The virtuous prince and eunuch Gao walked side by side, followed closely by a large number of imperial guards. They marched in step, their expressions solemn, and their spears in hand, forming a spectacular sight. Behind them, there was a carriage loaded with gold, silver, and jewelry, the deep ruts showing the weight of the treasures inside.

The team marched out of the palace in a mighty procession, heading towards the Duke's Mansion. Wherever they passed, people stopped to watch, wondering about the purpose of this action.

Upon entering the Duke's Mansion, An Qingxuan had already led everyone kneeling on the ground, a state of complete silence. Duke An and his wife, supported by servants, slowly emerged. Their faces betrayed a hint of fatigue, but their eyes were still filled with awe for the imperial power.

Upon seeing this, Eunuch Gao immediately signaled the young eunuch beside him to come forward, placed two carved armchairs next to the two old men, and said with a smile: "Duke Anguo, His Majesty is so gracious that he specifically instructed you two elders not to kneel to receive his orders! Sit down and listen!" His voice was sharp and clear, and it spread throughout the Duke's Mansion.

The virtuous prince opened the imperial edict and read aloud: "The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, commands: I govern the country with civil virtues and suppress rebellions with military force. Military commanders and generals are the pillars of the imperial court and the pillars of the nation. Those who are both civil and military, and who have rendered service with all their might, must not be overlooked for their achievements and be commended with favor. My loyal minister, An Qingxuan, has educated his children well. His eldest son, An Junyuan, is both virtuous and talented, and has diligently governed the country, earning my heart. You have lived up to the court's high expectations, and I hereby appoint you as Grand Commander of the Capital Camp as a reward! Return to the capital immediately to take up this post!"

An Qingxuan led everyone in kowtowing in gratitude: "The entire Duke's Mansion thanks His Majesty for his grace! Long live the Emperor!"

The virtuous king handed the imperial edict to An Qingxuan and said with a smile, "Congratulations to Minister An! Your Majesty has specially selected a cart of gold, silver and jewelry. Minister An fainted in the court today, and Your Majesty is very worried!"

An Qingxuan's face was filled with joy: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty!"

At this time, Duke Anguo gave Eunuch Gao the reward money. Eunuch Gao said with a smile: "Then we will return to the palace! Congratulations, Duke Anguo, your eldest grandson will be back to accompany you!"

After Eunuch Gao led the imperial guards away, An Qingxuan saw that the virtuous prince had no intention of leaving. He hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Is there anything else the virtuous prince needs to convey?"

The virtuous king smiled slightly and said softly, "Minister An, don't be nervous. I just wanted to chat with you for a while. I wonder why Minister An suddenly fainted in the court today? Is he seriously ill?"

An Qingxuan quickly replied, "Thanks to the wise king's concern, I am not seriously ill. I just heard that my son was poisoned, and I am worried and panicked!"

The virtuous prince nodded, a look of understanding on his face, and said softly, "Now that your son is about to return, Minister An, there is no need to worry too much! I would like to have lunch at your house today. I wonder..."

An Qingxuan smiled slightly, quickly stood up, bowed to the virtuous king, and said respectfully, "It is an honor for us to have you dine here! Please come in, virtuous king!"

As they talked, the two of them walked into the dining room together. After lunch, An Qingxuan dismissed everyone and then moved to the study with the virtuous king. They sat opposite each other and began to drink tea and chat.

At this moment, the virtuous king suddenly took out a letter from his arms, handed it to An Qingxuan, and said, "This is what Prince Xiao asked me to give to Minister An!" His voice was very soft, but it carried an inexplicable majesty.

An Qingxuan carefully opened the envelope and saw four big words written on the letter paper: Wait and see!

He couldn't help but frown and muttered to himself, "What on earth does Master Xiao mean by this?"

Seeing this, the virtuous prince beside him smiled slightly and explained, "Prince Xiao meant that Minister An should not worry about the affairs in Jiangnan for now. These matters will naturally be handled by His Majesty himself. The An family does not need to intervene. After all, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince are fighting in full swing right now, and the An family must not be involved!"

After hearing this, An Qingxuan showed a hint of hesitation on his face: "Why is the virtuous king..."

The virtuous king seemed to see through his thoughts and laughed heartily: "This king and Prince Xiao are on the same side. Prince Xiao will be your nephew-in-law in the future. Do you still have doubts about us?"

An Qingxuan quickly shook his head and said with a cupped hand, "I dare not, but this matter is so serious that I have to proceed with caution. I hope the wise king will forgive me."

The virtuous king waved his hand and said with a smile, "That's all right. Minister An's caution is justified. However, since Prince Xiao has said so, he must have his own considerations. Let's just follow his advice for now and wait and see."

An Qingxuan nodded, but a sense of confusion remained within him. He wondered what the deeper meaning of Prince Xiao's actions was. Was it really true, as the virtuous king had said, that His Majesty would personally handle the affairs of Jiangnan? Or was there something more to the story? It seemed only by waiting for further developments would the answer be revealed.

At night, all was silent, moonlight streaming down the Prime Minister's study. Suddenly, a mysterious, uninvited guest quietly arrived. Li Mingfu felt a sense of foreboding, and as he took the account book from the other party, his heart instantly plunged into a chill as cold as an ice cellar.

The man wearing the black iron mask spoke in a low and cold voice: "His Majesty has ordered that if the Prime Minister attacks the An family army again, Li Mingjie and the Li family's branches will be buried together!" This sentence sounded like thunder in Li Mingfu's ears, making him tremble.

Li Mingfu did not dare to neglect the matter and quickly and respectfully bowed to the iron-masked man, indicating that he would follow the emperor's will. However, just as the iron-masked man turned to leave, he stopped.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister!" The iron-masked man's tone was filled with warning. "If you sincerely hope that the Crown Prince is safe, then don't test His Majesty's bottom line. You must know that smuggling salt is a serious crime that is enough to exterminate nine generations of your clan!" After saying that, he stared at Li Mingfu with eyes as sharp as a knife.

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