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

"Butler Wang, we really know we were wrong. We will never let Madam out again."

Some of the maids sobbed and cried, feeling indignant on their behalf.

"But the lady said that she went there to ask the young master for forgiveness. If we delayed her and the young master made up with her, not only would she punish us, but the young master would also punish us. That's why we..."

After all, everyone in the capital knew that the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was infatuated with Lin Wan'er.

They dared not gamble on whether the prince would soften his stance the next second. If the prince truly reconciled, their failure to report it would only implicate them.

Upon hearing this, a group of servants protested their injustice.

Butler Wang's face darkened, and he coldly retorted.

"How dare you! Do you think you can presume to know your master's will? Whatever your master says goes. If you make the same mistake again, it won't just be a simple beating; you'll be exiled from the manor. Do you understand?"

As the boards fell one after another, cries of agony filled the air. But no matter how pitiful their screams, the butler's voice was like a thunderclap, sending a shiver down everyone's spine.

Everyone had a feeling that the young master was different; he didn't seem as easy to fool as before.

Behind the carved door, Lin Wan'er watched this scene, her cheeks flushed, and she almost tore the embroidered handkerchief in her hand to shreds.

She had only gone out for a short while, yet Xiao Lie had made a huge fuss and severely punished the servants in her courtyard. Wasn't this utterly disrespectful to her as the mistress of the Duke's mansion?

Chunxue was extremely worried. "Miss, what should we do? Now that the young master isn't coming and won't let you go out, could it be that he's really... disappointed in you?"

The maid spoke cautiously, but Lin Wan'er was enraged. She couldn't hold back and slapped the maid across the face.

"Stop talking nonsense. Xiao Lie didn't come just because he's sulking with me."

The maid dared not speak again, but Lin Wan'er was so angry that she smashed the teacup. Her eyes flickered slightly, and she secretly clenched her palm.

Meanwhile, under severe torture, Liu Changdong finally confessed to all the details. However, when questioned about the whereabouts of some of the gold and silver, Liu Changdong became evasive.

The Prefect of the Capital sensed something was wrong, raised his whip, and coldly threatened him.

"If you won't talk, then we'll keep beating you until you open your mouth."

"Speak up now and you'll suffer less physical pain, or wait until later. The choice is yours."

Seeing that the man suddenly seemed to have his mouth welded shut and remained silent for a long time, the Prefect of the Capital sneered, lashed out with his whip, and handed the whip to the jailer.

"Keep hitting him, don't stop until he says something."

The jailer trembled and asked timidly, "What if I accidentally kill him?"

"What can we do? A prisoner whose guilt is undeniable can simply die; one more won't make a difference. Over the years, how many cases have involved people refusing to confess, suffering severe injuries that ultimately led to their deaths?"

The jailer responded and immediately, as if he didn't care about his life, lashed the man with his whip, causing him to scream in pain.

A moment later, Liu Changdong trembled all over, his body soaked with sweat, it was hard to tell whether it was from bleeding or sweating. He struggled weakly and shouted.

"I'll tell you everything."

Half an hour later, the Prefect of the Capital, holding a letter of confession, hurriedly headed towards the palace.

……

Inside the palace, the emperor, in a very good mood, asked Xiao Lie to sit down and even had someone bring him tea and water. However, a full incense stick's time passed, and he didn't say a word.

Xiao Lie cursed inwardly.

What exactly does this old man want to do?

Just as he was feeling somewhat restless, the emperor finally spoke slowly.

"I heard that you investigated that shopkeeper and even sent him to the Prefect of the Capital?"

Xiao Lie took a deep breath and recounted the events of yesterday in detail, trying his best to portray himself as innocent.

He said indignantly, "Your Majesty, that fellow is truly despicable. If it weren't for others exposing him, I don't know how long I would have been kept in the dark."

"Although this man's actions were despicable, I dared not act on my own authority and left everything to the Jingzhao Prefecture. Your Majesty, is there a problem with your inquiry today?"

He handed everything over to the Jingzhao Prefecture for handling, so what problems could there be? He didn't resort to private torture, nor did he handle it in secret. Everything was done fairly and justly, in the presence of the people. He simply didn't believe that if things were handled this way, the emperor could still find fault with him and escape death.

Just as Xiao Lie was wondering what was going on, the emperor raised his eyes and stared at him intently, his gaze filled with scrutiny.

"Are you aware of a major event that has recently occurred in the imperial court?"

"Your Majesty, I am unaware of this. Please enlighten me."

"You really don't know?"

"I truly do not know."

The emperor waved his hand, and a eunuch immediately handed over the memorial on the table. Xiao Lie opened it and quickly scanned it, finally revealing a genuine look of shock.

Good heavens, not only did Liu Changdong line his own pockets, but he also secretly contacted military camps in the suburbs of Beijing to resell grain and fodder.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Lie was startled and finally understood the emperor's unspoken meaning.

Could this damn emperor really think he ordered all of this?

The Xiao family was already powerful; if they were to collude with the military camps on the outskirts of the city, it would be as if their wolfish ambitions were written all over their faces.

But Liu Changdong did all of this himself, what does it have to do with him? This dog emperor already knew what kind of person he was, which is why he sent him here.

Now that this has happened, does the emperor intend to pin all the blame on him and the Xiao family?

That... absolutely not.

In the blink of an eye, Xiao Lie knelt on the ground, wailing and crying.

"Your Majesty, this man is truly despicable. Embezzling the money of my Zhenguo Duke's Mansion is a matter for my family, damaging only the foundation of my family. But his reselling of grain and fodder damages the very foundation of the nation."

"Your Majesty, I implore you to order a severe punishment, preferably to dismember this person into eight pieces as a warning to others..."

Xiao Lie put on a spectacular performance, perfectly portraying the image of a loyal minister, which finally dispelled the emperor's suspicions. The emperor looked pleased, stepped forward, helped Xiao Lie up, and sighed.

"As expected of the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, he resembles his grandfather with a loyal and righteous heart. Rest assured, I will investigate this matter thoroughly and will never allow those villains to ruin the foundation of my Great Xia."

"Your Majesty is wise."

"However, with Liu Changdong gone, it has become quite inconvenient for you to act. So I will assign you another person."

As soon as he finished speaking, a slightly overweight middle-aged man stepped into the hall and bowed to the two of them.

The emperor patted him on the shoulder, "This man is a master at handling accounts. No account has ever been wrong after he has done it. With him assisting you, I am at ease."

Xiao Lie glanced at the man; he was smiling and had a kind face, revealing nothing suspicious. But Xiao Lie knew that if he were truly an ordinary person, the emperor would never bother to place him by his side.

He had just taken one away when the emperor went to the trouble of sending him another. How "good" he was to him!

Xiao Lie gritted his teeth inwardly, feeling resentful, but he could only smile and express his gratitude.