Hearing Xie Zhui ask, Xu Guang sighed inwardly as Yin Tong finally voiced the thoughts he had been holding back for a long time.

 

Earlier, rumors had spread due to their return to the capital, and Xie Zhui was the one most affected by them. It was all because of Xie Zhui's status as a ger and because he had become the Prince Consort of Prince Li.

 

For men, rumors might only tarnish their reputation, but for gers and women, they could be deadly.

 

The people who spread those rumors might have wanted to drive a wedge between Xie Zhui and the northern border army, ensuring that they would never have any ties again. Or perhaps they simply couldn't accept that someone like Xie Zhui could become the Prince Consort of Prince Li. There might have been other reasons as well.

 

Yin Tong admired Xie Zhui the most. He had a straightforward personality and didn't see anything wrong with a ger being a great general. Whoever had the ability should take the position. So in Yin Tong's eyes, Xie Zhui was still the great general from back then, not just the Prince Consort of Prince Li.

 

That was why he instinctively called him "General."

 

But regardless of the situation, Xu Guang didn't want Xie Zhui to be dragged into rumors and gossip because of them again.

 

This was not something Xie Zhui should have to endure.

 

Fortunately, Xiao Shan was here today. Last time, it was clear that he was very protective of Xie Zhui, and this time he was the one who asked first, so there shouldn't be any misunderstandings.

 

Thinking of this, Xu Guang also breathed a sigh of relief.

 

As for the issues between them and Zuo Li, it ultimately boiled down to power and influence.

 

Xie Zhui was already the Prince Consort of Prince Li, and Xie Chen was blind, leaving no place for the Xie family in the northern border army.

 

Zuo Li aspired to take the position of Great General of the northern border army.

 

However, although he was born in the capital, his family background was ordinary, and many were eyeing the position of Great General of the northern border army.

 

But Zuo Li had something that these others did not: he had distinguished military achievements and was a well-known figure in the eyes of the Emperor.

 

The Zuo family wanted to push Zuo Li into the position, but they lacked some support. Their family background wasn't strong enough, so they chose the path of marriage alliances.

 

This time, upon returning to the capital, the Zuo family had arranged for Zuo Li to meet many potential matches. For families with slightly lower status, they presented legitimate daughters and gers. For those with slightly higher status, they offered concubine-born daughters registered under the main wife’s name.

 

Xu Guang and Yin Tong were not well-versed in the political landscape of the capital, but through various inquiries, they learned that these families were more or less connected to the prominent families in the capital.

 

Behind these prominent families often stood powerful ministers or princes.

 

The court's struggle for control over the northern border army meant that the princes behind them were vying for power.

 

Moreover, Xie Zhui held significant prestige within the northern border army, and behind Xie Zhui stood Prince Li, and behind Prince Li stood the Crown Prince.

 

Regarding the control of the northern border army, it was believed that the Crown Prince was determined to secure it.

 

Zuo Li's attempt to pave his way through marriage alliances was somewhat risky. Sometimes, it wasn't the Zuo family actively seeking out non-Crown Prince factions, but rather others trying to reach out to them.

 

Zuo Li was different from Xu Guang and Yin Tong.

 

Their families were relatively simple, without large family businesses or many relatives. However, Zuo Li's family in the capital had various ambitions. Even if Zuo Li himself didn't have such intentions, his family members might.

 

Zuo Li had to consider his family and even follow their arrangements, which was understandable.

 

What pained Xu Guang and Yin Tong the most was that the Zuo family saw them as potential rivals to Zuo Li, and Zuo Li ultimately chose to distance himself from them.

 

The three of them had once crawled out of piles of corpses together and had sworn brotherhood despite their different surnames. Now, because of the position of Great General of the northern border army, Zuo Li had begun to suspect them.

 

They couldn't tell if it was the allure of the capital's splendor that had clouded his vision or if people's hearts simply changed easily.

 

Yin Tong now wished he could grow a pair of wings and fly back to the northern border immediately. In the northern border, if enemies invaded, they fought; when there was no conflict, they trained.

 

There was no need to think about these convoluted matters.

 

Xu Guang also found staying in the capital uninteresting, but since the Emperor hadn't given a definitive answer, they couldn't return for the time being.

 

Even if they did return, if Zuo Li truly became the Great General of the northern border army, their future encounters would inevitably be awkward.

 

Of course, even in such circumstances, Xu Guang and Yin Tong wouldn't openly complain, especially with Prince Li present.

 

Although it couldn't be hidden forever, Xu Guang still spoke up, "Your Highness, Prince Consort, don't mind Yin Tong's complaints. He's just been in the capital for too long and misses the northern border."

 

Yin Tong understood his intention and chimed in, "Yes, although the capital is prosperous, I am naturally inclined to hard work and still wish to return and take a look."

 

Xie Zhui said, "That’s fine." The capital was full of schemes, and one could easily fall into someone else's trap.

 

Returning to the straightforward environment of the borderlands was also a good thing.

