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

The following day, all seventy-three members of the Lu family were dragged to Caishikou for execution.

The executioner's case allowed them time to say goodbye to the world, but unexpectedly, the head of the Lu family both cried and laughed, mocking them in public.

"Heaven's justice is clear, and retribution is swift. You dog emperor, fearing that our Lu family would block your path, tried every means to use fabricated charges to exterminate my entire Lu family. A tyrannical ruler like you will be punished sooner or later."

"That's right. We, the Lu family, will not admit to anything we didn't do, even if a knife is held to our throats."

"For the sake of your imperial power, you killed so many people. This kind of tyrant will eventually lead to the destruction of his country and the ruin of his family. I will be waiting to see it from the underworld."

The Lu family's remarks were truly shocking.

The executioner was unable to stop it in time, and issued several orders in succession, shouting.

"Quickly! Kill them all!"

The executioner shuddered and immediately brought down his blade, instantly sending several heads rolling to the ground. Batch after batch of Lu family members were killed on the execution ground, seemingly unable to speak again, but the rumors about them grew stronger and stronger, and even a children's rhyme was sung among the people, saying that the emperor had harmed the innocent for his own selfish reasons.

This matter spread widely, frightening the officials in the capital. Several government offices, including the Jingzhao Prefecture, immediately issued strict orders to prohibit it. However, the rumors could only be suppressed on the surface, not in private.

Ultimately, the matter reached the palace, leaving the emperor on his throne unable to discern his true feelings.

"De Shun, what do you think of this matter? Do you also think I am the kind of person who would not distinguish between loyal and virtuous people for my own selfish reasons?"

De Shun shuddered, sweat beading on his forehead. He immediately knelt down, his voice trembling, displaying the utmost obedience.

"Your Majesty works tirelessly day and night, and it is through your tireless efforts that the Great Xia Dynasty has achieved its current prosperity. If we were to ask who is most loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty and has done the most for it, it would undoubtedly be Your Majesty. Those who block Your Majesty's path are tantamount to blocking the fate of the Great Xia Dynasty."

"They deserve to die. Your Majesty's actions to clean them up are not only clearing the way for yourself, but also weeding out the parasites of the Great Xia. Your Majesty's actions are profound and far-reaching. People at the time may not understand them because they are short-sighted, but history will surely give a fair judgment. Thousands of years from now, Your Majesty's achievements will be recorded in the annals of history."

The emperor sat at the head of the table, his face shrouded in shadow, his emotions usually unreadable. But upon hearing De Shun's words, he was overjoyed and couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh.

"Those who understand me are virtuous and obedient."

His tone was low and gentle, with a hint of a smile, but there was already a trace of determination in that smile.

"That's right. The parasites that have grown too big to be removed should be dealt with as soon as possible. All the people of Great Xia and the Jiang royal family will surely remember my actions today."

He... that's right, he was thinking about the well-being of the Great Xia Dynasty. Those who spread rumors and try to distort the truth must be accomplices of those families.

The emperor gave a cold snort and said, "Issue my decree: Although the Cui, Li, and Lu families are gone, their disciples and former associates are everywhere. Anyone who spreads rumors and gossips, or who agrees with the three families, shall be regarded as an accomplice and executed."

The strict laws finally suppressed the clamor, but the fact that the matter had come to light left a different mark on the minds of the officials and the people.

On the other side, a large caravan was summoned and set off.

"Miss Shen, although it is glorious to go by imperial decree, it may cause trouble if we openly send people from the Duke's Mansion. If we obstruct them, they will likely return empty-handed. As for the herbal medicine, we can only ask the Shen family to put in more effort."

From the moment the imperial decree was issued, Xiao Lie knew that finding the medicine would not be so easy. He could only prepare a plan and hope that the Shen family would pay close attention.

Sure enough, after only a few days, the caravan was repeatedly harassed by bandits. It seemed that the large caravan would be torn to pieces before it even reached the southwest.

Xiao Lie wasn't in a hurry. He simply ordered them to do their best and set a good example. Once the Shen family's caravan had acquired all the medicinal herbs and the situation was settled, he would then order them to move forward at full speed.

With the Xiao family's caravan leading the way to create confusion, the Shen family's caravan proceeded exceptionally smoothly. By the time everyone realized what was happening, the medicinal herbs had already been prepared and sent to the border. Even when His Majesty inquired, Shen Qinglan feigned ignorance, brushing it off with the words, "As a citizen of Great Xia, I should do my utmost for Great Xia."

After hearing this, the emperor said "good" several times and did not make things difficult for him anymore, but his eyes became much more sinister.

Soon after, a letter arrived from the North, reporting that Commander Xiao was in much better health. The poisoning of the remaining soldiers had been largely resolved, but many others, despite the best efforts of the military doctors, had died from severe poisoning.

Commander Xiao could only sigh and ordered that they be given a proper burial, and that their compensation be paid at the highest level.

"My dear grandson Xiao Lie, this incident has left me with many feelings. Those fine men did not die under the enemy's swords and spears, but died because of the schemes of their own people. My heart aches terribly. I think about it again and again, and cannot sleep at night. Thinking about all the things that have happened in the past, I feel as if I have lived through another life. I do not know what to do..."

The old man rambled on and on, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness and had gained profound enlightenment.

Clearly, this "accident" left the old man feeling extremely cold, and even the burning flame of loyalty in his heart was almost extinguished by this cold water.

As his beloved grandson, Xiao Lie agreed, but he couldn't just blindly follow his words and belittle the past. Instead, he offered words of comfort and then described in detail the fates of the Cui, Li, and Lu families, which indeed horrified the old man.

In the end, the old man's reply was nothing more than a sigh.

"My dear grandson, I guess I'm really getting old. I don't see things as clearly as you do. The founding emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty was the founding emperor, and the current emperor is the current emperor. They may look alike, but they may not be the same person."

Xiao Lie curled his lip, unconcerned. It was normal for the relationship between the emperor and his ministers to drift apart when the monarch changed. If the founding emperor he mentioned were the second emperor, their relationship might not be any better. The lack of trust was not so easy to rebuild.

However, thinking about it was one thing, writing it down was another. He comforted himself, telling himself that he was still young and needed his grandfather's care and guidance. Sure enough, this pleased the old man greatly, and he praised him for being sensible.

Once the northern border troops were reorganized and supplies were ready, Xiao Tianze led his troops in a surprise attack on the Northern Barbarians, and unexpectedly killed the Northern Barbarian Crown Prince, who had been fighting against them for a long time. The news spread back to the court and the public, which greatly inspired everyone.

Even the emperor praised them highly, bestowing many fine things upon the Xiao family. It's just unknown how much of this praise was genuine.

However, Xiao Lie didn't care much about these things. As long as the items were in the mansion, he didn't care what the emperor was thinking.

He watched with a smile as gold and silver jewels flowed into the mansion, and then, with a smile, slipped a purse into the hands of a eunuch.

"I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's kindness. Please convey my gratitude to Your Majesty."