Being a woman herself, she knew this world was already too unfair to women. Why must they, like Yu Xiaodie, have to sell their bodies to gain a chance at survival?

Women are naturally tenderhearted, and they inevitably develop feelings for men with whom they’ve shared intimacy unless that man has harmed them. If there was no harm done, forcing them to choose between love and loyalty – isn’t that incredibly cruel?

“Rather than utilizing women, I prefer to make use of men,” Shen Xihe’s lips curved slightly.

A woman sent to Xiao Changfeng’s side would at most become a bedside companion, and not every man lets his guard down or reveals secrets to such companions. But it’s different with sworn brothers – they would be appreciated, trusted, and even confided in!

Moreover, Xiao Changfeng’s father had just passed away. Although he had already observed three years of mourning ten years ago, as a son, Shen Xihe felt he might observe it again. Even if he didn’t mourn for his father, his grandmother wouldn’t last many more days, and he would need to observe a year of mourning for her.

At such a time, how could he easily be moved by female charms?

“The Princess speaks wisely.” Zhenzhu suddenly realized her vision wasn’t broad enough, far inferior to the Princess’s. “Shall this servant go find Mo Yuan to arrange someone?”

“No, we can’t use our people,” Shen Xihe rejected.

Zhenzhu was startled: “If we don’t use our people, how will they work for us?”

Shen Xihe pondered for a moment before going to the study. Without needing instructions, Zhenzhu began grinding ink for Shen Xihe, while Biyu laid out paper. Shen Xihe drew a portrait of a man past thirty, expressionless, with a full beard.

“Lu Bing!” Only Zhenzhu recognized this person.

This was a wandering warrior they had encountered with Shen Xihe two years ago. However, this person had been gravely injured and dying. Zhenzhu, who understood medicine, examined his injuries at Shen Xihe’s command, but Zhenzhu couldn’t save him. Lu Bing had asked Shen Xihe and Zhenzhu to handle his burial and gave Shen Xihe a flexible sword and his weapons.

Shen Xihe buried him and gave the flexible sword he had gifted her to Shen Yun’an. As for his weapons, they were a pair of maces.

Lu Bing had entrusted Shen Xihe to find a suitable person to give them to, not letting the precious weapons gather dust.

Shen Xihe hadn’t found anyone yet, and she had brought these maces to the capital.

After finishing the drawing, Shen Xihe took it to Sui Axi: “I want you to transform someone to look like this person. Approximately how long would it take?”

“That depends on how similar the person being transformed is to him. The more similar, the easier it will be,” Sui Axi said.

Shen Xihe had long wanted to witness Sui Axi’s transformation skills. She had Mo Yuan take Sui Axi to personally select someone.

Then she wrote a letter to Shen Yun’an, asking him to carefully inquire with the person who had prepared Lu Bing’s body about any birthmarks he might have had.

She wanted to create a Lu Bing to send to Xiao Changfeng’s side – a skilled warrior with no family or ties, who had seen through the dangers of the martial world and wandered the four seas. She didn’t believe Xiao Changfeng wouldn’t be moved!

Sui Axi selected someone from among Shen Xihe’s guards, saying it would take three months to succeed.

After arranging this matter, it wasn’t long before Xiao Huayong’s coming-of-age ceremony arrived.

The Crown Prince’s ceremony was extremely grand, to be held in the ancestral temple, for which the Ministry of Rites had specially renovated the temple.

The Crown Prince’s coming-of-age was no ordinary matter. This wasn’t a simple ceremony – like an emperor assuming personal rule, only after the ceremony could he formally touch power.

Shen Xihe had originally thought something would certainly go wrong at this ceremony, but whether it was because Xiao Huayong acted too well, neither the Youning Emperor nor the other princes thought to disrupt this ceremony.

It should be known that if Xiao Huayong’s ceremony wasn’t completed, even if the Youning Emperor suddenly passed away and he smoothly ascended the throne because he hadn’t held the coming-of-age ceremony, he would only be a puppet emperor. The ministers would use ritual law as restraints to legitimately bypass his imperial power.

The nine-chapter crimson robe, five chapters on the upper garment, four chapters on the lower garment; white gauze middle garment, leather belt with gold hooks.

The crown and imperial robe on his head, with nine strands of white pearls that only the Crown Prince could wear hanging down, covering half his face, preventing people from seeing the sharp light in his eyes.

This was Shen Xihe’s first time seeing Xiao Huayong in a formal dress. His steps were steady, and as he walked, the white pearls hanging from his crown swayed gently, surrounded by glorious light, making his somewhat pale face exceptionally handsome and peerless.

This was probably also the first time the civil and military officials truly regarded the Crown Prince, discovering that with the crown and imperial robe, the Crown Prince had a tall figure, a face like white jade, with the dignified and noble bearing of the imperial family’s legitimate son that other princes’ coming-of-age ceremonies couldn’t compare to.

The final part of the ceremony was for the Great Guest to give Xiao Huayong his courtesy name. Naturally, only His Majesty had the right to choose the Crown Prince’s courtesy name; the Director of the Imperial Clan Court, serving as the Great Guest, merely conveyed it.

“The ceremonies being complete, on this auspicious day of this fine month, I announce your courtesy name shall be Beichen.”

When the two characters “Beichen” were spoken, everyone’s spirits were shaken.

The Analects of Confucius says: “He who exercises government using his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it!”

Governing the world through virtue, like the North Star, standing in the supreme position, making all stars revolve around it.

What high expectations these were! Fortunately, Xiao Huayong was the Crown Prince, the legitimate heir, otherwise, this name alone would have been enough to push him into a dangerous position.

The officials all contained their thoughts, weighing in their hearts the Emperor’s determination to pass the throne to Xiao Huayong, wondering if they should start considering early allegiance to the Crown Prince’s banner.

Just as everyone’s thoughts were drifting, Xiao Huayong suddenly began coughing violently, as if excited to the point that his handsome face turned red, and finally caught his breath wrong and collapsed.

The court officials who had just been wavering, seeing the Crown Prince in this state, immediately killed any inappropriate thoughts!

This caused a commotion, and the Youning Emperor also strode forward to support Xiao Huayong. Xiao Huayong spoke with difficulty, full of gratitude and even seemingly with tears in his eyes: “Son… thanks Father… for bestowing the courtesy name.”

“Don’t speak anymore,” the Youning Emperor comforted Xiao Huayong before shouting, “Imperial Physician!”

There were still some concluding parts to the ceremony, such as paying respects to his brothers, but the Crown Prince obviously couldn’t continue. His Majesty threw a sharp glance at the Minister of Rites, who immediately announced the ceremony complete, stating that tomorrow they would pay respects to His Highness the Crown Prince in Qinzheng Hall.

After the Crown Prince’s coming-of-age ceremony, according to custom, at the foot of the Dragon-Coiled Stone Steps in the court assembly hall, all civil and military officials, including imperial clan princes, would perform the four-bow grand ceremony to the Crown Prince.

Shen Xihe watched as the Youning Emperor led Xiao Huayong back to the palace. As a woman, she shouldn’t have been present and could only attend the banquet later, but Xiao Huayong had specially invited her, so she wore men’s clothing and watched him complete the ceremony. From now on, he was no longer a youth, but truly a man!

“Princess, watching the Crown Prince’s ceremony so openly, aren’t you leaving yourself no way out?” As soon as Shen Xihe came out, she met Xiao Changying who was staring intently at her.

“So in Prince Lie’s eyes, Zhaoning is someone who shifts loyalty with the changing wind?” Shen Xihe smiled faintly. “I must disappoint Your Highness, Zhaoning’s heart remains unchanged.”