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

Although the old man only mentioned things that Xiao Lie had vaguely guessed, he did not come away empty-handed from the conversation. At least he learned several names from the old man.

And coincidentally, these people were also on the list of people transporting the medicine.

Xiao Lie picked up his pen and circled several names heavily on the list that Sixteen had drawn up.

A murderous glint flashed in Sixteen's eyes.

"Master, they're just small fry anyway. With a little disguise, making it look like an accidental death won't cause any trouble. Should I take a few brothers with me...?"

As he spoke, he reached up and rubbed his neck.

Xiao Lie smiled and tapped his head with his pen.

"No rush, no rush. Are you making your move so quickly because you're afraid the one on the dragon throne won't start a war against my Xiao family beforehand?"

Sixteen rubbed his head, feeling somewhat aggrieved.

"So... are we just going to keep enduring this without making a move?"

"No rush, no rush, the time is not right yet."

In truth, he had sensed the emperor's murderous intent during this time and had been subtly urging his stubborn grandfather to rebel in his letters. However, he was hampered by the bonds of loyalty between ruler and subject, and by the notion of righteousness, and hesitated to make a decision. This time, the emperor's ruthlessness had likely made him understand some of it.

If he continues to be stubborn, not only will he fail to protect the Xiao family, but he will also drag a bunch of people related to the Xiao family to their deaths.

The emperor may have taken drastic measures this time, but wasn't he also giving them a push?

Inside the imperial study, Fu Hai knelt trembling on the ground, cold sweat pouring down his face, as the emperor looked down at him and asked questions.

"How are you doing with the matters I instructed you to attend to?"

Fu Hai kowtowed, refusing to raise his head, and managed to utter only one sentence.

"I am guilty!"

The emperor narrowed his eyes, let out a cold snort, and felt a surge of rage within him.

"I have finally given you a chance, but you have wasted it. You are truly a dog slave who cannot bear the Emperor's will. Since you are so incompetent, it is a waste to put those important positions on you. From today onwards, you will go to the Imperial Kitchen to be a kitchen eunuch."

Fu Hai looked up in disbelief, never expecting that all his hard work and efforts would be destroyed in a single day. Yet, the fact that he was spared was already a great favor. Tears streamed down his face as he kowtowed heavily on the ground, saying sorrowfully.

"This old servant kowtows to express his gratitude for Your Majesty's divine grace!"

After Fuhai was dragged away by the other two eunuchs, Deshun looked at the emperor's calm and expressionless face and couldn't help but feel suspicious.

"Your Majesty, is it too much to punish Fuhai by making him a low-ranking eunuch? He used to be arrogant and domineering, and now that he has fallen on hard times, he will likely suffer a lot."

"It's good that he suffers for a while and endures more hardship, so that he won't just cry and beg when faced with a major crisis."

The emperor took a sip of tea, then lowered his voice, "He was in charge of this matter on the surface, so he deserves to be taught a lesson. Besides, Fuhai is my face. If I harden my heart and punish him, then I can deal with others, and those people can't say anything."

De Shun's brows relaxed, and he felt somewhat relieved. It seemed that His Majesty did not truly despise Fu Hai, but was merely making expedient arrangements for the greater good.

He smiled and chimed in, "Your Majesty is wise. If the investigation into Fuhai is deemed inadequate, and the three departments are organized to work together on the case, then no matter how many conspiracies or schemes there may be, they will all be exposed under the might of Your Majesty."

De Shun felt that his compliment on the horse was perfectly appropriate, but the emperor gave him a meaningful look and asked with a smile.

"So, based on your observations, who is the person behind this?"

"this?"

De Shun looked up somewhat blankly, but the moment he met the emperor's eyes, something vaguely flashed through his mind, something he couldn't quite make out, and he didn't dare to make out at all.

He kept his head down, his teeth chattering, but he still managed to keep his voice steady and continue speaking in a soft, gentle voice.

"This old servant is foolish and stupid; I'm afraid... I'm afraid I can't guess who's behind this."

The emperor chuckled, "If you're so stupid, there probably aren't many smart people left in this capital."

"In this matter, whether the real culprit is actually there or not is not important. What is important is, who should be the real culprit?"

Upon hearing this, a profound meaning flashed in De Shun's eyes. He gripped the whisk tightly with trembling hands and said with a smile.

"No matter who stirs up trouble in Kyoto, His Majesty is the sole player in this game of the world. His Majesty's judgment is the will of Heaven, and no one can defy it."

……

A muffled clap of thunder boomed, dark clouds rolled in, and a storm was brewing.

Xiao Lie stood under the eaves, stretching out his hand and feeling the large raindrops pattering against his palm. He was momentarily stunned.

"The storm is raging, and Kyoto is truly about to change. I wonder if the bloodshed of the 130 members of the Cui family in Shikou has been completely wiped out."

The emperor launched an attack under the pretext of investigating the poisoning, organizing the three judicial departments to cooperate in the investigation and swiftly eliminating the Cui, Li, and Lu families involved in the matter. For the past few days, dark clouds have hung over the capital, and the blood at Caishikou has yet to dry.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that while the matter involves the northern border troops, it is not so serious as to warrant the massacre of so many people. His Majesty's severe punishment is simply out of fear that these three families, relying on their contributions to the founding of the dynasty, are seizing important positions and forming cliques for personal gain.

Therefore, although everyone knew that the punishment would be severe and the methods cruel, not a single person in the entire court dared to utter a sound. Even those officials who angrily denounced the eunuchs for bringing disaster to the country and advocated for the severe punishment of Fuhai were now silent.

They seemed to have gotten rid of Fuhai and brought peace to the court and the country, but what they gained in return was even greater turmoil. It was only at this point that someone realized that how this matter would develop was probably in His Majesty's hands from the very beginning.

Xiao Lie sighed softly, suddenly feeling utterly bored.

Now that His Majesty has achieved his goal, this matter should probably be dropped.

But the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

The emperor orchestrated this whole scheme, simultaneously spreading poison to seize military power and using the pretext of capturing the real culprit to bring down the three powerful families. He killed two birds with one stone, reaping the benefits himself while suffering no losses whatsoever. What a stroke of luck!

Xiao Lie was displeased, and he was determined to make things worse by making things worse.

The young man took the plain handkerchief from Sixteen, wiped his hands, and spoke calmly.

"It'll be the Lu family's turn tomorrow."

"That's right."

"Then let's send those things to jail tonight. How much trouble they cause and how loudly they cry out for justice is up to them."

Although these three families seemed to share a similar fate with the Xiao family, Xiao Lie felt no pity whatsoever.

When a family becomes too large, it's like a big tree. Some branches grow well, while others grow poorly. If too many poor branches grow, the whole tree will rot. These families indeed had outstanding ancestors who were respected by people.

Years passed, and times changed. They had long forgotten their humble origins and instead emulated those ancient, powerful families, becoming arrogant, extravagant, and domineering. These three families seized land and allowed their slaves to commit numerous atrocities.

Those who hold high positions and enjoy a level of prestige that others could only dream of in several lifetimes, not only show no gratitude but also become mean and bullying towards their inferiors. Such people deserve their fate; they are destined for a just and karmic retribution.