinkled and covered in mud, making it seem as if he had just crawled out of a mass grave.

The sight of Li Shi beside her was even more appalling. Her hair was disheveled, all her hairpins and jewelry were gone, and her once well-maintained face was now as round as a steamed bun. Her eyes were swollen into slits, and she could only utter a few words over and over again.

"My Wan'er... my precious daughter..."

"Lin Yi, you damned beast, you deserve to die a horrible death!"

"Your Majesty, you must save my Wan'er! She's only fifteen years old..."

Nangong Xiong's temples throbbed with pain.

So annoying!

What can these two good-for-nothings do besides cry?

I brought you into the palace because you still have some use to me, not so you could come here for a funeral!

"Enough! Shut up, all of you!" Nangong Xiong, unable to bear it any longer, slammed his hand on the dragon table.

The Luo Hongtu couple were so frightened that they immediately stopped crying.

Nangong Xiong rubbed his throbbing temples and said impatiently, "Cry, cry, all you do is cry! You're making my ears go deaf!"

Before Luo Hongtu could speak, Lady Li, her face streaked with tears, pleaded, "Your Majesty, I beg you to send troops to save Wan'er! That madman Lin Yi is capable of anything. If Wan'er falls into his hands, she certainly... she certainly won't survive!"

Send troops?

That's easy for you to say!

If I could send troops, would I need to listen to you two good-for-nothings wailing here?

The Divine Machine Battalion has surrounded the entire capital like an iron barrel, and the soldiers outside can't even get through the city gates. How can you save your daughter?

Are you going to take my head?

"Li, please get up." Nangong Xiong said in a deep voice, "I understand your feelings. I met Wan'er a few years ago; she was well-behaved, sensible, and lovable. Now that she has suffered such a calamity, my heart is also aching as if it were being cut by a knife."

It hurts, Nangong Xiong really does.

But the pain he felt wasn't for Luo Qingwan, but for himself!

Today, Lin Yi forcibly abducted an official's daughter in the street, which shows that he no longer cares about imperial power.

It's really hard to say what will happen in the future.

"His Majesty……"

"Alright, alright," Nangong Xiong interrupted. "It's not that I don't want to save Wan'er, but I'm powerless to do so. The capital is currently under blockade by that traitor, and even my decrees can't leave the palace, let alone mobilize troops."

Even the emperor had to play the victim at this time.

How could Luo Hongtu and his wife understand these imperial strategies? Hearing him say this, their last glimmer of hope vanished.

Even the emperor couldn't do anything about that madman, so what could a mere minor official like myself do?

Sigh, it seems that Wan'er is truly beyond saving this time.

"It's over...it's all over..." Luo Hongtu's face turned ashen, and he slumped to the ground.

Li's vision went black, and she would have fainted if the eunuch beside her hadn't caught her in time.

Seeing their demeanor as if they had lost their parents, Nangong Xiong felt even more contemptuous.

You're utterly hopeless!

With such a low level of mental fortitude, how dare he boast to me back then that he would definitely be able to trick the Lin family out of their military seal?

waste!

"Alright." Nangong Xiong changed the subject, giving them a glimmer of hope. "Although I can't do anything to him for now, I've secretly sent people to various places to gather troops to rescue me. In a month or three, once the army arrives, Lin Yi will be dead! At that time, I will definitely cut him into a thousand pieces to avenge you and Wan'er!"

"Really, Your Majesty?" A glimmer of light rekindled in Luo Hongtu's eyes.

"A king's word is his bond." Nangong Xiong said solemnly, "So you can stay in the palace without worry during this time. I have already arranged accommodations for you in a villa near Xihua Gate. It's not big, but it's quite quiet. Your food, clothing, and daily necessities will all be taken care of by the Imperial Household Department, so don't worry."

"Your humble servant kowtows in gratitude to Your Majesty for your divine grace!" Mr. and Mrs. Luo Hongtu were moved to tears and respectfully kowtowed.

Although her daughter cannot be saved for the time being, being able to live in the palace and receive the emperor's protection is much better than living in fear and anxiety outside.

"Get up, all of you." Nangong Xiong waved his hand as if shooing away flies. "I'm tired too. You may all go and settle down. Remember, behave yourselves for the time being and don't go out and provoke that madman again."

"Yes, yes, Your Majesty, I obey your command."

Led by the eunuch, Luo Hongtu and his wife withdrew with profuse thanks.

There was still a hint of joy on his face.

That's right. Not just anyone can live in the palace. For a subject, it is a great honor.

"Hmph, two idiots." Nangong Xiong sneered.

It wasn't that he was merciful, but rather that Nangong Xiong intended to use the Luo family's name to gain sympathy from the entire Great Zhou Dynasty. Ideally, he wanted to portray Lin Yi as a bully who preyed on men and women and committed all sorts of evil deeds, in order to secure public support for future reckoning.

As for Luo Qingwan...

Ha, she's just a woman. If he takes her away, so be it. Lin Yi has no backbone.

Nangong Xiong thought it through, and his mood eased slightly. He picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip.

At this moment, Sun Fu rushed in from outside the hall, a stark contrast to his usual composure.

Nangong Xiong's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "What's the matter that you're in such a panic?"

Sun Fu knelt on the ground, not even having time to wipe the sweat from his brow, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"

Nangong Xiong's eyelids twitched suddenly, then he leaned back on the dragon throne indifferently and waved his hand, "Speak, anyway, you haven't had any good news lately."

"Your Majesty, Lin Yi has ordered the Divine Machine Battalion to seize all supplies being transported to the palace, starting yesterday!"

"What?!"

"What did you say?! Say it again!" Nangong Xiong's eyes widened like copper bells.

"Your Majesty, Lin Yi has ordered the Divine Machine Battalion to block all roads leading to the palace and seize all supplies destined for it. Starting yesterday, the rice sent to the palace by Liu Gui, the brother-in-law of the Minister of Revenue, as well as the tribute escorted back from Jiangnan by Li An, the Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department, and many other things, have all been looted!"

"Ah!! He's rebelled! He's really rebelled!"

Nangong Xiong kicked over the dragon desk in front of him, scattering memorials, writing brushes, ink, and teacups all over the floor.

"This traitor! This beast!! Is he trying to starve me to death in the palace?!"

Not to mention Nangong Xiong, even Sun Fu, who was used to deceit and treachery, never expected Lin Yi to pull such a drastic move!

He had been thinking for the past few days that Lin Yi's blockade of the capital was probably just a show of force, a way to protect himself. As long as he controlled the money and supplies, he could make the Shenji Battalion collapse without a fight.

Sun Fu had planned everything, but he never expected Lin Yi to be so shameless and unscrupulous! He directly became a mountain bandit king, engaging in highway robbery!

And what they stole was the emperor's property!

Failed.