"Forming cliques and recruiting soldiers, what are you trying to do? Are you tired of being the crown prince and want to rebel?!" Shang Xiche slammed his fist on the imperial desk, his face turning ashen with anger.

Shang Dongyang was struck dumb, as if by a bolt from the blue. He had always been extremely careful in these matters and had never provoked any powerful figures.

Moreover, he had those people secretly helping him; even an ordinary person couldn't possibly investigate so thoroughly. But the facts were right before his eyes, leaving him no choice but to admit it!

The personnel list and account books are all here, but there is no mention of the whereabouts of the silver. Presumably, the silver has not been turned over to the national treasury, otherwise Shang Xiche would not be so angry, and at least he could save face.

In Dazhao, who else has the ability to investigate him thoroughly, and who else dares to swallow so much of his silver?

The first thing that came to Shang Dongyang's mind was the Ninth Prince, Shang Xiye. This made him think of the recent conflict between Chen Ziying and the bandit Ninth Prince's wife, as well as the frequent actions of his mother, the Empress, and the Chen family. He felt a surge of hatred.

What a bunch of useless bastards!

"Father, I am innocent! I have always devoted myself to scholarship and have never had time to engage in such political and business schemes. Please investigate, Father!"

Shang Dongyang stubbornly denied it: "This must be someone deliberately framing me. Otherwise, how could there be so much evidence but not a single coin of silver? That is crucial evidence!"

Shang Xiche thought about it and realized that the evidence was complete, but where did the large sum of money directly related to this matter go?

Without that sum of money, it's all just empty promises; even if the Crown Prince is guilty, the charges are unfounded.

Either the crown prince is innocent;

Either the money was stolen, or they sent these things just to annoy people and make a fool of themselves!

Who else has the ability to do this?

Just ask me, besides the Ninth Prince, who else is there?!

Since ascending the throne, Shang Xiche had never suffered such a loss in silence, and the resentment and anger in his heart had accumulated to the extreme.

To hell with the summer heat, let's have a damn vacation!

He shouldn't have listened to that woman's words; he must be out of his mind to bring the Ninth Prince to the underworld!

The Ninth Prince is doing fine now, but he's about to be driven crazy by all the mess the Ninth Prince has made!

After severely reprimanding Shang Dongyang and confiscating his dragon pendant, a symbol of the Crown Prince's authority, Shang Xiche was so angry that he felt dizzy and dismissed him.

Shang Dongyang was so frustrated he felt like he was about to vomit blood. After leaving the imperial study, he rushed into the Empress's residence and launched into a tirade of complaints: "Mother, can you please be more careful? Are you really going to risk offending that bandit and the Ninth Prince for the sake of that good-for-nothing Chen Ziying, ruining your son's life?!"

When the Empress learned that the Emperor had even taken away the Crown Prince's dragon pendant, and was just short of issuing an edict to depose the Crown Prince, she was also shocked.

Over the next few days, Ji Fengyao noticed that all the various groups had suddenly quieted down.

The Empress was even stranger. Occasionally, when she encountered the Empress Dowager, she would nod and smile at her, which was incredibly unsettling!

Twice, his bedchamber was broken into, and the people of Tongyou City were once again abuzz with gossip about Wang Qiang.

Regardless of whether the Crown Prince's story is true or false, it served as a wake-up call for Shang Xiche.

The more Shang Xiche thought about it, the more anxious and uneasy he became. After being sickly for several days, he finally announced that he would return to the capital ahead of schedule, citing the Empress Dowager's leg ailment.

No one informed Qin Weiyang. It was Aunt She who found out that the Emperor was returning to the capital. Only then did Qin Weiyang, dragging her two broken legs, manage to arrive just as the dragon boat was about to depart and board the ship.