In Ci'an Palace, the Emperor personally poured tea for the Empress Dowager and sighed softly, "It's all because I failed to properly discipline my son, causing Imperial Mother to worry."

The Empress Dowager had just been angered to the point of dizziness by Chu Shaoyang in Chengqian Palace. The Emperor did not interrogate Chu Shaoyang further, but directly closed the door and rewarded him with twenty court beatings.

At first, Chu Shaoyang pleaded for mercy and cried out injustice, but his body was delicate and precious. After a few strikes from the gold-plated bronze court rods, he changed his tune. After the twenty beatings, Chu Shaoyang had long passed out from the pain. The Emperor did not have him sent back to Zhaoyang Palace, but directly carried him to a side hall of Chengqian Palace.

The Empress Dowager was both angry and heartbroken. The Emperor first helped the old Empress Dowager back to Ci'an Palace and fed her two cups of tea before her complexion improved slightly.

"I have doted on this evil spawn in vain all these years," the Empress Dowager said, her tears falling before she could finish her sentence. Even the Emperor, who had a thin relationship with the Empress Dowager, had red eyes.

He quickly consoled, "The princes' lack of discipline has nothing to do with Imperial Mother. It's all because I have been lax in managing and educating them, actually raising such a thing! I really am..."

The Emperor also took a deep breath, drank two mouthfuls of tea to catch his breath, and continued, "Imperial Mother did not make it clear just now what the matter was. Could it be that this evil spawn has previously leaked important matters of the court to outsiders?"

The Empress Dowager leaned on the couch wearily and sighed, "Although I am old, I am not muddled. If I had known he dared to interfere in important matters of the court, how could I have concealed it and not told the Emperor? Actually, it's..." The Empress Dowager's mind turned and she changed her words, "It's that he interfered in the personnel matters of Ling'er's household some time ago."

The Empress Dowager gently rubbed her brow and said slowly, "Ling'er has a favored person by his side. I thought that since Ling'er has not yet married, we must not let any scandals arise. So I reprimanded Ling'er a few times. The child is sensible and repeatedly assured me that he would not dote on that person too much. He also promised me that after his marriage, he would let this person go and not pay much attention to that person. It was not a big deal in the first place, and such matters in Ling'er's household are not something I can easily tell the Emperor. That day, I thought Ling'er was young and thin-skinned, so I deliberately sent people away. There were only two of us, Ling'er and I, in the chamber. After we finished talking, that was that."

"Who knew that the next day, Yang'er wrote a letter, copying word for word what Ling'er and I had said in the chamber that day, and sent it to the person Ling'er favored. That letter, that paper, that handwriting, was no different from today's. It indeed came from Yang'er."

The Empress Dowager sighed with emotion, "When I found out at that time, I was furious. His methods were too vicious. Sowing discord in his elder brother's household is one crime. Planting people in my place is another crime. Disregarding brotherly affection is yet another crime! At that time, I wanted to bring Yang'er in for questioning. When Ling'er found out, that child is kind-hearted and has always doted on Yang'er in every way since they were young. Seeing that I was angry, he took all the blame upon himself, saying that he would privately admonish Yang'er a few times and let him learn his lesson. I was originally unwilling, but Ling'er knelt and begged me. I had no choice. Since the victim himself did not want to pursue the matter, it was not good for me to insist on letting the whole palace know. So I agreed to him."

"Who knew that this thing Yang'er would not repent and now actually extended his hand to the cabinet!" The Empress Dowager thought of how much she had doted on Chu Shaoyang and became angry, "Ling'er now dares not easily say a word in the cabinet, but he, the Fourth Prince, has jumped ahead of several elder brothers! Does he think everyone else is dead?!"

The Emperor was now wary of the matter of establishing an heir. What the Empress Dowager said was exactly what angered him. Just from what they had caught, Chu Shaoyang actually had people in both the court and the rear palace. At such a young age, his ambition was actually so great!

The Emperor did not doubt the Empress Dowager's words at all. The Empress Dowager had always protected the two princes left by Empress Ling in every way. Even if there were ten faults, she would only mention three. Now that the Empress Dowager herself said this, it was clear that Chu Shaoyang had not been wronged.

The Emperor thought of the confidential matters they had uncovered today and his anger rose. He had always been on guard against Chu Shaoling, but had neglected Chu Shaoyang. Like Chu Shaoling, Chu Shaoyang was also Empress Ling's legitimate son. Other than Chu Shaoling, he was the most noble among the princes. If one day Chu Shaoling were to fall from power, perhaps Chu Shaoyang would replace Chu Shaoling's position and take over the forces of Marquis Zijun and Duke Jing'guo. At that time, no prince could be found who could contend with him.

The Emperor was paranoid and thought of the previous discord between Chu Shaoyang and Chu Shaoling. At that time, he only saw Chu Shaoling's faults, but did not consider whether Chu Shaoyang's ambition had grown and he had already begun to seek power. Chu Shaoling had always been tolerant of Chu Shaoyang. Even he had conflicts with Chu Shaoyang. What exactly had Chu Shaoyang done in private?

