Changling might be arrogant and willful, but she wasn’t completely without cunning. Having lived in the palace for years, among the guards searching for Shen Xihe were surely some acting under Changling’s instructions.
“How dare I underestimate members of the royal family,” Shen Xihe said weakly, leaning on Xiao Huayong’s shoulder.
Xiao Huayong’s shoulder stiffened slightly. He pressed his lips together silently and quickly carried her away.
Shen Xihe opened her mouth, but ultimately couldn’t resist the darkness that overtook her as she relaxed, fainting in Xiao Huayong’s arms.
With people all along the path back to the palace pavilion, Xiao Huayong simply carried Shen Xihe up the mountain. Behind the mountain cliff was an extremely hidden and dilapidated thatched hut. He brought Shen Xihe inside, immediately started a fire, and looked at her unconscious, soaking-wet form.
He removed his outer robe, quickly memorized how Shen Xihe’s clothes were arranged, held her waist sash, closed his eyes, and carefully removed all her wet clothes by memory, wrapping her in his robe before opening his eyes.
Seeing her pale lips and slightly trembling form, he carefully held her in his arms and added more wood to the fire. Before light could penetrate through the cliff’s crevices, Xiao Huayong had sent out a signal.
Tian Yuan had arranged for people to find Mo Yu and Sui Axi and give them prepared bundles, leading them to this location. Though it took only about two hours, Xiao Huayong waited with an expression dark as water.
Just as he was contemplating murder, Mo Yu and the others arrived. Xiao Huayong put Shen Xihe down and stepped out: “Change Youyou’s clothes.”
Xiao Huayong’s signal had been ice blue – Tian Yuan knew this meant water was involved and had prepared clothes and medicine for colds, including Purple Snow Pills which were excellent for reducing fever.
The clothes were Xiao Huayong’s, extremely loose on Shen Xihe. Sui Axi checked her pulse and found she had caught a cold. Fortunately, he was skilled in acupuncture, particularly adept at expelling cold energy – otherwise, Shen Xihe might have developed a chronic condition.
“Your Highness, this servant will take the Princess back to the palace pavilion,” Mo Yu said after everything was properly arranged.
“Is there anything seriously wrong with the Princess?” Xiao Huayong asked Sui Axi.
“Your Highness, the Princess has caught a severe cold. She was already weak, and this has further depleted her energy. She needs careful nurturing. The injuries on her body are not serious and won’t leave scars,” Sui Axi replied.
“Would it be harmful for her to recover here?” Xiao Huayong asked again.
Sui Axi hesitated briefly: “I can write a list, and have Miss Mo Yu make another trip. It should be fine.”
He understood why Xiao Huayong wanted Shen Xihe to stay on the mountain for a day – to let everyone know Princess Changling had endangered Shen Xihe’s life. The longer they delayed, the more worried people would be, and the heavier Princess Changling’s punishment would become.
Additionally, no one would disturb Shen Xihe’s recovery. Though the place was crude, after some tidying up it might not be worse than the treacherous palace pavilion.
“Take this to see Tian Yuan. He will prepare everything needed,” Xiao Huayong gave Mo Yu a jade pendant.
Mo Yu returned with Xiao Huayong’s people, while Sui Axi and Xiao Huayong remained. Sui Axi cleaned thoroughly and sprinkled some beast-repelling powder at the entrance.
An hour later, the sea eagle’s cry came from behind the cliff. It was carrying a huge bundle, which it dropped when it saw Xiao Huayong at the cliff’s edge.
Sui Axi looked at Xiao Huayong, and after receiving his signal, went to unpack it. Inside were bedding, with a hanging pot, medicinal herbs, food ingredients, water skins, bowls, and chopsticks in the middle. Sui Axi could barely lift it – he’d heard the sea eagle could carry a full-grown deer, and now knew the rumors weren’t false.
Sui Axi immediately began brewing medicine, while Xiao Huayong kept Shen Xihe in his arms, constantly watching for any changes in her condition.
When Sui Axi brought the medicine, Xiao Huayong took it and fed it to her bit by bit. Shen Xihe was still slightly conscious and could swallow on her own. Sui Axi then went to cook porridge.
Mo Yu arrived with two rabbits just as Sui Axi finished cooking the porridge. She reported to Xiao Huayong: “The Fourth Princess has been punished to kneel in His Majesty’s court hall. Many people saw the sea eagle fighting with the giant snake and are saying the Princess fell into the deep pool and became the snake’s meal.”
Xiao Huayong listened expressionlessly. After the sea eagle delivered the bedding, he wrapped Shen Xihe tightly in it.
“His Majesty has ordered the snake to be killed,” Mo Yu added finally.
Such a monster appearing in the royal hunting grounds, witnessed by many people, would surely cause fear in the future. With the camp below the mountain, if the giant snake left this area and went down the mountain, the consequences would be hard to predict. Moreover, rumors were spreading that Princess Zhaoning had died in the snake’s mouth.
If they truly couldn’t find Shen Xihe, this would be a good explanation.
Xiao Huayong remained unresponsive as if all this was within his expectations.
Once the giant snake had shown itself, Emperor Youning wouldn’t allow it to live. Such a creature would easily spark supernatural rumors, especially with so many witnesses. If the endless gossip wasn’t suppressed quickly, who knew how many malicious rumors about the royal hunting grounds might be stirred up by those with ulterior motives.
If it only harmed people, that would be one thing, but they feared it would harm the emperor and the peace of the realm.
Xiao Huayong was thinking that this snake must be a hundred years old – he happened to need a hundred-year snake gallbladder.
“When will His Majesty kill the snake?” Xiao Huayong asked.
“Tomorrow at the latest,” Mo Yu replied, delivering Tian Yuan’s message, who had anticipated Xiao Huayong would ask.
“Take good care of Youyou,” Xiao Huayong instructed Mo Yu before leaving.
That night, while most people were still searching the mountains for Shen Xihe, the palace pavilion’s storehouse caught fire for unknown reasons. As it contained everyone’s food supplies, except for one squad left to protect His Majesty, all the palace servants ran to fight the fire.
Princess Changling, dizzy from kneeling, found her watchers gone and tried to get up to slack off. Suddenly, a person wearing a Kunlun slave mask appeared, frightening her into a sharp scream: “Ghost!”
She was knocked unconscious after screaming and quickly abducted. From the bushes emerged a woman of similar build and identical dress, who ran out limping, hair disheveled, rushing past palace maids and guards who had returned upon hearing the princess’s voice.
Everyone who gave chase only saw her steal a horse and gallop wildly away, ignoring the guards’ attempts to stop her, racing all the way to the waterfall’s edge where she abandoned the horse and leaped down. The pursuers heard only a huge splash and saw some water droplets fly up.
“Quickly report to His Majesty, the Princess has jumped into the water!”
In the ensuing chaos, some went back to report while others quickly pursued downward. No one saw a person emerge from the side and swiftly leave in another direction.
Princess Changling was awakened by a bucket of cold water. Seeing Xiao Huayong standing before her, her expression changed dramatically. She tried to scream but found herself mute.
Xiao Huayong gave her an extremely gentle yet eerily disturbing smile, personally feeding her several wax pills: “His Majesty will kill the snake tomorrow. You shall perform a meritorious service for His Majesty.”
These wax pills were all filled with deadly poison. When they threw her into the deep pool, the giant snake would surely be poisoned after eating her.