Upon the long table, plain white porcelain, smooth as jade, exuded an elegant and refined charm.
In the vase, several white lilies tilted slightly, their heads bowed low, dewdrops clinging to them, fresh and pleasing to the eye.
Just like Shen Xihe's gaze as she turned her head to look at him—utterly devoid of impurities, every emotion laid bare.
Whether in the past when she was wary of him or now when they could be considered open with each other, Shen Xihe had never disguised or concealed her feelings.
He could discern her thoughts at a glance and responded with a gentle, faint smile: "I did deliberately draw you into political affairs, but not as you imagine. I know your greatest concern is the fickleness of human hearts—that once I hold great power, I might turn against you or the Northwest Shen Shi. I thought if I shared everything in my possession with you, it might ease your mind."
In guiding Shen Xihe to learn more about court matters, Xiao Huayong had indeed made some preparations for a rainy day, so that if he were gone one day, she would not be left flustered. But more than that, it was as he had said: the best reassurance was to let Shen Xihe wield power.
As long as she held authority, she would naturally cease to worry and guard against him.
His words drifted like a light feather onto the lake of Shen Xihe's heart, stirring a faint, almost imperceptible ripple.
"Aren't you afraid that my ambition might grow and harm you?" Just as she could not be certain whether Xiao Huayong would one day be corrupted by power and interests, becoming unrecognizable, who could guarantee that she would not change as well?
This dynasty had once had an empress; throughout history, women who loved and monopolized power were countless.
"I trust you." Xiao Huayong's dark eyes shimmered with a soft, mist-like amusement. "You are not that kind of person."
Shen Xihe couldn't help but laugh, her laughter tinged with a bafflement at his naivety: "Beichen, many of the world's most treacherous and evil individuals once had beautiful, benevolent sides. Their transformation into something unrecognizable happened step by step.
At present, I may not be an evil person, but neither am I a virtuous one.
In the future, I do not know what I might encounter, whether I will remain unchanged or... become monstrous."
"As I once said, if you ever change, it will surely be my fault. To suffer the consequences for it would be my own doing." Xiao Huayong's eyes still sparkled with vitality.
Shen Xihe sighed softly inwardly. Gazing at Xiao Huayong, she found herself momentarily lost in thought. After an unknown length of time, she couldn't resist voicing the question hidden in her heart: "Am I truly that important to you?"
She truly could not comprehend what she had done to inspire such devotion in Xiao Huayong.
It is said that even heroes struggle to resist the charms of a beauty. Shen Xihe did not deny her own allure, but in her understanding, someone of Xiao Huayong's intellect and methods ought to be one who commands the world, overlooking vast landscapes; one who pursues grand ambitions and ascends to become The Supreme One.
She did not deny that Xiao Huayong was also human, capable of tender affections, but surely not to this extent.
She had finally spoken these words aloud. Xiao Huayong couldn't suppress a low chuckle from his chest as he sat down beside her: "I know how you see me, but you underestimate me."
"Underestimate?" Shen Xihe was puzzled."What you mentioned, while not entirely within effortless reach for me, can hardly be considered difficult matters." Xiao Huayong spoke with a placid tone, yet his words carried an overwhelming audacity. "I was born into wealth and power—if I desire authority, even Your Majesty would become a blade in my hand. Though not an emperor, with a mere turn of thought I can experience an emperor's power over life and death.
Compared to the imperial throne, longevity is perhaps harder to attain. Nor am I one to wallow in sentimental melancholy—I have exhausted every effort in seeking an antidote.
In this life, eight or nine out of ten things go against our wishes. This is likely the only disappointment in my existence. Having traveled thousands of miles across rivers and mountains over the years, I had grown quite detached toward life and death—until I met you."
Having grown indifferent to power, wealth, life, and death, how could he still harbor any obsessions?
He merely sought to live his remaining years in carefree joy.
"Then I met you. I cannot claim you are exceptionally remarkable, nor do I understand why you occupy my thoughts so persistently—why I yearn to be with you, to hold you close to my heart.
If you truly ask me what you have done to fascinate me so, where exactly your charm lies that has ensnared me so deeply, I would have no answer.
It all simply... follows my heart."
Since coming to terms with mortality, his life had been guided solely by heartfelt freedom.
Perhaps everyone has their exception—just as Daji was King Zhou's exception, Shen Xihe was his.
Had he not been afflicted with the Unique Poison since childhood, constantly embroiled in power struggles, and had he not witnessed so many vicissitudes of joy and sorrow, he might have become the man Shen Xihe imagined—one filled with youthful ambition and soaring aspirations.
Had he never met Shen Xihe, he might have been like ordinary men—following conventional steps, taking wives and concubines, leading a dull existence where romantic love was merely decorative, dispensable.
Shen Xihe still did not understand. She acknowledged that Xiao Huayong was no longer an ordinary presence in her heart—his importance rivaled that of her father and brothers. Yet it had not reached the point where she would abandon everything for him.
Xiao Huayong's devotion felt as though if anything befell her, he would follow her in death.
But she would not. Without Xiao Huayong, she would naturally grieve, would reminisce about their time together in the future—yet she would not die for him, nor would she collapse into despair and forget her own identity because of his loss.
She did not understand, and Xiao Huayong did not press her. Their current marital dynamic satisfied him deeply.
Every day since their marriage, he felt truly alive—no longer drifting through the mortal world as a detached observer, coldly watching others scramble for power, occasionally indulging in mischievous interference out of boredom, only to return to endless, snow-like loneliness.
The following day, the inner circle matriarchs of the four great northeastern families, led by the You clan of the Shiwei Commandery, came to pay their respects. Shen Xihe met the Third Miss You, who was rumored to be favored by His Majesty to be betrothed to the fierce Prince Xiao Changying.
Contrary to expectations, Third Miss You was not large-boned or robust-looking. Having grown up in such a region, she lacked the delicate petite charm of southern maidens, nor did she possess the gentle grace of noble ladies from the capital. She stood tall and slender, with a heroic air between her brows, dressed in a man's lapel robe, her movements crisp and efficient.
Seeing Third Miss You, Shen Xihe could not help but think of Bu Shulin.After the exchange of greetings and a few pleasantries, the younger sister of Lady You San appeared innocent and lively, with fair skin unlike Lady You San herself. She spoke with a charming naivety: "Your Highness the Crown Princess is different from what others say. Clearly, Your Highness is cultured and reasonable, gentle as water, like a spring breeze. Yet those people actually claim Your Highness is deeply cunning and ruthless..."
"Wu Niang!" Lady You San couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice.
By saying this, wasn't she telling Shen Xihe that they had deliberately inquired about Shen Xihe's character?
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