Shen Xihe gazed at him pensively for a long moment before saying, "How about I paint a portrait for Your Highness another day?"
Achieving his goal so effortlessly left even the astute Xiao Huayong momentarily stunned. He wondered if he might be hallucinating: "Youyou, are you saying... you'll paint for me?"
"Because I have a request." Shen Xihe directly informed Xiao Huayong that this wasn't meant to appease him, but rather a transaction.
The heart that had barely begun to soar instantly plummeted back to earth. Xiao Huayong's smile stiffened briefly before quickly returning to normal. This was more in line with Shen Xihe's character, leaving him both amused and exasperated: "What does Youyou command? Speak freely. I'll help share your burdens without seeking any reward."
"Without seeking reward?" Shen Xihe chuckled softly. "Could it be that everything Your Highness has done isn't aimed at gaining something from Zhaoning?"
Xiao Huayong laughed quietly upon hearing this. "Well, Youyou speaks truly. I desire both your person and your heart—that too is a form of seeking."
Now he dared not claim to seek no reward, and could only accept Shen Xihe's offer to paint for him: "I wonder what matter requires Youyou to seek my assistance?"
Given Shen Xihe's capabilities, the fact that she had come to him did pique Xiao Huayong's curiosity.
"I've thought of a good method that might lure out the person behind Yangling Princess." Shen Xihe explained her plan. "Earlier in the garden, I encountered Princess Anling and we had some verbal conflict. Since this person was able to use Yangling Princess, they must hold a grudge against me and might not stop until they achieve their goal. Perhaps seeing my discord with Princess Anling, they might turn to using her instead."
"Anling?" Xiao Huayong's first reaction mirrored Shen Xihe's. "Anling isn't clever."
Yangling had some petty cunning that might allow her to thrive among ordinary people, but compared to Shen Xihe, she was as different as clouds and mud. However, those in this world who could match Shen Xihe in tactics and intellect were exceedingly rare.
"That was my initial thought as well." Shen Xihe smiled faintly. "But then I considered that Changling Princess had conflicts with me before her death, Yangling Princess also had disagreements with me before she passed, and previously I've had some discord with Princess Anling over minor matters."
"If I find another opportunity to have a public confrontation with Princess Anling, one that becomes widely known... What does Your Highness think? Would this person kill Princess Anling to frame me?"
Xiao Huayong's gaze sharpened. He pondered gravely—this possibility was quite substantial.
Princess Anling wasn't as easily controlled as Yangling. She considered herself somewhat clever and believed Shen Xihe wouldn't dare kill her, hence her stubborn refusal to reveal the culprit. If Princess Anling fell into Shen Xihe's hands, she would definitely expose the mastermind behind everything.
Therefore, this person wouldn't feel secure using Princess Anling against Shen Xihe. However, with the precedents of both Yangling Princess and Changling Princess having conflicts with Shen Xihe before their deaths, if Shen Xihe were to openly clash with Princess Anling...
If they then killed Princess Anling, leaving behind evidence that would be difficult for Shen Xihe to refute would be ideal. Even if they couldn't, Shen Xihe would still face censure. With three princesses killed in succession, it would be reasonable for Your Majesty to punish her.
Even with insufficient evidence to execute Shen Xihe, to appease public sentiment, the authority to command troops would likely be stripped from her.
This would be equivalent to clipping Shen Xihe's wings. Mo Yuan and others could no longer openly protect Shen Xihe and would have to withdraw to the northwest. Making another move against Shen Xihe would then become much easier, including making the Princess Manor no longer safe."What a brilliant move to lure the snake out of its hole," Xiao Huayong praised.
In this world, only Shen Xihe could give him such a sense of awe, making him more captivated the more he understood her.
"No, this isn't luring the snake out of its hole—it's the thief crying 'stop thief'," Shen Xihe's smile deepened at the corners of her lips. "Later, Zhaoning will seek an audience with Your Majesty to report today's events, letting Your Majesty know that there is someone behind the scenes. This person, in order to frame Zhaoning, killed Princess Changling and Princess Yangling."
This would completely clear both her and Xiao Huayong of suspicion.
Xiao Huayong was momentarily stunned, then couldn't hold back a burst of joyful and clear laughter from his chest: "For those who offend Youyou, I shall recite an Amitabha."
Tianyuan's lips twitched—wasn't that his own catchphrase?
However, the princess's methods were truly spine-chilling. Fortunately, he hadn't become an enemy of His Highness, otherwise he felt that as the top confidant, his life might very well end at the princess's hands.
"Princess Anling is in the palace, so this person must strike within the palace. When the time comes, I hope Your Highness will lend your assistance," Shen Xihe said.
Xiao Huayong's eyes brimmed with intense amusement: "Being able to assist Youyou is my good fortune. Actually, since Youyou has already sought out His Majesty, you might not need me either."
"This person who could make use of princesses must hold no low status and is extremely likely to share an unusual relationship with His Majesty," Shen Xihe hinted delicately.
She feared that the Youning Emperor might, for the sake of royal dignity or other considerations, downplay the matter from major to minor. More importantly, since Changling died by Xiao Huayong's hand and Yangling by hers, if they wanted to shift the blame and make the other party bear the crime, they would need Xiao Huayong to intervene.
"Youyou trusts me so much—I naturally cannot let Youyou down." He was even more eager than Shen Xihe to uncover who was secretly harming her.
After settling matters with Xiao Huayong, he made one request: that Shen Xihe must paint alongside others and not alone. Shen Xihe agreed before leaving the Eastern Palace.
After exiting the Eastern Palace, she went straight to the Hall of Bright Governance to request an audience with the Youning Emperor. The Emperor felt somewhat headache when he learned of Shen Xihe's request for an audience.
He had come to realize that Shen Xihe would never seek him out lightly beyond her routine court greetings each time she entered the palace. Whenever she did come to him, it was inevitably no small matter.
Yet he couldn't refuse to see her without reason, so he had Liu Sanzhi escort her in. After the customary greetings, the Youning Emperor said, "Zhaoning, have you come to seek Us because you've been wronged? Do you need Us to uphold justice for you?"
The first few times hadn't she indeed sought his judgment? The Emperor deliberately asked this way.
"Today Zhaoning has come because she finds a certain matter highly suspicious. I beg Your Majesty to dismiss the attendants," Shen Xihe stated gravely.
The Youning Emperor looked somewhat surprised. He glanced at Liu Sanzhi, who understood and waved his hand, dismissing all the palace maids and eunuchs from the hall, leaving only Shen Xihe, the Youning Emperor, and Liu Sanzhi present.
Shen Xihe didn't request Liu Sanzhi's withdrawal too. Liu Sanzhi was loyal to His Majesty; since this matter had nothing to do with the Emperor, it naturally had nothing to do with Liu Sanzhi either. Moreover, Liu Sanzhi was someone no one could possibly bribe.
"Your Majesty, today Zhaoning encountered Princess Anling in the garden. Perhaps still bearing resentment over previous matters, Princess Anling recalled Princess Yangling's earlier slander against Zhaoning and thus asked whether Princess Yangling had been harmed by Zhaoning," Shen Xihe summarized the matter in a few words. "She even stated she would definitely find evidence of Zhaoning secretly harming Princess Yangling."
The Youning Emperor listened with veiled intensity in his gaze: "Zhaoning, have you come to tell Us this?"Is it really necessary to have everyone leave just to report on Anling?
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