Chapter 489: If You Can't Act Well, Just Pretend to Faint
The peach blossoms were rich and fragrant, brilliant as the morning clouds and numerous as the stars. When the cool breeze passed, the red petals scattered and danced, dazzlingly radiant.
Yet none could compare to his smile at this moment, which captivated the heart and soul.
It seemed that Shen Xihe's words "As you wish" had deeply pleased Xiao Huayong. He was as happy as a child, leaning against her shoulder and even gently nuzzling her, but without any extra words.
In the past, Shen Xihe hadn't quite understood why Xiao Huayong was always happier than she was whenever he accommodated her. Only now did she realize that perhaps making someone you care about happy would unconsciously lift the corners of your own lips.
"How do you plan to get me to the northwest next month?" Shen Xihe felt that accomplishing this wouldn't be easy, as getting past His Majesty would be particularly difficult.
This time, Xiao Huayong answered honestly: "In a couple of days, Father-in-law will depart from the capital. I've discussed with him that I'll have someone disguised as Turks ambush him, allowing Father-in-law to disappear in the chaos. With my people providing support, I guarantee no one will be able to find him."
Shen Yueshan being ambushed by Turks and disappearing would be no small matter. The court would inevitably send people to search for him. If the search proved fruitless for an extended period, it could potentially affect the situation in the northwest.
"After Father-in-law has been missing for ten to fifteen days with no success in the court's search, Youyou can have a few dreams. With the connection between father and daughter, you can use this to request His Majesty's permission to go search for Father-in-law." Xiao Huayong smiled slightly. "I've already discussed with Father-in-law in advance for him to send a letter to Brother, so the northwest can prepare early. This is also a good opportunity to test the person Brother and Father-in-law suspect...
If His Majesty takes this chance to make a move, we might just reap unexpected rewards."
Since Shen Yueshan and Shen Yungan had long planned this, they would certainly make proper arrangements in the northwest. The attackers were Turks, so even if Shen Yueshan's intentional disappearance were exposed, they could use the suspicion of Turkish infiltrators in the northwest army as an excuse to cover it up. Even His Majesty would be powerless against this.
This plan was well-balanced, not only allowing Shen Xihe to achieve her wish but also potentially yielding unexpected gains if anyone acted rashly. Shen Xihe praised: "Your Highness's strategy is brilliant. I sincerely admire it."
"My Youyou needn't be so modest. It's just that you never really set your mind on returning to the northwest, otherwise how could you not have thought of a way?" They were the same kind of people - once determined to do something, they would always find a perfect method to achieve their goal while ensuring their own safety.
He always praised her. Sometimes even Shen Xihe herself wondered if it was a case of "love is blind." Regarding this point, she had no intention of arguing with him, knowing she was no match for him in debate. So she changed the subject: "Even if His Majesty lets me go, he won't allow you to accompany me."
Xiao Huayong was the Crown Prince, a position of great importance. With Jiachen Crown Prince still at large, the Youning Emperor had countless reasons to keep him detained. Although His Majesty's suspicion of him had diminished somewhat, it hadn't completely disappeared, and he certainly wouldn't let Xiao Huayong leave his sight.
"Who could stop me from leaving this palace?" Xiao Huayong chuckled lightly.
"No more using substitutes." Shen Xihe felt that the Youning Emperor had probably long been suspicious about this. If Xiao Huayong really pretended to collapse in bed again and found a substitute to take his place this time, the Youning Emperor would likely spare no effort to expose it.
"No substitutes." Xiao Huayong smiled, pursing his lips. "I can simply petition His Majesty several times. If His Majesty remains adamant in his refusal, I'll leave a letter and openly escape, using missing my wife as the reason. A Crown Prince who's willful and only cares about romantic feelings - wouldn't His Majesty be pleased with that?"A minor matter. Even if His Majesty was angered by his disobedience in secretly fleeing the palace, could he truly hold it against him? At most, he would only reprimand him verbally. As for imposing any slight punishment, it would depend on his mood. If he was in a good mood, he might let His Majesty vent his frustration. If not, he could simply roll his eyes and feign fainting.
