At that moment, Xie Anfeng wished he could strangle her.

But things are different now. Empress Xie is no longer that bright and cheerful younger sister, but a powerful empress who calls herself "I"!

Moreover, her own daughter and grandson were being held captive by her.

"Your Majesty, interference in politics by the empress dowager is already a grave taboo. To then rule from behind the curtain is to compound the error. We beg Your Majesty to let go!"

"Is Lord Xie afraid?"

"yes!"

As the head of the clan, he bore the responsibility for the honor and safety of the Xie family. Empress Xie's actions had already brought great disaster to the entire Xie family.

"What's there to be afraid of! Those surnamed Wei are either dead or have fled. In the next couple of days, I will deal with those surnamed Zhou as well. The Xie family will be the only powerful one, and from now on, Xie family daughters will no longer need to be used as tools for marriage alliances!" Empress Xie said. "I will issue an edict to greatly reward the Xie family."

Xie Anfeng closed his eyes briefly and replied dryly, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I cannot accept such a reward without merit. I do not seek any honor or reward, only peace."

Empress Xie smiled and said, "Of course, I will reward you! What my brother and mother have always wanted is for the Xie family to be favored above all else, right? I will grant your wish!"

Xie Anfeng coughed up three liters of blood. The Xie family wanted to prosper, but they never thought of rebelling!

"I intend to bestow the title of Prince Gong upon my elder brother, the title of Prince Chu upon my second brother, the title of Empress Dowager upon my mother, and the title of Princess Consort upon my several aunts."

Zhao Zhao is hereby granted the title of Crown Princess!

Xie Anfeng looked at Empress Xie in despair, the icy glare in his eyes turning into invisible blades.

"Your Majesty, I disagree! I beg Your Majesty to spare Lady Xie!"

"I am a daughter of the Xie family, and I cannot forget my roots. I will certainly share weal and woe with the Xie family, and I will reward you accordingly!!"

The two were locked in a tug-of-war, one demanding a reward, the other sternly refusing.

The imperial guards at the gate reported: "Your Majesty, someone has thrown Princess Yurong at the palace gate, along with a letter!"

"Gao Quan, bring this here!" Empress Xie said to Xie Anfeng, "Lord Xie, please go back and wait for the imperial decree."

When Xie Anfeng came out of the palace, he felt dizzy and lightheaded, and his vision blurred.

He staggered into the car and headed back home.

As he left the palace, he saw the imperial guards carrying Princess Yurong to the imperial study.

The next day, at the imperial court.

Emperor Hui sat blankly in the court, not uttering a word, while Empress Xie sat before the dragon throne, discussing state affairs with the court officials.

"Lord Xie, I've heard there's a secret letter in your study?"

Empress Xie suddenly asked Xie Anfeng a question.

"I am an official appointed by the court and also the head of the Xie clan. Every document I handle is considered confidential. I do not know which letter Your Majesty is referring to?"

"Ha, Lord Xie, why pretend to be ignorant? Let me remind you: that document that your father, Prince Jing, the imprisoned Grand Secretary Liu, the Duke of Xun, and the late Marquis of Pingyang conspired to sign!"

The court was in an uproar.

The letter was signed by the late patriarch of the Xie family, so it must have been a secret letter from at least twenty or thirty years ago, right? What kind of letter could be kept secret for so long?

Xie Anfeng said without changing his expression, "I am unaware of this. My father did not mention such a letter to me."

"You won't shed tears until you see the coffin! If you hand it over voluntarily, I can guarantee the safety of your entire household. If it's found, I won't be able to protect the Xie family either."

"No, I have never seen such a secret letter before," Xie Anfeng said firmly.

All the civil and military officials in the court bowed their heads and remained silent. Ever since the Empress began to rule from behind the curtain, her relationship with Lord Xie had deteriorated further.

Empress Xie looked at him, then at the assembled officials. None of the people related to the secret letter that Princess Yu Rong had mentioned were present today.

Old Master Xie has passed away, Marquis Pingyang has also passed away, Duke Xun died in battle in the Northwest, Grand Secretary Liu has been imprisoned, and Prince Jing has been ill and no longer attends court since she took over the government.

Empress Xie sneered, "Then search immediately."

Xie Anfeng angrily said, "Your Majesty says to search my residence, so you search my residence. This is a complete disregard for the laws of the court and for my dignity!"

"Once the secret letter is found, I will have a good discussion with you about the laws and regulations."

Ling Xun then stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty the Empress's unfounded search of the ministers' residences is truly inappropriate. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider."

Many officials stood up and said, "Your Majesty, please think it over," while others said, "Your Majesty, please think it over."

Empress Xie smiled and said, "I naturally have my reasons. Otherwise, why don't I search the residences of other court officials?"

Ling Xun said again, "Your Majesty..."

Your Majesty? Ha! Empress Xie glanced at the newly appointed Imperial Censor Wu.

Imperial Censor Wu immediately raised his tablet and said, "Your Majesty, I wish to impeach Vice Minister Ling of the Ministry of Works. With the army fighting the enemy in the Northwest, Your Majesty is seriously ill, and the country is in peril. Yet, Minister Ling has been frequenting brothels and engaging in such filthy acts. This is truly a disgrace to scholarship and a violation of human ethics!"

Upon hearing this, all the officials immediately turned their attention to Ling Xun.

Ling Xun blushed and looked at the sanctimonious Lord Ma and his ilk. The thing that had puzzled him for days suddenly became clear.

The real potential of Huiyue Manor lies here!

The blush on his face faded, and he stood there calmly, neither arguing nor caring.

"Lord Ling, is what Imperial Censor Wu said true?" Empress Xie asked calmly.

Ling Xun replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "If I were to say that I 'pass through a sea of ​​flowers without a single petal clinging to me,' would Your Majesty believe me?"

“He went, that’s all. How dare he try to argue? Utterly shameless! He is hereby dismissed from his post as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works and demoted to a seventh-rank clerk.”

Once a seventh-rank clerk is appointed, he will no longer even be qualified to attend court before the emperor.

At noon, the palace eunuch Gao Quan came to Xie's residence to announce an imperial decree: the Imperial Guards were ordered to search Xie's residence for secret letters of treason.

Madam Xie's hands trembled. How could the Xie family possibly plot treason? Where did this secret letter come from?

The old man stood firmly, leaning on his dragon-head cane.

As long as she remains in power, her children and grandchildren will have a pillar of support.

Xie Anfeng looked at the fierce Imperial Guards and his heart sank to the bottom.

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