Princess Anling’s throat burned with pain as she watched the handsome young man’s face contort, spitting black blood as he fell before her. Even in death, he insisted Shen Xihe was behind this, but Meng Chang didn’t know Mo Yuan – she had seen Mo Yuan before and knew he was Shen Xihe’s head guard.

If Shen Xihe had ordered Meng Chang to kill her, why would Mo Yuan come to save her? Was it to earn her gratitude? Though Princess Anling wouldn’t admit it, she knew in her heart that Shen Xihe neither needed her gratitude nor feared her suspicion.

By now, Zhao Zhenghao had begun searching outside. He had noticed something wrong along with Mo Yuan, but when Mo Yuan rushed in, he immediately surveyed the surroundings to check for anyone hiding, finding no one.

Mo Yuan handed Princess Anling over to Zhao Zhenghao. Although Princess Anling didn’t seem to believe Meng Chang’s words, Mo Yuan thought she would trust Zhao Zhenghao more, as he was sent by His Majesty. He went to the Court of Judicature to find Cui Jinbai to investigate the scene.

“Still one step too late,” Shen Xihe sighed upon receiving the news. She had thought they could catch the person this time, but while the opponent had acted according to her expectations, they hadn’t exposed themselves as she had hoped.

Their extreme caution earned even her admiration.

“All that effort wasted,” Bu Shulin said with some regret.

“Not entirely wasted,” Shen Xihe remained optimistic. “While my main purpose was to draw out the snake, there were other reasons. It will stop His Majesty from suspecting me in the deaths of Princess Changling and Princess Yangling, proving that someone is using the princesses to harm me. After this incident, Princess Anling will be more vigilant and won’t be used against me again in the future. And then there’s Princess Pingling, who hasn’t been targeted yet.”

“They probably wouldn’t dare target Princess Pingling,” Bu Shulin said.

Princess Pingling had a mother who managed the inner palace and two accomplished brothers skilled in both civil and military arts. Among all the princesses, she was undoubtedly the most fortunate, truly living like a real princess.

“Are you going to let this matter rest?” Bu Shulin asked again.

Shen Xihe was trimming her Pingzhong leaf bonsai that had sprouted new buds: “My people, the Crown Prince’s people, and His Majesty’s people are all investigating Meng Chang. I believe that since they chose Meng Chang, they were prepared to escape cleanly. Following Meng Chang’s trail will lead nowhere.”

Bu Shulin clicked her tongue in wonder: “How did you manage to offend such a formidable opponent?”

She stroked her chin thoughtfully: “Few people could accomplish this. It must be one of the princes – even the ladies in the inner palace wouldn’t necessarily have such capability. Who do you think it might be?”

Shen Xihe also suspected it might be one of the princes: “What about Prince Zhao?”

“Why would he want to harm you?” Bu Shulin felt that none of the princes were suspicious.

Only Prince Lie and the Crown Prince had shown interest in Shen Xihe, and Xiao Changying didn’t seem the type to resort to such despicable methods out of love. Moreover, the attacks on Shen Xihe had begun before the betrothal, suggesting it was unlikely to be Xiao Changying.

“He wants to marry the second daughter of the Shen family,” Shen Xihe went through the possibilities and felt only Prince Zhao, Xiao Changmin, had such a motive.

“That is a reasonable explanation,” Bu Shulin nodded.

“This time I had people watching Prince Zhao’s every move, but it doesn’t seem like him,” Shen Xihe had been baiting the enemy while closely monitoring her suspect. The enemy had indeed acted, but not as she had expected. She wasn’t sure if she had overlooked something, if Prince Zhao was exceptionally skilled at hiding his actions, or if she had simply suspected the wrong person.

“Whether it’s him or not, you’re ultimately opponents, why not just…” Bu Shulin’s eyes flashed with murderous intent.

Shen Xihe gave her a disapproving look: “That’s a separate matter. I can’t kill someone without evidence.”

“If it is him, and you don’t kill him now, next time he strikes, it might be fatal,” Bu Shulin was deeply concerned for Shen Xihe’s safety. This person was skilled at hiding, making prevention nearly impossible.

Once they seized an opportunity, they would surely try to kill Shen Xihe.

“But what if it isn’t him?” Shen Xihe countered.

Bu Shulin felt it didn’t matter: “Prince Zhao’s ambition, though he thinks he hides it well, is obvious to everyone. Sooner or later, he’ll die at you and your husband’s hands anyway.”

“No, Alin, one cannot act this way in life,” Shen Xihe said solemnly. “If I’m not certain it’s his doing, I cannot harbor thoughts of killing. While killing the right person might be gratifying, killing the wrong person would indulge my evil. Some evil acts, if never taken that first step, will always retain a sense of reverence and vigilance. Once that step is taken, when facing similar situations again, one becomes increasingly unrestrained until completely numb.

I won’t allow myself to become someone who rewards compliance and destroys opposition.”

Seeing Bu Shulin about to speak, she continued: “If I start down the path of tyranny, one day I’ll become unrecognizable, perhaps even disregarding my closest friends and family. In this world, if a living person has no softness or kindness in their heart, they will surely become a scourge upon the world.

As for what you said about our future confrontation with him on the path to power when that time comes, we’ll each rely on our abilities, whether through schemes or confrontation.”

Until she was certain of someone’s guilt, Shen Xihe wouldn’t act. There was another point she hadn’t told Bu Shulin.

Currently uncertain whether it was Prince Zhao, her restraint in not acting against him maintained her vigilance against potential hidden enemies. If she killed Prince Zhao believing him to be the true culprit, that vigilance would vanish.

If the real culprit was someone else, even a small oversight on her part might prove truly fatal.

“If it is him, and you let him go today, what if next time you fall into his trap and lose your life…” Bu Shulin felt compelled to remind Shen Xihe of this possibility.

“If I’m outmatched, I’ll face the consequences of my actions,” Shen Xihe replied.

“Ah,” Bu Shulin sighed deeply. “Youyou, you’re not suited to be a ruler this way.”

“Must a ruler be suspicious? See someone who might harm them and kill without discretion?” Shen Xihe shook her head with a light laugh. “While this might demonstrate authority, it’s not commendable. A few wrongful deaths might at most leave one isolated, with no one daring to speak the truth. Too many killings and wrongful deaths will lead to universal rebellion, ending in death from one’s suspicions.”

Bu Shulin thought for a moment and felt Shen Xihe had a point: “You always think extremely long-term, and I’ve noticed you think long-term in terms of self-discipline while being quite tolerant of others.”

“‘Without distant planning, there will be near worries’ – this is my favorite saying,” Shen Xihe smiled. “You’re wrong though, I’m not tolerant of others, rather their affairs don’t concern me. If they don’t harm me, why should I judge or criticize?”

She was never tolerant of strangers – she simply didn’t care about them. Their good or bad behavior was their own business.