Those outside the door initially thought that the Li family would at most keep their door closed, but little did they expect that when the door opened, a vicious dog would greet them.

The maids and servants screamed in fright, forgetting the difference between master and servant, and all squeezed into the carriage, trembling with fear.

The coachmen all jumped onto the carriage shaft, hopping around.

Fortunately, the horses were startled and started running away, managing to carry everyone out of the street where the Li family lived.

When the servant boy of the Li family tapped the food bowl, the big dogs obediently went their own way.

A few bystanders who happened to witness the commotion were left on the street corners, wishing they could disappear into the cracks in the walls, lest they become the target of the vicious dogs.

So, within half a day, news spread that the Li family had been arrogant and rude, and had released vicious dogs to injure people.

Of course, there must be a reason for setting dogs on people to bite.

When they heard that someone coveted Princess Kangle and planned to use a marriage alliance to climb up to the Li family and ensure their safety, everyone suddenly realized what was going on.

No wonder the Li family is like this; any family would be furious if their daughter were coveted like this.

Moreover, Princess Kang Le is the apple of the Li family's eye, their heart's treasure!

The Li family letting their dogs bite people is the least of their worries!

Some people said privately, "Just wait and see, the Li family definitely won't just let the dogs bite people!"

But some people disagreed, saying, "They were just proposing marriage; if it didn't work out, what could the Li family do?"

Amidst the various opinions, everyone is waiting to see what happens.

Meanwhile, in Zhilan Palace, the Third Princess felt that her younger sister had been bullied and was so angry that she rolled up her sleeves!

"Who dares to be my brother-in-law?! Tie him up and let me give him a hundred lashes first! He's got a death wish, all sorts of monsters and demons are jumping out here!"

Jiayin wasn't angry at all. Although she hadn't expected this, it made sense when she thought about it.

Now, Xindu is like a big ship. When a storm comes, those who are about to be tossed into the sea will naturally try every means to stay on the ship.

The Li family, sitting in the middle of the boat, a low-key and stable presence, naturally became the target of many people.

She was the adopted daughter of the Marquis of Xinting, a close friend of the Third Princess, and could even call the Emperor "Uncle Emperor." Whoever married her would have an extra layer of immunity from death.

"Alright, don't be angry anymore. Once this blows over in a few days, such absurd things will stop."

She pulled the Third Princess down to sit and persuaded her, "Besides, this is a good thing. It means that I am incomparably beautiful and everyone is vying for me."

The third princess looked her up and down several times, wanting to mock her, but also feeling somewhat guilty.

It has to be said, girls really do change a lot as they grow up.

Jia Yin was a chubby little boy when he was a child, and he was incredibly cute.

But now she has grown into a beautiful young woman, with elegant features and a refined inner beauty; she is pleasing to the eye no matter how you look at her.

Most importantly, being around her gives you a unique feeling of comfort and peace.

Marrying such a wonderful girl would make any man's heart flutter with joy...

"Fine, fine, I don't care anymore! You're so smart, I'm not going to bother with you. What if you get wrinkles and aren't as pretty as you!"

After saying that, she quickly called Caiyun to bring a mirror, and then she kept looking at herself over and over again...

The next day was a small court assembly. The emperor had just settled into his throne when a censor stepped forward and made a scathing complaint.

The defendants included five or six people, including the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

The charges included oppressing the people, seizing farmland, and even bullying men and women—a wide variety of crimes, and each one was supported by solid evidence.

While none of these offenses warranted the death penalty, they were enough to cause these individuals considerable distress and ruin their official careers.

The Emperor knew very well that these people were not on the list to be eliminated.

But prey that comes to him deserves its fate, so he naturally won't let it go.

After the punishment, the official positions will be vacant, which will be a good opportunity to reassign reliable personnel.

So, no matter how much Chen Shilang and the others protested their innocence, they were all taken away in the end.

Vice Minister Chen glared fiercely at Imperial Censor Wen, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets.

Imperial Censor Wen sighed innocently.

He had indeed prepared a memorial, which he finalized last night with Li Lao Er and Liu Zhiheng. The charges and evidence were quite complete.

