"Besides the Princess Consort of Qin, there can't be anyone else, right?"

"Isn't it said that Princess Qin was kidnapped by bandits when she went to the temple to pray for blessings? The Emperor has sent so many people to search for her, but she is still missing."

"The Guan family's search is just for show; they might actually be hoping that Princess Qin won't return."

The people were whispering and gossiping, saying all sorts of things.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire street's residents, Xue Shen and his entourage, along with his flamboyant Fang Shi, returned to the capital.

When Emperor Cheng'an in the palace heard the news, he looked at Qi Zhong with a cold smile: "You went to Xizhou, yet you didn't know anything about Consort Shen and her son?"

Qi Zhong had served him for many years and naturally knew his temperament well, understanding that he was angry.

When he returned from Xizhou and reported that he had to appoint Pang Lai as the governor of Xizhou due to an emergency, Emperor Cheng'an was already very displeased.

He deliberately exaggerated, saying that the garrison in Xizhou was short-staffed, consisting mostly of the old, weak, and disabled. He argued that if the imperial court were to take over, it would require a large sum of money and manpower to reorganize it. Therefore, he suggested handing Xizhou over to the Prince of Qin first. Once the Prince of Qin had properly managed the garrison, the imperial court could then reap the rewards.

Emperor Cheng'an neither confirmed nor denied the matter at the time, but did not pursue it further.

But upon hearing that the Shen family father and son were returning to the capital with the Prince of Qin, Emperor Cheng'an probably remembered this matter that hadn't been resolved for long, and his gaze towards Qi Zhong became unfriendly.

Qi Zhong's mind raced, and he immediately knelt down to plead guilty, saying, "Your Majesty, please understand. When I went to Xizhou, I truly had never heard of the Shen family father and son. I fear they had long ago conspired with the Prince of Qin and deliberately kept it from me."