Xiao Changtai carried Ye Wantang away. Shen Xihe's and Xiao Changfeng's subordinates moved to stop him, but Shen Xihe commanded, "Let him go."
"Crown Princess, Xiao Changtai is a traitor who colluded with the enemy," Xiao Changfeng objected, unlike Shen Xihe's obedient subordinates.
Xiao Changtai continued walking without pause, as if deaf to Xiao Changfeng's words.
"Xun Wang, this is the Northwest. If you don't wish to become the next Pei Zhan, do not defy me," Shen Xihe warned sternly.
As soon as she spoke, Mo Yuan and others drew their blades with hostile intent toward Xiao Changfeng and his men.
"Let's talk this over, let's talk this over," Bu Shulin, who also counted among Xiao Changfeng's subordinates, stepped forward to mediate. Seemingly persuading Shen Xihe, she turned to Xiao Changfeng and said, "Commander, a wise man knows when to yield. Our orders are only to protect Her Highness the Crown Princess. We have no authority to interfere in other matters. Who is a rebel or traitor isn't for us to decide."
The accusation that Xiao Changtai colluded with the enemy lacked concrete evidence, as his actions among the Turks were witnessed only by Xiao Huayong and Geng Liangcheng. Their covert intelligence couldn't be substantiated.
Previously, when Xiao Changtai faked his death, His Majesty removed him from the clan registry but issued no warrant for a "dead man." Though Xiao Changfeng wanted to capture Xiao Changtai now, he had no legitimate grounds.
Moreover, the Protectorate Commander of Tingzhou showed such deference to Shen Xihe that with one word from her, Xiao Changfeng truly couldn't leave the Protectorate Headquarters.
Killing him would create complications and require difficult explanations for Shen Xihe. She refrained from lethal action only after weighing the pros and cons, but if pushed too far, she could fabricate charges and eliminate him without much consequence.
Xiao Changfeng could only watch helplessly as Xiao Changtai departed. After Xiao Changtai left, Shen Xihe kept Xiao Changfeng under surveillance, forbidding him from leaving the Protectorate Headquarters.
Shen Xihe went to check on Xiao Huayong. When she returned yesterday, she used a hidden passage. Even if Xiao Changfeng heard some commotion, he couldn't have seen her. Whether Xiao Huayong had ever left the Protectorate Headquarters was something Xiao Changfeng couldn't confirm at all.
"You let him go?" Xiao Huayong had received news before Shen Xihe arrived.
"He has nothing left to live for. Why deny him this last dignity?" Shen Xihe replied indifferently.
"You trust him that much?" Xiao Huayong expressed slight surprise.
Xiao Changtai was someone who would stop at nothing—a weed that springs up again after being burned.
"All these years, he never had another woman." Not even secretly. His feelings for Ye Wantang were genuine.
This was why Ye Wantang would rather die than sever ties with him—whether that was her fortune or misfortune, who could say?
"Based solely on that, you believe he isn't lying?" Xiao Huayong pondered thoughtfully.
"If he had used any other excuse, I wouldn't have trusted him. But at this point, he wouldn't exploit Ye Shi to escape." Seeing Xiao Huayong persistently digging deeper, Shen Xihe felt somewhat uncertain herself and smiled. "If he truly proves that despicable, I won't let him flee the Northwest."
Xiao Huayong found it amusing and somewhat gratifying that his casual questions had made Shen Xihe less confident—it showed she valued his judgment enough to take his doubts seriously. He dropped the subject and suppressed the amusement in his eyes. "If some people refuse to recognize goodwill, killing them is no great loss."Seeing his gloomy expression, Shen Xihe immediately understood he was referring to Xiao Changfeng. She shook her head, "It cannot be done cleanly."
Setting aside Xiao Changfeng's own capabilities, his subordinates had become elite after the incident at the Liangzhou courier station. He undoubtedly stationed people outside his residence, and most importantly, Bu Shulin was also one of Xiao Changfeng's subordinates. Even if they could eliminate Xiao Changfeng and all his men in one fell swoop, leaving Bu Shulin alone would put her in grave danger. If they executed Xiao Changfeng on fabricated charges and gave the Youning Emperor a perfunctory explanation, the Emperor would be unable to openly retaliate but could relentlessly persecute Bu Shulin using the pretext of her being the sole survivor.
Moreover, Bu Shulin was a woman who could not be imprisoned, as exposure would lead to unimaginable consequences.
This was precisely why Shen Xihe had repeatedly tolerated Xiao Changfeng.
Additionally, the commotion they had stirred up in the northwest was already significant. They could not afford further disturbances, lest they provoke the Emperor's wrath. After all, His Majesty wielded absolute power, and a direct confrontation would inevitably result in their defeat.
"I thought you had already resolved to kill him," Xiao Huayong frowned slightly.
According to Shen Xihe's character, if she hadn't deliberately sent Xiao Changfeng away but kept him at the Protectorate Headquarters—even with occasional restrictions on his movements—it was equivalent to exposing her actions to him. How could Xiao Changfeng not report everything to the Emperor?
Even without evidence, the Emperor would firmly believe Xiao Changfeng's words. Unless Shen Xihe intended for the Emperor to know all her dealings... His eyes sharpened as he abruptly sat up, locking his gaze on her, "Youyou, you—"
Being as intelligent as he was, he easily deduced why Shen Xihe would act this way: she was taking full responsibility for everything happening in the northwest upon herself and the Shen family!
"How could you do this? Have you never truly considered us as family?" Blinded by anger, Xiao Huayong poured out his hidden anxieties and insecurities in a fluster of bitterness.
Shen Xihe had expected Xiao Huayong to be displeased upon realizing her intentions, but she hadn't anticipated such an intense reaction. She was momentarily taken aback, "How could you think that way?"
"Why would I think that way?" Since the words had already escaped his heart, Xiao Huayong decided to lay everything bare, "You've shielded me completely while exposing yourself and Father-in-law entirely. You simply want the Emperor to direct all his hostility toward you and Father-in-law. To avoid implicating me, you'd rather make yourself the Emperor's thorn in the flesh, clearly revealing your tactics to him!"
Since they first met, whether as the disguised Xiao Huayong or the one she later uncovered, he had never raised his voice or spoken to her so harshly. Shen Xihe found herself unable to refute his logic, though his interpretation wasn't what she had intended.
She grasped his slightly trembling hand—agitated as he was—and gently stroked it, remaining silent.
Xiao Huayong wanted to shake off her hand but couldn't bring himself to. Her silent comfort twisted his heart with conflict; though furious, he found his anger dissipating, leaving him no choice but to maintain a stern expression.When his flushed face had somewhat subsided, Shen Xihe spoke softly, "I did this not out of gratitude toward you, nor because I fear implicating you, and certainly not because I don't consider you family as you suggested."
To demonstrate his resolve to stand with them, he had expended great effort this time to completely eradicate Your Majesty's influence in the northwest. Shen Xihe understood his grievances.
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