, the fastest update of "When My Flower Blooms, A Hundred Flowers Die" latest chapter!
Chapter 805: Falling into Xihe's Hands
The scorching heat of July made the capital unbearably hot. This was Shen Xihe's first experience of midsummer in the capital, where even the insects among the leaves had fallen silent from the oppressive heat.
Her original plan to escape the heat had been canceled due to Jing Wang's rebellion and the Crown Prince's demise. By the Emperor's personal decree, all entertainment in the capital was prohibited for three months.
After receiving a letter confirming her father's safe return to the northwest, Shen Xihe washed and dressed properly before seeking an audience with the Youning Emperor.
"Your Majesty, since the Crown Prince has passed away, it would be improper for me to continue residing in the Eastern Palace. I have come specifically to request permission to return to the Princess Manor for my confinement," Shen Xihe said, accompanied by Zhenzhu and Biyu. One held the record books while the other carried the seals - this was her formal handover of authority.
While the Emperor was naturally pleased to see Shen Xihe relinquish her authority, the palace authority being returned to him was not so easily accepted.
The Crown Prince had died but was buried with his title intact. Since he remained the Crown Prince until death, Shen Xihe couldn't be relocated to the Sixteen Princes' Residence. Nor could she be allowed to return to the Princess Manor for her confinement.
What married woman would return to her maiden home without reason? Especially since Xiao Huayong had just been laid to rest, and yesterday's incident in the palace had caused such a stir.
If Shen Xihe returned to the Princess Manor now, it would publicly announce that she had suffered great grievances in the palace.
Most importantly, Shen Xihe had not yet given birth. The rumor that she was carrying a male child had spread throughout the palace and beyond. Although he had already bestowed a name upon the child, the baby's gender couldn't be confirmed until birth.
The Youning Emperor would not allow Shen Xihe to leave the palace. She must deliver the child under his watchful eyes - he would never permit anyone to disrupt the imperial bloodline.
As for preventing Shen Xihe from giving birth to this child, the Emperor had never considered it. This was the only remaining bloodline of his elder brother's line. While he didn't want the Shen bloodline to inherit the throne, he wasn't so apprehensive as to prevent Shen Xihe from delivering the child.
To keep Shen Xihe in the palace, no place was more suitable than the Eastern Palace, which formed its own separate compound within the imperial palace.
"You are with child - Qilang's only bloodline. Neither I nor the Empress Dowager will permit any mishap. The Eastern Palace is where Qilang lived since childhood. Rest here peacefully for your confinement. We can discuss other matters after you safely deliver the child," the Youning Emperor arranged thus.
As for whether Shen Xihe would continue residing in the Eastern Palace after childbirth, the Emperor made no promises. If she indeed bore an imperial grandson, she couldn't remain in the Eastern Palace indefinitely.
"Regarding palace affairs..." The Emperor paused before continuing, "Your priority should be safeguarding the pregnancy. The Empress Dowager shall temporarily manage palace affairs for now."
Although Noble Consort Rong had been restored to her position, her previous crimes made her unsuitable to handle palace authority again. As for Shu Fei, due to her careless remarks that day, she remained under house confinement to provide Shen Xihe with justice.
With few high-ranking consorts available, and wishing to avoid further complications, the Emperor personally brought Shen Xihe to see the Empress Dowager, who agreed to take temporary charge.
The Emperor's arrangements largely matched Shen Xihe's expectations. She had known he wouldn't let her leave the palace, but she made the first move to prevent future criticism.
Returning to the Eastern Palace, Shen Xihe had just taken a sip of warm water when Tianyuan hurried in: "Your Highness, the Crown Princess, the person has been intercepted."
The teacup still at her lips, the pure white porcelain rim accentuated the rosy freshness of Shen Xihe's mouth. The slight curve of her lips made her appear unapproachable, as if bringing her to the palace had been a mistake.That night, Shen Xihe entered the secret passage within the palace for the second time. The first had been during her wedding, when Xiao Huayong took her through the passage to secretly meet Shen Yungan.
