The noble ladies who had witnessed Shen Xihe prodding Hu Yingrao into the pond with a bamboo pole at Hibiscus Garden already knew she was ruthless.
But they never imagined Shen Xihe could still shatter their perceptions—such methods made their scalps tingle with dread.
Especially the young woman who had stood up moments earlier, unable to bear it, and accused Shen Xihe of going too far. She now sat back down, her face deathly pale from fright.
Even at the gentlemen’s banquet separated only by the Waterside Pavilion, the princes and noble sons were stunned, unable to regain their composure.
Xiao Changying leaned directly against the pavilion’s railing, a smirk playing on his lips as he stared intently in this direction, his eyes full of admiration, as if on the verge of applause.
Others glanced thoughtfully at Xiao Changying, while Qin Zijie shot him a cold look.
"Princess... you... are abusing private punishment..." Liang Danpu stammered, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she spoke through gritted teeth with resentment.
Though her words were defiant, Liang Danpu was inwardly terrified. She had prided herself on her cunning scheme.
She had deliberately come to provoke Li Yanyan, aiming to drive a wedge between the couple. The moment she entered, she spotted Shen Xihe.
Every incident involving Shen Xihe since her arrival in the capital had been shocking—she was a feared figure everyone avoided.
When the teacup was thrown, it was aimed at her feet. If Shen Xihe hadn’t been behind her, she wouldn’t have dodged; she might even have subtly stepped forward to let others witness Li Yanyan’s arrogance and intolerance, paving the way to eventually overthrow Li Yanyan.
But with Shen Xihe behind her, she couldn’t be sure if the fragments would harm Shen Xihe, yet she had to seize any possibility!
If Shen Xihe were injured, she could successfully turn her into a formidable enemy for Li Yanyan.
She never expected Shen Xihe to see through her deliberate actions! Nor did she anticipate Shen Xihe bypassing conventions to deal with her so directly.
"Princess Consort of Dai, a principal consort of a prince, had to slash her own face for disturbing me," Shen Xihe turned toward Yu Sangning, though her gaze drifted toward Liang Danpu behind her. "Shouldn’t you apologize for this? Since you lack manners, I will teach you. If you feel unjustly treated, you may go and accuse me—I await you at the Princess Manor."
With that, she raised her hand slightly, and Biyu released Liang Danpu.
"Biyu, personally escort Miss Liang back to her residence and recount everything that happened here, word for word, to the Liang family," Shen Xihe instructed calmly.
"Acknowledged," Biyu responded, supporting Liang Danpu as they walked out.
Shen Xihe stepped gracefully back to her seat, standing behind her desk. "I grew up in the northwest, where both men and women are straightforward. I dislike roundabout tactics and even more despise those who presume to treat me like a fool."
Everyone present felt a lingering fear, quietly grateful they hadn’t offended this dreaded figure.
By now, anyone with sense could see Liang Danpu’s intentions. Recently, it had been widely rumored that Consort Liang Zhaorong intended to assign Liang Danpu as a secondary consort to the Prince of Dai. The prince was already twenty-four, married for six years with no children, and his mother, Consort Liang, was growing desperate.
Liang Danpu’s admiration for the Prince of Dai was no secret. On an occasion like today, since Ye Wantang had invited the Princess Consort of Dai, it was unthinkable to also invite Liang Danpu.
Liang Danpu had come uninvited, but given her status, she must have used Consort Liang’s influence to gain entry. She should have simply congratulated Ye Wantang and left, yet she insisted on approaching the Princess Consort of Dai.Openly provoking the Princess Consort of Dai—who didn't know Li Yanyan's temper? It was expected that the Princess Consort of Dai would be furious. Yu Sangning seized the opportunity to feign pitifulness and drive a wedge between the Dai royal couple, but she even dared to try using Shen Xihe to deal with Li Yanyan.
Was she out of her mind? Even Ye Wantang, the Princess Consort of Ding, wouldn't dare do such a thing, yet she had the audacity!
Did she act so fearlessly because she thought herself clever enough that no one could touch her?
Did she truly believe she was the only intelligent person in the world?
Some still considered Shen Xihe ruthless, but that didn't stop them from thinking Liang Danpu deserved it!
Yu Sangning listened, her hands and feet turning cold, especially after Shen Xihe's faint, almost amused glance earlier.
Her intuition told her that Liang Danpu's public punishment by Shen Xihe today was partly due to her own earlier actions.
Shen Xihe must have seen through her attempt to use Yu Sangzi to curry favor at the palace gate, and when Liang Danpu tried the same tactic, it provoked Shen Xihe's anger.
This princess...
Thinking of Shen Xihe, Yu Sangning couldn't help but feel envious.
Xihe was the sun goddess, and she lived up to her name—radiant and supreme.
She was immensely grateful that today she had only sought to ingratiate herself with Shen Xihe, without any ill intent. Otherwise...
Shen Xihe was not only exceptionally intelligent but also acted with unbridled arrogance, never bothering with evidence.
Take Liang Danpu's case: Shen Xihe had no proof, and Liang Danpu stubbornly denied everything, yet Shen Xihe didn't take her life—only inflicted some superficial injuries.
Whether the Liang family acknowledged their fault or not was irrelevant; they wouldn't risk offending Shen Xihe and the Northwest King behind her over such minor wounds.
Having successfully made an example of Liang Danpu and intimidated everyone, Shen Xihe remained composed. After saying a few words, she admitted feeling tired and poured herself a cup of osmanthus drink, acting as if nothing had happened.
As the hostess, Ye Wantang quickly lightened the mood once the servants had cleaned up: "Today, you're all in for a treat. I've invited Bian Dajia to perform a dance for your enjoyment."
Just then, drumbeats echoed from the stone stage. Everyone turned to see Bian Xianyi, dressed in flowing red robes, dancing gracefully.
She leaped into the air, bent backward in flips, knelt on the ground, her toes skillfully tapping the drum plates, her body brushing against the drumheads. Her steps were light as flight, her spins like swirling snowflakes, her extensions like blossoms unfurling.
Bian Xianyi's dance was always breathtakingly beautiful, captivating all who watched.
"Merely average," Shen Xihe remarked as she joined the crowd at the railing to watch. At some point, Qin Zijie had stepped beside her.
Shen Xihe initially ignored Qin Zijie, but as the crowd pressed closer, the chaotic mix of fragrances assaulted her senses. Shen Xihe instinctively retreated, especially when a breeze carried the scents, overwhelming her acute sense of smell.
Just then, the faint scent of Duojialuo wafted past her nostrils. This time, she pinpointed it as emanating from Qin Zijie beside her. If it were only Duojialuo, Shen Xihe wouldn't have given it much thought.
But the primary fragrance on Qin Zijie was a lotus-blended spice—subtle, lingering, and elegantly refined.
Such a delicate and pleasant scent suited Qin Zijie's preferences perfectly, and it was unlikely to be blended with Duojialuo.
As Shen Xihe paused in thought, someone jostled her to get a better view of Bian Xianyi's dance. Shen Xihe's eyes flickered, and she leaned into Qin Zijie, her hand seemingly accidentally resting on Qin Zijie's chest.The soft sensation made Shen Xihe quickly break free from Qin Zijie's embrace.
It was a woman!
Shen Xihe's tentative little movements, which she thought were well concealed, were completely noticed by Qin Zijie. In a place no one could see, the corner of her lips lifted almost imperceptibly for a moment.
Silly girl, he had done thorough preparation.
OpenNovel