In the palace, there were both people from the Shen family and people Xiao Huayong had entrusted to Shen Xihe.

Since her grand wedding, she had remained aloof from worldly affairs. No matter how intensely the palace speculated about power struggles, she turned a deaf ear to it all. This was because Xiao Huayong and her father had gone to great lengths to allow her to return home for her brother’s wedding. She didn’t want anything to go wrong because of other matters, so she had never taken action.

Today’s slight movement was merely to let people know that she wasn’t someone anyone could bully and that her constant forbearance wasn’t due to lacking support in the palace.

When Noble Consort Rong learned that Shaoyao had committed suicide immediately upon entering the Department of Internal Service, she fainted from anger.

This indicated that not only did her palace have Shen Xihe’s people, but the Department of Internal Service did as well.

Shen Xihe had done this deliberately – killing a chicken to scare the monkeys. She wanted to tell Noble Consort Rong that she could move against whoever she wished.

With the dead unable to testify and such swift, decisive action, even though everyone could see something suspicious, what of it?

Regarding the rumors about Shen Xihe, Noble Consort Rong, who controlled palace affairs, had taken a permissive attitude. If investigated deeply, Furong Palace might not be innocent, though it wasn’t considered a major matter.

As the Eastern Palace’s Crown Princess, with rumors spreading throughout the palace about her, Shen Xihe was entitled to seek an explanation from Furong Palace. She had only dealt with one palace maid – this could be considered settling the matter peacefully.

In this small contest between the Eastern Palace and Furong Palace, Shen Xihe had gained the upper hand.

The next day, Shen Xihe went to seek an audience with the Youning Emperor. Consort Shu was at his side.

“Your Majesty, I have been plagued by nightmares recently, constantly dreaming of Father’s anguished voice calling to me from pitch darkness. I wish to go to Liangzhou personally to search for my father’s whereabouts,” Shen Xihe pleaded. “I beg Your Majesty’s permission.”

The Youning Emperor set down his imperial brush and stood straight to look at Shen Xihe, who had been made up by Xiao Huayong to appear especially haggard and mentally exhausted. “You and Seventh Brother have been married less than a month. As the Eastern Palace’s Crown Princess, how can you easily leave the palace and capital? I have already sent three groups to search for the Western Northern King. You and Seventh Brother should stay in the palace and await news.”

“Your Majesty, the three Military Commissioners of Hexi, Longyou, and Shuofang have mobilized over ten thousand local troops. Liangzhou lies between Tibet and the Turks, long troubled by military movements. This might affect diplomatic relations between the three nations,” Shen Xihe performed a deep bow. “Please allow me to go to Liangzhou personally. Since my father frequently appears in my dreams, it must be the connection between father and daughter. Finding father sooner would help pacify all regions.”

The Youning Emperor silently observed Shen Xihe without speaking.

Shen Xihe maintained her proper bowing posture.

After a moment of standoff, the Youning Emperor finally said, “Let me consider it.”

Although she hadn’t received a definite answer, Shen Xihe didn’t press further. She withdrew silently with respect: “I hope Your Majesty will grant this wish. I take my leave.”

The Youning Emperor nodded, watching as Shen Xihe departed.

“Why not grant the Crown Princess’s wish?” As soon as Shen Xihe left, Consort Shu smiled.

The Youning Emperor turned to look at Consort Shu: “You don’t hold grudges.”

“I don’t hold grudges,” Consort Shu laughed softly, her eyes shifting with undisguised darkness passing through them. “No, Your Majesty. I am most petty. That day when I was hung in the wilderness, near death, with the cold wind like knives cutting to the bone, it felt like slow slicing. This debt of gratitude, I will never forget till death.”

She completely revealed her petty, murderous side – something the Youning Emperor had never encountered before. Whether in the past or present, whether his women or others, everyone had always shown their best side to him.

This was the first time someone had been so genuine, unafraid to let him see their fierce appearance.

“The Crown Princess’s nature is somewhat domineering,” the Youning Emperor suddenly said.

“The Crown Princess can be so forceful because she relies on the Western Northern King’s power. If the Western Northern King…” Consort Shu paused before continuing, “If the Western Northern King truly met with misfortune this time, I would privately feel pleased.”

Hearing this, a slight smile appeared at the corners of the Youning Emperor’s lips, though it carried a complex flavor: “Things are not so simple.”

Consort Shu looked at the Youning Emperor from the side. Meeting her confused gaze, he naturally explained: “The Turkic royal court has internal turmoil. This is not the time to make external enemies. Those who ambushed the Western Northern King cannot be the Turks.

The Western Northern King is battle-hardened. Thousands of troops couldn’t defeat him, yet he was successfully ambushed and has gone missing. There must be something strange about this.”

“Your Majesty means someone used the Turks’ name to secretly harm the Western Northern King?” Consort Shu’s rosy lips parted slightly. “Who would be so bold?”

Hearing her question, the Youning Emperor couldn’t help but laugh with pleasure, shaking his head gently: “This is not the key point. The key is that the ambush succeeded.”

Consort Shu nodded in agreement: “Yes, this person must be a threat. They must be rooted out.”

This response made the Youning Emperor somewhat bemused, though a trace of warmth appeared in his eyes. An emperor didn’t need fools by his side, but neither could he have those too clever. The Youning Emperor continued: “Under heaven unless the Western Northern King surrendered willingly, even I couldn’t easily capture him.”

Consort Shu initially seemed not to understand, but after careful consideration, she blinked several times before suddenly realizing, her slender fingers covering her lips: “Your Majesty, you mean the Western Northern King…”

Either he was conspiring with others in a plot, or he had disappeared intentionally.

Was this why His Majesty had delayed allowing the Crown Prince’s people to leave the capital, worried they had other schemes and would coordinate from inside and outside?

“Not so confused after all,” the Youning Emperor said.

“They…” Consort Shu showed a puzzled expression.

What were they planning to do?

The Youning Emperor understood her unfinished words, his gaze profound as he looked ahead: “I don’t know either.”

These past few days, the Youning Emperor had been pondering whether Shen Yueshan’s disappearance was real or fake. Even though he was convinced it was most likely fake, he couldn’t rule out the small possibility it was real, after all, Shen Yueshan was getting old.

If it was a real disappearance, then only Xiao Juesong could have done it. The purpose would be easy to guess – nothing more than trying to win over Shen Yueshan. He wouldn’t kill Shen Yueshan; Shen Yueshan was more valuable alive than dead to him, alive he could use him to check the Emperor himself.

If it was Xiao Juesong’s doing, he would release Shen Yueshan in a few days, so these days he had been waiting for results. But with so much time passed, it didn’t seem like Xiao Juesong’s doing.

That meant Shen Yueshan had chosen to disappear himself. What was the reason for disappearing? The most likely possibility was that he had discovered the spies the Emperor had painstakingly arranged in the Northwest and wanted to use this opportunity to clean up the Northwestern Army. This was the only reason that would make Shen Yueshan’s unexplained disappearance, even if exposed, difficult for the Emperor to severely punish.

Therefore, the Youning Emperor ordered his people who had finally infiltrated the Northwestern Army to remain still.

“Your Majesty, if this is truly the case, Your Majesty should all the more grant the Crown Princess’s wish,” Consort Shu suddenly said with a beaming smile.