With a warehouse full of supplies, I stood alone as king in this chaotic world, gun in hand.

Upon seeing Emperor Mingde, the Empress Dowager angrily rebuked him, "Your Majesty, you have arrested the entire Ming family! Are you trying to force me to my death?"

Emperor Mingde glared at the Imperial Noble Consort, knowing that she had gone to see the Empress Dowager.

"Mother, you reside in the inner palace; you should not concern yourself with the affairs of the court. I will make my own decisions regarding the Ming family's matters."

Enraged that he dared to defy her, the Empress Dowager pointed her finger at his nose and ordered, "I have no business with your affairs of the previous dynasty. I demand that you immediately release all members of the Ming family!"

Emperor Mingde looked at his birth mother, his eyes flashing with complex emotions.

From childhood to adulthood, his mother only cared about interests. Whenever he was scolded by his father or suffered indignities at the hands of the former empress, she would always point her finger at his nose and berate him for being incompetent.

"Ming Zhaonan and Ming Cheng have embezzled and accepted bribes in enormous amounts, and are also suspected of multiple murders and mutilation of bodies. There is ample evidence and witness testimony; their crimes are heinous. How do you expect me to release them?"

"I don't care about any of that!" The Empress Dowager's face was filled with unprecedented anger. "You are the ruler of a country. If you can't even protect my maternal family, what use are you as emperor?"

"So even the Empress Dowager knows that I am the ruler of a country?" Emperor Mingde's voice was deep and cold.

"I am the ruler of the country and the ruler of all people. What I do is to set an example for the people."

"The Ming family abused their power and accepted bribes, embezzling so much gold and silver that the national treasury was emptied, almost destroying the foundation of the Western Yan Kingdom. Yet, for your own selfish gain, you asked me to pardon them. Aren't you afraid that I will be infamous for eternity after my death?"

Emperor Mingde's questioning only angered the Empress Dowager more.

"The Ming family is the emperor's father-in-law, so what's wrong with spending some money from the national treasury? Those things the servants used to curry favor with the Ming family are being called bribes—it's laughable! I think you, as emperor, are getting more and more confused!"

"Is that just a matter of spending some money?" Emperor Mingde's eyes were filled with suppressed anger.

"Ming family members, as important officials of the court, only know how to embezzle and enjoy themselves. They never consider the previous dynasty or the people of the world. The country has been at war for years. The south is flooded and the north has no harvest. The people can hardly even fill their stomachs."

The Ming family embezzled almost the entire national treasury to enjoy wealth and luxury, and you still say that I, the emperor, am useless?

"Isn't it your fault? As the ruler of a country, you can't even govern a country properly. No wonder you would give important positions to that crazy little bitch Nangong Wu. You are truly incompetent!" The Empress Dowager blamed all the mistakes on Emperor Mingde.

Looking at his unreasonable and morally ambiguous mother, Emperor Mingde felt a sense of powerlessness and knew that further words would be of no use.

He ordered, "Guards, escort the Empress Dowager back to Kangning Palace. She is not to wander around without my permission."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager was furious. "You... Emperor, you're something else!"

Is her emperor son going to put her under house arrest?

Eunuch Hu came out and said, "Your Majesty, this old servant will escort you back."

"Your Majesty, if anything happens to the Ming family, I will kill myself in front of you." Seeing that Emperor Mingde would not let the Ming family go, the Empress Dowager had no choice but to threaten him with death.

Emperor Mingde did not respond to the Empress Dowager's words, but looked at the Imperial Noble Consort. "The Imperial Noble Consort shall be confined to Qionghua Palace from now on. Without my decree, she shall not leave the palace even a step."

The Imperial Noble Consort's face turned pale. This was the first time Emperor Mingde had punished her so severely since she entered the palace, and he knew that the Ming family had crossed his line this time.

An imperial guard entered, bowed slightly, and said, "Empress Dowager, Imperial Noble Consort, please!"

"Mother, let's go back!" The Imperial Noble Consort came over to help the Empress Dowager.

"Your Majesty, before the palace gates are locked tomorrow, I hope to see Ming Zhaonan and Ming Cheng. Otherwise, I will make the Western Yan Kingdom hold a national mourning!" After saying this, the Empress Dowager snorted coldly and turned to leave.

Emperor Mingde watched their retreating figures, rubbing his throbbing forehead.

I feel incredibly tired.

The Prince of Zhenyuan's Mansion.

Nangong Wu summoned Xu Gui and asked him if he would like to stay in the palace as an accountant.

She admired this person's character. The Huo family's business was vast, and they needed upright and honest people like him to help them with their affairs.

Xu Gui was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately knelt down to express his gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness, for being willing to employ this humble subject."

His leg is lame, so even if Nangong Wu clears his name and seeks justice for him, he can't go back to the Ministry of Revenue. It would be best if he could work in the Prince's Mansion.

"Hmm." Nangong Wu took out five hundred taels of silver notes and put them in his hand. "Go home first and settle things at home. When you come back, the steward will arrange things for you."

Xu Gui looked at the silver notes in his hand, tears streaming down his face. "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Highness."

Nangong Wu nodded, "Go!"

Xu Gui wiped away her tears with her sleeve and left.

"Your Highness," Li Shuang returned from outside and told her the latest news, "King Li and King Mu have arrested all the relevant personnel and imprisoned them."

Because the prisons are overcrowded, His Majesty has ordered a joint trial by the three judicial departments to conclude the case as soon as possible.

"Where is Nangong Xun?" Nangong Wu asked.

The gold and silver embezzled by these officials all ended up in Nangong Xun's pocket. He wanted to know how Emperor Mingde would deal with him.

"Nangong Xun is still confined to his palace, and Emperor Mingde has not yet punished him."

"I estimate that by tomorrow's court assembly, the officials of the Censorate will all be impeaching him," Li Shuang said.

"Young Master Xiao." Li An's voice came in.

Nangong Wu looked up and saw Xiao Lin appear at the door in a close-fitting outfit, as if he had just returned from outside, with Li Zhan following behind him.

When Li Shuang saw that it was him, she stood aside.

"You went out?" Nangong Wu picked up an empty cup and poured tea into it.

"I've received some news." Xiao Lin sat down opposite her, picked up the teacup she had just poured, and took a small sip.

"Take a look at the letter first!"

"Your Highness, someone has delivered this!" Li Zhan handed over a letter with both hands.

"A letter? Whose is it?" Nangong Wu took the letter and saw that the seal was not closed.

Li Zhan replied, "It was delivered by a little beggar who said someone gave him silver and asked him to deliver it to the Zhenyuan Prince's Mansion."

Nangong Wu was puzzled and took out the letter inside.

The note read: "Nangong Wu, your father Huo Jing is in our hands. If you want to save him, come to the Earth God Temple on Black Chicken Mountain in the eastern suburbs of the city at 7 PM tonight. Only you can come alone; otherwise, you will only see Huo Jing's corpse."

"It's Father!" Nangong Wu stood up abruptly.

Xiao Lin said, "I've read the letter too, but it might be a trap. They want to lure you over there."

"This must be a trap set by Nangong Xun." Li Shuang also felt something was wrong. "Your Highness, we must be careful."

"Whether my father is in their hands or not, I'm going to make this trip." Nangong Wu's eyes flashed with murderous intent.

"Alright, I'll go with you tonight. There's still an hour and a half until 7 PM, let's get out of the city as soon as possible." Xiao Lin stood up.