Indeed, her unease was confirmed – Shen Xihe had come for her. Yu Sangning’s heart leaped to her throat.

She recalled how Shen Xihe had made Liang Danpu kneel on broken porcelain that day in front of everyone, sending her back to the Liang residence with bleeding knees. Yet the Liang family didn’t dare make a sound, and even Noble Lady Liang didn’t seek accountability from Shen Xihe.

After a year in the capital, she understood that in this supreme imperial city, there remained a group of people born noble who could act willfully. Everyone had to show them respect and even the emperor had to show more tolerance to them than to others.

She was Shen Xihe.

Born into a non-imperial noble family, her father commanded one-third of the empire’s military power, and she married the dynasty’s heir apparent. Whatever she desired, countless people would rush to present it before her with just a wave of her hand.

“Sangning doesn’t know how she has offended the Princess. Please enlighten me,” Yu Sangning struggled to remain calm.

She sensed no killing intent from Shen Xihe, but knowing her unpredictable nature, even with Gu Qingqiu as a witness, she couldn’t be certain Shen Xihe wouldn’t kill her.

“You haven’t offended me,” Shen Xihe said flatly. “But you’re too presumptuous, daring to scheme against anyone you please.”

Yu Sangning’s mind raced at these words, trying to determine whom Shen Xihe meant. She knew enough about Shen Xihe to understand that if something didn’t concern her, she wouldn’t act even against a mass murderer.

The only person connected to Shen Xihe who could make her “presumptuous” must be… the Empress Dowager.

To gain the Empress Dowager’s favor, she had risked using a subtle method, believing it well-hidden, yet Shen Xihe had discovered it. She was certain Shen Xihe had no evidence, or she wouldn’t use such methods. But she also knew that even without evidence, once Shen Xihe was convinced of her guilt, denying it now would only anger her.

Admission was impossible, so she bit her lip in silence, her vigilant, uneasy, and nervous gaze fixed on Shen Xihe, not missing the slightest reaction.

“Princess, murder is a crime,” Gu Qingqiu realized it was Shen Xihe who had caused their terrifying ordeal and spoke gravely.

Shen Xihe turned her eyes, their color light but gaze profound, creating an intangible pressure that made Gu Qingqiu’s heart sink, as if something were pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

This gaze, seemingly gentle yet suffocating, appearing humble yet full of contempt, filled her with an irrational fear.

Her sister was similar, but where Shen Xihe was indifferent, Gu Qingchi was icily cold.

“Whether I kill one person or two makes no difference to me,” Shen Xihe replied calmly to Gu Qingchi.

Her eyes lifted slightly, passing over Moyu, who instantly released her grip. The horse grew restless and began to move, causing the carriage to drop suddenly, crashing against the locked rear door. Yu Sangning’s nails dug deep grooves into the wooden wall as terror overwhelmed her.

The creaking of the unstable carriage was like a death knell, torturing her heart and pushing her fear to its peak.

Seeing this, Gu Qingqiu couldn’t help but step back in horror. Meanwhile, Zhenzhu and Biyu had subdued all her guards and joined Bu Shulin, the three of them engaging the shadow guards assigned by Xiao Changqin.

Faced with such a dire situation, though filled with resentment and hatred, Gu Qingqiu had no choice but to remain silent.

“Princess… Princess, please make it quick!” Yu Sangning was terrified, her eyes glistening with barely contained tears. Yet she knew pleading with Shen Xihe was useless – once she decided someone should die, nothing would change her mind.

Don’t ask how she knew; a strong intuition told her this was exactly who Shen Xihe was.

“Let go,” Shen Xihe’s words barely scattered in the wind before the guard holding the rope released it, and the carriage instantly plunged over the cliff.

In the night wind, Yu Sangning’s scream pierced the darkness as she flew from the carriage. Just as she thought she would be crushed, a strong hand grabbed hers, preventing her from falling into the thorny underbrush.

Her heart pounded violently, nearly jumping out of her throat. In that moment of falling, she had experienced a soul-shattering terror. Yu Sangning, who had forbidden herself to cry, broke down sobbing.

Moyu used the rope’s leverage to pull her up, then tossed her aside.

The pain from the impact brought Yu Sangning back to her senses. Tears streaming down her face, she quickly knelt before Shen Xihe, repeatedly kowtowing: “Princess, spare me… I… I’ll never dare again, never dare again…”

Shen Xihe observed Yu Sangning, who was begging for mercy in extreme fear, then glanced at the shadow guards who were still holding their own against Bu Shulin and the others. She hadn’t intended to kill today.

Yu Sangning’s methods were vicious, tricking people into poisoning themselves, but it wasn’t her place to deliver justice.

Killing Yu Sangning would mean killing Gu Qingqiu too, or things would become increasingly complicated. She had no grudge against Gu Qingqiu and couldn’t justify silencing her just to cover up a murder.

“Remember today. There won’t be another chance to beg for mercy,” with this final warning, Shen Xihe turned and returned to her carriage.

Bu Shulin and the others disengaged from the shadow guards, who were also unwilling to continue fighting. Each side returned to their charges.

The carriage passed Gu Qingqiu and the others, departing into the distance. Gu Qingqiu looked at the fallen carriage, the scattered guards, and Shen Xihe’s group disappearing into the night, her gaze cold and resentful.

Never had anyone been so brazen. She once thought her elder sister was the most arrogant woman in the world, but today she learned what true contempt for everything looked like.

Shen Xihe had left them in this state, an hour’s carriage ride from the temporary palace. For two delicate noble ladies to walk back would take until dawn, making them appear disheveled before others.

Surrounded by mountains, even if they sent guards to inform Xiao Changqin to collect them, it would take two hours. Despite having skilled shadow guards with them, they were afraid of these wild mountains.

Even if they told His Majesty that Shen Xihe had done this to them, he wouldn’t believe it. They had no evidence, and they had no previous grievances with Shen Xihe, who was known in the capital as someone not to be trifled with but who never caused trouble without reason.

Shen Xihe had barely left the two behind when she stopped in a place they couldn’t see: “Your Highness if you don’t come out now, don’t blame me for using sleeping incense or poison needles.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a figure flew over, landing steadily before her carriage, smiling at her with indulgence and tenderness.