Mu Nuha was indeed cornered by Xiao Huayong. When someone approached him about joining forces against Xiao Huayong, he realized that as long as Xiao Huayong lived, the pursuit would never end. Only then did he discover that across the empire, the Crown Prince’s influence was even more terrifying than the Emperor’s.

While the Emperor’s command controlled the official forces in various regions, wherever Mu Nuha fled, people from all walks of life would quickly expose and betray him. Since leaving the capital, he hadn’t had a single peaceful night’s sleep.

His hatred for Xiao Huayong was so intense he wished to tear him into pieces – how could he not seize this opportunity?

He returned, and through his collaborators’ arrangements, successfully bribed the Yangzhou Tribute Official with gold to infiltrate their delegation. They informed him of Xiao Huayong’s recent movements, hoping he would foolishly rush out to confront Xiao Huayong and expose his martial abilities. But he wasn’t that naive.

He had greater schemes in mind. He set two connected traps for Xiao Huayong. The first involved using his limited intelligence to predict Xiao Huayong’s movements and planting beast-luring incense outside the Azalea Forest. Fortune favored him as the wind that day didn’t blow in their direction, preventing them from discovering either the incense or the agitated beasts it had attracted early on.

Unfortunately, they still discovered it too soon and escaped this catastrophe.

He had only placed thirty percent of his hopes on this first trap taking Xiao Huayong’s life, so when Xiao Huayong escaped, he wasn’t greatly disappointed.

The second trap followed immediately. He knew Xiao Huayong would quickly learn of his return to the capital and launch a furious retaliation. He carefully concealed his tracks, deliberately leaving only traces he wanted Xiao Huayong to find. He had planted numerous explosives, beast-luring incense, and traps here, waiting for Xiao Huayong to walk right into them.

When large numbers of troops arrived in pursuit, Mu Nuha’s expression grew serious.

He knew well that Xiao Huayong wouldn’t dare openly deploy so many troops to hunt him in broad daylight.

Hidden in his vantage point, he saw the Imperial Guard General leading the charge and realized he had underestimated Xiao Huayong’s cunning – somehow Xiao Huayong had maneuvered to get the Emperor himself to order his execution.

The traps wounded many pursuing Imperial Guards, the beast-luring incense drew wild animals to delay them, and the pre-purchased explosives took out some men, but beyond the Imperial Guard, other units arrived as reinforcements. The traps he had set based on his estimates of Xiao Huayong’s maximum available forces were inadequate against the Emperor’s army.

Fortunately, he had left himself an escape route. He quickly fled to the mountain peak and leaped down through a rain of arrows. Though mist shrouded the bottom, he had prepared a thick vine with a rope attached, which caught him precisely.

Following the rope down, he reached a plank path midair, quickly passed through a cave, and barely escaped.

Though struck by arrows during his flight, he managed to evade the pursuing forces and return to his hideout. But just as he pushed open the door, a needle struck him. Looking up, he saw Shen Xihe’s gently smiling face.

“It’s been a while, Prince Mu Nuha.”

Her cool voice was like spring water, but rather than bringing refreshing comfort, it made his eyelids heavy before he collapsed forward.

Xiao Huayong walked in from outside, clapping and smiling, sincerely praising: “Youyou, you truly have my admiration.”

Despite exhausting all his resources, he hadn’t found Mu Nuha’s hideout, yet Shen Xihe had located it just using Duanming in her arms.

Duanming was a spirit cat with the naturally keen smell. Over the past year, Shen Xihe had specially trained it to precisely identify many fragrances. Though it might not distinguish between some components with similar or identical scents, the beast-luring incense was very distinctive to it, even unlit.

Shen Xihe traced the incense sales to find the spice shop, then through it located a fallen perfumer who made the incense. Following his directions to this area, where there were no more spice shops or heavy fragrance users, it was time for Duanming to shine.

They had found this place while the Emperor’s men were pursuing Mu Nuha. Xiao Huayong handled the sweep, checking if any of Mu Nuha’s allies were hidden here protecting him.

They didn’t trust each other enough – only Mu Nuha himself was here.

“Your Highness, do you know why Mu Nuha fell into our hands so easily?” Shen Xihe asked, looking up at Xiao Huayong sitting beside her in the carriage.

“Naturally, it’s because of Youyou’s wisdom,” Xiao Huayong praised generously.

Shen Xihe lowered her head with a slight smile, shaking it: “No, it’s because they didn’t trust each other.”

If Mu Nuha had trusted his allies just a bit more, if someone had been watching this place, they would have found a way to warn him on his return that it wasn’t safe anymore.

He didn’t trust his partners, even guarding against them, choosing to fight alone, which led to his current fate.

However, from Mu Nuha’s position, distrust was the correct choice – who knew if those joining forces with him now were wolves or tigers? To them, he would always be a foreigner, a foreigner they could sacrifice at any time.

“Youyou, are you suggesting we should take this as a warning?” Xiao Huayong asked, his emotions unreadable.

Shen Xihe knew he was angry again – he disliked her viewing their relationship as a partnership. But that wasn’t what she meant to say today. Shen Xihe smiled slightly: “I’m talking about trust. Whatever the connection between two people – family, friends, or husband and wife – they must trust each other.

Fighting alone, even the most capable person might find themselves isolated and helpless.”

Xiao Huayong’s lips curved back into a smile, his gaze at Shen Xihe gentle as water: “I naturally trust Youyou completely. What about Youyou’s trust in me?”

Shen Xihe answered frankly: “Partial trust and partial doubt.”

Xiao Huayong: …

Too much honesty wasn’t always good.

“Youyou, isn’t this contradictory? You speak of how crucial mutual trust is, yet don’t fully trust me,” Xiao Huayong sighed softly.

“Your Highness need not worry. When we face others together, I will never doubt you,” Shen Xihe smiled.

“Between us, we will always face others together,” Xiao Huayong gazed at her deeply, his silver-gleaming eyes deep as an abyss or ocean. “I stand before you not to make you a woman hiding behind her man, but while protecting you… to entrust my back to you at all times.

Whether you protect or kill me is entirely your choice. This is my decision, with neither regret nor resentment.”

His tone, like his eyes gazing at her now, was gentle and lingering.