How could he not make full use of the unique poison he endured on His Majesty’s behalf?
Shen Xihe listened to his well-reasoned explanation and couldn’t help but grow curious about the circumstances of his upbringing. What kind of environment had shaped him into such a person?
He could devise countless strategies, effortlessly employing both overt and covert schemes; he could also act utterly shameless, employing endless trivial tricks. At times, he even combined both approaches, making it impossible to predict what move he would make next.
His methods were ever-changing, leaving no trace.
“I know you prefer tranquility. Otherwise, I would have taken you to see all the magnificent landscapes I’ve traveled.” If only I had the chance.
Shen Xihe cherished peace and quiet. She disliked noise, had no longing for bustling prosperity, and felt no attachment to vast skies or boundless seas. She preferred to choose a quiet corner, living in serene calm, free from worries and troublesome people.
Shen Xihe smiled faintly but did not respond. The sky was vast enough for birds to fly freely, and the sea was wide enough for fish to leap—these were indeed not things she yearned for. Perhaps it was her frail health in childhood that had cultivated her aversion to the hardships of travel. Rather than journeying across the land with him, she actually preferred staying in the palace, waiting for him to return from court and discussing state affairs with him.
Xiao Huayong watched Shen Xihe as she lowered her head, her lips curving into a gentle smile. A sudden thought occurred to him: perhaps her dislike was due to limited opportunities. Having never experienced it, she assumed she didn’t enjoy it. He could try to see if she truly disliked it.
If she actually did enjoy it, he would much prefer taking her to the farthest corners of the world, to see different people, different events, and different scenery.
This plan, however, Xiao Huayong kept to himself.
Having agreed to travel to the northwest in May, Shen Xihe was in no hurry to deal with palace affairs. It seemed she had forgotten that, as Crown Princess, she could seize palace authority. Aside from paying her daily respects to the Empress Dowager, she scarcely left the Eastern Palace, remaining inseparable from the Crown Prince. Their newlywed life was as sweet as honey.
Noble Consort Rong had been waiting for Shen Xihe to make the first move. No matter what, palace authority would have to pass through Shen Xihe’s hands, making her acquisition of it somewhat unjustified and paving the way for Noble Consort Rong to reclaim it later. To her surprise, Shen Xihe, despite her youth, displayed remarkable patience.
What puzzled her even more was that the Empress Dowager had mentioned before the Crown Prince’s wedding her intention to let Shen Xihe manage palace authority. Yet after the wedding, the Empress Dowager seemed to have forgotten the matter entirely, leaving Noble Consort Rong in a dilemma.
If no one brought it up, and she voluntarily handed it over, she would be at a disadvantage, and the other consorts in the six palaces would likely mock her for rushing to curry favor with the Crown Princess. If she delayed handing it over, and Shen Xihe eventually demanded it, she would be seen as ignorant of propriety and clinging greedily to palace authority.
Shen Xihe paid no attention to Noble Consort Rong’s internal conflict. She and Xiao Huayong reluctantly bid farewell to Shen Yueshan.
A few more days passed peacefully. The Empress Dowager brought out some portraits of noble ladies to discuss the marriages of Prince Xin, Jing Wang, and Lie Wang. Shen Xihe repeatedly declined, and after several attempts, the Empress Dowager seemed to realize her reluctance to interfere and stopped asking.
One day, as soon as Shen Xihe left the Empress Dowager’s palace, Zhenzhu hurried over with urgent news: “My lady, Mo Yuan has sent word. The prince has been attacked and is missing.”Shen Xihe had been trained by Xiao Huayong several times. She immediately swayed, but Biyu swiftly caught and supported her, recalling Xiao Huayong's words: "If Youyou truly can't fake it well, just feign fainting."
Shen Xihe then collapsed into Biyu's embrace.
This month has ended, and next month will still be a busy one. I'll strive to maintain a monthly update of 150,000 to 180,000 characters.
By July, there will be more time, and then I'll have a massive update spree to make up for the missed chapters.
Farewell, May; hello, June.
(End of Chapter)
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