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

Xiao Lie gave a cold laugh and suddenly shouted.

"Guards! Shanqing has deliberately damaged items related to the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration and attempted to frame me. This is not to be underestimated. Bring him before His Majesty immediately for judgment."

"Wait, you can't do this to me!"

Seeing that everyone from the procurement office was coming over, the young eunuchs spontaneously surrounded Shanqing. But there were only three or five of them; how could they possibly stand against the entire procurement office?

For a moment, Shanqing and several eunuchs turned pale and trembled slightly.

Xiao Lie noticed that some people in the procurement office seemed uneasy and wanted to slip away, so he immediately shouted coldly.

"Sixteen, close the door. No one is allowed to leave until today's business is done."

Sixteen responded loudly, leaped to the front door, and landed firmly, blocking it. He crossed his arms, standing guard like a door god, not letting anyone who tried to slip away escape.

Seeing his reaction, the few people in the procurement department who were itching to make a move immediately stopped, and even showed a hint of anxiety and panic on their faces.

Wait a minute, Prince Xiao wouldn't really send Eunuch Shanqing to His Majesty, would he? He's Consort Xian's man.

Oh no, this is really going to be a disaster.

If they fail to deliver the message and the Empress finds out later, they'll be in serious trouble.

The group exchanged glances, thinking they were being discreet, unaware that Xiao Lie had seen everything they were doing.

Once you notice something unusual, you'll find their subtle movements are particularly obvious.

Even if Xiao Lie pretended not to see it, he couldn't. He was annoyed by what he saw, so he simply spoke up.

"Guards! Tie up these sneaky, flirting individuals and throw them in a corner. No one is to untie them or allow them to leave until I return."

"Hey, Your Highness, we didn't do anything!"

"Your Highness, please spare us! Please tell us clearly, what exactly did we do wrong?"

Several eunuchs were caught off guard and suffered a sudden misfortune. They stared wide-eyed and struggled desperately, not understanding what was happening. They tried to explain, but in the face of absolute authority, their few words were as insignificant as the buzzing of mosquitoes.

Soon, the men were bound handcuffed, stuffed with rags, and thrown into a corner. They couldn't even shout; they could only crane their necks and stare blankly.

Shanqing and the others were stunned by Xiao Lie's unreasonable and brutal fighting style.

Shanqing swallowed hard, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. He had a feeling that things wouldn't end well today.

Just as a large group of people were preparing to file a complaint with the higher authorities.

Consort Xian in Chaohua Palace could no longer sit still.

She clutched her chest, her heart pounding as if something terrible was about to happen.

She frowned, her face darkening, and demanded, "What exactly is going on? There's been no movement for so long. Has Shanqing been living a life of ease for too long? Can't he even handle this small matter?"

Qiu Lan was also very uneasy, but she still forced a smile, offered a cup of tea, and comforted her.

"Your Highness, please don't be angry. Eunuch Shanqing is probably tied up with something and has no time to come back and deliver the message."

"But Your Highness need not worry. This servant has already arranged for someone to keep watch outside the procurement office. If there is any movement, our Chaohua Palace will be able to know immediately."

No sooner had she finished speaking than a pale-faced palace maid stumbled in from outside the hall, crying out in alarm as if she had seen a ghost.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!"

"What's going on? Why are you shouting and yelling like that? You have no manners at all."

Upon being scolded by Qiulan, the little palace maid immediately pursed her lips in grievance, but she still lowered her face, bowed, and respectfully reported.

"Your Highness, Aunt Qiulan asked me to keep watch outside the procurement office. I saw Prince Xiao leading Eunuch Shanqing and a group of eunuchs out of the procurement office, and they seemed to be heading towards the Imperial Study."

"I was afraid something terrible might happen, so I rushed back to report."

"What?"

The teacup was accidentally knocked over by Consort Xian, the porcelain shattered, and tea splashed everywhere, startling everyone in the room.

Consort Xian's face turned deathly pale, filled with extreme fear.

In an instant, countless thoughts swirled in her mind.

How could this happen?

She had already arranged everything. All Shanqin needed to do was expose a few things, which would frighten Xiao Lie into begging for mercy. How could the situation have changed so drastically?

But Consort Xian knew that no matter what happened, she absolutely could not let Xiao Lie succeed.

Besides, Shanqing is still in his hands; what if he spits out something he shouldn't...

A cold glint flashed in Consort Xian's eyes. She immediately led her palace servants to intercept the person on the only way to the Imperial Study.

Before him stood a large, imposing group of people who seemed to have ill intentions.

Xiao Lie smiled faintly, a look of realization on his face.

"So it's Consort Xian! This humble official greets Consort Xian! May Your Majesty live a thousand years!"

Consort Xian snorted coldly, about to put on airs, but before she could utter a word, Xiao Lie, who had finished his curtsy, stood up on his own.

"you!"

Xiao Lie looked around but didn't notice anything unusual. Then he saw Consort Xian's gaze fixed on him.

He feigned surprise, "Oh dear, Your Majesty, please don't be offended. I thought Your Majesty was virtuous and kind, and would not make things difficult for me over such a trivial matter. That's why I got up. Surely Your Majesty wouldn't be angry with me over something so small?"

Upon hearing this, even if Consort Xian wanted to find fault, she couldn't get the words out of her throat.

She glared at Xiao Lie and sneered.

"Young Master Xiao is quick-witted; his words are sharper than a knife."

"But sometimes, you can't get things done just by talking."

Her gaze seemed to fall on Shanqing almost imperceptibly, and she asked a question as if it were unintentional.

"I wonder what the purpose of Prince Xiao's trip is? His Majesty is extremely busy with state affairs. Even if Prince Xiao enjoys great favor with the Emperor, it would be inappropriate for him to bother His Majesty with such trivial matters, would it?"

"This... yes, yes, I understand. However, this old eunuch is dishonest. He deliberately destroyed the things prepared by the Procurement Office for the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration. I suspect that someone is behind this, which is why I was in such a hurry to bring this person to His Majesty for trial."

"It would be bad if we went all the way and the mastermind found out and destroyed the evidence."

Consort Xian's eyes widened suddenly, her expression almost losing control, but she managed to keep from screaming by tightly gripping her palms.

"What did you say? The Empress Dowager's birthday is a major event. Who would be so bold as to tamper with something like this?"

"Young Master Xiao, don't fabricate facts and mislead the Emperor just to curry favor."

"What does Your Highness mean by this?" Xiao Lie feigned grievance, seemingly filled with grief and indignation.

"Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager's loyalty is as clear as day and night. I was only worried that something might happen on the Empress Dowager's birthday. Since the Consort Xian could not distinguish between truth and falsehood, the higher-ups accused me of fabricating facts."