The Emperor paced back and forth. 'Why would Tu Lei try to assassinate Lu Yuan?'
'Did they have some conflict before the tournament? Or was he holding a grudge from the fight?'
'It just doesn't seem worth taking such a huge risk—lying in ambush for two days straight, dead set on killing Lu Yuan!'
Seeing the Emperor's skepticism, Jinyiwei Commander Mao Xiang fanned the flames.
This finally made the Emperor resolve to avenge his future son-in-law. "Tu Lei's family cannot be spared," he said. "Take your men and handle it personally."
Mao Xiang cupped his hands. "As you command!"
That very night, while Lu Yuan and Su Liyan were in the throes of passion, Tu Lei's entire family—all seventy-eight of them—was annihilated by the Jinyi Guard.
For the next few days, when Lu Yuan wasn't being affectionate with his wife, he was dual cultivating with her.
Su Liyan's mother rarely disturbed her daughter and son-in-law, often going shopping in the Imperial City by herself.
