The women in the harem couldn't understand it, but Shang Xiche knew the answer in his heart.

Since returning to the capital, the Ninth Prince has not made any major moves.

The only major event he did that caused a sensation in Kyoto was the raid on Xue Yanshou's home, and his declaration that he would investigate it thoroughly.

As Shang Xiche's mind raced, he recalled the list of names the mysterious man had given him in Tongyou. He was now almost 100% certain that "Young Master Jia" was the Crown Prince!

The Empress's move against the bandits was simply an attempt to stop the Ninth Prince's investigation.

Or perhaps, the Crown Prince has already gained enough power and is about to make his move!

"Your Majesty, how do you explain this?" Shang Xiche was terrified after thinking about it carefully, and in an instant, he turned his attention to the Empress.

Chen Ziyun: "..."

My mind is racing with a thousand thoughts of wild horses.

I should have let that damn emperor's head hurt a little more than he betrayed me at the crucial moment.

"Your Majesty, what do you want me to explain?" Chen Ziyun turned to Shang Xiche, her expression and gaze indifferent, carrying an imperceptible contempt and disdain: "The rumors of the Ninth Princess Consort's affair with the Third Prince have been rampant in the palace for quite some time. As the saying goes, there's no smoke without fire. The Ninth Princess Consort is no ordinary woman who can't even kill a chicken. How could she be so easily kidnapped by a man in black who suddenly appeared? It's not impossible that she did it intentionally."

"Are you sure you're the Empress? How can you say something more unreasonable than a shrew from the marketplace?" Xi Que's knuckles cracked as she clenched her fists.

Xi Que repeatedly beat Chen Ziying, but Chen Ziyun had long tolerated it.

Seeing that Xique had spoken to her so disrespectfully, she finally found an opportunity and angrily shouted, wanting to punish her: "How dare you! When the masters are speaking, how dare a servant like you interrupt? Guards, drag this disrespectful servant out and beat her to death!"

"Who dares!" Shang Xiye roared in fury, "Anyone who dares to lay a finger on her will have their entire clan wiped out!"

Shang Xiye's words were like a resounding slap, making Chen Ziyun's face sting.

Chen Ziyun roared furiously, "Ninth Prince! Don't push your luck! Don't think that just because you have military power, the Emperor and my Chen family can't touch you!"

"You can give it a try," Shang Xiye said, his gaze as cold as snow.

At this moment, Lin Shuang and the two guards returned.

Lin Shuang handed several large pieces of ice shards tightly wrapped in brocade to Shang Xiye, who quickly stuffed the ice shards into the increasingly restless little bandit girl's hand in his bosom.

The young female bandit received the cold icicles and clutched them tightly to her chest as if they were priceless treasures.

Her face, flushed red as if it were about to bleed, kept rubbing upwards, her delicate eyebrows furrowed together, and her eyes glistened with tears.

Shang Xiye felt a pang of heartache as she read this.

He carefully covered her up, and when he looked up again, his gaze was sharp and tangible, making anyone who saw him tremble with fear.

Shang Xiche was the first one to be shocked.

Especially after understanding the meaning behind the Empress's actions, he was even less likely to help her.

"Smack!"

To everyone's surprise, Shang Xiche slapped Chen Ziyun hard across the face in public.

Chen Ziyun was completely taken aback, covering her reddened face as she looked at Shang Xiche in disbelief: "You...you hit me?"

"As Empress, you should be a model of virtue for the nation, stabilize the harem, and maintain harmony among your ministers and relatives; but what were you saying to the Ninth Prince just now? Were you trying to sow discord between me and the Ninth Prince, and incite internal strife in the Great Zhao?" Shang Xiche showed no respect for the Empress.

Chen Ziyun has lived to this age and no one has ever laid a finger on her. She never expected to be slapped in public by the emperor today!