Tao Lüe said, "Your Majesty, Lord Shao has set himself against the entire court. I fear he will know no peace from now on!"
Taishu Xiong gave a snort. "It was the people at court who first made trouble for him. Lord Shao is no fool. He knows that when he stands alone and weak, yielding will not earn him compromise. He has stopped placing any hopes on them. Whether he sticks out his head or not, the blade will fall all the same, so he might as well let go and act! He is dragging me into taking the lightning with him! I cannot refuse to help him. With this man's methods and abilities, if Huan'er truly marries him, she will be lucky to see a single good day."
He tossed the blood-written letter onto the desk. "Lord Zhao is probably on his way. One after another, they keep coming—I cannot stomach it. I do not wish to see anyone for now. We will wait until they have all arrived, then see them together."
"Yes!" Tao Lüe bowed. "This old servant will give the order at once and have them stopped."
Taishu Xiong looked toward the doorway. "Consort Lan must be delighted, busy preparing a dowry, no?"
"So it seems," Tao Lüe replied.
"There will never be an end to official business." Taishu Xiong glanced at the documents on the desk and waved his hand. "Come. Let us go have a look at Consort Lan's place. Oh, and have someone fetch a copy of the relevant testimony from Black Prison."
"Yes!" Tao Lüe acknowledged and followed him out. The moment they stepped outside, he summoned a eunuch and gave him the instructions.
Upon hearing that the emperor had arrived, Consort Lan, who had been busy selecting dowry items, hurried