 

Hearing Xie Zhui's response, Xu Guang and Yin Tong both smiled.

 

In this world, some people change, but some do not. Perhaps in the future, they too would change, but for now, they still had pure hearts.

 

In fact, after hearing Yin Tong's complaints, Xie Zhui had already formed an idea. Zuo Li was his deputy, and he understood Zuo Li quite well.

 

Compared to Yin Tong's straightforwardness and Xu Guang's meticulousness, Zuo Li appeared carefree but was actually more tactful and steady in handling matters. With Xie Zhui's departure, it was only natural for Zuo Li to seek advancement.

 

However, this path was not an easy one.

 

Xie Zhui had managed to firmly establish himself in the northern border army not only because of his mad bravery on the battlefield but also due to the prestige built by the Xie family over generations.

 

But everyone has their own pursuits, and Xie Zhui had nothing to say about that.

 

Xiao Shan, perceptive and astute, quickly thought through many things.

 

However, he didn't say much. Having ambition was a good thing, as long as it didn't harm others. It was just a matter of personal choice. Moreover, these straightforward soldiers didn't seem to realize that nothing in the capital could be hidden from the Emperor.

 

Perhaps the Emperor had left the three of them in the capital as a test.

 

After leaving Wanxiangju, Yin Tong and Xu Guang took their leave, and Xiao Shan and Xie Zhui no longer felt like visiting other places.

 

The two of them returned to the residence.

 

Xie Zhui was in a bad mood, so Xiao Shan comforted him thoroughly with his body.

 

Two days later, the weather in the capital suddenly changed.

 

The officials that Xiao Shan and Zong Qing had brought back from Jiangnan, except for Liu Jingxuan, were all dealt with by the Emperor.

 

The lightest punishment was dismissal and investigation, confiscation of family property, and demotion back to their original hometowns.

 

Most of them were executed along with the merchants who had used money and beauty to bribe them.

 

As for the relatives of these people, except for those who had merits and clean records, the rest, although not executed, were all demoted to the status of commoners.

 

Those with merits were given leniency by the Emperor, allowing them to pay several times the amount of silver to buy their freedom.

 

In addition, Zhang Ruzhi, the prefect of Yangzhou who was unrelated to the matter, was subjected to corporal punishment and stripped of his official position. Wen Meiren, a palace concubine and Zhang Ruzhi's adopted daughter, was sent to the Cold Palace.

 

The Emperor's fury was so great that the streets of the capital were stained with blood.

 

The atmosphere of severity spread from the capital to the four corners of the realm, causing widespread fear and anxiety.

 

Xiao Shan understood that what angered the Emperor the most was that these officials dared to use their schemes against him.

 

The silver and beauties from Jiangnan had become tools of manipulation, forming a network. If this had not been discovered, who knows how many more "Yangzhou thin horses" — young women trained to be perfect concubines — might have been deliberately placed around him.

 

In the past few days, imperial edicts had been sent from the capital to Jiangnan one after another.

 

Each one carried blood.

 

Xiao Shan listened to the Emperor's decrees in silence for a long time.

 

He thought that it was better to be a wealthy and idle prince because the Emperor found it too easy to kill.

 

After dealing with this group of people, the Emperor's attention finally turned to Liu Jingxuan.

 

In the end, the Emperor approved Liu Shu's request to resign but did not allow him to return to his ancestral home. At the same time, the Emperor decreed that Liu Jingxuan be exiled two thousand miles away to Suning.

 

Suning was the most remote city in the northern border, where living conditions were extremely harsh. Few people could survive there for five years.

 

The Emperor showed some leniency towards Liu Jingxuan, but also conveyed that life and death were up to fate. In such a harsh place, if he could endure, he would live; if not, it was considered fate.

 

Upon hearing the news, the Crown Princess fainted immediately.

 

When she woke up, it was already dark, and Xiao Jin was sitting by the bedside.

 

Liu Jingyi looked at Xiao Jin, biting her lip hard, and tears silently streamed down her cheeks.

 

Xiao Jin looked back at her and said, "Father Emperor has already shown leniency by not expelling your father from the capital. You need to take good care of your health. You are the Crown Princess; they all need you."

 

With tears streaming down her face, Liu Jingyi calmly asked, "How much longer can I remain the Crown Princess?"

 

Xiao Jin didn't understand what she meant by this and couldn't help but frown.

 

Liu Jingyi smiled and said, "What good days can a Crown Princess without her father and brothers expect?"

 

"Why do you think like this?" Xiao Jin couldn't help but say, "You are the Crown Princess whom I married through proper channels. Who would dare show you any disrespect? You must not harbor resentment in your heart."

 

Liu Jingyi looked at him, crying and laughing at the same time, then she slowly closed her eyes and said, "The Crown Prince and Prince Li share a deep brotherly bond; how could I dare to harbor any resentment?" Though she said she didn't resent, her heart still held grievances.

 

TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - I'd really like to see how far Leon goes and how far we can increase the number of chapters. Thanks~!

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