After the tiger attack incident, Xiao Huayong no longer intended to take Shen Xihe out for excursions. Firstly, the Dragon Boat Festival was just two days away; secondly, the capital had already become unbearably hot as the festival approached, making it difficult to find a cool and pleasant day; and thirdly, the Dragon Boat Festival itself would be busy. He also needed to investigate who was behind the tiger attack, coupled with unavoidable government affairs, leaving him with no spare time.
Shen Xihe was not afraid of the cold but dreaded the heat. The only advantage of the northwest was its short summers without extreme heat. Yet here in the capital, it had just entered the fifth month, and already heatwaves seemed to ripple through the air. Shen Xihe felt utterly lethargic.
While other noble households had not yet begun using ice, Shen Xihe had already created an ice chamber daily. Bu Shulin visited even more frequently.
"Who isn't a delicate lady? Why must I endure wind and sun while you enjoy such cool comfort?" Bu Shulin complained, holding a bowl of Suhe Mountain and eating heartily. She watched Shen Xihe sitting sideways on a couch paved with Cold Jade, her legs dangling, leaning comfortably against a soft pillow, and felt utterly jealous.
Both were daughters of different surname princes, yet look at Shen Xihe—extravagant beyond measure, clad in light gauze without a drop of sweat. Meanwhile, Bu Shulin didn't even dare use ice because it was expensive. Anyone who purchased large quantities would risk impeachment.
Shen Xihe was different. She held no official position, but she had her own fiefdom and the Living-Alone Pavilion! She earned her own money and enjoyed it as she pleased, buying as much ice as she wanted.
While other noble families had concubines' sons or inner household members engaged in business, few earned money like Shen Xihe. The key was that Shen Xihe only needed to support herself—even her guards received government salaries—while others had to support entire large families.
Some who had wealth dared not be the first to use ice, fearing envy and potential backstabbing.
As for the princes and princesses, since His Majesty had not yet bestowed or used ice, and His Majesty could endure it, they naturally had to follow suit.
"Zhenzhu, fetch a mirror for Worldly Son Bu," Shen Xihe lifted her head and instructed.
Zhenzhu brought a petal-shaped silver-plated bronze mirror and handed it to Bu Shulin. Thinking she might have gotten Suhe Mountain on her face in an unladylike manner, Bu Shulin carefully examined her reflection but found nothing amiss. She moved the mirror away and looked at Shen Xihe in confusion.
Shen Xihe finished tying off the Five-Color Thread she had been weaving, looked up at her, and said, "Don't you see your own greedy face?"
Bu Shulin: ...
So she was being insulted. How infuriating!
Shen Xihe was always like this—never using crude words when scolding someone, yet her remarks stabbed right at the heart.
"In previous years when I wasn't in the capital, you still managed to survive, didn't you? Now that I'm here, you can openly come to my place to enjoy the ice and Suhe Mountain. Isn't that far more comfortable than your previous years?" Shen Xihe took a sip of Smoked Plum Syrup.
Her health had just recovered, and whether it was Zhenzhu and Sui Axi or Xie Yunhuai who specifically wrote to remind her, they all insisted she avoid cold foods. She could only drink Smoked Plum Syrup to quench her thirst.
Setting down the teacup, Shen Xihe continued, "Yet instead of appreciating how much better your life is compared to before, you focus on how you're not living as well as I am. Tell me, aren't you being greedy?"
Bu Shulin blinked, realizing it was true.
Hastily taking two more bites of Suhe Mountain to clear her mind, Bu Shulin finally said, "I miss the years when Tao Gong served as the Imperial Censor."When Tao Zhuanxian served as the Censor-in-Chief, the Censorate would occasionally impeach her, but these were merely superficial criticisms. More than actual impeachments, they were intended to prompt her to recognize and correct her errors, with little aggressive rhetoric involved.
The newly appointed Censor-in-Chief, originally Tao Zhuanxian's political rival, was part of His Majesty's balancing strategy. Now promoted, he was eager to make his mark. However, in the capital, he dared not challenge any princes or high-ranking officials, so he fixated on her, impeaching her daily.
Shen Xihe ignored her and continued weaving the Five-Color Thread with colored cords.
"Today, however, he finally shifted his focus to the Governor of Yangzhou," Bu Shulin said with glee. "He accused the Jiangdong region of excessive extravagance, harming agricultural affairs."
Shen Xihe glanced at her briefly. "Is this matter not straightforward?"
If it were routine court affairs, unless she inquired first, Bu Shulin would rarely discuss such details with her—Bu Shulin had little interest in political matters.
"Cui Shitou mentioned that the dragon boat races in Yangzhou are even grander than those in the capital and Luoyang. These aren't major offenses in themselves; such festivities reflect our dynasty's peace and prosperity... but in Yangzhou, they've taken it to new extremes—using the races to amass wealth, secretly manipulating winners, and granting special official privileges to victors..."
Bu Shulin spoke vaguely, but Shen Xihe understood perfectly: it was a cover for shady dealings between officials and merchants or among officials themselves, using the dragon boat festival as a pretext for open exchanges. Some saw through it but couldn't clearly distinguish right from wrong.
"Yangzhou was just involved in the rouge scandal last year, and now another major issue? It seems determined to stay notorious." Shen Xihe recalled the sensational rouge case of the previous year—surprisingly, the Governor of Yangzhou had remained unscathed.
With the scandal barely settled, he showed no restraint. Was he tired of his smooth official career?
Shen Xihe listened to these matters indifferently, offering no further opinion. She had enough on her mind and paid little attention to those unrelated to her.
Yet, shortly after hearing about the Governor of Yangzhou, she visited the Eastern Palace on an overcast day, bringing zongzi she had wrapped herself to Xiao Huayong. There, she heard the governor's name again.
"What about the Governor of Yangzhou?" Shen Xihe asked as she entered and set down the food box.
"We've identified those who targeted us before," Xiao Huayong said, putting down his brush and walking toward her.
"Is it related to the Governor of Yangzhou?" Shen Xihe was puzzled. She mentally reviewed the governor's profile—no apparent grudges with them. Could he be a hidden agent of some faction?
"No, the Sima of Yangzhou escorted the tribute gifts here. On the way to Luoyang, his ship rescued someone," Xiao Huayong's eyes turned cold. "The man claimed to have been blinded by bandits, with nowhere to go, but he possessed considerable skill, earning the Sima's favor and accompanying him into the city."
During festivals, regions sent tributes to His Majesty, dispatching envoys for the offerings. From Yangzhou, they traveled by water via the Han Ditch, switched to the Huai River, and reached Luoyang. Continuing by water to Guanzhong was impractical, so they usually switched to land at Tong Pass.
Shen Xihe had done the same before. Thus, tribute envoys would depart in early April, arriving in the capital by late April. She and Xiao Huayong had encountered danger precisely on the first day of May.Blinded in both eyes, yet possessing considerable skills, Shen Xihe suddenly realized who it was: "Munuha!"
This Turkic prince had such audacity, daring to sneak back and hide in the capital, directly targeting both Xiao Huayong and her with lethal intent!
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