But who knew that before he could even lift a finger, "righteous people" would launch a siege.

Not to mention Vice Minister Chen and others, he was even more curious about whose work this was!

Outside the palace gate, the Li family's carriage was parked on the outermost perimeter. Li Lao Er and Liu Zhiheng, who had claimed to be sick and taken leave, hid inside the carriage, drinking tea and waiting for Mr. Wen to come out.

During this period, news circulated that Vice Minister Chen and others had been investigated and punished.

Liu Zhiheng even praised with a smile, "Mr. Wen is really amazing, he succeeded in one move."

Li Lao Er yawned and replied, "The people at home have been busy for a whole day and night. The evidence is conclusive, and the Emperor will definitely punish them impartially. Fortunately, we have accumulated a lot of intelligence over the years, and it has come in handy now."

Liu Zhiheng gave a thumbs up, genuinely admiring him.

"Many people often laugh at your family for having a shallow foundation, but if they knew that your family has the best connections in the entire Xindu, they would probably be so surprised they'd drop their teeth. Playing dumb to fool others, brilliant!"

Li Lao Er waved his hand modestly, "Our family is just trying to protect ourselves. After all, if we suddenly squeeze into the ranks of you wealthy and powerful people, we need to have some skills. Otherwise, we'll be sold out one day and still have to count the money for them!"

“That’s true, one should always be wary of others.” Liu Zhiheng sighed. “I also find it boring. Once Zhimin and Xiujie grow up, I’ll build a house in your Suijintan and enjoy my retirement.”

"Great! We can spend all day soaking in hot springs and drinking wine. That would be so relaxing."

"When I have nothing to do, I can put on a straw hat and go check on the melon field."

The two chatted and laughed, and soon the court session ended.

Mr. Wen followed the crowd out of the palace, and as soon as he got into the carriage, he was enthusiastically praised by Li Lao Er and Liu Zhiheng.

“When Imperial Censor Wen makes a move, success is achieved immediately.”

"That's right. Let alone a mere vice minister, even ministers and princes would be terrified of him."

Mr. Wen quickly waved his hand and said with a wry smile, "Our plan didn't work out!"

"Ah, that's impossible!" Liu Zhiheng pointed outside the car and said in a low voice, "Weren't Vice Minister Chen and his men all sent to the Dali Temple?"

Mr. Wen's expression grew increasingly strange. "Someone beat me to it. The three of Minister Chen's men were imprisoned. It has nothing to do with me!"

Li Lao Er and Liu Zhiheng remained silent for a long time.

These days, are people still eager to take revenge?

"Could they be men left behind by the Marquis?" Liu Zhiheng guessed.

“Impossible,” Li Lao Er immediately shook his head. “Mu Xu is in charge of the Marquis’s men. Half of the evidence I have here was arranged by him. It’s impossible for him to go to the trouble of finding someone else to submit a memorial.”

"Let's go home first." Mr. Wen couldn't think of anything either, so he quickly told Zheng He to drive back home, as it would be safer to talk at home than outside.

Leaving aside the Li family's surprise, in the Lu family's backyard, Lu Zong also frowned and asked, "Are you sure the person who submitted the memorial wasn't from the Earl's mansion?"

"No, Your Highness. Imperial Censor Wen didn't say anything, and our men didn't move either. It's definitely a third party." Lu Feng asked cautiously with a strange expression, "Could it be that someone else... couldn't bear to see the princess being bullied?"

Unable to guess, Lu Zong grew somewhat irritated. Just as he was about to speak, a servant rushed in to report, "Your Highness, the imperial physicians have arrived again!"

Lu Zong's expression changed, he cursed under his breath, and felt extremely regretful.

Why did I have such a stupid idea to use this lame excuse to delay the wedding?

Now things are really messed up; they're caught in a dilemma, like shooting themselves in the foot.

He lay down on the bed with a dark expression, gritting his teeth as he ordered, "Come on!"

I'm only updating today. Something urgent came up and I had to stop writing. Sorry, my darlings. I'll resume two updates tomorrow!