Hearing this, Shen Xihe stopped in her tracks and turned to look seriously at Shen Yueshan: “Father, I wasn’t showing mercy, but rather refusing to judge anyone unfairly.”

Perhaps in Shen Xihe and Shen Yueshan’s view, she couldn’t bear to let Shen Xihe be too pitiful – that the only person who cared for her in this world had treated her as a chess piece since childhood.

What truly made her change her words was realizing that perhaps His Majesty’s feelings toward Shen Xihe up until now were genuinely of guilt and affection.

Shen Yueshan couldn’t help but smile: “With Youyou’s intelligence, being uncertain whether His Majesty has such intentions, you should have made your judgment and completely cut off her thoughts. Youyou isn’t one to take risks.”

“Youyou isn’t one to take risks,” Shen Xihe also smiled gently. “If it were someone else, I would certainly have done so and made them believe it completely, even making them secretly hate His Majesty. But she bears the surname Shen, and is someone Father acknowledges.”

Just because Shen Xihe bore the surname Shen, as long as she didn’t step wrongly, Shen Xihe would never actively use or mislead her.

A swelling warmth filled Shen Yueshan’s chest. His eyes showed endless pride – such a magnanimous young lady was his daughter!

Seeing Shen Yueshan’s eyes shining brightly, looking almost as excited as a wolf about to howl with its neck raised, Shen Xihe couldn’t bear to watch and had to pour cold water on his enthusiasm: “If she is truly bewitched by His Majesty in the future, I won’t show any mercy.”

Shen Xihe’s tolerance toward Shen Xihe was based on Shen Xihe’s awareness and sensibility. Otherwise, Shen Xihe would just be another enemy she would kill if she wanted to.

“Cause and effect, the cycle of heaven’s way,” Shen Yueshan still wore a pleased expression.

If one day Shen Xihe chose her side herself, she would have to bear the corresponding consequences.

“I want to go see the coming-of-age gifts my brother sent me,” Shen Xihe changed the subject, quickening her steps.

The coming-of-age gifts Shen Yunan sent to Shen Xihe arrived precisely today – an exquisite box. When Shen Xihe opened it, there were six gold bracelets inlaid with pearls, and her eyes immediately lit up.

Three were inlaid with turquoise, three were not.

The bracelets’ value wasn’t in their price, but in that they were like the one on her wrist – bracelets with hidden mechanisms.

Each bracelet could only hide three silver needles. Any more would affect the mechanism’s flexibility and shooting force. Once used, the silver needles couldn’t be reset. This mechanism wasn’t originally owned by the Shen family – rather, Shen Yueshan had saved someone skilled in this craft, who made three for him.

Shen Xihe only got one; the other two were given to the Northwestern arsenal to be dismantled and studied. After dismantling two, they finally managed to reproduce them.

This time Shen Yunan satisfied Shen Xihe – the turquoise-inlaid bracelets contained poisoned silver needles, while those without stones contained the usual anesthetic-soaked needles.

Shen Xihe was overjoyed, holding them lovingly in her hands. Shen Yueshan said sourly: “Father has also prepared a gift for you.”

“I know, I know, Youyou also loves what Father gave,” Shen Xihe hurried to console him.

“But you love your brother’s gifts more,” Shen Yueshan wrinkled his nose.

Shen Xihe had to put down the bracelets and change the subject: “Were there any other gifts today?”

Since it was her coming-of-age day, naturally many people sent gifts. The gifts received filled several carriages, and Hong Yu hadn’t even finished organizing the gift list – there were simply too many.

The attending Sui Axi could only say: “Princess, Doctor Qi also sent a gift today.”

Hong Yu remembered and went to fetch it – it turned out to be bundled medicine packages, which made Shen Yueshan’s expression darken. It was his daughter’s birthday – how inauspicious to send medicine!

But Shen Xihe didn’t mind. She and Xie Yunhuai were friends, and between friends, there weren’t so many taboos. She roughly understood that Xie Yunhuai was still somewhat mindful of male-female propriety, not wanting to send her hairpins, ornaments, or jewelry.

Opening Xie Yunhuai’s letter, Shen Xihe’s eyes brightened. Inside was a prescription – it was for medicinal baths, specifically treating various internal injuries!

For military men like Shen Yueshan and Shen Yunan, not to mention injuries from the battlefield, even just practicing martial arts would leave internal injuries. These injuries weren’t concerning when one was strong and healthy, but once they aged or fell seriously ill, they could be fatal.

“Father, quick, quick, you should take a bath tonight!” Xie Yunhuai had sent prepared medicine, and Shen Xihe was eager to know its effectiveness.

She instructed Hong Yu and others to prepare, then gave the prescription to Zhenzu and Sui Axi: “You two take a look.”

She had only glanced briefly and felt some ingredients were too precious to be widely used. She hoped Zhenzu and Sui Axi could offer more suggestions – if it could be modified to use common medicinal materials, it would be a blessing for the Northwest.

While the Princess’s mansion was bustling with excitement, the Eastern Palace was filled with a murderous atmosphere. The bedroom was warm with burning charcoal, but the oppressive air was no less bitter than the cold wind outside.

“Have you found anything?” Xiao Huayong stood by the tall candlestick, one hand rolling a black chess piece that gleamed in the candlelight, the other hand adjusting the lamp wick with its stem.

The fifteen-branched candlestick was tall and elegant, its fifteen candles illuminating Xiao Huayong’s extraordinarily handsome features. His eyelids were slightly lowered, his expression blank, inspiring fear.

“The cat was indeed from the Imperial Stables, missing for three days. The person who sprinkled catnip powder on County Princess Huaiyang’s cloak has been silenced,” Tianyuan said with a lowered head.

It was too quick, especially for the silenced person. He had people investigate – the death occurred before dark before anything had happened to Shen Xihe. The person was silenced, all traces eliminated, and His Majesty’s people also found nothing.

Originally, Tianyuan thought this was a self-orchestrated play by Xiao Changmin, and that he would use any means to marry Shen Xihe. But after investigation, it wasn’t that Tianyuan underestimated Prince Zhao – Prince Zhao simply couldn’t achieve something so traceless.

“This matter was aimed at me,” Xiao Huayong’s gaze darkened. “Someone doesn’t want me to marry Youyou.”

They wanted to marry Shen Xihe to his second brother, to eliminate his intention of marrying Shen Xihe.

“Who could it be?” Tianyuan was completely puzzled.

Not His Majesty – His Majesty intended to grant the marriage. And if it were His Majesty, this matter wouldn’t be so easily resolved. If not His Majesty, those who could act within the palace could only be imperial consorts and princes – which imperial consort or prince could accomplish this so cleanly and neatly?

“This palace truly harbors dragons and tigers,” Xiao Huayong’s lips curved in a cold smile. “When Youyou enters the palace in the future, we must all be vigilant.”

This time they schemed against Shen Xihe and Xiao Changmin, probably knowing these two had some intentions, and so gave them a push. But they hadn’t expected Shen Xihe to drag her feet – if both Shen Xihe and Xiao Changmin had been willing to marry, things wouldn’t have ended well.

Either Shen Yueshan would forcefully intervene, making Shen Xihe hate him extremely, and then they could use Shen Xihe against Shen Yueshan and Shen Xihe; or if Shen Yueshan didn’t intervene, His Majesty would be forced to grant the marriage, and then it would be up to him to destroy this marriage.