Father, who is both a heir and a descendant, is still biased; the bound system has gone berserk.

The old Marquis Xuanwu had spent his life on the battlefield and was highly trusted by the late emperor; he was certainly not a fool.

A dark glint flashed in his eyes, and he said, "Lord Feng, we shall take our leave now. You may continue the investigation."

"Take care, Your Excellency," said Lord Feng.

Seeing that they were really leaving, Zhong Xingchu couldn't help but get up and chase after them, calling out, "Grandfather—"

In the blink of an eye, Lao Ding and Lao Liu kicked him down and pinned him to the ground.

Zhong Xingchu's eyes were bloodshot; even now, he still couldn't believe it was real.

After watching the old Marquis Xuanwu and his family leave, Marquis Feng turned to look at Zhong Xingchu, his eyes suddenly flashing with a fierce light.

He slammed the gavel down. "Zhong Xingchu, you have murdered dozens of people. Your heart is cruel, and your crimes are unforgivable. Guards, take him to prison. He will be executed by slow slicing at the Meridian Gate tomorrow at noon!"

Zhong Xingchu's eyes widened instantly. Death by a thousand cuts? Tomorrow?

"No, you can't do this to me, you can't, I won't accept this..."

Old Liu, Old Ding, and the other officers and soldiers from the Dali Temple all had fierce looks on their faces. Old Ding said, "Sir, this thief is really hateful. He is roaring in the courtroom. We should give him fifty lashes first."

"Granted," Lord Feng said coldly.

Then, his mouth was stuffed shut, and he was pulled out. Soon, painful groans could be heard outside.

Upon seeing this, Lu Changshen was already terrified. When Feng Hou's gaze shifted over, his body went limp, and he knelt on the ground, unable to lift his head for a long time.

"Lu Changshen, as an official of the court, you should set an example for the people, but you are greedy and ungrateful, selling your wife and daughters, flattering the powerful and wealthy, and are worse than a beast."

You shameless and immoral scoundrel are unfit to be an official!

Tomorrow I will report to His Majesty that you are dismissed from your post, your descendants for three generations are barred from holding office, and your entire family is forbidden from entering the imperial city for life.

"No need to wait until tomorrow."

The Crown Prince then spoke up, "I can make the decision now. Judge Feng however he wishes."

Feng Hou immediately clasped his hands in a deep bow towards the direction of the Crown Prince and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I obey your command."

Having said that, he directly sentenced Lu Changshen.

Not only was he dismissed from his post, but his entire family and three generations of descendants were also implicated. All his property was confiscated. Furthermore, at Ying Yufu's suggestion, he was ordered to divorce Yue Niang, and Yue Niang's daughter was also ordered to sever ties with him.

Lu Changshen didn't dare to say a word, and was dragged out trembling.

Because Lord Feng also gave him fifty strokes of the cane.

Next came the madam of Fengxin Tower and other people involved in the incident.

When the madam saw that it was her turn, she turned pale with fright and kept looking out of the courtroom, as if she was waiting for someone to come.

Sure enough, the person she was waiting for finally arrived.

The person who arrived was none other than the Second Prince, Cang Mingze.

It was the dead of night, and Cang Mingze was fast asleep when he was suddenly woken up by his bodyguards, who informed him that something had happened at Fengxin Tower.

Upon hearing this, Cang Mingze was extremely shocked and immediately got up and led his men straight to the Dali Temple.

"Lord Feng, what major case is it that requires such a late-night interrogation?"

Cang Mingxu strode in, his eyes fixed on Feng Hou, but when he saw the Crown Prince and Ying Yufu there, he feigned surprise.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince and Fu... Anguo is also here." He called out Ying Yufu's title rather awkwardly.

"Didn't my second brother also rush to the Dali Temple in the dead of night? What, you also enjoy watching the excitement?"

The prince's eyebrows curved slightly, and his handsome, ethereal face was full of a playful smile.

