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

A few days later, the poisoned person will experience excruciating pain all over their body, which will gradually penetrate to the bone marrow. If treatment is attempted at this point, it will be discovered that the poison has seeped into the muscles and bones, making recovery impossible.

Upon seeing this news, Shen Qinglan was shocked and turned pale.

"What a vicious method."

If this poison had come on strong from the start, alerting people, that would have been fine. But this poison is good at lying dormant, only showing its fangs after the situation is settled. By then, it may be too late for the poisoned person to become aware of it.

Fortunately, the divine doctor had already provided a prescription for the antidote, and everything else was easy to find.

The only problem is that Blood Essence Grass is a specialty of Southwest China, with a very low yield. Moreover, the area has been divided among local chieftains for many years, making it quite unstable. It would be difficult to find a sufficient quantity of Blood Essence Grass.

Yunxiu was puzzled. "Miss, no matter how good Young Master Xiao is, this is not our family matter. Why are you so worried? Just send this letter to the Duke's mansion, and someone will take care of it."

Shen Qinglan's face turned cold. She tapped her forehead and said...

"Don't talk nonsense. Commander Xiao is a pillar of the nation, and the soldiers guarding the border are heroes. As citizens of our Great Xia, we should do our best to help them when we learn that they have been framed. Otherwise, if we, who enjoy peace, don't do our best to help them, how can we expect those soldiers to risk their lives for us?"

"There is no such logic in this world. The greater good of the nation comes first. It is secondary to currying favor with the Xiao family. Besides, if something really happens to Commander Xiao, the fate of the Great Xia Dynasty will probably change."

Shen Qinglan felt increasingly uneasy, so she hurriedly folded the letter and sent Yunxiu to deliver it to the Duke's mansion.

The Jiang family will do their best in this matter, but it would be good to contribute more.

Upon learning that there was hope for an antidote, Xiao Lie was overjoyed and developed a better impression of Shen Qinglan. After hearing Yun Xiu's retelling, he was even more impressed.

"Miss Shen truly lives up to her reputation as the daughter of Grand Tutor Shen. She is selfless and possesses a strong sense of righteousness, which I admire. Although Miss Shen is unwilling to take credit, the Northern Border and the Xiao family are deeply intertwined, and I will remember this favor."

Yunxiu covered her mouth and smiled, feeling honored. She bowed, relayed all the instructions Shen Qinglan had given her, and then turned to leave.

After he left, Xiao Lie instructed Sixteen to find some capable people skilled in purchasing from the shop, intending to form a caravan to go to the southwest.

"Wait, just do it directly, don't try to hide it."

Sixteen hesitated, "Your Highness, what if we attract the attention of certain people who might cause trouble..."

Xiao Lie smiled coldly, "I'm afraid they won't come. Don't worry, I'll arrange everything properly. Let's see which reckless fools dare to extend their claws."

Most of the guards in the Duke's mansion were handpicked by Commander Xiao, and there were also many retired veterans who had nowhere to make a living. Commander Xiao arranged for them to work on the estates under the Xiao family's name. These people farmed in their spare time, but when needed, they were a valuable asset.

Xiao Lie intended to arrange for these people to accompany and escort the caravan to the southwest.

"Summon the shop manager first, and I'll see how many people to form the caravan for this trip. We can choose the guards after this is settled."

The Duke's mansion did not try to hide its actions, but such a good thing seemed rather subtle to others.

Someone chuckled, holding a cup, "This young man from the Xiao family is far too arrogant. Military matters are the responsibility of the imperial court. Who is he to overstep his bounds and interfere? Does the Xiao family really think that the Northern Border Army belongs to the Xiao family?"

Some people muttered to themselves, "Ignorant brat, young and reckless, acting so extravagantly, he'll probably be robbed before he even reaches the southwest. How laughable!"

The high-ranking officials of the court, however, remained silent, unsure whether or not to report the matter.

If they don't report it, the matter is of a good nature and benefits the border troops, so the court should be informed. But if they do report it, it seems a bit strange that the Duke's mansion is acting on its own without imperial orders. Wouldn't that make the court look like a bunch of incompetent officials who hold positions without doing their jobs?

In the imperial court, someone hesitantly brought up the matter to inquire about the emperor's opinion.

The emperor simply smiled and said.

"Very good, very good. As expected of the sons of the Xiao family. Commander Xiao dedicated his life to the country, and his grandson's loyalty is no less than his. Since Xiao Lie is willing, then issue my imperial decree to the Xiao family to make a trip on behalf of the court. No city or chieftain in the southwest is allowed to organize such an operation. Anyone who organizes such an operation will be treated as a traitor and executed."

This decree not only bestowed honor upon the Xiao family but also preserved the dignity of the imperial court. The entire court was in high spirits, praising the emperor's wisdom.

However, the wise and powerful emperor immediately turned cold after leaving the court and entering a side hall.

"What a Xiao Lie! He seems to be more anxious about the Northern Border Army than I am, the Emperor. I'm afraid it won't be long before the master of the Northern Border Army changes hands."

De Shun broke out in a cold sweat, his head bowed, not daring to utter a single word.

Seeing him trembling, the emperor chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. "What are you afraid of? I've been waiting for this day for so long, and it's finally here."

"In the past, the Xiao family's reputation for bravely protecting the country made it difficult for me to take action. However, if the Xiao family becomes arrogant and oversteps their bounds, they will eventually find an excuse to interfere with my work."

"I will not only go along with him, but also give him honor and lavish rewards. When he becomes too proud of himself, he will fall the hardest."

The emperor spoke with a smile, casually, as if commenting on the amusing affairs of a cat or dog. But when De Shun realized that this referred to the Xiao family, his knees buckled and he knelt down with a thud, not daring to raise his head again.

Having served the emperor for many years, he knew that the emperor was truly enraged and might use the necks of the Xiao family to sharpen his sword at any moment.

The raging waves and surging clouds created an atmosphere of impending doom, making it impossible for Deshun to even lift his head.

When the emperor is angry, millions will die. How many connections does the Xiao family have that His Majesty can kill?

Even King Kang and King Jing noticed something amiss about these unusual signs.

Prince Jing frowned, recalling how Xiao Lie had helped him gain fame. He couldn't bear it, so he secretly sent his trusted aide to the Duke of Zhenguo's residence to offer a word of advice. Xiao Lie simply smiled upon hearing this.

"Your Highness is very kind to you. I will be deeply grateful for your heartfelt words."

After the visitor left, the young man straightened up, his eyes filled with a cold, eerie light.

"The wind may wish to calm, but the trees will not sway; is it truly the Xiao family that has stirred up these turmoil?"

……

"How's the investigation going?"

Lin Wan'er raised her eyebrows, remained silent, and slowly sipped her tea, seemingly trying to make Xiao Lie anxious.

Xiao Lie sneered, "Silence means there's no point in going to get anything out of you. You might as well go back to your West Garden and live your life with the Buddha."

Upon realizing that Xiao Lie had truly turned his back on her, Lin Wan'er immediately became anxious.

She sat up straight, pursed her lips, and weakly began to complain.

"I never said I had no news, why are you in such a hurry?"

The young man tapped his fingers a few times on the rosewood table, and Lin Wan'er's expression wilted. She then recounted everything she had learned.