Chapter 182 Returning to the Capital
Shen Churong led his elite troops in a search that lasted a full day and night, turning almost every inch of land upside down, but still could not find a trace of Chen Yanqing.
Li Yuanzhao had no choice but to order his men to return to the capital first, while instructing others to stay behind and continue the search.
"Whether they are dead or alive, we must bring them back."
However, the news that the eldest princess had been assassinated and seriously injured on her way back to the capital had already spread like wildfire, causing a great uproar throughout the court and the country.
Whether in the streets and alleys or in the imperial court, people were talking about it, saying that someone was jealous of the princess's achievements and was trying to harm her.
Most of the officials in the court jointly submitted a memorial, earnestly requesting the emperor to order a thorough investigation into the matter and severely punish the mastermind behind it, so as not to chill the hearts of the people.
Lin Xueyan went so far as to directly accuse Cui Shiliang during the morning court session, implying that the matter was definitely related to him!
Cui Shiliang was so angry he almost vomited blood.
But then he suddenly realized that almost no one in the entire court was on his side anymore.
From some point in time, he suddenly became an isolated and helpless sycophant, condemned everywhere.
The court officials wished they could never have anything to do with him again.
But he was not worried at all. Once Li Yuanzhao's rebellion was confirmed, these people would come back and kneel down to beg him.
The Emperor also planned to find a pretext to suppress Li Yuanzhao and weaken her prestige after she returned to the capital.
But faced with this situation, how could he dare to do anything more?
If you do this, won't you really earn the reputation of a foolish and incompetent ruler who discards his tools after they've served their purpose and is jealous of talent?
Therefore, the Emperor immediately issued an edict ordering the Court of Judicial Review to thoroughly investigate the case and show no leniency.
Even before Li Yuanzhao arrived in the capital, a large amount of rewards had already been continuously sent to the Princess's residence.
People in the capital, regardless of their motives, all longed for Li Yuanzhao's early return.
But the only one who probably hoped she wouldn't come back was Li Yuanshu.
After listening to Cao Dongyang's report, she couldn't help but feel afraid.
After Cao Dongyang reported that only that guard had been killed, he slammed his teacup on the ground and angrily cursed, "What's the use of killing him? He was just one of Li Yuanzhao's guards!"
Cao Dongyang explained, "I've noticed that the Princess takes him everywhere she goes, so he must be useful. If we can get rid of him, at least we can cut off one of her arms..."
"Enough!" Li Yuanshu interrupted him sharply. "What's the point of saying all this now!"
She asked with a fearful look, "I ask you, will Li Yuanzhao find out that I sent someone to kill her?"
Cao Dongyang quickly replied, "Princess, rest assured! All of them are elite warriors who have undergone special training. Even if captured, they will not utter a single word. Furthermore, the weapons and clothing used this time are unmarked, ensuring that no clues will be found."
However, this assurance failed to calm Li Yuanshu's panicked mind.
She paced back and forth in the hall, Li Yuanzhao's all-knowing eyes constantly appearing in her mind.
She knew that woman's methods all too well.
Even if she doesn't die, I will never let her live a good life.
She suddenly stopped, turned to Cao Dongyang, and asked, "Where is Li Yuanzhao now? How long until he arrives in the capital?"
Cao Dongyang whispered, "Your Highness, the Princess's carriage has already entered the city. There are still many people lining the streets to welcome her; it's quite lively..."
Upon hearing this, Li Yuanshu staggered back two steps, barely managing to stand by grabbing the table beside him.
No, she can't just sit here and wait to die.
After returning to the capital, Li Yuanzhao went straight to the palace to meet the emperor without stopping for a moment.
Inside the Yanying Hall, Li Ye sat upright on the dragon throne. As Physician Lin had said, his complexion looked much better than before.
After Li Yuanzhao finished her greetings, he neither helped her up as usual nor instructed Eunuch Xu to provide her with a seat.
He simply hummed in response, his gaze falling on her with a scrutinizing look that was hard to define.
Li Yuanzhao remained expressionless as he stood in the main hall and reported on all the disaster relief matters one by one.
After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the hall before Li Ye slowly opened his mouth, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger: "You've worked hard."
Li Yuanzhao lowered his eyes and replied, "It is my duty to share the Emperor's burdens and to seek peace for the people."
Li Ye narrowed his eyes and suddenly asked, "I've heard that you killed quite a few people in Weizhou and demoted more than ten local officials?"
Li Yuanzhao raised his eyes to meet his gaze. "Isn't this the power of imperial envoy that Father Emperor has granted to me? Allowing me to deal with local officials. Moreover, I have had the Censorate verify the evidence of these people's corruption and abuse of power one by one. Every single case has solid evidence, and I am by no means wronging them."
She paused, then became more direct, "Does Father Emperor think that I made a mistake in handling this matter?"
Li Ye was clearly taken aback by her blunt question. He paused for a moment before replying, "In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures are needed. The disaster situation in Weizhou is urgent. If we don't use severe punishments to deter the villains, the disaster relief efforts may not be able to proceed smoothly. You did... very well. I don't mean to blame you."
He had privately asked Huang Wei, who had gone to provide disaster relief with Li Yuanyou, about it.
Huang Wei, who was Cui Shiliang's man, even said that Li Yuanzhao's disaster relief efforts were handled properly and without problems.
Then naturally, he couldn't use that to find fault with her.
Li Yuanzhao bowed slightly, "Father, you flatter me."
Li Ye coughed lightly, subtly changing the subject, "I heard that when Yuan You said he wanted to become a monk, you happened to be in Weizhou... Do you know why he wanted to become a monk?"
Although the question was phrased tactfully, it was almost a clear indication that she suspected Li Yuanyou's decision to become a monk was related to her.
Li Yuanzhao sneered inwardly, but his face remained calm.
“Father, I had just arrived in Weizhou when I suddenly saw my second brother kneeling down to beg for forgiveness, saying that he wanted to become a monk. How could I possibly know the reason for this?”
She paused for a moment, then said, "If Father Emperor wants to know the reason, why not ask Prime Minister Cui? I heard that he wrote a letter to my second brother, instructing him to kneel down and beg for forgiveness in front of Weizhou City."
Li Ye subconsciously repeated, "Prime Minister Cui?"
Li Yuanzhao raised an eyebrow and said, "Now that Lord Cui has been reinstated, it's time to address him as Prime Minister Cui."
Upon hearing this, Li Ye was speechless.
Before Li Yuanzhao left the capital, he specially suspended Cui Shiliang from his post to appease her.
Before Li Yuanzhao even returned to the capital, he impatiently reinstated Cui Shiliang to his original post, which indeed made him appear as an emperor who "went back on his word."
He cleared his throat, attempting to explain, "The Cui family has devoted their entire fortune to donating grain for disaster relief, and has also suffered the loss of so many clansmen. They have done a great service to the country. I am restoring his position in consideration of his contributions this time."
After speaking, he looked at Li Yuanzhao, his tone probing, "Are you perhaps concerned about this matter? Do you feel that my handling of it was unfair?"
Li Yuanzhao said calmly, "Father is benevolent and considers the pros and cons of the court. Of course, I will not care."
Just as Li Ye breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the topic could be put to rest, Li Yuanzhao abruptly changed the subject, "Father, were you waiting for me to say that?"
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