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

That very night, an imperial edict was issued to the Kang Prince's residence, reprimanding him for his lack of moral integrity, manipulation of power, and disregard for human life. He was also temporarily suspended from all his duties and ordered to reflect on his actions within the residence. If he continued to act recklessly or cause trouble, he would be severely punished.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Heng was stunned and almost lost his balance. Only when the eunuch delivering the decree kept urging him did he hurriedly get up, but he almost tripped on the steps.

"Your Highness, Your Highness..."

Jiang Heng barely managed to stand firm, waved away the servants, and secretly slipped a packet of silver into his hand as he received the imperial edict, hoping to inquire about the details. But the little eunuch only gave him a pitying look, whispered a few words in his ear, and advised him to be careful.

Upon learning that the emperor had discovered that he had planted people within the imperial prison to deliberately spread rumors, Jiang Heng went limp and turned pale.

"His Majesty was furious and almost issued the decree stripping him of the throne. It is only because Eunuch Deshun dissuaded him that His Highness is advised to stay at home and reflect on his mistakes, and not to cause any more trouble that might displease His Majesty."

This wasn't him causing trouble; it was clearly Xiao Lie who was ruthless.

He merely slandered him for killing two people in a fit of rage, yet Xiao Lie nearly cost him his throne. Now, their feud is irreconcilable.

Well, this Xiao Lie, first he stole his sweetheart, and now he's trying to ruin his future. If he silently suffers in silence, then he's a coward.

Jiang Heng's eyes were bloodshot and he sneered.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Excellency. However, some people are already trying to take advantage of me. If I turn a blind eye, wouldn't the whole world think I'm weak and easily bullied?"

"Your Highness..."

"Alright, Father-in-law, there's no need to persuade me anymore. Just take this money and drink it. Just pretend I was talking nonsense today, don't take it to heart, and don't tell anyone else."

The young eunuch sensed an impending storm and was terrified. He responded and hurriedly ran outside. Seeing him leave, Jiang Heng's face darkened instantly.

Everyone thought Xiao Lie was a good-for-nothing, but only after actually fighting him did they realize that he was by no means mediocre.

If Xiao Lie's image as a good-for-nothing hadn't been so deeply ingrained in people's minds, how could he have repeatedly let his guard down and been so easily manipulated by Xiao Lie?

"Next time... I definitely won't do it again next time."

Jiang Heng muttered to himself, then took a deep breath, turned and left. A group of servants surrounded him, but he coldly waved them away.

"What are you all standing there for? Close the door and stop welcoming guests."

Soon, news of Prince Kang being reprimanded again spread throughout the capital. However, outsiders were unclear about the reasons, and there were all sorts of rumors. Coupled with Prince Kang's closed-door policy, the entire Prince Kang's residence quickly became deserted and deserted.

……

Xiao Lie took the scissors and suddenly cut off a branch that had strayed out to the side. He muttered to himself.

"That ruthless emperor is really something. In order to shift the blame, he'll do anything to his own son."

After learning that information about the person behind the scenes had been leaked, the emperor, fearing that he would discover the truth, indeed chose Prince Kang to take the blame after weighing the options. It was truly a hardship for him; he probably still believes that the so-called suspension and confinement were due to the "suspicious" actions of the prison guards. Little does he know, even if the emperor knew the truth perfectly well, he would still have used him as a scapegoat.

Otherwise, if the investigation continues all the way to the emperor, wouldn't that cause the emperor to become alienated from the border, leading to instability in the border defenses?

"However, if this happens, Prince Kang will definitely hate me to death, and even the emperor may not be so kind to me."

More importantly, those "strange occurrences" don't appear out of thin air. He repeatedly gained the upper hand in his struggles with Prince Kang, so the emperor probably already had his suspicions about him.

Xiao Lie put down the scissors and sighed deeply.

The sixteen-foot-tall monk was completely baffled.

Isn't it a good thing that His Highness Prince Kang was reprimanded? Why does the Crown Prince look so distressed?

"The Crown Prince?"

Xiao Lie sighed again, raised his hand to stop Sixteen from speaking, and gave a weary instruction.

"We'll find ten or eight beautiful women later."

Sixteen nearly bit his tongue. "What? Your Highness, you mean to find some prostitutes?"

"Otherwise what? This young master has been working so hard for so long, it's time for me to relax."

In reality, after being "clever" for so long, it's time to rehabilitate his image as a good-for-nothing playboy and put the emperor at ease. Whether he's a genuine playboy or a fake one, his willingness to tarnish his reputation and feign weakness is a statement in itself. It's just a matter of whether this dog of an emperor can accept it and thus reduce his schemes against him.

Outsiders were unaware of all this. When the King of Kang learned that Xiao Lie was indulging in pleasure with ten or eight beautiful women, he was so enraged that he almost smashed all the porcelain in the room.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lie simply stretched lazily.

This Prince Kang is too impatient. If he can't stand it, he can play along himself.

The next day, Xiao Lie felt refreshed and full of energy.

"Your Highness, what are we going to do today?"

"Go to the Prince Kang's mansion to collect the debt."

Since the emperor has already made the final decision that the deaths of Liu and her son were caused by Prince Kang's cruelty, he should naturally be the one to repay the money that he has not yet recovered from Liu and her son.

Otherwise, let him lose so much money for nothing. He might lose his head, but the money is considerable.

Not long after, Xiao Lie rode in a sedan chair, accompanied by a hundred and eighty servants, and made his way to the Kang Prince's residence. If he encountered any passersby, Xiao Lie would enthusiastically tell them about the Kang Prince's "glorious deeds".

Upon learning of this, Jiang Heng nearly gritted his teeth to pieces, but since it was the imperial decree, he dared not openly oppose it no matter how aggrieved he felt, and could only swallow his anger.

Outside the mansion gate, Xiao Lie sat comfortably in a sedan chair, not uttering a word, letting the servants stand up for him and beg for money. He seemed to be sitting like this forever. This sight made Jiang Heng secretly hold his breath, almost causing him internal injury.

Is Xiao Lie determined to ruin his reputation?

The butler, with a bitter face, came to him for a solution. Jiang Heng's face turned pale, and finally, in a fit of despair, he flicked his sleeves and angrily replied.

"Why are you asking me about this? Is the Princess Consort dead? If you want a solution, go find the Princess Consort."

The butler was scolded and dared not linger in front of Jiang Heng any longer, so he could only leave in a hurry.

Upon learning the purpose of the housekeeper's visit, Shen Qinglan frowned slightly.

"Butler, what do you mean by this? How can I make decisions about His Highness's affairs?"

The steward lowered his waist even further, pleading, "Your Highness, please make the decision. The Prince has already said that this matter is to be handled by Your Highness. If Your Highness is unwilling to deal with it, then we can only let that scoundrel Xiao Lie stay and continue to ruin the reputation of the Kang Prince's Mansion."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qinglan frowned slightly.

It wasn't that she was worried about the image of the Kang Prince's Mansion, but rather that the Consort Xian would find out about this and use it as an excuse to punish her.

After much thought, the woman couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Alright, let me go and see what's going on."