After sending off the old princes, the Emperor started to deal with Chu Shaoyang's matter.

Chu Shaoyang had almost recovered from his injuries. The Emperor didn't want Chu Shaoyang to stay in the palace for long, not only because he was worried, but also afraid that if the previous matter got out, he would lose face. Therefore, right after the first month of the new year, the Emperor briefly told the cabinet ministers his intentions. Most of the cabinet ministers had heard some rumors about the Fourth Prince, so they understood what was going on.

The Emperor's intention was very clear: not to confer the title of prince, but only to grant a fief, not an extremely barren place, but also not a vital military location in the north. He let the ministers decide on the rest of the details. Marquis Zijun took himself out of it first, "This old minister has rarely been out of the imperial city in his life and really doesn't know the situation of the fiefs in various places, so I dare not speak rashly."

The Emperor was very satisfied with Marquis Zijun's understanding and nodded, "Then the Minister should listen more to others."

Chu Shaoling and Marquis Zijun had already communicated this matter up and down early on. That day, the cabinet discussed for less than an hour and decided on the fief: the Pingyu area in the southwest.

This area was originally the fief of Prince Yong during Emperor Wen's time. However, Prince Yong had no heir, so after his passing, Emperor Wen took back the fief. This fief was more than 700 li away from the imperial city, not too big or small. Although it was not as rich as the fish and rice producing areas in the south, it was also not barren or bitterly cold. The climate was even better than the imperial city, just suitable for Chu Shaoyang to go "recuperate".

Chu Shaoyang didn't show up for the entire year-end. When the old princes who came to the imperial city asked, both the Emperor and Empress Dowager said, "He caught a cold before the new year. We thought it was a minor illness that would get better with some rest, but who knew it would get worse and worse. He is currently recuperating."

The Emperor, after all, still remembered the father-son affection over the years and didn't completely cut off Chu Shaoyang. He suppressed the matter and only said that after Chu Shaoyang's serious illness, his body was weak and the climate in the imperial city was not conducive to recuperation. So after much deliberation, he chose this treasure land of Pingyu for Chu Shaoyang to recuperate. The Emperor's deep paternal love simply granted this piece of land to Chu Shaoyang, letting him recover with peace of mind.

Chu Shaoling looked at the memorial in his hand and sneered coldly. When had his good imperial father ever been able to make these dirty matters sound so beautiful and magnificent - deep paternal love? Chu Shaoling casually threw the memorial into the small bamboo basket under the desk.

"Is Your Highness unhappy?" Chu Shaoling set up a small desk beside his own large desk. Usually, when he handled matters, Wei Ji would read military books or practice calligraphy there. Seeing Chu Shaoling throw the memorial into the waste basket, Wei Ji hesitated and said, "Didn't Your Highness always want the Fourth Prince to leave the imperial city?"

Chu Shaoling sneered, "Just leaving the imperial city, how is that enough? Forget it, I'm too impatient. Let's take it slow."

Chu Shaoling casually pushed aside a stack of memorials on the desk and took out a letter Zhang Lifeng gave him in the morning. He said to Wei Ji, "Don't worry about other people's families. Now that you have also left the palace, it's not good to always be by my side. I discussed with your master and decided to send you to the army first. Now that your master and your elder brother have some standing in the army, it won't be too difficult for you to get promoted slowly."

Wei Ji was stunned for a moment. Zhang Lifeng had never mentioned this to him?!

Chu Shaoling was hesitating in his heart whether to send Wei Ji to Wei Zhan's side or to Zhang Lifeng's subordinates. Both sides were very appropriate, but if he really had to choose...

"Your Highness, I won't go."

Wei Ji's words interrupted Chu Shaoling's thoughts. Chu Shaoling was stunned for a moment. Wei Ji said no? Wei Ji would still say no to him?

Wei Ji stood up and lowered his head, "I don't want to go to the army."

Chu Shaoling laughed, "If you don't go to the army, then what do you want to do? Don't tell me you want to study for the imperial examinations?" The imperial examination route was indeed better than going to the army to gain experience, but Chu Shaoling couldn't really interfere in that area yet. Besides, with Wei Ji's personality, he wasn't suitable to waste time in the Hanlin Academy either.

Wei Ji shook his head, "I'm not thinking of taking the imperial exams either. I don't want to go anywhere."

Chu Shaoling lightly reprimanded, "How can that be?! You are still young now, it's the right time to gain some experience and build up qualifications. This way, when you are promoted in the future, there will be things to write on the evaluation memorials. In the future, when I want to promote you and give you a higher rank and nobility title, I can't just say 'Wei Ji guarded the Qin Prince Manor well and is well-known in the local area'. What kind of reason is that?!"

Wei Ji shook his head, "I don't want a higher rank or nobility title. If I go to the army, I won't have peace of mind."

Chu Shaoling laughed, "What are you worried about?"

"I..." Wei Ji hesitated for a moment, then said, "Although there shouldn't be any issues, if by chance something unexpected happens, even though my martial arts are not great, I can still block knives and spears for Your Highness."

Chu Shaoling's heart softened. He got up and pulled Wei Ji into the inner room to sit down together. Chu Shaoling slowly said, "Letting you go to the army doesn't mean you'll be like your elder brother who stays in the army all day. You only need to go for half a day, two or three hours is enough. Anyway, I also need to go to court. I go to court, you go to the army. We'll come back together at noon to eat. In the afternoon, after taking a nap, it will still be the same as usual. Isn't that very good?"

Seeing that Wei Ji still wanted to say something, Chu Shaoling quickly said, "I know you are worried about me. It's just that now Chu Shaoyang is about to go to his fief, and there are not many people left in the imperial city who dare to really confront me. What are you afraid of? Besides, I go out and come in every day with a bunch of guards and attendants. How could it be so easy for villains to succeed?"

