"There's another point." Reminded by Xiao Huayong, Shen Xihe also recalled an inconsistency. "Prince Xin sent people to blow up the imperial mausoleum. Logically, the Fourth Prince was guarding the mausoleum at the time. That he was forced into such desperate measures to retreat and bide his time was entirely Prince Xin's doing—he should harbor extreme hatred for Prince Xin."
"Either he wouldn't allow Prince Xin to succeed, or if he did permit it, he would surely seize evidence against Prince Xin. Yet he hasn't exposed Prince Xin to this day. Only one explanation makes sense."
Xiao Changtian wasn't in the imperial mausoleum that day!
Given Xiao Changtian's audacity in reducing himself to commoner status while hiding in the mausoleum to scheme further, it showed he had ample confidence. Thus, he wouldn't have let Prince Xin succeed.
The tomb raiding case was his masterplan. He knew Bu Shulin had gone to Henan Prefecture, and Shen Xihe had exposed it in Linchuan Commandery. With the truth impossible to contain, he had to swiftly cover his tracks, which forced him to leave the mausoleum secretly to deal with the situation. This gave Prince Xin the opening to succeed while leaving himself without any leverage.
Therefore, Cui Jinbai could still be aligned with Prince Jing Xiao Changyan, while the tomb raiding for wealth was orchestrated by the Fourth Prince Xiao Changtai.
"Your Highness often speaks highly of Prince Jing—is that mutual admiration between kindred spirits?" Shen Xihe asked further.
"How could we be kindred spirits?" Xiao Huayong chuckled lightly and shook his head. "Without shared suffering, how could there be mutual understanding? My praise for him is merely objective... Eighth Brother is the one His Majesty envisions succeeding the Eastern Palace."
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been permitted all these years to maintain autonomous military power in Annan, allowing him to early escape the capital's vipers' nest.
His lack of influence in the capital actually reassured His Majesty. When the time came, His Majesty could bequeath all his own connections to him, confident he could secure the throne.
So that's how it is, Shen Xihe sighed inwardly. In His Majesty's heart, Xiao Huayong was destined to die young, so everything had been arranged long ago.
"Prince Jing is about to have his capping ceremony, isn't he?" Shen Xihe suddenly remarked. "What kind of princess consort will His Majesty choose for him?"
Xiao Huayong was acutely sensitive to this question, fearing Shen Xihe might have developed an interest in Xiao Changyan. He studied her intently for a long moment, assured she was merely making casual conversation, before his expression eased. "He'll be capped after the new year. His Majesty won't arrange a marriage for him these next two years. The Cui family has a young daughter—the Minister of Education's legitimate granddaughter—who's just twelve."
Arranging a marriage with Xiao Changyan in two years would be even better, thereby binding the Cui family to him.
"His Majesty has indeed been painstaking in his plans for Prince Jing." Shen Xihe felt it necessary to send someone to Annan to infiltrate Prince Jing's circle early, though selecting the right person would be challenging.
Xiao Huayong responded with a light laugh, offering no further comment. Shen Xihe had promised Shen Yueshan not to stay in the Eastern Palace beyond half an hour, so she calculated the time and took her leave. Xiao Huayong personally saw her out of the Eastern Palace. Watching the falling snowflakes, he unexpectedly called out just as she was about to descend the steps: "Youyou."
White snow, red plum blossoms, gentle breeze—she turned slowly, her clear gaze holding the moist, luminous curiosity of a young deer, that dewy look piercing straight into Xiao Huayong's heart.
That calm, gentle, well-meaning gaze made him hesitate to voice what he had intended to say. He secretly took a deep breath. "If there were matters I've kept from you... would you be angry?"
Shen Xihe was silent for a moment before she smiled faintly.The world was blanketed in pristine white. Her lips, tinted with rouge, were crimson and soft, possessing a beauty that could topple cities with a single smile—a restrained yet radiant charm: "Your Highness, there is no one in this world without secrets. I, too, have matters I’ve kept from you. As long as Your Highness does not harm me or those I care about, I will not hold it against you."
This understanding answer did little to soothe Xiao Huayong’s heart. The secret he concealed, while not directly harming Shen Xihe, might cause her to reassess the situation and possibly adopt a different demeanor toward him. She might never again be as unguarded and candid with him as she was now.
Yet he dared not say more: "Youyou is right. I was overthinking."
Shen Xihe’s smile deepened slightly. "Does Your Highness have other matters?"
Xiao Huayong replied, "Youyou, be careful on the road. The weather is cold. If you have any matters in the future, send someone to inform me. I will come to see you."
"Father is at home. Are you sure you want to come find me?" Shen Xihe’s tone carried a hint of amusement.
Xiao Huayong: "..."
He had forgotten—the Princess Manor now housed a formidable presence. While he could easily evade the manor’s subordinates, slipping past Shen Yueshan was another matter. If caught red-handed by Shen Yueshan, the latter would surely seize the chance to break his legs.
"Send a message, then..." Xiao Huayong amended, though it was more troublesome, it added a certain charm to their interactions.
"Before spring arrives, there should be no major matters." Shen Xihe smiled faintly, nodded in acknowledgment, and drifted away under her umbrella.
Upon returning to the Princess Manor, she spotted Shen Yueshan standing at the main gate, craning his neck to look into the distance. Shen Xihe couldn’t help but chuckle helplessly. Dismounting from her horse, she startled Shen Yueshan, who hurried over. "Be careful, be careful! What if you fall?"
"I didn’t want Father to wait too long," Shen Xihe said with a laugh.
"If you fall, your father’s heart would ache."
"If Father waits too long, Youyou’s heart would ache too."
Shen Yueshan understood—his daughter was subtly chiding him for standing at the gate in the freezing cold.
"Your father was just idling, strolling by the gate, taking a look..." He glanced outside and found not a soul in sight. "...admiring the houses in the capital."
"Cough, cough, cough..." It was Ziyu who couldn’t hold back. She truly didn’t mean to mock the prince, but his excuse was simply too amusing.
Shen Xihe shot Ziyu a glance and gave her father an out. "Finished looking? If so, let’s head inside."
"Finished, finished." Shen Yueshan glanced sidelong at Ziyu.
Father and daughter stepped over the threshold side by side. Once inside, Shen Yueshan couldn’t resist probing: "What does the Crown Prince think about Duke Xue’s matter?"
Shen Xihe suppressed a laugh and didn’t answer immediately. She knew perfectly well that Shen Yueshan never interfered in the replacement of court officials, leaving no room for the Youning Emperor to suspect him of ulterior motives. His question was merely a ploy to learn what she and Xiao Huayong had discussed.
"Youyou, speak quickly," Shen Yueshan urged only after following her into her courtyard.
Even if he hadn’t asked, Shen Xihe would have told him. "The Crown Prince wishes to secure a position in the Three Departments for Grandfather."
Shen Yueshan’s expression shifted slightly. He had asked merely to extract information, and any outcome was irrelevant—but upon hearing this, he had to take it seriously. "Did he propose this himself?"
Shen Xihe nodded.
Shen Yueshan fell silent for a moment before snorting lightly. "He must be testing you!"
Shen Xihe: "..."Could she not distinguish whether it was a test or not? However, she couldn't speak frankly. Based on previous experiences, she knew full well that even if she told the truth now, Shen Yueshan would still accuse her of favoring Xiao Huayong again.
Shen Xihe didn't believe that Shen Yueshan was unaware of the truth—it was merely his habit of tarnishing Xiao Huayong's image in front of her.
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