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Though aware that the rascal was jesting, teasing him back was fitting, yet his loose tongue needed a reminder, lest his words reach the ears of the Little Concubine and break her heart.

With the wistful eyes of a fox, Cao De complained, "Understood, and I wasn’t planning to blab anyway, who do you think I am? Besides, your Little Beauty is so shrewd, I could never deceive her."

The way Little Beauty looked at him was with real suspicion, defensively watchful, and just recalling it made him feel depressed.

The Emperor’s lips curved in a smile; indeed, his Little Concubine’s instincts about people were always sharp. Though she might seem indifferent at times, she could spot a villain with one glance. In her eyes, to this day, Cao De was still a bad and foolish pretty face.

Seeing the mocking gaze of the Emperor, Cao De grew more sullen but didn’t continue with his indiscreet remarks. He was afraid of really angering the Emperor and having his sister’s embroidery burned, which would cause him great distress.

Putting aside playfulness, the Emperor pondered for a moment and then said seriously, "Starting tomorrow, proceed with handling Shen Ming’s case; Xu Rongying should also take the stage. Have someone inform Xu Hu."

Xu Hu was Xu Rongying’s father, and Shen Ming’s case was something he had promised Xu Rongying. It was also one of the reasons Xu Rongying was willing to help manage the Harem and contain Xue Wanjun.

To Cao De’s alarm, "Absolutely not, we haven’t located the private soldiers yet, how could you... Are you not afraid of alarming the snake by hitting the grass?"

The Emperor smiled slightly, "I am but seeking justice for Consort De. We’re merely summoning these people back to the Capital to clarify the matter of General Shen Ming from those days. Could they refuse to return? Besides, alarming Xue Ping may not necessarily be a bad thing."

Do not forget that Xu Rongying also participated in that fierce battle years ago and did not receive recognition afterward. Acting this way is both reasonable and proper.

Cao De suddenly understood; when it came to being scheming, Yuchi Zhao is second to none.

This move would cause people to lower their guard, thinking they wouldn’t face life-threatening danger by returning. Shen Ming’s case, once investigated, would at worst be a crime of falsely claiming military achievements, which could be smoothed over and was not punishable by death.

Moreover, so many years had passed since those people died, and the case belonged to the Late Emperor’s time.

What more could be investigated? At most they would face demotion.

His Majesty was a wise ruler, and even in seeking redress for a concubine, he wouldn’t harshly deal with them.

Refusing to return would instead show a guilty conscience.

The Emperor was indeed crafty, considering even this. A wise monarch was their amulet but also their death warrant.

Once they returned to the Capital, they would never think of leaving again.

Even if Xue Ping noticed something amiss, there was no need to fear. Few people would choose mutual destruction unless death was certain. If there was any movement, it would be an opportunity to trace the vine to find the melon, locating the whereabouts of the private soldiers.

Speaking of which was frustrating; the old fox hid his private soldiers extremely well. Discovering the location by chance, he had wandered for days without finding their hiding place, which was exceedingly concealed.

It made sense, for commanding private soldiers was a crime that could lead to the extermination of one’s family, something worth beheading over; not hiding them well would be the real surprise.

Seeing that Cao De had caught on, the Emperor finally instructed, "Keep an eye on Xue Ping’s movements these days."

Cao De gave a respectful bow, "Your servant will take care of it. Rest assured, Your Majesty. However, as for the matter of rewarding the Internal Guard Bureau that was mentioned just now..."

The Emperor laughed and scolded, "Virtuous! You’ll get your share," and with that, he turned to leave.

This rascal never forgot to seek rewards, truly leaving one helpless...

And that was precisely where Cao De’s intelligence lay; a person with desires and requests dared to be used by others. He was simply signaling to the Emperor that he had no other motives.

Watching the Emperor leave, Cao De smiled as well and took his leave.

Tonight, at last, he could take a proper bath, sleep comfortably in a clean place.

