Blossoms of Power

"When My Flower Blooms, a Hundred Others Wither" - Check for the latest chapters!

Shen Xihe: ……

"You don't care about reputation either?" Shen Xihe lowered her gaze to look at him.

Xiao Huayong's meaning was clear—he wanted to maintain the "strong wife, weak husband" dynamic between them for a lifetime.

"Reputation?" Xiao Huayong chuckled softly. "When have I ever cared about such intangible things? What matters is that Youyou doesn't mind."

Although Shen Xihe would hold power openly in the future, his reputation would suffer, and she might not escape the label of a woman usurping authority.

Shen Xihe suddenly felt a tightness in her chest. "Why go to such lengths?"

"For our future peace." Xiao Huayong squeezed her hand. "If you hold power, no one would dare touch the Northwest. Even if you later have the Shen family step down and send others to take over, as long as you are here, anyone would serve the Northwest diligently.

If I were in power, their intentions would differ greatly. They might even harbor improper thoughts, trying to drive a wedge between us as husband and wife."

They were no ordinary couple. Behind the emperor and empress lay too many entanglements—things that would drive countless people to pursue their own interests relentlessly, using every means possible.

What Xiao Huayong could ensure was that amid these schemes and plots, he would remain steadfast in his trust of Shen Xihe. But he couldn't guarantee she would do the same for him. Even if she did, he didn't want others, seeing them as equals, to force Shen Xihe into a position where she had to choose between her family and her husband.

These concerns seemed distant now, but Xiao Huayong had to take them seriously. With their intelligence, they wouldn't be easily deceived, yet he didn't want such situations to arise—even if they couldn't be driven apart, it would still erode their marital bond.

Better to nip this possibility in the bud. The throne was taken by Shen Xihe from Your Majesty; he was merely a puppet elevated by his wife's family. With real power in the empress's hands, people's loyalties would naturally lean toward Shen Xihe.

Understanding his thoughts, the tightness in Shen Xihe's chest swelled, making her uncomfortable. "Do you know... what you're saying? Have you considered the consequences?"

"I am utterly clear-minded." Xiao Huayong's eyes were as gentle as a spring breeze, warm and soft. "Youyou, I know the greatest obstacle between us is the future."

The future was unpredictable, and hearts were easily changed. As a couple standing at the very center of power, Xiao Huayong, though pained, understood Shen Xihe's concerns. If their positions were reversed, he would feel the same.

"You dare not believe, but I want to believe." Xiao Huayong's dark eyes were firm and profound.

Let him be the one to trust wholeheartedly—to believe that no matter how much honor or power Shen Xihe attained, she would not be consumed or erased by it, becoming someone who would abandon him for the sake of authority.

A fleeting sting passed through Shen Xihe's eyes in that instant. Her heart trembled as she stared at Xiao Huayong, momentarily speechless. "You..."

"I am willing to be the puppet in your hands, controlled by you." Xiao Huayong enveloped her hand with his broad fingers, his tone carrying a solemn trust.

For a moment, Shen Xihe found herself at a loss for words. She parted her lips, but the thousand words on the tip of her tongue vanished without a trace."These are all my hopes and arrangements for our future. Youyou need not dwell on them deeply. When all I have promised is fulfilled in due time, it will not be too late to consider how to treat me then." Xiao Huayong had long mastered the art of winning Shen Xihe's heart. Seeing her distraught and hesitant, he employed a strategic retreat: "For these promises to be realized, we must stand firm until the end. Otherwise, all remains empty talk.

Given the current situation, where Youyou has confronted His Majesty to protect me, creating this standoff, we must proceed step by step."

To conceal Xiao Huayong, Shen Xihe had almost unreservedly opposed the Emperor, making her intentions and stance clear to all officials, imperial relatives, and princes. This situation was unlikely to change before matters were settled.

Xiao Huayong's words left even the rational Shen Xihe's mind blank. Had he spoken like this before their marriage, she would have listened casually, letting his words pass like wind through her ears.

But at some point, she had begun to trust his words. When he once spoke of the harmony between Pan and Yang, Shen Xihe could still dismiss it with a light laugh. Now, her intuition told her that Xiao Huayong spoke from the heart, and her understanding of him suggested he would indeed act as he promised. Yet her rationality still tugged at her, urging her to remain clear-headed.

Shen Xihe, whose heart was usually as calm as a still lake, grew restless because of Xiao Huayong's words. She could neither voice her trust nor dismiss his promises as she once would have—perhaps the most evident change in her feelings toward him.

She could only set aside her thoughts as Xiao Huayong suggested. They had a long life ahead, and these matters need not trouble her now.

The Emperor had granted An Zhengyi poisoned wine. Shen Xihe sent Zhenzhu with Liu Sanzhi to witness An Zhengyi drink it personally. Zhenzhu checked his pulse, and his body was returned to An Jingnan. An Jingnan, demoted and claiming he had no face to remain in the temporary palace, departed.

With the position of Protector-General of Anbei vacant, many began maneuvering eagerly. Others watched the Eastern Palace's reaction, but Shen Xihe paid them no mind, allowing them to compete.

For reasons unknown, the Youning Emperor did not immediately appoint a new protector-general, focusing entirely on the disaster in Dengzhou. The Mid-Autumn Festival passed hastily.

On the twentieth day of the eighth month, the Imperial Observatory predicted rain in Dengzhou—a date a few days off from what Shen Yueshan had conveyed to her. Both Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong were closely monitoring news from Dengzhou.

"If there is no rain in Dengzhou today, I fear civil unrest may erupt," Xiao Huayong whispered near Shen Xihe's ear.

Whether Dengzhou would see rain remained uncertain, but the temporary palace was sure to be drenched. Thick, dark clouds loomed overhead, and the oppressive daylight unsettled many, even weighing on the Emperor's mood.

"Why would there be civil unrest?" Shen Xihe seldom concerned herself with court affairs, let alone regional matters.

"The Sixth Prince has long spread word in Dengzhou that rain would fall today. Many commoners sought confirmation from the authorities. Although the Eighth Prince did not explicitly state it, he did not refute it either. The Imperial Observatory's prediction of rain in Dengzhou today has also spread widely there." Xiao Huayong gazed at the dark, storm-laden sky, his eyes shadowed like the dense clouds, making his thoughts inscrutable.

"What is he doing? Does he know someone skilled in reading the heavens, predicting that the rain will not come today?" Otherwise, why would he bother with such a futile effort?Xiao Huayong gently shook his head: "The study of celestial phenomena is profoundly mysterious, and to this day no one can make absolute predictions. The Imperial Observatory has made mistakes in previous years as well. He is merely spreading rumors—if the Imperial Observatory's predictions prove accurate, it does him no harm; if they prove erroneous..."

Both Your Majesty and Prince Jing Xiao Changyan would suffer the consequences.

The common people have endured hardships for half a year, clinging to this single thread of hope for this day. If that thread were to snap...

"Youyou, perhaps we should postpone the matter of releasing palace maids," Xiao Huayong worried that the expert acquainted with the Shen family might commit an error.

His Majesty is currently seeking an opportunity to take action against Shen Xihe.