Of course, it’s clear to any discerning person that these pieces of evidence were orchestrated by Emperor Xuanming. Whether truth or falsehood, on the surface, one must show belief.

And besides this, it was Qi Zhao Yi who sincerely prayed for the ancestors at the Imperial Temple, and ten days ago, an extraordinary celestial phenomenon occurred.

It was an auspicious omen.

Naturally, with such a grand excuse, Emperor Xuanming brought Qi Zhao Yi back to the palace, and no one dared to oppose.

If anyone dared to oppose, wouldn’t it be challenging the auspicious event brought by the Emperor’s celestial omen and the manifestation of the ancestors?

Emperor Xuanming is certainly clever, and he leaves no opportunity for the court officials to dispute.

Hence.

Qi Zhao Yi was brought back to the palace, but it wasn’t done with much fanfare, for reasons known only to Emperor Xuanming.

Therefore, the news spread only in a small circle among the people, quickly disappearing amid other rumors.

But its impact on the court was substantial.

For instance, no courtier would casually make contact with Prince Rong anymore.

And Prince Rong, being a smart person, adheres strictly to his responsibilities; he only does what he ought to do and refrains from any meddling.

On the other hand, Chu Heng was frequently encountered by some courtiers, who subtly probed him.

Chu Heng consistently presents himself as a loyal and capable minister, without participating in the intrigue. Furthermore, he frequently leaves the yamen to spend time with Ye Muyu.

This fact spread to various households, naturally evoking different opinions, but everyone had a common thought: Chu Heng is indeed clever.

Minister Qi even had people keeping an eye on the Chu family but couldn’t catch anything incriminating, prompting him to give up on creating trouble for Chu Heng out of exasperation.

"Chu Heng is indeed clever. The more he relaxes now, the more reassured Emperor Xuanming feels. Moreover, he deliberately acts as though he owes his family upon waking and even brings his wife to the yamen to work. Now, he has a solid reason for this."

"Could it be that Chu Heng was prepared upon waking, as if planning ten moves ahead? Truly, Chu Heng is deep-thinking and extraordinary," the Qi family’s aides couldn’t help but exclaim, increasingly viewing Chu Heng as a formidable opponent: "Sir, are we really going to allow the Chu family to develop unchecked?"

"Yes, Sir, Chu Heng is an intelligent person. If he’s our adversary, he will likely be a formidable rival in the future," expressed one of the Qi family’s aides with some unease.

Minister Qi squinted slightly and asked, "Now you tell me, what can we do against the Chu family?"

"Do you have any means to thoroughly destroy Chu Heng?"

"This..." The Qi family’s aides were rendered speechless, looking at each other but unable to produce a solution.

Minister Qi had long anticipated this outcome and said calmly, "Since you all agree that Chu Heng is clever, without a surefire method, don’t act rashly."

"Have your people keep a close watch on Chu Heng and Prince Rong. There’s plenty of time. Now that Lady Zhao Yi has returned to the palace, it shows that the Emperor still cares for the Prince. So we just need to persevere."

"In such a long time, I refuse to believe we won’t find a chance to drive a wedge between Chu Heng and Prince Rong."

"Sir, to create discord between Prince Rong and Chu Heng, the best approach is through Princess Consort Rong," suggested one young aide suddenly. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Minister Qi: "Oh?"

"Sir, consider that Prince Rong is, after all, a man born in the Imperial Family. Surely, he won’t foolishly place all his stakes on the Chu family. So, let’s offer Prince Rong an opportunity, starting with ordinary women sent discreetly. If Prince Rong takes a concubine, we will have the chance to send someone into Prince Rong’s Mansion."