Shen Xihe smiled faintly: "An excuse. I believe His Majesty is convinced about you and Cui Shaoqing."
"Pfft—"
Before Shen Xihe could finish, Bu Shulin spat out another mouthful of tea. Staring at the water stains splattered across the table and floor, she forced an apologetic smile and looked up, only to meet Shen Xihe's narrowed eyes.
"I-I'll clean it up!" Bu Shulin hastily wiped the table with her sleeve, then added, "I'll have someone thoroughly clean the rug when I return. If you find it too dirty, I'll gift you a new one exactly like it!"
Shen Xihe took a deep breath, picked up her book, and began flipping through it with a cold expression.
Given her fastidious nature, refraining from throwing Bu Shulin out directly was already an exercise in extreme restraint.
Had Bu Shulin not been severely injured and still recovering, Shen Xihe would have truly considered leaving her there.
"Can't blame me for this," Bu Shulin muttered resentfully. "Who told you to say something so shocking?"
His Majesty actually believed she and Cui Shaoqing were genuinely involved in a same-sex relationship?
"Why wouldn't he believe it?" Shen Xihe glanced at Bu Shulin. "Are you unaware of what you've been doing?"
Bu Shulin rubbed her chin. "Did I overdo it?"
Should she have shown more restraint? Now even His Majesty was convinced. Because he had recently schemed against her, was he worried Cui Shitou would abuse his authority for personal revenge and stand up for her?
"But wait, even if His Majesty believes Cui Shitou and I are real," Bu Shlin pondered, utterly baffled, "what could Cui Shitou actually do for me? Would he defy the Emperor's orders for my sake?"
Even genuine spouses wouldn't go that far, let alone her and Cui Shitou, who weren't actually married—they were only pretending to be lovers.
"Defying imperial orders is unlikely," Shen Xihe explained. "But what if His Majesty has secrets he doesn't want you to know, leading him to cautiously keep them from Cui Shaoqing?"
"What does this have to do with His Majesty? Did His Majesty send someone to set fire to the Imperial Ancestral Temple?" Bu Shulin frowned in confusion.
Shen Xihe sighed softly and lowered her head to continue reading.
Deeply offended by Shen Xihe's attitude—as if she were a frog in a well who couldn't comprehend the ocean, or a summer insect that couldn't discuss ice—Bu Shulin snatched the book from her. "I admit it! I'm not as clever as you, nor do I have your ability to infer the whole picture from a single clue. But you don't have to look down on me like this!"
Shen Xihe grabbed the book back. "Xun Wang isn't actually dead."
"What—hiss!" Bu Shulin gasped in shock, tugging at her wound. Clutching her arm, she exclaimed, "Xun Wang faked his death? Is that His Majesty's secret?"
Shen Xihe nodded. "His Majesty's Secret Army needs a commander to lead and train them. Xun Wang is the ideal choice."
Shen Xihe finally understood why Xiao Huayong had set fire to the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Perhaps Xun Wang was hiding there, or his residence was nearby. As a descendant of the imperial family, Xun Wang would never stand by idly if the temple were ablaze.
Burning the temple was meant to force Xun Wang out. Xiao Huayong confirmed that Xun Wang was leading troops for His Majesty—this was an attempt to sever one of the Emperor's arms!
Compared to Kang Wang, Xun Wang was His Majesty's core supporter. Xun Wang was even willing to become a "dead man" for His Majesty!
Such loyalty was unmatched by anyone!
"Xun Wang is truly devoted to his sovereign," Bu Shulin remarked, somewhat awed. "He was the King of the Northeast!"
His prestige in the Northeast was no less than Shen Yueshan's in the Northwest. Back when he was reported to have died of a recurring illness in the Northeast, the people mourned for miles, hanging white silk from every household. Even now, it remained a topic of admiration."He isn't afraid of Your Majesty eliminating him after his use is over—he's already died once. If Your Majesty kills him, no one would even know." Bu Shulin firmly believed her father would never go that far.
Shen Xihe gazed at her calmly: "Does the Prince of Shunan have any strategists by his side?"
Not understanding why Shen Xihe suddenly circled back to this topic, Bu Shulin nodded truthfully: "Yes, my adoptive father."
"No wonder." Shen Xihe expressed understanding.
"No, wait—what do you mean by that?" Bu Shulin faintly sensed she was being looked down upon by Shen Xihe again and felt indignant.
"Without a strategist, I'd somewhat doubt how the Shu Southern Royal Manor has remained standing." Shen Xihe picked up her floral tea and took an elegant sip.
"Youyou, I warn you—you can bully me, order me around, ignore me, but you can't insult my intelligence!" Bu Shulin fumed.
"Intelligence?" Shen Xihe looked her up and down and shook her head regretfully, "You have none."
"You—!" Bu Shulin slapped her chest in anger.
Shen Xihe set down her teacup: "If you insist on claiming you have some, then explain why Xun Wang would abandon his secure position as the Northeast King to fake his death and secretly build a private army for His Majesty?"
"Xun Wang is a subject, His Majesty is the ruler. Xun Wang's wife and children are in the capital—how could he escape His Majesty's control?" Bu Shulin retorted confidently.
Shen Xihe couldn't help showing a trace of disdain: "You're mistaken. When His Majesty tasked Xun Wang with forming the private army, Xun Wang only had two choices: serve His Majesty or truly die for knowing the secret but refusing."
Bu Shulin nodded: "Yes, if he truly died, it would enrage His Majesty, who would surely punish Xun Wang's household."
Rubbing her temples, Shen Xihe said: "Xun Wang has contributed greatly to the state. If he chose death to preserve his integrity, how could His Majesty harm his wife and children? How would he answer to Xun Wang's personal troops? What would the northeastern people think of him?"
"Uh..." Bu Shulin immediately deflated, "Then wasn't he just being loyal to the monarch?"
"Why did His Majesty form a private army?" After enduring Bu Shulin's torment, Shen Xihe finally understood why she found conversations with Xie Yunhuai and Xiao Huayong so refreshing—Bu Shulin was truly a blockhead to her, and talking with her was exhausting.
"To form a private army, first, the troops wouldn't be controlled by others; second, to strike us unexpectedly; third, to intimidate the military governors and show regional armies that His Majesty could replace them anytime if they disobeyed." This much Bu Shulin had grasped.
"Then Xun Wang's fate was sealed—he was destined to die. His Majesty wouldn't let him become the pillar of the new army. The day His Majesty took over the new army would be Xun Wang's death." Shen Xihe stated, "Since he was going to die sooner or later, why didn't he preserve his integrity back then instead of letting His Majesty use him to the fullest?"
"He had a major weakness in His Majesty's hands!" Bu Shulin realized.
Shen Xihe shook her head slightly: "No, he had no weakness in His Majesty's hands, nor was it out of loyalty. He wanted to defeat my father."
Bu Shulin's pupils dilated as she thought it over and suddenly understood: "I remember now—Father often said Xun Wang never lost a battle externally but was defeated three times by the Northwest King in internal conflicts."When the late emperor was still alive, Xun Wang was then the heir apparent. He remained loyal to the imperial family. Meanwhile, Shen Yueshan, the Northwest King, supported Qian Wang and the current Youning Emperor. As they served different masters, they clashed several times, with Xun Wang consistently defeated by Shen Yueshan. This ultimately led to Qian Wang and Your Majesty storming the capital.
OpenNovel