Chapter 583

The Chu Emperor smoothly entered the palace gate.

At that moment the next morning when the palace gate had just opened.

He entered the palace gate escorted by the Imperial Forest Army, Duan Rongshi, Yang Qilang, Zhang Tingji, and Eunuch Ji, who had long been waiting inside.

With the Imperial Forest Army's deterrence, the Crown Prince dared not resist at all.

Moreover, he had dispatched a thousand elite troops out of the city, and to this day their fate is unknown.

Where would he dare to make a big show of action?

Father Emperor's smooth return doesn't that prove he won?

Does Father Emperor know those assassins were all sent by himself?

As soon as he heard the news, the Crown Prince's courage was about to be shattered.

Especially after hearing last night that the Imperial Forest Army had a brawl.

Chen Yi's whole head was hung on the flagpole, and no one in the Imperial Forest Army dared to stop Li Wu.

The Crown Prince was so frightened he didn't dare sleep all night.

Even with the Empress and Crown Princess consoling him, he still trembled all over, hiding on the dragon bed, not daring to close his eyes.

The Empress even said: "You are now the emperor; your accession is legitimate—what are you afraid of?"

"Besides, you didn't kill your father to seize the throne; it was the court officials who jointly pushed you onto the throne—could your father really slaughter all the civil and military officials?"

"Even if you truly are afraid, your maternal grandfather has already mustered troops; with just your order, stopping your father would not be difficult."

"You really dare not give it a try?"

The Crown Prince cried out in fright: "Mother Empress!"

"No, you must not act rashly again!"

"Your subject has already tried; the Father Emperor cannot be killed. When he returns, how shall your subject conduct himself?"

"That day the Second Imperial Prince was seized by the Marquis of Wei Wu, and wasn't he shot to death together by order of the Father Emperor?"

"In the Father Emperor's eyes, are we sons really important?"

"Moreover, whether they truly conducted a thorough search for the Father Emperor this time, your subject knows in his heart..."

"If the Father Emperor truly wants to settle accounts with your subject, your subject feels panicked... afraid, afraid of death, really unable to pass this trial."

"If we move troops now, will the Empress drag the entire Yang family into it?"

The Empress advised him: "You're confused, Your Highness."

"We have long shared honor and disgrace; do you really think that if you fall from your horse and meet disaster, our Yang family could still escape?"

But the Crown Prince ultimately did not agree with the Empress.

The eldest daughter of the Marquis of Wei Wu's household married Zong Zheng Wuxie.

Look at Zong Zheng Wuxie—just because of an obscure Witchcraft Technique, what fate befell the entire Marquis of Wei Wu?

The Crown Princess dared not involve her natal family, so she also did not endorse the Empress's plan.

The Empress, furious, slapped the Crown Princess across the face.

"The Emperor married someone as weak as you, and now he's becoming ever more timid and fearful, hesitant, not even daring to defend his own throne!"

The Crown Princess could only sob.

The Crown Prince also didn't utter a sound.

But in fact only he himself knows that, having seen too much of the Chu Emperor's cruelty since childhood, he has long harbored a deep dread of his own father.

Upon hearing the Chu Emperor's return, that's when his courage was shattered.

Finally the Crown Prince could bear it no longer; he jumped up, drove everyone away, and then sat with eyes wide open on the floor, enduring half the night.

Upon hearing that the Chu Emperor had entered the palace gate, he immediately hurried to the main street to personally greet the Chu Emperor.

"Father Emperor——"

"Father Emperor, you have finally returned."

"If you don't return, your subject will not be able to hold on, Father Emperor——"

Looking at him in his dragon robes, the Chu Emperor narrowed his eyes coldly.

"Crown Prince, you have ascended the throne."

The Crown Prince covered his reddened eyes and cried out twice.

"Father Emperor, you have been missing these days; your subject has had no choice."

"Your subject has struggled to maintain court stability with that medicine, but without your guidance, Father Emperor, nothing he does turns out well."

"The recent death of the Qin King Uncle has thrown everyone into further chaos; this morning, having no alternative, your subject was forced to take the throne."

"Now that Father Emperor has returned, if you are unwilling to be the Retired Emperor, your subject will simply take off these robes."

"Father Emperor, please don't misunderstand; your subject harbors no disloyal intent."

Saying this, the Crown Prince indeed began to feign taking off his dragon robe.

The Chu Emperor also said nothing.

He merely stared at him silently, like a poisonous snake eyeing its prey, causing the Crown Prince to feel an uncontrollable chill spreading from the soles of his feet.

In the past, the Father Emperor would have already flown into a complete rage.

After a brief wait, those officials should have entered the palace gate and passed by here to go to the former court.

Thus they could see how the Father Emperor treats this newly crowned sovereign, himself.

Even this emperor himself suffers displaced anger; how could those officials fare any better afterward?

Everyone naturally worries about being subjected to displaced anger.

Perhaps they will then oppose the Father Emperor's return to court.

But Father Emperor, he today is surprisingly calm and composed!

This made the Crown Prince feel somewhat abnormal, their heart filled with unease.

The Crown Prince had no idea; all this was because today Duan Rongshi still stood behind the Chu Emperor.

With Duan Rongshi present, the Chu Emperor would not easily reveal that cruel side again.

And Duan Rongshi, having taken medicine for several days, indeed had some change in temperament.

So, even though they hated the Crown Prince enough to want to strangle them, the Chu Emperor still endured.

They stared at the hand that pretended to take off the dragon robe but then paused, and gave a cold smile: "Enough."

"You were also forced to ascend the throne for the sake of court stability; I naturally won't blame you."

