Empress Dowager felt her vision darken upon hearing the news and staggered backward, fortunately caught by her attending lady-in-waiting.
"Mother..."
"Don't call me that!" The Empress Dowager brushed off the Youning Emperor's hand. "Whose way are Yong'er and I blocking? Yong'er lived peacefully in the Taoist temple all these years, yet since returning to the palace, he keeps getting either angered into fainting or frightened into unconsciousness. If there's no place for Yong'er and me in this palace, I'll take him and leave immediately!"
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger." The ministers knelt in unison.
The Youning Emperor quickly intervened: "Mother, you're breaking your son's heart. Please calm your anger, I will deal with this severely. Since Qilang cannot be moved easily, I'll have the Imperial Hospital take turns attending to him. With heaven's protection, Qilang will surely overcome this crisis."
"How to punish them is the emperor's decision. I only want Yong'er to be safe." The Empress Dowager's eyes reddened. "If anything happens to Yong'er, this old bones of mine have nothing left to live for."
After comforting the Empress Dowager for some time, with her present, the Emperor immediately stripped Wang Zheng of his position as Deputy Secretary of the Department of State Affairs, ordering him to temporarily return home to reflect on his mistakes and pray for the Crown Prince's recovery.
The implication was clear - if anything happened to the Crown Prince, Wang Zheng would have to pay with his life.
When Shen Xihe woke up early in the morning, she heard about the dramatic changes in the palace overnight and felt somewhat dazed.
"Heh, that old scoundrel Wang Zheng finally got his comeuppance." Shen Yungan found this immensely satisfying.
Setting aside their past conflicts in official circles and his dissatisfaction with Wang Zheng, just hearing after coming to the capital that Wang Zheng's daughter had targeted his sister - hadn't Wang Zheng also taken sides during the Kang Prince incident?
He had investigated Wang Zheng before - slippery as an eel. Though clearly corrupt, he was impossible to pin down!
"Youyou, what are you thinking about?" After enjoying the moment, Shen Yungan noticed Shen Xihe's distraction.
Blinking as she returned to reality, Shen Xihe didn't brush off her brother: "I just feel it's too coincidental."
"Coincidental?"
Shen Xihe: "During the chrysanthemum viewing banquet, three people targeted me - the daughter of Xuanping Marquis, and Wang's daughter were two of them. Xuanping Marquis fell because Qu Yanguang reported to the Crown Prince, exposing his treasonous crimes. Now Wang Zheng has been suspended for charging into the palace on horseback and frightening the Crown Prince into unconsciousness. Both cases are related to the Crown Prince..."
"I hadn't noticed this connection until you mentioned it." Shen Yungan processed this and laughed heartily. "The Xuanping Marquis case was pure coincidence. The Crown Prince was angered into fainting by the Sixth Prince, and it just happened that Qu Yanguang's grandparents were physicians, hence he could offer a prescription.
Having nowhere else to turn, Qu Yanguang had to seek help from the Crown Prince. Wang Zheng's matter is even more coincidental - if you hadn't made plans with the Crown Prince beforehand, he definitely wouldn't have appeared at the palace gate last night.
Moreover, Wang Zheng being urgently summoned to the palace late at night couldn't possibly be controlled by the Crown Prince. For two people who normally wouldn't appear at the palace gate late at night, arranging this deliberately would be quite difficult."
Shen Xihe felt these events weren't simple, yet couldn't figure out the connection.
Seeing his sister still deep in thought, he added: "Youyou, your brother actually thinks that if the Crown Prince did this deliberately, I'd be pleased."
Shen Xihe looked up at Shen Yungan in confusion.
"If he went to such lengths to plan for you, it shows he cares. In the future, he'll surely treat you with single-minded devotion."
Instead of showing any pleasure at this, Shen Xihe frowned more deeply: "I don't want single-minded devotion. I only want mutual benefit."