Cang Mingze's face stiffened. "Your Highness, you jest. I'm not here to watch the show. It's just that Fengxin Tower is a legitimate business. I don't know what it has done to warrant a trip to the Dali Temple?"

"The Second Prince truly loves his people like his own children. He rushed to the Dali Temple in the middle of the night just to speak up for a brothel."

The crown prince spoke with a mocking expression, "As for what crime you committed?"

He looked up and saw Wushuang walk in, with her bodyguards carrying several boxes behind her.

Wushuang had obviously heard Cang Mingze's previous words and said directly, "Whether Fengxinlou is operating legally or not can be determined by looking at these account books."

Upon hearing the sound, everyone looked at the boxes behind Wushuang. Upon seeing them, the madam's smug expression, which had been smug since Cang Mingze's arrival, instantly turned into one of extreme terror.

"This, this..."

Cang Mingze asked, "What is this?"

The madam glanced at the second prince, her lips trembling, unable to utter a word.

"If you want to know what this is, see for yourself," Wushuang said with a cold laugh.

Upon hearing this, Cang Mingze disregarded Wushuang's rudeness and walked directly to the boxes, taking out an account book from them.

He only flipped through a few pages before his expression changed drastically.

The Crown Prince, admiring his complex expression, asked, "What's wrong, Second Brother? Are these account books frightening?"

These ledgers are indeed frightening, containing not only evidence of Fengxinlou's crimes of buying and selling respectable women, but also money given as tribute to the masters behind Fengxinlou.

Each donation, besides those flowing to officials in favor of the Second Prince, was also presented as a tribute to the Second Prince himself.

Cang Mingze's face turned deathly pale.

That's not the scariest part. The scariest part is that these ledgers show a large sum of money flowing to even more mysterious places.

The location wasn't specified, but the Second Prince knew that the huge sums of silver were flowing to his mother, the Empress Dowager.

This account absolutely cannot withstand close scrutiny.

If investigated further… Cang Mingze was filled with immense fear.

His hands trembled as he roared, "Madam, I never imagined that Fengxin Tower would actually sell respectable women!"

"I initially thought you were running a legitimate business, and out of consideration for those poor girls who had no means of survival, I was willing to offer them some protection in the past. I never imagined you would be so greedy; it truly chills my heart."

After saying that, he looked at Lord Feng and said, "Lord Feng, I will not concern myself with this matter. You may handle it as you see fit, and seal off Fengxin Tower if necessary."

He looked coldly at the madam, who was not willing to die, but when she met the Second Prince's gaze, she shivered and dared not utter a sound.

She lowered her head, her face pale.

At this moment, she hated Lu Changshen to the core. If she hadn't bought his wife, how could Fengxin Tower have gotten to this point?

"What are you all standing there for? Madam, you criminals, why aren't you signing and sealing this document?" the Second Prince shouted sternly.

Lord Feng gestured to his subordinates to take the indictment.

The madam and the others glanced at the Second Prince again, but he simply looked at them coldly.

In the end, the madam and the others signed the papers. They had long been prepared to be abandoned, and signing at this point would at least save the lives of their relatives and families.

Seeing this, Cang Mingze said, "Lord Feng, they have already confessed. I would like to take a closer look at these account books. May I take them with me?"

Feng Hou said, "Your Highness, this is against the rules. Normally, these account books should be sealed by the Court of Judicial Review."

The Second Prince smiled and said, "Very well, then I will not make things difficult for Marquis Feng. Crown Prince, farewell!"

He turned and left.

The madam lowered her head and didn't look at the second prince again.

Ying Yufu stared at the Second Prince's back for a few moments, then glanced at the boxes, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes.

Finally, the madam and her accomplices were sentenced to one hundred strokes of the cane and then exiled three thousand li away.

After everything was finished, Lord Feng ordered his men to move the boxes containing the account books into the file room for storage.

Ying Yufu entered with the Crown Prince. She glanced at the boxes, smiled slightly, and said, "Lord Feng, could you perhaps find some similar amounts of useless account books?"

