Chapter 539: A Glimmer of Hope Added
Shen Yungan's words were reasonable. Shen Xihe turned her head to look at him—his sunken eyes were shadowed with dark circles, his haggard face appearing sharply defined like a blade in the flickering candlelight. The once sheathed sword now revealed its keen edge.
As if sensing Shen Xihe's gaze, Shen Yungan looked back and managed a faint, reassuring smile for her.
Shen Xihe quickly lowered her head, her heart filled with self-reproach and guilt.
After the generals discussed, they decided to take turns keeping vigil for Shen Yueshan through the night. Geng Liangcheng volunteered for the first night, and no one contested him.
"Fetch another set of mourning clothes," Xiao Huayong instructed Tianyuan.
Tianyuan promptly complied, soon returning with mourning attire suitable for Xiao Huayong. He helped him change into it and draped him in coarse hemp cloth.
"Your Highness, this action is not in accordance with propriety," Xiao Changfeng hurriedly intervened upon seeing Xiao Huayong preparing to kneel beside Shen Xihe.
As the Crown Prince, even the Northwest King in life was his subject; in death, it was even more inappropriate for him to kneel, let alone wear mourning attire.
"At this moment, there is no Crown Prince, only the son-in-law of the Shen family," Xiao Huayong declared firmly as he knelt straight. "As a son-in-law, it is only natural to observe mourning for one's father-in-law."
Shen Yungan couldn't help but glance at Xiao Huayong. He didn't know how the Crown Prince had convinced Father, but ever since Father returned from the capital, he had consented to the marriage between the Crown Prince and Youyou. Father had repeatedly praised the Crown Prince's exceptional qualities in front of him.
If the Crown Prince truly remained devoted to Youyou, it would be the greatest fortune of her life.
Although Father couldn't be entirely certain of the depth of the Crown Prince's sincerity, his admiration for him was something Shen Yungan had never witnessed before. Now, that the Crown Prince had rushed to Youyou's side when she needed him most, setting aside his royal dignity to mourn Father simply as a son-in-law—this alone surpassed countless men in the world.
They knelt until late into the night. Feeling sorry for Shen Xihe, Shen Yungan urged, "Youyou, go rest for a while. Father wouldn't blame you."
Shen Xihe shook her head slightly and looked at Xiao Huayong. With Xiao Changfeng present, Xiao Huayong occasionally coughed a few times. Since both Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong were there, Xiao Changfeng dared not leave even if he wasn't keeping vigil; if anything happened to these two, he wouldn't be able to return to the capital.
Unable to dismiss Xiao Changfeng, Xiao Huayong endured with great difficulty. Even Shen Yungan urged him twice to rest, but Xiao Huayong persisted. Eventually, he could endure no longer and fainted, collapsing right into Shen Xihe's arms.
This immediately caused a commotion. Seizing the opportunity, Shen Yungan sent Shen Xihe away to tend to Xiao Huayong.
Xiao Huayong was carried to Shen Xihe's room. After she dismissed everyone, he opened his eyes—his silver-irised pupils gleaming with vitality, showing no trace of weakness.
Shen Xihe naturally knew he had been pretending. She sat silently beside him, aware that his feigned fainting was to give her a legitimate reason to stay and care for him. After all, as the Crown Prince, any mishap would be difficult to explain to the court. This way, she wouldn't have to endure the pretense and hardship outside.
"Why the troubled expression?" Xiao Huayong asked, drawing her close.
"I feel guilty, unsure how to face Brother in the future..." Shen Xihe had never deceived Shen Yungan in her life—this was the first time."This was Father-in-law's decision, so don't worry. Tomorrow, once the person sent by His Majesty enters the city, I will immediately abduct Brother so he won't have to keep vigil. I will also explain the whole situation to him." After that, Shen Yunnan only needed to operate in secret, contacting his trusted aides and keeping a close watch on Geng Liangcheng's every move.
Shen Xihe glanced at him but remained silent, unsure of what to say.
Her despondency affected Xiao Huayong, making it impossible for him to feel joyful. "Let me share some good news with you."
"What is it?" Shen Xihe asked.
"Doctor Qi mentioned that he once heard of a case similar to mine in the Western Regions, though it happened decades ago. He needs to investigate further in secret. If we can uncover the details of that incident, we might finally identify the poison in my system." Since Shen Xihe referred to Xie Yunhuai as Doctor Qi, Xiao Huayong followed her lead, addressing him the same way.
"Really?" Shen Xihe's eyes lit up. This was indeed good news. At the moment, nothing weighed on her mind more heavily than the poison in Xiao Huayong's body. If they failed to find an antidote within three to five years, his health would deteriorate beyond recovery.
Even though it wasn't an acute poison, its prolonged presence in his body had taken a toll. Despite the efforts of skilled physicians to protect him, the toxins continued to corrode Xiao Huayong's organs.
"Mm." Seeing her undisguised joy, the gloom in Xiao Huayong's brow vanished, and his heart felt as sweet as if he had tasted honey.
She didn't want him to die young, which meant she was willing to grow old with him.
So he didn't dare tell her that Xie Yunhuai had only heard a rumor about it, one tied to a secret from an ancient kingdom in the Western Regions. Moreover, that kingdom had vanished without a trace over twenty years ago, making the search as difficult as fishing a needle out of the ocean.
But at least there was a glimmer of hope, wasn't there?
Buoyed by the good news, Shen Xihe finally felt inclined to converse with Xiao Huayong. "You don't plan to ambush the envoy His Majesty dispatched on their way here?"
Shen Xihe had initially assumed that Xiao Huayong wouldn't allow the people brought by Pei Zhan to enter the Northwest King's city and would instead intercept them en route.
"With Father-in-law's passing, who do you think is the happiest, Youyou?" Xiao Huayong countered.
Shen Xihe's first thought was the Youning Emperor, but upon reflection, she realized it wasn't him. "The Turks."
Since Shen Yueshan made a name for himself on the battlefield at fifteen, he had been an insurmountable barrier for the Turks. Over more than thirty years, they had launched countless invasions, particularly during the years when the Youning Emperor was embroiled in conflicts with eunuchs, when their attacks were especially fierce.
Without Shen Yueshan, the Youning Emperor would never have secured his throne.
Now that Shen Yueshan was gone, the Turks were likely celebrating throughout their nation. They were probably already waiting for an opportunity to launch an attack, aiming to strike while the Northwest was demoralized by Shen Yueshan's loss and to avenge years of humiliation under his suppression.
"You want Pei Zhan to go to the battlefield," Shen Xihe instantly grasped Xiao Huayong's plan.
"His Majesty knows I've come to the Northwest. He sent Pei Zhan to keep an eye on me. If I make any suspicious moves and something happens to Pei Zhan, Jing Wang would fight me to the death, and His Majesty could simply watch from the sidelines." Although Xiao Huayong and Xiao Changyan were destined to clash, he had no intention of breaking ties so soon, nor would he play into the Emperor's hands.
The Emperor has his strategies, but I have my own methods to counter them.“Moreover, what I witnessed upon entering the city today…” Xiao Huayong voiced another concern, “The people of the northwest are grieving so deeply. Without a reasonable explanation, I fear their hearts may grow cold.”
Merely revealing Geng Liangcheng’s allegiance to Your Majesty, or presenting evidence—or even proof of his secret collusion with Jiachen Crown Prince—would not soothe the deceived hearts of the northwest populace. However, if Geng Liangcheng were exposed for conspiring with the Turks, the people would surely come to accept and even praise Shen Yueshan’s feigned death.
Good night, see you tomorrow.
(End of Chapter)
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