There were not many secret passages in the palace, likely built to avoid drawing attention—only three in total. One led from the Imperial Prison for Women to outside the palace and the Hall of Diligent Governance; another from the Eastern Palace to outside the palace and the Hall of Supreme Harmony; and the third from the Imperial Kitchen to the Qinglong Gate.
The three passages did not intersect, though a hidden chamber could form at their turns.
Standing in the middle of the Eastern Palace passage, Shen Xihe gazed coldly at the person bound to a wooden frame. "Who ordered you to incite Lady Li? Speak, and I will grant you a swift death."
Indeed, the woman before her, pale-faced with cracked lips, was Yu Sangning—who had supposedly taken her own life with poison.
"Crown Princess, could you first tell me how you discovered my feigned death?" Yu Sangning appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly she was panicked and resentful.
Perhaps Shen Xihe’s intimidation had left too deep an impression; facing her always stirred unease. If not forced, Yu Sangning would have preferred death to becoming Shen Xihe’s enemy.
Thus, before being summoned to the Eastern Palace, she had taken a genuine, lethal poison. Even if the imperial physicians examined the blood she vomited, they would find no flaw.
However, she had taken the corresponding antidote in advance. Though it could not fully counteract the poison, the residual antidote neutralized most of the toxin, sparing her life.
Her father had left some loyal followers in her care, and she was certain they would rescue her. Coincidentally, the previous night, Li Yanyan had set fire to the Wang residence, causing the guards watching her "corpse" to grow lax. No sooner had she been swapped and rescued, than she was captured just beyond the capital gates.
At first, she thought it was the one who had forced her to oppose Shen Xihe. Only now did she realize it was Shen Xihe herself.
"You died too neatly," Shen Xihe replied coolly. "You crave wealth and status. Someone like you despises the world’s injustices yet refuses to live an ordinary life, clinging to worldly luxuries. You would never face death with such composure. Even at the end of your rope, you would seek a dramatic, widely known death."
Yu Sangning had taken the antidote early, leaving a medicinal scent on her—not just from the poison, but also from other ingredients. Shen Xihe was familiar with certain herbs. That day, both Zhenzhu and Sui Axi had examined Yu Sangning’s pulse, and identifying the poison that killed her was not difficult.
Shen Xihe then inquired about the antidote for this poison. Learning that it contained the herbs she had detected, she ordered Zhenzhu and the other to test whether taking the antidote before the poison could preserve one’s life. The answer was self-evident.
Naturally, Shen Xihe would not reveal this to Yu Sangning.
"Based solely on that?" Yu Sangning refused to believe it.
"Keeping watch on you required only two people. I have countless capable aides at my disposal; it was no trouble," Shen Xihe said. "Even if you hadn’t feigned death, I wanted to see if anyone would collect your body—and whether that person was connected to the one who directed you."
Clearly, Shen Xihe’s latter words convinced Yu Sangning. Her expression grew distant, and she slumped in defeat. "I truly don’t know who ordered me to seek out Lady Li."
Shen Xihe remained expressionless, watching her coldly.
"I really don’t know," Yu Sangning insisted urgently. "They captured my brother and sister. I searched everywhere but couldn’t find them. If I didn’t comply, they would expose my sister’s affairs and kill my brother, framing me for it! They also threatened to reveal all my past deeds to the public."Hadn't her past deeds involved harming her grandmother, silencing witnesses to climb the social ladder, and for the sake of family status, scheming against her colleague Yu Xiang—ultimately driving someone who had been utterly devoted to her to hang himself?
Perhaps there were far more misdeeds hidden beneath the surface, as Shen Xihe hadn't paid her much attention. But even without Shen Xihe's notice, there were surely others who found her useful enough to keep an eye on.
(End of Chapter)
OpenNovel