Shocking! Five men are in love with the same woman!

Having dealt with the eleventh prince, the rest are next.

Those 30,000 troops have been completely wiped out by He Jingchuan's army.

Lu Yanqing also dealt with all the Imperial Guards, leaving none alive.

They also did not spare the Xu family members in various armies, nor the ordinary soldiers who had been bewitched and turned against them.

As for the court officials who colluded with the eleventh prince, there were a total of twenty-three.

Among them were five ministers who were involved in this fraud.

One is a third-rank official, and the other is a second-rank official.

There are also two sixth-rank officials and one fifth-rank official.

Xiao Muyao dealt with all twenty-three officials according to the severity of their crimes.

But in most cases, the entire family was exterminated.

Only a few families were executed along with their entire clan.

The maternal family of the eleventh prince was exterminated, with nine generations of their relatives executed.

In addition to them, several officials who were related to the Xu family were also investigated.

If they are innocent, then nothing will happen.

If they are involved, they certainly won't let it go.

After a period of investigation, everyone received their appropriate punishment.

But most of them ended up being beheaded.

Thus, a new round of beheadings began.

Every day, many people would gather at Caishikou to watch the beheadings.

Looking at the officials and their families on the execution ground, and listening to the soldiers reciting their crimes one by one, the people realized that these people were all traitors!

They truly deserved to die.

How dare they rebel!

Fortunately, His Highness the Crown Prince was exceptionally wise and returned in time to thwart their conspiracy.

Otherwise, if they succeed in usurping the throne, the consequences are not what they want to see.

Because they only recognize His Highness the Crown Prince as the next emperor.

Therefore, these people who plotted a rebellion deserved to be beheaded, a punishment that is both gratifying and satisfying.

Because so many people were involved, the beheading operation at Caishikou lasted for a full half month.

Two weeks later, the matter was settled.

The assets of these people had long been confiscated by the national treasury, amounting to a terrifying sum.

Emperor Jingzhao's condition did not improve, so Xiao Muyao continued to act as regent.

During this period, the officials have been unusually well-behaved, which is unprecedented.

Some ministers who upheld Confucian ideals of benevolence and righteousness were accustomed to handling affairs in a gentle manner.

In their eyes, the Crown Prince's ruthless methods this time were like a storm crashing down on their hearts.

They thought to themselves, His Highness the Crown Prince acts so ruthlessly and decisively.

From then on, every word and action in the imperial court must be carefully considered, for a slight misstep could bring utter destruction upon oneself and one's family.

Their gazes toward Xiao Muyao held both fear and a hint of hidden dissatisfaction.

After all, this punishment, which involves nine generations of one's family, is far too cruel.

Some officials appeared relatively calm, but they were not entirely unmoved inside.

Although they understood that His Highness the Crown Prince needed to use swift and decisive measures to make an example of someone, such a large-scale execution was still too cruel and too bloodthirsty.

Some officials strongly agree with this move.

Because they could understand that His Highness the Crown Prince was trying to stabilize the court and establish his authority.

He needs to use strong measures to deter those with ill intentions.

Several elderly ministers with white hair shook their heads slightly, their faces showing worry.

They lived through the rise and fall of several dynasties and witnessed the ruling methods of different monarchs.

They understood that His Highness the Crown Prince's intentions might be good, but such a method was perhaps too extreme.

They worried that this would create an atmosphere of fear within the court, and that officials would be too afraid to speak frankly and offer advice, which would not be good for the long-term development of the court.

Furthermore, would such a large-scale massacre cause panic and discontent among the people, thereby affecting the stability of the imperial court?

They held His Highness the Crown Prince in high esteem and admiration, yet also carried a sense of concern and admonition like that of elders.

In the imperial court, the civil and military officials each had their own thoughts on Xiao Muyao's actions.

They both feared his authority and ruthless methods, yet also somewhat admired his actions.

They were as if facing a majestic and ferocious lion, neither daring to approach easily nor able to ignore its presence.

Therefore, they were even more humble towards him than Emperor Jingzhao.

In short, they dare not have any other thoughts or ideas now, nor do they dare to disobey him, and they are much more diligent and serious in their work than before.

Xiao Muyao naturally knew what the officials were thinking, and he had already considered these things long ago.

He feels good about the current situation.

Officials have become significantly more efficient, and with so much more time, they can handle much more tasks.

As for the fear and awe towards him, that's a good thing too.

Being afraid means you won't cause trouble and will do things properly, which is good.

As for not daring to offer advice, there's no need to worry too much.

Because it will get better after a while. After all, he is just the crown prince. They will naturally recover once his father has recovered.

There is also widespread anxiety among the general public.

This time, the people did not feel that he was ruthless and heartless. On the contrary, they felt that they deserved to agree with his actions, so there was no need to worry.

He did all of these things after careful consideration.

He then issued announcements throughout Dazhao, stating that the results of this examination were cancelled and that the spring examination would be rescheduled for May 20.

It is hoped that candidates from all regions will receive this message and rush to the capital to participate in the imperial examinations again.

After he had finished almost everything, Xiao Muyao finally had time to write a letter to Lingyan.

He wasn't worried about her abilities, only her safety.

He was certain she would handle the Jiangnan matter beautifully. His only concerns were whether she was tired, whether she might encounter danger, whether she had eaten and rested properly, and whether she was thinking of him.

Therefore, his letter began with a detailed account of everything that had happened during this period.

Then he took care of her every need, from her food and clothing to her safety.

Finally, he asked her if she missed him.

Then at the end he said he missed her, missed her very much.

But he couldn't leave the capital to be by her side.

Now that the Emperor is seriously ill and unable to attend to state affairs, and the court has just experienced another round of turmoil.

Therefore, he must remain in the capital to stabilize the court and cannot leave. He hopes she can understand.

After finally finishing writing, I realized that I had unknowingly written a thick stack of pages.

Then, remembering something, he ordered someone to summon He Jingchuan and Lu Yanqing.

They must both miss her, want to write to her, and have a lot to say to her.

He was so generous and considerate, so of course he would understand their longing for each other.

………………

Meanwhile, Lingyan, whom they were eyeing, was almost at the Jiangnan region.

They traveled as a caravan the whole way, and there were no unexpected situations along the way; everything was peaceful.

No one in the team caused any trouble; they all obediently followed Lingyan's orders.

Unlike when she first started traveling, she hadn't suffered any injuries to her inner thighs again; instead, she had gotten used to it and gained experience.

Although I was a little tired and exhausted from the long journey, I was still quite comfortable overall.

After such a long and arduous journey, we have finally arrived at our destination.

It's not easy!

Traveling was slow in ancient times!

Lingyan was speechless and could only accept it calmly.