Chapter 467: Spreading Rumors to Her
"Princess, the King of Tibet is critically ill. Your younger brother is young and lacks ambition, leaving the Tibetan throne in peril. Your family must seek a marriage alliance with our dynasty to consolidate the throne and expel the Chief Minister," Xiao Huayong spoke calmly.
Princess Yaoxi's face paled slightly. Her father's condition had been kept extremely well-hidden—even the powerful Xiacha family, who held authority in Tibet, couldn't ascertain the true state of his health and dared not act rashly for the time being.
Earlier this year, when they came to discuss a marriage alliance, the matter wasn't openly addressed due to the unresolved mystery surrounding the Turkic prince's murder of a princess from the Celestial Dynasty. Her father couldn't show urgency, fearing the Xiacha family would grow suspicious. Moreover, his health had shown signs of improvement at the start of the year.
Who could have predicted that his condition would suddenly worsen recently, making it necessary to revisit the marriage alliance? If taking a princess as bride was unfeasible, then sending a princess to marry would suffice.
Rather than remaining in Tibet under the covetous eyes of the Xiacha family, she chose to shoulder her family's mission and come to the Celestial Dynasty. Besides, there was a man here she had fallen for. At that time, she didn't know Xiao Huayong's identity, only that he was undoubtedly wealthy or noble, possibly an influential figure in the capital. Since princes weren't permitted to casually visit other nations—lest it provoke conflict between the two countries—she had never dared to hope that Xiao Huayong might be a prince.
At the reception banquet, she saw Xiao Huayong seated above all the other princes, and her heart raced uncontrollably.
She felt that perhaps they were destined for each other.
While other princes might have to sacrifice something by marrying her, the Crown Prince was different—he was the heir. Yesterday, she inquired extensively about Xiao Huayong's deeds. Apart from those related to Shen Xihe, the more she learned, the more she couldn't restrain her heart.
"Tibet boasts strong soldiers and sturdy horses. Would it not be advantageous for Your Highness to marry me and bring me into the Eastern Palace, adding wings to a tiger?" Yaoxi didn't understand—don't all men desire beauty and power?
She considered herself a rare beauty. Marrying her was equivalent to gaining half of Tibet. Her younger brother obeyed her in all matters, and in the future, Tibet would undoubtedly pledge unwavering loyalty to the Celestial Dynasty.
The previous emperor was licentious and indifferent to state affairs, both domestically and externally. During his reign, the Anxi Four Regions were lost twice, only to be later recaptured by Shen Yueshan.
The Northwest Army, positioned between the Turks and Tibet, deters both regions. This was also why the Youning Emperor still dared not move against Shen Yueshan lightly, needing to covertly build the Invincible Army to quietly replace him, lest the nation fall into peril.
Back then, Tibet's strength forced the Youning Emperor to reluctantly part with his beloved, watching her enter a marriage alliance. This demonstrated its power. Even though there were now signs of internal political division, acting rashly might not lead to a decisive victory.
"A tiger is the king of the jungle. Its domain is the jungle—it has no need to aim too high and gaze at the skies. What use would it have for wings?" Xiao Huayong's expression remained cold. "Princess, if you peacefully await marriage, regardless of whom you wed, live your life well. Neither I nor His Majesty will trouble you or Tibet. His Majesty will certainly support your brother in securing the throne."
"If you entertain improper ambitions… I, who ensured the Turkic prince never returned, can also make a Tibetan princess vanish without a trace."
Yaoxi's face changed dramatically, and she stared at Xiao Huayong in terror.
She had indeed heard various accounts about the Turkic prince. Recalling that the Turkic prince had also claimed to have seen Xiao Huayong at the beginning of the year, she realized he must have known Xiao Huayong's true nature, just as she did, which was why Xiao Huayong had silenced him.To avoid inciting war between the two nations, Xiao Huayong had framed the Turkic prince as a fugitive murderer who killed a princess—a masterful stratagem. In truth, she had already vaguely guessed that the Turkic prince was likely dead, and Xiao Huayong was undoubtedly involved. That night, she had played along with his narrative, fearing he might turn against her.
