Since Xiao Changying had not lied, and the item was indeed intercepted from Ye Qi, then Ye Qi must have acted ahead of schedule. However, he did not act voluntarily but out of necessity—a necessity that was certainly not directed by Prince Ding.
Prince Ding, currently a carefree and idle prince, was still biding his time and keeping a low profile. How could he possibly push the Yue family into the spotlight while he himself remained hidden?
"This bears some resemblance to the matter with Qu Yanguang," Shen Xihe fell into deep thought.
This time, however, Shen Xihe was mistaken. While Qu Yanguang's tearing open the rift with the Marquis of Xuanping was orchestrated by Xiao Huayong, the incident involving Ye Qi was not.
Xiao Changying's compromise was not entirely due to Shen Xihe's threats but rather because he had suddenly realized something.
He hurried back to the Wang residence but, to avoid arousing suspicion, restrained himself repeatedly. He waited until just before the evening meal when Xiao Changqing sent someone to invite him to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, lighting lanterns and worshipping the moon were activities for young women, while men typically enjoyed a drink under the moonlight.
In the spacious courtyard, an osmanthus tree stood tall, its branches spreading to provide shade. Music drifted gracefully, and dancers twirled in plain, flowing white garments.
Yet Xiao Changying had no mood to appreciate the scene. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Xiao Changqing, who was dressed in white and wore Buddhist prayer beads.
Ever since his fifth sister-in-law passed away, his brother had developed a preference for white clothing. His expression grew increasingly detached, his eyes devoid of ripples, much like his cold, unfeeling fifth sister-in-law.
He had molded himself into the image of his deceased wife.
"Ask if you wish to," Xiao Changqing spoke first, his voice calm and light.
"Why?" Xiao Changying stared at his own brother. "Why steal the Anxi Defense Map, and why hand it to me?"
It was only today, after Shen Xihe's remark that the other party had not retaliated and must be dealing with the aftermath, that Xiao Changying noticed certain details. Piece by piece, he deduced that it was his own brother behind it, though he had no proof.
Xiao Changqing's scheme was flawlessly executed, so perfect that only Xiao Changying—whom he had not deliberately concealed it from—could guess the truth. Even then, it was impossible to prove.
Yet Xiao Changqing did not attempt to deceive him. His gaze rested on Xiao Changying: "Little brother, you wish to draw closer to Zhaoning County Princess but dare not. You want to show her kindness but don't know how. At times, you think of her for no reason; at others, you want to see her stumble, even wishing she would lose to you just once. Am I right?"
A flicker of surprise appeared in Xiao Changying's eyes.
Xiao Changqing picked up his teacup: "You have fallen for her. Your brother is helping you."
"I don't need your help!" Xiao Changying instinctively rejected the latter part.
A faint smile touched Xiao Changqing's lips: "Little brother, do not follow in your brother's footsteps."
"I am not you." Xiao Changying was deeply frustrated by what Xiao Changqing had become.
His brother had once been his pride, the person he respected most—a man of high spirits and strategic brilliance.
Now, he seemed weathered by time, appearing to cultivate inner peace but in truth resembling someone weary of life, disillusioned with the world.
As if he hadn't heard Xiao Changying's words, Xiao Changqing's tranquil eyes gazed into the deep, dark night: "Back when the Gu and Xie families called off their engagement, and His Majesty, disregarding dignity, sought to take her as a consort, I heard the news and knelt in the Hall of Bright Governance, refusing to rise. I begged His Majesty to grant us marriage. I promised that if he did, I would willingly become His Majesty's blade for life. All these years, my hands have been stained with blood..."Xiao Changqing lowered his head, staring at his empty hands: "I despise myself, yet I'm relieved I married her. I dare not speak of my actions to her, yet I feel I've sacrificed so much, while she has never offered me even a single word of warmth or concern."
At this point, pain spread through Xiao Changqing's eyes: "I love, I hate, I pretend, I ache—I only wish she would be moved for a moment, to prove she has me in her heart, to make me feel all my efforts were worth it. But she never gave me even a glance more..."
"Brother." Xiao Changying's brows furrowed deeply.
Shaking his head with a bitter laugh, Xiao Changqing continued: "I once wondered, after all I've done, why can't I warm her heart? I've felt wronged, lost, tormented—but never regretted—until she died in my arms. Only then did I suddenly realize that what I thought was giving my all was merely wishful thinking, self-gratification. These things she never needed, so what right did I have to demand her response?"
"Brother, can you forget her?" Xiao Changying's heart ached for his elder brother.
"I can't forget." Xiao Changqing closed his eyes. "I'm telling you this in hopes that you can sooner understand your own heart, discover what Zhaoning County Princess truly needs. Don't miss the chance, and don't make mistakes. I hope you can possess the happiness I never had."
Xiao Changying's frown deepened.
He admitted that ever since Shen Xihe saved him that day, he had remembered her. When Shen Xihe stole the evidence he had painstakingly obtained, he was furious but bore no grudge against her. His first instinct upon obtaining the Defense Map wasn't to deliver it to Your Majesty, but to seek her out.
Xiao Changqing also wanted to use this opportunity to test his younger brother's feelings and help him see his own heart clearly. Additionally, he intended to follow others' example and expose the Fourth Prince's ambitions once more.
Ideally, they could use this chance to place their people in Hexi. Even if they couldn't replace Ye Qi, they needed to establish roots there.
Only then could they handle any future developments in the northwest with measured responses, unlike himself—forced by Your Majesty with his consort's life to become the executioner of her entire family.
"Little brother, don't place your hopes in Your Majesty. He promised me he wouldn't exterminate the Gu family, at most demote them to commoners." Xiao Changqing laughed mockingly, deriding his own former naivety. "And what was the result?"
"Brother... what do you intend to do?" Xiao Changying grew increasingly worried. His brother harbored deep resentment toward their father.
"What do I intend?" Xiao Changqing revealed an eerie smile. "I want to throw the royal family into chaos. I want Your Majesty to taste what it's like to have his fate controlled by others..."
"Brother, where does that leave our mother?" Xiao Changying thought his brother had gone mad.
"Our mother only has her fourth son." The Youning Emperor was the fourth prince. "She knew your sister-in-law was pregnant, knew how important your sister-in-law was to me, yet she still helped the Fan family by delivering the very thing that could kill your sister-in-law into her hands."
How long had he awaited that child? Before it could even take form, he had to watch it dissolve into a pool of blood.
"Brother, Mother she..."
"Say no more. One day you'll understand—in Father's eyes, we're convenient tools; in Mother's heart, we're objects to please Father." Having said this, Xiao Changqing stood and left.
In the silver moonlight, his figure gradually disappeared into the darkness, and Xiao Changying's heart was slowly enveloped by the twilight.No one knew about the conversation between the Xiao brothers. As it was the Mid-Autumn Festival today, no one gave much thought to Xiao Changying accompanying Xiao Changqing.
Shen Xihe strolled through the streets with Shen Yungan. When the lanterns first lit up the evening, they secured the best moon-viewing spot in a restaurant, only to spot three familiar figures: Embroidered Uniform Envoy Zhao Zhenghao, Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Cui Jinbai, and imperial examination candidate Guo Daoyi!
Only Hua Fuhai was missing to complete the group.
They hadn't paid attention before, but now they noticed all three men were almost the same height.
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