“After My Blossoms Wither, All Flowers Shall Fall (New)” - Find the latest chapter!
Shen Xihe had no idea how far Xiao Huayong's thoughts had wandered. Clutching her cup, she felt too awkward to either set it down or use it properly, growing increasingly uncomfortable.
She had long noticed that as she spent more time with Xiao Huayong, she became less restrained and more casual. Initially, she thought marriage—having someone constantly by her side—would make her uneasy, but the opposite was true. She was gradually merging into his presence, even revealing her true nature bit by bit when with him, feeling so at ease that she could let her guard down anytime.
Xiao Huayong watched Shen Xihe with amusement. The slight shifts in her eyes clearly betrayed the struggle in her heart.
The room was utterly silent. Baisui and Duanming, who usually interrupted freely in the Eastern Palace, were absent. The sound of rain, which she seemed to have forgotten upon entering, now pattered noisily against the floor—urgent and chaotic, much like her current state of mind.
Forcing herself to calm down, Shen Xihe pretended not to have heard Xiao Huayong's remark. With what she thought was a natural expression, she set down the cup. "Prince Jing is quite shrewd. Previously, he was tied up with relief efforts and had no time to ponder much. To ensure our plan proceeds smoothly, we must keep Prince Jing occupied. Do you have any suggestions?"
Do you have any suggestions?
Hearing this stiff inquiry, Xiao Huayong nearly burst out laughing. It was only then he realized that his sharp-tongued wife could be so clumsy when changing the subject.
Clearly, she had already made up her mind, yet she insisted on asking him just to divert from the earlier matter.
"With the delivery of grain, cloth, and medicine, the heavy rain is also a hindrance. Someone needs to monitor it constantly. Why not assign this task to him? He’ll naturally have no time for anything else," Xiao Huayong replied seriously, suppressing a laugh.
Shen Xihe nodded. This aligned perfectly with her own thoughts. According to Xiao Huayong's plan, transporting these supplies to the county wasn’t the hardest part; the real challenge was ensuring they reached the city through the downpour without getting damp.
It was a meticulous job—requiring constant supervision in the heavy rain—guaranteeing that Xiao Changyan would have no time to think of anything else.
The city’s residents had endured two days of half-full meals, leaving many weak and relying on sleep to stave off hunger. The torrential rain had muddied the water, limiting what they could drink, so they couldn’t even fill their stomachs with water.
Just as despair set in, the authorities finally announced that grain had arrived. Leading the previously selected laborers, they rushed to the cliff outside the city, nearly at the county’s edge, where soldiers stood rigidly guard.
Deep stakes, driven into the softened ground by the relentless rain, were firmly rooted to an unknown depth. Xiao Changyan and Xiao Changqing, who had followed, watched with flickering curiosity, wondering how these stakes had been secured so firmly.
From the stakes hung slightly swaying iron cables. The fact that the cables were strung meant they connected to the opposite bank. Thick fog obscured the view, hiding the end, while below roared a raging river—its tumult like a trapped furious dragon, deterring anyone from approaching the edge.
"Where’s the grain? Where is it?"
"Where are we supposed to move the grain from?"
"Could this be a trick? The current is so fierce—if we’re pushed in, we might not even make a splash…"
The people murmured anxiously, their voices drowned by the rain and river’s roar, but their restlessness was plain to Shen Xihe and the others.Shen Xihe arrived by carriage, accompanying the convoy of grain-carrying carts that stretched in a long, winding line like a massive dragon.
"Crown Princess." Xiao Changqing and Xiao Changyan bowed simultaneously in greeting.
Shen Xihe returned the gesture and strode to the edge of the wooden stakes. She shot a glance at Mo Yuan, who followed closely behind. Mo Yuan stepped forward, his muscular arms gripping the outermost iron cable, shaking it vigorously. The powerful vibrations traveled to the opposite shore.
Hua Fuhai and Luling had long been waiting on the other side. Seeing the signal, they likewise grasped the second iron cable, exerting great force to shake it. The iron rings securing the cables to the wooden stakes clanged noisily.
Shen Xihe stepped back a few paces. "Ten men per lane. Two stationed at the front to receive, the remaining eight divided into two teams to carry the grain."
Though Xiao Changqing had guessed the plan upon seeing these iron cables and wooden stakes, he was still taken aback when Shen Xihe actually proceeded with it.
The two shores were far apart. Sliding across from the opposite side with extremely heavy grain—how could she not worry about the cables failing to bear the weight, snapping midway, and plunging into the river? If anything went wrong with these supplies, neither the court nor the common people would accept excuses. It would be no exaggeration to call it a capital offense.
Shen Xihe actually dared to do this!
Though these thoughts crossed his mind, Xiao Changqing did not hesitate. He followed Shen Xihe's instructions. After both sides exchanged another signal, the sound of sliding could soon be heard amid the clamor of rain and rushing river—even the sparks from friction were visible from afar.
Four iron rings slid along the two iron cables. Beneath the rings hung finely woven iron nets, spacious enough to hold oilcloth-wrapped bundles. As they slid close and collided with the wooden stakes, a dull thud echoed, but the stakes remained unmoved. The guards assigned by Mo Yuan—one per lane—released the spring-loaded buckles of the iron rings. They assisted two civilians in removing the bundles, lifting and passing them to those behind.
Four civilians who had been waiting eagerly slung the iron rings over their shoulders. Two moved forward while two stepped backward, working in harmony to load the bundles onto the carts.
"Once the grain is loaded onto the carts, remove the iron nets. The transportation task will be handed over to Prince Jing." Shen Xihe looked at Xiao Changyan.
Xiao Changyan was reluctant to take charge. The oilcloth bundles were tightly wrapped, and in the heavy rain, they couldn't be inspected. What if they weren't grain? Wouldn't the responsibility fall entirely on him?
He had no choice but to be wary of Shen Xihe.
As if seeing through Xiao Changyan's hesitation and suspicion, Shen Xihe let out a cold laugh. She drew a long blade from Mo Yuan's sword scabbard and, in front of Xiao Changyan, stabbed it into one of the oilcloth bundles. Instantly, white flour spilled out. She turned to Xiao Changyan and asked, "Does Prince Jing suspect that only this one bag contains grain?"
Xiao Changyan's face flushed red and pale in turns. His thoughts had been ruthlessly exposed by Shen Xihe. The civilians, upon seeing the grain, were only excited and didn't overthink it. But present were Xiao Changqing, the county magistrate, even the prefect of Dengzhou, and the commander-in-chief sent by His Majesty, ready for orders at any moment.
These were not people easily fooled.
"How could I deceive in such a critical matter? These grains and medicinal supplies are to be transported into the city under Your Highness's supervision. Your Highness can assign people to oversee them and have them opened publicly in the city to reassure the people. What is there to worry about?" Shen Xihe said gravely. "Or does Your Highness believe I would endanger an entire city's population to frame you? Your Highness's suspicion is truly baffling."The commoners who had been straightforwardly carrying grain now understood: Prince Jing was worried that this might be counterfeit grain arranged by the Crown Princess, and assigning him to escort it was merely a scheme to frame him.
Their gazes toward Xiao Changyan shifted noticeably. To facilitate your next reading, you can click the "Bookmark" below to record this session (Chapter 655: Continuing to Suppress Xiao Changyan). The bookmark will appear on your shelf when you next open it!
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