None of Emperor Youning’s sons were incompetent, but their shrewdness varied in degree. Second Prince Zhao Wang Xiao Changmin was at the bottom, so Shen Xihe wasn’t at all surprised that Xiao Changqin chose him as a scapegoat.

“Second Brother just can’t control his curiosity, and now he’s suffering the consequences,” Xiao Huayong stretched his neck, watching Shen Xihe press the incense ash.

She sat with perfect posture, head slightly bowed, her light gauze draping down with her black hair. The white porcelain incense burner was snow-white and silver-like, its texture as delicate as her fair hands emerging from her sleeves, both emanating a subtle glow.

The bamboo-jointed incense press moved gently with her fingertips, smoothing the frost-like incense ash.

Xiao Huayong loved watching her light incense – it was as beautiful as a painting, every movement holding his unwavering attention.

Seeing her silence, he continued: “The Dengzhou matter had nothing to do with Second Brother originally. He merely wanted to know who was stirring up trouble, so he sent people to investigate. Fifth Brother was waiting for him to walk into the trap. Fifth Brother released the person who had spread the Imperial Astronomers’ rain prediction date earlier, and both this person and Second Brother’s people fell into Eighth Brother’s hands. Fifth Brother’s people insisted they were conspirators with Second Brother’s people, and produced some unclear evidence, so the matter fell on Second Brother’s head.”

After smoothing the incense ash, Shen Xihe chose a brush and traced the incense burner’s edge, cleaning off the dust. Only then did she gently place the incense stencil on the smooth ash: “The day after tomorrow is when the rain will fall.”

Until now, Emperor Youning hadn’t agreed to pardon the palace women. If delayed two more days, and rain truly fell the day after tomorrow, the matter of pardoning would come to nothing.

“Tomorrow, His Majesty will certainly issue the decree to pardon the palace women,” Xiao Huayong’s gaze fell on the incense stencil as Shen Xihe continued her movements while talking with him.

There were various types of incense stencils used to sprinkle incense powder, creating patterns or characters on the ash. Shen Xihe’s was self-made. After sprinkling the powder and lifting the stencil, an earthen-yellow butterfly-wing-shaped Pingzhongye leaf pattern formed on the snow-white ash.

Taking a lit incense stick, she gently ignited the powder at the leaf’s stem. White smoke curled upward. She covered the burner, and an elegant fragrance wafted out.

Xiao Huayong involuntarily raised his eyebrows at the scent: “This is the essence of Pingzhongye.”

The subtle yet distinguishable fragrance of Pingzhongye lingered.

“Pingzhongye is too subtle to be the main ingredient,” Shen Xihe had preserved this scent to the maximum extent. She waved her hand at the drifting smoke, carefully savoring it for a moment before nodding in satisfaction. “This is the best it can be.”

She had tried before, but the fragrance started strong and grew fainter, eventually completely overwhelmed by other ingredients, leaving no trace. That’s why she developed a new formula.

“This incense…” Xiao Huayong leaned in to smell it, then hesitantly asked, “It’s not harmful, is it?”

It was just that in his wife’s hands, incense wasn’t merely for elegant enjoyment – it could become a deadly weapon at any moment!

“With countless materials available in the world, why would I taint something I love?” Shen Xihe glanced sideways at Xiao Huayong.

Pingzhongye wasn’t harmless – it could easily be used to harm people. But because she loved it, she naturally wouldn’t use it that way.

“I spoke wrongly,” Xiao Huayong quickly apologized.

Shen Xihe’s lips curved slightly, not taking it to heart.

Her light smile, like wind rippling across a lake’s surface, blew into Xiao Huayong’s heart. His thoughts stirred: “So Youyou is this protective of her own.”

“You only just realized?” Shen Xihe was slightly surprised. Had she not made it obvious?

She had always been protective. Anyone or anything she held dear, she would shelter under her wing, not allowing others to harm them.

“Then… when will Youyou protect me?” Xiao Huayong smiled fawningly.

Shen Xihe turned to face him directly: “Haven’t I protected you enough?”

To protect him, she had directly confronted His Majesty. In the entire world, even her father hadn’t directly moved against His Majesty.

Except for leaving no evidence, she had practically announced to the world that she had become His Majesty’s enemy.

Understanding Shen Xihe’s meaning, Xiao Huayong’s lips spread in a smile that reached his eyes: “I thought… thought you were only considering the bigger picture.”

“I am considering the bigger picture,” Shen Xihe nodded, not denying this point. “Given our position and the times we’re in, I can’t do as you do, acting purely for personal feelings, for just one person.”

Seeing Xiao Huayong’s smile fade slightly, Shen Xihe continued, “My unwillingness to have you exposed before His Majesty’s eyes, to be suspected and distrusted by him, was indeed personal.”

Xiao Huayong had done many things, especially since the Northwestern matter began. The Eastern Palace had become a thorn in His Majesty’s heart. In this situation, either one of them would be viewed with suspicion by His Majesty, or both husband and wife would be feared together.

If Xiao Huayong hadn’t already held weight in her heart, given her nature, she would naturally have watched His Majesty and Xiao Huayong fight like a snipe and a clam, while she, the fisherman, would profit. His Majesty would know everything was Xiao Huayong’s doing and would certainly view him as a grave threat.

With Xiao Huayong’s intelligence and methods, if the two fought, even if there was a winner, the victor would surely be gravely wounded. Standing behind them, watching for opportunities, she could easily become the biggest winner.

But she hadn’t chosen this path, because she had also counted Xiao Huayong as one of her own.

Xiao Huayong’s bright eyes stared at Shen Xihe, his mind constantly echoing the words “was indeed personal.”

His reaction was foolish and dazed, nothing like the shrewd Crown Prince who held the power to move heaven and earth.

Shen Xihe couldn’t help but laugh softly, shaking her head helplessly with a smile: “Beichen, truly, though you schemed for the Northwest for my sake, I do not feel indebted. These plans weren’t at my request, so if you meant nothing to me, none of your actions would move me, nor would I feel guilty or grateful enough to step forward and hide you behind me.”

As the beloved daughter of the Northwestern King, since childhood, she had been courted by all the noble families in the Northwest. If she had to be moved and touched by everyone who planned for her or made unilateral sacrifices for her, she would never stop feeling touched.

Being in a high position, she had long since become indifferent to flattery and favor-seeking.

“So, so it was actually for me as a person…” Xiao Huayong was stunned.

He had always thought Shen Xihe acted this way to maximize benefits and to consider the overall situation.

Only now did he realize that he had been lost in his position, or perhaps hadn’t dared to think this way. Otherwise, given his understanding of her character, how could someone like her be purely moved by certain actions?

She was telling him that if it wasn’t him doing these things – if someone else had done the same things – she wouldn’t have appreciated it, much less stepped forward strongly to cover for them!

This realization made Xiao Huayong’s heart pound uncontrollably.