That night, under the joint efforts of Wei Ya and Shen Xihe, a fire broke out in the memorial hall, reducing the coffin to ashes. Shen Xihe, citing the war situation, hastily buried the ashes. The funeral that the people had eagerly anticipated came to an abrupt end, leaving no trace of inconsistency for anyone to find.
After returning from the burial, Shen Xihe was walking through the corridor leading to the inner courtyard when she saw Xiao Changfeng standing in the center. She approached slowly, wearing a plain white silk shawl, but Xiao Changfeng didn’t move aside.
He cupped his hands in greeting to Shen Xihe: “Crown Princess, has the Northwestern King truly passed away?”
Before the memorial hall fire, Xiao Changfeng hadn’t doubted Shen Yueshan’s death. When Shen Yueshan was brought back that day, he had gathered all the physicians in the city, and none thought Shen Yueshan could be saved. What level of medical skill would it take to deceive so many physicians of varying abilities?
When Shen Yueshan was sent back to the Northwest, everyone’s reactions, including Shen Yun’an’s, couldn’t have been faked. Xiao Changfeng was even more convinced that Shen Yueshan was truly gone, which was why he had written so decisively to His Majesty.
His Majesty sent Pei Zhan, and just as Pei Zhan arrived in the Northwest, Shen Yun’an disappeared. Shen Yun’an’s disappearance planted seeds of doubt in Xiao Changfeng’s mind, and the series of events that followed were so tightly connected they left no room to breathe, yet they all seemed reasonable.
The night before Shen Yueshan’s funeral procession, the memorial hall caught fire, burning down a building in the Northwestern King’s mansion. With so many people in the Northwestern King’s mansion, how did the fire start? Why wasn’t it saved in time? All of this was too suspicious.
“What does Prince Xun mean by this?” Shen Xihe turned her head slightly to look at Xiao Changfeng.
“This prince suspects the Northwestern King faked his death.” Xiao Changfeng gave a cold laugh. “If I were to spread this news now, the Northwestern people would certainly be angry and disbelieving, because you and the Northwestern King have won their hearts deeply. You are their guardians, their faith, and they believe everything you say without question.
But the Northwestern King is indeed alive and must return eventually. As much as they hate me now for spreading rumors, when the Northwestern King’s fake death is exposed, they will blame themselves for their foolishness. Who knows if they will still be so united afterward, still revering the Northwestern King as divine?
Moreover, if I let this rumor spread, people will surely come to the mansion to seek confirmation from the Crown Princess. I wonder when facing these people who have absolute faith in the Northwestern King’s mansion, will the Crown Princess avoid them or continue the deception?”
Avoiding them would show guilt while continuing the deception would inevitably backfire.
Faced with Xiao Changfeng’s aggressive questioning, Shen Xihe smiled elegantly and raised her chin slightly, displaying her pride: “Prince Xun, I might as well tell you, my father is indeed not dead, and my elder brother was never missing.”
Meeting Xiao Changfeng’s uncertain gaze, Shen Xihe appeared even more composed: “You’re welcome to try your method and see if any of the common people will feel fooled when my father returns from his fake death if they will have any complaints about the Shen family’s control of the Northwest, or if they will doubt my father and brother’s authority!”
What reason could make the people forgive Shen Yueshan’s fake death, especially when it led to the Turks’ invasion?
After a moment’s thought, Xiao Changfeng understood: “Geng Liangcheng was His Majesty’s man!”
Her rosy lips bloomed like a flower as Shen Xihe’s eyes gleamed: “Yes, but unfortunately, His Majesty didn’t trust you enough to tell you earlier. If you had known Geng Liangcheng was His Majesty’s man earlier, you would have seen through everything.”
“Don’t try to sow discord,” Xiao Changfeng said gravely.
