The small booklet was presented with both hands, its satin surface gleaming as cleanly as his neat, rounded fingertips. Like his heart – pure and without impurity.

Summer lotus flowers stood gracefully in the pond. The day was still young, with dewdrops lingering on the lotus leaves, much like his eyes now – a pool of gentleness filled with clear light.

“Your Highness surely knows I’m not one to willingly submit to others. Entrusting these to me – aren’t you afraid that one day I might turn against you?” Shen Xihe asked softly.

Xiao Huayong smiled and shook his head: “I seek Youyou’s most precious gift, so naturally I must give my all. While Youyou isn’t one to submit to others, neither are you one consumed by power and desire.”

“Hearts change easily.” Shen Xihe opened her eyes, beneath the dense black lashes lay eyes seemingly veiled in frost, unclear. “Just as I feel Your Highness might change after ruling the world, my current detachment from power, only protecting those I wish to protect – perhaps it’s simply because I’ve never tasted the flavor of supreme authority.”

Xiao Huayong tilted his head slightly, pondering for a moment: “Over these years, traveling across the land, I’ve encountered all sorts of people and things. I’ve observed that ladies are naturally more tenderhearted and loyal than men. Men are born politicians, strategists, and ambitious ones.

But ladies are not. Not because they lack such talents from birth, or are limited by their environment. Rather, they desire far less than men. Even when forced by circumstances, it’s usually excessive hardship and suffering that makes them lose their maiden’s heart.

Youyou were born noble, with intelligence and reason embedded in your bones. If someone like you should one day become greedy for power, blinded by authority, that would be my greatest failure in life.

Without my betrayal or harm, how could your nature change? If that day truly comes and you turn against me, I would have no grievance.”

Each word was sincere, lacking his usual frivolous tenderness, replaced by earnestness and objectivity.

Shen Xihe met his gaze for a moment, then extended her hands from her wide sleeves to grasp the other end of the register: “Grateful for Your Highness’s trust, this heart and feeling shall never betray you.”

A smile spread from his lips to the corners of his eyes and brows as Xiao Huayong slowly released his grip. He lowered his head and said: “There’s something I wish to say, but please don’t be angry with me, Youyou.”

“Better than Your Highness does not say it.” Shen Xihe firmly refused to hear his next words.

Xiao Huayong was briefly stunned, then remembered how he often spoke sweet nothings, which she had always found frivolous and playboy-like. Thinking she assumed he would speak such words, he felt the consequences of his usual shamelessness and awkwardly touched his nose: “Not those words. Yesterday, I was thinking… entrusting these to Youyou, would you suspect that I mean to use you and the Northwest as my vanguard while I hide in the rear, ready to turn against you and the Northwest at any time…”

With these forces given to Shen Xihe, she would be the one facing His Majesty directly in the future. No matter how His Majesty tested, Shen Xihe would shield Xiao Huayong, preventing His Majesty from seeing his true enemy.

“Your Highness says if I turn against you in the future, you’d have no grievance; that’s because you know deeply that all current circumstances are of your choosing,” Shen Xihe smiled faintly. “I am the same.”

Today’s choices were her own; if she truly was used in the future and invited disaster through carelessness, she would only have herself to blame.

Since he entrusted her with everything, she naturally returned complete trust.

They smiled at each other, the recent unpleasantness long forgotten. Xiao Huayong returned to being that clingy spirit, more persistent than short-lived, staying at the Princess’s manor until nearly dusk before returning to the palace.

In the candlelight, Shen Xihe opened the register Xiao Huayong had given her. Though she had occasionally heard him mention court matters and knew somewhat of his arrangements, only upon seeing it did she understand that before the imperial examination fraud case, Xiao Huayong truly had no one in important positions besides Cui Jinbai and Zhao Zhenghao.

Even in minor positions, he had only three to five people. It was only after the examination fraud case that he placed many people in court, but they were all minor officials whom no one would investigate deeply or care about.

These people would need about ten years to rise to positions of real power if things went smoothly, and even longer if they encountered setbacks. Xiao Huayong had said he could only show them the door; their cultivation depended on themselves. He wouldn’t deliberately promote them – how far they could go in the future depended on their own fate.

These people hadn’t even become his useful pawns yet; whether they could become those he would focus on cultivating still depended on their abilities.

As Crown Prince, the rightful heir to the throne, he wasn’t just cultivating personal power, but rather the future pillars of the court. Thus, he tried to minimize personal bias and not show pure favoritism.

Shen Xihe read through the register once and put it away: “What of the Ye family’s movements these past days?”

After making the bed, Zhenzhu turned to face Shen Xihe: “Madam Ye went to Xiangguo Temple a few days ago to set up a memorial tablet for Xiao Changtai. She’s been there these days, inviting high monks to chant sutras, saying she’ll conduct seven days of deliverance services.”

Xiao Changtai had been stripped of his clan name and status; no one dared hold funeral rites for him, lest they oppose His Majesty. His crimes also forbade anyone from burning spirit money for him during festivals.

Ye Wantang, still mindful of their marriage bond, set up a tablet for him, fulfilling their marital obligations.

This was because he was already dead, and she had nothing left to settle.

It seemed the Ye family hadn’t told Ye Wantang that Xiao Changtai was still alive, or she wouldn’t have let go so quickly.

Perhaps she was even somewhat relieved that Xiao Changtai was dead. If he were alive, she wouldn’t know how to face him. With his death, she could come to terms with his deception and use of her, and return to being her original self.

Shen Xihe gazed at the flickering candlelight on the lamppost, silent for a moment before saying: “Tomorrow, go to Xiangguo Temple.”

In a few days, they would retreat to Linyou Palace to escape the heat. Xiao Huayong had said he had some matters to arrange and wouldn’t disturb her peace these days.

Shen Xihe wanted to see Ye Wantang. Her intuition told her that Xiao Changtai wouldn’t miss this opportunity when everyone left the capital to seek out Ye Wantang.

For the Linyou Palace journey, since His Majesty had decided to move against Xiao Huayong, Shen Xihe would necessarily take most people along. Those left behind might not succeed against Xiao Changtai. Xiao Huayong’s people absolutely couldn’t intercept Xiao Changtai now, or everything would appear as his secret machinations before His Majesty’s eyes.

Moreover, while killing Xiao Changtai would be easy, dismantling the power behind him wouldn’t happen overnight. Though Xiao Changtai no longer qualified to compete for the throne, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t assist others in fighting Xiao Huayong to the death.

Since this was the case, she would try a different method to deliver Xiao Changtai a fatal blow.