Over the years, no one had ever entered the Eastern Palace without prior announcement. Even if His Majesty or the Empress Dowager arrived, they could not be barred entry, but before they even stepped through the palace gates, the Crown Prince would already be informed.
Shen Xihe was the exception—a testament to Xiao Huayong’s complete and utter trust in her.
Once inside, Shen Xihe inquired about Xiao Huayong’s whereabouts and headed directly toward him. As she approached, she overheard him say calmly, "Execute him."
His tone was detached and effortless. In her absence, his every gesture and word carried the authority to dictate life and death.
Since he placed such implicit trust in her, Shen Xihe saw no need to hold back. She signaled to Zhenzhu to remain outside, then straightened her flowing shawl and stepped steadily into the room.
The moment Xiao Huayong lifted his gaze and saw her, his stern expression vanished instantly. Rising to his feet, he strode toward her. "Youyou, I’ve been waiting for you. Come, let’s share the morning meal."
"Zhaoning has already eaten," Shen Xihe replied, still observing propriety by first offering him a formal salute.
Though she had clearly judged that they were still some distance apart, she had barely begun to bend her knee when he was already before her, taking her hand and holding it firmly.
Shen Xihe tried to pull away. "Your Highness, release my hand."
"I will not," Xiao Huayong declared stubbornly. "This is your punishment for being so distant with me. If you ever salute me again in the future, I shall hold your hand just like this and never let go."
"Your Highness, do you understand the meaning of propriety?" Shen Xihe asked, her voice tinged with annoyance.
Xiao Huayong answered with a smile, "Propriety signifies respect, reverence, and order."
"Since Your Highness understands this, you ought to uphold and honor it. As the Crown Prince, your words and actions set an example for all the people," Shen Xihe said gravely. "Therefore, you should place even greater emphasis on ritual and conduct yourself with decorum."
"Do you, Youyou, maintain such strict formality and perfect etiquette when you meet the Northwest King and his heir?" Xiao Huayong countered.
Shen Xihe replied, "Even between father and daughter, or brother and sister, one must observe propriety and understand ritual."
"How dull that would be!" Xiao Huayong led Shen Xihe to the dining table. "As you rightly said, I am the Crown Prince, and my every word and action serves as a model. Thus, I must adhere strictly to ritual in the presence of officials and commoners, without a single misstep. But rules and etiquette are exhausting. I, too, long for someone with whom I can be at ease, someone with whom I can be unrestrained. Sharing her husband’s burdens is a wife’s duty."
"I know that Youyou strictly abides by ritual and has internalized its teachings so deeply that it no feels like no burden. But changing Youyou for my sake will not happen overnight—which is why I want you to start adapting sooner."
Shen Xihe stared at him in disbelief. Not only did he refuse to change, but he also expected her to change for him in the future.
"Youyou, I long for the day we can have a home together," Xiao Huayong continued before she could speak, pulling her down to sit beside him and releasing her hand as he took his place next to her. "What is a home? It is a place guided by love, not reason; governed by affection, not rules. A place of freedom and joy, where hearts are content."
"Whether in times of glory or hardship, we shall rely on one another, never parting day or night."
"Where I am spared from loneliness, from worry, from weariness, from pretense."
"A refuge—a place where, with you, my heart finds peace."
His voice was soft and tender, filled with genuine emotion. As Shen Xihe listened, she couldn’t help but let her imagination wander. Warm and hopeful scenes filled her mind, weaving together into a vision that stirred longing and anticipation.
"Youyou must have already eaten at the Hall of Eternal Peace," Xiao Huayong said, handing her a pair of chopsticks. "Just take a few bites to humor me and make me happy."Shen Xihe, unsure if she was moved by his earlier words, watched him lounging lazily without a proper posture and couldn't be bothered to admonish him. Taking the chopsticks, she casually ate a few bites.
"I overheard Your Highness ordering an execution when I entered earlier," Shen Xihe stated plainly, neither probing nor curious, merely reporting what she had heard to Xiao Huayong.
Xiao Huayong's lips curved slightly. "I ordered Wang Erlang's execution."
"You killed him..." After a moment's thought, Shen Xihe understood.
Wang Erlang's ball strike against Xiao Huayong had been unintentional, but the mystery of why the ball contained poison was unsolvable—because it was all Xiao Huayong's scheme from the start.
He could only ensure Wang Erlang died in prison. If it could be made to look like a suicide out of guilt, with the coroner finding no evidence of foul play, the Wang family's hopes of clearing their name would be nothing but a pipe dream.
"The Wang family has only this one legitimate son, the one Wang Zheng pinned all his hopes on," Xiao Huayong murmured. "His death will fully ignite the internal conflicts within the Wang family. Wang Zheng will be enraged and will surely seek another opportunity to strike at me for revenge."
If it were any other prince, Wang Zheng might not dare to be so aggressive. But with Xiao Huayong pressing step by step, Wang Zheng already felt the urgency that unless Xiao Huayong fell, the entire Wang family would know no peace. He would exhaust all means to expose Xiao Huayong before His Majesty.
The next time Wang Zheng acted, he would be digging his own grave.
Shen Xihe neither commented on Xiao Huayong's methods of dealing with enemies nor involved herself. Gazing into his deep, silver-flecked eyes, she said, "His Majesty visits you daily, Your Highness. You should still be cautious."
Delighted by her concern, Xiao Huayong's eyes sparkled. "I know whether His Majesty will come to the Eastern Palace before he even arrives."
Since he was so confident, Shen Xihe said no more.
Xiao Huayong, however, took out three scrolls and placed them on a tray, pushing it toward Shen Xihe with a mix of anticipation and shyness. "These are the dates chosen by the Imperial Astronomer. Youyou, why not pick one?"
The vibrant red scrolls needed no explanation—Shen Xihe knew they contained the wedding dates calculated by the Imperial Astronomer based on their birth characters. Once the date was set, the betrothal gifts, auspicious rituals, and dowry ceremonies could be arranged accordingly.
Without hesitation, since Xiao Huayong had asked her, Shen Xihe carefully considered the options.
Yet again, she marveled at Xiao Huayong's influence—he had obtained the dates chosen by the Imperial Astronomer even before His Majesty. By letting her choose, he was confident that the date she selected would be the one His Majesty would ultimately confirm.
The three dates were: the earliest in six months, another at the year's end, and the last in March of the following year.
"Six months may be too rushed, and the year's end is too busy. Moreover, Your Highness dislikes the cold. Why not early spring next year?" Shen Xihe wasn't intentionally choosing the farthest date. Having decided to marry, she didn't mind a few months' difference and spoke pragmatically.
A Crown Prince's wedding could never be fully prepared in just six months.
"I think six months is entirely sufficient," Xiao Huayong argued for himself. "I guarantee it will be grand and complete, lacking nothing."
"During the seventh and eighth months, the northwest is at its busiest. I don't want my father and brother leaving the northwest then to escort me to my wedding," Shen Xihe explained her reasoning.Seeing that this was Shen Xihe's concern, Xiao Huayong had no choice but to concede: "I wish I could marry Youyou into the Eastern Palace tomorrow..."
OpenNovel