“It’s merely the truth,” Shen Xihe said lightly. “Geng Liangcheng was His Majesty’s man, Pei Zhan was Prince Jing’s man, and they’ve all gone without return. All of this… is the price His Majesty must pay for his misplaced trust!”
“The Crown Prince…”
“The Crown Prince?” Shen Xihe raised her eyebrows with a slight smile. “What kind of woman does Prince Xun think I am?”
Though Xiao Changfeng didn’t understand why she asked this, he answered honestly: “The Crown Princess is a woman who makes men tremble in fear.”
“Indeed, would a woman like me marry a good-for-nothing?” Shen Xihe smiled meaningfully, then passed by Xiao Changfeng expressionlessly, maintaining her unhurried pace as she left.
In this whole affair, it was Shen Yueshan who disappeared, delaying Xiao Changfeng, including luring him into the deep mountains and forests to slaughter all the men he brought – it was all her doing. In Xiao Changfeng’s mind, this entire matter was orchestrated by the Shen father and daughter.
Shen Xihe wouldn’t defend Xiao Huayong at this moment, as doing so would make them think Xiao Huayong was extraordinary. Speaking this way made them think Xiao Huayong was just a pitiful soul played by the Shen father and daughter.
After all, Xiao Huayong had always been followed by His Majesty’s men without ever leaving His Majesty’s sight. Xiao Huayong took Pei Zhan to Tingzhou only because she had discovered traces of her missing brother, and she couldn’t leave Northwestern King’s city.
It was a fact that Shen Yueshan wasn’t dead, and there was no need to hide this from Xiao Changfeng, nor could it be hidden. Even if Xiao Changfeng were to send an urgent message to Emperor Youning now, the situation was already decided, and Emperor Youning couldn’t do anything in time.
“Crown Princess, to achieve your goals, you harmed loyal subjects. What wrong did General Pei commit?” Xiao Changfeng suddenly turned and called out loudly to Shen Xihe’s retreating figure.
Shen Xihe stopped. She raised her head to look straight ahead, her expression indifferent: “Prince Xun, my father, and brother guard the Northwest, allowing its people to live in peace and prosperity. What wrong have they committed that would cause His Majesty to alienate my father’s right and left arms from him?”
“His Majesty has treated the Northwestern King well, yet the Northwestern people only see the Northwestern King!” Xiao Changfeng said harshly. “Though there may be no rebellious intentions, how is this different from being traitors?”
Shen Xihe turned suddenly, her hairpin swaying in the air with a flash like a sword’s gleam, as sharp as her gaze: “If His Majesty wants the Northwest to see him, what has His Majesty done for the Northwest? Has he fought on the battlefield against enemies, or provided funds during the Northwest’s drought?
In the second year of Youning, when the Northwest suffered a great drought, my father sought aid from the court three times. His Majesty refused, citing the eunuchs’ control of the court. Prince Xun, to this day, do you truly believe that His Majesty had no way to help the Northwest then?
In the ninth year of Youning, when the Turks allied with the Mongols and Tibetans to attack the Northwest, my father nearly died on the battlefield and sought aid from the court, but it sank like a stone in the sea. All the branch families of our Shen clan were sacrificed in that great battle, while His Majesty took advantage of the situation to topple the eunuch faction with Minister Gu.
In the twelfth year of Youning, His Majesty, under the pretext of civilizing barbarians, sent court officials to supposedly assist my father in both civil and military affairs. My father, being a subject, dared not disobey. But what was the result? His Majesty’s appointees oppressed the foreign tribes, discriminated against those who had surrendered, and in just one year, turned the Northwest into chaos, nearly causing a civil uprising.
My father gave His Majesty chances, but it was His Majesty who lacked the magnanimity to accept others, it was His Majesty who never treated the Northwestern people as his subjects. In His Majesty’s eyes, all Northwestern people bear the surname Shen. It’s not that they don’t respect His Majesty; it’s that His Majesty abandoned them first.
As for the Northwest – His Majesty has no right to it!”