Remarried to a top-tier playboy, her reborn ex-husband is filled with regret.

The order to close the net was given before nightfall.

The two hundred imperial guards were divided into two teams.

Lu Zhao led a team straight to the iron mine, while Lin Hui followed Xiao Fang and personally led the main force to the weapons workshop.

The two groups quietly left the city in the twilight, their horses' hooves wrapped in cloth.

Without lighting any torches, they advanced in the dark along the mountain path, like two silent knives simultaneously stabbing into the Wing King's most secret territory from two directions.

When Xiao Fang arrived at Eagle's Beak Gorge, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

The sound of the waterfall drowned out all other noises.

He stood on the rocks outside the waterfall and gestured to the guards behind him.

Dozens of figures silently passed through the water curtain and simultaneously slipped into the workshop from the back and sides.

The sound of the forging hammer stopped, replaced by a brief gasp and the crisp sound of iron hitting the ground.

The craftsmen were awakened from their sleep to find the courtyard filled with black-clad imperial guards.

Someone instinctively reached for the hammer next to them and was kicked to the ground.

Xiao Fang walked through the panicked crowd and headed straight for the main house.

The steward inside was frantically throwing a stack of account books into the brazier.

Xiao Fang kicked over the brazier, burning half of the account books which scattered all over the ground, only to be picked up by the guards behind him.

The manager slumped to the ground, his face ashen.

Just then, a commotion arose outside the courtyard gate.

Two imperial guards carried in a person who was struggling desperately.

The man was dressed in all black and was still shouting.

"Who are you? Do you even know who I am—"

Mingrui stepped forward, glanced at the man by the light of the torch, and then turned to Xiao Fang and reported.

"He is Sun Mao, the second steward of the Prince of Yi's mansion."

Xiao Fang turned around and looked at Sun Mao.

In the torchlight, Sun Mao could clearly see Xiao Fang's face.

The rest of his words caught in his throat, and the color drained from his face instantly.

He came to urge delivery.

The Prince of Yi's plans are pressing, and this batch of military equipment must be transported into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion by the end of the month.

The housekeeper was worried, so he specially sent him to keep an eye on things.

He never imagined that he would run into the ruthless inspector of the Censorate in a workshop deep in the mountains at dawn.

"Manager Sun."

Xiao Fang's voice was very soft, carrying a kind of smile that sent chills down one's spine.

"In the middle of the night... instead of serving the prince in the palace, you've come to this remote mountain forest to admire the waterfall?"

Sun Mao's lips trembled twice, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Xiao Fang stopped looking at him and waved his hand.

The imperial guards pinned Sun Mao to the ground, the rope digging into his wrists, causing him to groan in pain as he was dragged away.

Meanwhile, Lu Zhao's operation also concluded.

The iron mine had more guards than the workshop, but it didn't last even a short while under the attack of hundreds of elite cavalry.

Zhao Huan, a member of a collateral branch of the Zhao family, was in charge of managing the mine.

When she was dragged out of bed, she was still wearing her sleeping clothes and barefoot when she was brought before Lu Zhao.

"Your Zhao family has really grown bold."

Lu Zhao squatted down and looked at Zhao Huan with a big, carefree smile on his face.

"You're illegally operating iron mines and manufacturing weapons. Are you planning a rebellion yourselves, or someone else's?"

Zhao Huan's face was as white as a sheet of paper. His lips moved a few times, but he couldn't say anything.

Lu Zhao stood up, dusted off his hands, and waved to the guards behind him.

"take away."

As dawn broke, both teams returned to the city one after the other.

The Prince Yi's residence received no information.

Before taking action, Xiao Fang blocked all routes leading to the Wing King's Mansion, preventing even a messenger pigeon from flying in.

The next morning, the court session began.

In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the old emperor sat on the dragon throne, with officials lined up on both sides.

These past few days, there has been nothing happening in the court, and the content of the audiences has been nothing more than routine government affairs, resulting in a dull and languid atmosphere in the palace.

