Chapter 410: The Empress's Temptation
"Correct, an alliance." Li Yanyan repeated.
Her fingertips resting on the teacup twitched slightly. Shen Xihe tilted her head to glance at the incense burner beside her, from which fragrant smoke curled upward: "Why?"
"We share a common enemy." Li Yanyan stated.
She was a princess of a fallen kingdom, and it was His Majesty who had caused her kingdom's downfall.
Shen Xihe was the daughter of a different-surnamed prince. His Majesty could not tolerate the Northwest, so they were already in an adversarial relationship.
"You are mistaken." Shen Xihe corrected, "You and His Majesty are sworn enemies, not merely adversaries."
Adversaries clash over conflicting interests, but it may not necessarily be a fight to the death; sworn enemies, however, are irreconcilable.
"Adversary or sworn enemy, it's the same person." Li Yanyan didn't care about this distinction.
Shen Xihe smiled faintly: "You misunderstand my meaning. Between His Majesty and me, as long as His Majesty does not strike against the Northwest, I will not commit regicide. But you, no matter what, desire His Majesty's life. Our natures are fundamentally different; those who walk different paths cannot make plans together."
Shen Xihe held no ill will toward Li Yanyan, but of course, she felt no fondness either. Having never experienced the pain of a fallen kingdom like Li Yanyan, she refrained from judging her actions. However, she could not condone Li Yanyan's alliance with Xiao Changtai for revenge, even covering up his tomb-raiding and profiting from the dead. This went against basic human conscience.
Putting herself in others' shoes, if someone dug up the graves of her closest ancestors to achieve their goals, Shen Xihe would surely tear them to pieces!
"Heh." Li Yanyan chuckled softly, looking Shen Xihe up and down. "You remind me of someone."
Shen Xihe did not respond; she knew who Li Yanyan was referring to.
"The late Consort of Prince Xin, she was similarly foolish." Li Yanyan spoke of Gu Qingzhi with disdain. "If she had struck first, if she had taken precautions earlier, the Gu family might not have ended up in such a state. I always thought there were few people like her in this world..."
As she spoke, Li Yanyan gave Shen Xihe a strange look: "Are all noble ladies of your dynasty so self-righteously pedantic? His Majesty's intentions are clear as day, and you still wait passively for death?"
"As for the Consort of Prince Xin, she has passed, and I will not comment." Shen Xihe avoided discussing Gu Qingzhi. "As for me, it has nothing to do with the Third Prince's Consort."
Li Yanyan thought regicide too simple. The Northwest and the Youning Emperor indeed could not coexist, but Shen Xihe would not say this to Li Yanyan—they did not share that level of familiarity.
"Why not hear out my sincerity?" Li Yanyan scrutinized Shen Xihe.
Shen Xihe lightly tapped her fingertips on the teacup and laughed softly: "Sincerity? Is it that His Majesty wants the Third Prince to test the Eastern Palace?"
Li Yanyan's pupils abruptly contracted, staring incredulously at Shen Xihe, who wore a faint smile.
"His Majesty spared you, partly because your crimes did not warrant death. But now, His Majesty suspects the Crown Prince, and the Third Prince has always been the most detached from worldly strife. Using him to act would be most unexpected and catch them off guard." Shen Xihe's confident and composed smile seemed to cast a layer of serene radiance over her, making her appear sacred and inviolable. "With this incident involving Xiao Changtai, His Majesty already suspects the Crown Prince, and you and your husband are implicated. Using you and your husband is most fitting."
Collecting her emotions, Li Yanyan smiled appreciatively: "Zhaoning County Princess, truly worthy of being the one who made Yangling Princess die without a sound."Shen Xihe seemed not to comprehend Li Yanyan's words and continued, "Rather than saying you wish to form an alliance with us, it would be more accurate to say you do not want the Third Prince to be completely utilized by His Majesty. You have seen the true nature of the Eastern Palace and deeply understand that the Eastern Palace and His Majesty are destined to be incompatible.
