Chapter 377: The County Princess's Cunning Scheme
Throughout the entire realm, there was likely no one who hated Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong more than Munuha—and he hated both of them simultaneously.
"Does he alone possess such capability?" It wasn't that Shen Xihe looked down on Munuha, but one person couldn't possibly achieve this level alone.
"Naturally, he has accomplices who have arranged everything for him in the capital," Xiao Huayong said with a stern expression. "As for who they are, we'll extract that information from him once we capture him."
"I thought he would lie low, harboring grand ambitions." Shen Xihe felt that Munuha, having reached this point, should have endured patiently in hiding, then single-handedly dealt a fatal blow to the imperial court. Only in this way could he possibly regain a foothold among the Turks. She never expected him to sneak back so quickly, purely for the sake of revenge against her and Xiao Huayong.
"He certainly wanted to lie low, but I didn't give him the opportunity," Xiao Huayong replied, the corners of his lips lifting faintly.
Ever since receiving Shen Xihe's painting, Xiao Huayong had mobilized half his forces to search for Munuha. However, those who rescued him had long prepared an escape route for him. Each time there was a lead, he managed to slip away, and on several occasions when they cornered him, someone intervened to block them.
After escaping the capital, Munuha never had a moment's rest. He clearly understood that if this continued, his only outcome would be death at the hands of his pursuers. Thus, he devised a scheme to use a decoy to divert Xiao Huayong's men and, before they realized it, hid among the tribute envoy's procession, boldly entering the city. He nearly succeeded in his assassination attempt.
"The purpose of rescuing him..." Shen Xihe suddenly looked up, a trace of worry in her expression. "Perhaps it was to use him to test your strength."
Munuha's extensive escape had likely exposed many of Xiao Huayong's connections to the mastermind behind it all.
"Don't worry," Xiao Huayong said, taking Shen Xihe's hand. "Achieving this level requires more than one person's effort. When I sent people to pursue Munuha, I knew many were involved, all hoping to use him to probe my capabilities."
With multiple forces entangled, the situation became chaotic—it was unclear which were his allies, which were stirring trouble, and which were similarly testing him. Moreover, once Xiao Huayong realized this, he immediately adjusted his tactics. For several days, upon locating Munuha, he lured other forces into exposing themselves first, turning the tables to probe their strengths.
"Where is Munuha now?" Shen Xihe narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Leave it to me," Xiao Huayong replied with a light laugh, then turned to look at the food box on the table. "Did Youyou bring me zongzi?"
"Don't overindulge—one per day," Shen Xihe cautioned.
Xiao Huayong had a particular fondness for the food she prepared. Whenever she made something, he would eat heartily. Zongzi, being sticky rice, was hard to digest and unhealthy in excess.
Xiao Huayong felt a warmth in his heart. However, when he opened the food box and examined it carefully, as if searching for something, he asked somewhat dejectedly, "There's nothing else?"
"Is there something more?" Shen Xihe asked, puzzled.
Xiao Huayong felt a pang of frustration. He should have asked her outright—it wasn't as if he hadn't shamelessly requested things from her before. But for some reason, the words died on his lips, and he swallowed them back. He felt a simmering irritation, not at her lack of romantic understanding—she had always been this way.It was anger at his own increasing pettiness, as if sensing her slightest softening toward him, he couldn't help but push his luck. Like this time—how eagerly he had hoped she would remember him on her own, and she did indeed remember, taking the initiative to send him zongzi.
But these zongzi were no different from the gifts she had sent him during past festivals—merely customary exchanges of courtesy.
Shen Xihe watched him, clearly upset yet not daring to throw a tantrum, his expression even slightly contorted. She had originally intended just to tease him a little and then take out the Five-Colored Thread, but for some reason, she didn't feel like taking it out now. She continued watching as he pursed his lips in silent frustration, still wanting to see if he would ask her for it.
Shen Xihe's pretense was quite successful: "Your Highness seems displeased?"
"No... nothing's wrong," Xiao Huayong spoke against his own feelings. "There have been some troublesome matters in the Eastern Palace lately, and with the hot weather, it's inevitable to feel a bit irritable."
Tianyuan glanced at Xiao Huayong and quickly lowered his head.
What troublesome matters could there possibly be in the Eastern Palace? Who would dare cause trouble for the Crown Prince? As for irritability from the heat—that was even more impossible. The only benefit of the poison in His Highness's body was that he remained cool in summer.
It was probably because he hadn't received the comfort he wanted from the Junzhu again. Ever since the Crown Prince met the Junzhu, he had become rather inexplicable. And after becoming engaged to the Junzhu, he wasn't just inexplicable—he often became sarcastic and moody.
Shen Xihe nodded, not mentioning the longevity thread at all. She stayed for dinner at the Eastern Palace and only left when the palace was about to enforce the curfew, accompanied by a cool breeze.
Xiao Huayong escorted Shen Xihe to the gate of the Eastern Palace and couldn't resist hinting: "Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival."
"I know," Shen Xihe nodded. "Tomorrow I'm going to watch the dragon boat races. I won't be late."
The imperial family would organize a special dragon boat competition, with participation limited to officials and nobles, though commoners could watch. Throughout all dynasties, none had been like this one, where the imperial gardens were open for commoners to visit, and the capital's citizens could even cheer at imperial events.
For the capital's residents, seeing the Emperor was a common occurrence, as he often left the imperial palace to visit the Hibiscus Garden or the military training grounds.
Seeing that she still didn't understand, Xiao Huayong pursed his lips again, his gaze tinged with resentment: "I..."
He wanted to say, "I want the Five-Colored Thread you wove for me," but for some reason, this time he didn't want to ask for it outright. He was a bit angry at himself for becoming arrogant after receiving just a little warmth from her, but for some reason, he ultimately didn't voice his request.
"Does Your Highness have something else to say?" Shen Xihe asked.
"Rest early. See you tomorrow," Xiao Huayong muttered.
Shen Xihe gave a slight bow and left with Zhenzhu.
Xiao Huayong watched her figure disappear into the twilight, his eyes fixed on her retreating back, filled with nothing but resentment.
Tianyuan kept his head bowed, quiet as a mouse, afraid of drawing fire upon himself.
"Junzhu, you..." Once Zhenzhu was in the carriage, she couldn't hold back, but remembering Ziyu's precedent, she didn't dare laugh.
The Crown Prince was like a child who couldn't get the treat he wanted, exuding frustration from head to toe. She could feel it, and she was certain the Junzhu had noticed it too.
"Did you notice the way the Crown Prince looked just now..." Shen Xihe didn't mind if Zhenzhu laughed a little, as long as it wasn't out of genuine disrespect for Xiao Huayong. She wasn't a tyrant—why would she be so harsh? The key point was that she herself found it amusing. "Like a little child?""Your Highness, haven't you often said the Crown Prince has been acting more and more childlike?" Zhenzhu hadn't noticed it before, but today she saw it clearly. Yet somehow, she found the Crown Prince's manner just now utterly endearing in a way that softened one's heart.
(End of Chapter)
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