"Fu'er, what are you thinking?" Lord Feng's expression changed slightly. "Do you suspect that the Second Prince wants to destroy these account books?"

"There's a high chance we have to be on guard," Ying Yufu said.

Feng Hou clearly agreed and turned to leave in a hurry.

Once everyone else was inside, Ying Yufu put all the account books into her spatial storage.

"Your Highness, let's go back and study this carefully," she said to the Crown Prince with a smile.

The Crown Prince asked, "How will you explain the whereabouts of those account books when Marquis Feng comes in later?"

Ying Yufu said, "Your Highness, believe it or not, Marquis Feng won't ask."

Just as the Crown Prince was about to speak, Marquis Feng led his men in.

As soon as he entered, he saw several empty boxes and was momentarily stunned. Then, after glancing at the Crown Prince and Ying Yufu, he composed himself and immediately instructed the people behind him to put the useless account books into the boxes.

In this way, several boxes were filled.

Lord Feng did not ask any more questions until they left.

The Crown Prince laughed and said, "Fu'er is truly clever."

"Lord Feng is intelligent."

By the time the two returned, it was almost dawn.

Meanwhile, from within the palace, specifically the Empress's palace, came a series of loud crashing sounds.

The cups, bowls, and porcelain were shattered all over the floor.

The palace servants also knelt on the ground.

"Mother, please calm your anger..."

The second prince said with a headache.

"Destroying my Fengxin Tower overnight, how can I not be furious?" The Empress's eyes were sharp and her face was ashen.

The Second Prince said with a headache, "Fengxin Tower must be destroyed. Those account books are still in Dali Temple. If Marquis Feng reports this to Father Emperor and Father starts investigating, then we're truly finished."

The Empress snorted coldly, "Don't worry, those account books won't last until dawn."

"That's good. It's just a Wind Herald Tower. It's gone, but we can rebuild the Worry Relief Tower and the Flower-Fixing Tower..."

The Empress roared, "Do you think it's just because the Wind Whisper Tower was destroyed? What about Zhong Xingchu...?"

Dark undercurrents surged in the Empress's eyes. "Zhong Xingchu was an important thorn in my side in the Xuanwu Marquis's residence, but now, he's been destroyed just like that."

This is what truly breaks her heart.

A hint of surprise flashed in the second prince's eyes. "Mother, what about Zhong Xingchu?"

"The Xuanwu Marquis's Mansion was a trump card in my hands. Originally, all I needed to do was control Zhong Xingchu, and in the future, the Xuanwu Marquis's Mansion would have no choice but to be used by us. But in the end, it was all destroyed."

I heard that tonight's events were caused by Shangguan Tang's maid... Good, very good. I never imagined that my plans of the past ten years would be ruined tonight.

Only then did the Second Prince realize that the Empress actually controlled the Xuanwu Marquis's residence. His throat bobbed, and he felt extremely sorry for her.

"Mother, with Zhong Xingchu's death, has the Xuanwu Marquis's mansion truly spiraled out of control?"

The Empress narrowed her eyes and remained silent for a moment.

At the same time, inside the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Cangxuan was also awakened by the secret report.

"Chrysanthemum Hall..."

The Mu Residence.

Shiqin and Yueniang were both unconscious, only the little baby was sleeping soundly.

Shiqin didn't wake up until it was fully light.

She stared blankly at the quiet and elegant room. There were no sinister eyes staring at her, no fists swinging at her, and no disdainful looks from the servants.

Recalling how she had come to the Mu residence last night when she was desperate and met Miss Mu, she burst into tears of joy.

Just then, the door creaked open, and Shishu Shihua walked in carrying a tray.

"Hehe, Sister Shiqin is awake! Today, your younger sisters will help you with your washing up!"

Shihua winked mischievously.

Shiqin looked at them, her tears flowing even more fiercely. She sobbed, "I was wrong. I shouldn't have been blinded by that man and married him. If only I had stayed by my mistress's side..."

