Her sense of smell was particularly keen. Those with even modest family wealth inevitably dabbled in refined tastes—no one disliked fragrance, though everyone had different preferences. Even the same scent, when crafted by different hands or worn by different people, would carry distinct nuances due to personal habits.
These words, Shen Xihe could say to Bu Shulin, but not to Xiao Changying: "Why has Your Highness Prince Lie sought out this subject's daughter?"
After asking casually, Shen Xihe turned and glanced at Moyu, who promptly led away the terrified and despairing Linglong.
"Must the County Princess feign ignorance?" Xiao Changying leaned sideways against the window frame, arms crossed. "There are certain things the County Princess ought to return to their rightful owner."
A flicker of surprise passed through Shen Xihe's misty, frost-hazed eyes: "When did this subject's daughter ever steal another's possessions?"
Xiao Changying's expression turned stern: "County Princess, those items are of no use to you. If they fall into the wrong hands, they could trigger calamity and destabilize the court. This prince hopes you will return them. As for your life-saving grace, this prince shall repay it tenfold in the future."
"Your Highness Prince Lie is sovereign, and this subject's daughter is your servant. Saving you was merely my duty—there is no need for Your Highness to bear it in mind." She made no mention of the items Xiao Changying demanded.
"County Princess, you would do well to reconsider," Xiao Changying said coldly.
Shen Xihe remained composed: "Your Highness Prince Lie truly need not dwell on this subject's daughter's trivial act."
It was high noon, the sun blazing fiercely. Scorching rays streamed through the window, casting Xiao Changying's back in light while deepening the shadows on his face.
Shen Xihe appeared not to notice, serene and unflustered, her calm radiating both righteousness and an infuriating, unshakable confidence.
Of course she was confident—she was the legitimate daughter of the Northwest King. Few dared move against her lightly. Hadn't the Prince Kang's household wasted a carefully cultivated pawn of ten years just to make her suffer once?
Now that the culprit was in her grasp, even with the Emperor's favor, the Prince Kang's household had stirred up a hornet's nest this time.
Xiao Changying's lips gradually curved into a faint smile: "This prince is quite curious."
Shen Xihe gazed back calmly, her expression neutral, waiting for him to continue.
"Which of my elder brothers has won the County Princess's favor? To make you disregard your frail health, travel out of your way, and intercept those items from my grasp."
At this moment, Xiao Changying had to admit: Shen Xihe had not come for him. During the pursuit, he had vaguely sensed multiple external forces at play.
When he first met Shen Xihe, he assumed she was a honey trap arranged by Shen Yueshan. Only now did he realize—Shen Xihe was precisely as she claimed. She disdained him as a person; what she coveted was the evidence he had spent half a year in Yangzhou obtaining, at the cost of half his meticulously trained Hidden Guards and nearly his own life.
Shen Yueshan never involved himself in court strife—these documents could not have been obtained under his orders. Those who desired them most were undoubtedly the imperial princes, whether to protect themselves, curry favor, or hold leverage. The ramifications were vast—no one would remain unmoved.
His mother managed the Imperial Harem as regent. Aside from the Crown Prince, no one held higher status than he. Countless people vied for his attention—in seventeen years of life, this was the first time someone had so thoroughly disregarded him, and repeatedly schemed against him!
This time, he had been tasked by imperial decree to investigate the matter, yet he would return empty-handed. It would surely disappoint his father deeply."Perhaps... it's a younger brother?" Shen Xihe teased, also subtly informing him that the item had indeed been taken and delivered to one of his brothers, so he should stop pestering her.
Xiao Changying's face instantly darkened. "Junzhu, you would do well to be cautious."
With that, he leaped up and vanished through the window again.
"Ah, why do these people never use the front door?" Shen Xihe sighed softly, waiting until the borneol incense drifted away and dissipated in the wind. Her gaze grew solemn as she instructed Zhenzhu, "Prepare yourself for Prince Xin's retaliation."
"Junzhu, are you saying..." Zhenzhu immediately straightened with a serious expression.
"The brothers share a deep bond; one could say Prince Lie is Prince Xin's right-hand man. Everything Prince Lie does paves the way for Prince Xin. The one I truly offended today wasn't Prince Lie." Shen Xihe curled her lips. "Openly, they naturally wouldn't dare move against me. But in secret... who knows?" From this moment, she had essentially declared war on Xiao Changqing and his brother.
Although the Youning Emperor would never allow Shen Yueshan's son-in-law to ascend the throne, before completely breaking ties, possessing the Northwest King's daughter equated to holding military prestige. No matter whom Shen Xihe married, anyone with ambitions for the throne would see her as a significant threat to Xiao Changqing.
Thus, seizing any early opportunity to eliminate her would be the wisest strategy.
"Mo Yuan sent word that after the Consort of the Prince Xin was poisoned by the Fan family, Prince Xin went to Fahua Temple to pray for her for three months," Zhenzhu pondered. "Junzhu suspects this is merely a pretext, and he isn't actually at Fahua Temple?"
Shen Xihe was momentarily taken aback, blinking. "No, he must be at Fahua Temple. He wouldn't need to come personally to take action."
As for Xiao Changqing, Shen Xihe didn't know how to assess him, but his feelings for Gu Qingzhi were genuine. This was evident from how, despite knowing Gu Qingzhi had taken her own life, he followed the path she laid out—defying the Youning Emperor and ensuring the Fan family paid with their lives.
...
Capital, Fahua Temple.
Buddhist incense curled, and the chanting of sutras lingered.
Xiao Changqing knelt on a cushion, his bloodshot eyes staring vacantly at the memorial tablet enshrined before him. The golden characters on the tablet were solemn and precise: "In Memory of My Departed Wife, Lady Gu."
He gazed obsessively, clad in plain white mourning clothes, his stubble short, appearing haggard and grief-stricken.
Before long, a straight-backed figure knelt behind him. "Master, the Ninth Lord pursued to Luoyang but returned empty-handed."
Xiao Changqing's eyes gradually focused, his voice hoarse and rough as if unused for a long time. "Kill."
"Acknowledged." The figure departed silently.
Xiao Changqing drew a palm-sized wooden box from his sleeve and gently opened it. Inside was a small memorial tablet, two fingers wide and half a finger long, inscribed with four delicate characters in xiaokai script: "Deceased Wife, Qingqing."
A black silk cord was threaded through the top of the tablet. He clasped it in his palm, careful and tender. "You said that the moment your mother closed her eyes, your heart went with her. But did you know that the moment you closed your eyes in my arms, you took my heart with you too?"
As he spoke, moisture glistened in his eyes. "I know you didn't trust me—not to defy my father's orders for you, not to resist the Emperor's will for you. You never gave me a chance to prove it..."A tear slipped from the corner of his eye as a bitter, self-mocking smile slowly bloomed on his lips. "You wanted me to live, to tear apart the icy imperial power, to stir unrest until no one knows peace. Since this is your final wish, I shall fulfill it without fail, so your spirit in heaven may rest in peace."
Wiping away the tear stains and reining in his emotions, Xiao Changqing's eyes churned like thick, dark clouds. He carefully retrieved the spirit tablet from the box and solemnly hung it around his neck, letting it rest against his heart.
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