"What profound brotherly affection." Whether it was meant sarcastically or not, Shen Xihe offered this praise before rising and departing.
She didn't linger at the county office at all. After having her people reorganize, without even notifying Xiao Changyan and the others, she directly led her retinue back to Wendeng County.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Changyan said to Xiao Changgeng: "Why must you do this? It was never your fault to begin with."
From start to finish, Xiao Changgeng had been the victim in this matter. Now that he was taking all the blame upon himself, His Majesty would definitely not go easy on him.
Normally, being radical and reckless might be excusable, but this was during disaster relief operations. To still be thinking about monopolizing the credit for capturing the traitorous official while neglecting the suffering victims—when their primary mission was disaster relief—was putting the cart before the horse and constituted dereliction of duty. At worst, he could face demotion of nobility like the second prince.
"If I do get demoted, it doesn't matter. I can always earn it back eventually," Xiao Changgeng remained optimistic. "Fortunately, we didn't cause any major disaster. Even if His Majesty is angry, he won't punish too severely. And if His Majesty does decide on punishment, my injuries have fully healed—I can withstand eighty or a hundred strikes. But you, Eighth Brother..."
Xiao Changgeng left his sentence unfinished, but Xiao Changyan understood. His situation was different. If the roles were reversed, as the elder brother who hadn't personally lured Xiao Juesong, even using the same explanation would only invite contempt—using his younger brother as bait for personal glory, then concealing the fact that his brother had been missing for over a month. This would be far more serious than Xiao Changgeng's charge of glory-seeking.
For Xiao Changyan, the consequences would extend beyond mere demotion of nobility.
Both Xiao Changyan and Xiao Changgeng understood this clearly, as did Xiao Changfeng and Shen Xihe. That's why Shen Xihe had sarcastically remarked about their "brotherly affection." Xiao Changyan looked sincerely at Xiao Changgeng and extended his hand: "I accept this favor from you, little brother."
Xiao Changgeng also reached out, their palms meeting in a firm handclasp.
When Shen Xihe returned to her residence in Wendeng County, Biyu handed her a wax-sealed pellet. Shen Xihe cracked it open to find news of Xiao Changfeng leaving the capital, delivered by her informant placed near him. It was just a step too late—otherwise Xiao Changyan would have been dead. Still, she felt pleased that the message had reached her so quickly. Perhaps it simply wasn't Xiao Changyan's time to die.
"No need to rush. With Little Twelve by his side from now on, he's hardly a threat anymore." Xiao Huayong stood behind Shen Xihe, towering a full head taller than her, having clearly read the message contents.
"Heaven's will cannot be rushed." Shen Xihe had actually changed her mind about eliminating Xiao Changyan because she was wary of the person skilled in strange soul arts near him. Who would have thought the man's luck would hold?
However, after this incident, Xiao Changyan would likely trust Xiao Changgeng completely. The question remained whether they could use Xiao Changgeng to identify this practitioner of the Soul-seizing Art.
"When will you take me to see your eagle breeding ground?" Shen Xihe suddenly asked.
Xiao Huayong's gaze shifted from the letter Shen Xihe had thrown into the brazier, seeming to comprehend her meaning: "How many does Youyou want?"
She had finally realized her message delivery method was too slow and wanted to use his eagles. This also indicated she was gradually lowering her guard toward him—after all, using his eagles meant that if he wished, all her correspondence would pass through his hands, equivalent to having no secrets from him.This marked the beginning of letting down her guard and placing absolute trust in him. Xiao Huayong’s brows and eyes were suffused with a smile, the light in his pupils like starlight scattered across the earth, captivatingly beautiful.
"Go and pick out a few. Take as many as you like," Shen Xihe said, with a tone that suggested she was making an extravagant demand.
Xiao Huayong spread his arms and drew her into his embrace. "All that I have is yours. Take as much as you desire."