Even though Xiao Huayong confirmed it, she couldn't help but feel her heart tighten.
Xiao Huayong didn't spare another glance at Princess Yaoxi. He stood and left the room, pausing under the eaves to instruct Tianyuan, "Escort the princess out of the Eastern Palace in fifteen minutes."
His voice wasn't lowered, and Princess Yaoxi, seated in the main hall, heard every word clearly. She didn't understand why Xiao Huayong wanted her to stay a while longer, but fear kept her from requesting to leave. She sat rigidly for the full fifteen minutes before being escorted out by Tianyuan.
"Your Highness, the princess has been sent away," Tianyuan reported upon his return.
Xiao Huayong gave a noncommittal grunt.
Tianyuan quickly added, "I've dispatched people to spread the news that the princess visited the Eastern Palace and stayed for fifteen minutes. The princess will surely hear of it."
"Meddlesome," Xiao Huayong glanced down at Tianyuan.
Tianyuan lowered his head. Wasn't it His Highness himself who wanted the news to reach the princess? Otherwise, why detain Princess Yaoxi for fifteen minutes?
He thought to himself, exasperated: Why does His Highness say one thing but mean another? Aren't women supposed to be the ones who are contradictory? Why is it that with His Highness and the princess, it's always His Highness being insincere?
Tianyuan couldn't figure it out, and neither could Shen Xihe. That very afternoon, she received news that Princess Yaoxi had visited the Eastern Palace and stayed for "a long time"—a detail amplified by palace gossip, which also claimed the princess and the Crown Prince had conversed pleasantly.
Shen Xihe took it in stride, continuing to focus on blending fragrances. Occasionally, she would prepare some fragrant spices and send them to the Living-Alone Pavilion. If they were well-received, she would give the recipe to Hongyu, who would then instruct the Fragrance Artisan to produce them in bulk.
"Princess, does this princess intend to marry the Crown Prince?"" While Shen Xihe remained unperturbed, Hongyu grew anxious.
Hongyu wholeheartedly supported Shen Xihe marrying the Crown Prince, believing them to be a perfect match. With the wedding date approaching, she worried about any complications.
"Even if she wants to marry him, the Crown Prince must be willing," Shen Xihe replied, grinding scented powder without looking up.
"What if she petitions for an imperial decree?" Hongyu fretted.
After all, she was a princess. If she didn't mind a lower status and sought to become a consort for the Crown Prince, His Majesty might not refuse. At most, her entry into the Eastern Palace could be delayed by half a year to save face for Shen Xihe.
Most importantly, Tubo (Tibet) and the Northwest were at war. The Tubo royal family had suffered several defeats at the hands of Shen Xihe's father. How could a Tubo princess and Shen Xihe coexist peacefully? Wouldn't His Majesty delight in such a situation?
"On a practical level, even you understand that she and I cannot coexist. Would the Crown Prince not know? Why would he allow such a situation to arise?" Shen Xihe sighed, glancing at her maids. They weren't foolish, so why couldn't they see this? "Even if His Majesty forced it, your Crown Prince has countless ways to avoid it. No one can make him do what he doesn't want."
On a personal level, Xiao Huayong had promised her a harmonious marriage. Though Shen Xihe didn't fully trust that this promise would last forever, she believed his character wouldn't change so quickly.
"Princess, you refer to him as 'your Crown Prince' again." How disheartening," Biyu complained discontentedly.Whenever they grew anxious on behalf of the Princess and the Crown Prince, the Princess would say this to make them realize their hearts had already leaned toward the Crown Prince. It was truly as unjust as snowfall in June—after all, they had always been on the Princess's side.
(End of Chapter)
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