The maid hung up the embroidered golden silk curtain and slowly walked into the inner chamber. She gently opened the incense burner and added some incense with a silver spoon, then quietly withdrew.

The elegant and rich fragrance slowly wafted out from the red gold carved incense burner and lingered for a long time. Chu Shaoling was half asleep and half awake, hazily thinking that this was agarwood incense, which he had not smelled for many years.

Agarwood incense nourishes the five internal organs, harmonizes the spleen and stomach, dispels evil energy, and breaks obsessions. Burning it in the inner chamber is best for the body. In the palace, apart from the imperial dragon incense, this incense is the most precious and is specially used by the empress.

Smelling this fragrance, Chu Shaoling felt a bit nostalgic. Back when his mother, the empress, was still alive, knowing he liked this incense, she gave more than half of the agarwood incense in her palace to Bitao Palace.

Later, when Empress Ling passed away, naturally this allocation ended. After the remaining few boxes were used up, there was no more. Even later, when the emperor made Consort Li the empress, this became the new empress' exclusive possession.

Chu Shaoling felt dizzy, as if sleeping and waking, with many events from years ago playing out in his mind.

In his childhood, Empress Ling held Chu Shaoyang while holding his hand, and the three of them admired flowers and played with water together in the garden of Fenghua Palace. The young Chu Shaoling didn't understand why his mother always shed tears in sorrow when no one was around. He only knew that his imperial father seldom set foot in Fenghua Palace and always loved to go to Consort Li in Linzhi Palace. Consort Li, relying on the emperor's favor, always intentionally or unintentionally embarrassed the empress in front of others.

Later, his maternal grandfather, Marquis Zijun, increasingly fell out of the emperor's favor, but the empress didn't speak much for her family, only advising her father not to take the lead in anything. At that time, the empress' health was deteriorating day by day, but she still maintained her dignified demeanor in front of others. Only before her death did she make a request to the emperor - in light of their more than ten years as husband and wife, to treat her family leniently. The empress had never asked the emperor for anything in her life. Naturally, the emperor agreed to her last wish.

The maternal families of several concubines in the palace were rising in the court, and the number of imperial sons born to concubines was increasing. The situation for Chu Shaoling and Chu Shaoyang became more and more awkward. First, they were no longer respected as before, and later, some people even started to frame Chu Shaoling and poison Chu Shaoyang.

Chu Shaoling began to associate with ministers to consolidate his power. Whether close attendants or external officials, as long as they could help him, Chu Shaoling was willing to befriend them. Gradually, he also formed his own faction in the court.

In the rear palace, Consort Li was dominating alone. Consort Li, Zhen Bihe's second prince Chu Shaoruan became Chu Shaoling's biggest rival. At a critical juncture, Chu Shaoyang accidentally committed an offense and fell into the hands of the Zhen family. Chu Shaoling had no choice but to help Consort Li become the empress in exchange for his brother's life. The third prince Chu Shaomo was conferred the title of Prince Chen and colluded with Chu Shaoruan. Chu Shaoling schemed to push Chu Shaomo off his high horse.

After Prince Chen was punished, Chu Shaoling began to target the Zhen family and Chu Shaoruan, steadily advancing step by step. In less than two years, he made the emperor completely despise Chu Shaoruan, and the Zhen family gradually declined.

Chu Shaoling finally cleared the obstacles in front of him. Just when he wanted to take a breath, his own biological younger brother Chu Shaoyang stabbed him hard in the back, completely ruining the relationship between the two brothers.

Fortunately, at the end, someone appeared. Although he was just a guard, he let Chu Shaoling die very willingly. It's just a pity, Chu Shaoling hazily thought, it's a pity that he didn't find out about Wei Ji earlier!

Chu Shaoling suddenly opened his eyes. Didn't he already fall off the Heartbreak Cliff? What's going on now?!

Chu Shaoling sat up and looked around. The scene before his eyes was all familiar to him. This was clearly Bitao Palace!

Bitao Palace was bestowed to him by the emperor after he moved out of Empress Ling's Fenghua Palace at the age of six. All the furnishings and decorations in the palace were personally selected and arranged by Empress Ling. Until the year he came of age and left the palace to establish his own residence, he never had the chance to come back.

Chu Shaoling got out of bed and walked barefoot around the Shu embroidered screen. Looking at himself in the bronze mirror, he was stunned. The young man in the mirror was only sixteen or seventeen years old. After a moment, Chu Shaoling smiled. Heaven did not fail him and actually let him return to the past.

Chu Shaoling turned and went back to the inner chamber. He walked to the desk and flipped through it slightly. Under a copy of Mencius was a piece of paper with Chu Shaoling's own handwriting. It was full of words commemorating Empress Ling, and there were a few more words at the bottom: Winter of the 13th year of Tianqi.

The twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month in the winter of the thirteenth year of Tianqi was the anniversary of Empress Ling's death. This year, Chu Shaoling had just turned seventeen.

