May this scumbag husband, who favored his concubine over his wife, rest in peace.

"My lord has ordered that the Chanyu be summoned to the palace immediately." The man stood by the bed, his expression icy cold; anyone who didn't know better would think that Huyan Zhuo owed him money.

Hu Yanzhuo didn't fall asleep until almost dawn. He was suddenly woken up and took several deep breaths to barely suppress his anger. After getting up and tidying himself up, he followed Grand Secretary Qin's instructions and entered the palace to meet the emperor.

Besides the emperor and himself, Grand Secretary Qin, dressed in official robes, was also present in the imperial study.

Qin Ge Lao sat properly to the side, not even glancing at him, as if he didn't know him at all.

Hu Yanzhu chuckled inwardly. This old man is no longer an official; going to sing opera should be quite good for him.

While keeping his mind at ease, he recounted the assassination attempt he had suffered the previous night.

The emperor, upon hearing this, indeed didn't take it to heart. He merely feigned concern, offered a few routine words of inquiry, and said he would have the imperial physician examine him thoroughly, but that was the end of it.

They didn't even bother to investigate.

Grand Secretary Qin frowned and said, "Your Majesty, I believe this is an inappropriate approach."

The emperor raised an eyebrow slightly: "What does the Grand Secretary mean?"

Grand Secretary Qin rose and bowed, saying, “Your Majesty, who in the Great Zhao does not know that the barbarians intend to submit? Now that the Chanyu has been assassinated in the capital, if we let it go so easily, it will inevitably make outsiders think that we are looking down on them, and it may even hurt the Chanyu’s feelings!”

The emperor lowered his gaze slightly, his eyes carrying a hint of warning.

Whether it was due to old age and failing eyesight, or something else, Grand Secretary Qin failed to understand his meaning and remained standing there with his hands clasped in front of him.

Left with no other option, the emperor asked, "Then what does the Grand Secretary think should be done?"

Grand Secretary Qin did not speak immediately, but pondered for a moment before saying, "In my opinion, this matter needs to be thoroughly investigated, and we should give the Chanyu an explanation."

Seeing that the emperor did not speak for a while, Grand Secretary Qin said again: "Your Majesty, the barbarians have finally submitted, which is a good thing for the Great Zhao. Your Majesty should treat this matter with caution."

If this were in private, the emperor might be able to say a few words, but in front of Huyan Zhuo, there were some things the emperor really couldn't say.

The emperor frowned and pondered for a moment before finally summoning Lu Chengyuan.

Lu Chengyuan arrived very quickly.

Upon seeing him, Hu Yanzhuo stood up: "I was assassinated last night, but fortunately Commander Lu saved me. Thank you very much."

As he spoke, he bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

The emperor raised an eyebrow: "Oh? There's something else about Minister Lu?"

Lu Chengyuan returned the greeting with a cupped hand, then bowed to the emperor and said, "It was just a chance encounter."

The emperor nodded and said, "Since you were there last night, you must have some impression of the assassin... It's perfect to entrust this matter to you. Go and find out as soon as possible who exactly did it last night."

Lu Chengyuan bowed and accepted the order before leaving, with Hu Yanzhuo following closely behind.

Inside the Imperial Study, only the Emperor and Grand Secretary Qin remained.

Grand Secretary Qin continued to discuss the important matter with the emperor, which had been interrupted earlier.

-

This morning, things were not peaceful outside the palace either.

The Empress issued another decree, saying that Princess Anping's actions were inappropriate and that she should no longer interfere in the affairs of the girls' school.

Princess Anping's face immediately turned purple.

Even if my ideas were flawed, why should I be punished so severely?

Moreover, she didn't even manage to accomplish what she wanted to do, so why did the Empress issue a special decree forbidding her from participating in the girls' school?

Isn't this a slap in the face to her in front of everyone in the capital?!

Seeing Princess Anping sway, Princess Jieyou quickly stepped forward to support her, saying, "Mother, be careful."

Although Princess Jieyou's right hand was useless, it was hard to break the habit she had developed over the years, and she still subconsciously used her right hand.

Princess Jieyou looked at the silk bandage wrapped around her right hand for securing it, her gaze deep and thoughtful.

"Mother, rest assured," Princess Jieyou said softly, "we already have our own people in the girls' school."