Her purpose was naturally to entice her future sister-in-law, who was also the only person close to Xue Jinqiao, to search.

When Shen Xihe fulfilled her wishes, they left the banquet venue. After asking servants, with some not knowing and others being vague, they finally arrived at a remote small courtyard. Before Pearl could detect anyone lurking with her keen senses, Shen Xihe had already caught a whiff of a distinctive fragrance.

Suddenly, someone in hiding shot several tiny needles through a bamboo tube. Pearl reacted by spinning to avoid one but was still struck in the arm. Pearl immediately felt her arm go numb: “Princess… quickly leave…”

Shen Xihe’s expression grew serious as she reached out to support Pearl, seemingly wanting to leave together.

At that moment, another needle flew towards them. Shen Xihe tried to dodge but couldn’t avoid it. Her covered arm was also struck by a needle. Pearl had already collapsed, and she too suddenly blacked out, falling alongside Pearl.

People immediately rushed out, laboriously carrying them one by one into the courtyard’s building. Pearl was placed in a separate room, while next door was a bedchamber where Shen Xihe was thrown onto the bed.

After about half an incense stick’s time, Princess Yanling’s distinctive fragrance wafted past Shen Xihe’s nose. As she took out a medicine bottle and was about to pinch Shen Xihe’s mouth, Shen Xihe suddenly opened her eyes, startling her into dropping the bottle. However, a hand steadily caught it.

She turned to look and met Pearl’s coldly furious gaze. Looking back, she saw her two palace maids had already silently collapsed.

Before she could cry out, Pearl struck her with an acupuncture needle. Her body went limp, without even the strength to speak.

Shen Xihe rose gracefully from the bed and commanded softly: “Make her drink it.”

While Pearl was forcing Princess Yanling to drink the medicine, Shen Xihe walked to a nearby incense burner, took out a fire striker, lit some incense, and threw it in before covering the burner. After Pearl had stripped Princess Yanling’s clothes and hidden her on the bed behind lowered curtains, Shen Xihe kicked one of the palace maids.

This palace maid opened her eyes, clear-minded, and immediately withdrew silently to notify Munuha at the banquet venue.

The previous incident of pushing Princess Yanling into the water was to make her clearly aware of the lethal intentions against her, while also deliberately forcing Princess Yanling to change her servants – and indeed, two had been replaced with one of her own people.

As a Turkic prince, Munuha naturally couldn’t move freely in Prince Dai’s mansion. Only Princess Yanling could handle matters there.

Munuha had been waiting, and finally, Princess Yanling’s maid came. The maid gave Munuha a meaningful look, and he found an excuse to leave his seat. The servant led him to the room: “The Princess says this matter doesn’t concern her, she’s already left, and this servant will also take leave.”

The servant quickly ran after bowing, closing the door behind her. The room was filled with a lingering fragrance, and from behind the lowered curtains came the sound of a woman’s restless moans. Munuha immediately felt hot with desire, believing the alluring sounds to be Shen Xihe’s.

He strode forward. The room had no lights lit, and lifting the curtains, he could only see alluring curves. Munuha wanted to light a lamp to see the person on the bed clearly, but his whole body felt like it was on fire. The person on the bed continued making seductive moans. His blood boiling and excitement rushing to his head, he couldn’t help but throw himself onto the bed.

Their tryst was discovered by two noble ladies visiting Princess Dai. These two were close friends without ulterior motives, just curious and fond of hearing about romantic scandals – Shen Xihe had carefully selected them.

A scream brought countless people running. The mansion’s steward hurriedly came and whispered in Prince Dai and Li Yanyan’s ears. Prince Dai’s expression changed dramatically, while Li Yanyan cast a meaningful look at Shen Xihe, who sat composed at the banquet, laughing and chatting with Xue Jinqiao.

She had ultimately underestimated Shen Xihe – it turned out Princess Yanling herself had been playing the fool from beginning to end.

The affair between Princess Yanling and the Turkic prince in Prince Dai’s mansion couldn’t be covered up. Soon, everyone inside and outside the palace who had attended Princess Dai’s birthday banquet knew. When the two were brought to Mingzheng Hall, Emperor Youning’s face was ashen with rage, wanting nothing more than to slaughter Munuha.

Munuha also realized that Princess Yanling must have made a mistake. Though furious inside, he had no choice but to tell Emperor Youning: “Munuha fell in love with the Princess at first sight and couldn’t control his emotions. Please punish Munuha and don’t blame the Princess.”

Princess Yanling was dying of shame but didn’t know how to defend herself, only able to weep in despair.

“Silence!” While her crying that day had indeed softened his fatherly heart, today it only irritated Emperor Youning. “How dare you cry when you’ve shown such shamelessness?”

“Your Majesty, I…” Princess Yanling choked, wanting to defend herself, but what could she say?

Should she say she wanted to scheme against Shen Xihe but was outwitted instead? Or directly accuse Shen Xihe of plotting against her? She had no evidence, just as when Shen Xihe pushed her into the lake and she couldn’t defend herself.

She looked at Munuha beside her. Munuha was undeniably a handsome man, and she had already been with him…

There was no place for her in the capital anymore. She just wanted to live well, and perhaps marrying into the Turks was her best way out: “Your Majesty, I… I am fond of Prince Munuha and am willing to marry far away to the Turks for peace between our countries.”

At least she would be marrying for peace between the nations, and at least she would be serving the country – Princess Yanling could only console herself this way.

She didn’t know that hearing this, Emperor Youning wanted to kill her even more.

He had already made all preparations to fight Tibet and refuse the marriage alliance, using Tibet as an example to let foreign envoys know that from now on, they would not arrange political marriages!

Now all his careful planning had been utterly destroyed by his daughter!

Though Emperor Youning was furious, the two were willing participants, and he couldn’t punish Munuha. He could only accept it grudgingly, gave them a stern lecture about propriety, handed down an ineffective punishment, and drove them both out of Mingzheng Hall, without mentioning a word about the marriage alliance.

When Shen Xihe heard about this after returning to her princess mansion, her lips curved in a faint smile.

Bu Shulin was overjoyed: “Youyou, you’re truly my benefactor! How did you come up with such a brilliant plan? Hahaha…”

From now on, Princess Yanling could no longer pester her. She finally didn’t have to spend every day finding ways to avoid the haunting Princess Yanling.

“I didn’t do it for you. I just wanted her dead,” Shen Xihe said quietly.

“You… you want to kill her?” Bu Shulin asked softly.

“Of course.” Shen Xihe nodded.

“But she is still His Majesty’s princess…”

Before Bu Shulin could finish, Shen Xihe gave a cold laugh: “Do you know who wants her dead the most right now?”

Following Shen Xihe’s meaningful gaze, Bu Shulin guessed with some disbelief: “His Majesty?”