Let me guess—you must have persuaded the Third Prince to agree by citing your future as a couple and the years of hardship His Majesty has imposed on you both. You want the Third Prince to become a double agent, ostensibly helping His Majesty spy on the Crown Prince.
In reality, he would be monitoring His Majesty for the Crown Prince."
Completely seen through by Shen Xihe, Li Yanyan abandoned all pretense: "Is that not a good arrangement?"
"No." Shen Xihe smiled faintly. "What you and the Third Prince can offer to me and the Crown Prince is something we can obtain without your assistance. Yet what you seek from us is something only we can provide.
Under such circumstances, what basis is there for an alliance?"
Shen Xihe would not agree to an alliance with Li Yanyan. The latter did not understand the rules of cooperation—had it been otherwise, how could Xiao Changtai have ended up in his current predicament?
She had no intention of repeating Xiao Changtai's mistakes someday.
"Are you demanding our surrender?" Surrender would mean submitting to their authority.
Shen Xihe slowly rose to her feet. "Third Princess Consort, neither I nor the Crown Prince lack followers. Nor do we fear gaining another enemy. Consider the fates of those who have opposed us—from the Kang Prince Manor, Changling Princess, Yangling Princess, and Minister Wang to your former allies. I advise you to reflect on this carefully."
After delivering this warning, Shen Xihe turned to leave.
Just as she reached the doorway, Li Yanyan abruptly stood up. "I sense that your refusal is not due to these lofty reasons. I want to hear the truth."
Shen Xihe, with one foot already across the threshold, paused but did not turn back. "The truth? The truth is, I also sense that you harbor hatred for the entire Xiao clan."
Before her words faded, Shen Xihe had vanished from Li Yanyan's sight.
Yet her words echoed in Li Yanyan's mind, stirring a palpable fear in her eyes.
Was Li Yanyan's collaboration with Xiao Changtai truly only to oppose His Majesty?
For now, yes. But if Xiao Changtai were to emerge victorious, her blade would swiftly turn against him. The hatred she bore for the destruction of her kingdom—aside from Xiao Changtian—likely drove her to desire the annihilation of the entire Xiao imperial clan.
Xiao Changtai's current predicament appeared on the surface to be due to Li Yanyan's foolishness. However, Shen Xihe leaned toward the belief that Li Yanyan had long intended to discard Xiao Changtai, who had been exiled to the imperial mausoleum and was slipping from her control. She deliberately facilitated this chaos to identify the most suitable ally to join forces with first.
First, ally to deal with the Youning Emperor, then infiltrate the ally's circle, thoroughly understand them, and ultimately strike back decisively...
"The temptation of an empress regnant." Shen Xihe chuckled softly as she boarded her carriage.
If Li Yanyan could bet on the right horse, bide her time within an alliance, and deliver the fatal blow at the final moment—leaving only Xiao Changtian—then with Xiao Changtian's infatuation with her, she could emulate the ancestral empress regnant by ruling behind the scenes. After Xiao Changtian's passing, she could seamlessly assume imperial power, becoming the second empress regnant of the dynasty.
In this way, she would truly overthrow the Xiao imperial clan and restore the Western Liang Li clan's imperial authority.
Unfortunately for her, she had crossed paths with Shen Xihe.The next day, Xiao Huayong once again broke his promise and sneaked into the Princess Manor. Shen Xihe laid bare Li Yanyan's intentions to Xiao Huayong.
Xiao Huayong propped his chin, gazing tenderly at Shen Xihe: "Youyou is the one truly suited to be an empress."
Shen Xihe, entirely unafraid of wounding his pride, spoke bluntly: "Too exhausting. I'd rather be the Empress Dowager."
Youyou's desire to become Empress Dowager stemmed not only from her wish to protect the Northwest but also, more importantly, from her longing to enjoy the leisurely days of retirement—hahahaha! I've an idea: once they marry and have a Crown Prince, let the Crown Prince ascend the throne at just five years old. That way, Chacha can abdicate early with Youyou and see if her heart aches over it.
(End of Chapter)
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