After returning to the imperial city, the group was received by officials from the Ministry of Rites and escorted into the inner city. Before entering, Chu Shaoling distributed dry rations and seeds to the commoners along the way as usual, as if nothing had happened, and everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

Several princes were already waiting at the palace gate. Chu Shaoruan's face was pale, while the Third Prince Chu Shaomo's eyes were filled with schadenfreude. Chu Shaoyang acted as if he knew nothing and even smiled innocently at Chu Shaoling. The Fifth Prince Chu Shaosui was truly oblivious and watched the lively scene with joy.

Chu Shaoling dismounted from his horse, and the princes hurried over to greet him. After exchanging a few superficial pleasantries, they accompanied Chu Shaoling to Chengqian Palace, where the Emperor was waiting.

As soon as Chu Shaoling entered Chengqian Palace, he sensed a peculiar atmosphere. Consort Li, who was supposed to be attending to the Emperor, was nowhere to be seen. The Emperor's expression had not improved since Chu Shaoling left the palace; in fact, it seemed to have worsened.

Chu Shaoling paid his respects according to protocol and inquired about the Emperor's health in detail. The Emperor smiled faintly, somewhat absent-mindedly, and asked about the assassination attempt Chu Shaoling encountered on the road, consoling him with a few words. However, he did not mention how the assassins were dealt with.

The Emperor was short of energy and had reservations that he did not want to disclose, so he chose not to bring it up. But for such a significant matter, if he did not mention it, someone else surely would.

Chu Shaomo laughed, "I heard that Big Brother encountered something on the road? How novel, to encounter assassins on the way to the imperial estate. Big Brother, do tell us brothers about it!"

The Third Prince Chu Shaomo's mother, Consort De, had died early. He himself was of mediocre talent and not favored by the Emperor, belonging to the category of those unloved by both father and mother. Usually, no one took him seriously.

For such a prince, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, regardless of their true feelings, would still treat him decently on the surface and had never mistreated him. However, the likes of Consort Li inevitably curried favor with the powerful, and had never shown Chu Shaomo a good face. Naturally, Chu Shaomo harbored resentment in his heart. Now, seeing Chu Shaoruan take a big fall, he could not help himself.

Chu Shaoling chuckled, "I also find it strange. Going on a simple errand, yet provoking some bandits. I count myself fortunate that it was I who went to the plowing ceremony on Father Emperor's behalf. If Father Emperor had gone in person, then..."

Chu Shaoruan's face instantly turned snow-white. He looked at Chu Shaoling, his heart filled with hatred. Not only did Chu Shaoling drag his maternal family into this mess, but he also wanted to give them the label of regicide!

The Emperor's expression on the couch also changed. Chu Shaoling laughed lightly, "I ordered those men to be escorted to the Shuntian Prefecture, but I don't know how the interrogation went. Who exactly are these bandits? They didn't rob us, only trying to kill me. Could it be that I offended them?"

The hall fell silent. Chu Shaoyang chimed in, "Big Brother, you just returned and don't know yet. This is a major case. After returning, it was transferred to the Supreme Court, and then all the assassins died."

"Died?!" Chu Shaoling's eyes were filled with disbelief. "When we captured those bandits alive, they were still begging for mercy. Seeing that they didn't want to die, how could they all die so easily?"

Chu Shaomo laughed, showing off his intelligence, "Big Brother, can't you figure it out? Obviously, someone was in a hurry to silence them!"

Chu Shaoruan was covered in cold sweat, his legs weak and shaky, almost staggering. Chu Shaoling leisurely delivered the final blow, "Oh, it doesn't matter. Even if they're dead, plenty of evidence can still be found from the corpses. The Supreme Court is meticulous in handling cases. This son believes the Supreme Court and Father Emperor will give this son an explanation."

The Emperor closed his eyes and nodded, "Of course. Ling'er, you've worked hard on this errand. When I recover, there will naturally be rewards. Go to Ci'an Palace first. The Empress Dowager has been worried about you."

Chu Shaoling kowtowed.

As soon as Chu Shaoling alighted from the sedan chair, he was greeted by Granny Sun. The Empress Dowager had been waiting in the main hall. Seeing Chu Shaoling arrive, she hurriedly called him to her side and examined him carefully. Chu Shaoling knew that this incident must have frightened the Empress Dowager, so he quickly smiled, "Imperial Grandmother, what's the matter? Your grandson has returned without a single hair missing."

The Empress Dowager's heart ached with both anger and distress. Before she could speak, tears flowed from her eyes. She choked, "That's the point! The Empress couldn't bear to let me worry, so she heartlessly left, entrusting you to me. If you were injured or harmed, how could I face the Empress in a few years..."

For Chu Shaoling, the Empress Dowager's words pierced his heart. The mention of Empress Ling made Chu Shaoling's heart ache. He quickly knelt down and said softly, "Your grandson is unharmed and does not dare to let Imperial Grandmother worry. Imperial Grandmother is in the prime of her life. Such words must never be spoken again."

The Empress Dowager embraced Chu Shaoling and sobbed for a while. It took half a day of Chu Shaoling's consolation before she felt better. She said fiercely, "To dare lay hands on the legitimate prince, it seems some people have gone mad. I have been too merciful in recent years, causing people to lose their fear. This time, I will definitely not let them off lightly..."

The Empress Dowager helped Chu Shaoling up and had him sit beside her. She stroked her grandson's back and said slowly, "I sent people to inform the Jing'guo Duke Manor and the Zijun Marquis Manor. This time, I will teach those people a good lesson."

