I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 303

Marquis Zhongyong lowered his head and remained silent.

Xiao Jingfan waited for a moment, but seeing that he still remained silent, he lost his patience and said coldly, "Minister Xie, immediately lead men to search and confiscate the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence. Anyone who dares to resist, kill him!"

The word "kill" sent a shiver down the spine of the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage. He kowtowed loudly on the ground, saying, "The Marquis of Loyalty and Courage's family has been loyal and virtuous for generations. I beg Your Majesty to show mercy!"

"A family of loyal and virtuous men for generations?" Xiao Jingfan sneered. "A family of loyal and virtuous men has produced such an unworthy descendant as you, disgracing the family name. Today, I will remove that name from your name!"

Marquis Zhongyong looked up in astonishment, only to see the emperor's face ashen: "Strip him of his title and honors, demote his entire household to commoners, and exterminate his three clans!"

These words struck Li You like a thunderbolt.

Overwhelmed with emotion, he felt a sweet taste in his throat and spat out another mouthful of blood.

"Your humble servant obeys." Xie Hui gripped the embroidered spring knife and strode away.

"Wait!" Li You didn't even have time to wipe the blood from his chin. He reached out and grabbed Xie Hui's clothes tightly. Looking at the emperor, he pleaded in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty, it was all my doing. Please, Your Majesty, consider the loyalty and bravery of the Marquis of Zhongyong's family and leave an heir for the Li family!"

[Pah! They're clearly all insiders.]

Xiao Jingfan: "Okay."

Li You was taken aback, not expecting the emperor to agree so readily.
Before he could even feel happy, Xiao Jingfan pointed at the kneeling Li Yuwan and said, "Li Yuwan is a woman of great virtue and righteousness. She puts her own family aside for the greater good. I am very pleased with her and grateful for the loyalty and bravery of the Li family ancestors. Therefore, I will keep this woman to continue the Li family line."

Li Yuwan was stunned.

She came here today with the intention of dying together with the Marquis of Zhongyong, but she never expected the emperor to let her live.

She finally glanced at the astonished Marquis Zhongyong, kowtowed and thanked him: "This commoner thanks Your Majesty for your grace, long live the Emperor!"

Li You was dumbfounded.

He pleaded desperately to spare his eldest son's life, but unexpectedly, he ended up granting the wish of this rebellious daughter who had helped outsiders harm the family.

He was so angry that he spat out another mouthful of blood.

After vomiting blood several times, his face turned ashen and his body swayed precariously.

Xiao Jingfan, however, did not want him to die so quickly, and ordered his men to imprison him in the imperial prison for interrogation.

Xie Hui led his men to ransack the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence. The officials stared at the bloodstains in the hall and couldn't help but sigh.

Wang Qi watched helplessly as Li You was taken away by the Imperial Guards, still somewhat bewildered, and asked Li Yuwan in a daze, "Did I get my revenge?"

Li Yuwan nodded. With the downfall of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion, it was only a matter of time before his old residence was raided and confiscated. The revenge for Dongjing Village would naturally be settled.

"I got my revenge, I got my revenge..." Wang Qi murmured, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably, leaving two white streaks on his dirty face.

This was the second time he had cried since the massacre that struck Dongjing Village.

The first time I was heartbroken, and the second time I was heartbroken again.

What good is revenge? The dead can't come back, and he has no home anymore.

Seeing him crying so hard that he was blowing snot bubbles from his nose, making his bruised and purple face look even worse, Li Yuwan couldn't help but sigh softly. She reached out and pulled him up, asking gently, "What are your plans for the future?"

Wang Qi shook his head while crying.

"Would you like to come with me?" Li Yuwan took out a handkerchief to wipe his tears.

Wang Qi looked at her with a pout.

Li Yuwan said earnestly, "You've lost your family, and so have I. Would you be willing to be my younger brother?"

Wang Qi stared at her blankly for a while, then nodded vigorously and called out in a hoarse voice, "Sister."

Li Yuwan: "Mm."

"Sister!" Wang Qi reached out and hugged her tightly, bursting into loud sobs, louder than spring thunder.

