The peach blossoms were fragrant and magnificent, as brilliant as the morning clouds and as numerous as clustered stars. As the cool breeze passed, the red petals danced in the air, their swaying mesmerizing to behold.

Yet none of this could compare to his smile at this moment, which captivated the soul.

It seemed that Shen Xihe’s single phrase “as you wish” had deeply pleased Xiao Huayong. He was as delighted as a child, leaning against her shoulder and even nuzzling her slightly, though he said nothing more.

Previously, Shen Xihe hadn’t quite understood why Xiao Huayong would be even happier than her when indulging her wishes. Only now did she realize that perhaps making someone you care about happy naturally brings a smile to your lips.

“How will you arrange for me to go to the Northwest next month?” Shen Xihe felt this wouldn’t be easy to accomplish, as getting past the Emperor would be particularly difficult.

This time Xiao Huayong answered straightforwardly: “In a few days, Father-in-law will depart from the capital. I’ve discussed with him that I’ll have someone impersonate Tujue raiders to attack him, allowing Father-in-law to disappear during the chaos. My people will assist him, ensuring no one can find him.”

Shen Yueshan being attacked by Tujue raiders and disappearing was no small matter. The court would certainly send search parties, and if they couldn’t find him after some time, it could affect the situation in the Northwest.

“After Father-in-law has been missing for ten days or half a month with no trace found by the court’s search parties, Youyou can have several dreams. Given the connection between father and daughter, you can use this to request permission from His Majesty to search for Father-in-law,” Xiao Huayong smiled slightly. “I’ve already discussed this with Father-in-law and had him send word to Brother, so the Northwest will be prepared. This is a perfect opportunity to test those whom Brother and Father-in-law suspect… If His Majesty takes action at this time, we might have some unexpected gains.”

Since Shen Yueshan and Shen Yun’an had planned this, they must have made proper arrangements in the Northwest. Since the attackers would be Tujue raiders, even if Shen Yueshan’s intentional disappearance was exposed, they could use the excuse of suspecting Tujue spies in the Northwest army to brush it aside. Even His Majesty would be unable to do anything about it.

This plan was well-balanced in both offense and defense. Not only could it fulfill Shen Xihe’s wishes, but if anyone made rash moves at this time, they might gain unexpected benefits. Shen Xihe praised, “Your Highness’s plan is brilliant. I am sincerely impressed.”

“My Youyou needn’t be so modest. You simply never seriously considered returning to the Northwest before, otherwise, how could you not have thought of a way?” They were similar people – once determined to do something, they could always devise complete plans to achieve their goals while ensuring their safety.

He was always praising her. Sometimes Shen Xihe wondered if it was simply a case of love being blind. On this point, she didn’t wish to argue with him, knowing she was no match for him in debate. Instead, she said, “Even if His Majesty allows me to go, he won’t let you come with me.”

As Crown Prince, Xiao Huayong’s position was too important, and with Crown Prince Jiachen still at large, Emperor Youning had countless reasons to keep him close. Although the Emperor’s suspicions of him had somewhat decreased, he hadn’t necessarily completely let them go, and would certainly not allow Xiao Huayong to leave his sight.

“Who can stop me from leaving this palace?” Xiao Huayong smiled softly.

“You can’t use a body double again.” Shen Xihe felt Emperor Youning probably already had suspicions about this. If Xiao Huayong tried fainting in bed again and using a body double, the Emperor would likely do everything possible to expose the truth.

“Nobody double,” Xiao Huayong smiled, pressing his lips together. “I can simply make several requests to His Majesty, and when he refuses, I’ll leave a letter and openly escape, using my love for my wife as the reason. Wouldn’t His Majesty be pleased with a willful Crown Prince who only thinks about matters of the heart?”

For such a small matter, even if His Majesty was annoyed at his disobedience in secretly leaving the palace, how could he truly blame him? At most there would be some verbal scolding. If he wanted to give some light punishment, it would depend on his mood – if good, he’d let His Majesty vent his anger; if not, he could simply roll his eyes back and faint.

How could he not make full use of this strange poison he’d taken for His Majesty’s sake?

Hearing him speak so confidently, Shen Xihe became curious about his upbringing. What kind of environment had shaped him into such a person?

He could devise countless strategies, mastering both open and covert schemes with ease; he could also act completely shameless, with endless small tricks up his sleeve; sometimes he would even employ both approaches simultaneously, making it impossible to guess his next move.

Though his methods were countless, no pattern could be discerned.

“I know you prefer tranquility. Otherwise, I would certainly take you to see all the magnificent lands I’ve traveled.” If I have the chance.

Shen Xihe liked peace. She didn’t care for noise, didn’t yearn for prosperity, didn’t long for vast skies and seas. She preferred to choose a peaceful place, living quietly without worries or troublesome people.

Shen Xihe smiled without responding. Though birds could fly freely in the sky and fish could leap in the vast sea, she truly didn’t yearn for such things. Perhaps her childhood frailty had led her to dislike the toil of travel. Rather than traversing the country with him, she preferred staying in the palace, waiting for him to return from court and discussing state affairs.

Looking at Shen Xihe as she lowered her head and smiled, Xiao Huayong suddenly had a thought – perhaps she didn’t like it before due to circumstances, having never tried it. He could test whether she truly disliked it.

If she enjoyed it, he would prefer taking her to see different people, matters, and scenes across the land.

This plan, Xiao Huayong also kept to himself.

Having agreed to go to the Northwest in May, Shen Xihe wasn’t in a hurry to handle palace matters. She seemed to have forgotten that as Crown Princess she could take control of palace affairs. Besides paying respects to the Empress Dowager daily, she barely left the Eastern Palace, staying close to the Crown Prince like newlyweds deeply in love.

Noble Consort Rong had been waiting for Shen Xihe to make the first move regarding palace authority. No matter what, it would have to pass through Shen Xihe’s hands first, making her seem unreasonable and paving the way for Noble Consort Rong to reclaim it. But she hadn’t expected Shen Xihe to be so patient at such a young age.

What made her more suspicious was that the Empress Dowager had mentioned letting Shen Xihe manage palace affairs before the Crown Prince’s wedding, yet after the wedding, the Empress Dowager seemed to have forgotten about it as well. This left her in an awkward position.

If no one mentioned it and she voluntarily handed over authority, she would lose the upper hand, and the other consorts would likely mock her for currying favor with the Crown Princess. If she delayed too long and Shen Xihe demanded it, she would appear ignorant of proper etiquette and greedy for power.

Shen Xihe paid no attention to Noble Consort Rong’s indecision. She and Xiao Huayong reluctantly bid farewell to Shen Yueshan.

Several more peaceful days passed. The Empress Dowager brought some portraits of court ladies to discuss the marriages of Prince Xin, Prince Jing, and Prince Lie. Shen Xihe could only repeatedly decline, and after several times, the Empress Dowager seemed to realize she didn’t want to interfere and stopped asking.

On this day, just as Shen Xihe left the Empress Dowager’s palace, Zhenzhu anxiously reported: “Princess, Mo Yuan has sent word that the General was ambushed and his whereabouts are unknown.”

Having been coached by Xiao Huayong several times, Shen Xihe immediately swayed, but Biyu was quick enough to catch her. Remembering Xiao Huayong’s words: “Youyou, if you really can’t act well, just faint.”

So Shen Xihe fainted in Biyu’s arms.