Chu Shaoling chuckled, "Imperial Grandmother has taken drastic measures. Those people are already dead. I'm afraid nothing can be found."

"Without solid evidence in this case, the Supreme Court doesn't dare to investigate deeply! For a case like this, would the Supreme Court dare to continue the investigation without your father's approval?!" The Empress Dowager now harbored resentment towards the Emperor, but her heart still cherished him, so she did not voice it. She only said, "Don't blame your father. When an arm is broken, it's hidden in the sleeve. Your father also has his unavoidable difficulties. The Zhen family's matter is far-reaching. Now is not the time to move against the Zhen family... With insufficient evidence, the Emperor has not ordered further investigation. Since the Zhen family won't be touched, this opportunity should be used to drop the matter. Marquis Zijun will discuss this with you when he returns."

The Empress Dowager had always maintained the bottom line of not interfering in politics despite manipulating behind the scenes. Even if she pulled the strings in secret, she was unwilling to act openly. But the Empress Dowager's maternal family and the extensive network of power behind her were not fools. Naturally, there were people to resolve her worries on her behalf.

Since the Emperor, out of old affection, did not want to move against the Zhen family, he had to offer something of equal value to compensate Chu Shaoling. The Empress Dowager sighed. It was ridiculous that she and her son now had to use their respective forces to keep each other in check. Looking at Chu Shaoling's delicate features, she felt slightly comforted.

Her son was eccentric and stubborn, but her grandson was much better. If one day Chu Shaoling held great power, he would certainly not make things difficult for her and her maternal family. Chu Shaoling was someone who would take care of his maternal relatives, which reassured the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager continued to nag Chu Shaoling for half a day, always worried that he had been injured or frightened yesterday. Chu Shaoling's heart stirred slightly, and he said slowly, "Grandson is able to return safely now, thanks to the loyalty of the imperial guards."

The Empress Dowager looked at Chu Shaoling affectionately and said with a smile, "The close guards by your side are there for this purpose. Just reward them well and that's all."

Chu Shaoling smiled and said, as if unintentionally, "There is a man named Wei Ji by grandson's side who is especially loyal. He was injured like that himself, yet he still tried his best to take care of me. Grandson feels very grateful in his heart." Chu Shaoling's words were vague, without telling a single lie, but he described the situation as extremely dangerous, as if Wei Ji had been badly wounded while protecting him.

The Empress Dowager smiled, "Then give this person a good reward, which can also motivate the people around you. You understand the art of managing people better than I do. Knowing people and making good use of them, promote such people to your side, so that if anything happens again, they can protect you completely."

Chu Shaoling nodded, "Grandson understands."

After leaving Ci'an Palace, Chu Shaoling went directly back to Bitao Palace. There were still many people outside who wanted to see him, but Chu Shaoling didn't have the heart to deal with them one by one. The Empress Dowager had already made it clear, and if the Emperor wanted to save the Zhen family, he had to show a certain amount of sincerity. Chu Shaoling didn't want to bother with anything else. Now he only wanted to see Wei Ji.

In the bedchamber, Wei Ji was curled up on the couch. After returning, he was fed a large bowl of medicinal food by Wang Muhan, and now he was a little sleepy. Seeing Chu Shaoling coming, he hurriedly got off the couch to pay his respects. Chu Shaoling helped him up and they got on the bed together.

Chu Shaoling untied Wei Ji's clothes and looked at his wounds. Wei Ji himself didn't care much and said, "This little injury of your subject's will heal in a few days. Did they find out anything from interrogating those assassins? Who wants to harm Your Highness?"

Chu Shaoling smiled, "Nothing happened, don't worry."

Wei Ji had an almost animal-like sensitivity to Chu Shaoling's affairs. He thought for a moment and said, "Is it the Zhen family?"

Chu Shaoling raised his eyebrows, "You even know about this."

Everyone inside and outside the palace knew about the matters of Consort Li and Empress Ling. Even if Wei Ji was not alert, he understood some things. He thought for a moment and said, "The Zhen family is not good to Your Highness. Why didn't the Emperor punish the Zhen family early on?"

Chu Shaoling laughed. If someone else asked this, Chu Shaoling wouldn't even bother with a cold smile, but when Wei Ji asked, Chu Shaoling found it incredibly cute. His Wei Ji was still young in mind. Chu Shaoling held Wei Ji and let him lie down properly to avoid pressing on his arm, and slowly said, "When the Emperor ascended the throne, he also went through some twists and turns. At that time, apart from the Empress Dowager and my mother's maternal family, the Zhen family also put in a lot of effort."

Mentioning past events made Chu Shaoling feel a bit disgusted. He continued, "After the Emperor ascended the throne, he began to detest the restraints of the maternal relatives. He wanted absolute power and completely forgot how many people from the Wei and Ling families died to put him in this position. He only wanted to follow his own temperament. In this situation, the Zhen family became the imperial guards defending the imperial power."

"My imperial father vigorously promoted the Zhen family, wanting to use them to check and balance his own maternal relatives," Chu Shaoling couldn't help but sneer. "How could he not think that once the Zhen family climbed to this position, they might not be easier to control than the Wei and Ling families? He only believed in Consort Li's flattery and docility. Fool!"

Wei Ji stared blankly at Chu Shaoling. Chu Shaoling looked at his dazed appearance and also found it a bit funny. He chuckled and said, "Did you understand?"

Wei Ji honestly shook his head. He didn't understand.

Chu Shaoling didn't expect him to understand and be able to do anything about it. Hearing this, he smiled and started talking about other things.