“Father, human hearts are fickle,” Shen Xihe placed her hand gently on Shen Yueshan’s shoulder.

Shen Xihe’s comment about fickle hearts made Xiao Huayong pause.

Well, here was another person who didn’t believe in eternal bonds.

Look at Geng Liangcheng and Shen Yueshan – they had been together since before they could walk, grew up together, fought on battlefields, protected civilians, killed enemies, and achieved fame and success together. Yet in the end, they still turned against each other over power.

His face fell, and Shen Xihe caught sight of it, causing her to suppress a slight smile.

Xiao Huayong lowered his gaze to drink his soup, falling into his grudge-holding mode regarding Geng Liangcheng. He missed Shen Xihe’s fleeting smile.

He couldn’t refute Shen Xihe’s point – too many deep bonds had gone from undying loyalty to armed conflict because of benefits and power.

“If Father-in-law delays appearing for a few more days, or perhaps…” Xiao Huayong wanted to quickly root out this eyesore of a traitor: “We could fake a death to draw him out.”

“Fake a death?” Shen Xihe looked at Xiao Huayong, “How would we fake it?”

“Find a corpse and pretend it’s Father-in-law,” Xiao Huayong said.

“Where would we find such a corpse?” Shen Xihe asked again.

With Shen Yueshan’s build, it would be difficult to find a match – even finding a living person of similar build would be hard, let alone a corpse. They couldn’t take one from nearby either, or news would spread and make it difficult to trap that old fox Geng Liangcheng.

Xiao Huayong glanced at Shen Xihe: “I overlooked these details.”

Overlooked?

Shen Xihe never believed Xiao Huayong would overlook anything. She knew he intended to find someone of similar build to Shen Yueshan and kill them, then disguise them as Shen Yueshan.

Such methods were considered acceptable means to an end by people of their station. Shen Xihe didn’t deny it – it was simply the law of survival, the strong preying on the weak.

But she didn’t like it, and she liked it even less when those close to her acted this way.

When Xiao Huayong spoke of it and heard her questions, he realized she was different from those high-born nobles. She wasn’t overly compassionate, but she also didn’t view human life as worthless.

She wouldn’t save a victim without reason, nor would she harm an innocent person without cause.

Thus, he changed his words.

“Let me think about it.” Shen Yueshan pondered for a moment before changing the subject, “Let’s eat the meat.”

Xiao Huayong sliced the roasted meat with his knife and placed it in a rough ceramic bowl. They ate the roasted meat with their vegetable soup.

After finishing their evening meal and chatting with Shen Yueshan about other matters, the couple left when they saw night falling.

“Youyou…” Walking under the scattered moonlight to their courtyard, Xiao Huayong couldn’t help speaking up, “I…”

Shen Xihe turned her head, quietly looking at him. He seemed unable to find the words, so Shen Xihe sighed softly: “Your Highness, we are two different people. Even if we are of one heart, our thoughts and perspectives will differ. Some things I dislike don’t mean they’re wrong, and my unwillingness to do them doesn’t mean I’ll despise others who do.”

The Geng Liangcheng matter now involved Shen Yueshan’s life and the fundamental interests of the Shen clan. While Shen Xihe disliked Xiao Huayong’s suggestion, she had to admit that for the Shen family’s interests and Shen Yueshan’s current situation, it was an excellent strategy.

“Youyou, you and I are ultimately different.” Xiao Huayong had to admit he couldn’t match Shen Xihe’s righteousness, “I was born as the Crown Prince, and I learned to focus on the bigger picture. In my view, if small sacrifices can bring greater stability, they’re worthwhile.”

“Your Highness, we see things differently because we grew up in different circumstances. There’s no absolute right or wrong. For people in our positions, sometimes extraordinary measures are necessary.” Shen Xihe looked at him earnestly, “People like us can never truly be purely benevolent. I’m just luckier than Your Highness, having never been forced into a situation where I had to kill innocents…”

She wouldn’t sacrifice many lives to ensure her survival, but she would kill one or two people to stay alive if necessary. She simply hadn’t encountered such a situation yet – who knew what the future held?

She just tried to be someone who neither owed nor was owed, but when it came to matters of survival, everyone became selfish.

Xiao Huayong particularly liked Shen Xihe, very particularly liked her. She had a charm that brought peace to both body and mind.

He took her hands in his: “I understand, and I promise you, unless necessary, I will never casually harm innocent and weak people in the future.”

Xiao Huayong had compassion, but he had learned imperial compassion, which focused on the bigger picture. He had also studied the art of ruling, and like all those in high positions, he had developed a certain dismissive view of the weak as insignificant.

“I also have shortcomings, and I’ve learned much from Your Highness.” Shen Xihe’s obsidian eyes were filled with warm smiles.

These words sweetened Xiao Huayong’s heart. Shen Xihe wasn’t one for sweet talk – even when she said she would care for him, he knew it was because his status had changed. He was her husband and a husband who devoted himself to her completely, which was why she cared.

Her saying she had learned much from him wasn’t mere politeness or flattery, which made it more pleasing than any sweet words could be.

“Would you… like to know the cause of Geng Zhongji’s death?” Xiao Huayong remembered she had asked earlier but hadn’t pursued the answer.

“It doesn’t matter whether I know or not.” Shen Xihe wasn’t particularly curious.

She trusted her father’s character. If her father said it was a grave crime, it must have been unforgivable.

“I’ll look into this General Geng and gather some information. You should rest early.” Xiao Huayong kissed Shen Xihe’s forehead and strode away.

Shen Xihe wanted to stop him, but by the time she turned around, he had already left the courtyard, his figure swallowed by the night.

She returned to her room to wash up and rest, falling into a drowsy sleep until she sensed Xiao Huayong’s return. She used to be easily startled awake, but since marrying Xiao Huayong, she felt particularly at ease with him. Though she could sense his presence, he never disturbed her peaceful dreams.

The next morning, while Shen Xihe was combing her hair, Xiao Huayong returned from practicing swordplay outside. Shen Xihe casually asked, “Did you find out?”

Unexpectedly, Xiao Huayong’s expression stiffened slightly. Shen Xihe caught this and turned to look at him: “You didn’t find out?”

That shouldn’t be possible. With Xiao Huayong’s abilities, even in the Northwest, unless he chose not to investigate, it was impossible for him not to discover anything.

Xiao Huayong had indeed found out, and he understood why Shen Yueshan was unwilling to tell Shen Xihe the details. Geng Zhongji had been a sexual predator who had caused deaths early on, but Geng Liangcheng and his wife had used the money to smooth things over. With the bribes, no one pursued the matters, and no one came forward.

This emboldened Geng Zhongji’s evil nature. When he tired of young women, he turned his wicked attention to young girls. An eight-year-old girl had died from his torture…