“Sixth Prince, how dare he!” After learning of Xiao Changyu’s scheme, Ziyu’s face reddened with anger.

“Why shouldn’t he dare? Doesn’t he have his outstanding qualities?” Shen Xihe sat in the swaying carriage, her slender fingers threading through the pearl strings of her waist ornament.

“He may be handsome and valiant, but this servant thinks he’s still not as beautiful as the Crown Prince…” Ziyu mumbled softly.

It was strange – Ziyu most despised pretty boys and sickly young men.

The Crown Prince’s skin was almost fairer than a woman’s, his face sickly, and he would cough for ages after speaking just a few sentences, yet somehow she didn’t find the Crown Prince lacking in masculinity.

Hearing this, Shen Xihe held a pearl between her fingertips, gently rotating it as she shook her head slightly.

Biyu couldn’t stand watching Ziyu act so foolishly and poked her forehead with a finger: “Your head is full of straw. When the Princess speaks of outstanding qualities, how could she be referring to looks?”

Ziyu dodged away, rubbing her poked forehead: “If not looks, then what?”

They had only met the Sixth Prince once – surely it couldn’t be about his personality?

Biyu took a deep breath, trying hard not to get angry, telling herself that Ziyu was pure and vivacious, the Princess’s source of joy.

Only then did she suppress her exasperated frustration: “It’s that he doesn’t have the Emperor’s favor.”

The Sixth Prince had already come of age. In this dynasty, princes began participating in government at fourteen, could train in the Six Ministries at sixteen, and could be granted royal titles after coming of age. The Ninth Prince had received his title early as a special grace, yet the Sixth Prince was still just “Sixth Prince” even now.

It wasn’t that Xiao Changyu lacked ability or learning – it was because his birth mother had committed a grave error, and Emperor Youning was taking out his anger on him.

If Shen Xihe were to choose a husband, it would be best to choose someone who had fallen from the Emperor’s favor – this would allow for the greatest binding of interests.

From this perspective, the Sixth Prince appeared to be the best candidate on the surface.

“But he has nothing! Just because he’s out of the Emperor’s favor, he thinks he can win our Princess’s affection? Does he take our Princess for a fool?” Ziyu grew even angrier.

“Nothing?” Shen Xihe looked up, her cold eyes tinged with hints of amusement. “How do you know he has nothing?”

“If he didn’t have some backing, where would he get the courage to provoke the Princess? Even if he mistakenly thought the Princess was easy to fool, does he think the Prince and Young Master secured the Northwest with brute force alone?” Biyu rolled her eyes at Ziyu in annoyance.

Ziyu shrank her neck and turned to pick up some pastries, quietly munching away.

Shen Xihe also took a piece of osmanthus cake to satisfy her hunger.

The capital was different from the Northwest. In the Northwest, soldiers trained day and night and ate three meals a day, while the capital followed the custom of morning and evening meals.

“This isn’t even the crucial point.” The sweet, soft taste melting in her mouth improved Shen Xihe’s mood, so she offered some guidance to Biyu, “The Sixth Prince is past the age of twenty, and Bian Xianyi is nineteen. If the Sixth Prince wanted to take Bian Xianyi as a concubine in his residence, it would be an extremely simple matter.”

A prince having a concubine from the entertainment register would be no great scandal, nor would it prevent the Sixth Prince from marrying a noble lady as his primary wife.

“So he wants to marry the Princess, and after the Princess…” Ziyu spoke up indignantly, “he can marry his true love as his successor wife!”

Shen Xihe cast a light glance at Ziyu. Ziyu was a simple person, and she didn’t need everyone around her to be clever and astute – having someone naive was quite nice too.

“What do you think?” Shen Xihe asked Biyu.

Biyu was somewhat flattered by the attention. She straightened her back and spoke only after careful consideration: “Once Master Bian became part of the entertainment register, even if the Sixth Prince had no regard for face, she wouldn’t be qualified to be his successor wife.”

Shen Xihe gave her an approving look, encouraging her to continue.

Emboldened, Biyu shared all her thoughts: “They must both understand this, yet they still schemed this way, which means Master Bian could become the Sixth Prince’s successor wife – if His Majesty approves.”

“You mean His Majesty is pushing the Sixth Prince toward the Princess?” Ziyu asked incredulously.

Biyu glared at her: “His Majesty may be wary of the Princess, but she’s only just arrived in the capital – there’s no need for such urgency.”

Moreover, as the ruler of a nation, he wouldn’t need to resort to such unsightly methods.

Shen Xihe was very satisfied with Biyu’s response: “Indeed, it wasn’t His Majesty’s instruction, but nothing happens in the palace without His Majesty’s knowledge. If the Crown Prince hadn’t brought this into the open this time, His Majesty would likely have pretended ignorance until the end.”

Letting Xiao Changyu continue pursuing her – if it succeeded, it would solve one of his problems; if it failed, it was just an unfavored son, and beating him wouldn’t matter much.

Xiao Changyu and Bian Xianyi must have tested the waters and confirmed Emperor Youning’s tacit approval before daring to try. After Shen Xihe died and the Western Prince’s mansion was destroyed, they would have rendered a service – for lovers to finally become a couple, Emperor Youning might not refuse to grant their wish.

This was the difference between being favored and unfavored in the imperial family.

Ziyu listened with trepidation: “These… these people, how do their minds work?”

She muttered so softly that Shen Xihe pretended not to hear, her gaze growing cold: “I wonder if this was the Sixth Prince’s idea, or Master Bian’s…”

If it was Xiao Changyu’s idea, well, he was a prince after all – she would give Emperor Youning a face and spare his life.

But if it was Bian Xianyi’s idea…

Ziyu looked up to see Shen Xihe lighting incense on the burner. As the smoke curled up, she was somehow reminded of a similar scene before memorial tablets during sacrificial ceremonies.

Suddenly, she felt the carriage grow a bit colder.

Anxiously lifting the carriage curtain, she discovered they had unknowingly strayed from the path home. Ziyu became somewhat flustered: “Princess, aren’t we returning to the mansion?”

“Going to see someone,” Shen Xihe said before closing her eyes.

Jianfu Temple wasn’t far from the Shen mansion and had decent patronage. Shen Xihe was someone who believed neither in Buddha nor Taoism – she came to Jianfu Temple only to meet someone. Having Biyu make arrangements, they quickly secured a meditation room in the inner courtyard.

Though she didn’t believe in Buddha, she respected Buddhist sacred grounds, so she lit some dudhi fragrant incense and rested with closed eyes in the meditation room for about half an hour until there was a knock at the door.

Biyu turned to see Shen Xihe open her eyes and then went to open the door.

Mo Yuan brought in two women. The one in front wore fine silk robes with a gold hairpin, her makeup exquisite; the one behind appeared to be a maid.

After pushing the two inside, Mo Yuan closed the door from outside.

“Who… who are you?” The woman dressed as a noblelady watched Shen Xihe warily.

“Who I am isn’t important. What’s important is who you are.” Shen Xihe slowly stood up. “Should I call you Consort Luo? Or Yu Xiaodie?”

Yu Xiaodie’s gaze sharpened as she clutched her handkerchief tightly, struggling to maintain her composure.

This Yu Xiaodie was nearly thirty. Ten years ago, she had been gifted to Prince Kang, climbing from an unnamed concubine to the position of consort.

The reason Shen Xihe knew this was because she came from the same place as the rouge in the Rouge Case.

Xiao Changying’s list had recorded it.