Even the crown prince is getting a marriage of convenience? Why are you in such a hurry to stop bein

The Fifth Prince fell silent and dared not plead for his demoted cronies.

"Don't kneel outside the main hall, it's shameful."

The emperor cursed, his sharp eyes glaring at the fifth prince as if he wanted to devour him.

The fifth prince then got up dejectedly and ran away.

Watching the Fifth Prince's disheveled figure flee in panic, the Emperor grew angrier the more he thought about it; none of his sons were any good.

He only wanted to nurture the Third Prince, and the other princes should not have any other thoughts.

Fighting for the throne? You have to consider whether you're even worthy.

The emperor issued an imperial edict: "Deshun, you go and deliver this decree in person. Have the Fifth Prince stay at the Jing Prince's residence to reflect on his actions. All of his official positions are hereby revoked."

De Shun hesitated, but after being glanced at by the emperor, he wisely kept quiet.

Imperial Estate.

"Brother Xiao, I won a lot of silver notes in this underground gambling den." Jiang Yao ran over excitedly and brought Xiao Lie a large box of rare medicinal herbs.

"I wonder if Brother Xiao will be able to use these medicinal herbs."

Xiao Lie was still pretending to be sick, and had Sixteen help him up from his sickbed. "I'm afraid no medicine will work for this sickly person like me."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yao quickly advised, "Brother Xiao, don't say such unlucky things. Staying at the Imperial Estate for a while longer will make you healthier."

"In earlier years, the Empress Dowager also recuperated at the Imperial Estate for three years before returning to the palace."

Xiao Lie sighed, "The Empress Dowager is truly ill, but she can certainly recover."

"Your Highness, I was so angry that I collapsed. As long as the Third Prince and Lin Wan'er appear in front of me again, I won't get better."

Jiang Yao dared not respond to this.

"Brother Xiao, I remember I have an appointment, so I'll take my leave first." With that, Jiang Yao vanished from sight in an instant.

Sixteen helped close the door.

Xiao Lie changed his clothes and jumped out of the window with Sixteen.

After taking a carriage, he secretly went to the underground gambling den.

Shen Qingge was waiting in a private room upstairs.

"How is it?" Xiao Lie looked down and saw the figure they were targeting.

"I had someone rig it. Once he gets off the table, someone will hold him down." Shen Qingge calculated that the man already owed their gambling den ten million taels of silver.

With that person's annual salary, there's no way they can repay this debt.

Xiao Lie poured himself a cup of tea, waiting for this good show to begin.

He appeared not to look any further, but in reality, his eyes never left the screen.

"He slipped away." Shen Qingge was so excited that she almost spat the tea in her mouth all over Xiao Lie's face.

Xiao Lie rolled his eyes at him. "Remember not to show your face and get seen. Send the shopkeeper."

Reminded, Shen Qingge awkwardly scratched her head.

A short while later, a scream came from the room next door.

The shopkeeper lashed the man several times, saying, "Master Sun, you're supposed to be the head of the Ministry of Revenue and the head of the granary department. How could you lose money, get off the table, and then sneak away without even saying goodbye?"

"You owe our gambling den a full ten million taels of silver. When do you plan to pay it back?"

Master Sun was both afraid and in pain.

Even if we beat him to death right here today, he still wouldn't be able to come up with that much to pay back all at once.

He didn't just recently become addicted to drugs.

Before the underground casinos opened, I would occasionally go to other casinos to play.

I've never played this big before, but I've never played this much here.

Seeing that Manager Sun was pretending to be mute, the shopkeeper simply slapped some evidence of Manager Sun's embezzlement in front of him.

Manager Sun panicked completely and stammered, "Manager, what are you doing?"

"I didn't say I wouldn't pay it back; I'll find a way."

"How will you repay this, Manager Sun? You've used all this embezzled money to pay off your gambling debts, and your household is now penniless." The shopkeeper pressed him further, "Is Manager Sun trying to paint us a rosy picture, only to find out you're going to gamble elsewhere?"

The shopkeeper picked up a long knife from the side and gestured towards Manager Sun's arm, saying, "Why don't we just pin Manager Sun's arm down here?"

As the head of the granary, Sun had to manage the grain storage department. With so much grain coming in and out every day, he also needed to use an abacus.

If he were missing an arm, how could he continue to serve in the Ministry of Revenue?

But seeing that the shopkeeper didn't seem to be bluffing him, he was so frightened that his eyes darted around rapidly. "Please give me some time. If I get any more stolen money, I will use it all to pay off my debts."

The shopkeeper sneered, "I dare not accept this stolen money. If the truth comes out later, will my underground gambling den still be able to stay in business?"

Manager Sun was at his wit's end.

If this doesn't work, what else can he do?

The manager produced an IOU. "Manager Sun, you owe our gambling den a total of fifty million taels. Sign and put your fingerprint on this, and I'll tell you what to do."

"Fifty million taels?" Master Sun exclaimed in surprise. "Wasn't it ten million taels?"

"When did I ever owe so much?"

The shopkeeper explained, "You can't pay it back right away; it will take some time. I need to use this money for other business."

"I've already been kind by not turning any more pages for you."

Upon overhearing this, Xiao Lie almost burst out laughing.

How can someone be even more shameless than him? To utter such threatening words so confidently and deliberately.

Sun, the manager, had no choice but to admit defeat and sign the agreement.

After receiving the IOU, the shopkeeper's attitude changed, and he was no longer so fierce.

He spoke to Steward Sun in a friendly manner, saying, "I have a suggestion for you. All you have to do is send me the daily schedules for the grain allocation in the granary."

Manager Sun's face turned ashen. "I told you, I would secretly withhold some grain and sell it to pay off my debts slowly."

"I can't do what you're talking about."

The shopkeeper suddenly attacked, pressing his long sword against Manager Sun's arm again. "You think I'm really negotiating with you? This IOU is practically a contract of servitude."

"This is the order I'm giving you; you must carry it out."

Surely Master Sun could react in time; he collapsed to the ground.

He was set up.

Who is behind you?

"I want to see your master."

The shopkeeper didn't move the knife away; instead, he cut a bloody gash on Manager Sun's arm.

So frightened was Master Sun that he wet himself on the floor, and the stench wafted through the wall into the private room where Xiao Lie was.

Xiao Lie quickly pinched his nose, almost vomiting all over the place.

"How dare you even see your master?" The shopkeeper's attitude was firm. "If you can't do the job, I won't take your arm; I'll just take your life to pay for the debt."

Manager Sun quickly apologized, "No, no, no, sir, spare my life, I'll find a way."

The shopkeeper, seeing he had gotten away with it, said, "Then... Manager Sun, why don't you get out of here!"

Only when there was no more sound coming from next door did Xiao Lie prepare to get up and leave.

"Your Highness, the Third Prince has hired assassins to kill the Third Prince's Consort." Seventeen appeared and disappeared without warning, startling Shen Qingge.