Chu Shaoling closed his eyes and carefully thought about what happened this year. Yes, it was the year of Empress Ling's death anniversary. At that time, Consort Li, the Zhen family, and the third prince Chu Shaomo were eyeing him like a tiger watching its prey. In order to protect Chu Shaoyang, he nearly lost his life several times. Chu Shaoling sneered coldly. Since the heavens let him come back once, he must not suffer the same hardships as in his previous life. Those who had harmed him, he would slowly settle scores with them one by one. The things that should have belonged to him, he would also take back one by one. And then there was Wei Ji.

In his previous life, Wei Ji said before his death that he had seen Chu Shaoling ten years ago. Chu Shaoling made a rough calculation. Now, Wei Ji had already seen him for two years. But he didn't know if Wei Ji had entered the palace to be by his side at this time. Chu Shaoling secretly regretted that he didn't know much about Wei Ji, only knowing his surname and name. If Wei Ji hadn't entered the palace yet, it would be difficult to find him. Perhaps, at that time, Chu Shaoling would have to turn the entire imperial city upside down to find this person.

Chu Shaoling took a deep breath and sorted out his thoughts. He turned around and called for someone. The maids didn't expect Chu Shaoling to be up already. Hearing the movement, they hurriedly came in to serve. The personal maid Wancui draped an outer garment over Chu Shaoling and buttoned up the agate buttons one by one. She laughed softly in a low voice, "Why did Your Highness get up so early today? Last night, Your Highness returned from Zhaoyang Palace so late. This servant thought Your Highness wouldn't be able to get up today."

Zhaoyang Palace, Chu Shaoyang's sleeping quarters.

Chu Shaoling sneered coldly and tidied his sleeves without answering. Wancui knelt down to tie Chu Shaoling's waistband and said in a low voice, "Yesterday was the empress' death anniversary. This servant knows Your Highness is not feeling well in your heart. But Your Highness, don't just immerse yourself in your own grief. This servant heard that the empress dowager has not been feeling well these past few days. It seems she is also thinking of the late empress. Your Highness, after your lessons, why don't you..."

"What did you say?!" Chu Shaoling's heart skipped a beat. Pay respects to the empress dowager? The empress dowager clearly passed away in the tenth year of Tianqi. Where did this empress dowager come from now for him to pay respects to?

Wancui looked up at Chu Shaoling in confusion and hesitantly said, "This servant was saying that after your lessons, Your Highness should go pay respects to the empress dowager. The late empress was most doted on by the empress dowager when she was alive. It seems the empress dowager is also heartbroken these past few days..."

The Empress was not only the Empress Dowager's daughter-in-law, but also her most beloved niece. Back then, the Empress Dowager had strongly promoted the marriage between the Emperor and Empress. Naturally, she was very satisfied with this daughter-in-law. However, Chu Shaoling was a bit confused. In his previous life, the Empress Dowager had passed away two years earlier than the Empress, so how could she still be here now?

Wancui had no idea about the chaos in Chu Shaoling's mind. Seeing the unusual expression on his face, she assumed it was due to him missing Empress Ling too much the day before, causing him heartache. She had served by Chu Shaoling's side for many years and knew that her master was a man of deep feelings, so she didn't say anything more.

Chu Shaoling had originally thought that he was just reliving his previous life, but who knew that some things now were completely different from his past life? Was Wei Ji still here?

Chu Shaoling closed his eyes for a moment and ordered someone to summon the chief eunuch of Bitao Palace, Eunuch Wang. Eunuch Wang had long been waiting outside, and upon hearing the summons, he hurriedly entered and bowed his head, awaiting orders.

Chu Shaoling thought for a moment and said, "Yesterday, I instructed a guard to do something. I vaguely remember his name was Wei Ji. Summon him here; I have something to ask him."

Chu Shaoling appeared calm on the surface, but he felt a bit uneasy inside. What if Wei Ji hadn't entered the palace yet? What if Wei Ji had been assigned elsewhere? Or, what if in this life, Wei Ji had never even met him before?

"I'm afraid it's rather unfortunate, Your Highness," Eunuch Wang said with his head bowed. "The guards are on rotation, and today happens to be Wei Ji's day to leave the palace. Last night, the boy already collected his waist tablet from me. I suppose he had already left the palace when the gates opened this morning."

Eunuch Wang glanced at Chu Shaoling's expression. Although he didn't know why Chu Shaoling would suddenly think of a lowly guard, seeing that Chu Shaoling's expression was different from usual, he added, "If Your Highness has something for him, this servant will immediately arrange for someone to-"

"No need," Chu Shaoling said, his highly strung heart settling down. He shook his head. "It's nothing important. Since it's his turn to leave the palace, he should return at night. When he comes back, have him come see me directly."

Eunuch Wang bowed his head. "Yes, Your Highness."

Chu Shaoling silently fiddled with the jade pendant at his waist. After a while, he said, "Inform the Huixin Institute that I won't be attending classes today. Change my clothes; I'm going to Ci'an Palace to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager."