“Meow!” Without paying any attention to Shen Xihe’s movements, Duanming jumped into her embrace and curled up in a comfortable position.

It began nuzzling Shen Xihe’s face, twisting its body playfully, but Shen Xihe patted it to stay quiet as she opened the book and began reading carefully from the beginning.

When Zhenzhu and Biyu returned, they saw Shen Xihe sitting sideways on the long couch, leaning slightly against the square table. Her expression was gentle, her demeanor serene.

Gone was the melancholy and furrowed brow from her time in the Northwest; gone too was the cold dignity and unapproachability following Linglong’s betrayal. At this moment, Shen Xihe was like the hibiscus flowers beside her stretching from their vase toward the light, gentle to her very core.

They never expected to see the County Princess like this. As the Prince had said, this journey to the capital might truly be the County Princess’s rebirth. Both women’s eyes reddened, though she remained unaware of their previous worries and fears.

Li Yanyan learned about Ye Wantang’s return to the capital only shortly after Shen Xihe. She passed this information to Fourth Prince Xiao Changtai, but as always, it sank like a stone in water. Her relationship with Xiao Changtai had always been purely cooperative, and she never felt she needed to act according to his wishes.

When they first agreed to work together, she had insisted that Xiao Changzhen must not be involved, but this time Xiao Changtai had broken his word.

Fortunately, it was only a common poison. If it had been lethal poison, wouldn’t Xiao Changzhen now be…

Li Yanyan dared not think further. She had to demand an explanation from Xiao Changtai.

After inquiring about the Ye family’s situation, she waited three days until Ye Wantang’s mother showed signs of improvement before sending her an invitation.

The Zhao Princess Consort had died young, and in previous years there were only three princes’ consorts in the royal family, who maintained a cordial relationship. With Ye Wantang back in the capital, when Li Yanyan personally extended an invitation, she naturally couldn’t refuse.

When Ye Qi heard she was going to visit Li Yanyan, he didn’t think much of it. Even if Xiao Changtai had been honest with Ye Qi, he wouldn’t have revealed his close association with the Dai Princess Consort. Just because he was open-minded didn’t mean others wouldn’t speculate, so Xiao Changtai naturally wouldn’t warn Ye Qi to be wary of Li Yanyan.

He trusted Li Yanyan would be discrete and wouldn’t harm Ye Wantang.

Li Yanyan indeed had no intention of harming Ye Wantang. She merely invited her over for some casual conversation and pleasantries. Only when seeing Ye Wantang off did she say, “Fourth Sister-in-law, when you return to the Imperial Tomb, please give my regards to Fourth Brother.”

Just her regards, not her and the Dai Prince’s regards. Ye Wantang felt something was slightly amiss but didn’t think too much of it, assuming Li Yanyan had simply spoken hastily, and responded with a smile.

Li Yanyan watched Ye Wantang’s carriage disappear from the prince’s residence, unaware that after leaving, the carriage had deviated from the route back to the Ye residence. Before Ye Wantang could even cry out upon realizing this, she was knocked unconscious with a swift chop.

When Ye Qi returned home from his shift and found his daughter hadn’t returned, he immediately rushed to the Dai Prince’s mansion. Li Yanyan said Ye Wantang had left two hours ago.

Both realized the gravity of the situation, and Ye Qi immediately reported it to the authorities.

Meanwhile, at the Imperial Tomb, Xiao Changtai received another message from Li Yanyan, thicker than usual. Opening it, he found a book whose contents frightened him so much that he threw it away at first glance.

His expression is extremely ugly, he closes his eyes before picking up the book again. Opening it, he looked at the small illustrations page by page, showing the process of three tigers devouring a person in extreme detail. The scenes were so vivid they gave viewers a strong sense of immersion as if they were there themselves.

The person wore simple robes in Han style, but Xiao Changtai knew it was Munuha.

“Wanwan has fallen into the Crown Prince’s hands,” he steadied himself, pressing the picture book onto the table. “The Crown Prince is telling me that if I don’t go to the capital, Wanwan will disappear from this world without a trace, just like Munuha.”

Munuha had died, died so tragically, yet no one knew he was dead – only Xiao Huayong and himself knew. But what good was his knowledge? Even if he showed this book to others and said it depicted Munuha’s tragic death, no one would believe him. Moreover, he couldn’t explain how he knew this was the process of Munuha’s death.

“Your Highness, you cannot go,” his subordinate said fearfully after hearing this. Munuha was already dead!

His Majesty had sent so many people to hunt down Munuha without success. Munuha had the keen instincts of a prairie wolf, and though their people had secretly assisted him while he was being pursued by Xiao Huayong’s men, it was ultimately Munuha’s quick perception, swift evasion, and clever hiding that had kept him alive.

For the Crown Prince to capture Munuha, who had been as slippery as a loach even within our territory, his power must be far greater than they had imagined.

If Xiao Changtai dared enter the capital now, he would surely be walking into a trap.

Xiao Changtai was hesitant. He didn’t make an immediate decision, instead dismissing his subordinate and sitting alone on the simple wooden couch, his expression full of doubt and internal struggle.

“Has His Highness captured the Fourth Prince’s consort?” Shen Xihe asked when Xiao Huayong arrived, having heard the rumors.

“She’s not in my hands,” Xiao Huayong smiled.

Shen Xihe was briefly stunned before realizing, “The Dai Princess Consort played quite a trick of deception.”

After investigating the matter’s details, even she had believed Ye Wantang had left the Dai Prince’s residence. She hadn’t expected Li Yanyan was merely using this to clear herself of suspicion – first openly sending the person away, then having her intercepted on the return.

“Isn’t she afraid the Fourth Prince will turn against her because of this?”

“Li has been childhood friends with Third Brother, and over the years, Third Brother has sacrificed much for her. Third Brother is likely the only person she truly cares for in this world,” Xiao Huayong sighed softly.

However, between them lay too many insurmountable national and personal grudges. Li Yanyan refused to acknowledge her feelings for the Dai Prince, as doing so would make her despise herself – he was the son of her enemy.

She understood the principles of dynastic changes and survival of the fittest, but understanding these grand principles couldn’t fill the void in her conscience as a daughter.

She couldn’t simply accept it as the natural course of events and happily live in loving harmony with the enemy’s son.

“I understand,” Shen Xihe comprehended Li Yanyan’s feelings.

Gu Qingzhi was more clear-headed than Li Yanyan. She had known early on about the fate of the Gu family and the royal family, so she had always viewed her relationship with Xiao Changxin rationally. If not for this, Gu Qingzhi would have been like Li Yanyan, unable to love or hate properly, living in endless torment each day.

Xiao Huayong gazed deeply at Shen Xihe: “Youyou, we will never reach that point.”

Seeing the mutual torment between Li Yanyan and Xiao Changzhen, Xiao Huayong felt an inexplicable fear – fear that one day he and Shen Xihe might end up the same way. Because of this fear alone, he would never take any action to harm the Shen family or the Northwest.

He had misunderstood, thinking her “I understand” meant she was relating to her current situation with him or their future after his ascension to the throne.

“Your Highness, we work together as one,” Let’s work together to protect our shared future.