Tianyuan truly didn’t blame the Crown Prince. If not for His Highness, he and his brother would have perished with their parents at the rocky ravine long ago, and they wouldn’t have had the chance to learn martial arts and literature as they do today. Having followed the Crown Prince for over a decade, their relationship was more like family than master and servant.

At this moment, he naturally wanted to speak up for the Crown Prince, to let the Princess know how important she was to His Highness.

“Go quickly to have your injury looked at,” Shen Xihe said as if she hadn’t understood Tianyuan’s hint.

Tianyuan had no choice but to follow Zhenzhu to find Axi, leaving only Xiao Huayong and Shen Xihe in the room. Shen Xihe said, “His Highness’s feelings for Zhaoning, Zhaoning understands. But please don’t underestimate Zhaoning in your concern.”

After a moment of silence, Xiao Huayong replied, “I was too hasty.”

He knew that Shen Xihe’s immediate return upon hearing the news was an acknowledgment of his feelings, not meant to reproach him. She simply disliked his earlier impulsiveness that had disrupted their plans and injured a loyal servant.

She was rational and thus disliked those who weren’t. She hoped he wouldn’t become unrecognizable, driven mad by love.

Shen Xihe indeed had some reservations about Xiao Huayong’s earlier behavior. With Zhenzhu and the others who served her, aside from their material comforts being no worse than those of officials’ daughters, she never punished them carelessly. As long as they didn’t make mistakes, she indulged their playful nature.

She disliked those who would easily punish servants or readily harm their confidants.

But thinking of Tianyuan’s words, that it was all for her sake, Shen Xihe softened her attitude: “Would Your Highness like to dine together?”

Xiao Huayong’s eyes brightened. Earlier when he had invited her to dine together, she had refused: “Yes, yes, yes, I’m feeling quite hungry indeed.”

Xiao Huayong had been injured at the competition grounds, and for prompt treatment, it naturally wasn’t possible to carry him back to the palace. They were now in a rest pavilion beside the competition grounds. Because of Princess Yangling’s incident, everyone’s attention had been drawn to Princess Yangling and Mu Nuha.

Only Wang Zheng anxiously sent people to watch Xiao Huayong, but with both Shen Xihe’s and Xiao Huayong’s people outside, his people couldn’t get close. Shen Xihe instructed Moyu to fetch food from the Princess’s residence.

“Does Your Highness know who helped Mu Nuha escape?” While waiting, Shen Xihe sat with Xiao Huayong at the table and asked.

“Tianyuan will thoroughly investigate.” Since Tianyuan hadn’t reported it earlier, it meant they didn’t know who it was yet.

“I rather suspect Wang Gong strongly,” Shen Xihe voiced her suspicion. “What the Wang family needs most right now is to divert His Majesty’s attention, to make him focus entirely on Princess Yangling and Mu Nuha’s matter, so they can have more time to break Your Highness’s position.”

After a pause, Shen Xihe continued: “I am betrothed to Your Highness. Releasing Mu Nuha – if he learns that his current situation was caused by me, he will surely seek revenge against me. Your Highness certainly wouldn’t stand idle, and if managed well, they could turn this against Your Highness.”

Xiao Huayong fell silent for a moment after hearing this: “Youyou’s words make sense, and Wang Zheng is certainly capable of this. However, how could Wang Zheng be so certain that Princess Yangling and Mu Nuha were framed, and that it was you who framed them?”

Wang Zheng surely had no useful contacts in the palace. Even knowing of the few friction points between Shen Xihe and Princess Yangling, he wouldn’t think that far ahead. He didn’t know what Princess Yangling had done to Shen Xihe, nor did he know Shen Xihe’s nature. In his mind, Shen Xihe had no motive to eliminate Yangling.

Moreover, if he truly thought Shen Xihe was narrow-minded, or that she would kill Yangling just to oppose His Majesty, she still wouldn’t have used Mu Nuha. The matter of Mu Nuha ambushing Shen Yueshan was known only to him and Shen Xihe in the entire capital.

The Turks were beyond the northwest. How could Shen Xihe’s actions not bring great war to her father and brother? It made no sense emotionally or logically.

“There’s no need to know I set the trap,” Shen Xihe said. “As long as his target is Your Highness, he can make Mu Nuha suspicious of me.”

“That’s certainly possible,” Xiao Huayong agreed, though still with reservations. “But I’m more worried that it’s the person behind Yangling who rescued Mu Nuha, with you as their target. Mu Nuha isn’t easily deceived, and even if Wang Zheng saved him, he couldn’t provide sufficient evidence.

If Wang Zheng rescued him, he would more likely directly accuse me of plotting against Mu Nuha.”

Hearing this, Shen Xihe smiled: “That’s because men in this world underestimate women.”

Even knowing that pinning it on Xiao Huayong would make it difficult for Mu Nuha to reach the Crown Prince living in the Eastern Palace; putting it on her would more likely make Xiao Huayong anxious. But Wang Zheng wouldn’t do this – not because he was noble, but entirely because in Wang Zheng’s eyes, Shen Xihe couldn’t achieve this. He wouldn’t believe it, so how could he convince Mu Nuha that she would go this far to deal with Xiao Huayong?

“Underestimating women is their shortsightedness,” Xiao Huayong commented mildly.

He had been to many places, met many people, and encountered many situations. He had long realized a truth: those women who seemed to follow rules strictly, devoted to their husbands and children, appearing to accept their fate and always putting their husbands first – once they started plotting, men often ended up with nowhere to be buried.

Shen Xihe had never doubted Xiao Huayong’s recognition and respect for women, but she hadn’t expected him to place women and men on equal footing. Few men in this world would think this way.

“Therefore, there are now two suspicious parties: one is Wang Zheng, and one is the person behind Yangling,” Shen Xihe concluded.

If the Capital Prefecture couldn’t find any clues, they would have to work backward from these two leads. However, while Wang Zheng was easy to investigate, the person behind Yangling was truly mysterious. She still couldn’t understand why Yangling, who valued her life so much, wouldn’t speak even knowing how dangerous Shen Xihe was.

How terrifying must this person be, that Yangling’s fear of them exceeded her fear of the one who had killed Consort Liang?

Xiao Huayong suddenly laughed softly.

His low laughter made Shen Xihe look up at him involuntarily, unable to understand what had made him so delighted, his eyes twinkling as if all the stars in the sky had fallen into them.

Meeting Shen Xihe’s puzzled gaze, Xiao Huayong finally contained some of his mirth and spoke: “I worry it’s the person behind Yangling because I’m concerned for Youyou; Youyou worries it’s Wang Zheng – does this mean Youyou’s heart is like mine, with me as her primary concern?”

This realization was like drinking a jar of honey for Xiao Huayong, sweet from his mouth to his heart.

Shen Xihe just looked at him calmly, neither refuting nor elaborating. Her serene expression convincingly conveyed her attitude.

“I think it is,” Xiao Huayong didn’t care, he just believed it was.

Shen Xihe nodded slightly, with an indifferent manner suggesting ‘if you say so,’ too lazy to waste words arguing with him.

Just then, Moyu arrived with the food box, and Shen Xihe stayed in the room to dine with Xiao Huayong.