Shen Xihe offered no perfunctory courtesy in response to Xiao Huayong's praise: "These individuals, I entrust to Your Highness."
"To me?" Xiao Huayong was slightly taken aback.
"Your Highness is the Crown Prince. This matter involves both local and capital affairs, with countless court officials implicated. Naturally, it should be decided by Your Highness." Shen Xihe revealed a faint, polite smile.
Faced with such a seemingly justified reason, Xiao Huayong truly had no grounds for refusal. Yet he knew Shen Xihe mistakenly believed he had come for these people—that capturing them would allow him to smoothly eliminate another brother coveting the throne.
By openly handing them over, she was conveying one message: with his objective achieved, he could leave.
Xiao Huayong felt both affection and frustration toward her such detachment—admiring her calm composure, yet resenting her indifference to romance. "When will Youyou depart?"
Shen Xihe: "I await the flower's bloom."
Xiao Huayong: "I came for you."
Not giving her a chance to evade, Xiao Huayong gazed at her with the tenderness of spring breeze rippling over emerald waves, his eyes earnest and profound: "I did not come for these people. I am no deity—how could I know of events here from a thousand miles away? I came... because I know why you seek the Jade Flower."
Though Shen Xihe hadn't told Xiao Huayong the Jade Flower was for him, she hadn't concealed it either. Her expression remained unchanged: "Your Highness need not be moved. You saved me, so I repay the debt."
"Youyou's original intent needs no explanation—I already understand." Having anticipated her reaction, Xiao Huayong could accept it with equanimity. "Yet I remain deeply touched. Regardless of Youyou's reasons for responding, at least you responded, did you not?"
"Your Highness, you are heaven's favored son. You should not..." Shen Xihe's delicate brows faintly furrowed.
"Youyou, in matters of love, all beings are equal. Amidst the boundless mortal realm, after meeting you, I have become but an ordinary man obsessed with love." Xiao Huayong's clear voice was low and tender, like a swan's feather gently drifting onto a heart's lake—so light it stirred not the slightest ripple.
Its arrival caused no disturbance, yet could not be ignored.
She still did not understand—could not comprehend why one person would rush headlong like a moth to flame for another without blood ties.
"Your Highness may stay or leave as you wish." Shen Xihe ceased persuading him, her countenance serene.
Having handed matters over to Xiao Huayong, Shen Xihe had no further concerns. Truly weary, she turned and retired to her room to rest, needing to guard the Jade Flower through the night.
Xiao Huayong took the locals to interrogate the captives, learning they had practiced this trade for over three years. In the first year, they remained cautious, targeting tombs from previous dynasties or earlier eras. As stolen artifacts exchanged for substantial wealth without attracting attention anywhere, their ambitions grew.
This year alone, they had plundered more than the previous two years combined—not only tombs from former dynasties but also wealthy contemporary families. Among them was a tomb-raiding expert who could enter burial sites without explosives, stealing treasures before resealing the graves to conceal their crimes.
They operated in three groups—the other two being disciples trained by the old master in earlier years. Though they had learned only half the skills, it sufficed for them to easily acquire vast treasures.When asked about their mastermind, they could provide no substantial leads, only saying they worked for a Fifth Lord whom none had ever seen. They would deliver stolen goods to Fenghai Pawnshop, where the pawnbroker served as their contact.
Some among them had been tempted by wealth to break away from this Fifth Lord, but none survived the attempt. Later, when Fifth Lord sent a group of people bearing tattooed punishment marks, all thoughts of rebellion vanished completely.
Local authorities had interrogated these tattooed individuals and confirmed they were not criminals but deserters who had been conscripted into forced labor.
After Shen Xihe woke up, Xiao Huayong shared all this information with her without reservation. Surprisingly, Shen Xihe's complexion improved upon hearing this: "Initially, I hadn't considered deserters - I thought only death row inmates would be so unrestrained as to disturb graves."
If they were all deserters from the same region, this at least indicated that not as many local officials were involved with death row inmates as feared, making the situation much better than Shen Xihe's worst expectations.
This suggested there might only be one perpetrator behind these heinous acts, and once exposed, Your Majesty could punish them without reservation.
Had death row inmates been involved, too many local officials would have been implicated. Even if Your Majesty wished to eradicate them all, broader considerations would have constrained the response.
"Youyou's deduction about the death row inmates was truly remarkable," Xiao Huayong praised with genuine admiration.
Ordinary people wouldn't have considered this possibility. Had Shen Xihe not intervened this time, Tao Cheng's family would likely have faced political attacks from their opponents.
Shen Xihe smiled slightly without responding, only then noticing the dark circles under Xiao Huayong's eyes: "Your Highness should get proper rest."
Xiao Huayong felt his heart flutter, warmth blooming in his eyes: "Since Youyou insists, I shall rest properly - after sharing a meal with you."
Though it was noon, Shen Xihe was genuinely hungry and nodded in agreement.
While Shen Xihe appreciated fine food, she wasn't picky. In these remote mountains, she had merely exchanged with villagers for limited ingredients to prepare simple meals, occasionally having Mo Yuan and others hunt some game. Yet when Xiao Huayong's carefully prepared dishes were served, Shen Xihe suddenly realized how crude her meals had been these past few days.
If nothing else, Xiao Huayong's arrival meant she could eat well, which greatly lifted her spirits.
"What does Youyou plan to do about Li Jing in Linchuan?" Xiao Huayong asked during their post-meal walk.
His original plan was to portray Li Jing as a hero - someone Tao Cheng had planted among the criminals as a spy from the beginning. This would be simple to implement without leaving evidence, making Tao Cheng's achievements more prominent and his transfer to the capital more justified.
But since this concerned Shen Xihe, Xiao Huayong refrained from acting unilaterally. The woman he admired was strong-willed and disliked others making decisions for her.
"He should face appropriate consequences," Shen Xihe showed no inclination toward leniency. "People must pay for their mistakes to learn lessons and develop respect for the law."
"Aren't you concerned about implicating Governor Tao?" Xiao Huayong asked.
"Uncle has done nothing wrong. No one can wrongfully accuse him based on this," Shen Xihe replied calmly. "I believe with Uncle's integrity, he wouldn't distort truth for personal gain. The Li family's second son has both faults and merits - his punishment should reflect exactly what his crimes deserve."As for whether this would create a rift between Lady Li and Third Cousin, it was not within Shen Xihe and Tao Cheng's concerns—they had a clear conscience.
"Youyou, when water is too clear, there are no fish. Since it's not a serious breach of propriety, why insist?" Xiao Huayong gently advised.
Shen Xihe turned her head, her obsidian-like eyes deep and luminous as she gazed intently at Xiao Huayong: "Your Highness, it is not that I am overly rigid. Rather, if greed is not restrained from the outset, it will gradually expand without limits."
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