“If Youyou want to learn, I’ll teach you everything I know,” Xiao Huayong’s voice drifted from behind.

Shen Xihe turned around. He hadn’t come alone – he brought a lady with him. Xiao Huayong had always maintained strict propriety, never keeping female servants by his side. Before Shen Xihe married into the Eastern Palace, the palace maids there only handled minor cleaning duties and could never get close to Xiao Huayong. Thus, this was the first time she’d seen a lady following him.

Even though the woman maintained a servant’s utterly respectful demeanor, not daring to raise her head, Shen Xihe couldn’t help but look at her twice.

These two glances made Xiao Huayong beam with joy. He walked up to Shen Xihe and said in an extremely delighted tone tinged with pride: “Youyou, you’re jealous.”

Shen Xihe: …

Where was she jealous? Did he think everyone was like him, capable of getting jealous at any moment?

“Because I looked at her twice?”

“If you weren’t concerned, why would you look twice?” Xiao Huayong argued confidently.

He smiled even more happily, believing that his Youyou was not only jealous but also too embarrassed to show it.

Shen Xihe suppressed the urge to twitch her lips. Even if she were completely lacking in perception, she could still see the relationship between the two. This lady had practically lowered herself to the dirt, yet maintained a straight back – a well-trained, loyal subordinate. Such a person would never harbor any inappropriate thoughts toward their master.

Moreover, it was one thing for Xiao Huayong to doubt her intelligence, but to label her as jealous, he even had to deny his character. How could someone as perceptive as him not know if someone harbored romantic feelings for him?

If he knew, how could he keep such a person by his side?

But he looked so happy that Shen Xihe couldn’t bring herself to voice these analytical thoughts.

“If it pleases Your Highness,” Shen Xihe couldn’t be bothered to argue.

“I am indeed pleased that Youyou is jealous for my sake,” Xiao Huayong happily responded.

Shen Xihe displayed a proper smile.

Xiao Huayong walked to her side, naturally taking the fan from Mo Yu. Today’s sun was harsh, the mountain breeze was light, and it was somewhat stuffy here. He fanned Shen Xihe.

Shen Xihe initially tried to stop him. Although they were husband and wife, she didn’t hold the notion that husbands were more noble than wives. But he was still the Crown Prince, his status was extraordinary, and Shen Xihe felt uncomfortable enjoying his service.

“Serving my wife is my pleasure as a husband,” Xiao Huayong dodged Shen Xihe’s hand and switched to her other side to continue fanning. “Youyou haven’t said yet, do you want to learn this art?”

Following Xiao Huayong’s gaze toward Xiao Changfeng and others trapped below the mountain, Shen Xihe shook her head slightly: “No.”

Her rejection was so quick and decisive that Xiao Huayong’s smile dimmed: “Why?”

“This must be a profound art that cannot be mastered in a day,” Shen Xihe explained.

“We are together day and night, husband and wife for all eternity – how could you not learn it eventually?” Xiao Huayong eagerly persuaded her. He simply wanted Shen Xihe to learn with him, imagining teaching her hand-in-hand filled him with inexplicable yearning.

“Your Highness doesn’t know, I have a stubborn nature. If I don’t learn, so be it, but once I start learning, I must grasp its essence,” Shen Xihe remained unmoved. “Doesn’t Your Highness wish to keep me from overthinking?”

The saying “extreme wisdom leads to harm” refers to how intelligent people think too much, worry excessively, and damage their foundations, leading to shortened lives.

Xiao Huayong’s brows became tinged with solemnity. The art of Qimen was indeed extremely taxing on the mind. He immediately abandoned his thoughts of teaching Shen Xihe and gestured to the lady he brought: “She was sent by the local authorities. She will impersonate you during this period.”

The lady walked before her and performed a respectful bow. Only then did Shen Xihe notice their heights were almost identical.

However, everyone’s bearing and mannerisms were different – only those familiar would notice the disparities. Her appearance bore no resemblance to Shen Xihe’s, but Xiao Huayong’s disguise techniques left Shen Xihe in awe, though this wasn’t particularly difficult.

“Rise,” Shen Xihe said softly.

“She’s also skilled in disguise. Would Youyou like to keep her by your side?” This was Xiao Huayong’s reason for bringing her.

He had never intended to place someone by Shen Xihe’s side – she neither needed nor wanted it, and he didn’t want her to misunderstand. Today he had merely happened to bring the person back from the relay station and had this temporary idea, also letting Shen Xihe see who would be impersonating her.

“You called her back?” Rather than considering whether to keep the person, Shen Xihe was more concerned about Xiao Huayong removing the person at this time – the “Crown Princess” couldn’t simply vanish from the relay station without a trace.

“His Majesty just sent many people, so I had people abduct the ‘Crown Princess.’ The city is now under martial law, with forces everywhere searching for your whereabouts,” Xiao Huayong smiled.

When Shen Xihe had switched places with the impersonator and somehow separated from the main group, once Xiao Changfeng discovered this, they needed to take away the impersonator before he could react and detain her. This would also make it convenient for Shen Xihe to return.

This move was indeed correctly played by Xiao Huayong: “Your Highness’s considerations are thorough.”

“You trust me.” Xiao Huayong didn’t believe Shen Xihe hadn’t thought of these things – it was just that since he had sent the person, she wouldn’t overstep by giving orders, and she trusted he would understand this point.

“Your Highness is someone worthy of trust,” Shen Xihe said sincerely.

These were her true feelings – Xiao Huayong was indeed a trustworthy person. Working with him, she could unreservedly entrust her back to him, his wisdom and abilities could keep pace with her. Marrying such a person was very relaxing.

If Xiao Huayong could be more steady in his daily behavior, he would be perfect in Shen Xihe’s view.

As long as it wasn’t about serious matters, Xiao Huayong always gave her headaches, and irritation, and left her speechless.

Yet she hadn’t noticed at all that her life, once as still as dead water, had become vibrant and colorful because of Xiao Huayong.

She had earnestly praised Xiao Huayong, but to his ears, it was sweet talk between husband and wife, making his smile even more radiant than the proud sun beyond the pavilion, his gaze tender and lively.

Shen Xihe finally realized that in some aspects, she still couldn’t maintain ideological synchronization with Xiao Huayong. She averted her gaze: “Shall we go see Father now?”

She very much wanted to see Shen Yueshan.

“No hurry.” Xiao Huayong’s smile diminished slightly as he clasped his hands behind his back and walked to the pavilion’s edge to look down: “This cousin of mine is quite capable. While we can trap him for a while, it won’t last too long.”

Shen Xihe also walked to his side: “Even if he can break through Your Highness’s formation, he can’t escape the hallucinogenic incense laid for him.”

The world only knows that datura causes hallucinations, but they don’t know that the common touch-me-not also has hallucinogenic powers no less than datura’s.