“I know you’re worried about me, but I think this is an excellent opportunity,” Shen Xihe insisted firmly.

She had deliberately offended Noble Consort Rong’s dignity to provoke His Majesty’s anger. This led to Consort Shu fanning the flames, making His Majesty feel that she indeed needed to be taught a lesson, prompting him to take action against her. She wanted to use this opportunity to deliver His Majesty a crushing blow.

This was a situation she had orchestrated herself, and unprecedented as it was, Shen Xihe disliked the feeling of being interfered with, making her reluctant to give up so easily.

“I understand what you’re thinking,” Xiao Huayong tried to persuade her. “From beginning to end, you’ve never given up on redirecting His Majesty’s wariness onto yourself. That’s the reason behind your careful scheming.”

If Shen Xihe were to completely defeat His Majesty’s people this time, His Majesty would surely view her as a thorn in his side. He might not have the patience to slowly probe into himself anymore – in the Eastern Palace, what kept His Majesty awake at night was Shen Xihe.

With a bit more maneuvering, Shen Xihe could completely expose her original intentions to His Majesty. She had chosen him because his lifespan was compromised. Her ambition was to lead the legitimate bloodline and become the most noble master of this seat.

To have someone of the Xiao bloodline sit on the throne, while she, as the Regent Empress Dowager, would be the one truly in control.

This was His Majesty’s greatest taboo!

“His Majesty’s wariness of me won’t increase or decrease because of this matter,” Shen Xihe showed no fear of Emperor Youning’s suspicion, because she was a Shen, and her very existence was Emperor Youning’s taboo – the Shen family and His Majesty could never coexist.

Therefore, she didn’t care how His Majesty viewed her, whether as a thorn in his side or as someone beneath his notice. What mattered to her was how to maximize their benefits.

“His Majesty has many suspicions about you, and even though you repeatedly avoid leaving evidence for him to grasp, he still won’t let down his guard. With His Majesty watching, you’ll inevitably be restricted at every turn,” Shen Xihe explained clearly. “If we want him to truly believe you’re not biding your time, this is the best method. Let him know that I married you because you’re easy to control. When he sees how powerful I’ve become, since I’ve wagered my entire life on this, I must have verified your weakness somehow. This way, his guard against you will be at its lowest.”

“I don’t need you to cover for me!” Xiao Huayong said in a deep voice. “I’m not afraid to face him openly! I’ve only been concealing things because it’s convenient. If this convenience requires you to disregard your safety, then we might as well abandon it!”

“Your Highness!” Shen Xihe called out to Xiao Huayong coldly. “Don’t let emotions cloud your judgment.”

Xiao Huayong turned to look at her abruptly, his gaze complex and stubborn: “Do you think I’m being willful and reckless, showing traits unbefitting of someone destined for greatness? I never thought about becoming the ruler of the world from the beginning. Two years ago, I had already prepared myself for the possibility that the strange poison couldn’t be cured. I schemed all this merely because I felt I needed to seek justice for those who gave me life.”

Yes, he had never thought about becoming emperor before meeting Shen Xihe.

He had cultivated these forces so that if he were to die young, he could fulfill his duty as a son. If he were fortunate enough to obtain the antidote, he naturally couldn’t be controlled by others, but ruling the world had never been part of his plan.

It was only after meeting Shen Xihe that he began to gradually scheme for power in court. This was also why his influence at court wasn’t substantial, and why His Majesty had never suspected him – he had shown no unusual movements, so what was there for His Majesty to be suspicious about?

But this was what Shen Xihe wanted. She wanted peace in the Northwest, she wanted to be able to dispatch officials who would truly care for and protect the Northwestern people, wanted the Shen family to be able to retire after achieving their goals. For this, she needed to hold the highest authority in her hands.

Shen Xihe looked at him and said firmly: “I want it.”

Xiao Huayong’s body stiffened, and Shen Xihe repeated: “This world, I want it.”

Her eyes, like black obsidian, were deep and bright, showing an undeniable dominance. Xiao Huayong couldn’t even meet her gaze, slightly lowering his eyes: “So, in the end, I’m just a piece on your chessboard?”

For the sake of your schemes, I must suppress my feelings, cooperate in doing what you want me to do, and even ignore your safety, watching helplessly as you put yourself in danger.

If I try to stop you, does that make me your enemy?

These words lingered on Xiao Huayong’s tongue, too bitter to speak.

He was such a magnificent and towering figure – he could frighten the Sixth Prince into fleeing the palace, he could make the formidable Twelfth Prince, Prince Yan, respectfully defer to him, he could turn the cunning and vicious Fourth Prince into a “dead” man with a wave of his hand.

He played the brilliant Emperor Youning like a puppet, and drove Wang Zheng, one of the three most powerful officials, from the capital. He could turn situations to his advantage with ease, yet in front of her, he always seemed as fragile as if he would shatter at a touch.

His words and his restrained gaze made it impossible for Shen Xihe to speak harshly: “Your Highness, I have never seen you as a mere chess piece. It’s just that we have different views on the situation. We are both strong-willed people, which is why it’s difficult to convince each other.”

“Between us, it’s not about different views,” Xiao Huayong’s lips curved into an extremely bitter smile. “Rather… I invest in emotions, while you focus on benefits.”

Because he worried about her and cared for her, he dared not let her take any risks. He viewed her as his wife, his beloved, holding her precious in his palm.

In her eyes, she didn’t care about these things. She cared about the advantages and disadvantages of the situation. Perhaps she had never had the awareness of being a wife, or perhaps she had never cared about his concerns.

Shen Xihe slightly furrowed her brows. She had already softened her attitude, yet Xiao Huayong was still pressing her. How she felt about him – she had made her stance clear even before their marriage, and what kind of person she was, she had let him know plainly.

Now he was questioning her focus on benefits?

“Your Highness, my emphasis on benefits isn’t something you’ve just learned today, so why bring up these accusations now?” Shen Xihe asked, inexplicably irritated.

Hearing this, Xiao Huayong gave a light, mocking laugh: “Yes, I didn’t just learn this today. I have no right to accuse you…”

After speaking, Xiao Huayong gave Shen Xihe one last deep look before turning to leave.

Shen Xihe took a step to follow but immediately stopped. Xiao Huayong paused briefly at the threshold before stepping across it and disappearing.

“Crown Princess…”

“Let him go,” Shen Xihe turned back to her chambers, also annoyed.

She rarely became angry; one could say no one had ever been able to provoke her to anger before.

Whenever someone challenged her disrespected her, or hurt those she cared about, she would look at them with the eyes of someone watching a dead person.

Because she knew these people wouldn’t live long, no matter how despicable and flamboyant they were, Shen Xihe could always remain unperturbed.

The most recent time she had become angry was when Lingling betrayed her, but now she knew that she was truly angry.