After rebirth, I joined forces with my mortal enemy to seek revenge.

The Emperor of Wei's eyes wandered over the King of Wu's face, as if searching for some clue. He extended his hand to support him, his voice still gentle, even tinged with a hint of fatigue and hoarseness: "My son is truly filial, and I am deeply pleased. You must have traveled all the way here, so please stand up and talk."

The King of Wu stood up as he was told, but he still bowed his body with an extremely humble attitude, and his face, which was still stained with tears, was full of sincerity.

"I'm delighted you've returned." The Emperor leaned back slightly, resting his head on the soft pillow, his tone softening as if his ailing body had been soothed by this act of "filial piety." "However, I recall not summoning you. Chang'an is heavily fortified, and the palace is heavily guarded. How... did you manage to arrive here in front of Lizheng Hall so quietly? And along the way, no one stopped or questioned you?"

His question was asked lightly, his tone filled with concern, as if he was simply worried about his son's journey, whether he had suffered any injustice. There was even a faint smile on his lips. But his eyes, devoid of any smile, were as calm as a deep pool, scanning every inch of the King of Wu's face, as if trying to find a flaw.

The King of Wu tensed up instantly, his face awash with shame and fear. He quickly lowered his head, "Your son... Your son is guilty! I miss you so much and can't wait to return home, but I was afraid to alert the court and cause more trouble for you. So... So I didn't dare to speak out. It was your recklessness. I handed over money and bribed a few eunuchs. I disguised myself as a palace servant and was lucky enough to gain entry. That's why... I dared to come before the palace. I know I've committed a grave offense. Please punish me severely!"

He spoke vaguely, glancing over the details of bribing the eunuchs and pretending to be a eunuch, and focusing entirely on his own reckless behavior and luck. He was extremely humble and attributed everything to impulse and risk-taking driven by filial piety.

This story was full of loopholes. He had bribed the eunuchs to gain entry to the palace. But the gatekeepers were not so easily fooled.

The Emperor of Wei listened quietly, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the edge of the couch. A helpless yet doting smile appeared on his face, and he shook his head, as if blaming an ignorant but excusable child.

"Alas. Nonsense, truly nonsense." He sighed, his tone a touch of reproach, but more of a tone of pity for his filial piety and anger at his lack of resistance. "How can you possibly trespass into the Forbidden Gardens on your own terms? What if the Shen Ce Army mistake you for an assassin? Wouldn't that make me regret it for the rest of my life?"

"Alright, alright. My son's filial piety is truly moving. I understand. You must be exhausted after the long journey. Let's not talk any more. Go to the back to rest, take a shower, change into clean clothes. Come back and talk to me later."

He couldn't let the King of Wu leave. The King of Wu had been able to enter the Forbidden Garden so easily, so he knew someone was behind this. He wanted to keep the King of Wu close to him so he could see who was behind this. He wanted to see who had reached so far and so deep.

"Sun Shaofeng." The Emperor of Wei called.

"The servant is here."

"Take the King of Wu to a side hall to rest, prepare clean clothes and food, and take good care of him. Without my order, no one is allowed to disturb the King of Wu's 'rest' or visit him." The Emperor of Wei deliberately emphasized the words "rest" and "no visits".

"Yes," Sun Shaofeng replied respectfully, his mind racing. His Majesty had indeed become suspicious; he was planning to place me under house arrest.

After receiving the order, she walked towards the King of Wu, her attitude respectful: "Your Highness, please follow me."

The King of Wu seemed to want to say something to the Emperor of Wei, but when he looked up, he saw that his father had closed his eyes and leaned back on the couch, his face full of fatigue. He had no choice but to swallow his words, kowtowed, and followed Sun Shaofeng out of the main hall, looking back every few steps.

Silence fell once again in the hall. Only the Emperor of Wei remained, curled up on the couch. Sunlight illuminated half of his face, the other half hidden in shadow. He slowly opened his eyes, and there was no trace of weakness or tenderness in them anymore, only a cold sharpness and unfathomable suspicion.

His son had returned. It was a time for loving fathers and filial sons, a time for shared family happiness. But the king's suspicions, like an undercurrent, washed over every corner of his heart. He simply didn't believe the King of Wu could break through the numerous rules based solely on filial piety. How could he reach the core forbidden area so quickly and so smoothly? There must be a powerful force at work. Which ministers at court? A general in the imperial guards? Or... those seemingly subservient eunuchs around him?

