One had to admit this move was both extremely vicious and precise, nearly costing her life.
Shen Xihe had great confidence in her household staff. For someone to determine Xie Yunhuai’s visiting patterns and whether he would come on schedule that day, they would need an informant watching from outside.
She had long known that coming to the capital meant entering a dragon’s lair and tiger’s den. Never daring to be careless, how could she venture here alone without thorough preparations?
“Bi Yu, prepare the painting materials,” Shen Xihe ordered languidly.
Bi Yu quickly brought everything with help from others. As Shen Xihe struggled to rise, a slender hand with distinct knuckles pressed on her shoulder: “Let me.”
Among those present, only Shen Xihe herself was skilled at painting, which was why she had forced herself to stay alert. Xie Yunhuai had been inside preparing prescriptions, hoping to make Shen Xihe more comfortable until the Tianshan Snow Lotus could be obtained.
He was also preparing for the worst – if they couldn’t obtain the premium Snow Lotus, or if its cold-resistant properties didn’t meet his expectations, he needed to know how to adjust the prescription and how to help Shen Xihe maintain hope.
He knew she was the strongest woman in the world. Even if he couldn’t concoct medicine to restore her to normal health, she wouldn’t wallow in self-pity or lose her fighting spirit.
But how cruel would it be to let someone who had lived in darkness taste sunshine, only to suddenly push them into an even deeper abyss?
However, Shen Xihe’s condition was extremely fragile. His concern made him somewhat anxious and scattered, unable to organize his thoughts. He had come outside to clear his mind when he heard the commotion and came to look.
He was Xie Yunhuai: the Xie family’s pride, with wisdom surpassing even Bi Gan’s.
Excelling in all six noble arts, his quick wit could grasp anything instantly.
He immediately understood that she intended to paint herself, and his body moved faster than his thoughts, unexpectedly reaching out to press on Shen Xihe’s shoulder.
Realizing his impropriety, he immediately withdrew his hand: “Princess should not exert herself.”
“Thank you for your trouble, Doctor Qi.” Shen Xihe had absolute faith in Xie Yunhuai’s abilities.
He took little A-Dai aside and, following the boy’s descriptions, assembled the features he had selected – eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and eyebrows – then outlined the faces. One was already complete, while for the other two, A-Dai pointed at various features in the album: “A bit wider here, narrower there…”
Shen Xihe watched as Xie Yunhuai bent down to be at eye level with A-Dai. Though the beggar boy was dirty and malodorous, he stayed very close without any sign of disgust, maintaining a gentle gaze and soft voice throughout.
Even when A-Dai wasn’t satisfied with the drawings and requested multiple changes, Xie Yunhuai remained extremely patient.
His green robes were like tea leaves, his black hair like ink. Sunlight fell across his broad back, giving him a jade-like luminescence.
Xie Yunhuai truly deserved his reputation as the refined young master, as lustrous as jade and bright as the moon.
Jade’s lusciousness is silent; moonlight’s radiance is boundless.
“Yes, that’s them!” A-Dai finally exclaimed happily when the faces matched his memory.
Xie Yunhuai smiled and handed the drawings to Shen Xihe. They were three ordinary faces – impressive that A-Dai remembered them. She placed the three sheets on the tall table: “Of these three people, who did you see four days ago, the day when an injured guard rushed into my residence?”
“This one, I remember clearly,” A-Dai immediately pointed to one sheet. “He used to come every two or three days but hasn’t appeared since that day. These other two were here today.”
Shen Xihe pulled out the drawing and handed it behind her: “Dig three feet deep if necessary. Find them alive or dead, and investigate their relatives thoroughly.”
“Yes,” Mo Yuan accepted with both hands, his admiration for his princess reaching new heights.
He hadn’t imagined – probably anyone had – that an inconspicuous beggar was deliberately placed there by Shen Xihe.
Following this lead backward, they would surely discover who plotted against the Princess!
“We might not find anything,” Shen Xihe said with a light laugh as the maids’ eyes brightened. “If they’re cautious and ruthless enough to kill rather than risk exposure, they might have already silenced him, even if they didn’t suspect this surveillance.”
“Therefore, we must work from both ends,” Xie Yunhuai looked at Shen Xihe with admiration.
Even he hadn’t thought of arranging such a clever beggar to watch outside his residence.
The current dynasty was prosperous and strong, but not without beggars. Among the Emperor’s many virtues, his refusal to whitewash reality was exemplary. The capital had established “Fields of Sorrow,” “Gardens for the Lonely,” and “Six Ailments Hall” for the elderly, young, sick, disabled, and abandoned.
But they wouldn’t forcibly clear the streets of beggars just to maintain an image of prosperity. As long as they didn’t cause trouble or gather in groups, the officials wouldn’t drive away the occasional beggar.
Most people viewed beggars as dirty, and insignificant as insects. They dismissed them more often than pitied them, never paying attention. Even if they noticed a beggar asking for alms outside the Princess’s residence daily, they’d at most attribute it to Shen Xihe’s kindness in not minding the ill fortune, never considering it worth noting, let alone guarding against.
This demonstrated her exceptional intelligence. Using a beggar not only showed her cleverness but also revealed her noble character – willing to employ talent regardless of status and showing no contempt for those of humble origins.
In his youth, when his mother was alive, she told him his future wife would be a noble lady from a distinguished family, the most outstanding in the capital – only such a woman would be worthy of him.
He had seen the Gu family’s daughter. At first sight, he wasn’t struck by her beauty but rather shocked by the deathly stillness in her eyes.
Shen Xihe was also cold, but her eyes held flowing water, gleaming with dazzling light.
He had thought about being a good husband, wondering why she was so isolated, thinking perhaps some people were simply born that way. He had planned to care for her more after marriage, hoping to bring her some happiness – not for love, but because as betrothed spouses, they should fulfill their responsibilities wholeheartedly.
Later… it became impossible.
After leaving the capital, he met all kinds of people, including those of exceptional intelligence and those blessed with both talent and beauty.
Until he met Shen Xihe. She was too unique, too brilliant. She possessed an invisible light that attracted those who sought brightness.
Shen Xihe folded the remaining two drawings – these also needed investigation, as the people behind these two were watching her every move: “The rest will have to wait for Cui Shaoqin.”
This comment made Xie Yunhuai’s eyes flicker: “Princess suspects the person whose body I examined was taken from prison?”
Shen Xihe folded the drawings and handed them to Bi Yu, turning to Xie Yunhuai with a slight smile and nod.
Only Xie Yunhuai understood why she wanted to find Cui Jinbai.
To investigate the capital’s prisons, her people couldn’t do it, nor could Bu Shulin. Forcing the issue would only bring trouble, and if others took advantage to cause problems, it would backfire. Cui Jinbai was the Junior Minister of the Court of Judicial Review – he had countless legitimate reasons to investigate, none of which would arouse suspicion.
“Junior Minister Cui is rather rigid,” Xie Yunhuai reminded her.