Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The relations.h.i.+p between the Xie clan and the Black Dragon Gang became closer. This was something he did not expect. It could also be considered a surprise!

Back then, his negotiations with the Black Dragon Gang had always gone according to the rules. Even though his father was friends with the Master of the Black Dragon Gang, the ties were not as strong as that of family.

It was just like with the current issue. As Yun Bilu and Huang Yize were in a relations.h.i.+p, things could be carried out simply with a word from him as the brother-in-law.

About five days after Lu Suyan spoke out about the firearms smuggling incident, all its related news had been suppressed and taken down from the websites.

All the news reports vanished in thin air, and the related posts on social media have been deleted or censored as well.

The speed at which this was done alarmed and shocked all the citizens.

Just as everyone was stunned, a piece of news took the headlines. An official from the military came out personally to speak. “According to the information we gathered from our investigation, the Lu family is suspected of smuggling firearms. After investigating, we have verified this to be true. This incident deeply angered all the officials as well as the imperial family. According to the laws of our country, we will remove the status of the Lu family as a n.o.ble family. For the next five years, none of the Lu family members can a.s.sume a post in the bureaucracy or military… All a.s.sets of the Lu family will be confiscated. The people in charge of the smuggling, the Master of the Lu family, and all related persons will be charged with the death penalty… As for Lu Suyan, she has merit for reporting the incident and will not be prosecuted at the moment.”

The moment this piece of news was released, all the citizens in the capital were astounded and lamented the loss. However, they could not say anything much either.

Such a punishment was not light. The Lu family was a huge, mid-tier n.o.ble family, but it fell apart just like that. It was akin to them being beaten down and trampled upon.

After this, the Lu family would probably not even be comparable to a normal family anymore.

After Xie Limo saw the news, his gaze turned dark and cold, and his expression was unreadable. Many people may not have noticed, but this whole news did not mention anything about the Yuan family.

It also meant that the higher authorities only used the Lu family to appease public anger with regards to the firearms smuggling incident, and they did not intend to pursue the matter with those who were actually involved.

Seeing how this matter had been handled from start to end, Xie Limo truly realized that the higher authorities were trying to s.h.i.+eld the n.o.ble families that smuggled the firearms.

Why did they want to protect them?

Xie Limo thought deeply for a while before it dawned on him. Even though the country had its laws, the imperial family stood to gain from using the n.o.ble families to smuggle firearms in.

And this person was Majesty Kang, Xiajun Yanting.

Majesty Kang, Xiajun Yanting, deliberately suppressed everything so that he could continue reaping profits and advantages from the secret smuggling of firearms, so it could pave the way for his accession to the throne.

So this was what he was planning. Once he understood this, Xie Limo knew the next step he should take.

When the Lu family was seized, many citizens rushed over to watch. Seeing a n.o.ble family going bust just like that made them lament its loss.

In the eyes of the citizens, the high and mighty n.o.ble families were nothing more than this. They were not as strong or enduring as they had thought. It turned out that one incident alone could destroy the Lu family.

“Quick, look. That must be the Third Miss of the Lu family. She was so haughty and arrogant last time. When she went to our store to buy things, she even gave me att.i.tude. Look at her now, she's even worse off than us!”

“That's the Young Master of the Lu family. Many women flocked to flatter him, but he looks just like a pig. Wasn't it just because he had money? Now that the Lu family is gone, his life will be gone too.”

“Of all these people, only Lu Suyan got away with it.”

“You can't say that. Lu Suyan reported the Lu family. That's how she saved herself.”

“Looking at this makes me shudder. I feel like this is similar to the ancient times of seizing and wiping out a family.”