Within the palace, there were people from the Shen family, as well as those Xiao Huayong had entrusted to Shen Xihe.
Since her grand wedding, she had remained aloof from worldly conflicts. No matter how fervently palace rumors swirled about palace authority, she turned a deaf ear. This was because Xiao Huayong and her father had gone to great lengths to ensure she could return for her brother's wedding. She didn’t want anything to jeopardize this matter, so she had never intervened.
Today, she made a slight move merely to let others know she was not someone to be bullied, nor was she without allies in the palace, which was why she had exercised restraint all along.
When Noble Consort Rong learned that Shaoyao had taken her own life out of guilt upon entering the Palace Service Department, she fainted from rage.
This indicated that not only were there people loyal to Shen Xihe in her own palace, but also within the Palace Service Department.
Shen Xihe had done this deliberately—killing one to warn a hundred—to make it clear to Noble Consort Rong that she could target anyone she wished.
With the key witness dead and the action swift and decisive, even if everyone could see there was something amiss, what could they do about it?
Regarding the rumors about Shen Xihe, Noble Consort Rong, who held palace authority, had taken an overtly permissive stance. A deeper investigation might reveal that Fuqu Palace was not entirely innocent, though the matter was not significant enough to warrant it.
As the Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace, Shen Xihe had been subjected to widespread gossip throughout the palace. It was only natural for her to demand an explanation from Fuqu Palace. By merely disciplining one palace maid, she had also sought to settle the matter peacefully.
In this minor confrontation between the Eastern Palace and Fuqu Palace, Shen Xihe had clearly gained the upper hand.
The next day, Shen Xihe requested an audience with the Youning Emperor, who was accompanied by Shu Fei at the time.
"Your Majesty, I have been plagued by nightmares lately, dreaming of my father’s mournful voice calling out to me from a pitch-black place. I wish to go to Liangzhou personally to search for my father’s whereabouts," Shen Xihe pleaded. "I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission."
The Youning Emperor set down his imperial brush, straightened up, and looked at Shen Xihe. Xiao Huayong had applied makeup to her, making her appear particularly haggard and listless. "You and Qilang have been married for less than a month. As the Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace, how can you leave the palace and the capital so easily? I have already dispatched three search parties to look for the Northwest King. You and Qilang should remain in the palace and await news."
"Your Majesty, the military governors of Hexi, Longyou, and Shuofang have mobilized tens of thousands of local troops. Liangzhou is situated between the cracks of Tubo and the Turks, where military movements have long been frequent. This could potentially affect diplomatic relations among the three nations." Shen Xihe performed a deep bow. "I beg Your Majesty to allow me to go to Liangzhou. Since these dreams haunt me so frequently, I believe it is due to the bond between father and daughter. Finding my father sooner will also help pacify the regions."
The Youning Emperor remained silent, watching Shen Xihe without a word.
Shen Xihe maintained her formal bowing posture with utmost composure.
After a brief standoff, the Youning Emperor finally said, "Allow me to consider it."
Though she did not receive a definitive reply, Shen Xihe did not press aggressively. She withdrew silently: "I hope Your Majesty will grant my wish. I take my leave."
The Youning Emperor nodded, watching as Shen Xihe departed.
"Why doesn’t Your Majesty grant the Crown Princess her wish?" Shu Fei asked with a light laugh as soon as Shen Xihe had left.
The Youning Emperor turned to her. "You certainly hold no grudges."
"Your Majesty thinks I hold no grudges?" Shu Fei chuckled softly, her eyes shifting with a glint of unconcealed darkness. "No, Your Majesty. I am the pettiest of all. That day, hanging in the desolate wilderness, on the brink of death, the cold wind like knives, each cut piercing to the bone—it felt like being sliced to death. This 'favor,' I will never forget until I die."She completely revealed her petty and narrow-minded nature, with a fierce glint in her eyes—something the Youning Emperor had never witnessed before. In his presence, whether in the past or present, whether it was his women or others, everyone always presented their best side to him.
This was the first time someone had been so genuine, unconcerned about letting their ferocious appearance fall into his sight.
"The Crown Princess is somewhat domineering in temperament," the Youning Emperor remarked abruptly.
"The Crown Princess can be so assertive precisely because she relies on the Northwest King's powerful influence. If the Northwest King..." Shu Fei paused before continuing, "If the Northwest King has truly met with disaster this time, I privately feel delighted."
Hearing this, a faint smile touched the Youning Emperor's lips, though it carried a hint of complexity. "The matter is far from that simple."
Shu Fei tilted her head and looked at the Youning Emperor. Meeting her puzzled gaze, he naturally offered an explanation: "The Turkic royal court is embroiled in internal strife. At such a time, they would not provoke an external enemy. The ones who ambushed the Northwest King could not have been the Turks."
"The Northwest King has experienced countless battles; even thousands of troops could not subdue him. Yet he was successfully ambushed and remains missing. There must be something suspicious about this."
"Your Majesty means someone used the Turks' name to secretly harm the Northwest King?" Shu Fei's pink lips parted slightly. "Who would dare to be so bold?"At her rhetorical question, the Youning Emperor couldn't help but laugh cheerfully and shook his head gently." "That is not the key point. The key lies in the success of the ambush."
Shu Fei nodded in agreement. "Yes, this person must be a scourge. We must uncover them."
Her response left the Youning Emperor somewhat amused and exasperated, yet a trace of warmth flickered in his eyes. An emperor's side needs no fools, but neither should it harbor those too clever. The Youning Emperor added, "Under heaven, unless the Northwest King surrenders willingly, even I cannot easily capture him."
At first, Shu Fei seemed not to grasp his meaning. After pondering carefully for a moment, she blinked and finally had an epiphany, covering her lips with her slender fingertips. "Your Majesty, are you saying the Northwest King he..."
Either conspired with others to set up a scheme, or intentionally disappeared?
Is this why Your Majesty has delayed permitting the Crown Prince's men to leave the capital—fearing they have ulterior motives and plan to collaborate from within and without?
"Not entirely confused," the Youning Emperor said.
"They..." Shu Fei showed a bewildered expression.
What are they trying to do?
The Youning Emperor understood her unspoken words, his gaze profound as he looked ahead. "I do not know either."
These past few days, the Youning Emperor had also been pondering whether Shen Yueshan had truly disappeared or if it was a ruse. Though he firmly believed it was most likely fabricated, he could not entirely dismiss the slight possibility of it being real—after all, Shen Yueshan was growing old.
If he had truly disappeared, then the perpetrator could only be Xiao Juesong. His motive would be easy to guess: it was nothing more than to win over Shen Yueshan, not to kill him. For Xiao Juesong, Shen Yueshan was more valuable alive than dead—alive, he could serve as a check against the emperor himself.
If it were Xiao Juesong's doing, he would release Shen Yueshan within a few days. Hence, the emperor had been waiting for results these days. However, so much time had passed without any sign, making it unlikely to be Xiao Juesong's work.
That meant Shen Yueshan had chosen to disappear on his own. What was the reason? The most likely possibility was that the spies the emperor had painstakingly placed in the northwest had been discovered by Shen Yueshan, who wanted to use this opportunity to purge the northwestern army. Only this reason would allow Shen Yueshan, even if the truth of his fabricated disappearance were exposed, to avoid severe punishment from the emperor himself.Therefore, the Youning Emperor ordered the agents who had managed to infiltrate the Northwest Army to hold their positions.
"Your Majesty, if that is truly the case, then Your Majesty should grant the Crown Princess her wish," Shu Fei suddenly spoke with a beaming smile.
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