Early in the morning, Shen Xihe received a food box. Every dish from the Eastern Palace was exquisitely prepared and delicious. Tianyuan didn’t say much, only that His Highness had ordered it to be sent, and Shen Xihe accepted it directly and ate it.

“Your Highness, as per your instructions, there have been no merchant caravans transporting large quantities of goods to the capital recently,” Mo Yuan reported, having been dispatched by Shen Xihe to monitor merchant caravans.

Ever since learning that Xiao Huayong had gone to recover the autumn grain with plans to hide it and target the Ministry of Revenue, Shen Xihe had guessed what he intended to do—make His Majesty catch his people as thieves.

Therefore, the recovered autumn grain must be transported back. Shen Xihe had placed watchers on both water and land routes. With Xiao Huayong back in the capital, these goods should have arrived with him.

“Have there been any unusual occurrences lately?” Shen Xihe stood by the window, her gaze lowered to the miniature landscape before her.

Mo Yuan thought carefully: “Nothing unusual.”

Shen Xihe extended her hand—her fingertips were rounded, and due to her weakened condition, her nails had lost some of their pink hues, instead taking on the pure white of cold jade. Her neatly trimmed nails were undyed with safflower, bright white, and lustrous as she gently touched the leaves.

“There must be something different from usual, you just haven’t thought of it,” Shen Xihe smiled. “Why don’t you go ask at the Lonely Garden?”

Mo Yuan was also eager to know what he had overlooked and immediately headed to the Lonely Garden personally.

This place took in abandoned, lost, or orphaned children—some due to illness or disability, some who had been trafficked, with their relatives yet to be found.

Shen Xihe never donated money for incense at temples, but she would give clothes and food to the children here in all four seasons. She had done so in the Northwest and continued here, though always anonymously.

Mo Yuan also dressed differently when he went, delivering winter clothes prepared by Shen Xihe—winter was approaching in the capital.

When Mo Yuan returned, his face showed disbelief: “Your Highness, from what the children say, there seem to have been more funerals lately.”

Mo Yuan had encountered a funeral or two before, but with people marrying and dying every day, such events were common.

“Just a few more in the past two days, none yesterday or today.” How much grain could a few coffins hold? Even if they were all transporting grain, they couldn’t hold dozens of shi of grain—and hundreds of shi had gone missing!

“Why transport it all into the city?” Shen Xihe asked with a light smile. “Just ten or so she left as evidence would be enough to justify an investigation. Which noble official in court doesn’t have a few estates outside the city?”

“Go investigate whether the Minister of Revenue and his family own any estates, and pay close attention—you’ll surely discover something,” Shen Xihe instructed.

“Yes,” Mo Yuan acknowledged, then asked, “If we discover something, should we…?”

“Just inform me of the location if you find anything. No need for rash action. He doesn’t interfere with my affairs, and I won’t meddle in his,” Shen Xihe felt this was a form of mutual respect.

That night, Mo Yuan made some discoveries and reported them early the next morning. After hearing the report, Shen Xihe said: “Let this matter rest here. Take a good rest for a few days—in a few days, we’ll put on our show for His Highness.”

After Mo Yuan withdrew, Shen Xihe looked at the thick clouds covering the sky and sighed softly: “The weather is about to change.”

After waiting half an hour, expecting rain, the sun came out instead. Shen Xihe took Biyu with her to the palace again.

Early that morning, news of Xiao Huayong’s awakening had spread from the palace. Both emotionally and rationally, she should visit him.

With the Crown Prince awake, the Eastern Palace had fewer gathered physicians, and the Empress Dowager had returned to her own palace, making the Eastern Palace seem colder again.

Seeing Xiao Huayong again, Shen Xihe felt he had grown much thinner and expressed her concern: “How is Your Highness’s health?”

“Thank you for your concern, just somewhat tired,” Xiao Huayong smiled gently.

“I’ve come to ask Your Highness for just one thing today,” Shen Xihe nodded.

“Please speak,” Xiao Huayong replied.

“I wonder if Your Highness has another rattan incense cup?” Shen Xihe’s eyes held a smile. “Some time ago, Your Highness gave one to Zhaoning. Seeing the carving somewhat resembled myself, and thinking of being separated from Father, I gave it to him to ease his longing.

When my brother learned of this, he said I was showing favoritism, so I can only shamelessly ask Your Highness about another.”

Xiao Huayong: …

In all his years, Xiao Huayong had never felt such tightness in his chest as he did now!

He, who prided himself on his acting skills, never imagined there would come a day when he couldn’t maintain his smile!

“Ka-ka-ka-ka…” Tianyuan suddenly broke into violent coughing—he had tried so hard to hold back his laughter that he choked.

Meeting the Crown Prince’s meaningful gaze, Tianyuan coughed even harder.

“Is Guard Cao alright?” Shen Xihe asked with concern.

Tianyuan, coughing until he saw stars, finally knelt to apologize: “This servant was discourteous.”

“Go find a physician and get properly examined,” Xiao Huayong ordered expressionlessly.

Xiao Huayong possessed an innate dignified bearing—when he smiled, he was gentle and refined; when he didn’t, he didn’t need to deliberately show anger or coldness to make people inexplicably afraid.

Tianyuan’s interruption allowed the stunned Xiao Huayong to recover. For the first time, he refused Shen Xihe’s request: “Unfortunately, I only have one.”

Shen Xihe hadn’t intended to insist—she had just come to ask since the imperial palace had many treasures. She had also spent considerable money spreading the word outside but had received no response.

Afterward, Xiao Huayong’s attitude was notably cooler. Shen Xihe guessed he was probably unhappy that she had given away his gift. She didn’t explain further—it had been a congratulatory gift for her business opening, and regifting such presents was quite common.

Not wanting to make things awkward, she chatted briefly before taking her leave, and Xiao Huayong didn’t try to keep her.

Only after Shen Xihe left did he sit holding another rattan incense cup carved with his likeness, his expression slightly dark.

After brooding for quite a while, he smiled self-mockingly: “I’m being oversensitive.”

With her personality, such an action was entirely normal. If he got upset over this, wouldn’t he end up truly fainting from anger in the future?

“Why doesn’t Your Highness tell the Princess about the Snow Lotus?” Tianyuan, sensing that Xiao Huayong was no longer angry, finally dared to speak.

“Telling her now would be the worst strategy,” Xiao Huayong lowered his head, gazing at his cup. “It would only make her uncomfortable and cause her to withdraw. Even if she didn’t withdraw, she would find other ways to repay this favor.”

He wouldn’t tell her now. He would wait until she began to value him, then let others deliver the revelation for maximum impact.

He said he wouldn’t force her response because he had never planned for the possibility of not getting her response.

If her heart was cold, he would use every method to warm it; if she had no heart, he would split his own in half and let it seep into her body like spring rain!

Placing the rattan incense cup on the table before him, he rested his hand, with its three bandaged fingers, upon it: “Sooner or later, I’ll make her come to ask for it back herself.”