"But now that I have returned, although you have ascended the throne, you have not yet held the enthronement ceremony."

"This matter, naturally, should be called off; from now on you are still the Crown Prince."

"I will act as if this never happened."

"What do you say, Crown Prince?"

The Crown Prince hastily lowered their head, their whole face filled with disappointment.

"Yes, yes... thank you, Father Emperor, for your grace."

The Chu Emperor swept their sleeve and shouted: "Attend court!"

The Chu Emperor had not properly attended court for several years.

Upon returning today, they actually had to attend court.

Such an unprecedented move frightened the civil and military officials waiting outside the palace gate.

But strangely, the Chu Emperor did not pursue anyone's responsibility upon returning.

It was as if their abduction from the palace had never happened.

The Crown Prince had only worn the dragon robe for a day, but had to take it off again, stand once more beneath the imperial throne, and resume their role as Crown Prince.

All the court officials looked at them with eyes inevitably tinged with pity.

How could there be such an unlucky emperor in this world?

Having served only a day, they were hastily dismissed.

They truly are the so‑called unprecedented, never‑to‑be‑repeated existence.

Not only pitiful, but also quite humiliating.

But faced with today's especially dignified Chu Emperor, not a single official dared to bring up the matter.

After all, the vast majority of officials who had helped place the Crown Prince on the throne had participated in it.

Even those who had not participated dared not lightly invite misfortune.

Who would dare to court death?

The Yang family could only swallow their anger in silence, fearing that their impulsiveness might cause the Crown Prince to lose even the position of Crown Prince.

The Chu Emperor listened quietly to these court affairs, showing not the slightest sign of drowsiness today.

As the court was about to adjourn, they suddenly brought up Prince Qin.

"Having been kidnapped this time, I know that all of you, my beloved officials, have expended much effort to stabilize the court; I feel deeply comforted and am also glad that Great Chu still has loyal officials like you."

"Otherwise, these past years, owing to my former decadence, the Great Chu imperial court would have long ceased to exist."

When the Chu Emperor said this, each official's face showed a strange expression as if they had seen a ghost.

The Chu Emperor acted as if they had not seen it.

Changing the subject, they then brought up Prince Qin.

"I have not treated him poorly, yet he personally plotted this kidnapping against me!"

"These years, if he were not constantly scheming against me, I would not have continually disappointed the expectations of my beloved officials."

"Furthermore, he has muddled the imperial lineage."

"This too is my own responsibility for not noticing. I, I know I was wrong."

The officials could no longer hold back, all sucking in a cold breath sharply.

Could it be that His Majesty has been possessed?

Otherwise, how could they possibly utter such heaven‑defying words?

Or perhaps they simply haven't woken up from attending court today?

Even an old official couldn't help but secretly pinch themselves hard.

Only when the pain came through clearly did they dare to believe that they had actually waited for this day!

His Majesty, merely kidnapped once, has actually awakened?

The old official's eyes instantly filled with hot tears, gazing at the Chu Emperor with a face full of excitement.

Thinking: If only I had known, I should have kidnapped His Majesty earlier!!

The officials in the hall wore various expressions.

Some remained full of suspicion.

Some had already begun to whisper and discuss.

Some wore a frosty face, believing the Chu Emperor was merely putting on an act, waiting for him to suddenly go mad and punish all the civil and military officials.

Yet the Chu Emperor acted as if they had seen nothing, continuing calmly: "In the past, I am willing to correct all kinds of mistakes promptly."

"Before tomorrow, I will issue a self‑blame edict; you, my beloved officials, may supervise me and remind me not to repeat those past follies."

"As for the sins committed before, I am also willing to spend the remainder of my life in vegetarian cultivation of the Dao to make amends as much as possible."

"Speaking of this, I cannot help but mention one person."

"General Li Wu, step forward."

Duan Rongshi, who had been standing with hands clasped in the crowd, hearing the Chu Emperor suddenly mention them, raised their head, reluctant to meet their gaze.

The Chu Emperor, however, had a smile in his eyes.

He couldn't wait to announce to the whole of Chu that this was his direct blood nephew.

He is Yue'er's flesh and blood.

However, the Chu Emperor, who had previously been warned by Duan Rongshi, also did not dare to act in this way.

Thus, he could only suppress his inner excitement and say dryly: "This time, I encountered a great calamity; if it weren't for General Xiaoqi Li Wu rescuing me from the hands of the Prince of Qin, I would have already lost my life."

"On the way back to the palace, I also suffered an ambush and assassination by remnants of the Prince of Qin colluding with the Sixth Prince—"

Saying this, the Chu Emperor, intentionally or not, glanced at the Crown Prince.

Only saw the Crown Prince frightened until his face turned as white as paper, his whole body trembling like a sieve.

The Chu Emperor let out a heavy 'humph' from deep within.

Although his face showed nothing, his voice suddenly turned much colder.

"Now, the Sixth Prince, Zongzheng Wuhen, in the act of attempting to assassinate me, has already fallen off a cliff, his body and head separated."

"If it weren't for General Li Wu saving me again, I would not have returned to the capital unharmed."

"My life was saved by General Li Wu."

"This Great Chu dynasty was also saved by General Li Wu."

Saying this, the Chu Emperor couldn't help but show a relieved expression.

However, the officials were all shocked and wore strange expressions.

The Sixth Prince actually died too!?

The Second, Fourth, and Sixth Princes have all died in succession; isn't the Crown Prince's position as heir apparent now even more secure?

The officials couldn't quite describe what feeling they had.

At this moment, what they felt more hatred and shock for was that Li Wu actually saved this tyrant!

Damn Li Wu!

Wouldn't it be better to let this tyrant die outside?