The First Marquis of Leisure

Prime Minister's Mansion

Li Taibei was beaming with pride; his nemesis Bai Tianque was finally dead!

Now the opportunity for revenge has arrived, and my grand plan can proceed smoothly.

The entire Prime Minister's residence was filled with celebration, and Princess Zhao Feishuang also attended in person.

"Haha, Bai Tianque is finally dead!"

"Brilliant, brilliant! We can finally avenge ourselves!"

Chen Feng, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, along with many other members of the Prime Minister's faction, including the Minister of Rites, the Minister of Works, and the Censor-in-Chief, were all smiles.

"Lord Li, what are your plans for the future?"

Zhao Feishuang could not hide her excitement. As a princess of the Great Zhao Dynasty, the greatest humiliation in her life was due to Bai Xinghe.

Unfortunately, Bai Tian's prestige was too high, and even as a princess, she couldn't shake the Marquis's mansion in the slightest.

Now that Bai Tianque is dead, it's time to settle accounts.

"Hmph! Li Taibei no longer bothers to hide it."

"With Bai Tianque dead, everyone in the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion is nothing more than fish on a chopping board."

"But Bai Tianque has just died. If we attack the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion without a legitimate reason, it will be difficult to silence public opinion!"

What Li Taibei said made sense and was unanimously agreed upon by everyone.

Soon, Imperial Censor Qi Haoran came up with a plan.

"Lord Li, Your Highness, I think it would be better to use the Nine Gates Commander's forces to break into the Marquis's residence under the pretext of arresting a wanted criminal."

"Any personnel from the Marquis's residence who dare to obstruct the process will be considered accomplices!"

"Lord Qi is truly brilliant!" Li Taibei immediately agreed and set about making the arrangements.

The Nine Gates Commander guards the capital region, and although He Taiji is the emperor's confidant, he has already boarded the ship of the Crown Prince Zhao Xing.

Therefore, He Wuji can be considered one of their own.

Therefore, when Li Taibei sent his trusted confidant to the governor's mansion to explain his intentions, He Wuji immediately agreed.

At this very moment, the Marquis of Zhenguo's residence

Contrary to popular belief, the place was deserted, with a constant stream of mourners.

Everyone knew very well that with Bai Tianque's sudden death, a bloody storm was brewing.

At this time, anyone who dares to get too close to the Marquis's mansion is tantamount to being an enemy of the Prime Minister and the Princess!

Those who came to pay their respects were all soldiers, many of whom had received favors from Bai Tianque and had followed him.

Faced with the coldness of the world, many servants in the Marquis's mansion were indignant, but Bai Xinghe took it all in stride.

Not to mention in this era, even in his world, it's common for people to drift apart after they leave.

At noon, Bai Xinghe was receiving guests in the mourning hall.

Suddenly, a servant from the Marquis's residence rushed in to report.

"Young Master, a group of armored soldiers have arrived outside. They seem to be from the Nine Gates Admiral's men!"

Bai Xinghe was startled upon hearing this and was somewhat puzzled. What were the Nine Gates Admiral's men doing here?

So he immediately led a small number of people from the Marquis's residence out.

The leader was none other than Admiral He Wuji; this was not the first time the two had met.

He Wuji had a grim expression, and the soldiers he brought were fully armed.

Judging from this, Bai Xinghe understood that the other party was definitely not there to offer condolences.

"What brings Lord He here with so many armored soldiers?"

He Wuji snorted coldly and said, "This official has pursued the court's wanted criminals to this point!"

To track down wanted criminals of the imperial court?

Bai Xinghe sneered inwardly; this was clearly an excuse.

"I'm sorry, my Marquis's residence has no wanted criminals. Please, Lord He, lead your troops away immediately!"

"Bai Xinghe, you're nothing but a playboy from the Marquis's mansion. Watch your attitude. Whether there are any wanted criminals hiding among us is up to me!"

Seeing this, Bai Xinghe also became angry and said forcefully, "He Wuji, what do you want?"

"Men, search inside immediately! Find the culprit, even if you have to dig three feet into the ground!"

At He Wuji's command, the armored soldiers behind him advanced rapidly.

"Anyone who dares to trespass into the Marquis's residence will be killed without mercy!"

