What the Emperor wanted was not merely the Xiao family’s wealth—he wanted to utterly destroy the Xiao family’s prestige, make an example of them, and intimidate the other ambitious officials in court.
The Xiao family had served the empire with unwavering loyalty for generations. Their outstanding achievements had long made the Emperor uneasy, and he had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to remove this thorn from his side.
The charge of Xiao Jinghe’s “treason” was nothing more than a trap he had fabricated at will.
Accompanying Yan Lexian during the confiscation was another man—a burly, broad-faced brute named Ying Tianjiao, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards.
His narrow, triangular eyes greedily swept over the women of the Xiao household.
In the end, his gaze settled on Su Linlang.
She was dressed in plain white today, making her snow-white skin appear even fairer. Her cool, elegant bearing remained undiminished despite her dire circumstances, and her breathtaking beauty was impossible to hide.
Ying Tianjiao had once desired Su Linlang and formally proposed marriage to the Su family. But she had looked down on him for being nothing more than a crude, brawny soldier and would rather die than marry him. Instead, she had married Xiao Ye, Xiao Jinghe’s second brother.
He had never forgotten that humiliation.
Now, the shame of being rejected and the lust he had suppressed for years grew wildly inside him like rampant weeds.
“Minister Yan,” Ying Tianjiao said in his rough voice, “these women might be hiding gold, silver, and jewelry on their bodies.”
Although he was speaking to Yan Lexian, his eyes remained fixed on Su Linlang, carrying a barely concealed trace of lecherous intent.
His words crashed into the courtyard like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a storm.
“Deputy Commander Ying is right,” Yan Lexian replied knowingly, rubbing his hands together greedily. “Women like these are the craftiest. Who knows? They may have sewn valuables into their clothing.”
After suffering devastating losses the previous night, he was desperate to replenish his own treasury.
The women of the Xiao family instantly turned pale.
They instinctively retreated, their eyes filled with fear and indignation.
Although they had prepared themselves mentally for what was to come, such humiliation was still unbearable.
Chu Xiangyue shouted angrily, “How dare you! In broad daylight, how can you behave so outrageously?”
Xun Ruoqiu also stepped forward, shielding Su Linlang and the children behind her.
“Ying Tianjiao, don’t you dare! We are noblewomen appointed by the imperial court. You have no right to search our bodies at will!”
Ying Tianjiao sneered.
“The imperial decree is here. Confiscating property and searching bodies are perfectly justified. What? Are you planning to defy His Majesty’s order?”
Old Madam Xiao trembled as she stepped forward, using her frail body to shield her daughters-in-law and grandchildren behind her.
Though her eyes had grown cloudy with age, they still burned with righteous fury.
“You heartless beasts! The Xiao family has served the empire faithfully for generations, yet we suffer such a calamity today. Heaven truly has no eyes!”
“If you insist on searching someone, search this old woman! Leave my daughters-in-law alone!”
Ying Tianjiao looked at the elderly matriarch blocking his way, irritation flashing across his face.
Without hesitation, he shoved her aside.
Old Madam Xiao staggered backward several steps and nearly fell.
“Old hag, get out of my way! Are you trying to defy the imperial decree?”
His thunderous voice rang through the courtyard, leaving Old Madam Xiao’s ears buzzing.
Su Linlang’s face turned pale, yet she rushed forward without the slightest hesitation to support the elderly woman.
She lifted her head and met Ying Tianjiao’s gaze directly, her eyes unwavering and fearless.
“Ying Tianjiao, don’t bully my mother-in-law! If you want someone, come at me!”
Her eyes shone like icy stars.
That piercing gaze was like a sharp sword, cutting straight through the savage facade he wore.
Ying Tianjiao stared at Su Linlang, a complicated mixture of emotions flickering across his face—greed, resentment, and… a trace of lingering obsession that even he could barely conceal.
She was still as beautiful as ever.
Even in the depths of despair, her grace had not diminished in the slightest.
And the more beautiful she was…
the more he wanted to humiliate her, to finally vent the hatred he had harbored for so many years.