“If His Majesty wants to slay the snake, a direct attack would result in total casualties. You should stop His Majesty and suggest using poison to kill the snake,” Xiao Huayong was very pleased with Xiao Changgeng’s obedience.

“Yes,” Xiao Changgeng responded promptly and decisively.

Xiao Huayong turned his head and gently stroked the gyrfalcon’s wing: “You don’t ask why I want to use poison to kill the snake?”

“Please enlighten me, Seventh Brother,” Xiao Changgeng didn’t want to guess because no one could guess Xiao Huayong’s thoughts.

“If you want a noble reason, it’s because I am kind and virtuous, unwilling to see innocent sacrifice, unwilling to let good men who should protect home and country die needlessly,” Xiao Huayong’s lips curved slowly upward. “If you want the real reason, it’s because I want Changling to die in the giant snake’s belly.”

Xiao Changgeng suddenly raised his head, his pupils contracting.

Though Changling had bullied him since childhood and he disliked her, even wanting to teach her a lesson, he had never thought about letting her die like this.

“You must be wondering if the giant snake can bite Changling to death, why do I need you to carry out this poisoning scheme,” Xiao Huayong continued, ignoring Xiao Changgeng. “With a snake this size, its skin has become armor, and ordinary poison may not harm it. The only poison that can truly take its life is the one in my possession.”

Xiao Huayong didn’t want to expose himself and also worried that their plan might backfire – not only failing to poison the snake to death but enraging it into a frenzy, which would inevitably result in a bloodbath with countless casualties.

Each step was calculated meticulously, without any flaws or oversights.

While Xiao Changgeng was still shocked and trembling, Xiao Huayong’s smile took on a hint of malevolence: “Most importantly, this poison is sealed in a wax pill. Once it enters Changling’s body before she breathes her last, she’ll feel pain like a thousand arrows piercing her heart but won’t be able to die – only then can I vent the hatred in my heart.”

Xiao Changgeng retreated several steps again, his face pale as he struggled to speak: “Is it… because she hurt Princess Zhaoning?”

“Mm.” Xiao Huayong replied lazily, then continued casually, “Anyone in this world who sets their sights on her will meet the same fate.”

At this moment, Xiao Changgeng understood why Xiao Huayong had brought him to the Eastern Palace, and why he let him see his true face.

It was a warning, warning him to mind his boundaries, not to set his heart on Princess Zhaoning.

Though his limbs felt as heavy as lead, he still stood straight and bowed with difficulty to Xiao Huayong: “Twelfth Brother thanks Seventh Brother for the guidance.”

Hearing this, Xiao Huayong turned his head and asked: “What guidance did I give you?”

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Changgeng said: “Seventh Brother taught by example how to stay uninvolved while making others willingly serve one’s purposes.”

In this matter, though Xiao Huayong planned everything, no one would suspect him – he remained completely detached.

He would act according to Xiao Huayong’s arrangements, not out of fear, but because he couldn’t resist the temptation Xiao Huayong offered.

By suggesting to His Majesty to poison the snake, he would first demonstrate his intelligence and wisdom, and second win the favor of all the guards.

Having the opportunity to stand out while winning people’s hearts was what he desired most right now.

“Clever,” Xiao Huayong knew that personally cultivating someone in plain sight was an interesting affair.

“Is there anything else I can do for brother?” Xiao Changgeng asked again.

Xiao Huayong had given him such a great advantage – he could have asked anyone else to make the suggestion, but it would still be meritorious. There must be some reason why it was more advantageous for him to do it.

“If His Majesty asks what reward you want, say you want the snake’s gallbladder. I need the snake’s gallbladder,” Xiao Huayong said.

He couldn’t request the gallbladder himself, nor could he conveniently fall ill and need a hundred-year snake’s gallbladder. That would only make the suspicious emperor doubtful, especially since Changling had just caused Shen Xihe to fall into the water, and he had never hidden his affection for Shen Xihe. It would make the emperor suspect that Changling’s sudden jump into the water was his scheme.

Even if there was no evidence, it would make the emperor grow wary. Before finding the emperor’s secret army, he didn’t want to confront the emperor directly.

“Twelfth Brother understands,” Xiao Changgeng bowed deeply.

Xiao Huayong left with the gyrfalcon, and moments later news came of a fire in the storehouse, followed by Changling’s piercing scream across the sky, and news that she had frantically shouted about seeing ghosts before stealing a horse and galloping to jump into the pond.

The fear in Xiao Changgeng’s heart was deeper than what the giant snake had brought.

“Twelfth Prince, tell us how to use the poison?” Emperor Youning pulled back his thoughts.

Xiao Changgeng immediately came to his senses and respectfully said: “Fill chickens and ducks with deadly poison and drop them from above.”

It didn’t matter whether the snake would eat them or not. Based on what happened earlier, when they deployed the poison, the Crown Prince would surely summon the gyrfalcon again to provoke the snake. The snake would surely tear apart these objects dropped from above in its anger.

It had already swallowed Changling, so it was already poisoned – the chickens and ducks they would drop were just a front.

“This method is feasible,” the Second Prince, Prince Zhao Xiao Changmin agreed.

Since others didn’t object, Emperor Youning nodded: “We’ll do as suggested.”

When Emperor Youning returned to the traveling palace, Crown Prince Xiao Huayong, pale-faced and walking with difficulty, slowly followed a group of people. Seeing this, Emperor Youning spent quite some time comforting him. When Xiao Huayong learned of Changling’s fate, his eyes reddened with tears.

Watching from the side, Xiao Changgeng thought the Crown Prince’s acting skills were unmatched.

Back at the Eastern Palace, Xiao Huayong changed his demeanor completely, even strutting away brazenly in front of Xiao Changgeng.

When he returned to the mountain, the moon was high in the sky. Shen Xihe had just woken up, having caught a chill, looking somewhat sickly. After drinking a bowl of porridge, she didn’t want to sleep and sat by the cliff’s edge, lost in thought in the boundless night.

Not knowing what she was thinking about, Xiao Huayong walked to her side, yet she showed no reaction.

“Your Highness, why did you especially come to save me?” Shen Xihe had long smelled the medicinal scent belonging to Xiao Huayong in the night wind.

Xiao Huayong slowly sat down beside her, answering her question with another: “Why wouldn’t I save you?”

Shen Xihe slowly turned her head, her somewhat lifeless eyes meeting his gentle ones: “Your Highness, do you know what kind of person Zhaoning is?”

“A cold-hearted person,” Xiao Huayong looked at her seriously, not seeming to jest.

Shen Xihe lowered her eyes slightly, her lips relaxing, nodding then shaking her head: “Your Highness, Zhaoning is a cold-hearted person, Zhaoning doesn’t believe in romance between men and women; but Zhaoning is not heartless. Today’s life-saving grace from Your Highness, Zhaoning will be remembered. If one-day Zhaoning can give her life for Your Highness, Zhaoning won’t hesitate for even a moment.”

Xiao Huayong’s heart was stabbed again.

So she lay sleepless in the deep night, lost in thought here, only pondering what his motives were for saving her.

She had every kind of emotion – filial affection for her father and brothers, friendship for her associates, gratitude for those who helped her.

Only for young men did she lack romantic feelings, and she disdained and had no need for romance between men and women.