The Emperor could not tolerate the princes arbitrarily seizing power. This time, Chu Shaoyang's actions violated his taboo.

"Mother," the Emperor hesitated for a moment before saying, "The Fourth Prince acts willfully and recklessly. I must come up with some rules, otherwise in the future I will not be able to guide the older ones. Yang'er dares to do this at such a young age. In the future, the older ones will follow his example. Won't the court be in chaos then?"

This time, the Empress Dowager stood on the Emperor's side, her attitude unusually firm. She nodded and said in a deep voice, "It is good that the Emperor can think this way. However, for the sake of the imperial family's face, the old princes* will also enter the capital soon. These days..."

*T/N: Referring to the emperor's siblings or more distant relatives.

The Emperor understood the Empress Dowager's meaning. The Empress Dowager wanted face and so did he. He nodded and said, "I understand. For now, let's just put him under house arrest in Zhaoyang Palace to recuperate. After the new year, I will deal with him myself."

The Empress Dowager nodded wearily, "The Emperor has considered everything."

If it weren't for Chu Shaoyang blocking Chu Shaoling's path at every turn, the Empress Dowager would not have been so ruthless. No matter how bad Chu Shaoyang was, he was still Empress Ling's legitimate son. However, the calamity of internal strife was right before their eyes. Chu Shaoling carried the glory and honor of several families and relatives on his shoulders, as well as the Empress Dowager's hopes and nurturing over the years. He absolutely could not have any mishaps. The Empress Dowager had no choice but to take precautions and suppress Chu Shaoyang before he could truly harm Chu Shaoling.

In Bitao Palace, Chu Shaoling listened to Wang Muhan imitating Chu Shaoyang's appearance when he was beaten, and chuckled, "What a pity, he only received twenty court beatings."

Wang Muhan's heart trembled and he said in a low voice, "Over a hundred court beatings can kill a person. Twenty is actually not a small number..."

Chu Shaoling chuckled and shook his head. After some thought, he said, "Don't let Wei Ji know about this. He has some involvement in this matter. I'm afraid he will take the blame upon himself."

Wang Muhan quickly nodded, "Now this servant is more careful than before. Taking advantage of Lord Wei's day off today, this servant has instructed all the people in our palace. In the future, they will be careful when speaking. The miscellaneous rumors from outside will not reach Lord Wei's ears. Your Highness can rest assured."

Chu Shaoling nodded and instructed Wang Muhan to leave. He casually picked up a military book that Wei Ji usually read and started flipping through it. Wei Ji was always serious when reading and had made many notes in the book. Chu Shaoling found it interesting just to see Wei Ji's handwriting and insights. Wei Ji had gone out of the palace to return to the Wei Manor today and would not be back until the You hour.

Chu Shaoling was bored alone. Just as he was reading the military book, Granny Sun from Ci'an Palace came over and said that Marquis Zijun had entered the palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager and invited Chu Shaoling to come over for a chat.

Chu Shaoling chuckled, the old marquis's information was quite timely.

Chu Shaoling changed his clothes and went to Ci'an Palace. Upon seeing Marquis Zijun, he didn't wait for the old marquis to pay respects and bowed down first, "I haven't seen you for many days, Grandfather. It's been cold these past few days, I wonder if you are still in good health?"

Marquis Zijun quickly helped Chu Shaoling up. The Empress Dowager smiled, "Marquis, just accept it. He's just a child and should be paying respects to you. There's no one else around, let's not talk about state etiquette, only family etiquette."

After Marquis Zijun and Chu Shaoling were both seated, he slowly said, "Etiquette cannot be abandoned. Now that the Crown Prince is at the center of attention, he should follow the rules and procedures, and not let people find fault with him."

The Empress Dowager nodded and smiled, "After all, it's the rules of a noble family. Ling'er, did you hear that?"

Chu Shaoling responded, "Your grandson understands."

The Jing'guo Duke Manor and the Marquis Zijun Manor had generations of marriage ties. The Empress Dowager and Marquis Zijun were not only cousins but also in-laws. In fact, the Empress Dowager should address Marquis Zijun as "brother-in-law".

The Empress Dowager dismissed all the attendants in the warm chamber. They were all family, so there was nothing that couldn't be said. The Empress Dowager put down her tea cup and sighed, "Marquis, have you heard about Yang'er's matter?"

Marquis Zijun remained silent for a long time before saying in a low voice, "Before, I only felt that the Fourth Prince was still young, so I didn't pay much attention. Now looking at it, sigh, how did he go astray?"

Chu Shaoling sneered inwardly. It wasn't that he had just gone astray now. A year ago, he had already deliberately tried to harm him. It's just that at that time, the witchcraft incident made Consort Li the scapegoat, and she was stripped of her hard-earned position as Noble Consort by the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager looked at Marquis Zijun's expression and asked softly, "Marquis, you're not here to blame me for being ruthless, are you? For Yang'er's matter this time, I told the Emperor to put him under house arrest for now, and there will be a resolution after the new year."

