Soon, Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong received news that His Majesty intended to arrange a marriage between Xiao Changfeng and Shen Yingruo. Because of this, Shen Xihe had been studying Xiao Changfeng with a scrutinizing gaze these past few days.
Every time Xiao Changfeng encountered Shen Xihe’s evaluating looks, he couldn’t help but feel unsettled, enveloped by an ominous premonition.
Constantly on guard against Shen Xihe taking action against him, Xiao Changfeng had come to understand this Crown Princess quite well during their journey together. There seemed to be nothing in this world she wouldn’t dare to do. The Crown Prince deferred to her in everything, while the Prince of the Northwest and the Northwestern Heir would gladly present her with every treasure in existence if they could.
Such overwhelming indulgence typically creates someone who acts on their whims, and while Shen Xihe did indeed do as she pleased, she could always handle the consequences herself. She never needed the Northwestern Prince or Heir to clean up after her. Even with the Crown Prince, apart from occasionally utilizing his influence, she rarely relied on his position as Crown Prince to accomplish things.
The more he observed this, the more Xiao Changfeng found himself developing an inexplicable fear of Shen Xihe, though he couldn’t pinpoint when it had begun.
“My Youyou, so beautiful, yet someone fears you – how unreasonable,” watching Xiao Changfeng avoid Shen Xihe’s gaze and quickly leave, Xiao Huayong shed his frail demeanor, cupped Shen Xihe’s face, and couldn’t resist kissing her.
Shen Xihe pushed his hands away, casting a sidelong glance at Xiao Huayong: “His Majesty wants to betroth Huaiyang to him.”
“Good news.” Xiao Huayong had received the information earlier than Shen Xihe but hadn’t told her, as there was no urgency. He didn’t need to show off, and he knew Shen Xihe would learn of it soon enough.
He didn’t know much about Shen Yingruo, but if she had any wisdom, she would wait for her father and siblings’ responses before making a decision. If she lacked even this basic judgment, she wouldn’t be worth their concern – she could simply be considered His Majesty’s person. In that case, as long as she followed the rules and didn’t act against His Majesty or his people, they would show her some consideration in the future.
Shen Xihe’s gaze returned to Xiao Huayong: “Good news?”
“Unlike my uncle, my cousin is more clear-headed,” Xiao Huayong nodded with a smile.
“More clear-headed meaning?” Shen Xihe didn’t quite understand his deeper meaning.
“It means that while he’s loyal to His Majesty now, he won’t offend any of the princes, and naturally, you’re the last person he’d want to offend in the future,” Xiao Huayong’s smile deepened around his eyes and brows. “Even if we end up facing His Majesty in battle, he will still fight for His Majesty, but he won’t use underhanded tactics against us. Each serves their master, and victory determines the outcome. If His Majesty wins, he remains a loyal warrior; if we win, it depends on our magnanimity.”
Shen Xihe understood now. Xiao Changfeng was someone who knew how to leave himself an escape route. As His Majesty’s subject, he served with complete devotion and loyalty, following orders faithfully. Such a person’s fate during a dynastic change would depend on luck – if he encountered a generous new ruler, he would serve the new master with the same loyalty he had shown the old.
“You think your sister will accept this marriage arrangement?” Otherwise, why would she keep looking at Xiao Changfeng?
“The Shen family has been neither warm nor cold to her; she doesn’t have the resolve to firmly resist His Majesty,” Shen Xihe was certain Shen Yingruo would accept the marriage. “Moreover, she’s clever and knows she owes His Majesty for years of care. She also knows that Father Brother and I value relationships deeply. She won’t simply turn against His Majesty – even if she must eventually do so, she’ll first exhaust all bonds of gratitude.”
Shen Xihe was very accurate in reading people. The reason she had told Shen Yingruo about Noble Consort Shu was because she had noticed that Shen Yingruo held an inexplicable reverence and admiration for her father, herself, and even Shen Yun’an, whom she had little contact with. She viewed the three of them as so pure that she strived to be a worthy Shen family member, someone who could match up to the Shen name.
She worked hard in both moral character and intelligence.
Xiao Huayong had never paid attention to Shen Yingruo before and didn’t understand her. Hearing Shen Xihe’s words, he showed an indescribable expression: “Could it be because of Father-in-law’s bloodline?”
While Xiao Huayong knew people were naturally born either clever or slow-witted, he believed that one’s personality was shaped by their environment and the people around one during their formative years. Shen Yingruo had grown up in the capital with a crazy, sharp-tongued birth mother beside her and a deeply mysterious uncle nearby – how had she not grown up to be paranoid, gloomy, and scheming?
Instead, she had become open-minded, sophisticated, bright, and forthright.
She harbored no hatred for Shen Yueshan, who had abandoned her without a care, only admiration and reverence.
She showed no hostility toward her elder sister who had monopolized their father’s love since childhood, only deep respect.
“Asked like that, I don’t know how to answer.” Shen Xihe had also been curious about this and had even suspected at one point whether Shen Yingruo was hiding her true nature too deeply, because according to Xiao Huayong’s reasoning, that should have been Shen Yingruo’s normal personality development.
People need guidance, especially when their minds are not yet mature – they are more likely to become extreme and degenerate.
She had observed Shen Yingruo and confirmed that she wasn’t deeply concealing anything, but was truly kind-hearted and inexplicably revered their family of three.
These two brilliant people, for the first time, found something unreasonable yet existing, looked at each other, and couldn’t help but smile.
“You two have been married for so long, yet still act so lovey-dovey.” Shen Yun’an happened to come by and couldn’t help but tease his sister and brother-in-law. At the same time, he felt somewhat displeased – accepting Xiao Huayong was one thing, but seeing his precious sister smile so sweetly at another man caused an inexplicable sourness in his heart.
Not just Xiao Huayong – even with his father, he had always been jealous since childhood.
It was an illness, he knew, but he didn’t want to cure it, nor could he.
Seeing her brother’s sour expression and remembering his childish fights with their father in past years, Shen Xihe didn’t want Shen Yun’an to act the same way with Xiao Huayong, so she shared their earlier question.
Originally intending to divert Shen Yun’an’s attention, she didn’t expect him to suddenly drop his smile and, after a moment of silence, say: “Her wet nurse was one of our mother’s people.”
Shen Xihe was shocked and stared at Shen Yun’an in disbelief.
“I only found out last year…” Shen Yun’an sighed softly.
He had always had a knot in his heart about Shen Yingruo’s existence, and after returning from the capital, he had been quite dissatisfied with her. When Shen Yueshan learned of this, he told him about this matter.
“Before Mother passed away, she had arranged everything…” As Shen Yun’an spoke, his admiration for his mother deepened further.
Madam Tao had been a wise woman, her wisdom no less than the current Shen Xihe’s. However, Madam Tao had ultimately grown up in a scholarly family, raised on the classics. Thus, while she was wise, her wisdom differed from Shen Xihe’s, who had been raised without any constraints by Shen Yun’an and Shen Yueshan, daring to compete with young men.