Duanming: "Meow?"
No wonder Hongyu would think this way—so far, Xiao Huayong was the only one who had successfully broken into Shen Xihe's bedchamber at the Princess Manor. How could an ordinary person evade the Hidden Guards?
Most people in the Princess Manor had been brought from the northwest and were completely trustworthy. It was impossible for them to steal the Princess's handkerchief. Moreover, that handkerchief bore no inscription, so even if stolen and given to a man, it couldn't tarnish Shen Xihe's reputation.
They all knew Xiao Huayong had visited Shen Xihe's room today, but he was the Crown Prince—a ruler of illustrious virtue, both inwardly and outwardly refined. How could he possibly commit theft?
Shen Xihe didn't believe it either, yet the truth was that Xiao Huayong had obediently left the Princess Manor today because he had discovered this handkerchief in her room. He had pocketed it, fearing she would notice, and thus made an early escape!
"Enough, all of you may withdraw and rest early." Shen Xihe dismissed them and lay down on her bed.
At first, she was so enraged she couldn't describe the knot of frustration in her heart. But as she pondered, for some reason, she found herself laughing in exasperation. Was he not afraid that when he became emperor someday, this incident might be discovered by others and recorded in the annals of history? Was he not ashamed?
As the moon leaned against the western tower, Shen Xihe shook her head, casting aside these thoughts, and finally drifted into a peaceful sleep.
In the Eastern Palace, Xiao Huayong couldn't sleep. He carefully caressed the exquisitely textured handkerchief: "Tianyuan, I discovered a secret about Youyou today."
Tianyuan, who was slightly yawning, forced himself not to show it. The Crown Prince had been in an unusually excited state since returning from the Princess Manor, his eyes shining brighter than Venus, making it difficult for anyone to look directly at him.
"It must be something good," Tianyuan could only agree.
His Highness did not want a subordinate full of questions—only one who knew how to listen.
"Look." Xiao Huayong showed the handkerchief to Tianyuan, but after just one glance, he immediately tucked it away, as if afraid Tianyuan might stare a hole through it.
Tianyuan: ...
He vaguely glimpsed a familiar pattern—this pattern...
A flash of insight struck, and Tianyuan's drowsiness vanished: "It's the Fairy Ribbon!"
Tianyuan had accompanied Xiao Huayong to Xinglin Garden, where he had also disguised himself. There, he had seen the Fairy Ribbon.
"Correct, it's the Fairy Ribbon." Xiao Huayong's smile was tender and sweet. "Youyou embroidered it on her handkerchief. What do you think that means?"
What could it mean?
If it were an ordinary young lady, it would undoubtedly signify something special or deeply meaningful—perhaps an item related to her beloved, hence embroidered on the handkerchief.
But the Princess was no ordinary young lady; one couldn't judge her by common standards. Yet, with His Highness gazing so affectionately, he clearly wished the Princess were just an ordinary girl.
Tianyuan had no choice but to humor his master: "Your Highness, the Fairy Ribbon must hold extraordinary significance for the Princess."
"The Fairy Ribbon was my gift to her." Satisfied, Xiao Huayong smiled even more contentedly and sweetly.
Tianyuan only dared to grumble inwardly: Perhaps when this handkerchief was embroidered, the Princess didn't know you were Hua Fuhai.
In that case, the Princess might not have known who Hua Fuhai was, nor cared. Embroidering this handkerchief might have been a mere whim, done on a casual impulse?
If he voiced these thoughts aloud, he feared the Crown Prince would kick him out of the palace overnight, toss him a set of old clothes, and send him off to trade with the locals.Although His Highness in the palace was becoming increasingly eccentric, his moments of foolishness only emerged when matters concerned the Junzhu. Most of the time, he remained his usual self. With fine food, good drinks, and comfortable lodging in the palace, free from exposure to wind and sun, he had no desire to venture outside or exchange it for life elsewhere.
" Youyou must have long held feelings for me, but she resents my deception and thus refuses to reveal her heart to me," concluded the Crown Prince.
Tianyuan tilted his head slightly upward—no, toward the ceiling. Using his somewhat intelligent little brain, he pondered but couldn't fathom how His Highness had deduced that the Junzhu had long harbored affection for him.
Summoning his courage, he ventured to ask, "Your Highness, was the handkerchief gifted to you by the Junzhu?"
If the Junzhu had deliberately presented it, then this conclusion might barely hold water.
Xiao Huayong's smile faltered. "Tianyuan, it's getting late. You may withdraw."
Tianyuan felt as if granted a great reprieve—he was truly exhausted. "Your Highness, please rest early as well."
After paying his respects, Tianyuan cheerfully departed. Once he stepped out of the main hall and closed the door, a gust of night wind roused him from the joy of being able to rest.
He had just asked a question and was promptly dismissed by the Crown Prince. Given His Highness's temperament, if the handkerchief had indeed been a gift from the Junzhu, he would have been brimming with pride and delight, not evading the topic.
Therefore, that handkerchief...
It was stolen by their wise, virtuous, and principled Crown Prince!
Reaching this conclusion, Tianyuan felt utterly discomfited. He wore a smile uglier than tears, stiffly returned to his room, and lay on his bed like a corpse.
"The Crown Prince is no longer the flawless and virtuous Crown Prince..."
Unaware of Tianyuan's distress over his moral decline, Xiao Huayong hugged the stolen handkerchief, rested his head on his favorite pillow, and drifted blissfully into dreamland.
Shen Xihe had forgotten about the handkerchief by the next day. She was pondering how the person trying to harm her would target Princess Anling.
"The palace is heavily guarded, making it difficult to act without leaving traces. Moreover, framing me within the palace would lack credibility," Shen Xihe reasoned. After some thought, she summoned Mo Yuan and instructed, "Go keep an eye on Meng Chang."
Meng Chang was a scholar who had just finished the imperial examinations and was awaiting the results. He was the man Princess Anling had fallen for at first sight, and the two had been in contact. Since planning to use Princess Anling to lure out the culprit, Shen Xihe had thoroughly investigated Meng Chang.
Putting herself in the shoes of the one aiming to kill Princess Anling and frame her, Shen Xihe believed using Meng Chang was the best approach. It would not only conceal the perpetrator's identity but also easily lure Princess Anling outside the palace—strikingly similar to the circumstances of Princess Yangling's death.
This would further prove that Princess Yangling and Princess Anling were killed by the same person, with their shared enemy being none other than Shen Xihe.
Xiao Huayong had also arrived at this conclusion. Almost simultaneously with Shen Xihe, he dispatched men to secretly surveil Meng Chang.
Two days later, Princess Anling indeed left the palace to meet Meng Chang. However, during these two days, Meng Chang had not contacted anyone of suspicious identity.
Mo Yuan, stationed outside, calculated the time and felt that Princess Anling had been inside for about a quarter of an hour. In such a simple residence, conversations shouldn't be clearly audible, but as martial artists, they should still be able to hear some sounds.He sensed something was wrong and rushed in without caring if he would be exposed. Upon entering, he saw Meng Chang holding Princess Anling in a chokehold, their backs facing each other. Princess Anling couldn't make a sound, and her feet couldn't reach anything to push against.
Mo Yuan charged forward, grabbed Meng Chang's hand and twisted it, forcing him to loosen his grip. With a kick, he sent the man stumbling away and freed the breathless Princess Anling.
At that moment, Meng Chang, who had fallen to the ground, spat out blood and gasped, "Princess... it was... Zhaoning County Princess... who ordered me to harm you..."
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