"Why is the Crown Prince here?" Si Hengnian looked over with a probing gaze, as if trying to see through his secrets.

Min Hui stepped forward and said, “I am here to prevent petty criminals from obstructing the investigation. After all, the Prime Minister has many disciples, and there are bound to be some who are biased. However, it is suspicious that the newlywed Prince Xun is not at home with his wife, but instead came to the vicinity of the criminal’s residence.

"Am I not allowed to come here? It's just that the Princess Consort was worried about the Prime Minister's residence and asked me to come and take a look."

"Next time Prince Xun comes, you can be as open and generous as you are during the day. It would be bad if you were mistaken for someone with ill intentions. Please rest assured, Prince Xun, once the case is settled, I will send someone to inform Prince Xun's residence as soon as possible."

Si Hengnian stared intently at him, as if meeting him for the first time, and said in a deep voice, "Then I'll have to trouble the Crown Prince."

"Your Highness is too kind."

Not only at the Prime Minister's residence, but also at the Fang residence after Si Hengnian left, where he found the Second Prince guarding the residence and was the first to discover his presence.

What surprised Si Hengnian was that in his ten years as an official, he had never known that the two princes had become so powerful. Could it be that the royal family had been on guard against him from the very beginning?

What a vicious mind! They're just waiting for him to make a mistake so they can take him down in one fell swoop?

Ha, so all his past achievements in fighting for the court are to be erased?

Si Hengnian thought maliciously, "Although both princes are well-educated, they are too well-educated. Aren't you afraid that the two princes will turn against each other in the future?"

They were about the same age and about the same level of intelligence, but there was only one throne, so he could almost foresee how things would develop in the future.

From this perspective, his previous plans may not necessarily fail. When the two princes fight amongst themselves, he will secretly manipulate things, like a mantis stalking a cicada unaware of a oriole behind it. It's really hard to say who will have the last laugh.

It might mean that Huixin will have to suffer, since he can't reveal all his cards yet, otherwise the royal family will be wary of him, and his future will be even more difficult.

As a subject, one is always powerless to do things, unable to even protect the family of the woman he loves. Si Hengnian took a deep look at the palace, knowing that sooner or later he would ascend to the highest position. Even if the world tried to stop him, he would at least make the person on the highest position listen to him.

Filled with anger, Si Hengnian never considered who gave him the opportunity to be where he is today.

You claim your military achievements are unparalleled, so hasn't His Majesty bestowed upon you the title of the only non-royal prince in this dynasty? Hasn't His Majesty turned a blind eye to allowing you to keep a portion of the treasures you've acquired in battle? With such favors, what more do you want? If it weren't for your repeated disobedience to imperial orders at the border, citing the excuse that a general in the field may disobey orders, and if it weren't for your usurpation of power at the border, causing the soldiers and civilians there to only know the meritorious prince and not the Emperor, why would His Majesty need to confine you to the capital?

I gave you troops, provisions, and military power, yet you appropriated all the military achievements and fame for yourself. How could Your Majesty not be wary and suspicious?

Does reclaiming a few cities mean we have to obey your every command to be considered worthy of your trust? Without the court's initial trust and support, how could so many troops and so much grain be at your disposal in just ten years?

That's how arrogant people are; they always think that mistakes are someone else's fault.

Of course, if you eventually come to power, you can say you are right, but if you don't, you have to bear the consequences of your excessive ambition.

In the general's mansion, Song Xia and Feng Shao were still awake. Song Xia looked at the moonlight and said, "I reckon it won't be long before war breaks out again at the border. Shao'er, are you ready?"

Feng Shao's eyes were resolute: "I am not afraid of any war, no matter how difficult. It's just that the Jing Kingdom has only lost 30,000 soldiers, and with the winter approaching and the water and grass not plentiful, how can they have the strength to march south again?"

"What if someone is colluding with us from the inside? They lack supplies, but our Li Kingdom has no shortage of them."

Feng Shao suddenly realized: "Mother, you mean Prince Xun? But how could he..."

"Why not? Some people are capable of anything to reclaim their power. Don't judge anyone's bottom line too easily. Shao'er, with the Fourth Princess and Lingling helping you with the supplies, I'm not worried. But this defense map... be careful of those around you. After all, the soldiers who are with you now served Prince Xun for ten years."

"Mother, I will be careful."

"In a couple of days, I will have the First Prince and the Second Prince send a few people to protect you secretly. Don't blame me for being overly cautious, but it's always better to be safe than sorry."

Seeing Song Xia's worried eyes, Feng Shao swallowed his refusal.

Just three days after the mother and son had their heart-to-heart talk, the border was indeed in dire need of help, and His Majesty hurriedly ordered Feng Shao to go to the border as quickly as possible.

At the Prince Xun's residence, Xu Huixin looked at Si Hengnian expectantly: "Will this resolve the crisis facing the Prime Minister's residence?"

Si Hengnian embraced her: "I don't know either, but as long as Feng Shao fails in the battle, then only I will be able to resist the Jing Kingdom. At that time, no matter whether my father-in-law has committed any crimes, His Majesty will have to treat him leniently for my sake."

Xu Huixin threw herself into his arms: "Hengnian, it's so good to have you."

However, the two were too happy too soon, because the evidence they had collected was complete enough that Prime Minister Xu and his clansmen were quickly convicted. In order to demonstrate the court's fairness and grief, all the evidence was made public for the people to judge.

The common people may not understand what is wrong with officials privately mining and raising troops, but seeing the list of embezzled treasures and seized farmland, countless people were furious. On that day, the gates of the Prime Minister's Mansion and the Fang Mansion were piled with rotten eggs and vegetable leaves.

Special measures were taken. Despite the large number of officials involved, His Majesty showed no leniency. Those who were dismissed from office were dismissed, their homes were confiscated, and those who were exiled were exiled. As for the Prime Minister's residence, except for children under ten years old, all the men and women were beheaded and their families were punished. In recognition of the meritorious prince's military achievements, Xu Huixin, who was already married, was pardoned. Other married women were pardoned, but their dowries were confiscated as a warning to others.

When the imperial edict was issued, the people of the entire capital were all delighted. The confiscation of property was personally handled by the eldest and second princes. As they looked at the boxes of treasure being carried out, the people thought of the dowry given by the Prime Minister's Mansion when Princess Xun got married.

That wasn't a dowry; it was the hard-earned money of ordinary people! Why should Princess Xun be exempt from punishment?

In an instant, Xu Huixin's reputation was further tarnished, with some even criticizing her for being unfilial and saying that while her maternal relatives were beheaded, she could still enjoy a life of comfort.

In fact, Xu Huixin fell ill after the verdict was announced and couldn't even get out of bed. If it weren't for Si Hengnian, she probably would have committed suicide long ago. Although she was still alive, she had a falling out with Si Hengnian and refused to eat or drink for two whole days.

“I know you’re upset that I failed to protect the Prime Minister’s residence, but they took advantage of the opportunity to act quickly and decisively, and I didn’t have time to react! Huixin, you have to think about our children.”

"The child?" Xu Huixin finally reacted a little.

Si Hengnian quickly grasped her hand: "The imperial physician just said that you are one month pregnant."

To everyone's surprise, Xu Huixin broke down even more: "My parents and clansmen are about to be beheaded, how can you expect me to give birth to my child in peace? Hengnian, you're lying to me, you're lying to me!"

"I will avenge you, I swear, I will definitely avenge you, Huixin, don't scare me, okay?"