Shen Xihe went to the kitchen and began soaking Diao Hu rice, preparing to make Diao Hu rice for Xiao Huayong.

Diao Hu rice was greatly favored by officials and nobles in the capital, with various preparation methods. The most luxurious version, described as “served with bear’s paw, accompanied by leopard fetus,” used bear’s paw and leopard fetus as ingredients—something Shen Xihe had never tried nor wished to attempt.

She chose to make it with wild pheasant soup and her own specially prepared snail paste. There was a special trick to it—Diao Hu rice had an exceptional fragrance, with an addictively elegant sweetness that quickly left a pleasant aftertaste, though with a slight bitter finish.

After combining the Diao Hu rice with wild pheasant soup, Shen Xihe would add a tiny bit of sugar. The amount had to be precisely measured. This way, the Diao Hu rice remained chewy and elastic, each grain infused with the savory richness of pheasant soup, creating an enchanting dining experience.

Whenever she made this dish, Shen Yueshan and Shen Yun’an would inevitably fight over who got to eat more. With her special snail paste poured over it, they would forget all about age hierarchy.

Making it fresh at the Eastern Palace would be better, but after her last experience, Shen Xihe wasn’t keen on going there.

This Diao Hu rice wouldn’t cool quickly, so making it at home and bringing it to the Eastern Palace would work fine. Moreover, letting it sit covered would allow the soup to blend more thoroughly with the rice, intensifying the aroma. Besides this, Shen Xihe also made “Ancient Tower Cakes.”

These were Hu-style flatbreads that required precise timing and proportions. They needed a pound of marinated lamb mixed with scallion whites, fermented bean paste, and salt, carefully layered into the flatbread, and finally topped with sesame seeds and sesame oil before being slowly baked in the oven.

The flatbread was fragrant and crispy, the lamb tender and aromatic with scallion and sesame—an exceptionally delicious dish.

When these two dishes were placed before Xiao Huayong and uncovered, the burst of fragrance made his eyes sparkle like scattered stars, bright and dazzling. After one bite, he couldn’t stop eating.

Nearby, Tianyuan swallowed repeatedly at the tempting aroma, finally finding an excuse to leave and seek out Jiuzhang for some food.

After finishing the satisfying meal, Xiao Huayong looked energized and content: “Youyou, you’ve gifted me such delicacies—how might I be of service to you?”

Shen Xihe would never show him kindness without reason, though it wasn’t that she was calculating. In her mind, she was just an outsider who had chosen to marry him. When she wanted something, she couldn’t ask directly, so she appealed to his preferences, making food a fair exchange.

“I would like a bottle of the medicine Your Highness gave to Young Master Bu,” Shen Xihe said straightforwardly.

Xiao Huayong’s hand shook as he lifted his teacup, nearly spilling it. He hadn’t expected Bu Shulin to tell Shen Xihe about such a thing so carelessly, and he felt extremely uncomfortable.

Clearing his throat, Xiao Huayong tried to maintain composure: “What does Youyou want with such a thing?”

“To deal with Prince Mu Nuha,” Shen Xihe didn’t hide it from him. “Before the New Year, I had already arranged for the Fifth Princess to be misdiagnosed as pregnant. By month’s end, she will be. I originally had other plans to deal with her, but since Mu Nuha appeared, I changed tactics.

Now only the final step remains—when Prince Mu Nuha learns the Princess is nearly two months pregnant, he’ll be congratulated on becoming a father. This will wound his male pride, and he’ll surely confront the Princess. If he kills her in the heat of the moment, it would be understandable.”

This was Shen Xihe’s entire plan, though Xiao Huayong’s contribution would make Mu Nuha’s killing of the Princess more convincing.

Shen Xihe planned to hide the medicine in Princess Yanling’s palace, first letting Mu Nuha discover the Princess was plotting against him, then letting him learn that she had given him impotence medicine to secure her child’s future position.

Currently, Mu Nuha wouldn’t know he was impotent since he hadn’t been with any women. Once he learned and verified this, he wouldn’t be able to stay calm enough to realize how illogical it was for Princess Yanling to make him impotent.

Shen Xihe only needed his momentary rage to complete this perfect scheme.

Whether he would later calm down and think it through no longer mattered.

Hearing this, Xiao Huayong couldn’t help but look at her with admiration. Not only were her schemes intricate and ingenious, but she could also utilize and adjust to any unexpected developments. Such a person was truly capable of controlling the big picture.

Once she made her move, no matter how many changes occurred, nothing could escape her grasp.

“Don’t you want to know who’s behind Yanling?” Xiao Huayong asked.

“I’ve tried my methods. If Princess Yanling won’t speak, I needn’t know,” Shen Xihe smiled faintly. “Princess Yanling isn’t an ordinary person. Her disappearance would cause an uproar—kidnapping and interrogating her isn’t feasible.”

If it were someone of ordinary status, even a noble lady, she would have kidnapped them and kept them in a dark place until they talked.

But kidnapping Princess Yanling from the inner palace would be difficult, and if she were taken, it would certainly alarm the entire imperial city. The Emperor would likely order a thorough search, and Shen Xihe wasn’t confident she could escape unscathed in such circumstances.

Since she couldn’t discover the mastermind from Princess Yanling’s mouth, Shen Xihe could only take the Princess’s life, using it to warn whoever was hiding in the shadows.

“Kidnapping… might not be impossible,” Xiao Huayong pondered.

“Your Highness has helped me greatly already. I shouldn’t trouble you further,” Shen Xihe declined gracefully. “Not to be arrogant, but I don’t fear hidden arrows. However, this matter isn’t trivial. Even if successful, it would implicate Your Highness. Remember, His Majesty is watching Your Highness’s every move right now.”

“Even if he finds out, it doesn’t matter,” Xiao Huayong wanted to deal with His Majesty secretly but wasn’t afraid of facing him directly.

“No good,” Shen Xihe shook her head. “We’d lose the greater for the lesser.”

“What’s lesser and what’s greater?” Xiao Huayong asked. “To me, anything harmful to you is paramount. Such a person, skilled at hiding, targeting you for unknown reasons, able to easily manipulate a princess—their power and position are evident. If this attempt fails, they won’t stop; there will surely be a second time.”

“Your Highness, since we know their power and position are significant, we know they’re watching Princess Yanling’s every move. If Your Highness acts, they will surely respond. You might not succeed in taking the Princess, and instead expose yourself,” Shen Xihe analyzed carefully. “Perhaps this is exactly what they want. I’d rather not fail to get answers than play into their hands.”

This possibility couldn’t be ruled out. Hearing this, Xiao Huayong lowered his head: “If so, I’ve implicated you.”

“Your Highness, this path is destined to be treacherous. Since we’ve chosen to stand together, don’t think that way. In the future, people will surely try to get to Your Highness to deal with me as well,” Shen Xihe consoled him.