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

"You guys dispose of the body." Xiao Tianze was eager to pull Xiao Lie back to the camp to discuss how to deal with the situation, and ordered his men to hang the body on the city wall.

"Whoever the emperor sends to take our lives, kill them all and hang them on the city gate."

After issuing the military order, Xiao Tianze led Xiao Lie into the camp.

Xiao Tianze asked him, "Lie'er, I'm afraid we can't win this battle."

The Duke of Zhenguo, who had spent his life on the battlefield, had never uttered such discouraging words.

Even with only a thousand men, he could break through the encirclement of ten thousand enemy troops.

At that time, he was full of fighting spirit.

"Grandpa, don't say discouraging things, everything will pass." Xiao Lie stood next to Xiao Tianze, and was half a head taller than Xiao Tianze.

He casually put his arm around Xiao Tianze's shoulder, saying, "With Lie'er here, Grandpa isn't worried."

Xiao Tianze scolded him irritably, "You have no manners, take your hands off me."

Xiao Lie stubbornly refused to let go, instead holding on even tighter.

Xiao Tianze couldn't break free, so he let him go.

Meanwhile, in the palace.

The second and fourth princes took it upon themselves to seal off the entire city without informing the emperor beforehand.

Despite the large-scale operation, they still couldn't bring Xiao Lie back.

Even in the capital, not a single person connected to Xiao Lie can be found.

Those powerful families who were on good terms with Xiao Lie also quietly withdrew from the capital.

The emperor was filled with anxiety, as if facing a formidable enemy.

This shows how capable Xiao Lie is, managing to bribe and recruit so many families to serve his Xiao family right under his nose.

"You two are useless. I provide you with the finest food and clothing, yet neither of you has the ability to deal with Xiao Lie."

"Why would I keep you alive?!"

The two princes were terrified, having witnessed several corpses being carried out from there.

In a fit of rage, will Father really torture and kill them as well?

"Your Majesty, Consort Yuan has arrived," De Shun announced as he entered.

The two princes blinked at De Shun frantically, as if they had heard that a savior had arrived.

They wanted De Shun to quickly welcome Consort Yuan in.

"Is she here to deliver elixirs?" The emperor seemed rather impatient.

De Shun nodded in agreement, and the emperor hurriedly called out, "Consort Yuan, come in."

Yuan Ajiao was carrying a tray with a gold jar on it.

As soon as she entered, the two princes hurriedly said, "Father, may we take our leave now?"

The emperor roared, "Kneel down before me! Who gave you permission to leave?"

The two princes felt cold sweat pouring down their backs, as if it were soaking their clothes.

Yuan Ajiao passed by them, her body exuding a floral fragrance.

The aroma made the two of them look somewhat dazed.

Soon, Yuan Ajiao took the pills and sat on the emperor's lap.

"Your Majesty, I will feed you."

She took out a pill and put it into the emperor's mouth.

The emperor swallowed it whole.

After eating one, he ate another, and then ten in a row.

With each pill he ate, the emperor became more energetic.

But after eating ten pills, the emperor looked at the two princes kneeling below and actually had murderous intent towards them.

"How could I have given birth to such two useless children? They couldn't even capture Xiao Lie. What's the point of keeping them alive?"

"I want to kill them."

The emperor snatched the sword from the guard's waist and walked straight toward the two princes.

Just as the longsword was about to strike the second prince, he noticed something amiss and cried out, "Father, wait!"

Upon hearing this shout, the emperor actually stopped.

To protect himself, the second prince hurriedly said, "Father, before you took the elixir, we sons did not perform well, but you did not say you were going to kill us."

"But why did Father Emperor seem like a completely different person after taking the elixir?"

"Became irritable and bloodthirsty."

The fourth prince also sensed something. Upon careful recollection, he realized that the emperor seemed to have taken elixirs before each massacre.

"Father, there's definitely something wrong with this elixir. It can't be taken anymore." The fourth prince was worried about the emperor's health. "We must get the imperial physician here immediately."

The emperor dropped his sword and gazed at his two princes, lost in thought.

It seems that, just as they said, he himself has come to his senses.

"Consort Yuan, did you personally retrieve these pills?"

When the Emperor suddenly questioned her, Consort Yuan calmly replied, "Yes."

"Did anyone else encounter you along the way?"

"No."

After replying, Consort Yuan knelt down with tears in her eyes, "Does Your Majesty suspect that I switched the elixir and intend to harm you?"

"If Your Majesty is so suspicious of me, you might as well kill me with your sword."

As she spoke, she crawled toward the longsword that had been thrown on the ground, trying to pick it up.

The emperor mistakenly believed that Consort Yuan had been heartbroken by him, and in a moment of extreme anger, she committed suicide.

"I only asked you a few questions, how is that considered suspecting you?"

"I didn't say that; you're just overthinking it."

The emperor snatched the longsword from Consort Yuan's hand and coaxed her, "You must never do such dangerous things again. Swords have no eyes; what if you were really hurt?"

Consort Yuan shed a few tears, "Your Majesty believes that I have switched the elixir and am trying to harm you."

"I don't want to be suspected by the Emperor for no reason."

It seems there's no way to appease them.

The emperor had no choice but to bestow a large amount of gold and silver treasures upon the emperor.

Consort Yuan then smiled and left the main hall.

"You two, I'll give you a chance to redeem yourselves." The emperor glared at the two princes. "The men I sent were all killed on the way."

"I want you to persuade all the generals in the Northwest to send troops to kill the Duke of Zhenguo."

The second prince and the fourth prince exchanged a glance, and saw in each other's eyes a look of relief at having narrowly escaped disaster.

As long as the emperor doesn't kill them, they're willing to do anything he asks them to do.

After receiving the imperial decree, the two princes immediately selected their men and set off.

The emperor, however, ordered a renewed investigation of the alchemists and also instructed the head of the academy and Physician Zhao to examine the elixirs once more.

Yuan Ajiao was afraid that the emperor would find out something that would affect Xiao Lie's grand plan, so she had no choice but to take the initiative to provoke the virtuous concubine.

"Sister Xianfei, you have been ill for a long time."

"If you don't get better soon, the Third Prince may never have another chance to get out of the Imperial Clan Court in his lifetime."

Consort Xian is very ill and has long since closed her doors to visitors.

It was Consort Yuan who led her people and forced their way in.

"You are the Emperor's favored concubine, but what difference is there between me and that abandoned concubine who was banished to the Cold Palace?" Consort Xian raised her head, her eyes lifeless as she looked at Consort Yuan. "I am no threat to you. Consort Yuan, please do not come to my palace again."

Consort Yuan took a hairpin from her hair and then put it into Consort Xian's hand.

She grabbed Consort Xian's hand again and slashed her own neck.

"Quickly go find the Emperor! Consort Xian wants to kill me!"