“I know,” Shen Xihe said calmly, taking a sip of meat soup.

“You don’t know!” Bu Shulin desperately needed to share with someone. Her curiosity was satisfied, but she felt chilled to the bone as if she’d seen a ghost.

Glancing at her, Shen Xihe took a bite of pastry and said, “Young Master Mu is dead.”

Bu Shulin froze. “You… how did you know?”

“I told you yesterday, that if she had enough skill, she would make Young Master Mu take his own life,” Shen Xihe said matter-of-factly. “The Mu family just experienced a major upheaval. If Young Master Mu were murdered, they would immediately file charges, and the matter wouldn’t end easily. His Majesty would certainly investigate deeply, which would call into question the earlier rumors the Mu family spread about the Yu family.

After all her careful planning, how could Yu Sangning leave loose ends at the final step? Whether for long-term considerations or immediate safety, Young Master Mu had to die – willingly. His death would confirm that he had harmed the Yu family and brought shame to his own, making life unbearable.

This would make the Yu family complete victims, with no possibility of further complications. His Majesty wants to show favor to Marquis Pingxiao, and with Yu Sangzi’s excellent reputation, preserving the Yu family’s face and naturally arranging for Yu Sangzi to become a Prince Consort would be the logical course of action.”

Bu Shulin swallowed hard. She looked at Shen Xihe, who maintained her elegant composure while taking small bites of breakfast and felt unsettled.

Yu Sangning was already frightening enough, but now she realized there was someone even more terrifying – someone who could easily see through Yu Sangning and predict her actions!

“Then… do you know how Second Lady Yu made Young Master Mu take his own life?” Bu Shulin quickly picked up her soup bowl and took a large gulp, letting the warm fullness in her stomach calm her nerves.

Shen Xihe lifted her eyes slightly, noting Bu Shulin’s unease. After eating a bit more, she hesitated: “Should I let you remain fearless? Or should I make you feel that with me here, Second Lady Yu is nothing to worry about?”

“What?” Bu Shulin didn’t understand.

“If I want you to not fear me, I’ll say I don’t know and let you tell me,” Shen Xihe explained. “If I want you to see me as your protector, believing that no one can scheme against you while I’m here, I’ll tell you the truth.”

Bu Shulin, who had been very nervous, immediately calmed down: “Right, what am I afraid of? You’re my person!”

“Oh?” Shen Xihe raised an eyebrow.

“I mean, I’m your person,” Bu Shulin quickly corrected herself with a flattering smile. “We’re on the same side.”

Shen Xihe didn’t criticize her choice of words but set down her chopsticks: “For Yu Sangning to make Young Master Mu willingly die, there was only one way…” Under Bu Shulin’s anticipating yet anxious gaze, Shen Xihe’s smile deepened as she silently mouthed the words: “Peacock Flies Southeast.”

Bu Shulin stood up in shock, not from fear of Shen Xihe, but from astonishment at her penetrating insight into human nature.

If she hadn’t witnessed everything herself, she wouldn’t have imagined Yu Sangning could devise such a method – causing death without leaving a trace, even if officials discovered the body and investigated, they could only conclude it was suicide.

Yet Shen Xihe, without seeing anything, could guess Yu Sangning’s method. How could Bu Shulin not be shocked?

Shen Xihe smiled gently and resumed eating at a measured pace.

It took Bu Shulin quite a while to compose herself. She sat obediently across from Shen Xihe, quiet as a mouse, pecking at her food, making Zhenzhu and Biyu smile at her behavior.

“Second Lady Yu has someone with excellent martial arts skills following her,” Bu Shulin felt compelled to warn Shen Xihe.

Yu Sangning desperately wanted wealth and status. Now she aimed to be a Prince Consort, but who knew if she might harbor greater ambitions after achieving that position? Wouldn’t that put her at odds with Shen Xihe?

Although Bu Shulin considered Yu Sangning perhaps the most ruthless and cunningly demonic among young ladies, Shen Xihe had long surpassed comparison with other women – she could stand proudly even among men.

While Yu Sangning couldn’t compare to Shen Xihe, Bu Shulin still worried about Shen Xihe being careless.

“That’s not her person,” Shen Xihe said softly. “That’s Princess Huaiyang’s person.”

Xiao Huayong had already investigated Yu Sangning’s past, and she had glimpsed it too. Yu Sangning currently had no one at her disposal.

“Why would Princess Huaiyang get involved with her? Even lending her person?” Bu Shulin was confused.

“It’s easy for Yu Sangning to get close to someone,” Shen Xihe replied. Not everyone could see through deception as easily as she could.

In fact, if not for her keen intuition, she might not have randomly suspected a girl who hadn’t even come of age and who had saved her clan mother’s life. She too might have been deceived by Yu Sangning’s hypocrisy.

“If I’m not mistaken, she has her eye on Prince Xin,” Shen Xihe added.

“She’s targeting Prince Xin by first approaching Princess Huaiyang?” Bu Shulin couldn’t believe it.

“A stepping stone,” Shen Xihe could fully understand Yu Sangning’s thoughts.

Gu Qingzhu was also born to a concubine. No matter how well she fared in the Gu family, she would always be one step below Gu Qingzhi, just as Yu Sangning had Yu Sangzi above her. They would share a kindred spirit, and if Yu Sangning created some “accidents” similar to those of the Yu family’s Old Madam and Yu Sangzi, it wouldn’t be difficult to win Gu Qingzhu’s trust.

Through Gu Qingzhu, she could learn more about Xiao Changqing and have more opportunities to see him.

“How dare she let Princess Huaiyang’s person see her true face!” Wouldn’t that expose her?

Shen Xihe shook her head at Bu Shulin and sighed with affected gravity: “I think you’ve survived all these years partly because you can play dumb, and partly because His Majesty also realized you’re truly not clever.”

Bu Shulin: …

Previously, Bu Shulin might have argued back, but after recent events, she didn’t dare contradict at all.

Shen Xihe couldn’t help but smile slightly: “If she dares to borrow this person to protect her while doing such things, it means she has also done favors for this person. Even if they won’t betray Princess Huaiyang, they won’t betray her either. Do you understand?”

Bu Shulin nodded, suddenly feeling that Yu Sangning was truly terrifying. Then she said: “If the Prince Xin’s wife were still alive, it would be quite a show.”

Gu Qingzhi wasn’t Gu Qingzhu – how could Yu Sangning have any good days if she fell into Gu Qingzhi’s hands?

“If Prince Xin’s wife were alive, Second Lady Yu wouldn’t target Prince Xin,” Shen Xihe said quietly.

Once a concubine, always a concubine.

Yu Sangning’s ambitions reached the sky – she would never resign herself to being a concubine for life. Not even being an Imperial Prince’s secondary wife, or even the Emperor’s Noble Consort, would satisfy her.