But the thought was vexing; if he bathed, he would inevitably have to undo the bandages his sister had dressed his wounds with. Those bandages were his sister’s work; he couldn’t bear to remove them...

The Emperor, having returned to the Side Hall, straightened out the turns of the day and climbed into bed to sleep, embracing Lian Hua. Before drifting off, he was still calculating matters in his head.

He thought that if one is to put on a play, it must be done thoroughly. In the coming days, he would have to visit the Huaying Hall, though he wondered whether his Little Concubine would overthink things. With that thought, he slowly fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Cao De, upon returning to the Internal Guard Bureau, immediately dispatched someone in secret to General Xu’s Mansion to take care of the Emperor’s business.

Before bathing, he had to choose between the clean bandages and those soiled with blood that his sister had wrapped. Yearning for both, he carefully removed the stained bandage and set it aside, then took a thorough bath.

After bathing, he summoned his men to inquire about the recent situation in the Capital and within the palace.

After listening, he revealed an ambiguous smile, tossing the list in his hand back to his subordinate and said, "Give this list to Xu Rongying, she knows what to do with it."

He had done work for Xu Rongying for so long, it was time for her to make a contribution. There’s no one more suitable than Xu Rongying for tasks that might offend others.

The following morning.

Before setting out to the morning court session, the Emperor hesitated, to speak or not to speak. If he did not speak, how could he deal with his Little Concubine’s potential overthinking?

If he did not, and the matter was discovered, that would be even worse, it couldn’t be concealed. After much deliberation, he finally had someone leave a message for Lian Hua.

At the morning court session, a Military General stepped forward to question the justice of Shen Ming’s case from years past, claiming there was more to the story, and then read aloud a list of names, attempting to restore the facts of the case with confidence in his words.

The Emperor cited the age of the case and that it had been adjudicated during the Late Emperor’s time, with a settled verdict, questioning how it could be overturned now, and said the matter would be discussed again.

Xue Ping was among those who echoed the Emperor’s words.

The Military General, not satisfied, argued fiercely. "His Majesty doesn’t even investigate. Doesn’t this discourage loyal and honorable subjects?"

The General’s voice was naturally very loud, making the court chamber ring with deafening noise for a moment, so much so that Xue Ping and his ilk’s interjections couldn’t be heard clearly.

Finally, with no alternative, the Emperor had to agree to summon the relevant people back to the Capital to clarify the matter, ensuring loyal subjects do not lose heart and that no undue charges be allowed.

Only then did the General relent.

The Emperor did not raise the issue directly but instead took a roundabout way, also to relax people’s vigilance. The previous night’s dispatch of Cao De to visit Xu Hu was also made with this consideration.

After the morning court, the Emperor went back to the Star Palace to deal with state affairs.

And Xue Ping, even after the morning court, returned to the Ministry of Revenue with a persistent frown, feeling that there was something unusual about today’s session.

Lately, the men from the Internal Guard Bureau had been stirring up chaos in the Capital.

Those being investigated had, more or less, associations with him, so when they couldn’t handle the Internal Guard Bureau, they turned to him for solutions, causing him endless annoyance, and he also had to placate these fools.

If it weren’t for Imperial Censor Wu’s folly, failing to impeach others and instead getting himself imprisoned, he wouldn’t have to be so passive now—truly useless.

Since Imperial Censor Wu had been jailed, he dared not make any rash moves. Anyone brought into the Internal Guard Bureau—who could guarantee their secrets would be kept? If the Wu surname did not sell him out, then he would not carry the surname Xue. Fortunately, that Wu knew too little.

The Emperor now was truly a sovereign with power firmly in hand, the period when he needed to borrow Xue’s strength long past.

Following Imperial Censor Wu’s capture, Xue had expected today’s situation, realizing it was the Emperor taking the opportunity to warn him that if he meddled in harem affairs again, the response would not be as simple as a few arbitrary inquiries by the Internal Guard Bureau.