“Second Lady Yu is truly shameless,” Xiao Huayong immediately learned of Yu Sangning’s confession to Xiao Changfeng.
This was related to his bet with his wife, so he naturally paid more attention. Recently, Xiao Changqing had been stirring up trouble in court. Following his wife’s advice, since the Northwestern affairs had greatly affected His Majesty, they needed to lay low and not draw attention.
“Why are you watching her so closely? What a waste of effort,” Shen Xihe was busy with an abacus, calculating the profits from Duhuo Tower over the past few months and the Eastern Palace’s income and expenses, which Zhenzhu and Biyu had organized for her final verification.
She had only mentioned Prince Zhao to Xiao Huayong by chance, which reminded her of Yu Sangning. It was just a casual conversation between husband and wife, and though they made an impromptu bet out of interest, while they wouldn’t renege, it wasn’t important enough to monitor constantly.
“This is the first time Youyou have discussed someone she dislikes with me, and the first time Youyou have made a bet with me. Of course, I take it seriously,” he wasn’t focused on Yu Sangning, but rather on the bet with Shen Xihe. “I may not have much else, but I have plenty of people at my disposal, one person’s worth of attention is nothing.”
“Just wait for the results,” Shen Xihe said, head lowered as her fingers quickly moved the abacus beads, creating crisp sounds.
“I’m just curious what methods she’ll use to achieve her goal while keeping herself safe,” Xiao Huayong was simply bored, and his wife wouldn’t let him cause trouble. “Rather than waiting for the results and then investigating the cause, why not watch it unfold from the beginning?”
“Restless, bored, one day without Youyou makes me restless!” As soon as Xiao Huayong finished speaking, Baisui squawked these words.
Xiao Huayong’s smile froze as he turned to glare at this foolish bird that had stopped respecting him since being given to his wife.
He felt he needed to summon his gyrfalcon to take it for a flight, to show it just how high the sky was.
Shen Xihe heard another fresh phrase from Baisui’s beak and couldn’t help but look at Xiao Huayong.
Xiao Huayong’s longing for Shen Xihe wasn’t recent. This foolish bird wouldn’t speak at first no matter how it was taught, so he had been more casual around it. Who knew the bird would remember everything and randomly blurt things out?
Zhenzhu and the others lowered their heads, their training as servants helping them barely suppress their smiles.
“Ahem!” Xiao Huayong cleared his throat with a loose fist. “Since I am here, you all may withdraw.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Zhenzhu and the others were glad to leave, lest they hear something they shouldn’t and the Crown Prince, embarrassed and angry, persuaded the Crown Princess to marry them off.
Soon only Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong remained. Shen Xihe seemed to think of something and smiled softly before returning to her calculations.
Seeing Shen Xihe’s smile improved Xiao Huayong’s mood considerably.
Baisui, seemingly unable to bear seeing him happy, changed its tune: “Youyou longs for deer’s call, Youyou delights in deer’s call, Youyou chases deer’s call.”
Shen Xihe slowly raised her head: “?”
Xiao Huayong: …
“So Your Highness talks in his sleep,” Shen Xihe couldn’t help but tease.
Xiao Huayong decided to embrace it: “Youyou speak truly. Don’t I dream of Youyou admiring me, delighting in me, pursuing me?”
All in all, Shen Xihe remained impressed by the Crown Prince’s thick skin and quick adaptability.
“Youyou—Gak!” Before Baisui could continue, Xiao Huayong flicked a fish-eye pearl that hit the bird. Baisui fluttered its wings and obediently retreated to the far side away from him.
Xiao Huayong snorted: “Foolish bird.”
Shen Xihe couldn’t help but be amused by the sight of him quarreling with a bird. For Baisui’s sake, she changed the subject: “Second Lady Yu is thorough in everything. Her most skilled method is harming people behind their backs while saving them to their faces…”
Shen Xihe told Xiao Huayong about how Yu Sangning had someone push the Old Madam into water so she could rescue her and return to the Pingyang Marquis Manor, and how she had poisoned her legitimate sister to cause a rash on Yu Sangzi’s face, then took the opportunity to appear in public with Yu Sangzi to gain fame in the capital.
She harmed the Old Madam, yet the Old Madam was grateful to her; she harmed Yu Sangzi, yet Yu Sangzi remained grateful to her.
This time, to achieve her goals, she needed to: First, prevent Yu Sangzi from marrying Prince Zhao Xiao Changmin; Second, ensure the Marquis Manor suffered no losses as she needed her maiden family’s support; Third, arrange the rescue so that even though Yu Sangzi wouldn’t marry him, Xiao Changmin would marry her instead, and even His Majesty wouldn’t object to her humble birth.
“Yes, achieving all three points won’t be easy,” Xiao Huayong nodded.
“There is one way to accomplish it all,” Shen Xihe smiled gently, moving the last bead up. “Prince Zhao is attacked, the First Lady Yu sacrifices herself to save him, and with her dying breath entrusts Second Lady Yu to Prince Zhao.”
Xiao Huayong raised his eyebrows: “Indeed, one truly can’t underestimate these ladies.”
Shen Xihe closed the account books one by one: “This is her usual method. First Lady Yu is the Marquis’s legitimate daughter – if she were betrothed to Prince Lie, it would be difficult for Yu Sangning to succeed. But betrothed to Prince Zhao, First Lady Yu wouldn’t want to be a stepmother and would naturally resist Prince Zhao. She could then arrange according to First Lady Yu’s wishes to find her someone she likes.
Secretly encouraging their romance, if First Lady Yu prioritizes the bigger picture, she would have to be ruthless enough to ensure they become intimate, forcing First Lady Yu to leave. To leave the capital and hide her identity, she would naturally have to fake her death.
But to avoid implicating the Yu family while preserving their wealth and status, the fake death must have value.”
There was no better way than hiring assassins to attack Prince Zhao, letting First Lady Yu die for him, and entrusting Second Lady Yu to him with her dying breath.
“Brilliant.” Xiao Huayong had to admire such scheming, though her vision was limited to the inner court, solely focused on relying on men. Compared to his wife— no, there was no comparison.
Quickly dismissing these thoughts, Xiao Huayong said: “According to what you say, First Lady Yu’s fake death might become real.”
Only the dead can keep secrets forever.
“She won’t leave such a big loose end,” Shen Xihe nodded.
All of Yu Sangning’s plans were within Shen Xihe’s expectations. Long ago, she had found Yu Sangzi a man she couldn’t refuse – a scholar who came to the capital for the imperial examinations. His talent was genuine, and he originally had a good chance at the spring examinations, but for the sake of the plan, Yu Sangning made him miss the final examination, causing him to fail.
“Second Lady, we…” Yu Sangning’s maid brought the poison she had requested, knowing the entire plan and feeling afraid.
“We have no other choice,” Yu Sangning’s eyes were cold and dark.
The maid, who had more contact with Yu Sangzi, had a bold idea: “Why not target the County Princess of Huaiyang instead? If she dies after becoming Prince Xun’s consort, His Highness Prince Xun would need to remarry…”
“Slap—” Before the maid could finish, Yu Sangning struck her. “You think you’re so clever? Her surname is Shen!”
Yu Sangning had a bone-deep fear of Shen Xihe. She had merely harbored thoughts about the Empress Dowager, and Shen Xihe had nearly taken her life. If she were to kill Shen Yingruo, wouldn’t Shen Xihe leave her alive?