After being escorted out of the princely manor, aside from the wounds she had inflicted upon herself, many witnessed Lady Geng being returned to the Geng residence with a radiant complexion.
Although Geng Liangcheng had committed treason by colluding with the enemy and was already dead, the final verdict had not yet been issued, and his estate had not been confiscated.
Upon returning home, Lady Geng was consumed with anxiety, her mind haunted by Shen Xihe's words: "Since you miss him so dearly, why not go and keep him company?" The statement was uttered so calmly, yet it sent chills down her spine, dripping with murderous intent.
She waited until nightfall before stealthily leaving the Geng residence and heading to an abandoned temple, where she left her token. Shortly after, she returned home.
Moyu, who had been tailing her all along, also returned to the princely manor to report to Shen Xihe.
"Did you get close? Did you notice anyone?" Shen Xihe asked.
"I did not approach, but I deduced she must have gone to that place. I neither detected anyone in the vicinity nor left anyone to keep watch," Moyu replied.
Shen Xihe nodded in satisfaction. "Go rest now. You need not stand duty tonight."
By neither approaching nor leaving guards, they could lull the wary into lowering their guard. Without alarming the snake, it would be easier to catch it.
After everyone had withdrawn, Shen Xihe remained standing by the window, lost in thought as she gazed at the moon. Suddenly, Xiao Huayong swept her up into his arms from behind. "The night is fleeting, Youyou. You should have thoughts only for me."
All of Shen Xihe's contemplations were interrupted by Xiao Huayong. She looked at him, her dark eyes profound, much like his unwavering posture, as if something were about to break free. In matters of intimacy between husband and wife, Xiao Huayong was deeply indulgent, reveling in every pleasure. Though Shen Xihe also experienced these joys, she still found them embarrassing, yet she could never refuse this man who was particularly dominant and forceful in the bedchamber.
Her icy silks fell away, revealing jade-like skin;
Peaks rose proudly, tinged with the richness of crimson peaches.
Brocade and bamboo mats cast overlapping shadows,
Plucking flowers and toying with the moon, the clouds dispersed.
The next morning, while adorning herself, Shen Xihe noticed the allure in her brows and the passion in the corners of her eyes. Startled by her reflection in the mirror, she slammed it face down.
Xiao Huayong sauntered over, picked up her Rouge and Powder and eyebrow pencil, and proceeded to apply her makeup.
Shen Xihe glared at him, but he only smiled more triumphantly. However, under his skilled hands, the springtime glow between her brows was finally concealed, sparing him further dagger-like glances from her.
The person connected to Lady Geng was extremely cautious and made no contact for several days. It was only after Shen Yueshan and others had deliberated and finalized Geng Liangcheng's crimes, leading to the seizure of the Geng residence, that the contact finally appeared. Lady Geng, unwilling to seek a divorce, had been drifting without a fixed abode for days. Despite his extreme caution, the man ultimately fell into Shen Xihe's hands.
"Reveal your accomplices, and I will grant you a swift death," Shen Xihe said calmly, seated in the dimly lit room.
The bound man hung his head in silence. Drugged and utterly weakened, he couldn't even commit suicide, though speaking was still possible. Yet he refused to utter a word.
Shen Xihe waited a moment before nodding to Moyu. Moyu used tongs to hold a red-hot copper kettle, suspending it before the man. Zhenzhu seized his arm and flung his limp hand onto the scalding surface.
"Ah—!" The searing, burning pain elicited a sharp scream even from this trained individual.Before he could finish screaming, Zhenzhu gripped his arm and gave another tug, leaving a layer of flesh stuck to the copper pot. Beside it stood a basin of saltwater, into which his arm was swiftly plunged again.
"Ahhhhh—" The pain, searing into his very bones, made his head spin. He desperately wished to faint, but Sui Axi stood nearby, ready with a silver needle to ensure he remained conscious.
Zhenzhu pulled his hand out and immediately applied healing medicine.
"I possess the cruelest tortures and the finest physicians, capable of making you endure endless suffering without death..." Shen Xihe's voice was soft and steady, clear and crisp like the chime of ice striking jade, so pleasing to the ear that one might overlook the sinister nature of her words.
Despite the torture, the man still gritted his chattering teeth, refusing to talk.
Seeing this, Shen Xihe felt a grudging admiration for the people trained by the Youning Emperor. "Interrogate him thoroughly, but be careful. Keep him alive until he talks."
That night, the man, tortured until he was covered in wounds without a single patch of intact skin, could no longer endure and confessed everything he knew, begging only for a swift death. Of course, Shen Xihe did not grant him immediate release. Instead, she followed his testimony to arrest all those he had named, only then ending his life with a single blade stroke. The others were also tortured, and after confirming there was nothing left to confess, this group of over ten people was executed. Shen Xihe ordered Moyu to sever their heads and applied her precious fragrant spices—these were burial spices, which could preserve the corpses from decay. However, with only the heads remaining, they naturally wouldn't last as long as a complete corpse sealed in a coffin.
But it was more than enough to deliver to the capital, lest the bodies rot and His Majesty fail to recognize them.
"Youyou, did you seek me out for no reason?" Xiao Huayong had been waiting, waiting for Shen Xihe to assign him a task.
In all the world, only he could deliver the heads silently to His Majesty's presence.
Shen Xihe's gaze shifted from her book, glanced at the expectant Xiao Huayong, and then returned the book to its original position, blocking their line of sight. "Such a trivial matter does not require Your Highness's attention."
"You have a way?" Xiao Huayong raised an eyebrow, somewhat intrigued.
Shen Xihe smiled faintly without answering. Xiao Huayong waited a moment, growing restless. He had no interest in others' affairs, but when it came to matters related to Shen Xihe, his curiosity was piqued, and his enthusiasm knew no bounds.
Just as he was about to ask, Zhenzhu's voice came from outside the door: "Crown Princess, Xun Wang has arrived."
Xiao Huayong had no choice but to sit to the side, resting one arm on the table and slumping his shoulders, feigning a frail appearance.
Xiao Changfeng entered, paid his respects, and then asked, "Crown Princess, you summoned me. May I ask what instructions you have?"
"I have a gift to present to His Majesty, and only Your Highness can deliver it to him. Thus, I must trouble you," Shen Xihe set down her book, her gaze falling on the large chest in front of her.
Xiao Changfeng followed her gaze. "Might I ask what it is?"
"Your Highness may take a look," Shen Xihe's lips curved upward.
Xiao Changfeng opened the chest to find several small, square boxes inside. He lifted the lid of one and immediately paled, stepping back involuntarily.
Xiao Huayong, who was farther away, couldn't see at all. Under Shen Xihe's gaze, he had no choice but to feign curiosity. "What is it?"
Xiao Changfeng whirled around, staring intently at Shen Xihe. "Crown Princess, what is the meaning of this?""I have returned the person sent by Your Majesty back to Your Majesty. By the way, here is a confession. I do not believe these people's wild accusations, so I went to great lengths to preserve their appearances for Your Majesty to identify. This will allow Your Majesty to see clearly which despicable individuals dare to slander the Emperor and sow discord between the court and the Northwest." Shen Xihe signaled Zhenzhu to hand the confession to Xiao Changfeng.
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