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

The young master of Taihe Trading Company was on the verge of tears.

After being bombarded with a series of attacks, he had no idea what was going on.

Seeing Xiao Lie's anger, he genuinely thought it was because the fabric was damaged. In a panic, he disregarded everything else, his face contorted with distress as he pleaded repeatedly.

"Your Highness, I am but a commoner, how could I dare to deceive you? This matter is suspicious, there must be someone interfering."

He swallowed hard, his face flustered, and hurriedly said.

"My lord... could you grant me some time? I will definitely go back and investigate thoroughly, and give you a reasonable explanation."

Although Li Rusong had already given him instructions, implying that he could pass off inferior goods as superior ones.

No matter what, he wouldn't touch the samples. Knowing the other party wanted to inspect the quality, he still did it; wasn't that just asking for trouble and destroying his own reputation?

But then, out of nowhere, a pest infestation appeared...

Even the young master of Taihe Trading Company couldn't figure out what was going on, no matter how hard he racked his brains. He certainly couldn't believe that Xiao Lie had deliberately framed them and was now deliberately manipulating them.

Xiao Lie had some insect eggs scattered inside, and deliberately waited for about ten days before opening the box, just to wait for the insect eggs to hatch and catch them "red-handed".

With evidence that the goods were defective, he naturally launched a massive attack, leaving the two men no room to defend themselves.

"A reasonable explanation? This young master can't accept that. In my opinion, this transaction is over. Your Taihe Trading Company is looking for death, but don't drag me into it. I still want to enjoy my freedom for a few more years."

Upon hearing this, Li Rusong sighed inwardly, and inexplicably understood something.

At this critical juncture, he had no advantage in terms of situation, status, or evidence, so he had no choice but to shut up.

Xiao Lie gave him a cold, ambiguous glance, his expression icy.

"Lord Li, you recommended Taihe Trading Company. Now that this has happened, you can't possibly still speak up for them, can you?"

This was a deliberate attempt to mock him and sow discord among them. But Li Rusong couldn't refute it and could only comply.

"This humble official dares not. Since it is indeed true, Your Highness may offer a plan for how to handle it, so that he will not live in fear and anxiety."

"Oh, Lord Li is so kind-hearted that even the merchant who deliberately sent this goods is very understanding."

Upon hearing about the run on him, Li Rusong was certain that this was Xiao Lie's arrangement. He could only smile bitterly and let him mock him.

Seeing his expression, Xiao Lie snorted coldly and lost interest.

Ha, these two scoundrels colluded, waiting to frame him, but now that he's turned the tables on them, they're showing this kind of expression, making him look like the villain. How interesting.

"Isn't it clear to me? I'm not ordering this batch of goods anymore. I should have severely punished you for causing this mess, but considering that your Taihe Trading Company handed over the ritual and sacrificial vessels, which solved a problem for me, I'll pretend I didn't see it and let you off this time. As for anything else, don't even think about it."

The young master of Taihe Trading Company was extremely pale, never expecting such an outcome.

After all that trouble, Taihe Trading Company didn't make any money and almost got into trouble in the process.

The affairs of the imperial court are indeed... unpredictable and treacherous, beyond their control.

It's fortunate that they were able to escape unscathed.

The young master of Taihe Trading Company stopped arguing, knelt down to thank him for his leniency, and silently left with his things, leaving Li Rusong alone with a somber expression.

……

Inside the imperial study, upon hearing about today's events, the emperor raised an eyebrow, showing considerable interest.

"Did Xiao Lie really say that today?"

"Your humble servant would not dare to utter a single lie."

The emperor clapped his hands and laughed heartily, as if he had finally seen something interesting, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

"This insect infestation came at just the right time. It seems like a bad thing, but upon closer inspection, its effects are quite remarkable."

He leaned forward slightly, speaking casually.

"Minister Li, in your opinion, who exactly started today's events?"

The emperor spoke of who started it, not who caused it, clearly indicating that he had concluded that today's events were deliberately orchestrated and not an accident.

He took a deep breath and couldn't help but smile wryly.

"Whoever benefits is the one who did it. It's just a pity that at the time I was a lowly subject with little influence and no evidence, so I couldn't refute it. I have failed Your Majesty's arrangements and expectations."

Li Rusong suddenly knelt down and kowtowed loudly.

"Your Majesty, I deserve to die. I have failed in my duties. Please punish me."

"Well, Li Qing is still young, so it's perfectly normal for him to have shortcomings in his actions. You just need to think more carefully in the future to avoid repeating the same mistakes."

Hearing His Majesty's lenient words, Li Rusong felt even more ashamed.

His nose tingled, his eyes welled up, and he choked up.

"I am useless and have wasted Your Majesty's arrangements."

At the same time, recalling what His Majesty had told him before, his resolve became even stronger.

Your Majesty is right. The Xiao family has become too powerful to be controlled. For the sake of the peace of the Great Xia Dynasty, these people... absolutely cannot be allowed to live any longer.

He assured, "Your Majesty, I will definitely find a way to bring Xiao Lie down."

A deep smile flashed in the emperor's eyes, but his face remained one of tolerance and understanding.

He exclaimed, "I am greatly pleased to have someone as loyal to the country as Minister Li. If you can truly eliminate Xiao Lie and the Xiao family, or even just provide a pretext for trouble, I will remember you as a great hero."

Li Rusong replied resolutely, "Your subject will certainly not fail in your mission."

……

Sixteen was worried. "There are one obstacle after another. Today, Eunuch Deshun came with a list of imperial merchants, saying he wanted to use it as a reference for your procurement. I'm afraid he has ill intentions."

"Heh, I guessed it long ago. Ever since I was ordered by the emperor to be in charge of the spring sacrifice, I never thought it would go smoothly. But after today's commotion, if Li Rusong has any sense, he shouldn't cause any more trouble in the short term."

No, that's not necessarily true...

Li Rusong is a cautious man, but the person behind him may not be.

After much thought, he realized that in order to get things done smoothly, he first had to get rid of this spy who belonged to the emperor.

The next morning, Xiao Lie entered the palace. He was not summoned, so he knelt outside the imperial study and muttered a bunch of complaints. Although the palace servants did not know the details, they heard the gist of it.

"Your Majesty, Li Rusong is a treacherous and wicked man. He is two-faced and must not be trusted."

"The things that happened to me might very well have been orchestrated by him."

"Your Majesty, this kind of person is very cunning. How can we use him for the Spring Festival? With him around, I can't even sleep soundly."

Xiao Lie's wailing amused the palace servants passing by, and even made the emperor in the imperial study blush.

He gave the order with a stern face.

"Deshun, go and see what Xiao Lie is up to."