"Alright, alright, Sister Shiqin, you didn't marry the wrong person, it's just..."

I was halfway through talking about poetry and painting when I suddenly didn't know how to continue.

Shiqin looked at her in astonishment.

Shi Shu said, "Shi Hua, you have no self-control! Miss said to wait until Sister Shi Qin is healed before telling her."

Shihua said, "On the contrary, I think it's a good thing to tell Sister Shiqin now. It's better to have someone take the place of Master Shen than to have someone else marry the wrong person."

Poetry and Books: "Are you sure?"

The two heard a 'bang' and turned their heads at the same time, only to see that Shiqin had fainted again due to the shock.

"Sister Shiqin!"

The two screamed in agony.

After an incense stick's time, Shiqin woke up again, sat on the bed, and let the two men clean her up and apply medicine.

"That damned beast, how could he treat Sister Shiqin like that?"

Shihua applied the medicine while wiping away tears.

Shishu sighed and said, "Sister Shiqin, that beast is a remnant of the previous dynasty. No wonder he acts so strangely and ruthlessly. It's too late now. The dead cannot be brought back to life. Anyway, Master Shen did not wrong you. Try to be more open-minded."

Shiqin gave a bitter smile, "Did we really think he hadn't wronged me?"

"No matter how deep a man's feelings are at the beginning, even the deepest feelings cannot withstand the test of time... People's hearts are fickle. That day, he brought home a woman from Jiangnan."

He and I have been married for many years and we are a loving couple. He has never taken a concubine. I don't actually object to him taking a concubine, but he wants to marry that woman from Jiangnan as his secondary wife...

I made a scene because of this, and he got angry and left with that woman.

To my surprise, he returned on his own two weeks later. I wanted to ask him about the woman, but the way he looked at me was extremely unfamiliar and mocking. From that day on, I felt he had become especially terrifying...

Later, my men found the body of that woman from Jiangnan at the villa; it had been submerged in a salt vat…

I dared not say anything. I endured his beatings and insults.

But he shouldn't have, he absolutely shouldn't have, encouraged that beast Lu Changshen to sell his wife and daughters...

The sounds of poetry and music, along with the sounds of poetry and painting, sent shivers down my spine.

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Shangguan Tang walked in with Granny Huang and Granny Zeng.

"It's all in the past!" Shangguan Tang said.

"Yuenniang has been rescued and is lying next to you now. Yuenniang's daughter is also back. She's fine and just woke up. The maid is changing her clothes and feeding her right now."

"master!"

Upon seeing Shangguan Tang, Shiqin slid off the bed and knelt on the ground, "Master..."

She couldn't say a word, she just cried and kowtowed.

"Alright, alright. Although you are my maid, we grew up together since childhood. When have I ever made you suffer or endure hardship?"

"You are my person, you have suffered so much, how can I stand idly by?"

Shiqin said, "Master, Shiqin will never leave again. Shiqin will come back to serve you!"

"It's up to you. You can do whatever you want. You can stay if you want, or go back to the Shen family to be the matriarch if you want. With me here, the main branch of the Shen family won't dare to bully you!"

In the other room, the baby was placed in a cradle. Ying Yufu, carrying the basket, pushed open Yue Niang's door.

Yue Niang had just woken up and was looking around in a panic when she saw Ying Yufu, and her face immediately fell.

"Miss..."

She grew up in the Shen family and had only met Ying Yufu once when she was a child. All she knew was that she was a very noble young lady.

They are beyond my reach.

Seeing how nervous she was, Ying Yufu smiled and said, "Look what I brought you!"

She handed over the basket she was carrying.

Yue Niang thought she had brought something, so she looked into the basket and saw her daughter smiling and biting her fingers, looking very cute.

"My little girl!"

Yue Niang's tears fell like rain.

Ying Yufu felt a little guilty and said, "Yueniang, you and the child, one has lost her husband, and the other has lost her father..."

The idea of ​​divorce and severing ties was hers.