On our wedding night, my wife acted strangely.

Guo Ao, his neck still stiff, eyes bloodshot, spoke with a desperate, defiant air: "Lu Dehao, you dare hit me! You're ruined! Your future is over! You will be condemned by all the scholars and intellectuals in the world! Even that scoundrel Lin Yi can't protect you!"

Lu Dehao sneered.

He's not buying it.

"Lord Guo, you can be stubborn all you want, but don't forget you don't live alone. Your mother is seventy this year, isn't she? Sigh, she's so old, yet she still clings to her money. Why bother?"

The meaning behind Lu Dehao's words couldn't be clearer.

If you don't confess honestly, I'll kill your mother.

Sure enough, Guo Ao's pupils contracted.

As a scholar, he might not care about his own life or death, nor about his wife and children, but his mother was definitely his Achilles' heel.

Moreover, his mother was a princess of the previous dynasty, the sworn sister of the late emperor, and someone who had a past relationship with the old regent.

Although he has remained out of the world and rarely left his home in recent years, he has been a pillar of the Guo family.

If anything happened to her, Guo Ao felt that even if he died, he would have no face to face his ancestors.

He opened his mouth, wanting to curse, but found he couldn't utter a word. He could only threaten, his voice trembling with fear: "You scoundrel...you dare!"

Lu Dehao straightened up and laughed, "Hehehe, whether I dare or not, Lord Guo knows in his heart. The Prince said that everything in the Guo family that can be exchanged for money will be taken. If you don't cooperate, then my brothers and I will have to 'search' carefully. Sigh, you know how it is when you search for things; it's inevitable that some people who shouldn't be disturbed will be alerted. What if the old man gets a fright and something bad happens to him..."

madman!

You're insane!

He actually used his own mother to threaten me. Is Lu Dehao even human?

Just as Guo Ao was about to confess, a hoarse yet authoritative voice came from deep within the courtyard: "Who is making a fuss here?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old lady dressed in plain palace attire, her hair neatly combed, leaning on a Buddha-head cane, slowly walking out of the inner hall with the help of two maids.

She was over seventy years old, but her back was straight and her eyes were bright and piercing.

Although her face was covered with wrinkles, one could still see the splendor of her youth. The aura of someone who had long held a high position emanated from her, causing the retainers present to subconsciously take a few steps back.

Lu Dehao's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a hint of respect.

Although this young man is arrogant, he still knows his limits when it comes to this famous old lady.

This is someone who almost became Lin Yi's grandmother... not someone to be trifled with.

Lu Dehao stepped forward quickly, bowed, and said in a very polite manner, "Junior Lu Dehao greets Princess Yi. May Your Highness be blessed with good health and happiness."

Wanyan Yi completely ignored him, fixing her gaze on Guo Ao with a furrowed brow: "You unfilial son! What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?"

When Guo Ao saw his mother, tears welled up in his eyes instantly.

It's like when I was a child and got hurt, I didn't cry in front of my classmates, but I burst into tears when I saw my mother.

He wanted to say, "My son is unfilial."

But thinking about it, I don't think I did anything wrong. It's just that these people are unreasonable. They ransacked my house after just a few insults.

Nangong Yi, leaning on his Buddhist staff, came to Guo Ao's side. Looking at Guo Ao's swollen face and his tightly bound body, his expression darkened.

She then slowly turned her head to look at Lu Dehao: "Young man of the Lu family, today you led men to storm the mansion, beat up an official of the imperial court, and even tied up my son like this. What kind of reason is this? Do you really think there is no law in this capital?"

Lu Dehao felt a chill run down his spine and cursed his bad luck.

He had only intended to scare Guo Ao, but he never expected that this old woman who never left her house would actually come out on her own.

This time, we're in real trouble.

Wanyan Yi married as a princess at the age of fifteen and helped the Guo family become loyal subjects of the emperor. For decades, she devoted herself to the country and its people, and her good name was known throughout the world.

Rather than offending her, Lu Dehao would rather offend the emperor.

But today he was carrying out Lin Yi's orders, and if he didn't do it properly, how could he continue to follow his elder brother?

Thinking of this, he took a deep breath and respectfully replied, "Your Highness, I dare not be disrespectful. However, Lord Guo cursed Your Highness and insulted the late King in front of the Regent's Palace. According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, he should be executed. Your Highness, out of consideration for our past relationship, only allowed me to come and confiscate his property, which is already an act of leniency. As for Lord Guo being beaten, it was because he had a foul mouth and insulted me first. I couldn't stand it and struck him. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

Lu Dehao's words were impeccable, his eloquence far surpassing that of the fat man. He not only demonstrated Lin Yi's "benevolence" but also made his reasons for taking action seem reasonable.

Nangong Yi's old eyes sharpened: "Ha, quick-witted indeed. That brat Lin Yi dared to tear up an imperial edict; why would he care about past favors? I think he's just using this opportunity to eliminate dissidents!"

Lu Dehao was shocked that the old princess saw through Lin Yi so clearly. He quickly lowered his head and dared not reply.

Seeing his silence, Nangong Yi snorted coldly again: "Hmph! You youngsters all think you're incredibly clever and manipulative. But you've forgotten that this world still belongs to the Nangong family! How could you greenhorns possibly shake it?"

Her words carried a hint of warning, and also a hint of helplessness. Having lived for so many years, what kind of upheavals hadn't she witnessed? She had also seen far too many powerful officials rise and fall.

She knew that Lin Yi was now very powerful, but she also knew that Lin Yi's actions were making enemies of all the powerful families in the capital.

They're digging their own grave!

Lu Dehao felt uncomfortable, but he still said respectfully, "The princess is right, and I will keep it in mind. However, I dare not disobey the prince's orders."

Nangong Yi looked back at her disheveled son and felt a pang of pain in her heart.

She knew, of course, that her son was greedy and insatiable.

But after all, he was his only son, and he couldn't just stand by and watch something happen to him.

So she took a deep breath and softened her tone: "Young man of the Lu family, I know you are also acting under orders. How about this, have Lin Yi come and see me. I have some connection with his grandfather, perhaps... I can persuade him to stop."

Lu Dehao was secretly delighted, as he was just wondering how to give Lin Yi a way out.

The old princess's personal intervention was a good way to ease the deadlock.

"Your Highness is right. I will return immediately to report to the Prince. But before that, I would like to ask Your Highness to have Lord Guo hand over the hidden valuables. I was ordered to search the house, and if I return empty-handed, I am afraid I will not be able to explain it to the Prince."

Seeing his mother waver, Guo Ao quickly said, "Mother, you can't! That money is the foundation of our Guo family's livelihood! We can't..."

"Slap!" Nangong Yi slapped him hard across the face. "You unfilial son! Confess now! Can you bear to watch your mother, an old woman, bury her son?"

Guo Ao stared wide-eyed in disbelief: "Mother!"

"Shut up! You've been in officialdom for so many years, why are you so out of touch with reality?!"