Henan Prefecture was close to the capital, and Prince Zhao, not daring to delay, arrived travel-worn after just a day and a half, carrying His Majesty’s imperial edict.

Shen Xihe gave him only enough time to wash up and change clothes before seeking an audience.

Xiao Changmin had seen Shen Xihe before – at Imperial Consort Rong’s chrysanthemum banquet and the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration. Without a doubt, Shen Xihe was a beauty, but the cool detachment she exuded and that air of solitary pride as she moved through the world displeased him.

“If the Princess has come regarding the Yu Zao grave robbing case, this prince has already obtained evidence and will handle it impartially,” Xiao Changmin stated first.

Shen Xihe smiled faintly. She lifted her tea and took an unhurried sip before speaking: “Your Highness, this crime condemns nine generations of family, and Your Highness is among those nine generations. His Majesty will not show leniency for Your Highness’s sake. Such conduct must be severely punished to prevent future occurrences.

If so, His Majesty will order Your Highness to divorce your wife, and Your Highness’s legitimate son – His Majesty’s eldest grandson – will become doubly illegitimate. Even if he maintains his position as the eldest, he will no longer catch His Majesty’s eye.”

Emperor Youning had many adult sons, and many had taken wives, but among his grandsons, only Xiao Changmin had one, considered the eldest grandson, occasionally summoned to demonstrate imperial favor.

“Has the Princess come to mock this prince?” Xiao Changmin’s expression darkened.

He had known all this already – from the moment he learned of Yu Zao’s misdeeds, he knew this matter was irreversible. But he couldn’t sacrifice his legitimate son to be buried alongside the Yu family just to preserve his son’s legitimacy, could he?

Shen Xihe gazed forward, seemingly unaware of Xiao Changmin’s barely contained displeasure: “Grave robbing – unless Your Highness kills your son, the common people who suffered from the tomb desecration will never forget that Your Highness’s eldest son is a Yu family descendant. Your Highness cannot wash away this stain in this lifetime.

But if Your Highness were to let your eldest son die young, how would the civil and military officials, not to mention His Majesty, view Your Highness?”

Shen Xihe slowly turned her head, her obsidian-like deep pupils fixed on Xiao Changmin.

“What exactly is the Princess’s meaning?” Xiao Changmin’s hand gripped the armrest, veins pulsing on the back of his hand, his face completely stern.

“I’ve come to offer Your Highness a solution to reverse your predicament,” Shen Xihe spoke softly. “Though it’s somewhat risky – it depends on whether Your Highness dares.”

Xiao Changmin narrowed his eyes, studying Shen Xihe, disbelieving she would be so kind.

“I’m naturally not doing this for Your Highness, but because I stand to gain something myself,” Shen Xihe wasn’t afraid to lay it all out – he would learn everything after meeting Yu Zao anyway. “This way, Your Highness and I each get what we need, and Your Highness can also learn who plotted against you from behind the scenes.”

“Each gets what we need?” Xiao Changmin laughed after hearing this, his laughter somewhat cold. “The Princess gains all the advantages while I must bear everything and leave a handle in the Princess’s grasp. The Princess takes this prince for a fool to be deceived.”

“All the advantages?” Shen Xihe gave a short laugh. “I merely wish to know who’s behind this – knowing or not knowing makes little difference to me for now. For Your Highness, it means clearing your name and achieving merit.

If this succeeds, Your Highness gains great merit, preserves your reputation and the Yu family, and can even achieve revenge. The many benefits need not be listed – by reason and righteousness, Your Highness should handle this personally.”

With that, Shen Xihe stood up: “How to decide – Your Highness may choose freely. I won’t influence you either way.”

With a silent courtesy, Shen Xihe left as quickly as she had come.

“Princess, will Prince Zhao agree?” Zhenzhu asked somewhat uncertainly, feeling it was truly too dangerous.

“Fortune favors the bold. In this world, we make choices at every moment – as long as the benefits outweigh the risks, some dangers are worth taking,” Shen Xihe’s eyes danced with laughter, the rippling light entrancing. “As long as he has even a hint of unwillingness to submit, a hint of ambition, he will agree.”

Zhenzhu watched Shen Xihe slowly descend the steps ahead of her. The Princess had always been clever, but she never used to focus on understanding people’s hearts. Who knew if it was from prolonged contact with His Highness the Crown Prince – one takes on the color of one’s company – when calculating against others, both the Princess and His Highness the Crown Prince had this same air of casual certainty of victory.

Shen Xihe had barely returned to the post station when Mo Yuan came running to report: “Princess, the County Commander’s martial skills are considerable – he nearly escaped several times. He alarmed others, so we quickly moved him.”

“Where to?” Shen Xihe asked.

Mo Yuan: “Found an abandoned temple, posted guards.”

“Let’s take a look.” Shen Xihe turned and boarded her carriage.

Their carriage had barely left the post station when Mo Yuan detected followers. Shen Xihe lifted the carriage curtain and told Mo Yuan: “Go inform them – whoever continues following me will be considered plotting against me, treated as a criminal, and killed without mercy.”

Shen Xihe’s threat proved very effective – soon no one dared follow. She accompanied Mo Yuan to the abandoned temple where she saw the County Commander bound tightly, his mouth also thoroughly gagged.

Shen Xihe looked, and the County Commander’s gag was removed. He glared at Shen Xihe with murderous eyes: “Princess, you’ve privately abducted an imperial official – do you know the punishment is either eighty strokes of the heavy bamboo or ten years’ imprisonment!”

“The County Commander knows the law well, quite unlike ordinary military officials,” Shen Xihe praised sincerely.

Just considering Shen Yun’an and Shen Yueshan – they could recite military law backward and forwards but would doze off just looking at regular laws, father and son exactly alike.

The County Commander glared in fury.

Shen Xihe spoke with some regret: “The County Commander commands a county’s forces and must have assisted the County Magistrate with many kidnapping cases. Yet you don’t know what it means when a kidnapping victim sees the mastermind?”

The County Commander stared at Shen Xihe in disbelief: “You dare—”

She dared, actually dared to kill him!

“I do not enjoy killing,” Shen Xihe sighed softly. “If you had been more docile and not pushed things to this point, I might have handed you over to His Majesty for questioning. But you’ve lived long enough and insist on seeking death – I can’t help but grant your wish.”

As Shen Xihe’s words fell, Mo Yuan drew his gleaming blade.

The County Commander looked at the blade, at Mo Yuan’s stern, cold face, and finally showed a trace of fear: “You can’t kill me – I’m an imperial-appointed fourth-rank County Commander – killing me is also a capital offense!”

Shen Xihe quietly watched him. She had come personally hoping to learn some useful information from this man’s mouth. Torture might not work, but when facing death, people instinctively try to survive.

The County Commander wasn’t a fool – he should know what she wanted to hear. But he refused to speak, so Shen Xihe didn’t know if he still didn’t believe she would kill him.

“Keep the weapon, method, and body disposal clean,” Shen Xihe commanded lightly before turning to leave.

Even as Mo Yuan’s blade rose, the County Commander didn’t speak. Shen Xihe rather admired the person behind them – acting meticulously and firmly, neither the Prefect Yu nor this County Commander would easily reveal them.

“An interesting opponent,” Shen Xihe quite looked forward to crossing swords with them. Boarding her carriage, she instructed Zhenzhu, “Pack up and prepare Young Master Bu for departure.”

The remaining matters were Prince Zhao’s business.