"You..." Xiao Huayong was momentarily stunned.
He knew that Shen Xihe's acquiescence to their wishes must have her own purpose, but he never expected her to wait until the status was formally established to make the Emperor lose face.
This differed from the Shu Fei incident. Shu Fei had never been officially recognized—the Emperor taking her in was one thing. But once An Zhengyi was personally bestowed by the Emperor to the Eastern Palace as a consort, if she were to climb the Dragon bed before the wedding, such an act would be shocking even among commoners, let alone the imperial family.
Her eyebrows slightly raised, her exquisitely beautiful face remained calm and unruffled, yet her deep, intense eyes revealed a fearsome ruthlessness: "I said I dislike back-and-forth skirmishes. Better to settle it once and for all."
After this incident, she believed the Emperor would learn his lesson. With urgent disaster relief needed, he still had the mind to trouble her. Even if this had been arranged before the disaster, it was enough to disgust Shen Xihe.
This was how she always operated. She never initiated conflicts, nor was she a moral crusader. For instance, she looked down upon Yu Sangning's methods and character, but as long as Yu Sangning didn't cross her, she wouldn't intervene—because at her core, she preferred to walk alone.
The injustices of the world, the good and evil of irrelevant people—none of it concerned her in the slightest.
Yet such a person was accustomed to dealing swift, fatal blows to enemies who came at her.
The cool breeze by the stream carried the fragrance of trees on both banks, lifting her hair. Her stunning face exuded an innate pride that fascinated Xiao Huayong endlessly.
Amidst green mountains and clear waters, she wore a moon-white ruqun dress, her blue-green shawl fluttering boldly in the wind as if blending into the landscape, mesmerizing Xiao Huayong.
"How will you proceed?" Scheming against the Emperor was no ordinary matter. The Emperor himself was vigilant, surrounded by Hidden Guards and Liu Sanzhi.
In earlier years when eunuchs held power, what kind of poison hadn't been attempted? For the Emperor to survive to this day, how easy could it be to plot against him? Moreover, to scheme against the Emperor without leaving any evidence made it even more difficult.
"If covert plots make the Emperor wary, then we'll use an open scheme." Shen Xihe's dark, obsidian-like eyes were profound and sparkling, tinged with hints of laughter that could captivate one's soul instantly.
Taking the visibly dazed Crown Prince's hand, Shen Xihe led him back: "Let's return. His Majesty is waiting for our reply."
Back before the Emperor, Xiao Huayong instantly sobered up. He remained the frail Crown Prince with an expression of humiliation and compromise. After staring at him for a long while, the Youning Emperor asked, "Are you truly willing to take the An clan as your consort?"
After a moment of silence, Xiao Huayong reluctantly bowed and said, "I defer to Your Majesty's decision."
He still couldn't bring himself to say "willing," but the Youning Emperor didn't expect him to. Given how things had unfolded, he couldn't demand that Xiao Huayong treat the An clan well. Everything would have to wait until the An clan entered the Eastern Palace and gained official status.
That very day, seemingly to give An Jingnan face, the Emperor indeed issued an edict bestowing An Zhengyi to Xiao Huayong as a consort, with the official ceremony to be held after returning to the palace.
When the news broke, Xiao Changying was the first to lose composure. Livid, he wanted to confront Xiao Huayong but was stopped by Xiao Changqing: "This matter was forced upon the Crown Prince by the Crown Princess. The one who should feel wronged is the Crown Prince!"My heart has long been devoted to Shen Xihe, and upon hearing this news, I couldn't help but view the Crown Prince as a fickle man.
Xiao Changying's breath hitched. He halted in his tracks, his entire body stiffening. After a long silence, he asked with confusion, "Brother, does she truly not care at all?"
How could there be such a woman in this world? For the sake of a half-sister she wasn't close to, she would force her own husband to take a concubine? This shouldn't be the way of someone as proud and aloof as Shen Xihe. She shouldn't allow herself to suffer losses, nor should she ever compromise!
"I don't know whether the Crown Princess cares or not. I only know that the An family has stirred up a hornet's nest this time." Xiao Changqing felt rather inclined to watch the drama unfold.
If Shen Xihe had retaliated forcefully right away, it might have only been a minor setback. But this time, her apparent compromise suggests things won't end peacefully. Just wait and see—this matter won't conclude without causing an uproar.
He just didn't know how Shen Xihe would proceed, and Xiao Changqing found himself somewhat looking forward to it.
Hearing his elder brother's tone, Xiao Changying realized that his brother was certain Shen Xihe was playing a strategic move. Only then did he fully calm down and abandon any intention of leaving.
Not only was Xiao Changying suspicious, but even the An father and daughter were perplexed. An Zhengyi had thoroughly investigated Shen Xihe's unyielding and proud nature. She had originally planned to use Shen Yingluo to advance her own scheme step by step, but she never expected Shen Xihe to compromise so easily for Shen Yingluo's sake. This didn't match the Shen Xihe she had anticipated.
"Father, we must keep a close watch on the Crown Princess. I have a feeling she won't let this go easily." An Zhengyi didn't believe for a moment that Shen Xihe was simply waiting for her to enter the Eastern Palace to torment her later.
"No need for us to watch. His Majesty will naturally keep an eye on her." An Jingnan reassured his daughter. "Just focus on preparing for your marriage."
An Zhengyi lowered her head. "Yes."
If she hadn't been schemed against by her legal mother, losing her ability to bear children and becoming completely useless, why would she have traveled all the way to the capital to become a pawn married to the short-lived Crown Prince Duanming?
She should have had a more glorious and bright future!
Those who had witnessed Shen Xihe's methods all believed there was something fishy about her casually agreeing to this marriage. Everyone was watching her closely, yet she seemed to have forgotten the matter entirely. She neither warmed up to nor cold-shouldered the An family. Days passed, and she carried on with her usual routines as if nothing had happened. Many, seeing no drama unfolding, stopped wasting effort watching Shen Xihe.
Meanwhile, Shu Fei seemed to have found an ally. After An Zhengyi's injuries stabilized, she often visited her.
One day, Shen Yingluo appeared to have heard some rumors and stormed over to Shu Fei's quarters in a rage. Both dismissed their maids, and though no one knew what was said, intense arguing could faintly be heard.
There were vague rumors outside that Shu Fei had helped An Zhengyi scheme against Shen Yingluo, leading to Shen Xihe's compromise.
"Sister said that after the incident at Xiangguo Temple, when you offered advice to His Majesty, and Rong Zhaoyi was framed afterward, although His Majesty didn't openly test you, given his shrewdness, he might have suspected you. This time, Sister is helping you completely clear any suspicion." Under the cover of Shu Fei's loud retorts, Shen Yingluo relayed Shen Xihe's message to Shu Fei and handed her a letter.
Shu Fei took it and called out loudly to the outside, "Someone! Escort the County Lord of Huaiyang out!"
The door was pushed open. Shen Yingluo's face was ashen as she glared coldly at the haughty Shu Fei for a moment. "This isn't over!"After speaking, before the eunuch could step forward to invite her, Shen Yingluo turned and left with a flick of her sleeve.
Having heard these rumors, Shen Xihe scattered a handful of fish food into the pond. Watching the fish swim over joyfully and compete for the food, she looked up at the bright sky and said, "Everything is ready except for the east wind."
Xiao Huayong opened his mouth to speak, but Baisui, having received the signal first, beat him to it: "Everything is ready except for the east wind—Youyou won’t escape my grasp even if she grows wings!"
Xiao Huayong: …
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