Court had just been dismissed.
Yan Lexian left the Golden Hall with brisk steps, almost breaking into a run.
His aging face was plastered with a fawning smile, making him seem ten years younger.
His home had been robbed the previous night, and the losses had been devastating. He had been worrying about how to recover them.
But now?
He had been ordered to confiscate Xiao Jinghe’s estate. What better opportunity could heaven have given him?
The Xiao family had served as military generals for generations. Their accumulated wealth was no small fortune.
At the thought of it, the smile on Yan Lexian’s face grew even wider.
“Heh… Xiao Jinghe, Xiao Jinghe. You walked right into the trap yourself!” he gloated inwardly.
The Emperor remained seated alone in the now-empty Golden Hall, absentmindedly rubbing the forged letter between his fingers.
A vicious glint flashed through his eyes.
For years, the Xiao family’s overwhelming military achievements had made him feel as though a thorn were lodged in his throat. He had never been able to sleep or eat in peace.
Now, he finally had the perfect excuse to wipe them out completely.
“I’d like to see what tricks you can pull once you’ve lost your military command… and your fortune.”
With a cold sneer, he crushed the forged letter into a ball and hurled it onto the floor.
At long last, he had found a legitimate pretext to uproot the Xiao family once and for all.
Confiscating their property…
…was only the first step.
He intended to erase the Xiao family from the face of the earth forever, leaving no future trouble behind.
Inside the Xiao residence, the atmosphere was as heavy as the eerie calm before a storm.
Old Madam Xiao and her daughters-in-law had not slept the entire night. Anxiety and worry were written all over their exhausted faces.
Her eye sockets had sunken from fatigue, and her complexion was deathly pale.
“Why haven’t Jinghe and Long’er returned yet?” she asked in a trembling voice.
Chu Xiangyue forced herself to remain calm as she comforted her.
“Mother, please don’t worry. Jinghe has always been cautious, and Princess Long’er is exceptionally clever. They’ll both return safely.”
Xun Ruoqiu echoed her words.
“That’s right, Mother. Good people are always blessed by Heaven.”
Fei Manxiang simply hugged her two children tightly without saying a word.
Deep down, she knew this was no ordinary matter.
The Xiao family was likely facing a disaster.
Old Madam Xiao let out a long sigh.
“I only pray they’ll come back safely.”
“Mother, the children are hungry. I’ll go to the kitchen and find something for them to eat,” Chu Xiangyue said as she stood.
The moment she stepped into the kitchen, she froze.
The steamed buns from yesterday…
The leftover dishes…
Even the iron cooking pot…
Everything was gone.
The vegetables in the kitchen garden had also been stripped clean, leaving behind nothing but bare patches of dirt.
“W-What’s going on?”
She cried out in shock.
Hearing her scream, Xun Ruoqiu and Fei Manxiang hurried over.
The sight before them left both women dumbfounded.
“Those thieves actually stole the cooking pot!” Xun Ruoqiu exclaimed angrily.
Fei Manxiang’s face turned pale with fury.
“This is outrageous! They even cleared out the vegetable patch!”
The women gathered together, cursing the people who had ransacked the estate the previous day while searching for the Imperial Jade Seal.
Old Madam Xiao sighed and took a few copper coins from her sleeve, handing them to Chu Xiangyue.
“Xiangyue, go buy a few meat buns from the market. The children are starving.”
Chu Xiangyue had barely reached the doorway when a chaotic chorus of footsteps echoed outside.
Dozens of government constables appeared before the gates of the Xiao residence under Yan Lexian’s command.
In his hands was an imperial decree written on bright yellow silk.
A smug smile spread across his face.
“The Xiao family, receive the Imperial Decree!”
His booming voice shattered the quiet of the early morning.
Although everyone in the Xiao family knew the decree could bring nothing good, no one dared ignore an imperial edict.
Old Madam Xiao, despite her advanced age, suppressed the grief in her heart as she led her daughters-in-law and grandchildren to kneel upon the cold stone pavement.
Her withered fingers clutched her cane so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Yan Lexian looked at the kneeling Xiao family with unconcealed satisfaction.
He slowly unfurled the decree, cleared his throat with feigned sorrow, and began reading in a loud voice.
“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:
Xiao Jinghe, the traitor, has colluded with foreign enemies and plotted rebellion. The evidence is conclusive, and both the culprit and the incriminating evidence have been apprehended. His crimes deserve nothing less than death.”
Yan Lexian deliberately paused, relishing the despair slowly spreading across the faces of the Xiao family.
Then he continued.
“However, in consideration of the distinguished service rendered by his ancestors over generations, and to spare his entire clan from execution, We hereby show imperial mercy.
The death sentence is commuted.
All property belonging to the Xiao family shall be confiscated.
All servants shall be sold into slavery.
The remaining members of the Xiao family shall be exiled to Lingnan.
Respect this decree.”
He intentionally emphasized words like “traitor” and “remaining remnants,” as though determined to trample every shred of the Xiao family’s dignity beneath his feet.
The decree struck the Xiao family like a bolt from the blue.
Old Madam Xiao swayed unsteadily, nearly collapsing.
Chu Xiangyue quickly caught her.
“Mother, you have to stay strong.”
The night before, Xin Long had already warned them that the Emperor would fabricate another excuse to confiscate the Xiao family’s estate.
Although they had mentally prepared themselves, hearing the decree still filled them with grief and indignation.
“This is a miscarriage of justice!” Old Madam Xiao cried through her tears. “Jinghe would never commit such a crime! Please ask His Majesty to investigate thoroughly!”
Chu Xiangyue stepped forward.
“My lord, Jinghe has always been loyal to both the Emperor and the nation. He would never rebel. There must be some misunderstanding.”
Xun Ruoqiu immediately agreed.
“Exactly! Jinghe’s loyalty to His Majesty has never wavered. How could he possibly plot treason? Please investigate this fairly!”
Holding her child tightly, Fei Manxiang pleaded,
“Please, Your Majesty, clear Jinghe’s name!”
Yan Lexian sneered, his eyes dripping with contempt.
“What? Are you trying to defy the Imperial Decree?”
He looked at them disdainfully.
“The Emperor personally approved this decree. Are you suggesting it’s fake?”
“The criminal and the evidence were caught together. The proof is irrefutable. And you still dare argue?”
“We’re not arguing,” Chu Xiangyue replied firmly. “We’re only saying that Jinghe could never do such a thing.”
Yan Lexian impatiently waved his hand.
“Enough. Stop wasting my time and accept the decree.”
Old Madam Xiao, overcome with grief and fury, accepted the imperial edict with trembling hands.
“…This humble subject… accepts the decree…”
The instant she took it, Yan Lexian’s expression changed completely.
His face broke into a greedy grin as he barked orders to the constables behind him.
“What are you all standing around for? Get in there and search the place! Be thorough! Don’t miss a single valuable!”
He deliberately stressed the word “valuable,” making no attempt to hide the greed burning in his eyes.
After all, his own home had been robbed the night before.
Confiscating the Xiao residence was the perfect chance to make up for his losses.
Receiving the order, the constables charged into the Xiao residence like a pack of ravenous wolves, ransacking every room without mercy.
Not a single corner was spared.
They even snatched Old Madam Xiao’s walking cane from her hands, claiming they needed to inspect it to see whether gold or jewels had been hidden inside.