Yu Sangning had someone push Old Madam Yu into the lake and then poisoned that person with the Water Guanyin poison. She emerged as the hero who fearlessly rescued Old Madam Yu from the lake, thus earning the old lady’s favor.

Later, to advance her position, she drugged Yu Sangzi at the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet, causing red rashes to appear on Yu Sangzi’s face. She then suggested that Yu Sangzi perform a masked dance, and changed the music at the last moment. When the palace musicians couldn’t accompany them properly, Yu Sangning stepped in to perform alongside her, establishing their reputation as the Yu sisters’ duet.

From then on, Yu Sangzi, who had always been her rival, changed her view and truly accepted her as a sister.

Yu Sangning was skilled at appearing as a benefactor before her chosen prey, winning favor through displays of kindness. These people never realized that all their misfortunes were orchestrated by her hand.

If Empress Dowager hadn’t mentioned the sachet was from Yu Sangning, and if Shen Xihe hadn’t witnessed Yu Sangning’s previous two exploits, she wouldn’t have harbored such baseless suspicions about someone.

Although she might be overthinking, she still felt it necessary to warn Xiao Huayong, lest Yu Sangning, having tasted success, become insatiable and escalate her schemes.

The Empress Dowager held a special place in Xiao Huayong’s heart. Shen Xihe didn’t want his oversight to lead to future regrets.

“Youyou, thank you,” Xiao Huayong held Shen Xihe’s hand. “As her son, I visit her daily for greetings, but she only shares good news, never troubles. I couldn’t place spies in her palace without damaging our relationship, so inevitably there are things I miss.”

Shen Xihe smiled gently: “I will look after the Empress Dowager more in the future, and prevent others from harming her.”

If you treat my loved ones as your own, I will naturally treat your loved ones as mine.

This was what Shen Xihe considered the highest state of marriage – mutual understanding, tolerance, honesty, and protecting each other’s family and loved ones.

“Stay for dinner, Youyou. Twelfth Brother sent a roe deer, and I’ve asked Jiuzhang to prepare some fresh dishes,” Xiao Huayong invited.

Recently, the Prosperity Emperor had begun taking people hunting in the mountains near the temporary palace, always bringing several princes but never Xiao Huayong. Instead, he assigned more and more government affairs to Xiao Huayong. The emperor’s intentions were clear – when he truly wanted someone to be respected, he had countless ways to achieve it.

Roe deer meat was tender and delicious, which Shen Xihe particularly enjoyed. Even in the cool temporary palace, she had a hearty appetite for roasted meat. By the time she finished dinner, Tianyuan had quietly investigated the details of the Empress Dowager’s sleepless nights.

“Your Highness, there was nothing unusual in the Empress Dowager’s palace from the twelfth to the fifteenth,” Tianyuan reported.

“Nothing unusual?” Xiao Huayong turned to look at Shen Xihe.

Shen Xihe pondered for a moment: “Were there any changes in the items placed in the Empress Dowager’s chambers?”

“The items?” Tianyuan considered carefully. “They change daily.”

The Empress Dowager’s and consorts’ chambers were decorated with fresh flowers daily. These arrangements changed without pattern, distributed by palace servants or according to specific requests from their masters.

“What was placed there from the twelfth to the fifteenth?” Shen Xihe asked in detail.

Having been here for some time, she understood that with her upcoming marriage to the Crown Prince, the palace servants treated her like a princess. Each day, young eunuchs would bring flowers for her to choose from to decorate her chambers.

It was a good arrangement – the masters who received flowers usually gave rewards, making everyone happy.

Tianyuan consulted his records: “Princess, there were peonies during the day and roses at night.”

Elderly people preferred large, luxurious flowers, and the Empress Dowager particularly loved peonies and peonies.

“Roses, only those three nights had roses?” Shen Xihe asked again.

Tianyuan checked again and nodded: “Only those days had roses.”

“What’s wrong with roses?” Xiao Huayong asked. He had grown roses himself and knew they weren’t poisonous.

“Your Highness may not know that roses are fine in the courtyard,” Shen Xihe explained to Xiao Huayong. “But if doors and windows are tightly closed at night, or if there isn’t enough ventilation, the rose fragrance can make it difficult to sleep.”

Not many people knew this because noble ladies who kept roses indoors would open their windows. But the Empress Dowager was elderly, and at night in the cool temporary palace, she would only leave a small gap – not enough to disperse the rose fragrance.

Xiao Huayong’s eyes grew cold: “Investigate this. I want to see how many people have been compromised!”

To accomplish this required more than just one or two bribed individuals – first, the person delivering flowers, then those arranging them, and finally, those managing the windows. Perhaps even more.

“Your Highness, this is the temporary palace,” Shen Xihe reminded him.

Unlike the main palace, the temporary palace was for occasional residence. They had only brought one or two personal servants, so it was natural that others might find opportunities to exploit them. There was no need for anger.

“Go back and rest. I’ll inform you when I have news,” Xiao Huayong escorted Shen Xihe to her quarters.

Shen Xihe wasn’t optimistic. Yu Sangning was cautious and calculated. After realizing at Ye Wantang’s birthday banquet that Shen Xihe wasn’t someone to be trifled with, she never dared scheme against her again. This risky move must have been meticulously planned, and after so much time, evidence would likely be gone.

Indeed, Xiao Huayong’s second report confirmed her expectations: “She’s quite bold.”

“It might not be her,” they had no evidence, even if Yu Sangning was the prime suspect.

“Aspiring to be a Prince’s consort?” Xiao Huayong sneered. “I’ve already informed the Empress Dowager of all suspicious aspects.”

The lack of evidence didn’t matter. Xiao Huayong’s words carried enough weight for the Empress Dowager to believe completely. Yu Sangning hadn’t calculated how much influence Xiao Huayong’s words had on the Empress Dowager.

Sure enough, the Empress Dowager stopped summoning the Yu sisters and rarely received other noble ladies. Yu Sangning must have grown anxious because, within days, rumors spread throughout the temporary palace that the Empress Dowager intended to match a Yu family daughter with a prince – the Yu family would produce a Prince’s consort.

Shen Xihe didn’t know how Yu Sangning managed it, but more and more people came to congratulate the Marquis of Pingyao.

“Princess is this… Second Lady Yu’s doing?” Biyu felt this approach seemed disadvantageous to Second Lady Yu.

“It is her doing,” Shen Xihe was certain. “And she didn’t use the Pingyao Marquis’s influence. Even if the Empress Dowager and Emperor investigate thoroughly, they won’t trace it back to her or the Yu family. The Marquis of Pingyao commands two armies and holds a crucial position. With these rumors spreading so widely, yet not originating from the Yu family, the Emperor may have no choice but to allow a Yu family daughter to become a Prince’s consort.”