“When my flower blooms, all others wither (new)” Search for the latest chapter!
Shen Xihe had civet musk produced by Duanming in her possession, having collected a considerable amount each year. The Living-Alone Pavilion had also externally gathered some civet musk, using it as the main ingredient to blend into incense. By burning it in areas within the city where rodents gathered, as well as in severely affected villages, conducting searches, and instructing the common people on preventive measures, the plague was certain not to break out.
These fragrant spices were actually quite expensive, but Shen Xihe donated them free of charge in the name of the Eastern Palace, personally handing them over to the prefect. When the commandery governor arrived, the prefect would then delegate the tasks, distributing them level by level.
In any case, they had to wait until the rain stopped before implementation could begin. However, coincidentally, the heavy rain that had persisted for months weakened the day after the drainage was completed. Light rain continued for another three to five days before the rain finally ceased completely.
After the rain cleared and the sun emerged, the common people, who had not seen the blazing sun for a long time, flocked to the streets to bask in its warmth. Households with womenfolk spread out damp items to dry in the sun. On this very day, Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong set off from Dengzhou and departed.
Along the way, the common people lined the streets to bid them farewell, accompanying them from within the city all the way to the outskirts. It was only after Shen Xihe had the escorting guards stop them several times that the crowd was finally held back. Even after leaving Wendeng County, such enthusiasm did not diminish. Neighboring counties, though not as severely affected as Wendeng, had also been impacted. Shen Xihe took the initiative to distribute grain and supplies to them, just as in Rongcheng County, lifting the spirits of the people.
The broken and blocked roads had already been cleared. When they had arrived, they braved the rain, traversing mountains and ridges without even being able to ride their horses comfortably. On the return journey, however, the sun shone brightly all the way, the roads were smooth, and the carriage swayed gently without even rolling over a single pebble.
Upon returning to the capital, they headed straight for the imperial palace. It was already mid-November, and heavy snow was falling in the capital. Despite the bitter cold, Youning Emperor dispatched the clan elders, along with the Second Prince Xiao Changmin and the Third Prince Xiao Changtian, to welcome them at the city gate, while he personally greeted them at the palace gates.
Even though the capital's residents had long seen the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince, they still braved the winter chill to join in the excitement, craning their necks to watch. The scene was even livelier than the springtime parade of the top scholar.
The emperor bestowed the highest honor, and it did not seem like mere pretense. This was because, although Xiao Huayong and Shen Xihe had won widespread support from the people, they had also brought glory to the emperor at every turn. Youning Emperor was not a ruler who could not tolerate others. This was likely the happiest event for the emperor since Xiao Changtian’s tomb robbery scandal, bringing him even greater joy than repelling the Turks and signing a tribute treaty with them.
Had Xiao Huayong’s birthday not already passed during the return journey, Youning Emperor would likely have held a grand celebration for him once again.
Within the palace, the towering walls were covered in a layer of white snow. In December, Shen Xihe also celebrated her birthday, and the palace welcomed a joyous event: the marriage of the Third Princess, Princess Anling. She married into a family of distinguished merit. Princess Anling was already nineteen and would turn twenty in the coming year. If she did not marry soon, she would be considered an old maid.
With Princess Anling’s marriage, the wedding plans for the seventeen-year-old Princess Pingling were also put on the agenda. As Shen Xihe was in charge of the Imperial Harem, she inevitably had to pay attention to these matters. The dowry lists for the princesses were drafted by her.Princess Anling, recalling her past discord with Shen Xihe, anxiously came to apologize, fearing Shen Xihe might tamper with her dowry—superficially adhering to ancestral rules but actually filling it with impractical, useless items.
Now that she realized her fate could one day rest in Shen Xihe’s hands, Princess Anling regretted their previous conflicts.
Shen Xihe did not make things difficult for her or expose her anxieties. The friction between them was merely a matter of personal incompatibility; Princess Anling had never truly harmed her. As the mistress of the Imperial Harem, it was beneath her to dwell on such trivial matters.
Whether it was Princess Anling or Princess Pingling, Shen Xihe handled everything according to the rules.
After her marriage, Princess Anling seemed like a changed person. She often visited the palace to pay her respects, chatted with Shen Xihe, and shared gossip from noblewomen outside the court, clearly trying to curry favor. Shen Xihe neither rejected nor embraced these overtures.
Peaceful days slipped quietly by. As the year-end approached, Shen Xihe was swamped with work. The palace’s New Year banquets could not proceed without her involvement, leaving her no time to attend to Xiao Huayong. Finally, the Crown Prince could bear it no longer. He seized her and made up for lost time, then took charge of the harem’s trivial affairs himself.
After the New Year celebrations, Shen Xihe finally caught her breath. However, several royal weddings were scheduled this year: Xiao Changmin and Yu Sangning, Xiao Changfeng and Shen Yingluo, Xiao Changying’s marriage to a princess, and Princess Pingling’s wedding… Shen Xihe had to review all the arrangements.
“You shouldn’t be distracted by these trivial matters,” Xiao Huayong expressed his displeasure again, pressing his hand over Shen Xihe’s ledger.
“To you, these may seem insignificant, but to me, they are not,” Shen Xihe brushed his hand away. “Hidden within are the intricate connections between families. Some appear unrelated but are closely tied; others seem at odds but are secretly colluding…”
By unraveling these threads, she could extract the information she needed from what seemed like futile chores.
“I don’t want you to overexert yourself,” Xiao Huayong said, placing his hands on her shoulders and gently massaging them.
“How could this compare to reviewing memorials or handling state affairs? This is much lighter,” Shen Xihe did not feel tired.
If she couldn’t handle such matters with ease, how would she ever…
At this thought, Shen Xihe paused. It had been a long time since she’d entertained such ambitions. She tilted her head and looked up at Xiao Huayong. “Since you can’t bear to see me tired, why don’t you take over?”
With that, she closed the ledger, shoved it into Xiao Huayong’s hands, stood up, and pushed him into the chair. With a graceful turn, she settled onto the nearby chaise lounge, accepted a warm towel from Zhenzhu, wiped her hands, picked up a piece of noble consort cake, and began eating with relish. She raised an eyebrow and smiled teasingly at Xiao Huayong.
Xiao Huayong sighed helplessly, glancing between the ledger in his hands and Shen Xihe’s smug expression. Suddenly, he darted forward, biting off the half-eaten cake still in her hand—the other half still protruding from her lips—and lightly pecked her mouth.
Shen Xihe was stunned, not by Xiao Huayong’s action—she was long accustomed to his affection—but by the whirlwind speed of his approach. The cake in her mouth was now half gone, and her lips tingled with a lingering warmth."Hahahaha..." Xiao Huayong couldn't help but laugh aloud at her dazed expression, his mood so cheerful that he began working for her with renewed vigor.
Shen Xihe snapped out of her trance and shot him a glare, then picked up another piece of pastry and stuffed it into her mouth. She chewed vigorously while keeping her eyes fixed on Xiao Huayong, as if grinding his flesh between her teeth to vent her frustration.
Xiao Huayong occasionally turned his head to glance at her with a chuckle, causing her to turn away in a huff before he resumed his task with an amused smile. For your convenience in future readings, you can click the "Bookmark" button below to save your progress (Chapter 681: Return with Glory). The bookmark will appear on your bookshelf when you next open it!
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