"Your Majesty, what are you saying." As a senior minister who had served two emperors, Marquis Zijun had a deeper understanding of the situation than the Empress Dowager. He sighed softly, "The Fourth Prince is my grandson and your direct grandson. Your Majesty dotes on the Fourth Prince even more than I do. Even if Your Majesty didn't care about the Fourth Prince, you would still look after him more for the sake of my daughter who passed away early. It's a pity that the Fourth Prince acted so foolishly. I'm just heartbroken."

The old Empress Dowager's eyes reddened and she choked out in a low voice, "I hope Yu'er will know in the underworld and won't blame me."

Speaking of Empress Ling, the three people in the room inevitably felt sad. Chu Shaoling understood their feelings. Even if Chu Shaoyang had countless faults, on the surface they still had to be tolerant for the sake of the late Empress Ling. In his previous life, Chu Shaoling had also come this way. But in this life, Chu Shaoling would not be soft-hearted again. If Empress Ling knew in her grave, she should also be able to understand his difficulties.

Chu Shaoling handed his handkerchief to the Empress Dowager and said in a low voice, "Mother will not blame Imperial Grandmother. She can only blame my immoral brother. Before Mother passed away, she repeatedly urged us to support each other. I don't think I've let Fourth Brother down in any way, but who knew that brotherly affection could not compare to imperial power and influence. Fourth Brother would actually make a move against me."

The Empress Dowager wiped the corners of her eyes and slowly said, "Ling'er has already done his utmost."

Marquis Zijun naturally did not come to listen to the old Empress Dowager pour out her grievances. Seeing that the Empress Dowager's expression had improved a little, he asked in a low voice, "But I don't know how the Emperor intends to deal with the Fourth Prince?"

The Empress Dowager shook her head, "The Emperor didn't tell me."

Marquis Zijun looked at Chu Shaoling. Chu Shaoling thought for a moment and shook his head, "In recent years, the Emperor's temper has become more and more..." The following words would be too hurtful to say, so Chu Shaoling could only say, "The Heavenly Might is unpredictable, I can't guess either. But based on my opinion, the Emperor will not let Fourth Brother stay in the imperial city."

There were countless eyes watching in the world. The Emperor cared about his reputation and would not want to create a spectacle of father and son turning against each other for people to laugh at. Just look at Chu Shaoling and it was clear. The Emperor had never favored Chu Shaoling, his legitimate eldest son, in his heart, but on the surface, he still maintained a facade of a loving father and filial son. Now with Chu Shaoyang's matter, the Emperor certainly wouldn't want to make a big deal out of it either.

What the Emperor was wary of was Chu Shaoyang interfering in court affairs. To keep him away from court politics, a good method was to send him far away. Chu Shaoling said in a low voice, "If I guessed correctly, after the new year, the Emperor will find an excuse to bestow a fief on Fourth Brother."

Marquis Zijun nodded. Chu Shaoling's guess was similar to his. He said, "Where the fief is chosen also has a lot of hidden agendas. It seems the current Emperor has not yet made a decision. Since the Fourth Prince already harbors resentment towards Your Highness, it would be best for Your Highness to make plans early regarding the fief matter."

This was the real purpose of Marquis Zijun's visit to the palace. Chu Shaoling chuckled and nodded, "Grandfather's consideration is correct."

After discussing Chu Shaoyang's matter, the Empress Dowager chatted with Marquis Zijun about family affairs. She asked with concern, "The weather is getting worse. How is Yun'er's health? Did she take the tonics I sent?"

Speaking of his granddaughter, Marquis Zijun sighed. Ling Yun was good in every way, except for her weak health. Marquis Zijun didn't want to worry the old Empress Dowager, so he only reported the good news, "The tonics sent by Your Majesty are all good. Yun'er has taken them and her energy seems to have improved a bit. It's just that the weather is cold and the ground is frozen now, otherwise I would have her mother bring her to pay respects to Your Majesty."

However, hearing this, the Empress Dowager sighed inwardly. Just because the weather had turned a bit cold, Ling Yun couldn't go out. It seemed her health had deteriorated compared to the summer.

The Empress Dowager glanced at Chu Shaoling without saying anything. If it weren't for Ling Yun's poor health, what a good match this would be. Although the Empress Dowager wanted Chu Shaoling to marry someone from the Jing'guo Duke Manor, her own maternal family was in dire straits now. Most of the girls were already married, and the eldest among the unmarried ones was only seven years old.

Thinking of Chu Shaoling's marriage, the Empress Dowager became anxious. He was getting older year by year. She could only hope that Ling Yun's younger sister Ling Yi would grow up soon. The Empress Dowager had confidence in the Zijun Marquis Manor's family teachings and they would certainly not embarrass Chu Shaoling.

"If Yun'er is not feeling well, let her recuperate properly. When there's nothing else, bring Yi'er over more often for me to see." The Empress Dowager's words were brief. "I'm bored in this palace every day. Last time when I saw Yi'er, I liked her very much and always think of her."

Marquis Zijun's heart stirred and he nodded.

Chu Shaoling's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this. Ling Yi was only eleven years old, so he wasn't worried at all.