Shen Yungan: ..."Sentiments are the most unreliable; only interests can bind people permanently." Shen Xihe spoke coolly, "As long as I can provide him with the highest interests forever, he will never betray me in the slightest."
Shen Yungan: ...
"Youyou, you..." How could you think this way!
"Brother, is this not good?" Shen Xihe was puzzled. "Love and obsession waste time and energy. If feelings change one day, it hurts both body and heart. But if betrayal arises from conflicting interests, it means one's skills are inferior—losing would be accepted wholeheartedly."
Her reasoning was so sound that Shen Yungan found himself at a loss for a rebuttal.
Staring dumbfounded at his sister for a long moment, Shen Yungan finally said dryly, "Youyou, one cannot focus solely on interests in all matters."
"I know. One must also emphasize reciprocity, sincerity, and trustworthiness," Shen Xihe nodded.
Shen Yungan: ...
Frustratedly tugging at his hair, Shen Yungan asked, "Is your relationship with Worldly Son Bu and Seventh Lady Xue also based on interests?"
"With Bu Shulin, yes. With Seventh Lady Xue, it's for you," Shen Xihe replied matter-of-factly.
"Why did you prepare incense for Bu Shulin?" Shen Yungan inquired.
"She helped me probe Cui Jinbai's background. This is reciprocity," Shen Xihe answered.
Shen Yungan: ...
"So, when you make wontons for the Crown Prince, send him letters, and accompany him to climb the tower during the Double Ninth Festival, is it also based on this?"
"Mm," Shen Xihe nodded.
Shen Yungan looked at his sister speechlessly, then after a while, he burst into laughter, laughing heartily.
"Brother, what are you laughing at?" Shen Xihe stared at him, perplexed.
Waving his hand, Shen Yungan replied, "It's nothing, Youyou. Just continue with your reciprocity like this."
An unfeeling person, engaging in what they believe to be fair exchanges, is actually misunderstood by others as having a tough exterior but a soft heart.
Such a misunderstanding—unless Shen Xihe clarifies it—will likely go unnoticed by anyone. And perhaps that's just as well.
As long as others don't wrong his sister first, she won't hurt them.
As for the Crown Prince...
Shen Yungan, who had previously found the Crown Prince displeasing no matter how he looked at him, suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for the man.
After all, he's just a short-lived person. It's better for his sister to be heartless toward him than for her to grieve over his early demise.
With this cheerful thought, Shen Yungan took the items prepared by Shen Xihe and departed the capital in grand fashion, returning to the northwest.
Shen Xihe personally saw him off outside the city, watching as he rode ahead and disappeared down the official road beyond the city gates before turning back to the Princess Manor.
The person who had accompanied her for over half a month, inquiring after her well-being and finding various ways to cheer her up, was gone. Shen Xihe thought she could adapt, but only upon returning to the manor did she feel a sense of loneliness.
Distractedly passing the day, Shen Xihe originally planned to retire early, but unexpectedly, Xiao Huayong arrived—and he came quietly. The strong scent of medicine on him made it impossible for Shen Xihe to ignore, and she woke up to find him sitting at the edge of her bed.
"Your Highness!" Shen Xihe was very displeased.
In her bones, she detested anyone intruding into her private chambers—it was an uncomfortable feeling of her domain being violated.
"Princess, forgive me. I must leave the capital for a time and came specially to bid you farewell," Xiao Huayong rose and voluntarily retreated beyond the screen.
Shen Xihe threw on her clothes and cloak, lit a lamp, and walked out. Looking at Xiao Huayong, whose face was still somewhat pale, she sat expressionlessly across from him. "What is the matter with Wang Zheng?"
Xiao Huayong's gentle eyes sparkled with a faint smile. "For you, Princess, and for myself.""I need a reason to leave the palace, and Wang Zheng is that reason." Xiao Huayong smiled elegantly. "Had the Wang family not shown disrespect toward the princess, I would not have chosen him as the scapegoat."
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