The camphor trees formed a lush canopy, with the warm sunlight weaving through like sheer veils.
The sky was vast, the earth expansive, and Mirror Lake lay unrippled.
In recent days, all had been calm. Shen Xihe had been staying secluded in the Eastern Palace, venturing nowhere except for her regular visits to pay respects to the Youning Emperor and the Empress Dowager.
Not long after Bu Shulin's grand wedding came the day of Princess Pingling's marriage. However, since her birth mother, Noble Consort Rong, was in charge of the arrangements, and considering that Shen Xihe had reclaimed the power of the Imperial Harem from Noble Consort Rong—an event that had caused quite a stir and torn all pretense of cordiality—Shen Xihe voluntarily stepped back to avoid suspicion. She left everything to Noble Consort Rong, who, having only this one daughter, naturally refrained from causing any trouble that might mar the wedding. Shen Xihe merely dispatched attendants to supervise from the sidelines.
Her days of nurturing the pregnancy were exceptionally leisurely. Zhenzhu and Biyu took on the bulk of the palace affairs. After more than half a year of guidance since last year, they had become adept at handling these duties with ease. Shen Xihe spent most of her time with Xiao Huayong.
They tended to flowers and plants together, brewed tea and painted, played the qin in harmony, engaged in chess and heartfelt conversations, and talked about their unborn child...
Life was immensely blissful. Yet, the news of the Prince of Shunan's passing had not yet reached the capital, and Shen Xihe couldn't help but worry, "Has something gone awry?""
"His Majesty also has informants in Shunan," Xiao Huayong explained. "The Prince of Shunan likely did not want the Emperor to learn of his impending demise first, hence the delay."
The Prince of Shunan was far from being bedridden and beyond medical help; otherwise, it would have been impossible to conceal. However, his time was indeed limited—he probably had only three to five months left, but he chose to forgo even that. He couldn't afford to wait.
If he had waited until he was bedridden to notify Bu Shulin, it would have inevitably been detected by the Emperor's spies. The Emperor would have intercepted the message and detained Bu Shulin. As long as the news of the Prince of Shunan's death did not reach the capital, Bu Shulin would have no grounds to request a return to Shunan.
The Prince was making arrangements. After everything was settled, before anyone could suspect anything amiss, he used an opportunity to present the obituary document to the Hall of Diligent Governance, catching the Emperor off guard and forcing him to release Bu Shulin.
"The Prince of Shunan... such a devoted father," Shen Xihe sighed softly, her eyes suddenly dimming. "It reminds me of Mother..."
Tao Shi could have been saved back then, but she knew deeply that if she hadn't died because of Xiao Shi, Xiao Shi would inevitably have secured the position of a secondary wife, and Shen Yungan might have ended up in a fate similar to Bu Shulin's.
Her present glory, her father's rescue back then, and her brother's freedom now—all were bought with her mother's life. And now, almost the same situation was unfolding between the Prince of Shunan and Bu Shulin.
Involuntarily, she reached out and touched her still-flat abdomen. "Is parental love truly so selfless?"
Shen Xihe had never considered sacrificing her life for anyone. Perhaps it was because she had never witnessed Shen Yungan or Shen Yueshan in a life-or-death situation, and being of a pragmatic nature, she had never felt the need to risk her life for her father or brother.
Thus, such selfless devotion was somewhat incomprehensible and difficult for her to empathize with. Maybe one day, when she became a mother herself, she would understand what kind of unwavering, moth-to-flame depth this love entailed."That depends on the person." Xiao Huayong stood with his hands clasped behind his back, tilting his head to look down at Shen Xihe. "Many parents would disregard life and death for their flesh and blood, yet there are also many who would sell their children for wealth and glory."
Parental devotion and filial piety are not uncommon, just as father-son estrangements are far from rare.
"But I've always believed that anyone with kindness in their heart and benevolence in their character would love their own children selflessly," Xiao Huayong added finally.
Shen Xihe smiled faintly. Who could truly judge matters that hadn't yet occurred? Still, she agreed with Xiao Huayong's words.
"Your Highness, Princess Consort Zhao and Princess Anling have gotten into an argument at Cloud Moving Garden..." Just then, Biyu's voice sounded outside the room.
Shen Xihe raised a delicate eyebrow. Yu Sangning and Princess Anling?
Sister-in-law and younger sister—even if not by blood—were historically difficult relationships, but such conflicts typically occurred in ordinary households.
Though Princess Anling had become more dignified and steady since her marriage, she still frequently visited the palace. Yu Sangning, being meticulous, adept at enduring hardships, and currently pregnant, seemed an unlikely participant in a public dispute within the palace. Shen Xihe sensed there was more to the situation.
Regardless, as the incident involved two royal women and had occurred within the palace grounds, Shen Xihe, as the authority over the Imperial Harem, had no choice but to intervene.
Shen Xihe rose and said to Xiao Huayong, "I'll return shortly."
On the way, Biyu briefed Shen Xihe on what had transpired.
It turned out that Princess Anling had married into Lingwu Earl Manor. The Lingwu Earl and the former Pingyao Marquis had generations of conflict between their families, with the animosity particularly intense between Yu Xiang and the current Lingwu Earl.
The root cause was that the Lingwu Earl had once offended the Court of State Ceremonial due to his association with Yu Xiang. When the time came for the Lingwu Earl to inherit his peerage, the Court of State Ceremonial issued a review that demoted what should have been the Lingwu Marquis to the current Lingwu Earl.
Hence, the two families regarded each other as sworn enemies.
The argument between Yu Sangning and Princess Anling had erupted because two days prior, His Majesty had spontaneously decided to inspect the Golden Guard. Yu Sangning's brother and the Lingwu Earl's heir had ended up in a heated confrontation that turned physical. It was said that if not for His Majesty's intervention, the two would have fought to the death.
"Crown Princess, your arrival is most timely!" Princess Anling, who had been blocking Yu Sangning's path, immediately approached Shen Xihe. After both women paid their respects, Princess Anling hurriedly complained, "Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law has been utterly unreasonable! We've never had any grievances, yet today when we crossed paths, she deliberately blocked my way and caused me to fall. Look, Sister-in-law—the skin on my hand is scraped raw!"
Shen Xihe turned her gaze to Yu Sangning. Meeting Shen Xihe's eyes, Yu Sangning explained unhurriedly, "The Princess misunderstands. We merely happened to cross paths and both attempted to yield to the other, repeatedly stepping in the same direction. The Princess became annoyed, mistakenly thinking I was intentionally blocking her path, and thus pushed me..."
Shen Xihe's indifferent gaze swept over both women as she asked without emotion, "If the Princess pushed you, how is it that she's the one who ended up injured?"
"I am with child," Yu Sangning explained calmly. "His Highness, concerned about my care, assigned a martial-trained maid to accompany me. When the Princess pushed me, the maid stepped in to shield me. The Princess collided with the maid and fell."
Shen Xihe glanced at the sturdy maid kneeling to the side before turning back to Princess Anling. "Is this what truly happened?"Princess Anling bit her lip in silence. It was indeed the truth, but having grown up so sheltered, she had never been so blatantly provoked. "Sister-in-law, whether Second Sister-in-law was truly making way or blocking the path, I can still tell the difference. Second Sister-in-law was clearly deliberately obstructing me!"
When ordinary people crossed paths in narrow spaces, yielding would involve at most two or three mutual adjustments. Yet Yu Sangning had obstinately blocked her five or six times—otherwise, why would she have reached out to push her?
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