Chapter 386: Seduced By Beauty
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The empress is from the Rong family. How could she stand by and watch the emperor take action against them without intervening?
Thinking about the crimes committed by the five families, he sighed.
With such serious charges, the empress could only prioritize the greater good and wouldn’t support them. He was having wishful thinking.
Three days later, the heads of the five families were beheaded in the market square of Luzhou. Their families were exiled, and their properties were confiscated.
The five families disappeared from Luzhou, and many opium dens and gambling houses in the city vanished overnight. The air cleared considerably.
Families that had been harmed by drugs all smiled, weeping at their doorsteps.
They thanked heaven, righteous officials, and the emperor for finally bringing justice.
Two days later, the poppy fields outside the city were burned down, and the local commander issued a proclamation: anyone found cultivating this plant would be executed!
Some rejoiced while others worried. Growing this lucrative crop brought quick money, but large-scale opium production was finally banned. People would no longer be harmed by this substance.
For a while, smokers struggled at home without their beloved opium. Those addicted to opium experienced unbearable withdrawal symptoms, with some even dying from the severity of their addiction. Over time, those with milder addictions managed to break free.
On the day the five aristocratic families of Luzhou were exiled, the emperor and his party stood on the city wall.
Miss Rong, handcuffed and with ankle shackles, occasionally looked back. When she saw the four people on the city wall, she instantly understood what had happened.
The defeat of their family was related to these people.
Qiao Mai looked at the woman. Up to this point, she was still coveting her man.
Irritated, Ciao Mai used a burst of psychic energy to slap her.
Miss Rong screamed in misery, a deep palm print on her face.
The nearby soldiers kicked her directly.
“Hurry up and walk. Don’t act crazy. It won’t work. If you waste time, you won’t reach the designated location. I’ll let you all starve.”
Twenty or thirty soldiers, holding whips, drove the members of the five families.
The sounds of screams and crying mixed!
They still didn’t know the identity of these four people. They were inexplicably targeted and had their homes plundered and subsequently exiled.
From beginning to end, the emperor and the others never showed themselves. However, a few among the deceased family heads seemed to have understood, but it was too late.
Combining Liangzhou and Luzhou, it took a little over a month to clean up the local officials and wealthy individuals.
This incident could be described as shocking to the imperial court. Many people panicked and tried to keep a low profile.
When Qiao Mai and the others left Luzhou, the city had turned over a new leaf.
The old emperor sat in the carriage, looking at a map.
“In-law, our next stop is here, Suzhou. It’s closer to the West Gate, and the weather will get colder. There will be a climate difference every ten miles.”
“Yes, it’s October, and the weather should be getting colder. The carriage has its heating, so there’s no need for those charcoal braziers.”
“It’s good that it’s not humid. I can’t endure the weather in the South. Sweating and getting itchy is very uncomfortable.”
Qiao Mai pointed to the map. “Let’s take a break here, have some food, and stroll around.”
“Okay.”
Since her extended family was plundered and exiled, the empress had been in a bad mood. She had been forcing a smile all the way.
Qiao Mai naturally noticed. She patted her hand. “Don’t overthink about this matter. Fortunately, the Luzhou branch has no contact with the main family in the capital. Otherwise, your maternal family would be in trouble. Thinking too much is tiring.”
“Yes, I’ve already sent a letter to my family, asking them to restrain themselves. Otherwise, I won’t lend a hand if something happens.”
“That’s right. You are separate entities. It has always been like this throughout history. The emperor won’t hold a grudge against you for such matters.
Besides, there’s still me. Who dares to harm you? They must bypass me first.”
The empress’s eyes reddened. “In-law, thank you.”
The emperor rolled his eyes. “Stop making me seem like a senile king. The crown prince has been established. If anything happens, it’s up to him. If he dares to harm the Rong family, I’ll make the Song family disappear.”
Qiao Mai chuckled. “The crown prince doesn’t get close to the Rong family.
Instead, he’s tolerant of the useless Song family. There must be some hidden story there, right?”
“When he was young, he stayed with the Song family for several years and had some feelings for them. Maybe he was brainwashed by them.”
“Regardless, if my daughter gives birth to a son, he will be the future heir. If your son doesn’t settle down, I’ll depose him.”
“In-law, rest assured. He wouldn’t dare for now. If he does, I’ll depose him first.
“Oh, so you’re just planning to let him be the emperor with real power still in your hands?”
“Yes, I need a means of self-preservation. It’s unwise to keep all my cards on the table, right?”
“Old habits die hard, haha.”
Holding a book, Yuan Jiaqi glanced at the emperor proudly, thinking that with his wife around, what was the point of those useless tokens? With his wife by his side, he wouldn’t be afraid even if the sky fell.
Yuan Jiaqi had elevated his wife to the status of a goddess.
At this moment, a horse-drawn carriage stopped beside them. Yubao rode up to the carriage window.
“Master, a girl is lying by the roadside.”
“Send someone to take a look. If she’s still alive, bring her to the town ahead and find a doctor for treatment.
“Yes, Master.”
Qiao Mai opened the curtain and watched as several people carried a girl into the back of the carriage.
Although the girl was dressed plainly and had a dirty face, one could see the uniqueness of this girl at first glance.
Once cleaned, that face seemed to belong to a truly stunning beauty who could captivate an entire nation.
Qiao Mai couldn’t help but wonder if the old emperor could withstand her charm. She also glanced at Yuan Jiaqi, thinking this might test his determination.
An hour later, they arrived at Yanyu Town. The carriage stopped at a medical hall, and the girl was carried inside. Yubao followed. After a short while, he came out.
“Master, the girl is fine. She just fainted from heatstroke.”
“Fainted? How coincidental. Give her some money and find an inn for her to rest. We will have a meal and continue the journey.”
“Yes, Master.”
Yu Bao left, and the carriage started moving again. At this moment, a girl rushed out of the medical hall, blocking the carriage.
“Please, kind sirs and madams, this young lady has lost her family and has nowhere to go. Could you please take me in? I am willing to do anything.”
Qiao Mai didn’t respond, and Yuan Jiaqi pretended to be deaf, holding up a book to read. The empress seemed moved, gazing at the pitiful girl. The old emperor stared at the girl’s face.
He slowly said, “Do you mind being a servant?”
“No, I don’t mind. As long as I have a meal and a place to stay, it’s enough.”
“Bring her into the back carriage.”
The girl was taken away. Qiao Mai snorted. “Are you seduced by beauty?”
The emperor smiled bitterly. “I’m already old. I haven’t thought about those things. I feel that this girl’s background is unclear, and her fainting is too coincidental. I’ll keep her to find out more.”
“This official road has many carriages and horses, but we happened to encounter her. Is it fate or someone’s calculation?”
Speaking of this, the carriage stopped at an inn. Since it was a temporary break, they planned to have a meal, nap, and then continue the journey. As the night fell, the map indicated that there were only small towns along the road, and they would stop wherever they reached.
Next to the inn was a restaurant. They booked a private room while the others dined in the hall downstairs.
The girl followed the servants into the inn and freshened up. Fortunately, someone kindly gave her a set of clothes to change into.
After combing her hair, this simple attire made her look even more dazzling.
Even in ordinary clothes, her stunning beauty overshadowed everything. People couldn’t help but swallow hard as they looked at her face.
Everyone in the hall couldn’t help but look at her face while eating.
If it weren’t for everyone being from the capital and having seen countless beauties, someone like her could bewitch all living beings..