HomeAfter I Bloom Hundred Flowers DieChapter 620: The Crown Princess, Feared by All

Chapter 620: The Crown Princess, Feared by All

After the Emperor left, others naturally wouldn’t stay behind. As people gradually departed, Bu Shulin, who deliberately remained behind, couldn’t help but turn and bow respectfully to Shen Xihe, showing his admiration.

Bu Shulin wasn’t alone in his admiration. Anyone with political acumen knew that the An family were the Emperor’s trusted confidants – who would dare to seduce them? If they did, their entire family would face the Emperor’s disgust. Since it wasn’t the An family trying to seduce anyone, it meant both the Emperor and the An family had been framed.

Who would dare scheme against the An family and implicate the Emperor? The answer was obvious. The Crown Princess wasn’t just bold and calculating, but ruthless enough too. Look at what happened to the two ladies who showed favor to the Crown Prince.

One was the noble Tibetan Princess, left hanging in the wilderness to endure a night of cold wind. The other was the daughter of a powerful military commander, who lost her honor and was charged with the crime of seducing the Emperor, endangering her entire family’s interests and possibly her life.

People shuddered at the thought, resolving to warn their daughters against harboring inappropriate thoughts about the Eastern Palace and to guard against being used as pawns in the power struggle between the Emperor and the Eastern Palace.

Neither the Emperor who held power over life and death, nor the Crown Princess who dared to openly challenge His Majesty, were people they could afford to provoke.

The most terrified by these events was the Marquis of Pingyao. The sika deer had been hunted at Second Young Master An’s request to provide deer antler blood for the Emperor. Once back in their quarters, behind closed doors, the Marquis harshly addressed his son: “Today’s events nearly dragged our entire household down!”

“Father, how could I have possibly foreseen such far-reaching consequences?” The heir to the Pingyao Marquis felt wronged. It had seemed like an ordinary matter – he’d taken a liking to Second Young Master An’s ginseng and helped hunt a sika deer in return.

Such exchanges were commonplace. Though neither family was among the oldest noble houses, both held important court positions. When approached with such a request and generous gifts, it would have been improper to refuse, even if one didn’t covet the ginseng.

The Marquis considered this and felt he shouldn’t blame his son, but thinking of the An family’s fate and the Crown Princess’s masterful scheme made even this veteran of decades of court politics shudder.

Each step had seemed ordinary, raising no suspicions. Yet each move had been exquisitely calculated, linking together to form a deadly trap that neither victims nor collateral casualties could detect until it was too late.

By the time they realized, they were already bound too tightly to escape.

Taking a deep breath, the Marquis turned to address his silent daughter who followed behind: “Er Niang, you’re about to marry into the imperial family. The Yu family has always been loyal to His Majesty alone. Prince Zhao doesn’t seem to lack ambition either. If you can offer more counsel, do so.”

The Crown Princess had all but proclaimed to the world that she didn’t even regard the Emperor with respect. Her brazenness was meant to tell everyone that her ambitions went beyond being merely the Eastern Palace’s consort – that was just the beginning.

The Marquis felt uneasy about the situation, considering her meticulous mind, sharp methods, and backing from the Northwest. Thinking about how the Northwest had completely fallen under the control of Shen Yueshan and his son, with the Emperor’s carefully cultivated secret agents all thoroughly uprooted.

The Emperor appeared to be at his zenith, but injuries from campaigns north and south had taken their toll. He was beginning to decline, while the Crown Princess rose like the morning sun, unstoppable. When two tigers fight, one must be injured. After this incident, no one would dare predict who would win or lose.

“Yes, Father.” Yu Sangning obediently agreed.

Without the Marquis having to elaborate, her fear of Shen Xihe ran deeper than anyone else’s in the Pingyao household. Very early on, she had witnessed Shen Xihe’s dominance and personally experienced her ruthlessness.

Back then, she had thought Shen Xihe’s overbearing nature came from her good family background. Today’s events made her truly see that Shen Xihe’s strength came not from her backing, but from an overwhelming force that commanded respect.

When she confronted the Emperor step by step, her bearing hadn’t wavered in the slightest. This alone put her beyond Yu Sangning’s reach.

For the first time, Yu Sangning saw her insignificance before Shen Xihe…

The Eastern Palace had once been routinely overlooked. Many had assumed it would fade quietly from memory with Xiao Huayong’s passing. But Shen Xihe had changed everything with a single stroke, thoroughly illuminating the Eastern Palace’s existence.

Many had complex thoughts about this. They had guessed that Shen Xihe married into the Eastern Palace valuing the legitimate status, hoping to fight for a chance later, but no one had believed she had such capability then – it had seemed like a choice made for lack of better options.

Now, no one dared think that way anymore. If the Crown Princess could bear the first legitimate grandson… No, even if she couldn’t, her cunning alone would be enough to keep the imperial family in turmoil.

“Happy now?” When everyone had left, Shen Xihe entered the bedchamber to find Xiao Huayong sitting on the bed’s edge in white undergarments.

“I wouldn’t say happy.” Shen Xihe stepped forward, took a robe from the wooden rack, and personally draped it over Xiao Huayong’s shoulders.

Feeling the warmth, Xiao Huayong grabbed her hand and pressed it to his shoulder. “Not even this makes you happy?”

A single victory had made the Eastern Palace a place everyone would watch carefully, though these people would only be calculating about the Crown Princess. He, the Crown Prince destined for an early death, would from now on be seen as just a puppet controlled by the Crown Princess, a stepping stone on the path to imperial power.

“I was born noble and clever in youth. Though I can’t match your strategic planning, I’ve never miscalculated or been outmaneuvered. After experiencing much, I’ve come to take it lightly,” Shen Xihe said softly.

Many thought she wasn’t like a living person. Actually, besides her childhood restraint due to health issues preventing strong emotional fluctuations, she had never faced many setbacks. Those she wanted to scheme against, those whose lives she wanted to take – none had ever escaped once she made her move.

Perhaps others would be elated at having even the Emperor lose face so thoroughly, but Shen Xihe truly felt there was nothing to celebrate.

Xiao Huayong turned to look at his wife’s beautiful face. She was quite stunning, her eyes particularly deep and soul-stirring. Such features should have been aggressive and striking, yet her bearing was as deep and calm as the sea, creating a contradictory harmony that made her seem unapproachable.

As he gazed at her, Xiao Huayong’s eyes suddenly filled with deep amusement, his eyebrows rising in clear delight.

“You’re very happy? Why?” Shen Xihe couldn’t fathom why Xiao Huayong suddenly smiled.

“Mm.” Xiao Huayong nodded. “I’m very happy because I suddenly think being a puppet emperor is a good idea.”

Since this was all Shen Xihe’s doing, if she wanted to appear as the stronger party on the surface while he remained a pitiful figure, he might as well play along completely.

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