“Concubine Liang, might I have a word?” Shen Xihe asked.

Concubine Liang was surprised – previously, Princess Zhaoning had never paid them any attention. Even when they met in the palace, she would only offer distant greetings to fulfill protocol before leaving as if they were invisible. Had the sun risen from the west today?

With such thoughts in mind, Concubine Liang glanced up at the sun before gesturing to her attending palace maids and eunuchs.

Adjusting her shawl, she followed Shen Xihe to a spot sheltered by trees: “What matter brings the Princess here?”

Shen Xihe raised her hand, fingers spread, letting the incense ball hanging from them dangle: “Does Concubine Liang recognize this item?”

As the incense ball rotated in Shen Xihe’s hand, Concubine Liang noticed the scratch on the lotus pod, her eyes flickering: “I don’t recognize it.”

“Lady Liang personally told me she gave this to Concubine Liang,” Shen Xihe asked, “Would Concubine Liang like to dispute this before His Majesty?”

Concubine Liang’s expression shifted slightly: “Even if it is mine, what of it?”

“This item nearly cost me my life,” Shen Xihe’s gaze turned cold.

Concubine Liang snatched it away and smashed it to the ground: “The Princess jests. How could a common item endanger the Princess’s life? The Princess speaks of attempted murder – where is your evidence? And how did you obtain this item?”

Shen Xihe calmly observed Concubine Liang’s reaction before suddenly stating: “Zhaoning was the last person to see Madam Bian.”

Concubine Liang’s breath caught, but having spent over twenty years in the palace, she had mastered controlling her expressions: “Princess, I am an Imperial Concubine of the Second Rank. How dare you make baseless accusations?”

Shen Xihe gave her a light glance, looked at the broken incense ball, curved her lips slightly, and left without another word.

After Shen Xihe and her group departed, Concubine Liang’s palace maid came forward. Spotting the incense ball on the ground, she picked it up, saw the scratch, and her face paled: “Your Grace, the Princess, she…”

“What if she knows? Can she lay hands on me?” Concubine Liang laughed coldly with composure.

“Might she move against the Prince?” the palace maid worried.

Concubine Liang sneered: “She’s just like her mother, too proud. Otherwise, why would she need to come to question me personally?”

“Why did you admit to it?” The palace maid felt there were many ways to dismiss the Princess.

The Princess’s fierce reputation was well known, each incident more shocking than the last. Just thinking about how she had mutilated Duchess Kang’s spy before sending them back to the Kang residence made one shudder.

“I had no choice but to admit it,” Concubine Liang shook her head slightly, “All of you need to be more careful.”

Back in her carriage, Biyu, who hadn’t accompanied Shen Xihe to test Concubine Liang, asked: “Princess, was it Concubine Liang?”

“Yes,” Shen Xihe coldly uttered the single word.

Although the item was given to Concubine Liang by Liang Danpu, Shen Xihe didn’t immediately move against Concubine Liang, because when she acted, she never left room for survival – Xiao Changyu’s escape was only possible through extreme cleverness and courage.

She wouldn’t allow herself to harm the innocent, which was why Shen Xihe came to ask in person. Though Concubine Liang didn’t directly admit it, her attitude told Shen Xihe this was her doing, so Shen Xihe now had no reservations.

Did Concubine Liang think being in the deep palace would protect her?

How utterly naive!

When Shen Xihe wanted someone’s life, unless she changed her mind, that person had no path to survival!

“Your Highness, it was Concubine Liang!” Tiangyuan was also incredulous.

After hearing this, Xiao Huayong thought carefully, then suddenly nodded: “It does make sense.”

“Just because the Princess punished the Liang family’s daughter?” Tiangyuan felt Concubine Liang couldn’t care that much about Lady Liang.

“There’s more to it than that,” Xiao Huayong knew some past events, “Concubine Liang and Youyou’s mother Lady Tao were close friends before marriage, and both had feelings for the Prince of the Northwest.”

Tiangyuan’s eyes brightened – he loved stories, especially these kinds of romantic entanglements. Just as he hoped His Highness would say more, he met the Prince’s coolly amused gaze, and immediately shrank his neck.

A misstep – he’d forgotten this romantic affair involved the Princess’s parents.

Out of respect for the Princess, His Highness wouldn’t elaborate on this to him. Tiangyuan quickly changed the subject: “With Concubine Liang in the palace, and the Princess being someone who clearly distinguishes between gratitude and grudges, won’t Your Highness help?”

“This person wants her life – in what capacity should I help?” Xiao Huayong countered.

He did want to stand up for her, to rage against heaven and earth for his beloved, even if it meant moving against his father’s concubine, but how could he dare?

If he dared to act, she would teach him a lesson the very next day!

“Ah…” Xiao Huayong sighed softly, “You don’t understand the heartache of having such a brilliant person as the object of one’s affection.”

Tiangyuan: …

Your Highness, please don’t let your smile spread so wide – I won’t believe your supposed melancholy!

Then, Xiao Huayong’s smile diminished somewhat, this time genuinely relieved: “Fortunately…”

What was fortunate, Xiao Huayong didn’t say, but Tiangyuan could guess something from the tasks His Highness had assigned these past days.

Perhaps traumatized by the incident with Second Lady Rong, His Highness had feared the Princess’s trouble might be due to him, thoroughly investigating his close subordinates, even letting those who noticed think there were spies between them, leading to much mutual testing.

Now that the truth was revealed – that it was Concubine Liang’s doing – His Highness could naturally breathe easier.

If it had been his trusted subordinate, how could he face the Princess in the future?

The Princess had become so important to His Highness that even a slight disturbance concerning her could throw him into complete disarray.

When Shen Xihe returned to her residence, she received another basket of pomegranates from the Eastern Palace. The Eastern Palace’s pomegranates were sweet and juicy – when Hong Yu crushed them for juice to make pastries, they were particularly delicious.

This time it wasn’t Cao Tiangyuan who delivered them, but an Eastern Palace eunuch: “His Highness said the red pomegranates look cheerful, and hopes the Princess will look at them often to lift her spirits.”

Probably knowing about her palace matters, he sent pomegranates to cheer her up and let her know that if she needed anything, she could ask him.

“Convey my thanks to His Highness,” Shen Xihe accepted them.

The eunuch didn’t leave, instead hesitantly adding: “His Highness wondered if the Princess might have time to prepare more dumpling filling.”

They’d finished the previous batch, and when the Eastern Palace made them, His Highness said the taste wasn’t right – he couldn’t forget the Princess’s dumpling filling.

“Tell His Highness I’ll deliver it personally when I next enter the palace.”

Shen Xihe didn’t expose Xiao Huayong’s little scheme. Such harmless matters, with give and take, she was willing to… hmm, indulge him once or twice.

After dismissing the Eastern Palace eunuch, Shen Xihe called for Sui Axi: “I notice you understand medicines well, especially poisons. Make me a poison that only works through wounds, and make its effects as slow as possible.”

“Slow-acting poisons require daily administration to be fatal,” Sui Axi replied.

“No, I want it to be certainly fatal, but take three to five days to take effect,” Shen Xihe specified.