"One peach killing three warriors, this Liu Ling is quite clever, truly worthy of being a spy."
Although the three brothers later interacted as usual, they all knew that because of this incident, their relationship could never return to what it was before.
Even their mother, Lady Yang, the Marquess's wife, tried to mediate to no avail. Instead, they began to suspect their own mother of favoring the other brothers, leaving Lady Yang, their birth mother, in a difficult position pleasing no one.
It was at this time that Xue Ju returned.
"Xue Ju deliberately concealed the facts of his abduction from the beginning, pretending not to know, which suggests he probably guessed who was behind it.
Did he return this time to seek his family or to seek revenge?"
Both to seek family and to seek revenge! His only full-blooded younger sister was still in the Marquess's estate, so of course he had to return. But he could not leave unavenged the wrong of being sent into the wolf's den.
"How could a fifteen-year-old child contend against his powerful and influential uncles? Didn't he tell the truth to his father, Xue Chao?"
Master, do you think Xue Ju could trust a father who sent him far away just to remarry? Those four men were nominally the escort attendants personally selected by Xue Chao.
Xue Ju even believed his father Xue Chao was not clean in this matter either; even if he didn't directly participate, he tacitly allowed things to develop.
Moreover, when he returned, his father already had a beloved wife and son, while his sister had been raised into a virtual invisible person within the Marquess's estate.
Fortunately, however, Xue Rui was a clever girl, cautious and discreet in daily life, knowing how to hide her intelligence.
She also did not contend with the two children born to Lady Liu, thus managing to grow up safely and wait for her brother's return.
"The Xue family truly committed sins, especially Xue Chao, who is unfit to be a father!"
Hearing the Little Immortal Lord's comment on Xue Chao, everyone present felt a stir in their hearts. This Xue Chao's career would likely stop here in this lifetime.
Someone disliked by the Little Immortal Lord would no longer be favored by their Majesty, or even by the next emperor, Crown Prince Xie Zhiyan.
Xue Ju also suspected his mother's death. Later, he discovered it was the work of his dear uncles, but there were shadows of others behind them, pointing directly to his stepmother Lady Liu and her family.
And his father seemed to have also sensed that his mother's difficult childbirth was connected to his uncles, but he showed no intention of investigating at all.
In despair, Xue Ju thought of an extreme method, one that could take the entire family away.
"Take the entire family away? Poison?"
Master, even if it were poison, it might not necessarily take away everyone without missing anyone, right?
"Then tell me quickly what method he thought of."
Xue Yao and Xue Chao were even more panicked. Their grandson/son wanted to take the entire family to their deaths... they...
While he was away, Xue Ju met a branch of the Tong family. The method he thought of was rebellion. In this world, what could cause a family to die more quickly and thoroughly than being discovered for rebellion?
"This... truly is! This method is absolutely brilliant!"
He first arranged a distant marriage for his sister, who was not yet fourteen. This marriage was so distant it took her out of the country.
Because there were benefits to be gained, not a single person in the Xue family came forward to stop it.
Even her own father, Xue Chao, allowed his young daughter to marry far away to another country. From this alone, one can see the cold indifference of the Xue family towards the two siblings.
After sending his sister away, Xue Ju began his operations.
While posing as a Tong family scout, Xue Ju met his 'life mentor,' Bai Yu, and Xue Ju consequently joined the Prince of Qi's faction.
Not long after, the Prince of Qi's intention to rebel was reported. The ailing Emperor Mingxi ordered a thorough investigation. Xue Ju planted sufficient evidence of rebellion in both his own home and the Liu family home to implicate both households.
After being captured, he quickly confessed, giving a detailed and vivid account of everything his family and the Liu family had done for the Prince of Qi.
He successfully led the Xue family to receive the "entire household extermination" package.
During this process, the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple also uncovered the Liu family's collusion with Nanyue.
"Was the Prince of Qi's rebellion reported by Xue Ju?"
"It was him. What a pity about this child. He's a ruthless and clever one. To escape from the far southern lands and make it back, his willpower and skills must be exceptional. It's a shame Xue Chao was so blind, failing to see the worth of such intelligent children.
Learning from Emperor Mingxi by treating illegitimate children as treasures, how pathetic!"
Emperor Mingxi, once again dragged out by the Divine Artifact to be scolded alongside others, silently practiced breathing exercises in his mind. He didn't dare offend these two ancestors, but could he not deal with the Xue family? The first to suffer would be Xue Chao!
Xue Chao didn't need to look to know how terrible His Majesty's expression must be at that moment. In his heart, he cursed the ancestors of the Liu and Jiang families for eight generations, yet never reflected on his own mistakes.
"This Xue Ju, although a bit young, could be cultivated in a few years. If the Xue family doesn't want him, Little Pearl, help me make a note. We'll pick up this bargain."
Emperor Mingxi's eyes shifted. With him around, the Xue family would have no choice but to cultivate this talent. The court had preemptively claimed this future talent; the future Marquisate title could only belong to this young man.
"Forgot to mention, there was one Liu family member who slipped through the net—Liu Ling's half-brother from a different mother, the son of Liu's father by a concubine.
By the time the Liu family case broke, he was already a minor official in the capital city's gate guard. What he could do when Nanyue attacked is easy to imagine.
This man was generous with money and successfully won over a group of people, becoming a small nail driven by Nanyue into the heart of the Dayan Dynasty.
Although Nanyue Emperor Gan Sheng's plan to control the Pingyue Marquisate through the Liu family was thwarted by Xue Ju, he inadvertently left behind this nail—the Liu family's illegitimate son—which significantly reduced casualties for Nanyue's successful breach of the city walls."
"As expected, the Dayan Dynasty lives up to its title of 'sieve and colander,' maintaining its stable performance!"
Emperor Mingxi's face darkened at this evaluation, and his gaze swept towards Wei Ping, Cai Xian, and Feng Tang.
He had assigned the task of arresting Dayan Dynasty spies and investigating families and individuals colluding with foreign tribes to these three men two months prior.
Although many suspicious individuals had been captured during this time, he never imagined Emperor Gan Sheng of Nanyue's reach was already so deep.
Thinking of the spies he himself had placed in those other families, Emperor Mingxi gradually reconciled with the situation. They did it first, he would do it later. From now on, it would be a contest of who was more cunning!
Emperor Mingxi patiently listened to reports on the progress of disaster relief and resource allocation for snow disasters across various regions. After ordering the Censorate and the Ministry of Revenue to strengthen supervision, he dismissed the court.
Yue Fuguang had just started to step out when he was called by Eunuch Qian.
"Grand Tutor, please wait a moment. His Majesty requests your presence. He is waiting for you in the Hall of Mental Cultivation."
"Old Qian, any idea what His Majesty wants with me?" Yue Fuguang, having grown accustomed to the system's way of addressing him, inadvertently let the familiar term slip out.
Eunuch Qian, hearing Yue Fuguang inquire for information, didn't hide anything and replied with a smile, "It likely concerns the assassination attempt on Grand Tutor during the Lantern Festival."
"Has His Majesty found out who was behind it?"
Hearing it was about this matter, Yue Fuguang couldn't help but quicken her pace. She was still very concerned about who exactly wanted her dead.
Although she wasn't afraid of such threats, the thought of potentially running into this kind of nuisance every time she stepped out was aggravating. It might not be able to truly harm her, but it was utterly irritating!
