Chapter 472: She Excels at Manipulating Hearts
The aunt mentioned by Xiao Huayong was the sister of his nominal mother—the late empress—from the perspective of his identity as Crown Prince, and she was also the woman cherished in His Majesty’s heart.
“Over all these years, has no one ever tried to emulate her to win the Emperor’s favor?” Shen Xihe inquired.
“Yes, there have been,” Xiao Huayong nodded. “A resemblance in appearance might earn His Majesty a second glance, while a similarity in temperament could make him remember such a person.”
Yet no one had ever succeeded.
Shen Xihe lowered her long lashes. “Previous failures occurred because the one His Majesty yearned for was still alive. Now, that person is gone.”
“That is one reason,” Xiao Huayong’s eyes shifted, a faint smile playing on his lips. “The second reason is that Princess Yaoxi’s advantage does not lie in imitating others. A counterfeit will always remain a counterfeit, and even the deepest dream must eventually end. Her strength is that she lived under the same roof as that person for over a decade.”
There was no need to mimic that individual or become her substitute—a stand-in’s fate is never favorable. Princess Yaoxi only needed to share more anecdotes about that person’s life in Tubo, and it would be enough to captivate His Majesty, ensuring he frequently wished to remain by her side.
It had nothing to do with romantic feelings. As long as she remained authentic, His Majesty would protect her; as long as she was clever enough, she could always discern His Majesty’s every move.
Romantic love was never Princess Yaoxi’s goal. In her heart, Tubo’s stability and her younger brother’s throne outweighed everything else. Shen Xihe could see this clearly from their brief conversation the day before.
Shen Xihe thought it was a clever strategy and felt compelled to offer some guidance to Princess Yaoxi.
Naturally, Shen Xihe would not seek out Princess Yaoxi personally. His Majesty monitored every move of Princess Yaoxi. If Princess Yaoxi came to Shen Xihe, His Majesty would not suspect anything, assuming it was due to Princess Yaoxi’s determination to marry into the Eastern Palace and thus her persistence toward Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong. Conversely, if Shen Xihe approached her, it would appear suspicious in His Majesty’s eyes. Any slight change in Princess Yaoxi’s behavior would surely arouse His Majesty’s suspicions.
Two days later was Shen Yingluo’s coming-of-age ceremony. Neither Shen Yueshan nor Shen Yungan had received special permission to come to the capital. As the only family member of the Shen family who could attend, Shen Xihe naturally could not be absent.
She had declared that she would not allow anyone to bully Shen Yingluo—this was Shen Yingluo’s right as a daughter of the Shen family.
Following protocol, Shen Xihe prepared a generous gift. She only needed to make an appearance, as all arrangements were handled by the palace. The ceremony was exceptionally grand, not only because Shen Yingluo had a father commanding heavy troops and an elder sister about to enter the Eastern Palace, but also because she was a County Lord favored by His Majesty. Her ceremonial sponsor was Princess Pingling.
Shen Xihe also took advantage of this ceremony to meet Princess Yaoxi. Although she had not intended to draw attention by conversing with Princess Yaoxi, the latter proactively requested a meeting. After hearing the message from Princess Yaoxi’s maid, Shen Xihe decided to accept the invitation.
Though Shen Xihe had not lived in the Shen residence for long, she was still more familiar with it than Princess Yaoxi. Thus, she specified a location, sent Biyu to escort Princess Yaoxi there, and went ahead to wait. Princess Yaoxi arrived quickly.
“I agree to your proposal,” Princess Yaoxi said, “but you must tell me how I can earn His Majesty’s special regard.” After pondering for two days and consulting repeatedly with her trusted aides, she concluded that Shen Xihe’s suggestion was indeed the most beneficial for her.
Becoming His Majesty’s consort now would immediately intimidate the Xia Zha family and secure her brother’s throne, especially since her father’s situation could no longer be delayed.In the future, she would still be able to assess the situation. If Xiao Huayong and Shen Xihe remained the victors, she would naturally continue cooperating with them long-term. If Xiao Huayong and his wife showed signs of decline, as long as she held Your Majesty's secrets, she would have no shortage of new collaborators.
This truly placed her in an invincible position.
"You possess the greatest advantage..." Shen Xihe had never expected Princess Yaoxi to refuse her proposal, so she recounted the story of that peerless beauty to Princess Yaoxi.
"The Queen..." Princess Yaoxi was initially somewhat surprised upon hearing this, then suddenly understood. "So that's how it is..."
Actually, twenty years ago, Tubo had intended to attack the Celestial Dynasty. At that time, the Celestial Dynasty faced internal and external troubles, while Tubo had reached unprecedented prosperity. However, her father had suffered repeated defeats at the hands of Shen Yueshan, which made him wary.
Another reason was that her father had fallen in love with a woman from the Central Plains. Her own proficiency in Han culture was largely influenced by this woman. In fact, if the Queen had borne a son, neither she nor her younger brother might have ever been born.
Her father was utterly infatuated with this woman, following her every word. After meeting her, he showed no interest in other women. That woman was exceptionally intelligent—her wisdom made the entire palace aware of the king's obsession with her, yet no one felt jealousy. Instead, they all vied to curry her favor.
Her own mother was the most adept at pleasing this woman. To win her favor, her mother even sent her to be raised under the woman's care.
The woman treated her very well. It was because of her influence that her father showed her special favor. And it was due to her departure that her father's heart failed overnight, leaving him bedridden and now nearing the end of his life.
"Your Highness, do you know that on her deathbed, she asked me to burn a piece of parchment?" Princess Yaoxi's gaze grew distant as she stared into space, as if lost in long-buried memories. "I couldn't resist my curiosity and peeked at it—it was Tubo's military defense map."
That must have been her final intended gift for the Celestial Dynasty's Emperor. She could have easily sent it back to the Celestial Dynasty—her father never guarded against her. Yet on her last day, she still chose to burn it. She must have been moved by her father's selfless and genuine devotion.
Shen Xihe remained silent; she had no interest in others' romantic entanglements.
Princess Yaoxi quickly snapped back to reality and did not continue the topic: "Thank you, Your Highness, for advising me."
"Princess." Shen Xihe felt compelled to remind her once more. "There are limits to everything. No father wishes to marry a woman whose heart belongs to his son."
Shen Xihe had suggested that Princess Yaoxi publicly declare her feelings to satisfy a man's vanity and to ensure she achieved her goal without fail. As for whether Your Majesty would grow suspicious, there would be plenty of time to ease his concerns during their future daily interactions.
Xiao Huayong's advice would save them much trouble later. Once Your Majesty truly developed feelings, he would not probe too deeply. However, in the early stages, mistakes were more likely to occur. The proper measure would need to be gauged by Princess Yaoxi herself.
She needed to appear as though she had never considered marrying Your Majesty, wholeheartedly wishing to wed a prince instead. But she could not let Your Majesty believe she was hopelessly in love with a specific prince. Once Your Majesty formed that impression, he would never again consider Yaoxi.
Princess Yaoxi looked deeply at Shen Xihe. This young woman understood how to manipulate people's hearts all too well.
"Then I must ask for Your Highness' further assistance."She couldn't turn to seek other goals without facing any setbacks at all, as that would appear too deliberate.
(End of Chapter)
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