northernbook Chapter 220 Cleaning up the portal
Chapter 220 Cleaning up the portal
Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling acted decisively, purging the traitors within the Marquis's mansion and restoring order. However, this process was fraught with hardship and challenges.
Those exposed traitors either knelt and begged for mercy, or fought desperately. Su Jinxiu's gaze was cold and unmoved. She showed some leniency to those who genuinely repented, but Xiao Ling showed no mercy to the stubborn ones, subduing them with swift and decisive measures.
During the purge of traitors, panic gripped the Marquis's mansion. Even innocent servants began to fear being implicated, working with extreme trepidation. Su Jinxiu, understanding the importance of maintaining order, summoned everyone in the mansion and publicly declared that those loyal to the mansion would be rewarded, but those with malicious intentions would not be spared.
Xiao Ling then strengthened security measures at the Marquis's residence, readjusting the deployment of guards to ensure its safety. At the same time, he conducted a comprehensive inventory of the residence's supplies and finances to eliminate any potential loopholes.
However, just when they thought the Marquis's residence could temporarily return to peace, a new problem arose. Some relatives of the purged traitors gathered outside the residence and caused a disturbance, demanding the release of their captors. Their cries and accusations attracted a crowd of onlookers, negatively impacting the reputation of the Marquis's residence.
Su Jinxiu decided to resolve the matter personally. She patiently explained to the families the traitors' crimes and the harm they had caused to the Marquis's mansion, while also offering a certain amount of compensation to ensure their livelihood. However, she firmly refused any unreasonable demands.
After much earnest persuasion, most of the family members gradually dispersed, but a few stubborn individuals remained. They secretly colluded with some local thugs and attempted to storm the Marquis's residence.
Having received the news, Xiao Ling took precautions. When these people attempted to break into the Marquis's residence, Xiao Ling led his guards to capture them in one fell swoop. After rigorous interrogation, it was discovered that there were other forces behind this.
It turned out that the remnants of the fallen prince's faction in the court were unwilling to accept defeat and attempted to frame the Marquis's mansion again by creating chaos. Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling realized that merely purging the traitors within the Marquis's mansion was not enough; they had to completely eliminate these external threats.
They began gathering evidence, preparing to expose the prince's remaining followers' conspiracy to the emperor. However, they encountered numerous obstacles in the process. The remaining followers had planted many spies within the court, who were fully aware of Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling's actions and constantly sabotaged their plans.
Meanwhile, local evil forces took advantage of the chaos, constantly harassing the Marquis's properties. The Marquis's business was severely affected, and his economy fell into dire straits.
While striving to maintain the normal operation of the Marquis's mansion, Su Jinxiu also worked with Xiao Ling to devise a strategy. They decided to address the economic issues first and restore the mansion's financial strength. Xiao Ling personally intervened, negotiating with various merchants to seek cooperation.
After much effort, the Marquis's family's financial situation gradually improved. However, at this time, the situation in the imperial court became even more complicated.
The emperor's trust in Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling began to waver, and the remaining supporters seized the opportunity to slander them before the emperor, saying that the Marquis's mansion had used cruel methods in purging traitors, which had alienated the people. The emperor ordered Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling to come to the palace to explain.
Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling knew that the outcome of their trip to the palace was uncertain, but for the sake of the future of the Marquis's mansion, they decided to take the risk.