Under such circumstances, it was only natural for Shen Xihe to feel unwilling and heartbroken if she continued to keep him at a distance.
Xiao Huayong turned his face away, gritting his teeth with a look of deep frustration.
Shen Xihe cupped his face with both hands, firmly turning him back to face her, their eyes meeting: "I only think this matter is of great importance. His Majesty clearly already suspects that you know about your origins. If Father and I don’t take charge of this entire scheme, why would you oppose His Majesty? You are the rightful Crown Prince, and His Majesty treats you with exceptional favor on the surface. We cannot let His Majesty become certain that you resent him. He is the Emperor, and there is no evidence of what happened back then. Even if there were evidence, after so many years, the court officials desire stability—how could they openly support you over past events?
We cannot confront His Majesty head-on. Father and I have long been thorns in his side. In the past, he dismissed me as a mere woman, not worth his attention. But after this incident, as long as Father and Brother hold the northwest firmly, just as I cannot easily eliminate Xun Wang now, even if I remain under His Majesty’s watchful eye every day, as long as he finds no fault with me, he cannot harm me."
"On the surface, perhaps not, but do you know how many underhanded methods he has…"
"It’s fine." Shen Xihe interrupted Xiao Huayong. "I am not someone easily bullied…" She paused, her obsidian-like eyes shimmering with a faint smile. "Besides, I have you by my side. I believe that even if I were trapped in a swamp, you could pull me out unscathed."
The Crown Prince, who had been feeling as though a stone were lodged in his chest, uncomfortable and filled with resentment, suddenly felt as if a cool breeze had swept through the scorching heat. His entire body relaxed, and he couldn’t help but break into a grin.
Standing far away, Zhenzhu, who had been shrinking her neck like a quail since the Crown Prince and Crown Princess began their argument, suddenly recalled the day the Crown Princess said she could placate the Crown Prince with just one sentence. Now, she truly believed it.
No matter how dire the situation I face, I trust you can keep me safe.
How could the Crown Prince possibly remain angry after that?
Wasn’t this a clear message to the Crown Prince that the Crown Princess acted with such confidence because she relied entirely on him?
Though he knew these words were meant to placate him, and though he was aware that deep down, she didn’t truly think this way—after all, such a formidable woman would never pin her hopes on a man’s protection. No matter when or where danger struck, she would always choose to save herself.
Yet, hearing her words, Xiao Huayong felt the gloom in his heart instantly dissipate, as if clouds had parted to reveal the moon. A radiant light enveloped him, making him glow with an involuntary brilliance.
He suddenly reached out and pulled her into his embrace: "Youyou, I… I truly have no way with you."
In this lifetime, he was destined to be utterly captivated by Shen Xihe. Especially now that she knew how to coax him, she had his heart firmly in her grasp. With just one sentence from her, he would willingly lay his heart bare for her.
Shen Xihe’s lips curved slightly as she returned his embrace, leaning her head gently against his shoulder.
This made Xiao Huayong’s heart melt into a puddle. So be it, as long as she was happy.
The Crown Prince had conceded just like that.On the other side, although Shen Xihe believed Xiao Changtai had already resolved to die, she still sent people to follow him—not covertly, but openly. This was not merely to collect his body later; without following him, how would they know where he intended to end it all?
Xiao Changtai brought Ye Wantang back to the small village where they had settled for over a year. Here, they had built a new home. That night, after lying down beside Ye Wantang, he never woke again—he had taken the same poison as her.
The followers who accompanied them discovered the couple’s embraced bodies the next morning. On the table in the room were several envelopes, all of which were delivered to Shen Xihe by her servants.
These contained intricate details of the complex relationships within the court that Xiao Changtai was aware of, as well as the hidden secrets of certain officials.
He had also concealed his wealth in two separate locations—Ye Wantang had revealed only half, while Xiao Changtai disclosed the other half. "A cunning rabbit has three burrows," Shen Xihe couldn’t help but remark. It was no accident that Xiao Changtai had managed to survive and lurk in the shadows for so long.
After obtaining these items, Shen Xihe fulfilled Xiao Changtai’s final wish by personally seeking out a master skilled in selecting burial sites to find an exceptionally auspicious resting place for the couple. She ordered them to be buried with full honors.
Around the same time, news of Pei Zhan’s death finally reached the Youning Emperor in the distant capital. Upon reading the report, the Emperor abruptly stood up, his vision darkening as he nearly collapsed. Fortunately, Liu Sanzhi reacted swiftly and caught him.
It took a while for the Emperor to recover. A sharp pain clogged his chest—the power he had painstakingly and silently cultivated in the Northwest over so many years had been completely wiped out in one stroke. In truth, the forces Pei Zhan took to ambush Xiao Huayong constituted only half of the Emperor’s arrangements. The Emperor had deemed it sufficient, reasoning that if such numbers couldn’t handle Xiao Juesong, there was no point in sacrificing more.
But he had not accounted for Shen Yueshan lying in wait. With a ruthless policy of "rather kill the innocent than spare the guilty," Shen Yueshan had annihilated the Emperor’s deeply concealed other half!
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Summon the—"
"No need!" The Emperor raised a hand to stop him.
Taking a cup of tea from a young eunuch, he drank a sip to catch his breath. Yet, the more he thought, the angrier he grew. In a burst of fury, he hurled the teacup to the ground, startling all the palace maids and eunuchs in the room into kneeling, not daring to make a sound.
The Northwest was finished—completely beyond his control now.
Pei Zhan was lost, and the Eighth Prince had to be recalled from Annan City.
"I... ultimately underestimated that father and his two sons," the Youning Emperor closed his eyes.
Ever since the incident involving Xiao Shi years ago, Shen Yueshan and his two sons had maintained a superficial lord-vassal relationship with the court. They neither stirred up trouble nor carelessly left evidence. Focused on stabilizing the court and enriching the national treasury, the Emperor had managed a tense peace.
Now, with the court firmly in his grasp, only the Northwest remained as a critical threat. This was Shen Yueshan’s warning to the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, could the Northwest King be colluding with the Jiachen Crown Prince...?" Liu Sanzhi cautiously reminded him. He had a growing suspicion that while the scheme appeared to be the work of Shen Yueshan and his sons—and indeed they profited the most—without Xiao Juesong playing a pivotal role, none of it would have unfolded so smoothly.
At the very least, the Emperor would not have dispatched men to intercept Xiao Juesong, and thus would not have exposed his entire hand.The Youning Emperor wearily pinched the bridge of his nose: "Shen Yueshan is a proud man. He would never join forces with Xiao Juesong."
The reason why the Youning Emperor could afford to deal with Shen Yueshan last—rather than first allying with Gu Zhao to subdue Shen Yueshan before turning against Gu Zhao—was twofold. First, with the Turks and Tibetans watching like tigers eyeing their prey, Shen Yueshan could not act recklessly. Second, Shen Yueshan's kindness to the emperor, his mother, and his brother was known throughout the land.
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