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

The emperor threw down the secret letter, annoyed.

"Why are they all trivial matters? Has she run out of things to report? Or is she neglecting her duties and deliberately trying to fool me with these petty things?"

De Shun quickly bowed and reassured him, "Your Majesty, it seems that Prince Xiao appears to be acting normally. If he could be so easily caught, he wouldn't have been able to stay safely in the capital for so many years."

De Shun was telling the truth, but hearing that the emperor had spoken out still made him feel uneasy.

If he sends people in just to inquire about things that ordinary servants could find out, then what is the point of sending them in?

Deshun sighed again, "It's not that this old servant is trying to excuse Miss Liu, but Miss Liu's status is indeed a bit too low. Just a few days ago, she was punished by being confined in the courtyard to reflect on her mistakes for speaking inappropriately and offending the mistress."

"Given her status, it's already quite an achievement for her to be able to take charge of the family. As for the secrets of the Duke's mansion, I'm afraid they're not something she can easily get involved in."

The emperor frowned slightly. "Then what do you suggest?"

The Xiao family was a huge burden on his mind; he could not have peace of mind as long as he could not control the Xiao family and the border.

De Shun chuckled, "This old servant knows Your Majesty's worries. Since Miss Liu's path is currently blocked, why not try another way to test the waters?"

"Oh? Tell me about it?"

De Shun leaned forward and whispered a few words. The emperor's brows relaxed, and his voice already contained a hint of amusement.

"Then let's do as you say."

……

After the palace maid left, leaving the young man alone in the side hall, the docile expression on his face finally faded, replaced by a furrowed brow and pursed lips.

What is this damned emperor up to? He summoned him to the palace for no reason, but didn't explain why. Could something have happened in the northern border?

Thinking of this, Xiao Lie's heart clenched and jumped into his throat.

No, I shouldn't scare myself.

If something were to happen in the North, the emperor should summon his civil and military officials, not him, a frail hostage who can barely walk.

The side hall was quiet and still, with faint sounds of conversation coming from next door. Xiao Lie couldn't make out the details, but he guessed it was probably the emperor discussing matters with his ministers. This thought cast a shadow over his hard-won clarity.

Xiao Lie decided to wander around the side hall. To his surprise, there were some documents and official gazettes on the desk, as well as a frontier bulletin.

Xiao Lie opened the book, glanced at it, and then suddenly stopped.

He recognized each character on the paper, but when they were put together, he had no idea what they meant.

The northern barbarians have invaded again, and they have even devised a plan to shoot flaming arrows into the city. The granaries and warehouses have been destroyed, and despite emergency rescue efforts, only two or three tenths have been recovered. Now, an urgent request has been made to neighboring prefectures for supplies, but the demand is enormous and cannot be prepared in a short time...

Why didn't he hear a word about this happening?

Could it be that the incident happened so suddenly that his grandfather's letter hadn't arrived yet? But that doesn't make sense either; a carrier pigeon would be faster than a courier delivering military intelligence.

Just as Xiao Lie was lost in thought, the door to the side hall was suddenly pushed open. He immediately straightened the documents and pretended that nothing had happened.

The young eunuch who came to announce the arrival paused for a moment on the documents beside him, and said respectfully.

"Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence."

Xiao Lie nodded and followed him out, suddenly understanding something in his heart.

He glanced back at the documents, still unsure, and decided to probe further.

As expected, when he entered and knelt down, the emperor looked worried, but still managed to muster his spirits and show him some concern.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. The beauties Your Majesty sent are quite lovely. Even Lin Wan'er... has been very well-behaved these days. She must have been influenced by the Bodhisattva, which has helped her to settle down and show some remorse."

His Majesty sighed deeply, "Alas, the Xiao family is harmonious, which puts my mind at ease, but..."

Before the emperor could finish speaking, he let out another long sigh.

Xiao Lie kept his eyes down, seemingly lost in thought, remaining completely silent like a puppet. Noticing the awkward silence, De Shun immediately spoke up.

"Your Majesty, this is a matter of great importance concerning the Xiao family, and the young master should also be informed. It pains this old servant to see you shouldering this burden alone and burdened with worries."

Since the conversation had already touched on him, Xiao Lie couldn't pretend to be stupid, so he could only ask in confusion.

"What is it you're referring to, sir?"

De Shun also sighed and recounted the story of the Northern Barbarians invading and burning down the warehouse. Xiao Lie was shocked and immediately knelt down.

"Your Majesty, the affairs at the border cannot be delayed. I urge Your Majesty to immediately open the national treasury and collect the necessary supplies to send to the border."

Even though Xiao Lie had said what he had in mind, the emperor felt inexplicably uneasy.

He frowned almost imperceptibly. "So, how many do you think should be transferred?"

Xiao Lie suddenly opened his eyes wide, stammering and unable to speak. In the end, he could only blush and speak haltingly.

"I am not knowledgeable in military affairs, and I do not know how much material to allocate. However, there are many ministers present, and they will surely be able to provide a reasonable figure. I urge Your Majesty to quickly summon the ministers to discuss this matter. If the need is enormous, I may follow the example of last time and raise some funds from the nobles and common people in the capital. I just don't know if they will still be willing..."

Xiao Lie portrayed a spoiled brat who knew nothing but was anxious to the extreme, and the emperor immediately lost interest and waved him away.

Xiao Lie was about to speak when the emperor casually brushed him off.

"I understand your intentions, my dear minister. Rest assured, I will handle this matter properly."

Xiao Lie immediately thanked him with great joy.

"Your Majesty is wise. With such a virtuous ruler as Your Majesty, how can our Great Xia not prosper? I believe that as long as the supplies are in place, the trouble in the north can be resolved soon."

However, procuring supplies takes time, transporting supplies also takes time, and there are also issues such as infighting among officials from different departments. It is clear at a glance that there are many troubles involved.

But Xiao Lie seemed completely unaware, as if he truly believed that as long as he agreed, the matter could be resolved satisfactorily.

Seeing the young man's excited expression, the emperor and Deshun were stunned and stood there for a moment.

Only after the young man left did the emperor speak slowly and deliberately, his tone complex.

"De Shun, do you think Xiao Lie might be faking it?"

De Shun pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"This old servant can't tell, but this old servant believes that the young master's happiness is genuine."

"Heh." The emperor chuckled and said nothing more.

Only after leaving the palace gates and getting back into his own carriage did Xiao Lie finally breathe a sigh of relief, and the joy on his face faded.

As expected, when he entered the palace today, he unexpectedly saw the military report and the interrogation in the imperial study, all of which were intentionally orchestrated by the emperor. He simply wanted to use the dangerous situation to probe his attitude.

Fortunately, he sensed something was wrong and managed to get away with it.

As for the matter at this border, either it's fake or it's true, but it's not that serious. He doesn't believe that if such a thing really happened, the emperor could still sit still.