Wei Ji thought for a moment and still shook his head, "If I can't see Your Highness, I won't have peace of mind."

Chu Shaoling lowered his head and bit Wei Ji's ear as if punishing him, whispering, "What are you worried about? Not to mention that nothing will happen to me, even if something really did happen, do you dare to block knives and spears for me? Have you forgotten the pain after the wound healed? What did I hit you for last time?"

Wei Ji's face turned red. Chu Shaoling coaxed softly, "Who in the city dares to make a move against me now? Do they not want to live? You can rest assured. Use your brain and think, why am I sending you to the army?"

Wei Ji thought carefully for a moment and shook his head blankly.

Chu Shaoling laughed and held Wei Ji's hand, slowly saying, "Actually, I also want you to stay by my side if you are willing. If we don't care about anything else, keeping you by my side for a lifetime wouldn't be bad. It's just that it would be too unfair to you and not beneficial to my future plans."

"Although I've never said it before, you probably know my ambition. One day when I achieve great things, I can't just let you remain a mere guard. You'll have to quit that role. I don't want to make empty promises before reaching that point, but you must understand, you're just a guard now so it would be hard to convince others if I promoted you." Chu Shaoling softened his voice and gently persuaded, "It's not that I'm afraid it will be difficult to handle in the future. I'm not a kind person by nature. If anyone dares to question it, I'll just kill them. It would inevitably lead to a bloody affair then. If that's the case, so be it. But historians have unyielding pens. I can kill the people in front of me but not those in later generations. I can't let people in a hundred years blindly gossip, saying you served me with your body, that you were a favored pet."

Looking at the still somewhat confused Wei Ji, Chu Shaoling said in a low voice, "It's okay if you don't understand. Just obediently go to the army and I'll take care of the rest. Even if just considering how I'm painstakingly arranging things, you should listen to me, right?"

Chu Shaoling spoke obscurely. Wei Ji didn't really understand, but the yearning in Chu Shaoling's eyes at that moment touched him. Wei Ji seemed to see Chu Shaoling's vision for the future in his ink-black eyes. Moved, Wei Ji nodded, "This subordinate obeys Your Highness. But Your Highness must also listen to one thing from this subordinate. Double the number of guards by your side so that this subordinate can be at ease."

Chu Shaoling had no choice but to compromise. "Fine, I'll do as you say."

Only then did Wei Ji feel slightly relieved.

Chu Shaoling originally didn't care about his reputation, but recently he read some old tales from the previous dynasty and was moved. Throughout history, there were many cases of "splitting peaches" and "cut sleeves", and though the circumstances couldn't be verified, the stories passed down were all unflattering. Not only was the emperor criticized as fatuous, but the favored person was also slandered. Chu Shaoling didn't take it to heart when it was about others, but when he thought that people might similarly slander Wei Ji a hundred years later, he couldn't tolerate it no matter what.

At least while the Chu bloodline still continued, Chu Shaoling would not allow Wei Ji's reputation to be tarnished in the slightest.

Chu Shaoling didn't want future generations to say that Wei Ji was his pet. But Wei Ji's current status was too lowly, while Chu Shaoling's favor was too great. No matter who wrote the history books, they would likely categorize Wei Ji as a pet. The only solution was to promote Wei Ji's status and have him establish meritorious service.

When a person had an esteemed status and unparalleled achievements, even historians had to consider what should or shouldn't be written, and how to write it.

Chu Shaoling once read in the records of the Northern and Southern Dynasties a quote from Emperor Chen Qian of the Chen Dynasty to Han Zigao - "People say I have the appearance of an emperor. If that's true, I should make you my empress."

Chu Shaoling thought Chen Qian must have been sincere when he said this. Facing his beloved who had crawled out from a pile of corpses with him, how could Chen Qian not be moved, not want to promise him a lifetime? That's why he said if he became emperor, he would make Han Zigao his empress.

This was Chen Qian's doting love for Han Zigao, and also an emperor's promise to his beloved. Unfortunately, fate toyed with people and the world was ever-changing. Chen Qian finally became emperor, but the one he made empress was Shen Miaorong.

Did Chen Qian no longer love Han Zigao? Chu Shaoling didn't think so. Chen Qian had just compromised - compromised with propriety and tradition, or with the hard-won imperial position, or with the finally settled peaceful days. Perhaps he was also afraid that willfully doing what others wouldn't do would hurt Han Zigao? With the empire newly stabilized, living quietly with his beloved was probably more important.

Emperor Wenwen doted on Han Zigao to the utmost his entire life. Han Zigao should also have been satisfied. So the two of them forgot that initial promise.

After reading this unofficial historical anecdote, Chu Shaoling thought, he should have more daring, more determination, and more courage to go all-in than Chen Qian.

Chen Qian had misgivings, but Chu Shaoling had almost none. When that day came, Chu Shaoling would have no reservations or attachments besides Wei Ji. At that time, Chu Shaoling wanted to do one simple thing for Wei Ji: make him his empress.

Chu Shaoling didn't have grand ambitions in politics, but he had a bit of an obsession about this. Wei Ji was the one he adored, so he should sit atop the world with him, together receiving the submission of foreign tribes, congratulations from officials, and support of the people.

It was still too early now. Rather than making a promise prematurely, Chu Shaoling was willing to put in real effort. Looking at the silly person in front of him who was wholeheartedly worried about his safety, Chu Shaoling's heart felt warm. He would take it step by step first.

At this time, Chu Shaoling just wanted to find Wei Ji a promotion to pave the way for future great undertakings. Chu Shaoling hadn't anticipated that after Wei Ji entered the army, he would be like a dragon returning to the vast sea. In the decades to come, he would establish unrivaled merit and gain eternal glory. But of course, that's a story for later.