HomeAfter I Bloom Hundred Flowers DieChapter 18: The Scent of Agarwood

Chapter 18: The Scent of Agarwood

“He wants to have the imperial soldiers kill the Princess under the pretense of eliminating bandits!” Zhenzhu exclaimed in shock.

Shen Xihe’s gaze shifted slightly, falling on the wafting incense smoke as she lifted the corner of her lips: “Why not? They would be credited for eliminating bandits, and these outlaws’ deaths would conveniently silence any witnesses.”

Were all imperial princes so deeply calculating?

Zhenzhu, though quick-witted herself, had never encountered such machinations. Now startled, she stammered: “How would they explain this to the Prince and the Young Master if something happened to the Princess…”

“Explain?” Shen Xihe shook her head with a light laugh, “The Princess Zhaoning didn’t stay with her escort guards, instead wandering into the wilderness…”

Raising her head to look outside, Shen Xihe continued: “Do you know Doctor Qi’s true identity?”

“Isn’t Doctor Qi just a countryside physician?” Zhenzhu had harbored doubts, after all, Xie Yunhuai’s bearing revealed his noble origins at a glance. She had assumed he came from a fallen noble house, but now it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“He is Xie Yunhuai,” Shen Xihe said softly. “If we both die here, they can easily label it as an elopement. Then it won’t be the court explaining to Father, but Father explaining to the court.”

Although Princess Zhaoning’s marriage wasn’t officially decreed upon entering the capital, Emperor Youning and Shen Yueshan had already reached an implicit agreement.

For the future imperial daughter-in-law, whose position was virtually guaranteed, to elope in disregard of the imperial family’s face – it would be entirely reasonable to charge her with offending imperial dignity.

A common village man wouldn’t fit the elopement narrative, but Xie Yunhuai would make it perfectly plausible.

“This is Xiao Changqin’s scheme,” Shen Xihe sighed again.

Xiao Changqin always planned thoroughly before acting. When he did act, his strategies were invariably complete. If he were to become emperor, he would surely be a wise ruler.

However, she and Xiao Changqin were destined to be enemies.

She didn’t hate Xiao Changqin, just as she had said that day – the Gu family and the imperial family had reached an irreconcilable point.

If the Gu family won, Emperor Youning would become a puppet, and these princes would disappear one by one without a trace. Especially now that Gu Qingzhi was unexpectedly pregnant – if she bore a son, even Xiao Changqin’s life would be in danger.

There was no right or wrong, only circumstances forcing their hands.

Emperor Youning needed to maintain imperial power, the Gu family needed to maintain the power of the scholar-official class. One side had to lose.

Not hating him didn’t mean she could calmly accept him again – after all, countless lives stood between them, impossible to cross over.

“Is Prince Xin so wary of the Princess? To go to such lengths to arrange her death?” Zhenzhu felt it was excessive.

Even if Shen Xihe was destined to oppose them in the future, even if they were annoyed that she had stolen the evidence the Fierce Prince had worked hard to gather, even if they wanted to warn her – it seemed unnecessary to mobilize so many connections, risking exposure of their power.

“For me alone, it wouldn’t be worth it,” Shen Xihe put down her bamboo fan. “He wants to see who stands behind me.”

To force out the person they assumed she had intercepted the rouge case evidence for. If successful, they might even reclaim the evidence.

Zhenzhu was about to say something when she heard a series of thuds outside. She carefully lifted a corner of the carriage curtain.

She saw the bandits suddenly turning pale, some clutching their chests, others gritting their teeth to endure, their attacks becoming extremely clumsy. Shen Xihe’s carriage driver was an exceptional warrior, and Xie Yunhuai’s martial arts had improved immensely during his years in the jianghu.

Soon, the attackers showed signs of faltering, some fleeing while grabbing their chests.

“Fierce bandits ahead engaging in combat, kill without mercy!” At that moment, torches lit up in the distance, and with a stern shout, a group of imperial soldiers charged forward.

Events unfolded exactly as Shen Xihe had predicted. She watched these men gallop forward, their fierce expressions no less savage than real bandits, yet remained completely composed.

She extinguished the incense burner and was about to release a signal ball when she heard rapid hoofbeats approaching from behind.

Removing the copper plate and lifting the carriage cover, she saw a silver figure flash past her eyes, followed by a subtle yet elegant and noble fragrance that brushed past her nose.

“The scent of agarwood…” Shen Xihe quickly rushed forward and lifted the carriage curtain, just in time to see that silver figure sweep their silver sword at the charging imperial soldiers.

In the cold night light, three heads flew into the air, blood spraying.

The ruthless display scattered the momentum of those behind, who pulled their horses to a halt. Before the leader could question, the person in the silver-white cape, back turned to Shen Xihe, spoke first in a deep voice: “Official business of the Embroidered Uniform Guard – who are you people?”

It was an Embroidered Uniform Guard – one of the Emperor’s close attendants!

When an Embroidered Uniform Guard appeared, it always signified earth-shattering matters.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard, who answered only to the Emperor’s commands, investigated corruption, supervised all officials, could directly imprison anyone below the third rank, held military tokens, and had the authority to deploy troops – their very mention made civil and military officials change color with fear.

“Forgive this official’s offense, Guard. This lowly official had no intention to interfere.” Those who had been fierce as evil spirits just moments ago, who had dared to attempt the assassination of a current Princess, now became as meek as cats before this Embroidered Uniform Guard, dismounting trembling: “This official was ordered here to eliminate bandits.”

“Eliminate bandits?” The silver-robed Guard turned to glance at the carriage, his gaze sweeping over the fallen figures. “Are there still mountain bandits here requiring official intervention?”

The minor official leading the group wore an embarrassed expression: “The Guard’s words are most correct. This lowly official’s information was mistaken.”

The silver-robed Guard turned his horse toward the carriage. As his face became clearer in the night light, Shen Xihe unconsciously furrowed her brow.

This Guard had handsome features and stern facial features, yet they seemed completely mismatched with his eyes – those silver-gleaming pupils that contained hidden radiance, as deep as an abyss or ocean.

“Who is in the carriage?” the silver-robed Guard called out clearly.

“Reporting to Your Excellency, we common folk were passing through this area, intending to return to the city when we encountered robbers.” Zhenzhu descended from the carriage and handed over their travel documents.

The Guard accepted them and glanced through briefly. Shen Xihe, sitting in the carriage, clearly caught a fleeting smile at the corner of his lips.

“Set out then, any later and you won’t be able to enter the city.” The Guard returned the documents to Zhenzhu and guided his horse to the side.

He had brought four men, who all moved their horses to the roadside. Seeing this, the government officials naturally also made way.

The carriage driver and Xie Yunhuai mounted the carriage, which slowly moved forward. Shen Xihe lifted the window curtain, meeting those unfathomably deep eyes for an instant.

“Princess, with the Embroidered Uniform Guard here, should we send word to Mo Yuan to ask if something major has happened?” Zhenzhu, having grown up in the Northwest, also knew that the Embroidered Uniform Guard didn’t appear without reason.

“No need.” Shen Xihe’s mind still held those unprecedented eyes. “Perhaps… he was just passing by…”

“The Embroidered Uniform Guard never concerns themselves with trivial matters,” Xie Yunhuai suddenly spoke from outside the carriage.

In situations like this, which had never occurred before, an Embroidered Uniform Guard would not linger for ordinary people.

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