While patting his back reassuringly, Li Yuwan found her newly adopted younger brother a bit noisy.

But it's okay. This is her brother, the family she chose herself.

When Wang Qi finally stopped crying, his voice was hoarse and his eyes were dry, he found that only he and his newly recognized sister remained in the entire Fengtian Hall.

He sobbed for a moment and asked, "Sister, where are we going?"

He adapted well to his role as the younger brother.

Li Yuwan didn't answer, but turned to look at the little eunuch who had been waiting for a long time.

Seeing that the boy who had been crying so heartbreakingly had finally calmed down, Xiao Anzi stepped forward with a smile on his face and said, "Please come with me, Your Majesty wishes to see you."

"Thank you for waiting, Father-in-law." Li Yuwan nodded and pulled Wang Qi to follow.

The two were first taken to wash up and apply medicine, and then changed into clothes that fit them well before being taken to a side hall of the Wenhua Hall.

Chu Liuzheng smiled and invited the two to sit down, then ordered that a meal be served.

Palace servants filed in, and one exquisite dish after another was brought in.

Looking at the steamed egg custard in front of him, drizzled with meat sauce, Wang Qi couldn't help but swallow hard, his stomach rumbling loudly.

He hadn't eaten anything since last night and was starving.

Li Yuwan, like him, has been starving until now.

However, she was more patient than Wang Qi. Although her stomach was still rumbling, at least she didn't swallow her saliva.

Seeing that Wang Qi wanted to eat but didn't dare to reach out, she picked up the spoon and handed it to him, saying softly, "Eat."

Wang Qi's eyes lit up, and he held the spoon to confirm, "Is it really edible?"

"Mm." Li Yuwan nodded.

Wang Qi then looked at Chu Liuzheng, who was waiting to the side.

Chu Liuzheng smiled slightly and said, "This imperial meal was specially prepared for you two by His Majesty. Young Master, please feel free to choose what you like to eat."

This was the first time Wang Qi had been addressed as "Young Master." Seeing her beautiful smile and pleasant voice, he couldn't help but smile back and shyly thank her.

The fourteen-year-old boy buried his head in his steamed egg custard, looking as if he were going to swallow the whole bowl.

Firstly, because I was extremely hungry, and secondly, because I had never eaten such delicious steamed egg custard before.

The boy thought that the eggs in the palace were probably not ordinary eggs, and that the chickens that laid them might have been raised on ginseng and bird's nest.

Seeing the person beside her eating without looking up, Li Yuwan was worried that he would choke if he ate too fast. She didn't even care about eating herself and would remind him from time to time, "Eat slowly."

Wang Qi swallowed the steamed egg custard in her mouth and said in a moment, "Sister, eat it while it's hot, it's especially delicious."

Li Yuwan smiled and slowly began to eat the steamed egg custard in front of her.

Although she was not favored in the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion and her food and living conditions were not as good as her brothers and sisters, she was still a young lady raised in the mansion and would not lose her composure for a bowl of egg custard.

Even when they were starving, they ate slowly and gracefully, without making a sound.

Perhaps the contrast was too stark, because Wang Qi slowed down his eating.

Chu Liuzheng stepped forward to serve the two of them food, and Wang Qi immediately blushed. Although it was not very noticeable on his face, which was covered in bruises and ointment, his ears turned red.

He waved his hand hesitantly: "I can do it myself."

Li Yuwan also politely declined.

She had long recognized Chu Liuzheng as the palace maid who stood beside His Majesty in the Fengtian Hall. Even if she wasn't the head maid, her status must be extraordinary. She was no longer a young lady of the Marquis's mansion; how could she allow her to serve her food?

Seeing this, Chu Liuzheng did not force them, but instructed people to replace the bowls and plates in front of them with dishes that were further away from them from time to time, so that the two of them could taste every dish.

Li Yuwan was grateful for her thoughtfulness and thanked her specially after the meal.

"You're too kind, young lady. This is all my duty. Please come this way." Chu Liuzheng led the way, taking the two to the main hall.