The Wing King stood at the front of the princes' procession, still wearing a moon-white python robe and a jade crown binding his hair.

His face remained as gentle as ever, with his usual humble smile on his lips.

Until Xiao Fang stepped forward.

"Your subject, Xiao Fang, the commander of the Censorate, has a memorial to present."

Today, Xiao Fang was dressed in a proper court robe, a rare sight for him. He held a memorial in his hand and walked calmly to the center of the hall.

He turned and glanced at the Wing King, a faint smile in his eyes.

The smile on Wing King's lips froze for a moment.

Xiao Fang unfolded the memorial, his voice clear and resonant, echoing throughout the hall.

He explained the details of the case one by one.

How did the steward of the Wing Prince's Mansion trick Yun Shuwen into signing a blank document?

How did they manage to transport a large quantity of military equipment into the former Duke Zhenguo's mansion, intending to frame someone?

Following the clues, the Inspectorate uncovered an illegally established weapons workshop in Yingzuijian, west of the city.

More than 100 boxes of military knives and crossbows were seized.

They tracked down to an illegally operated iron mine in a mountain valley and captured Zhao Huan, a member of the Zhao family, on the spot.

Witnesses: Sun Mao, the second steward of the Prince Yi's mansion, Zhao Huan, the steward of the iron mine, along with more than a hundred workshop craftsmen.

They have all been imprisoned in the Censorate prison and are currently under strict interrogation.

Physical evidence: The seized weapons, account books, and waybills are sealed and stored in the Inspectorate.

It is available for inspection at any time.

The Wing King's expression changed inch by inch.

For the first time, visible cracks appeared on his usually gentle and refined face.

The smile on his lips hadn't fully faded before it froze on his face, turning into an extremely unnatural expression.

His fingers slowly clenched inside his sleeve, his knuckles turning white, but he tried his best to remain calm.

But in those eyes, something was clearly collapsing rapidly.

"Illegally operating iron mines, illegally manufacturing weapons, framing others, and plotting treason."

Xiao Fang closed the memorial, his voice as flat as if he were reading an ordinary official document.

"Every single case is supported by conclusive evidence."

Your Highness, your steward and managers are all being held in the Censorate prison.

The Wing King suddenly turned his head, his gaze piercing Xiao Fang like a knife.

But what he met was Xiao Fang's eyes, which seemed to be smiling but weren't.

There was no fear in those eyes, only a superior, cat-and-mouse-like composure.

The man had already laid a trap, waiting for him to jump in, and he was completely unaware.

It wasn't until Xiao Fang presented all the evidence, one by one, in the imperial court that the truth came to light.

He then realized that he had suddenly transformed from a chess player into a gambler who had lost everything.

On the dragon throne, the old emperor's breathing suddenly became heavy.

His withered fingers gripped the armrests of the dragon throne tightly, his knuckles white, and the veins on the back of his aged hands bulging.

He had wanted to deal with the Wing King for a long time.

Over the years, the Zhao family's influence as relatives of the emperor has grown immense, and their factions within the court have become deeply entrenched.

He saw it all and hated it, but he always lacked a legitimate opportunity.

Since the establishment of the Supervisory Bureau, Xiao Fang has repeatedly targeted various factions in the court.

The Wing King's faction has been stripped away layer by layer, and is no longer a monolithic entity.

This memorial to the throne is the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Inside the main hall, you could hear a pin drop.

The Wing King finally came to his senses.

He stepped out of the court, his robe sash flipping over the tablet beside him, and knelt down with a thud.

The mask of gentleness shattered completely at that moment, revealing the panic and fear beneath.

"Father! This must be a frame-up! Your son is innocent—"

"Shut up."

The old emperor's voice descended heavily from the dragon throne.

The Wing King's voice abruptly stopped.

He knelt on the ground, looking up at the old and majestic figure on the dragon throne, and finally realized...

His father had been waiting for this day for a long time.