Chapter 477: To Each Their Own
"Are you suggesting that Princess Yaoxi brought herself to death's door just to frame you?" The Youning Emperor looked at Shen Xihe.
"Quite possibly." Shen Xihe's expression remained placid. "After all, the position of Crown Princess is worth staking one's life on, is it not? Though her condition appeared critical, she has since stabilized. A mere month of bedrest in exchange for entering the Eastern Palace—hardly a poor bargain."
"Cough, cough, cough..." Xiao Huayong suddenly broke into a fit of rapid coughing.
He was actually concealing his amusement. He had long heard how sharp-tongued Shen Xihe became when facing the Emperor, but witnessing it firsthand nearly made him laugh aloud.
The Youning Emperor glanced at him, then turned his gaze back to Shen Xihe standing composedly in the main hall. Her arguments were logical and well-founded, leaving little room for refutation. Though both parties held opposing claims, and any discerning person knew this couldn't possibly be Princess Yaoxi's self-inflicted injury ruse, without concrete evidence from the princess, no one could convict Shen Xihe.
"Let the matter rest until the princess awakens, then you may confront each other," declared the Youning Emperor.
Shen Xihe bowed in response. "As Your Majesty commands."
"Your Majesty... cough, cough... if there are no further instructions... this son shall escort the County Princess... out of the palace," Xiao Huayong interjected at the opportune moment.
His heart and eyes were wholly fixed on Shen Xihe. The Youning Emperor waved a hand to dismiss them.
"Why did you do this?" Xiao Huayong asked as they walked shoulder-to-shoulder through the wind and snow, holding an umbrella over Shen Xihe as they headed toward the palace gates.
Thick snow crunched beneath their feet, releasing puffs of white powder with each step. Though eunuchs cleaned the palace grounds daily, the slick, wet surfaces proved treacherous. Shen Xihe deliberately sought out the snowdrifts to walk through. Having grown up in the storm-prone northwest, she not only loved the sound of rain pattering on eaves but also the crunch of snow beneath her feet.
"Didn't Your Highness want everyone to know how much I care for you?" Shen Xihe continued walking without pause, her clear voice carrying on the wind.
After today, the entire capital would know of Zhaoning County Princess's determination to claim the Crown Prince. Anyone who dared covet His Highness would meet the same fate as Princess Yaoxi.
Xiao Huayong abruptly halted, momentarily stunned.
Shen Xihe didn't stop. A snowflake landed on her long lashes; she blinked gently, and the melted droplet vanished. The corners of her lips curved upward.
When the cold wind gusted, Xiao Huayong snapped out of his daze to find Shen Xihe already far ahead. He hurried after her with the umbrella, his quick steps making the swirling snow seem to dance more lightly.
Shen Xihe had hung Princess Yaoxi out in the freezing snow all night, nearly costing the princess her life. Court physicians even whispered that had someone not administered timely acupuncture, Princess Yaoxi would likely have perished—further implicating Shen Xihe.
But what did it matter if everyone knew? What did it matter if Princess Yaoxi insisted she witnessed Shen Xihe's guards stringing her up? Without additional evidence, with Shen Xihe adamantly claiming it was the princess's self-inflicted injury ruse, and with physicians unable to prove someone had previously stabilized the princess's condition—nothing could be done.
This ruthless yet impeccably executed move reminded the capital's young men and women, after a year of silence and inaction, to regard Shen Xihe with renewed awe and trepidation.
Zhaoning County Princess remained as ever—domineering and unyielding, fierce and decisive.Before long, rumors even began circulating that sympathized with the Crown Prince, suggesting that his gentle and frail nature would leave him completely powerless against Zhaoning County Princess in the future.
Both Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong dismissed these words with a light laugh.
Princess Yaoxi was bedridden for a full month before she could get up. After that, she became wary of Shen Xihe and no longer pestered the Crown Prince, instead shifting her attention to Prince Xin.
"Who?" Shen Xihe asked in surprise when she overheard Ziyu and Hongyu discussing it.
"It's Prince Xin. The princess has now set her sights on him," Ziyu replied.
Shen Xihe had actually expected Princess Yaoxi to resume her act with Xiao Changying, since he was closer to her age and unmarried.
In any case, whoever she targeted now was merely putting on a show for the Youning Emperor. From the day the Emperor left Shen Xihe waiting outside the Hall of Bright Governance in the cold wind due to Princess Yaoxi's complaint, it was clear the princess had already captured the Emperor's attention.
"Prince Xin is the most handsome, so of course I chose him," Princess Yaoxi explained when she deliberately sought out Shen Xihe for a chat during the Plum Blossom Appreciation Banquet hosted by Princess Ruyang.
Princess Ruyang had presided over Shen Xihe's coming-of-age ceremony, so Shen Xihe naturally wouldn't decline her invitation. However, Shen Xihe disliked socializing, and the noble ladies of the capital had come to understand her temperament. Not only these ladies but even the Emperor's own daughters kept a respectful distance from her.
Enjoying her solitude, Shen Xihe was contemplating asking Princess Ruyang for some plum blossoms before leaving—to use in fragrant spices, make into flower jam, or preserve with honey—when Princess Yaoxi approached her. Zhenzhu and the others immediately stood guard.
On the surface, the two were now supposed to be incompatible, so it wouldn't be appropriate for others to see them together.
Princess Yaoxi chattered away while Shen Xihe occasionally responded politely. When the topic came up, Shen Xihe casually asked the question merely to avoid making Princess Yaoxi feel ignored, but the princess answered with great seriousness.
"The most handsome?" Shen Xihe cast a skeptical glance.
Princess Yaoxi covered her mouth and laughed. "The Crown Prince always appears 'sickly.' Even if he possessed ten parts of peerless beauty, it would be diminished by five. I thought Prince Xin was the most handsome from the very first glance. If I hadn't initially found the Crown Prince too enigmatic, I would have gone for Prince Xin first."
"Each flower appeals to different eyes," Shen Xihe said indifferently.
Everyone has their own preferences. Even without personal bias, Shen Xihe believed Xiao Huayong's handsomeness was unmatched in their time.
"I'm just joking with you," Princess Yaoxi gradually softened her smile. "I'm actually going to great lengths for your sake. I've always felt that Consort Rong is no simple figure—she would never willingly relinquish her palace authority."
Noble Consort Rong had controlled the Imperial Harem for over a decade. From the initial co-management by four consorts to her sole authority now, maintaining power for more than ten years demonstrated her formidable skills.
"By clinging to her son now, when the Emperor allows me to stay in the palace later, she'll surely despise me," Princess Yaoxi said with a bright smile. "Then, when you marry into the Eastern Palace and try to seize her palace authority, she'll despise you too. Guess what? She might use me to deal with you by pitting us against each other."
The reason Princess Yaoxi and Shen Xihe were putting on this act was twofold: first, to avoid suspicion about her sudden distance from Xiao Huayong, and second, to pave the way for their future collaboration by making sure everyone believed they had fallen out and even held a grudge against each other.This convenience for future actions could also easily reveal each other's enemies, because those who opposed them would use one's hand to deal with the other, since their mutual animosity was widely known.
If Noble Consort Rong truly held a grudge against Shen Xihe for seizing authority, she would certainly fall into Yaoxi's trap.
(End of Chapter)
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