The Living-Alone Pavilion stood before the Eastern Market, bustling with constant foot traffic and surrounded by numerous shops. Today being the Full Moon Festival, the lively sounds ebbed and flowed, faintly audible yet unceasing.
Yet within the private chamber, silence reigned so profound that even the drop of a needle could be heard. Shen Yungan raised a triumphant eyebrow, casting a discreet look of praise toward his sister.
Shen Xihe responded with a faint smile, her hands neatly folded and posture impeccably upright as she withdrew her gaze and calmly regarded Xiao Changying.
Xiao Changying’s thumb lightly traced the rim of his teacup, a half-smile playing on his lips as he remarked, "The Junzhu is quite adept at bluffing. I believe in your intelligence, but unless the rumor about the Defense Map going missing originated from you, how could you have foreseen how events would unfold? And how could you have tampered with the painting in advance?"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Shen Xihe and her brother. "The rumor was spread with remarkable finesse—neither alarming the court officials nor giving His Majesty grounds for reprimand. It was ambiguous, blurring the line between truth and falsehood. As the saying goes, 'Three people spreading a rumor makes a tiger.' Forgive my bluntness, but you and the Shizi lack the capability for such a feat."
Indeed, they did not possess such ability. To control a rumor while concealing its source required considerable influence and connections.
Shen Xihe conceded, "Your Highness is correct. My brother and I lack such means, but I had assistance."
Xiao Changying’s fingers tightened slightly. "Are you referring to the Crown Prince?"
"Who it is is none of Your Highness’s concern," Shen Xihe replied evenly. "I am merely offering you two choices: either tell me the truth, or I will go to the palace to see His Majesty and express gratitude to Prince Lie for informing me of the Anxi matter, which allowed Father to detect the oversight in time and avert a disaster."
Xiao Changying chuckled softly. "Junzhu, Sweet Basil fragrance does not change color when exposed to water, nor when mixed with any other fragrant spices."
Shen Xihe remained unperturbed. The trick at the Dali Temple had been a minor deception—Sweet Basil indeed did not change color. The real color change had come from the spice concealed in Moyu’s fingernails; both Ding Zhi and the other had been pressed into the water under Moyu’s guidance.
"True, Sweet Basil does not change color," Shen Xihe said quietly, "but I still caught the true culprit. Your Highness may also gamble on whether I truly tampered with the Defense Map. Or, even if I did not, if I decide to prove that I did, I can certainly make falsehood appear as truth."
Just as Sweet Basil would not turn red in water, she had other methods to redden the water. And since no one knew the properties of Sweet Basil, they would be led by the nose all the same.
"I believe you," Xiao Changying said lazily. "The Junzhu wishes to uncover who stole the Defense Map to expose the venomous snake lurking in the Northwest—a snake that must be troubling the Northwest King’s peace. Even if you succeed in twisting the truth before His Majesty, I can simply share what I know with him. If His Majesty is angered, I can claim youthful ignorance driven by emotion..."
Observing Shen Xihe’s composed demeanor, an intuition told Xiao Changying she was somewhat angered. For some reason, this realization delighted him. "Whether I am the mastermind can be easily verified. At worst, His Majesty will punish me with house arrest for reflection."
Picking up a sesame cake from the table, he took a bite and hummed in satisfaction. After finishing the entire cake and taking a sip of tea, he continued, "I wonder, if such a venomous snake becomes known to His Majesty and turns into a hidden piece in his hands, will the Northwest ever know peace again?"Leisurely watching Shen Xihe, Xiao Changying was eagerly anticipating how she would break the impasse.
Clap, clap, clap. Shen Xihe gently applauded for Xiao Changying. "Your Highness seems well-prepared."
"Having suffered several losses at your hands, County Princess, one must remain extra vigilant." Xiao Changying smiled with feigned humility.
"But Your Highness has overlooked three points." Shen Xihe smiled faintly. "First, as I mentioned earlier, the mastermind has been unusually quiet. Since he isn't rushing to counterattack, he must be meticulous and has spent time covering his tracks. I wonder if Your Majesty will still find evidence even with the clues you've provided?"
Glancing at Xiao Changying, whose smile had slightly faded, Shen Xihe continued, "Your clues are only useful against our Shen family. Second, in the northwestern deserts, venomous snakes are not only deadly but also numerous and skilled at disguise. If one slips away, it doesn't matter much."
After stating these two points, Shen Xihe picked up her osmanthus drink and took a sip to moisten her lips. "Third, I have someone backing me."
Xiao Changying's gaze darkened.
Shen Xihe had someone behind her—someone for whom she would intercept the evidence he held, someone capable of resolving a matter as earth-shattering as the Defense Map in an instant.
This person was his brother, yet he still hadn't figured out who it was!
The evidence for the Rouge Case was ultimately presented by his second elder brother, Zhao Wang. Although Zhao Wang's first wife had passed away, she left behind a son and a daughter. Xiao Changying refused to believe that Shen Xihe would stoop to being not just a second wife but also a stepmother.
Shen Xihe was telling him that if this matter reached Your Majesty, the consequences would be far more severe than a mere reprimand or confinement for reflection, as he had imagined.
"Your Highness was enfeoffed as a prince before even coming of age. The more Your Majesty values you, the less he will tolerate betrayal." Shen Xihe gently set down her cup, but its base made a dull thud against the wooden table. "Your Highness, I only wish to hear one more sentence from you. This sentence will determine how I proceed, so choose your words carefully."
Xiao Changying stared intently at Shen Xihe for a long moment. She remained composed, listening patiently without any rush or urgency.
"Hexi Governor!" Xiao Changying spat out these two words, then stood up, flicked his sleeves, and strode away.
His face was dark, not even bothering with a polite farewell.
"Ye Qi?" Shen Yungan frowned, his sword-like brows knitting together. "Is he trustworthy?"
"At this point, he wouldn't make baseless accusations." Shen Xihe believed that Xiao Changying had indeed intercepted the Defense Map from Ye Qi.
Ye Qi was the father of Ding Wang's consort, Ye Wantang. At Ding Wang's consort's birthday banquet last time, Ye Wantang had shown great familiarity with the northwest...
The Hexi region was also strategically located just beyond the northwest. If a mutiny were to break out in the northwest someday, the first to confront it would inevitably be the Hexi Governor.
"If it's Ding Wang, it would make sense." Shen Yungan said thoughtfully. "If the Defense Map hadn't been intercepted by Lie Wang and presented to Your Majesty, Your Majesty would have surely dispatched Ye Qi to capture Father and me. Having garrisoned Liangzhou for over a decade, he knows the northwest inside out. Once chaos erupts there, he would be the most capable of quelling it swiftly, achieving merit, and subsequently replacing Father's position."
"Let Father investigate first." Shen Xihe refrained from jumping to conclusions.
Noting his sister's hesitation, Shen Yungan asked, "What are you thinking?""Brother's words are reasonable, but I feel the timing is wrong." Shen Xihe shook her head slightly. "Ye Qi is watching the northwest, certainly harboring intentions to replace Father. But if he takes over Father's command of the northwest now, Prince Ding will inevitably incur Your Majesty's suspicion. If I were him, I would wait until Your Majesty is critically ill before making such a move."
"Are you suggesting Ye Qi might merely be a pawn?"
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