Chapter 473: Spider Lily
If she persistently clung to Xiao Huayong, she would inevitably fall under the Emperor's notice, just as Shen Xihe had said, appearing infatuated with him.
"Your Highness, proceed with your plans. When the time comes, I will naturally do my part without hesitation." Playing the villain was a role she quite enjoyed.
Moreover, didn't Xiao Huayong always feel she didn't care enough about him? Then she would simply indulge him to make him happy.
"Your Highness, please inform the Crown Prince beforehand," Princess Yaoxi reminded.
If Xiao Huayong remained unaware, he might act against her before Shen Xihe even had a chance to intervene. She had no desire to follow in Munuha's footsteps. If she were to approach Xiao Huayong herself, he likely wouldn't cooperate in this charade. Only the person before her could succeed in this task.
Shen Xihe smiled gently. "Your Highness need not worry. I will advise the Crown Prince."
With matters settled, Princess Yaoxi—who shared no particular bond with Shen Xihe—rose and took her leave.
Shen Xihe waited a moment longer, allowing the princess to depart first before she herself stood and made her way to Nongwa Courtyard for a brief inspection. After leaving, she sought out a quiet garden to sit awhile. As the elder sister of the birthday celebrant, it wouldn't do for her to leave too early.
She sent Zhenzhu and Biyu to keep watch at the front, instructing them to notify her promptly should anything arise.
After sitting for approximately a quarter of an hour, she heard footsteps. Exchanging a glance with Moyu, she noted they came from a small courtyard separated by a moon gate. Just as she rose to investigate, she heard Shen Yingluo's voice: "Your Highness, I am well aware of your purpose in coming. You have no intention of marrying me, just as I have no wish to wed you. I will personally appeal to His Majesty to decline this marriage proposal."
Your Highness?
Shen Xihe was puzzled. From the sound of it, the Youning Emperor had acted as matchmaker for Shen Yingluo, intending to marry her off to some prince. He must have arranged for the suitor to visit before the coming-of-age ceremony, perhaps to allow the two to meet and assess each other.
"County Lord, this humble prince means no disrespect. It is merely that I have yet to establish myself and have no intention of marrying within the next two years." The voice was young, deep, and resonant—not belonging to any of the Youning Emperor's sons. Could it be Jing Wang, whom she had never met?
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than Shen Xihe dismissed it. Jing Wang couldn't have returned to the capital in secret; an imperial summons would be public and formal. Otherwise, leaking his whereabouts would be a grave offense.
If not Jing Wang, then it could only be Xun Wang, Xiao Changfeng.
The Youning Emperor actually wanted to marry Shen Yingluo to Xiao Changfeng!
"Your Highness need not concern yourself. As I've said, I have no intention of marrying you," Shen Yingluo replied with composed laughter. "Moreover, in this world of countless souls, each has their own aspirations and preferences. Your reluctance to wed me does not reflect any flaw in me; my unwillingness to marry you does not imply any deficiency in you. It is simply that you and I lack fate's connection. Thus, you need not burden yourself with guilt or trouble to find excuses to spare my pride."
Xiao Changfeng gazed at the graceful young maiden before him. They were actually quite familiar with each other, having studied in the same place once. Though nearly eight years her senior, he hadn't realized the once chubby, rosy-cheeked child had blossomed into this elegant young woman in the blink of an eye. He never imagined the Emperor would propose betrothing her to him.
He had never given much thought to his future princess consort. However, having recently lost his father—a fact unknown to outsiders—he could not disregard propriety. Observing three years of mourning was a son's fundamental duty.
Were it not for this, this charming, vibrant, and candid young maiden might have made an excellent wife."County Lord... if after two years..." Halfway through his words, Xiao Changfeng chuckled self-deprecatingly and shook his head, leaving the sentence unfinished.
Shen Yingluo didn't press to hear the rest. She properly curtsied to Xiao Changfeng before gracefully departing. As today's birthday celebrant, staying away from the banquet too long would be impolite.
Shen Xihe waited until Xiao Changfeng had also left before crossing through the moon gate and standing in the courtyard. She gazed at the tree laden with osmanthus blossoms above, their fragrance drifting through the air - subtle and elegant.
"Your Majesty holds quite genuine affection for her," Shen Xihe murmured, never having expected the Youning Emperor to arrange such a marriage for Shen Yingluo.
