She had come to the palace because Xiao Huayong was worried and feared Munuha would seek revenge on her. Unwilling to stubbornly resist and cause Xiao Huayong concern that might expose himself, she had complied with his wishes to enter the palace. Now that Munuha was confirmed to have fled the imperial city, there was no longer any need for her to stay. Five or six consecutive days were more than enough.
"Youyou, paint a portrait of me today," Xiao Huayong finally relented.
He chose a spot beneath an apricot tree, sat down, and took out his flute to play. Shen Xihe listened to the melodious flute music, and her mood for painting improved considerably. A faint smile graced her face as her brush moved with divine inspiration.
His flute music never ceased, and Shen Xihe's brush never paused. Unnoticed, an hour slipped by. Only when she set down her brush did Shen Xihe realize with surprise that it was almost time for the evening meal.
"Your Highness, are you satisfied?" Shen Xihe called Xiao Huayong over.
Xiao Huayong held his jade flute behind his back. His first glance wasn't at his own image in the painting but at the blank space beside it—exactly as he had envisioned. He nodded in satisfaction. "Youyou has painted me exceptionally handsome."
Shen Xihe smiled without responding. This man simply wanted her to follow his lead and praise his inherent good looks.
After being led by his words several times, Shen Xihe had learned to respond with a smile. Xiao Huayong didn't mind; he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve. If one method didn't work, he would try another next time.
Shen Xihe indeed left the palace the very next day. The reason was that Xiao Huayong had recovered—meaning he could see again, though without perceiving colors. However, only the Youning Emperor and Xu Qing were aware of this. The Youning Emperor kept it concealed because he had no intention of deposing the Crown Prince at present.
Whether he wished to deal with Shu Nan, the northwest, Tibet, or the Turks, he needed all his ministers and sons to work together with one heart and mind—focused on how to accumulate more achievements for themselves rather than scheming to monopolize credit, frame others, or contend for the heir apparent position.
As soon as Shen Xihe left the palace, Xiao Huayong resumed handling the administrative duties befitting the Crown Prince. Fortunately, everyone knew of his frail health and had never placed high expectations on him. Even after his absence of several days, no tasks had piled up.
The envoy corps was also permitted to depart by the Youning Emperor. The matter of Yangling Princess was temporarily concluded with the nationwide manhunt for Munuha.
"His Majesty is quite lenient toward the Turks," Bu Shulin remarked, munching on a pear at Shen Xihe's place with a click of her tongue.
Shen Xihe watched her lack of decorum with some disdain. "His Majesty simply doesn't want to wage war against the Turks."
Originally, she had arranged everything so that once Munuha was interrogated, she could take the final step to force the Emperor and the Turks into inevitable conflict. Shen Yueshan and Shen Yungan had also made thorough preparations, poised to catch the Turks off guard.
If they could subdue the Turks, Shen Yueshan and Shen Yungan would have fewer worries on their minds and could focus entirely on guarding against the Emperor.
Unfortunately, someone had interfered, preventing the plan from proceeding smoothly. Moreover, the Emperor had never intended to annihilate the Turks at this time. Had it been the Tibetan prince instead, the Emperor would have been delighted.
"Still, I must thank you, Youyou," Bu Shulin said, holding a half-eaten pear in one hand and giving Shen Xihe an informal salute with the other. "If not for this incident, His Majesty would surely have broken ties with Tibet."Your Majesty was prepared to sever ties with Tubo and launch a military campaign against them. However, having just had conflicts with the Turks, if troops were deployed against Tubo now, the Turks would surely believe the Youning Emperor intended to unify the realm. The incident involving Yangling Princess might well become a pretext for future attacks against them, and they would undoubtedly stir up trouble when the court attacked Tubo.
Thus, Your Majesty had no choice but to temporarily abandon the idea of attacking Tubo. As for Tubo's request for a marriage alliance, the Youning Emperor also declined, citing that the cause of Yangling Princess's death had yet to be clarified. With everyone appearing innocent yet under suspicion, he would not lightly send a princess for marriage. Tubo argued vehemently, but the matter ended inconclusively under the Youning Emperor's firm stance.
Many in the court had come to understand the Youning Emperor's attitude: Your Majesty intended to completely cease the practice of marriage alliances, and this was only the beginning.
"Father sent a letter saying the Prince of Shunan delivered a batch of Dragon Bone to the northwest. I also thank you for your strenuous efforts," Shen Xihe said.
"What do you need so much Dragon Bone for?" Dragon Bone required extremely long years to form—too short a time and it wouldn't become Dragon Bone, too long and it would turn to dust at a touch. Finding it was quite troublesome.
"To make a Trauma Medicine that stops bleeding instantly," Shen Xihe did not keep it secret.
Bu Shulin nearly fell off the reclining couch. Grabbing the railing to steady herself, she asked excitedly, "Is it truly that miraculous?"
"Truly that miraculous," Shen Xihe nodded with a smile.
Bu Shulin rubbed her hands together, beaming, "Youyou, given how close we are... such a marvelous item..."
Meeting Bu Shulin's heavily suggestive gaze, Shen Xihe replied, "Despite our closeness, I've never seen you freely give me Fine Armor."
"It's not that I'm stingy. Fine Armor requires a special type of iron found only in Shunan, and even there it's extremely scarce," she wished she could be more generous.
"Isn't Dragon Bone even rarer than this iron?" Shen Xihe retorted.
Bu Shulin: ...
"Perhaps we should let the Prince and my father discuss it themselves?" She felt she couldn't gain any advantage negotiating with Shen Xihe.
"Fine, you can inform my father about the Trauma Medicine," Shen Xihe had been considering this very idea.
The northwest lacked not only Fine Armor but also weapons and cotton—things Shunan had in abundance. She had long wanted to trade with Shunan.
Of course, with Hua Fuhai backing Xiao Huayong, she could have made deals with him instead. But Xiao Huayong clearly intended to yield advantages to her, and Shen Xihe didn't want to take advantage of him. Still, such excellent medicine as the Trauma Medicine should indeed be shared with Shunan.
Only through mutual exchange could both sides unite and work together toward common goals.
Shen Xihe would never have imagined that the very Xiao Huayong she had been thinking of was at that moment in the Eastern Palace, adding the final strokes to the painting she had gifted him.
The painting no longer merely depicted Xiao Huayong sitting alone under an apricot tree playing his flute. Now, the painting showed Xiao Huayong with one leg stretched out and the other bent, and resting on his outstretched thigh was a young woman facing outward, her eyes closed with a faint smile—as if enchanted by the flute's melody or sweetly dreaming.
This young woman possessed extraordinary, peerless beauty. Anyone who had seen Shen Xihe would recognize the figure in the painting as her.
"She painted me, and I painted her. Together we created portraits of each other—isn't this the most enviable thing?" Xiao Huayong hung the painting and examined it carefully, the laughter shimmering in his eyes lending endless charm to the mole at the corner of his eye.Tianyuan thought to himself: If this weren't done behind the princess's back, it would truly be the envy of immortal couples, yet Your Highness had to do it so furtively...
Ignoring Tianyuan's thoughts, Xiao Huayong cheerfully brought the painting to the bridal chamber he had prepared, searching for the perfect spot to hang it.
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