The confessions were undoubtedly genuine. Under Shen Xihe's brutal torture, unless they were unfeeling death warriors, few could withstand the torment. From their origins and contacts to their usual methods of concealment and original backgrounds, every detail was laid bare.
Of course, they were unaware they served Your Majesty. Such matters would never be openly linked to the throne. These embellishments were added by Shen Xihe—evidence was unnecessary when the dead could not testify. The clues extracted from their confessions pointed unmistakably to the mastermind behind them.
"Crown Princess, do you realize this is a challenge to Imperial Authority?" Xiao Changfeng had not expected Shen Xihe to be so audacious. How dare she? How dare she hand him the severed heads and have him deliver them to Your Majesty?
"Challenge Imperial Authority?" Before Shen Xihe could respond, Xiao Huayong turned to her with a puzzled expression. "Youyou, what did you send to His Majesty?"
Feigning ignorance, Xiao Huayong extended his hand, allowing Tianyuan to support him as he moved toward the chest to investigate.
But Shen Xihe stepped forward first, closing the lid. "Merely a few severed heads, Your Highness. Do not look—they might frighten you."
"Severed heads?" Xiao Huayong paled slightly, his voice trembling with shock and urgency. "You... why would you send these to His Majesty? How could you..."
"Your Highness." Shen Xihe spoke softly, stepping closer to grasp his hand. Her tone was gentle as she explained, "These men claimed to have been dispatched under imperial orders to sow discord between the northwestern generals and my father. My father has always been loyal to the court, and His Majesty has praised him as a pillar of the state. These men must have been manipulated by someone attempting to disrupt the harmony between the court and the northwest.
Under severe interrogation, they confessed to baseless falsehoods. I intended to send them to the capital for His Majesty's judgment, but the northwest is far from the capital, and these men were already battered and bruised. If I sent their entire corpses, they would have decomposed beyond recognition by arrival, hindering His Majesty's investigation.
After careful consideration, I realized only their heads remained intact. I had them preserved with fragrant spices so His Majesty could examine them clearly and facilitate the investigation. I truly acted with the best intentions."
Xiao Changfeng stared in disbelief as Shen Xihe transformed before his eyes—now appearing gentle, humble, and dutifully wifely toward Xiao Huayong.
Xiao Huayong seemed to recover from his initial shock, calming down as he pondered the matter. "Presenting heads to His Majesty is still improper—it violates decorum and shows disrespect. Perhaps they should be sent to the Dali Temple for a thorough investigation and strict handling."
Xiao Changfeng's eyelids twitched. Sending them to the Dali Temple would escalate the matter! He wondered if Shen Xihe held additional evidence. Regardless, once the case reached the Dali Temple, an explanation would be demanded. The confessions would likely be reviewed by the Six Ministries and Three Departments, and even without concrete proof, conclusions would be drawn in people's minds. Your Majesty would inevitably lose face.
If the incident spread, regional military governors might grow suspicious. Should opportunists seize the moment to incite discord, who knew what further chaos might erupt?At this moment, Xiao Changfeng finally understood why Shen Xihe dared to be so audacious, even deliberately in front of Xiao Huayong—she wanted to use Xiao Huayong’s hand to escalate the matter.
“Your Highness is absolutely right. It was my lack of consideration,” Shen Xihe said with downcast eyes and a submissive tone. “Let us proceed as Your Highness suggests…”
“Crown Princess,” Xiao Changfeng interjected before she could finish, “this matter is of great importance. Perhaps it would be better for me to first report it to His Majesty and await his imperial judgment.”
Shen Xihe frowned with apparent concern. “That may not be appropriate. As the Crown Prince said, doing so would show disrespect to His Majesty. I acted hastily earlier because I knew there were vile individuals attempting to sow discord, so my judgment was flawed…” “Your Highness,” Xiao Changfeng had no desire to engage in Shen Xihe’s theatrics—her acting skills were truly masterful. He addressed Xiao Huayong directly, “This concerns the Northwest and the court. If we bypass His Majesty and report directly to the Dali Temple, it would overstep imperial authority.”
Xiao Huayong listened and nodded in agreement. “You are absolutely right. We shall follow your suggestion.”
“Your Highness…”
“Youyou, I believe Xun Wang’s proposal is more appropriate in this matter,” Xiao Huayong gently grasped Shen Xihe’s hand and persuaded her softly.
Shen Xihe cast a cool glance at Xiao Changfeng and forced a faint smile. “Since Your Highness deems it appropriate, then it must be so.”
Xiao Huayong wore an expression of helpless affection as he led Shen Xihe inward. “Regarding this matter, His Majesty and I will surely give you an explanation…”
As they reached the partitioned screen, Xiao Huayong glanced back at Xiao Changfeng, signaling for him to leave.
Xiao Changfeng swiftly ordered his men to carry the chest and strode away. The sound of Xiao Huayong coaxing Shen Xihe gradually faded into the distance.
“Satisfied?” After Xiao Changfeng departed, Shen Xihe opened the window and gazed in the direction he had vanished. Xiao Huayong stood behind her, chuckling softly.
“Satisfied,” Shen Xihe replied, a slight curve lifting the corners of her lips.
She had intended to deliver the severed head directly to the Youning Emperor, to infuriate him to the point of vomiting blood, to make him clearly aware that she was provoking him—yet he could do nothing about it!
By putting on an act with Xiao Huayong in front of Xiao Changfeng, she aimed to establish an image of Xiao Huayong as a Crown Prince who doted on his Crown Princess yet retained a shred of rationality, seemingly salvageable. After all, Xiao Changfeng was the Youning Emperor’s trusted aide. She wanted him to witness this portrayal and see if he and the Emperor would take the bait—whether they would attempt to “save” Xiao Huayong from her, the scheming enchantress. If they took the bait…
Shen Xihe turned to glance at Xiao Huayong, her smile laden with meaning. Then there would be quite a spectacle.
Understanding her thoughts, he lightly tapped the tip of her nose. “His Majesty is not so easily deceived. Even if he truly attempts to use me against you and Father-in-law, he will certainly remain wary of me.”
“Wary of you? Can His Majesty really guard against you?” Shen Xihe chuckled softly. “When it comes to cunning, who could possibly be a match for Your Highness?”
Especially after this journey to the Northwest, she had gained a profound appreciation for the intricacy and foresight in Xiao Huayong’s schemes.
“So, in Youyou’s heart, I am an invincible man,” Xiao Huayong remarked with great delight.
In contrast to the couple’s contentment, when the Youning Emperor received the severed head delivered by Xiao Changfeng—even though he had only read Xiao Changfeng’s report and not actually seen the head placed on his imperial desk—his face turned ashen with rage.I had initially thought a few remnants remained, but I never expected Shen Xihe to detect them so quickly, and even eradicate them completely, capturing them all in one sweep!
This only further confirmed that the earth-shattering upheaval in the Northwest had been meticulously planned by the father and his two sons for a long time. On one side were the heads sent by Shen Xihe, and on the other was the alliance treaty with the Turks delivered by Shen Yungan. Caught between these two blows, the Youning Emperor felt a dull pain throbbing in his skull.
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