Aside from the imperial princes, Xiao Changfeng held the most noble status. Compared to the princes, his position was more stable. By marrying Xiao Changfeng, as long as he remained loyal to the Emperor, his princely title would remain secure regardless of whether the Emperor or Xiao Huayong emerged victorious.
After all, loyalty to the Emperor was expected - he maintained no factions or private alliances, serving as a pure minister.
Xiao Changfeng was also Shen Yingluo's cousin, and they had grown up together since childhood. If this match succeeded, they might well achieve marital harmony.
Marrying Xiao Changfeng involved no political considerations whatsoever - it was purely for Shen Yingluo's benefit.
I'm afraid even the Emperor's own daughters never received such thoughtful consideration.
When Shen Xihe emerged, she assumed Xiao Changfeng would have already departed, having waited a while. Yet she spotted him in the small courtyard with Yu Sangning, who was bandaging a cat while Xiao Changfeng stood awkwardly nearby.
A glint of amusement flashed in Shen Xihe's obsidian-dark eyes as she approached with Moyu. "What happened here?"
Yu Sangning flinched involuntarily at Shen Xihe's voice while tending to the cat.
A Shen residence maid standing nearby, recognizing Shen Xihe's authority as mistress of the household, quickly explained in hushed tones: "Second Miss Yu's civet cat ran off. I was helping her search when it suddenly leaped toward His Highness Xun Wang. His Highness likely mistook it for an assassin and injured the cat..."
"How remarkably convenient," Shen Xihe remarked with a meaningful smile.
Drawing closer, Shen Xihe detected the scent of spider lily on Xiao Changfeng. Spider lily was a medicinal herb from Maozhou in western Shu. When compounded into medicine, it could create powerful hallucinogens. Its fragrance was particularly attractive to cats.
With this scent clinging to him, any cat approaching would instinctively leap toward the wearer.
And this happened to be right before the moon gate. If the cat had charged through the gateway, Xiao Changfeng's martial training would have triggered an instinctive, forceful response. Seeing the civet cat lying weak and on the ground confirmed everything for Shen Xihe.
Now she understood what had eluded Biyu and the others - why Yu Sangning wasn't focusing on competing with Yu Sangzi for the position of Princess Consort Zhao, but instead currying favor with Shen Yingluo.
Yu Sangning must have learned that Shen Yingluo might marry Xiao Changfeng. Compared to Zhao Wang who already had an heir, Xun Wang - tall, handsome, unmarried, and guaranteed wealth and status regardless of who ascended the throne - was vastly superior to Xiao Changmin.
While the Emperor's sons would never marry a concubine-born daughter, among the imperial nephews... though her status remained lowly, if Xiao Changfeng insisted on marrying her, how could the Emperor forcibly prevent it?The most important point was that by becoming Xun Wang's consort, she would not become an enemy of Shen Xihe. Yu Sangning probably thought this way, which was why she changed her target.
Shen Xihe would not expose the spider incense because she would not reveal her own secrets to Xiao Changfeng. Yu Sangning was fortunate in this regard.
Today, I’d like to specifically address the updates. First, I sincerely apologize for the missed updates and broken promises earlier. Due to unforeseen circumstances later on, which were also my personal reasons, I failed to deliver as promised. I won’t make excessive excuses—what wasn’t done wasn’t done. I will find an opportunity to make up for the missed updates.
Secondly, this novel was launched at the end of February with less than 200,000 words, roughly counted as 200,000 words. Now, it stands at 950,000 words. From the end of February to now, it has been almost exactly three months, meaning I have updated 750,000 words in three months, averaging around 8,300 words per day.
I’m calculating these numbers not to boast about my diligence or to erase the fact that I missed updates, but to clarify my attitude—that I have been diligently updating this novel. I can accept criticism for missing updates and breaking promises, as these are facts, but I cannot accept accusations of being careless, unprofessional, or incompetent.
Lastly, I previously promised in a Q&A session that I would have a major update every month, regardless of its scale. This month, due to being too busy, I’ve scheduled it for the 29th, which will be a minor update of around 20,000 words.
I remember all my promises and will do my best to fulfill them. For those I haven’t managed well, I hope everyone can be a little more understanding.
(End of Chapter)
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