Yu Xiaodie’s slender neck betrayed her tension and unease through the movement of her tendons.

“I offer you two paths,” Shen Xihe said quietly. “One leads to life, the other to death.”

Yu Xiaodie startled: “Who… who exactly are you?”

“Why be so fixated on that?” Shen Xihe smiled faintly as she glanced at Yu Xiaodie. “I am someone who can either save your life or take it.”

Though the young lady before her had youthful features, her eyes held the stillness of one who had seen life and death. She carried an extremely pleasant yet indescribable fragrance. Though her face wasn’t cold nor her gaze sharp, Yu Xiaodie couldn’t help but shiver when she drew near.

Before entering the Prince’s mansion, she had been specially trained, and after entering, she had seen much of the world.

She could distinguish between those who were all show with no substance, those who appeared casual yet could overturn heaven and earth, and those who were ruthless and meant what they said.

“What… what do you want me to do?” Over the years, Yu Xiaodie had survived many dangers by trusting her instincts, and this time she trusted them too – she didn’t want to risk not walking out of this door.

“In a few days, the court will round up everyone behind the Rouge Case, and all of you who were carefully trained will be exposed to the world,” Shen Xihe said methodically. “When that happens, you will have no place to stand in Prince Kang’s mansion.”

Yu Xiaodie’s brow twitched, but she wisely remained silent, listening carefully.

“And I intend to have Prince Kang’s title stripped and his household banished.”

Yu Xiaodie’s face went white with fear. No one had ever dared to speak openly of stripping Prince Kang’s title and banishing his household!

Prince Kang had the Emperor’s backing, and his household had been loyal to the Emperor all these years.

“As someone who’s been trained, you must have noticed what Prince Kang has been doing in recent years,” Shen Xihe’s eyes were pale and calm. “Whether it’s enough for me to save your life depends on if you’re truly surrendering to me.”

Yu Xiaodie clutched her handkerchief so tightly she nearly poked holes through it as she wrestled internally with the decision.

If the Rouge incident hadn’t happened, if there hadn’t been a Rouge Case that shocked the court and common people alike, even if Shen Xihe knew her identity, she wouldn’t have compromised so easily. She would only need to cry to Prince Kang, and this matter could be covered up.

She had worked so hard to become a Prince’s consort, and even the Princess Consort in the mansion had to yield to her.

These years of luxurious living had made her forget the name Yu Xiaodie.

Once Prince Kang’s household fell, she would have nothing…

But now the Emperor was focused on the Rouge Case, and she had heard rumors that the court had obtained solid evidence. Though she didn’t know why nothing had happened after two or three months, they didn’t feel they had escaped danger.

If her identity was exposed now, even without the later investigation, Prince Kang wouldn’t keep her.

Gritting her teeth, Yu Xiaodie said: “I only know that since two years ago, Prince Kang has been secretly forging weapons.”

She had never told anyone this crucial information before, as her fate was tied to Prince Kang’s household.

After speaking, Yu Xiaodie quickly asked: “How will you save me?”

“That’s not enough sincerity,” Shen Xihe smiled gently while gazing at Yu Xiaodie.

Yu Xiaodie stared at Shen Xihe for a long while before making her final gambit: “I can go back and find out where the weapons are being forged.”

“Now that’s a clever person,” Shen Xihe smiled approvingly.

“How will you save me?” Yu Xiaodie cared most about her own life.

“I wasn’t deceiving you about the court’s impending arrest of those involved in the Rouge Case. If you want to live, you’ll need to shed your shell like a cicada,” Shen Xihe said unhurriedly. “Hasn’t the Prince’s mansion been plagued by rats every night recently? You should spread a rumor that Lady Xiao is an ill omen, that these rats came because of her…”

Shen Xihe stopped there, having made her point.

Yu Xiaodie was clever – she immediately understood Shen Xihe wanted her to create conflict with Lady Xiao, provoking Lady Xiao to “kill” her!

It was indeed a good plan. Faking illness and death would be too complicated and easily exposed.

If Lady Xiao “killed” her, especially while Prince Kang was away, the Princess Consort and Dowager Princess would busy themselves covering it up, and their guilty consciences would create opportunities.

By the time the Rouge Case exploded, she would already be “dead,” and no one would investigate further.

At this moment, Yu Xiaodie guessed the identity of the person before her: “You are…”

Shen Xihe raised her index finger and shook it gently: “People who know too much, if they lack ability, usually don’t live long.”

Yu Xiaodie’s heart trembled. She took a deep breath, gave Shen Xihe a proper bow, then withdrew on her own accord.

Outside the meditation room, bathed in sunlight, Yu Xiaodie finally felt alive again, and the warmth made her unconsciously quicken her steps.

After Lady Xiao was thrown out of the Prince’s mansion by Princess Zhaoning, Prince Kang’s household had been waiting for the results of Princess Zhaoning’s palace audience the next day, hoping the Emperor would support Lady Xiao. But Princess Zhaoning had left the palace with many rewards.

Palace people said both the Emperor and Empress Dowager had praised Princess Zhaoning highly, so Prince Kang’s household understood that the Emperor wouldn’t interfere in Shen mansion’s internal affairs.

But Lady Xiao couldn’t slink back on her own. Without a way to save face, she could only curse Shen Xihe daily in the Prince’s mansion.

From Lady Xiao and the Dowager Princess’s cursing, Yu Xiaodie had thought Shen Xihe was an arrogant and domineering young lady.

Now she knew she was wrong, terribly wrong!

From the moment Shen Xihe threw Lady Xiao out, Lady Xiao was destined to spend the rest of her life in prison…

The rat-attracting incense wasn’t just a prank – it was to make the mansion lower its guard, to give her a reason to go out to burn incense, to later provoke conflict between her and Lady Xiao, making Lady Xiao a murderer.

Yu Xiaodie had only met Shen Xihe once, but she already felt chills down her spine.

Shen Xihe remained in the meditation room, planning to rest a while to avoid leaving right after Yu Xiaodie and drawing attention.

Despite her extreme caution and Mo Yuan’s advance arrangements, she was still very careful.

Though Shen Xihe’s thoroughness had indeed fooled many people, she didn’t know that as soon as Yu Xiaodie returned to the Prince’s mansion, Xiao Huayong received word.

“Your Highness, the Princess has met with Yu Xiaodie,” Tian Yuan reported with a bow.

“With Second Brother’s abilities, he’ll find evidence within three days at the latest,” Xiao Huayong fingered a black Go piece – still the one brought back from Luoyang.

He knew Shen Xihe intended to use Yu Xiaodie. She had given him evidence but erased Yu Xiaodie’s part, so he had been biding his time.

Additionally…

“Have arrangements been made in all locations?” Xiao Huayong asked.

“Your Highness gave them two to three months – enough time for them to make arrangements,” Tian Yuan said softly.

The evidence had been delayed for three months without being submitted. Those involved who could escape had either fled with money or faked their deaths, even having funeral processions and burials.

Xiao Huayong deliberately delayed this so that when Emperor Youning received the evidence and made sweeping reforms, he would find these people either dead or fled – nearly half gone.

Of course, Xiao Huayong wouldn’t let these grave criminals escape. He was just having his people in various places catch these supposedly dead or fled criminals, earning merit and gaining promotions without leaving traces.