Sui Axi remained silent. While the wall furnaces warmed the entire room, they dried out the moisture. For ordinary people, drinking some warm water might suffice to restore balance, but for Xiao Huayong, it was particularly damaging to his lungs.

“Your Highness needn’t be like this. Since I’ve brought it, naturally I intend to give it to you,” Shen Xihe wasn’t sure how to react to their urgent behavior, as if she might take the gift back.

Xiao Huayong also realized he had reacted too eagerly and couldn’t help but laugh.

He didn’t know why, but though he had been excellent in etiquette and conduct since childhood, behaving neither rigidly nor inappropriately, in front of Shen Xihe, these deeply ingrained habits seemed to easily slip away, his emotions becoming difficult to control.

“Tian Yuan, extinguish the wall furnaces and light the aromatic coal the Princess brought,” Xiao Huayong ordered eagerly.

After Tian Yuan acknowledged and left, Xiao Huayong said: “The Princess showed great wisdom in handling the Henan Prefecture matter.”

This was no mere flattery – Xiao Huayong truly marveled at how Shen Xihe had devised such a solution.

“It was also thanks to Your Highness’s help,” Shen Xihe replied modestly.

“Even without me, Youyou would have succeeded,” Xiao Huayong shook his head with a slight smile. “How did you think of such a method?”

Especially in such a short time.

“It started when I went to see Yu Zao,” Shen Xihe briefly recounted the events. “He remained silent then, determined to take all responsibility. Though I couldn’t exonerate the Yu family, I wondered why he didn’t resent those who conspired with him and benefited more. Human nature is selfish – when facing life and death, even the closest friends can’t calmly accept bearing all responsibility alone.”

Let alone a crime punishable by the execution of nine relations. How could Yu Zao be so noble as to not implicate others? Could he feel no regret or resentment toward his truly affected relatives? Shen Xihe found it unlikely.

That left only one possibility – he had compelling reasons to protect someone. With him facing death and his nine relations doomed, what could still threaten him?

After much consideration, Shen Xihe thought perhaps by taking all blame, he could secure an irrefusable promise from another person. What promise would be so compelling that a dying man would accept it even knowing his descendants would be executed? It couldn’t be material.

It could only be about bloodline continuation. He knew his crime couldn’t save his relatives, but in such circumstances, if he had another unknown bloodline outside that wouldn’t be affected by this turmoil, he would have to grit his teeth and accept it.

“So I made a bold guess – if this were true, what would make him give up that bloodline?” Only a greater benefit, such as sparing the Yu family from extinction. After a pause, Shen Xihe added, “Additionally, I dislike the practice of family extermination.”

She didn’t think those implicated were innocent, but she disliked such widespread bloody purges.

“Youyou, family extermination isn’t necessarily bloodthirsty,” Xiao Huayong said softly.

“I know,” Shen Xihe nodded. “Deterrence is primary. For some serious crimes, like grave robbing, without family extermination, some people won’t take warning, and public anger can’t be appeased.”

The secondary purpose was naturally to eliminate future revenge, otherwise the cycle of grievances would never end.

When necessary, brutality was the root of preventing more disasters and evil from recurring – Shen Xihe understood this. She understood, and might even use it herself in the future, which didn’t conflict with her dislike of it.

In this world, everyone has things they dislike but must accept, otherwise, there wouldn’t be the saying “no choice but to.”

Understanding Shen Xihe’s meaning, Xiao Huayong lowered his eyes in thought for a moment, then looked up at her solemnly: “In the future, I will reduce bloodshed and show more mercy.”

Not every situation required bloodshed for deterrence – sometimes mercy could transform people, and those who could be transformed deserved more chances.

Xiao Huayong had never had a merciful heart. As Crown Prince, he possessed only an emperor’s iron will – whatever achieved goals fastest, most ruthlessly, and most precisely shouldn’t waste energy on alternatives.

But if Shen Xihe disliked it, he was willing to change himself.

Shen Xihe was slightly startled and said softly: “Your Highness, you needn’t do this.”

“Youyou, we are to spend our lives together,” Xiao Huayong’s eyes sparkled with warmth. The aromatic coal burned nearby, its red glow reflecting on his face, making his features as gentle as warm sunlight melting snow on mountains. “I only wish for you to feel comfortable and happy by my side. If anything about me makes you uncomfortable or displeased, I hope you’ll tell me honestly, and I’ll do the same.”

Spouses could be the closest or most distant relationships. Marriage joins two unrelated strangers by fate; whether they become close or distant depends, in Xiao Huayong’s view, on whether their hearts can tolerate and accommodate each other.

As the aromatic coal burned gently, its fragrance spreading and surrounding them, Shen Xihe became somewhat lost in thought.

Xiao Huayong’s words exceeded her understanding of marriage. Only parents toward children would correct their errors out of love.

Yet his words differed from parent-child relationships too. Children respect parents, often tolerating and accommodating their faults; parents cherish their children, often supporting and guiding them through mistakes – neither exists on equal footing.

The marital relationship Xiao Huayong described was surprisingly frank, treating each other as another kind of closest relationship she could hardly imagine.

“Why change oneself for others?” Shen Xihe couldn’t understand.

She had always been true to herself. Though grateful and understanding of social etiquette, she wouldn’t be superficially agreeable; she would be kind to others but wouldn’t change her nature for them.

Xiao Huayong smiled without speaking. When someone enters your heart, becoming more important than your own life, changing for them becomes natural.

Now wasn’t the time to discuss these things with Shen Xihe. In the future, she would naturally be moved – he would ensure it.

Shen Xihe stayed in the Eastern Palace for only half an hour before leaving. Before departure, she visited Princess Yangling’s chambers, which were also warmly heated. Shen Xihe entered directly without having servants announce her; Zhenzhu and Purple Jade pushed aside the palace servants as she walked in imperiously.

Princess Yangling, who had been laughing with her maids, turned pale upon seeing Shen Xihe. With her hands hidden in a rabbit fur muff, Shen Xihe walked slowly to the princess’s side. Seeing her back away in fear, she placed a hand on her shoulder.

The princess’s maids, seeing this, no longer dared rebuke Shen Xihe but ran out, presumably to seek help. Shen Xihe didn’t have Zhenzhu and the others stop them.

Instead, she moved behind Princess Yangling and whispered in her ear: “Princess, enjoy well these last days of your noble status.”

Princess Yangling’s legs weakened in terror; she had to lean on a nearby table to avoid falling. Since learning of Princess Changling’s death, her fear of Shen Xihe had been carved into her bones.

Shen Xihe gave a contemptuous light laugh and turned away, her cape shimmering brilliantly as she departed gracefully.