At such proximity, Shen Xihe could detect traces of Tagara fragrance mixed with the medicinal scent on him. She looked at him briefly before closing her eyes to rest, neither avoiding nor responding, maintaining silence.

Seeing this, Xiao Huayong couldn’t resist leaning in to quickly steal a kiss from her soft lips. Meeting Shen Xihe’s suddenly opened eyes, he retreated with a playful smile, leaning back against the carriage wall, his eyes brimming with tender satisfaction as he watched her at his leisure.

“If the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain,” Xiao Huayong said cheerfully. “Between husband and wife, there’s no need to keep score of who approaches whom.”

He chose to think of it as if she had kissed him instead.

Shen Xihe, who had been slightly annoyed, saw his manner and realized he was always yielding to her. Yet asking her to become the kind of person he wanted, to be so forward, was truly too difficult for her.

She hesitated for a moment before taking the initiative to hold his hand. Xiao Huayong was momentarily stunned, then his gaze seemed to ripple with heat. When Shen Xihe tried to withdraw her hand, he wouldn’t allow her to retreat, immediately gripping it tightly.

He even went further, sliding his fingers between hers to interlock them, raising their joined hands with unbridled joy, grinning as if he’d found a precious treasure.

Shen Xihe had to use force to lower their hands, as if not seeing might make her feel more at ease.

She didn’t pursue her earlier question. Xiao Huayong knew she had already mustered great courage to take such a significant step beyond her usual propriety, breaking her own rules of conduct because of him.

So he volunteered: “I was just discussing with your father about taking you to the Northwest next month.”

Wu Yun’an and Xue Jinqiao were to be married in the fifth month, and Xiao Huayong had promised last year to take Shen Xihe to attend the ceremony in the Northwest.

“Do you plan to do this?” Shen Xihe had never truly taken it seriously.

She was now the Crown Princess – how could she easily leave the capital? Newly married, she had many responsibilities, and her position brought constraints. Some interactions couldn’t be as casual as before her marriage, such as receiving noble ladies, though fortunately the Eastern Palace was clean and didn’t require her attention.

She was preparing to take charge of the inner palace, but if she was to leave in the fifth month, it wouldn’t be appropriate to make her move now.

“I don’t want you to start laboring as soon as you marry me,” Xiao Huayong seemed to understand her thoughts, squeezing her fingertips. “We are the younger generation after all. Rather than forcefully seizing control, it’s better to be courteous first and tactical later, giving her face while maintaining the upper hand with reason and evidence. You can observe from the sidelines and relax for a while.”

The power of the inner palace would eventually fall to Shen Xihe, but Noble Consort Rong had controlled it for over a decade. If she were to openly clash with Noble Consort Rong immediately upon entering, establishing authority might serve as a warning example, but the other palace inhabitants would inevitably unite against Shen Xihe as their common enemy.

His Majesty no longer showed interest in the inner palace, and his favor was no longer a source of conflict. In recent years, the consorts had lived freely. His Majesty probably created this situation to avoid being troubled by inner palace affairs, finding the current harmony preferable to outside speculation about whether illness kept him from visiting.

Once the palace power fell to Shen Xihe’s hands, they would have to live under a junior’s authority, constantly reminded that they were merely concubines. This would be hard for them to swallow. If Noble Consort Rong stirred up trouble, many would become her pawns against Shen Xihe.

“As long as the methods are severe enough and the fate of those who step forward is tragic enough, anyone can be intimidated,” Shen Xihe had no intention of engaging in prolonged battles with Emperor Youning’s women. She planned to strike harshly no more than three times to teach them all a lesson.

She must have control of the inner palace – only then could she further control the imperial palace.

Xiao Huayong held her hand against his cheek: “But I want you to spend more time with me.”

Shen Xihe glanced down at him as he tilted his head against her hand: “You can spend more time with me, attend your brother’s wedding, and maintain a good reputation. It’s perfect – why not be happy about it?”

“Good reputation?” Shen Xihe smiled lightly, never having cared about reputation. “Your influence at court has always been passive, with no one supporting you because they all know you… If I show more strength and fierceness, it will give them more to consider.”

Xiao Huayong’s people were still toiling in the lower ranks of various departments. Shen Xihe believed these scholars were carefully chosen by him, and those who could endure this period of obscurity would mostly achieve greatness – this was a long-term strategy.

But court situations changed rapidly. For these people to stand independently and establish themselves in court with certain power and status would take at least eight years, perhaps more than ten. Who could say what changes might occur during such a long time?

She hoped to be in the light while Xiao Huayong remained in the shadows. As the Northwestern King’s daughter, knowingly marrying into the Eastern Palace despite the Crown Prince’s supposed ill fate, her intentions were clear to all. If she showed some aggression in recruiting supporters, as long as she didn’t exceed the Eastern Palace’s proper allocation, no one could say anything.

Xiao Huayong could play the role of a “weak” man blinded by love, with her taking the lead in everything, thus protecting him.

“Youyou, I know you have great capability and wisdom,” Xiao Huayong suddenly spoke seriously. “I am a man, and as a man, even if circumstances demand it, even if such actions would be beneficial, I cannot let you become my shield.”

Seeing Shen Xihe about to explain, Xiao Huayong pressed two fingers against her soft pink lips: “Not even as a pretense.”

It wasn’t about male pride – simply that once conflicts of interest arose, all arrows both visible and hidden would target her.

This had been her plan from the beginning. When she decided to marry into the Eastern Palace, she had intended to be forceful, facing challenges head-on, ready to make a single-handed leap across any chasm.

Xiao Huayong had disrupted her entire plan. He wasn’t what she had expected, and he truly cared for her.

She hadn’t changed this plan not because she was unmoved by Xiao Huayong, but because she thought they could work in light and shadow, complementing each other. This way, whenever the Eastern Palace was involved in the future, His Majesty would focus his attention on her.

He wouldn’t allow it, and Shen Xihe didn’t argue with him as she usually would, breaking down the pros and cons in detail. She began to feel that sometimes advantages and disadvantages might not be the most important things – the feelings of the person who shared her days and gave her his heart might matter more than mere benefits and drawbacks.

This thought frightened Shen Xihe – it wasn’t like her usual rational self who always prioritized benefits.

Though her heart resisted, when she met his gentle yet stubborn dark eyes, Shen Xihe couldn’t voice her objections.

Their eyes locked for a long moment before Shen Xihe finally yielded: “As you wish.”