“Their method of communication is very discreet. I suspect she has already arranged to meet Fourth Brother, and he should come to see her in these few days,” said Xiao Huayong.

So Li Yanyan had truly made her move, though Xiao Huayong hadn’t figured out exactly how she had contacted Xiao Changtai.

“How does Your Highness plan to deal with them?” Shen Xihe asked.

“Rather than ‘deal with,’ I think ‘revenge’ or ‘counterattack’ would be more fitting,” said Xiao Huayong, the tiny mole at the corner of his eye moving as his gaze shifted, exuding endless charm.

Shen Xihe didn’t understand why he needed to change the wording, as her “deal with” also meant counterattack.

His smile suddenly deepened as he said, “If Fourth Brother comes, he won’t be able to escape the charge of having an illicit relationship with his brother’s wife.”

Now Shen Xihe understood. Xiao Huayong thought this method was somewhat devious and worried she might be uncomfortable with it, which was why he emphasized it was a counterattack.

She smiled slightly. “Your Highness is overthinking. I’ve never been a kind and gentle person. Not to mention that the Fourth Prince personally orchestrated the tomb robbery case, completely devoid of conscience and humanity, just for money, with Princess Dai as his accomplice. Just based on Fourth Prince joining forces with Munuha and nearly taking our lives – this matter, I won’t let it go easily.”

Regarding whether Li Yanyan and Fourth Prince Xiao Changtai had an affair, Shen Xihe believed they didn’t, even though she had detected Xiao Changtai’s scent on Li Yanyan.

At the time when the tower collapsed and fire broke out everywhere, the two of them meeting in private, like frightened birds, hiding together in one place and staying close to each other was normal – it would be natural to pick up each other’s scent that way.

If she could plot step by step against Princess Yanling and Munuha, how was it any different from Xiao Huayong plotting against Xiao Changtai and Li Yanyan?

This matter involved a prince’s wife and a prince – striking both sides simultaneously wouldn’t be easy. Xiao Changtai had cultivated considerable power over the years, otherwise, how could he have pulled off such an earth-shattering tomb robbery case?

If there was a way to resolve everything in one stroke, why not use it?

A prince who had been punished and forbidden from the capital, having an affair with his brother’s wife – what a huge scandal this would be!

His Majesty would certainly have to secretly put him to death to preserve the royal family’s face.

Xiao Huayong’s smile grew brighter. He had been somewhat worried that Shen Xihe wouldn’t approve of his methods.

“Fourth Prince is a clever person. Would he easily fall into such a trap?” Shen Xihe worried that if Xiao Changtai knew Xiao Changyin had been poisoned, he would guess everything was Xiao Huayong’s doing behind the scenes and wouldn’t come to the capital.

“It doesn’t matter if he guesses it. Princess Dai might not believe it. I will make Princess Dai force him into the trap,” Xiao Huayong mysteriously winked at Shen Xihe with his mole-decorated eye.

Shen Xihe was truly at a loss with Xiao Huayong. Just as she was getting used to his flirtatious words, he started with flirtatious actions. He seemed to be deliberately expanding her tolerance limits for him inch by inch.

Shen Xihe felt she couldn’t indulge him endlessly. She picked up her teacup and said, “Your Highness must have many important matters to attend to, so I won’t keep you any longer.”

Her way of dismissing guests was always this direct. Xiao Huayong laughed softly and asked, “Would Youyou like to come with me to send off Munuha?”

To send him on his final journey – between her and Munuha, Munuha had first tried to ambush and kill her father, while she had made Munuha flee in disgrace. Munuha had orchestrated a tiger attack, and she had captured Munuha. Now knowing clearly that Munuha wouldn’t live past tomorrow, she didn’t have such a strong desire for revenge that she needed to watch Munuha die with her own eyes.

She glanced at Xiao Huayong, especially not wanting to go with him at this moment – he would certainly find ways to take advantage of her.

“No,” Shen Xihe refused decisively.

He had already guessed she wouldn’t agree. His behavior just now had indeed been somewhat frivolous. She was an elegant and quiet lady – it was already not easy for her to adapt to his flirtatious words. To expect her to instantly accept his frivolous actions would be too demanding.

Xiao Huayong knew when to advance and retreat, and didn’t persist. He left alone.

Before he had left the palace, Munuha had already been sent out. The courtyard where Prince Xun had been secretly imprisoned last time – this time it wasn’t in a secret room, but in the courtyard. There were four iron cages in the courtyard, these four iron cages were connected, though separated by iron gates in between that could be raised through iron chains above.

When Xiao Huayong entered, Lüling moved a chair for him to sit, and lifted the cover of the iron cage directly in front. Munuha, curled up in a corner, suddenly exposed to light, squinted his eyes in discomfort.

He turned his head, and his blue eyes saw Xiao Huayong. He suddenly lunged forward, grabbing the iron cage bars, and staring intently at him.

“Has the Prince heard any sounds?” Xiao Huayong picked up a cup of hot tea and lowered his head to smell it.

He half-closed his eyes, his movements unhurried, his whole being exuding an air of composure and elegance.

Munuha had heard it – a kind of unbearable panting sound. Having grown up on the grasslands, he was more sensitive to the presence of wild beasts than ordinary people.

He looked at the iron chains connecting three sides, his expression stern.

“What do you want?” Munuha stared at the young man outside the iron cage. He didn’t want to die.

“I won’t let you go,” Xiao Huayong simply stated clearly. “However, I can give you a choice in how you die – either drink a cup of Dream Sinking wine and pass away silently without any pain, or be torn apart by fierce tigers and die in agony.”

After Xiao Huayong finished speaking, a servant brought a cup of wine. This wine called Dream Sinking was the most merciful way to describe it. It was said that after drinking it, one would fall asleep and never wake up again. The body would stiffen and shrink with time but wouldn’t decay. It cost a thousand gold pieces per cup.

An item from over two hundred years ago, nowadays no one has the formula anymore. The formula had fallen into the Linghu family’s hands, and Xiao Huayong had obtained it from Linghu Zhen.

“You want me to reveal my accomplices,” Munuha’s eyes were dead.

Xiao Huayong took a small sip of tea, holding the teacup in his hand, his fingertips gently caressing it. He lowered his eyes carelessly and said, “You might not even know all your accomplices yourself, but I already know.”

Xiao Changtai’s hidden forces were not insignificant. In the tomb robbery case, they had pushed Prince Dai Xiao Changyin out to take the blame, making even his capable subordinate Yu Zao believe it completely. Would he need to expose himself to help someone like Munuha?

Munuha’s pupils constricted. He hadn’t expected Xiao Huayong to know everything so clearly. His hands gripping the iron bars tightened slightly: “What do you want?”

“The map of Tujue,” Xiao Huayong spoke calmly.

Munuha’s expression changed when he heard this, then he burst into laughter. His laughter carried mockery towards Xiao Huayong. After laughing, he said, “Crown Prince, you underestimate Munuha. I will not betray my people!”

“That’s truly a pity,” Xiao Huayong sighed softly, giving a slight nod to Lüling.

Lüling opened the cage, gave some water to the chain-bound Munuha to drink, and then locked the cage again.

Pulling a thick iron chain, the cage connected to Munuha’s left was opened, and a tiger that had been starved for several days quickly pounced forward.