“Your Highness, though the capital is close to Luoyang, you’ve replied to the Princess on just the third day. With her intelligence, she’ll surely guess we have special means of communication,” Tianyuan’s eyelid twitched as he looked at the unfolded letter.
He felt that his usually prudent and thorough master became a bit… clouded by love when it came to the Princess.
Xiao Huayong glanced at Tianyuan, then lowered his head to gaze at the black chess piece gleaming with a dark light in the moonlight, his expression gentler than the moonlight itself: “In the future, she will know more and more about my affairs.”
Regarding Shen Xihe, Xiao Huayong had to admit, from his initial curiosity upon receiving her evidence, to finding her increasingly interesting after several tests, to her ability to anticipate his surprises each time – that she drew him in more and more.
He had reached marriageable age, and marriage was natural. But Shen Xihe’s appearance made him unwilling to sit back and watch his father’s machinations regarding his marriage.
He felt himself growing somewhat fond of her. As for how deep this fondness ran and how far they could go – they would see as they went along.
Shen Xihe received both the news of Madam Xiao’s death and Hua Fuhai’s reply together. The former was expected, but the latter surprised her: “Luoyang is over eight hundred li from the capital. I only sent the message to Luoyang the evening before yesterday, and at the earliest, he would have received it last night…”
The letter said he was in the capital – how did Hua Fuhai in the capital know about a letter that had reached Luoyang?
Even an urgent messenger couldn’t achieve that!
“Indeed, he must be a capital noble.” One letter revealed too much information to Shen Xihe.
The letter stated that the meeting place would be determined by Shen Xihe, with the reply to be given to the messenger.
“Hua Fuhai is quite considerate,” since the appointment was with the Princess, he hadn’t presumed to decide the meeting location.
“Considerate?” Shen Xihe neither agreed nor disagreed with Hongyu’s words. She felt this gesture wasn’t about showing gentlemanly courtesy.
Yet she couldn’t figure out Hua Fuhai’s purpose. However, since the letter bore Hua Fuhai’s signature, it wouldn’t be proper to have a servant write the reply – it would seem disrespectful.
So she wrote the location herself, just five characters, and gave it to Hongyu to pass to the waiting messenger.
“Princess, should we have someone follow the messenger?” This might be an excellent opportunity to discover Hua Fuhai’s identity.
“No need,” Shen Xihe said quietly. “In dealing with others, sincerity is paramount.”
Having someone trail him now would irritate anyone who discovered it.
Shen Xihe didn’t know that when her letter reached Xiao Huayong, he placed it in his box with great satisfaction: “This way, we have private correspondence.”
Tianyuan’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He suddenly felt a wave of sadness – his master became a different person when it came to the Princess!
When Shen Xihe’s carriage left the city, the gates were under strict inspection. The capital’s citizens vaguely sensed that they had awakened to find the city shrouded in dark clouds, making the entire capital feel oppressed and stifling.
Outside the city, Shen Xihe let Yu Xiaodie out of the carriage and gave her a bundle: “Inside are new identity papers and some travel money. From here on, you have a new life.”
Yu Xiaodie accepted it and made a deep, respectful bow to Shen Xihe before turning and leaving decisively.
Pleased with Yu Xiaodie’s discretion, Shen Xihe instructed Biyu: “Have Mo Yuan send someone to protect her secretly.”
The carriage continued, turning into an elegantly constructed estate in the mountains. This was Shen Xihe’s place. She had barely arrived and sat down when Hua Fuhai called.
Unlike his previous golden brilliance, this time he wore magnificent deep purple, adorned with countless ruby and sapphire ornaments that Shen Xihe couldn’t count – hardly different from a walking jewelry vault, still painful to the eyes.
Amidst the clear, distant fragrance of Yi and Xiang, there remained a faint trace of Duojialuo, making Shen Xihe smile slightly.
Through the gauze screen, Xiao Huayong couldn’t see Shen Xihe’s smile, but he could sense it – just an inexplicable intuition that she was laughing at him, at how hard it was to maintain this pretense.
“Hua Taoya, I want to ask Hua Taoya for a favor,” Shen Xihe didn’t expose him, instead speaking seriously.
“Please instruct me, Princess.” Shen Xihe hadn’t concealed her identity in this message.
“Hua Taoya has widespread connections and friends everywhere. I’d like to ask Hua Taoya to find someone capable who can help me inquire about premium Tianshan snow lotus,” Shen Xihe went straight to the point.
Xiao Huayong was startled. He rarely found himself surprised, and for a moment, his heart skipped a beat. But the emotion passed quickly, and his expression soon returned to normal: “May I ask, Princess, is this snow lotus for the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace?”
Emperor Youning had posted imperial notices – everyone knew the bedridden Crown Prince was waiting for premium Tianshan snow lotus to save his life.
“Yes,” Shen Xihe admitted straightforwardly.
Xiao Huayong’s heart accelerated again for two beats – this loss of control was unprecedented. Fortunately, he hadn’t forgotten his current identity, and after feigning contemplation, he asked: “How does the Princess propose to conduct this business with me?”
“I’ll grant you the Northwestern markets,” Shen Xihe said casually.
The Northwestern markets controlled the region’s economic lifeline. Since the traders were fierce foreigners like the Turks and Uighurs, only the Northwestern army could keep them in check – this was a great power held by the Shen family.
“The Princess can grant me the Northwestern markets?” Xiao Huayong expressed slight surprise.
“I don’t speak empty words,” Shen Xihe nodded.
If the real Hua Fuhai were sitting before Shen Xihe, who knows how excited he would be? Though his business had spread throughout the realm over the years, including areas inhabited by foreign tribes in the Northwest and Southern Sichuan, they couldn’t establish deep roots without military support.
The horses of the Northwest, the tea of Southern Sichuan – these were trade lines they wanted to develop deeply but had remained peripheral for years.
Of course, the Northwest offered more than just horses – cattle, sheep, Hetian jade, and precious medicines, all worth their weight in gold.
“In ancient times, one would spend a thousand gold pieces for a beauty. Princess…”
“A hundred thousand gold pieces for a beauty?” Shen Xihe interrupted.
Xiao Huayong faltered, only able to follow with a smile: “It seems the Crown Prince must be exceptionally handsome.”
Shen Xihe thought seriously for a moment, then said earnestly: “Among all men in the world, none can surpass his appearance.”
Xiao Huayong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Though he knew Shen Xihe was deliberately changing the subject, he still felt pleased, unable to suppress a rising excitement in his heart.
“Princess, what if I refuse?” Xiao Huayong asked deliberately.
Shen Xihe smiled faintly: “Would the positions of Imperial Censor and Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicature be enough?”
Xiao Huayong hadn’t expected Shen Xihe to use both carrot and stick.
“Hua Taoya, I have no evidence, but if rumors spread, His Majesty is suspicious by nature. He would likely rather err on the side of caution and purge the Imperial Censorate. Cui Jinbai would certainly lose his position as Deputy Minister, and would never be trusted with important posts again. Oh, and that Candidate Guo would hardly escape unscathed either.”
Shen Xihe’s smile was light: “I rarely cooperate with others, but when I choose to cooperate with someone, they have no right to refuse.”