Little Sizi came to my house and became the family's darling, and Li Shimin got anxious.

The air pressure inside the Ganlu Hall was extremely low.

Changsun Wuji stood in the hall, his face ashen.

Wei Zheng stood with his hands behind his back, his back ramrod straight.

Fang Xuanling stood to one side, his brows furrowed, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

No one spoke.

But everyone's eyes were fixed on Li Shimin on the dragon throne.

The news spread like wildfire.

Empress Zhangsun was critically ill and was taken away by an unknown master for treatment.

The entire court was shocked.

The Empress is the head of the six palaces and the foundation of the country.

He was taken away when he was critically ill, and the emperor did not notify any of his court officials.

If this matter is not clarified, how will the people view the court, and how will the officials view His Majesty?

"His Majesty."

Wei Zheng looked directly into the emperor's eyes and said, word by word, "Your Majesty, I request that you tell me where the Empress is now."

Li Shimin raised his eyes and said, "Wei Zheng, you have no need to concern yourself with matters of the inner palace."

Wei Zheng took a step forward, his robe fluttering in the wind.

"Your Majesty is mistaken. The Empress is the mother of the nation, a model for all under heaven, not merely Your Majesty's wife. Her safety concerns the foundation of the state, the court, and the very fate of the nation. Now that she has been taken away and her whereabouts are unknown, Your Majesty attempts to fob us off with the words 'matters of the harem'?"

Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling didn't speak, but they were looking at Li Shimin, their meaning quite clear.

Li Shimin's face darkened completely.

These people are really meddling too much.

"Wei Xuancheng! I've already told you, you don't need to concern yourself with this matter!"

Wei Zheng knelt down with a thud. "Your Majesty, I implore you to rescind your decree. The Empress has been taken away by unidentified individuals; this is a chaotic situation. If this person harbors malicious intentions, the consequences will be unimaginable. As an official responsible for remonstrating with the emperor, how can I face the people if I stand idly by?"

After speaking, Wei Zheng pulled out a memorial from his sleeve and raised it above his head with both hands.

"Your Majesty, I impeach you!"

The air inside the hall suddenly froze.

Fang Xuanling's expression changed slightly, and Changsun Wuji clenched his fists.

Wei Zheng really had a death wish, impeaching the emperor again.

Li Shimin's chest heaved violently, his temples throbbed, and he stared at Wei Zheng kneeling in the hall, his eyes blazing with anger.

This Wei Zheng is truly a stubborn mule; he just won't change his mind!

"Are you done talking?" Everyone could tell that Li Shimin's tone was not good, and he was on the verge of losing his temper.

Wei Zheng kowtowed: "I have finished speaking, Your Majesty. Please give your instructions."

"Very well, well done, Wei Xuancheng." Li Shimin stood up, looking down at him condescendingly. "My empress, my own wife, I need to explain to you that I'm seeking her treatment? Aren't you a little too audacious?"

Wei Zheng raised his head, his gaze clear and unwavering: "I am not very bold, but it is my duty."

After he finished speaking, Changsun Wuji stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I am Guanyinbi's own brother. She was critically ill and taken away, and you're leaving me, her brother, completely ignorant? Your Majesty, tell me, where is she?"

Li Shimin opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Changsun Wuji was not Wei Zheng. Wei Zheng was a minister who could speak with a stern face and follow the rules.

Changsun Wuji was family, a relative who had fought alongside him all the way from Taiyuan.

"Wuji, I told you, Guanyinbi is safe. Trust me this once."

Changsun Wuji stared at him, as if trying to read something from his face.

After a long silence, he closed his eyes briefly, his voice strained: "How can you expect me to believe you?"

This is his own sister; who could care more about Guanyinbi's life than he does?

Fang Xuanling carefully chose his words: "Your Majesty, I understand your predicament. However, if this matter is not handled properly, it may cause unrest in the court. We do not intend to interfere in the inner palace, but..."

"We just hope that Your Majesty can give us an explanation, even if it's just a few words."

Du Ruhui, Wen Yanbo, and others stepped forward to echo their sentiments.

The entire Ganlu Hall was like a sealed pot. Steam billowed out, as if it could explode at any moment.

Li Shimin scanned the faces of the people; these were the pillars of the Tang Dynasty.

He was not wrong, and neither were they.

At this moment, he just wanted to be alone in peace.

Just then, a series of light footsteps came from outside the hall, along with Zhang Anan's low voice urging, "Your Highness, Your Highness, please slow down. His Majesty is in a meeting..."

"Ah-yes, ah-yes!" Si Zi's clear, slightly anxious voice came in.

Li Shimin looked up and saw a small figure squeeze in, rushing towards the dragon throne like a cannonball.

Li Shimin almost instinctively bent down, caught the person who rushed towards him, and held him tightly in his arms.

"Sizi? Why are you back?" He cupped the little princess's face in his hands, looking her up and down. "Where's your mother? How is she?"

The little princess grinned, "Father, don't be afraid, Mother is very, very good!"

"real?"

"Really!" The little princess nodded vigorously, her braids swinging back and forth.

Upon learning that Empress Zhangsun was alright, Li Shimin's anger and anxiety subsided considerably.

The face, which had been tense all day, finally relaxed a little.

The little princess wrapped her arms around Li Shimin's neck, and then seemed to notice Changsun Wuji and the others standing beside her. She blinked and said, "Uncle, Lord Wei, Lord Fang."

Changsun Wuji's expression softened a bit, and he nodded to Sizi. Wei Zheng and Fang Xuanling had no choice but to bow in greeting.

Sizi ignored them. She squirmed in Li Shimin's arms, reached into her sleeve with her little hands, and pulled out a flat, shiny rectangular block.

"Mother also asked Sizi to bring something to show Father!"

Li Shimin frowned. What is this thing?

The little princess tapped a few times on the screen, and a video popped up.

She held the phone up to Li Shimin.

Empress Zhangsun appeared on the screen.

She leaned against the headboard, her face still somewhat pale, but her spirits were noticeably better, and there was even a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Jiro."

The sound came from that little black thing, and it was incredibly clear.

Inside the hall, Li Shimin froze.

Wei Zheng's brows furrowed immediately as he stared at the strange, reflective object: "What is this? Its shape is so bizarre!"

Empress Zhangsun's voice came through the phone, "Second Prince, don't worry, I'm doing very well here. The doctors here are exceptionally skilled, and their medicines are different from those used in the Imperial Medical Academy. I feel much better breathing... Sizi and Lizhi are by my side, and Lady Li is taking excellent care of me..."

The sound echoed in the quiet Ganlu Hall.

Changsun Wuji's eyes widened suddenly. He took a half step forward and stared intently at his sister's face on the phone screen: "This...this is...the Empress?"

Wei Zheng's expression changed instantly, not with surprise, but with shock and anger.

"A demon! This is a demon! How could it imprison the Empress's image in such a small space! Your Majesty, destroy this thing immediately! Do not be bewitched by it!"

His voice was so loud that the little princess shrank back into Li Shimin's arms.

"Wei Zheng!"

Li Shimin protected the little princess, looked up at Wei Zheng, his eyes suddenly darkened, and his voice was filled with barely suppressed anger.

"Look closely! How does the Empress look? Does she seem to be speaking under control? This is a wondrous artifact from another world that preserves images and sounds; it is neither demon nor monster!"