Shen Xihe stopped and turned around calmly, her eyes placid: “What do you mean by that, Your Highness?”

Xiao Changqin’s dark eyes locked onto Shen Xihe: “I just want Princess Zhaoning to explain something to me – how did you know about that escape route?”

Shen Xihe laughed softly: “Prince Xin, when two armies face each other, who would reveal their sources of intelligence to the enemy?”

After a moment of silence, seeing Shen Xihe impatiently about to leave, Xiao Changqin asked: “Princess, with your vast knowledge, do you know what the fourteenth strategy of the Thirty-Six Stratagems is?”

“Borrowing a corpse to resurrect the soul?” Shen Xihe answered without hesitation, then laughed as if at something absurd. “So that’s what Your Highness meant. How ridiculous. You must have investigated Zhaoning these past few days and should know that Zhaoning never believed in Buddhism, Taoism, or heaven. The educated don’t speak of supernatural things. Your Highness is well-versed in classics – don’t let grief lead you to such unrealistic fantasies.”

“Is it truly unrealistic?” Xiao Changqin stepped closer, his gaze fixed on her. “I heard the Western King always cherished and valued you, never hiding important military matters from you. All major decisions were discussed among fathers and sons.

When you came to the capital and my brother investigated the rouge case, encountering all sorts of dangers, why were you the one to save him? Can you truly deny the deeper meaning behind this?

Would the King make such a major decision without informing you? Acting without considering your wishes? I don’t believe it.

If you knew everything beforehand, why did you change your mind at the last moment?”

He was referring to how Shen Yueshan had arranged Shen Xihe’s “chance” encounter with Xiao Changying – something truly difficult to explain.

Though Shen Yueshan hadn’t stated it explicitly, he had hinted to Shen Xihe that Xiao Changying was the best choice. At that time, Shen Xihe was seriously ill, knowing she hadn’t long to live, and completely trusted Shen Yueshan while knowing little about the capital. So she had indeed tacitly agreed.

This led to the scene where Shen Xihe saved Xiao Changying after their collision, though she did change her mind at the last moment.

If it had truly been just for the evidence in Xiao Changying’s possession, she could have acted when he was being hunted. At that chaotic time, neither Xiao Changying nor anyone else could have determined who was responsible.

There would have been no need to waste effort waiting until Xiao Changying fell into Shen Xihe’s hands.

To this, Shen Xihe remained composed, neither playing dumb nor feigning ignorance: “Your Highness, a charge as serious as killing a prince isn’t something to be undertaken rashly without absolute necessity and foolproof planning.

Compared to harming Prince Lie during the chaos, making an enemy of you, and risking the Emperor’s thorough investigation while possibly not even obtaining evidence of the rouge case – my method was bloodless and achieved the goal. Both you and Prince Lie had to swallow this bitter pill, didn’t you?”

Her rebuttal was logical and reasonable, watertight, yet failed to convince Xiao Changqin: “I sent people to the Northwest. Everyone spoke of a Princess who was refined, gentle, and tender as water. Yet after entering the capital, you’ve been quite different.”

Shen Xihe looked at Xiao Changqin as if he were a fool before speaking: “People say Prince Xin is learned in both ancient and modern ways, a proper gentleman of refined manners. May I ask, Your Highness, are you truly such a person?”

Before Xiao Changqin could respond, Shen Xihe laughed coldly: “In the Northwest, my homeland where everyone loved and supported me, of course, I was gentle with them. But the capital is like a tiger’s den and wolf’s lair to me. If I remained as gentle as I was in the Northwest, I likely wouldn’t be standing here today listening to Your Highness’s nonsense.”

Xiao Changqin’s gaze grew heavy, but he said nothing more, though he remained unconvinced.

Shen Xihe didn’t care what he thought: “Your Highness, that day I had His Majesty as a witness – if you harass me again, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

She didn’t care about Xiao Changqin’s thoughts but didn’t want to be disturbed by him.

With that, Shen Xihe curtsied and turned to leave. This time Xiao Changqin didn’t stop her, but called out: “I will uncover everything.”

Shen Xihe ignored him, walking away composedly until she disappeared from his sight.

“Princess, why not tell Prince Xin about the Princess Consort?” Biyu couldn’t help asking.

The Princess didn’t want Prince Xin’s entanglement. He just wanted to know how she had known about Xiao Changtai’s escape route, which Biyu and the others understood came from the Princess Consort.

Shen Xihe had a close friend surnamed Gu in the capital, they all knew. The King and Crown Prince had investigated – it was Gu Zexiang from the current Imperial Wardrobe Service but was the Princess Consort using Gu Zexiang’s name.

Just telling Xiao Changqin this would resolve everything.

“Who is he that I should explain myself to him?” Shen Xihe smiled faintly.

Rushing to explain would only make one less credible. If Xiao Changqin wanted to investigate, let him investigate thoroughly.

Back in her courtyard, Shen Xihe went to play with Baisui, the white parrot Xiao Huayong had given her. She had brought both it and Duanming to the temporary palace this time.

She had already arranged everything, including Gu Zexiang. The Princess’s residence had letters exchanged between Shen Xihe and Gu Qingzhi over the years, written after sending Zhenzhu and others away. As for Gu Zexiang’s letters, Shen Xihe had already burned them.

Fortunately, over the years, Gu Zexiang had been like a secret confidante for Shen Xihe. Though her letters passed through the maids’ hands, they never saw the contents or handwriting, and Shen Xihe rarely mentioned Gu Zexiang to others.

As for Gu Qingzhi, Xiao Changqin was very busy after marriage, and the couple barely saw each other most days. Xiao Changqin hadn’t arranged for people to watch Gu Qingzhi – whatever she wanted to do without his knowledge, he absolutely wouldn’t know.

When Xiao Changqin finally obtained those letters after great effort, he would naturally resolve his doubts, rather than having her change her usual way of handling things by anxiously explaining herself, which would only make the suspicious Xiao Changqin more distrustful.

When Xiao Huayong heard that Xiao Changqin had confronted Shen Xihe again, he hurried over. Thinking of Shen Xihe’s independent nature, he dismissed Tianyuan and the others, approaching quietly himself. He intended to not intervene unless necessary, only worried about Shen Xihe.

But he heard every word Xiao Changqin said to Shen Xihe.

Such absurd talk should have made him sneer, given his personality, yet for some reason, an inescapable heaviness weighed on his heart, making him unconsciously reach for books of strange tales like the “Records of Divine Marvels” when he reached his study.