Chapter 529: I Am Youyou's Husband
In truth, a single form of address could reveal these people's stance toward the Northwest and the imperial court.
Shen Xihe returned a junior's salute: "I have heard the words of my uncles. I rushed here from the capital, guided by dreams to find Father. Father's condition was critical, yet he insisted on returning to the Northwest. He was rarely conscious during the journey, only saying that he was harmed by Jiachen Crown Prince's men, with no further details."
"Jiachen Crown Prince?" This outcome was both unexpected and yet made perfect sense.
If not for Shen Yueshan, the one sitting on the throne today would not be the current Your Majesty, but this Jiachen Crown Prince. His hatred for Shen Yueshan and desire for his life were completely reasonable.
"We should have eliminated him root and branch back then!" Meng Hu slammed his fist into his palm, his face full of regret.
The events of that year were too bizarre. Jiachen Crown Prince pretended to surrender while secretly ambushing Qian Wang, diverting everyone's attention and escaping from the palace, leading to the current Your Majesty's hasty ascension to the throne.
They all knew Jiachen Crown Prince would deeply resent the Prince, and had asked whether they should pursue and kill him, but the Prince said: "He hates Your Majesty more."
Yes, Your Majesty had taken Jiachen Crown Prince's throne, but the Prince's contributions were paramount to Your Majesty obtaining it.
They remained uneasy, but Shen Yueshan forbade them from investigating further.
Naturally, they didn't know that Jiachen Crown Prince was merely the scapegoat for Your Majesty's fratricidal seizure of the throne. Even back then, Shen Yueshan had detected Your Majesty's ruthlessness, which was partly why he hadn't dared to fully delegate authority over the Northwest all these years.
What they needed was to retreat to the Northwest, avoid involvement in other matters, and not draw Your Majesty's attention.
With eunuchs and noble families in the capital, Your Majesty couldn't possibly threaten the Northwest within ten years. They had to use this decade to firmly consolidate control over the Northwest, otherwise their fate would be dire.
The subsequent events involving Xiao Shi further confirmed Shen Yueshan's speculation - Your Majesty's thirst for power surpassed everything. Anyone who stood in his way would become a thorn in his side.
Over the years, Shen Yueshan's greatest regret was leaving the city that day. If he had stayed by Qian Wang's side, with Qian Wang's benevolence and righteousness, the Shen clan could have cleanly withdrawn long ago, without worrying that those left behind would be systematically eliminated one by one.
Fortunately, Qian Wang had left behind a bloodline. The Empress Dowager, with her foresight, likely recognizing her younger son's cruelty, had pushed Xiao Huayong into the Crown Prince's position to protect his life.
With his mind exceptionally clear, Shen Yueshan thought of Xiao Huayong and couldn't help but recall the young man he first met thirty years ago. Even after being exiled all the way, even dressed in tattered clothes like a beggar, with worn cloth shoes revealing two or three toes, he still stood straight-backed in the wind and snow, like a pine tree unaffected by frost. That kind of bearing wasn't something every royal family member possessed.
"Should we report this matter to Your Majesty?" After hearing Shen Xihe's words, Geng Liangcheng suddenly asked.
"This is our Northwest affair. Inform Your Majesty? Could Your Majesty immediately send people to search for that old traitor Xiao Juesong?" Meng Hu didn't even bother using an honorific title. "I heard that last year, that old traitor Xiao Juesong outsmarted Your Majesty himself, nearly causing him to perish in the rivers. Didn't Your Majesty still fail to capture him?"
"But the Prince's condition..." Geng Liangcheng said with deep concern."How many times has the Lord passed through the gates of hell? When has the King of Hell ever dared to claim him? The Lord will surely overcome this crisis as well!" Meng Hu declared stubbornly. Throughout his life, his greatest admiration had been for Shen Yueshan, who had raised him from a mocked army cook to a third-rank general, allowing him to live with dignity.
The others remained silent. Wei Ya, who often played the peacemaker among them, spoke up: "Though the Lord remains unconscious and his fate is uncertain, the estate still has the heir. Once the heir awakens, we should defer to his decisions."
Shen Xihe glanced at Wei Ya. Nearing fifty, Wei Ya was a renowned scholar-general, with kind eyebrows and gentle eyes, his smile warm. Meeting Shen Xihe's gaze, he smiled and said to her, "Do not worry, Princess. As long as the Lord and the heir are here, those in the capital will not dare disrespect you."
He was assuring Shen Xihe that even without Shen Yueshan, Shen Yungan remained. As long as Shen Yungan was present, with their support behind him, they and Shen Yungan would always be her backing, ensuring no one in the capital could bully her.
"Thank you, Uncle Wei." Shen Xihe bowed properly.
With Wei Ya's reassurance, the others quickly realized that their princess, whom they had cherished and raised with utmost care, now needed their comfort most.
"Princess, as long as I, Da Hu, live, I will protect you and the heir. Even if I fall, my son will carry on!"
"Rest assured, Princess. With us here, the Northwest will not fall into chaos, nor will we allow anyone to covet it."
"Princess…"
As Shen Xihe listened to the reassurances from her uncles, her gaze inadvertently swept past Geng Liangcheng. Geng Liangcheng remained remarkably composed, his expression no different from the others, as if he too would steadfastly support Shen Yungan.
Under such circumstances, for Geng Liangcheng to become the Northwest King, the only way would be for Shen Yungan to meet with misfortune, after which these men would push him forward. But this was exceedingly difficult. Shen Yungan stayed within the estate day and night—how could he be removed without exposing oneself? It seemed nearly impossible.
Everyone in the Northwest knew Shen Yungan was Shen Yueshan's successor. Shen Yungan had entered the military camp at eight, gradually rising from a child soldier to the universally acknowledged heir. He had achievements and capability; no one in the Northwest would harm him.
While some subordinates of the Northwest King's estate might be less vigilant, none were traitors. Bribing a servant was extremely challenging.
Shen Yungan himself was highly skilled in martial arts, and by his side was Mo Yao, whose skills were sublime, personally trained by experts sought out by Shen Yueshan.
Yet, without eliminating Shen Yungan, Geng Liangcheng could not ascend. Shen Yungan was young and vigorous; Geng Liangcheng could not outlast him. He had to seize this rare opportunity presented by Shen Yueshan's condition to remove both father and son at once.
After much deliberation, Geng Liangcheng felt only Sang Yin had the ability to assist him.
However, Sang Yin was utterly loyal to Shen Yueshan. Even threatening his entire family might not force him to yield, which gave Geng Liangcheng pause.
As Geng Liangcheng plotted to use Sang Yin, he was unaware that he had already fallen into Sang Yin's trap.
Before they had left the estate, Xiao Huayong had gone to Sang Manor to see Sang Yin. Sang Yin had forbidden any disturbances as he refused to give up, determined to review the medical texts once more—which conveniently allowed Xiao Huayong to approach unnoticed.
Xiao Huayong had not come alone; he brought Xie Yunhuai with him.
"Uncle Sang, I am Youyou's husband," Xiao Huayong introduced himself after subduing Sang Yin, then released him.Sang Yin swiftly retreated, warily eyeing the young man before him who exuded an air of noble elegance. He had never met the Crown Prince before, so he fixed him with a skeptical gaze.
Xiao Huayong retrieved the scented sachet from his waist. It was made by Shen Xihe, who had also gifted similar ones to her uncles in previous years, so Sang Yin could recognize it at a glance.
(End of Chapter)
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