Bai Xinghe roared and stood at the forefront, while the few personal guards of the Marquis's mansion also drew their weapons.

He Wuji was not angry but happy when he saw this. Everything was just as Li Taibei and the others had predicted.

"Bai Xinghe, you insist on obstructing my arrest of a wanted criminal. Could it be that your Zhenguo Marquis's mansion is conspiring with this criminal?"

"Guards! Anyone who dares to obstruct us, seize them!"

He Wuji's attitude was very tough, and under his orders, the armored soldiers of the Nine Gates Commander's Office drew their weapons.

At this moment, Li Taibei, Zhao Feishuang, and others also arrived and watched the show from the back.

When Bai Xinghe saw these people, he understood what was going on.

The so-called capture of wanted criminals is just an excuse.

The aim was to take action against himself and the Marquis's mansion.

Although he had expected it, he did not expect Li Taibei and his group to be so fast.

They had already conspired and started their own scheme before their own father had even been buried.

"Do you think I, or the Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion, are so easily bullied?"

Bai Xinghe was not intimidated at all and angrily rebuked the other party.

"Bai Xinghe, your father is dead. You're nothing but a playboy. What are you doing, acting so insolently in front of me?"

He Wuji no longer took Bai Xinghe seriously, his words and expression full of contempt.

"He Wuji, you dare to step into the Marquis's residence and see what happens!"

Bai Xinghe held a knife in his hand, his eyes filled with murderous intent. No matter what happened, he would not allow anyone to disturb his father's spirit in heaven!

"Heh." He Wuji sneered and waved his hand, saying, "What are you all standing there for? Go in and take them away immediately!"

However, at that moment, a series of horse-drawn carriages sped towards them from not far away.

"The Eighth Prince has arrived!"

Someone shouted, attracting everyone's attention.

Suddenly, the Eighth Prince, who had always lived in seclusion and was detached from worldly affairs, arrived with Zhao Sisi.

"Eighth Prince!"

He Wuji politely bowed to the Eighth Prince, and Li Taibei and the others also bowed in return.

"Uncle Eight, what brings you here?" Zhao Feishuang asked, somewhat surprised.

The Eighth Prince nodded and walked towards Bai Xinghe.

"Young Master Bai, please accept my deepest condolences. I have brought Sisi here specifically to mourn General Bai and would like to offer incense. Would that be convenient?"

"Thank you, Your Highness, thank you, Princess." Bai Xinghe bowed politely.

Hearing this, He Wuji, Li Taibei, and the others were dumbfounded.

Is the Eighth Prince here to offer incense to Bai Tianque?

Coming to the Marquis's residence to offer incense at this time is clearly a sign that they're here to support Bai Xinghe!

It should be noted that the Eighth Prince had been living in seclusion ever since he failed to compete for the throne!

"Eighth Prince Uncle, you?" Zhao Feishuang was also puzzled.

"Feishuang, as a princess of the Great Zhao, you should know of General Bai's hard work and contributions. Shouldn't you offer him some incense?"

Zhao Feishuang was speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond.

Li Taibei, however, had completely dropped the pretense and walked straight over: "Your Highness, Bai Tianque is dead, you don't need to do this."

"What do you mean by this, Lord Li?" the Eighth Prince asked in return.

Li Taibei paused, then glanced at He Taiji: "Eighth Prince, Lord He is investigating a wanted criminal and suspects that the Marquis's residence is hiding a criminal. He is going in to search for him, but Bai Xinghe is deliberately obstructing him."

"My suspicion is that the Marquis's mansion is likely colluding with wanted criminals of the imperial court!"

"Yes, Eighth Prince, you'd better not get involved in this mess," Zhao Feishuang advised, showing respect for the Eighth Prince.

The Eighth Prince shook his head, understanding the general idea in his heart.

He was powerless to do anything about it; he was just a prince with no real power, relying solely on his royal bloodline to maintain his status.

Li Taibei, He Taiji, and others all held great power and did not obey him, so he was powerless to do anything about it.

"Guards! Immediately enter the Marquis's residence and search for the wanted criminal!"

Seeing this, He Wuji issued another order!

"I'll see who dares to act recklessly in the Marquis's residence!"

Just then, another angry voice rang out.