A sudden storm had dropped flowers and leaves, spreading a layer of dampness across the capital and bringing with it a chill.

The mischievous Duanming had run off somewhere and came scampering back soaking wet. Hongyu felt sorry for it, seeing its fine fur matted against its body and still dripping water. As she and Ziyu approached with absorbent cloths, the naughty cat shook itself vigorously, spraying water all over the two of them.

Biyu couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, and when Shen Xihe turned to look, she too couldn’t suppress a smile.

“Meow!” Duanming, thinking it had shaken itself dry, pounced toward Shen Xihe.

Shen Xihe’s smile vanished as she quickly stepped back. Duanming missed its target and, looking up to meet Shen Xihe’s stern gaze, immediately curled into a ball, gazing pitifully at her while making low, whimpering sounds.

“You’re this filthy and still trying to jump on our mistress?” Ziyu seized the opportunity to grab it by the scruff of its neck and lift it.

“Meow! Meow! Meow!” Duanming flailed its four short legs but was still forcefully carried away by Ziyu for a bath.

“Your Highness, Prince Li is here to visit,” a servant came to report.

“Tell him I won’t see him,” Shen Xihe coldly refused.

She didn’t care how others viewed her, nor did she need anyone to judge her manners and upbringing. When visitors came calling, she simply refused to see them if she didn’t wish to.

“His Highness said… if you won’t see him, he’ll have no choice but to intrude upon your chambers again,” the servant reported nervously.

Biyu saw Shen Xihe’s lowered eyelids slowly lift, her pitch-black pupils turning rightward toward the door.

Though her mistress’s expression remained unchanged and her eyes calm, Biyu could sense a cold murderous intent.

“Tell him if he dares, it won’t just be about removing clothes – I’ll flay him alive,” Shen Xihe said with deceptive mildness, emphasizing each word. The servant’s legs trembled as he hurriedly withdrew to deliver the message.

This servant had been transferred from the Shen manor by the steward for his quick wit and loyalty. He had never imagined his mistress could be so… fierce. He didn’t dare relay some of her words, but fearing Shen Xihe more, he stammered out the message to Xiao Changying with his eyes closed.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Changying showed no anger. Instead, he handed over a scroll: “Give this to Her Highness. I will wait here for a quarter-hour. If she still refuses to see me, I shall take my leave.”

Shen Xihe had thought Xiao Changying would retreat, but the servant nervously presented the scroll. Biyu took it and opened it before Shen Xihe, causing both their expressions to change dramatically.

“Summon Mo Yuan!” Shen Xihe commanded gravely.

This was a defense map of the Anxi Protectorate. The northwest had three major protectorates and three governorships – the former being imperial troops stationed for peacekeeping without involvement in civil affairs, the latter directly managing local matters.

During the previous emperor’s reign, Shen Xihe’s grandfather had served as both Protector-General of Anxi and Governor of Yanqi. When Emperor Youning ascended the throne, rewards were given for meritorious service, and Shen Yueshan, who had the greatest merit in supporting the new emperor, became the King of the Northwest. The entire northwest region and all protectorates came under his control, with the governors becoming subordinate to the Northwestern King.

If this defense map of the Anxi Protectorate fell into enemy hands, the city might be lost.

Even if it didn’t reach enemy hands, if Emperor Youning got hold of it, the lightest punishment would be removal from power, the heaviest would be execution!

Mo Yuan quickly arrived. Shen Xihe showed him the defense map, and his face went pale. “This…”

His reaction made Shen Xihe’s heart sink. She wasn’t involved in political matters and had only suspected this might be genuine, but Mo Yuan had confirmed her suspicions.

“Your Highness, shall we see Prince Li?” Biyu anxiously reminded her that the prince had only promised to wait a quarter-hour.

Shen Xihe held the map, remaining extremely calm. After a quick analysis, her gaze became resolute: “No.”

“Your Highness!” Mo Yuan was shocked.

“If he had no ulterior motive, he would have already presented this to His Majesty to make up for losing evidence in the rouge case,” Shen Xihe slowly rolled up the scroll. “Coming to me with it now means either he wants something from me, or he’s unsure if it’s genuine. If I see him, I’ll only give him the upper hand.”

After rolling up the scroll, Shen Xihe handed it to Biyu: “Return this to him personally…”

She paused, then curved her lips: “Tell him that, considering our previous dealings, I kindly remind him not to be too clever.”

“Your Highness, will this work?” Mo Yuan wasn’t doubting Shen Xihe, but the stakes were enormous. If Prince Li angrily handed it to His Majesty in a fit of pique, the consequences would be unthinkable!

“We can only gamble,” Shen Xihe thought for a moment, quickly went to her study, wrote a letter, sealed it, and handed it to Mo Yuan. “Deliver this to Hua Fuhai’s people, and have him send it to Father as quickly as possible.”

Hua Fuhai had his own message delivery system – the last letter arranging their meeting had arrived faster than an eight-hundred-li urgent dispatch.

When Xiao Changying heard the message Biyu brought, he would certainly become suspicious. As long as Father saw this letter before the prince’s doubts were resolved, he could make the real defense map fake as quickly as possible.

Then they could claim this map was deliberately circulated after discovering spies in the army and traitors in court, meant to lure out enemies and see who would betray their country.

“Your Highness, this Hua Fuhai…”

“It’s fine. Even if he reads my letter, he won’t understand it,” Shen Xihe interrupted Mo Yuan. “It’s written in a code that only Father, Brother, and I know.”

It was a game Shen Yunan had created while studying with Shen Xihe – who knew it would prove so useful at a critical moment.

Xiao Changying hadn’t expected Shen Xihe to react this way, making him suspect that what Biyu had returned unchanged might be fake or contain some hidden scheme.

“Your Highness, should we seek the Crown Prince’s help?” Biyu suggested after sending Xiao Changying away.

Since the Crown Prince had managed to suppress the evidence from the rouge case for so long, he could surely help them buy time.

“This is an enormous weakness – I absolutely will not hand it to anyone else,” Shen Xihe firmly rejected the idea.

At this moment, Biyu realized that Shen Xihe didn’t have even a shred of trust in the Crown Prince.

“Don’t worry, Xiao Changying won’t act rashly for at least two days. Keep watching him. If His Majesty truly learns of this before Father…” Shen Xihe’s eyes grew cold. “I’ll have to strike first and expose the weapons Prince Kang’s manor has been secretly forging for His Majesty.”

That would create confusion and pin the theft of the defense map directly on Prince Kang’s manor.

Shen Xihe hadn’t wanted to contact Xiao Huayong, but her letter still let him know she had urgent business.

“Your Highness, do you wish to read the letter?” Tianyuan asked.

“If she sent it to me, she must be certain that even if I read it, I wouldn’t understand,” Xiao Huayong focused on carefully carving a parasol tree leaf. “Send it to the northwest urgently.”

“Something major must have happened, or she wouldn’t have reached out to me,” After giving the order, Xiao Huayong’s gaze deepened. “Have our people in the northwest investigate, quickly.”

When news arrived that evening, Xiao Huayong had just finished carving the leaf, which bore Shen Xihe’s likeness.

After listening, Xiao Huayong gave a light laugh: “Ninth Brother has grown capable. Since he’s so talented, let him go establish merit in the northwest.”