Two months later, Xue Huai'an returned to Beijing calmly and talked about how dangerous and difficult this trip was at the welcoming banquet. The old general listened and sighed at times and smiled at times.

Finally, he raised his wine glass and praised:

"With sons like you, old man can be content in this life."

Unfortunately, just before a month passed since the old general's praise, the case of the fourth prince accepting bribes was exposed and became widely known in a short period of time.

The emperor sent the crown prince to personally investigate this case, and the goal was quite clear. The dignity of the royal family still needed to be upheld, and it was evident that outsiders would not achieve this goal.

The crown prince also racked his brain and finally successfully completed the task given by the emperor.

With the major case solved, the fourth prince was fined and confined to the mansion for three months for accepting money and granting officials in order to raise more funds for the disaster-stricken people. Although it was legally unacceptable, their kindness towards the people was evident. As for the officials who bribed, they were not so fortunate. Every official involved was demoted and their salaries were reduced, while those extravagant individuals who directly spent money, because they did not hold any official positions, were sent to the border to join the army.

Xue Huai'an could not escape this calamity and was prepared to go north to join the army.

Upon hearing this news, General Xue became extremely angry and even resorted to family discipline. However, after the beating, he still wrote a letter and handed it to Xue Dalang, telling him to deliver it to General Wu when he reached the border, hoping that the general would take care of Xue Dalang due to their past close relationship.

That's just how favoritism works. Even if you make mistake after mistake, there will always be someone who can tolerate you.

"You still can't bring yourself to harm him? In your past life, on the first day you entered the city, he sent someone to assassinate you."

I saw Xue Huaiyi's benevolence towards his wife and couldn't help but remind him.

"I have killed countless people on the battlefield, but I can't bear to harm my own family... He is in danger on this trip, and his chances of returning are slim. Give him a way out."

"But he caused the death of our wife. Shouldn't he pay with his life?"

"Father sees him as his own flesh and blood. If he dies outside, I fear that Father..."

Seeing his emotions, I knew it was useless to say more. I also didn't know if Xue Huaiyi died in battle, if the old general would wake up in the tranquility of a night and shed tears for him...

I am not a heartless woman, since my husband has the intention of giving him a chance at survival, I can't ruthlessly exterminate him either. I spent money to hire a few skilled thieves from the capital and arranged for them to do one thing: steal the letters from Xue Huai'an and burn them on the way.

Since this was a punishment ordered by the emperor, I felt that cheating would be equivalent to deceiving the emperor. It would be better to let him experience everything my husband had gone through as an ordinary soldier.