The corners of Shen Xihe’s lips lifted. "When shall we go?"
"Whenever Youyou wishes," Xiao Huayong replied, as if they could go at any time she pleased.
Recalling how, after their marriage, Xiao Huayong had promised to take her to the northwest and had truly fulfilled that promise, it seemed he had never deceived or broken his word to her. After careful consideration, Shen Xihe said, "Winter has arrived. I’ve heard it’s exceptionally cold there. Let’s wait until next year."
Winter was the most difficult season for Xiao Huayong. The capital was already cold enough, and the further north they went, the colder it would become. Shen Xihe was in no hurry either, as Xiao Huayong’s eagles were all well-trained and ready for use once selected. Knowing she was considering his well-being, Xiao Huayong felt warmth and sweetness fill his heart. Holding her close, he rested his chin on her shoulder. "Youyou treats me so well."
Amidst the couple’s tender affection, Shen Xihe did not delay in swiftly taking up her brush and reporting the events in detail to the Youning Emperor. It was worth mentioning that, to maintain their cover, Xiao Changyan and Xiao Changgeng specifically explained that they had detected traces of Xiao Juesong because they had been monitoring Yu Gong’s family.
When this memorial reached the Youning Emperor’s desk, he immediately summoned the Pingyao Marquis and threw the document directly in his face. There was no one the Youning Emperor despised more than Xiao Juesong.
In his youth, as the legitimate-born prince, he had been relentlessly oppressed by Xiao Juesong, the son of a seductive consort. After Xiao Juesong escaped, he became a lingering worry in the emperor’s heart. Now, to discover that his own trusted subordinate was connected to Xiao Juesong—how could he not be enraged?
"Your Majesty, I am wronged! I have had no dealings with that traitor!" the Pingyao Marquis swore vehemently.
"You may not have dealt with the traitor, but your younger brother did so in your stead!" the Youning Emperor roared.
The Pingyao Marquis fell to his knees with a thud. "Your Majesty, I failed in my oversight. I had no idea that after years away from the capital, he would dare to commit such an act. I beg for Your Majesty’s mercy."
At this point, he could no longer protect Yu Gong. If it had only been the Crown Princess accusing Yu Gong of colluding with Xiao Juesong, he might have pleaded innocence and exploited the discord between the emperor and the Crown Princess to maneuver. But now, the ones alleging Yu Gong’s collusion with Xiao Juesong were Xiao Changyan and Xiao Changgeng. How could he possibly claim that two imperial princes had conspired to frame his younger brother?
The Pingyao Marquis was still reeling from the situation. He even began to wonder whether this was not a scheme orchestrated by someone else, but rather his own brother, blinded by greed, had truly thrown his lot in with the traitor. How else could this be explained?
Could it be that the rival Jing Wang and the Crown Princess had joined forces? If they had conspired just to target his brother or him, it would mean the Yu family was being given far too much importance.
Yu Gong was executed on charges of colluding with a traitor, and the Pingyao Marquis was implicated as well. Although the Youning Emperor did not strip him of his official position, he revoked his marquis title. From then on, there would be no more Pingyao Marquis residence.
When the news reached Xiao Huayong and Shen Xihe, Shen Xihe was pleased. "His Majesty has lost another trusted confidant.""This is only the beginning." A meaningful smile flickered in Xiao Huayong's eyes.
With the Pingyao Marquis colluding with Xiao Juesong, His Majesty would suspect there was a second. And Xiao Juesong was a chess piece, with Xiao Huayong as the player. He could place it wherever he wished, confident he could gradually dismantle His Majesty's influence.
After My Flowers Bloom, a Hundred Flowers Wither will continue to be updated on the new novel website, with no ads on the site. Please bookmark and recommend the new site!
If you like After My Flowers Bloom, a Hundred Flowers Wither, please bookmark: () After My Flowers Bloom, a Hundred Flowers Wither updates the fastest.
OpenNovel