Was Shen Xihe just going through the motions?

Of course.

She was Xiao Huayong’s fiancée and had always been seen as a pair with him. Who in the capital didn’t think she and Xiao Huayong were a loving couple?

At this time, when both Xiao Huayong and Xiao Changying had disappeared, and Xiao Changying had returned confirming they had been kidnapped together, it would seem odd if she didn’t come to inquire about what happened.

Upon entering the room, she found Xiao Changqin was also there. It was only natural for an elder brother to visit and watch over his younger sibling who had returned from hardship. Shen Xihe greeted them, and Xiao Changqin tactfully took his leave.

This left only Shen Xihe with her maids Zhenzhu and Ziyu, and Xiao Changying in the room. With the doors wide open, Shen Xihe drew her gaze back from the sunny blue sky and politely inquired, “Has Your Highness sustained any injuries?”

“Thank you for your concern. This prince was not injured,” Xiao Changying’s tone was somewhat stiff, his expression not particularly pleasant.

Shen Xihe knew she hadn’t offended him, and naturally wouldn’t serve as his outlet for anger. She gave a slight nod and turned to leave.

“You won’t ask anything else?” Xiao Changying suddenly stood up and called out as he saw her leaving.

Shen Xihe stopped and turned to face Xiao Changying: “Did Zhaoning not just ask a question?”

Xiao Changying was momentarily stumped, suppressing his anger: “Did the Princess truly come only to show concern for this prince?”

“Of course not,” Shen Xihe replied frankly, “but I have nothing else to say to Your Highness.”

It was all just for show, especially for His Majesty to see. Shen Xihe saw no need for pretenses – her mere presence was enough.

“So sure of everything that even your pretense is this perfunctory. Aren’t you afraid there are His Majesty’s ears in this courtyard, and that such behavior would be self-defeating?” Xiao Changying stared intently at Shen Xihe, his beautiful eyes dark.

“Prince Xin was here earlier,” Shen Xihe smiled faintly.

Xiao Changying: “??”

“Since Your Highness was with Prince Xin, surely brothers would have discussed everything openly, and Prince Xin must have asked about the events of Your Highness’s disappearance,” Shen Xihe explained softly. “If both princes could speak so freely, this must be the safest moment.”

This was precisely why Shen Xihe didn’t want to put on more of an act. She was certain that when Xiao Changqin and Xiao Changying were together, they must have discussed politics, Xiao Huayong, and the current situation – surely things they wouldn’t want His Majesty to know about.

It didn’t matter if His Majesty had people in this courtyard; they certainly weren’t around at this moment.

Seeing Xiao Changying’s frozen expression, Shen Xihe added: “If there truly were ears beyond these walls, Your Highness wouldn’t have questioned me so.”

Her intelligence, her perceptiveness, her composure – like golden sunlight at high noon, they enveloped her entire being, giving her the breadth of mind and bearing of a young man.

At this moment, Xiao Changying had to admit he wasn’t worthy of her. Standing before her, he felt ashamed. Their thoughts, their concerns, their perspectives – they weren’t on the same level. He needed to look up to her.

Suddenly, he didn’t want to see her. As a prince, he excelled in both civil and martial arts and was used to people bowing and scraping before him. This was the first time he realized he truly couldn’t stand as her equal.

The dense pain in his heart made him turn away awkwardly: “He wants you to rest assured.”

These words must have been what Xiao Huayong asked Xiao Changying to convey to her. Shen Xihe’s expression softened slightly: “Thank you.”

She waited a moment, but when Xiao Changying said nothing more, Shen Xihe finally took her leave.

His attention was completely drawn by the sound of her departing footsteps. Only when he could no longer hear any trace of her movement, when not even a hint of her presence remained in the cool breeze, did he collapse into his seat?

Why couldn’t he let go?

Even though they had no future together, even though she had never shown him the slightest warmth, why was he unable to erase her image from his heart?

He was just thinking about going back to a year ago – if he had never met her, would he be caught in such emotional turmoil today?

No sooner had Shen Xihe left Xiao Changying’s courtyard than the news reached Emperor Youning’s ears. Emperor Youning’s expression remained cold: “What do you make of it?”

Emperor Youning was asking Liu Sanzhi, who no longer dared to equivocate. He bowed solemnly and replied: “Your Majesty, this servant personally investigated the mountain and examined all the fallen Imperial Guards. There was no trace of the Crown Prince engaging in combat in the mountains. The sword wounds on the dead all showed they were inflicted by the same group, with no evidence of any special individual taking action.”

Xiao Changying had never understood why Xiao Huayong escaped without anyone watching him, yet still pretended not to know martial arts. That was because any combat would leave traces, and Liu Sanzhi was not only highly skilled in martial arts but also adept at detecting the smallest clues.

The cause of death for these men would be investigated; the wounds on their bodies, the force, and angles, could all reveal who was responsible.

Only one person was killed by Xiao Huayong, and that was with a thrown knife from a distance – something many people could do. Moreover, Xiao Huayong erased the traces afterward, and the cause of death matched with another group of bodies that had been dragged back.

They could reconstruct the battle scene from that night and deduce that no other single highly skilled martial artist had been involved.

Furthermore, after Xiao Huayong’s disappearance, Liu Sanzhi kept a close watch on Shen Xihe, and her various reactions proved she had no prior knowledge.

“You mean Old Three’s appearance was pure coincidence?” Emperor Youning’s “Old Three” referred to Crown Prince Xiao Juesong of Jiachen.

Liu Sanzhi lowered his head, thinking carefully before responding: “Your Majesty, Crown Prince Jiachen has been missing for over twenty years. If he had been conspiring with the Crown Prince all along, His Highness would never have exposed him today.”

Keeping him hidden would have allowed for greater schemes in the future. The men Xiao Juesong had trained were no ordinary soldiers – although they were suppressed by the Imperial Guards, they had also suffered heavy losses. No one knew Xiao Juesong’s whereabouts; if he had remained hidden, he would surely have become a serious threat in the future.

If the Crown Prince were truly so deep, he wouldn’t have failed to see this point.

Liu Sanzhi dared not conclude whether today’s events were a coincidence, but he could be certain that the Crown Prince and Xiao Juesong were not allies. When Xiao Juesong captured the Crown Prince, perhaps…

Emperor Youning turned the jade ring on his thumb. He believed that Xiao Huayong and Xiao Juesong were not conspirators, but he couldn’t rashly conclude whether today’s situation was due to Xiao Huayong’s luck in encountering the opportunistic Xiao Juesong, or if Xiao Huayong had played a key role – the difference between the two possibilities was vast.

Xiao Juesong had been missing for twenty years, and he had considered him dead. He had sent many people to search, but there had been no trace. His sudden appearance disrupted all his plans and caused such massive losses. At this moment, he wished he could immediately capture Xiao Juesong and subject him to death by dismemberment!