Yuan Zhengze had just left when the King of Wu arrived. Was it a coincidence? And Jia Gonglu... had he already established contact with the King of Wu? What were they planning? Were they desperate to see if he was dead or alive, or... were they trying to force him to abdicate?

Upon closer thought, what he saw was not a son who missed his father, but a potential usurper who might be coerced by powerful officials and was eager to ascend the throne early.

A chill ran down his spine, coursing through his body. The Emperor of Wei coughed violently, his chest heaving. He had to figure out immediately who was behind all this. And what role did his good son play in it?

"Call Pei Jiaoran! Call Pei Jiaoran!" The Emperor of Wei roared hysterically.

The eunuch waiting at the door heard the Emperor of Wei's call and hurriedly sent someone to the Secretariat to find Pei Jiaoran to come and see the emperor.

Soon, Pei Jiaoran arrived at the Lizheng Hall and met the emperor alone.

"Do you know that the King of Wu secretly returned to Chang'an?" The Emperor of Wei stared at Pei Jiaoran sharply and asked in a cold voice.

"I don't know." Pei Jiaoran looked surprised. "Your Majesty, have you met His Royal Highness the King of Wu?"

A gentle voice fell into his ears. The Emperor of Wei examined the minister before him, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "He told me that he has always been thinking about me. So he bribed the eunuchs, disguised himself as one, and sneaked into the palace to visit me."

"His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu is truly filial. Does Your Majesty suspect that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu has some ulterior motive?" Pei Jiaoran asked.

Such a bold question made the Emperor of Wei feel at a loss as to what to do.

"If he wants to see me, he can just write a letter. Why go to such great lengths?" The Emperor of Wei sneered, his eyes full of dissatisfaction. "A dignified prince actually pretends to be a eunuch. How could he come up with such a plan?"

Catching the Emperor's discontent, Pei Jiaoran lowered his eyes. "Now that His Majesty the Prince of Wu has returned, no amount of your words will help. I think it would be better for the Prince of Wu to remain by your side to tend to his illness. With you keeping an eye on His Majesty, there shouldn't be any trouble. As for... those eunuchs who accepted bribes, I think they should all be beaten to death as a warning to others."

The Emperor of Wei stared at Pei Jiaoran for a long time without saying a word. He couldn't tell if the minister in front of him knew the truth, and even the answer she gave didn't satisfy him.

"I have sent someone to watch over the King of Wu," said the Emperor of Wei.

Pei Jiaoran stood still with his eyes lowered, as if weighing something. The only sounds in the hall were the Wei Emperor's slightly rapid breathing and the faint sound of a night watch in the distance.

"Your Majesty," she finally spoke, her gaze still steady, but with a hint of caution in her tone, "I believe there is no need to rush to a conclusion on this matter."

Hearing her words, Emperor Wei's eyes suddenly became sharp.

Pei Jiaoran continued calmly, "It's certainly suspicious that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu was able to enter the Forbidden City. But if there truly were someone with ulterior motives assisting him, their purpose would likely go beyond simply allowing His Royal Highness to see the Emperor. While placing His Royal Highness under house arrest is a safe option, it could also alert the enemy and potentially further entrench the person behind the scenes, hindering Your Majesty's efforts to uncover the truth."

She raised her eyes slightly, meeting the Wei Emperor's probing gaze with a clear and honest look: "I dare to make a suggestion. Your Majesty may... take advantage of my tactic."

"Oh? How about turning the tables?" The Emperor of Wei leaned forward slightly, the coldness in his eyes faded a little, and was replaced by strong interest.

"Your Majesty can superficially commend Your Highness for his filial piety, perhaps even offering a small reward, to demonstrate the deep affection between father and son and the absence of suspicion. Those behind the scenes, seeing Your Majesty's reaction, will doubt your intentions and act again, perhaps contacting the King of Wu to test the waters, or taking further action. Then..." Pei Jiaoran's tone was calm, yet with a subtle edge. "Your Majesty only needs to deploy spies and observe the situation. Perhaps you can lure out the foxes and rats and capture them in one fell swoop."

After a long time, he let out a long sigh, and the sharp light in his eyes was gradually replaced by a cold and hard determination.

"As you say. You may withdraw."

"I obey your command." Pei Jiaoran bowed and accepted the order, his attitude as respectful and calm as ever. He took three steps back before turning and leaving.