“I sent Twenty-seven to Alin,” Shen Xihe said as she sat at her dressing table. Sensing the change in presence beside her, she opened her eyes to see Xiao Huayong taking the brush from Hongyu’s hands, bending down to draw her forehead decoration.

He always loved drawing her facial flowers. Since their marriage, he had done it most times, and she had gone from initial rejection to resigned acceptance to now willing acceptance and familiarity.

“I know.” Xiao Huayong turned her to face him, straddling his legs as he bent down, his eyes focused intently on her brow.

The cool touch of the brush landed between her brows. Shen Xihe kept her forehead still: “Beichen, I…”

For a moment, Shen Xihe didn’t know what to say to Xiao Huayong. She felt she had perhaps become too soft-hearted.

Thinking of Bu Shulin’s current situation and her pregnancy, Shen Xihe felt the small life growing day by day in her womb, and couldn’t bear to see Bu Shulin’s child lost in this power struggle.

“My Youyou is loyal and righteous, why feel troubled?” Xiao Huayong’s brush never stopped as he skillfully drew out the essence of the delicate Pingzhongye pattern.

“I shouldn’t be like this…” Shen Xihe closed her eyes, truly sensing how she had changed.

She should prioritize benefits and should be ruthless like Xiao Huayong when necessary without hesitation.

She shouldn’t show mercy during such a crucial game.

“It’s my fault.” Xiao Huayong’s gaze lowered to her eyes. “I shouldn’t have dragged you into this mortal world.”

He had forcibly made someone pure take on worldly concerns.

If not for meeting him, perhaps she would have forever remained that detached and cold Shen Xihe. She wouldn’t have been bound by so many emotions, her heart forever lonely and quiet, unmoved by anyone or anything.

He had brought her into this emotional and flashy mortal world, yet was unable to protect her from all worries. To ask her to return to being that otherworldly person who coldly observed the world – he was truly thoroughly despicable.

Shen Xihe suddenly opened her eyes, their obsidian-like brightness meeting Xiao Huayong’s midnight gaze: “No, it has nothing to do with you. Perhaps I never truly understood myself. This is my true nature; you just helped me see it earlier.”

As she spoke, she slowly gripped his wrist, her gaze remaining firm: “Beichen, no matter what situation I face in the future, I believe I can handle it with ease.

About our meeting, understanding, and staying together – every detail remains in my heart, letting me look back at sunset without regrets.”

I have also experienced what man-woman love is, because of your appearance.

A smile playing on his lips, Xiao Huayong put down the brush. After carefully examining his work and confirming it was perfect, he stood and drew her into his embrace, letting her cheek rest against his chest: “I led you into love’s river, yet cannot accompany you long, and you don’t even blame me. Today merely disrupts one of my chess pieces, why dwell on it?

Youyou, I don’t want you to become someone harsh on yourself yet lenient with others. Be someone lenient to both yourself and others.”

Shen Xihe started slightly, finally understanding that he knew she felt guilty about arbitrarily disrupting his plans, and was deliberately comforting and explaining to her.

A wave of warmth flowed through her heart, warming her to her core and filling her entire being.

Seeing her smile and no longer dwelling on it, Xiao Huayong’s heart finally relaxed. His heart too was filled with warmth – that Shen Xihe, usually so decisive, would fret over such an action, all because she cared for him so much.

“I disrupted your plans, yet you have to comfort me instead…” Shen Xihe suddenly realized she was being somewhat affected.

“Did you disrupt my plans?” Xiao Huayong asked in return.

Shen Xihe lowered her head with a smile, then quickly looked up, putting on a haughty expression: “What if I did?”

Xiao Huayong had never seen Shen Xihe so playfully coquettish. He couldn’t help but bend down to plant a deep kiss on her forehead, then held her tight, controlling his excitement: “It’s up to you, everything’s up to you. My life is in your control!”

Held tightly in Xiao Huayong’s embrace, surrounded by his scent, Shen Xihe couldn’t help but press her lips together, silently laughing.

Knowing she was still Xiao Huayong’s, she had indeed changed his plans out of unwillingness to see Bu Shulin in danger. The Battle of Minjiang was inevitable – without Bu Shulin, what method could be used to ignite this war?

It wasn’t difficult. They just needed someone whose appearance would make His Majesty want to eliminate them even more urgently than Bu Shulin, and similarly couldn’t be dealt with openly.

“You sent Brother to Minjiang.” Xiao Huayong hadn’t investigated or received any news from Shen Yun’an, but he knew Shen Xihe’s intentions.

Changing the bait to Shen Yun’an – His Majesty would likely be even less willing to miss this rare opportunity. Compared to the Shunan Prince’s mansion, the Northwestern Prince’s mansion was the real threat weighing on his mind.

And Shen Yun’an naturally wasn’t just going to Minjiang as bait but as commander.

Since His Majesty had already shown his hand, planning to mobilize the Jiannan Military Commissioner’s office, with neither Bu Shulin nor themselves present, no matter how well Xiao Huayong had arranged things, they lacked a commander to deal with unpredictable emergencies.

“Brother has long been eager to try naval warfare. This time he finally gets his wish.” Shen Xihe nodded.

This was truly an opportunity Shen Yun’an had longed for. The Northwest was grasslands and desert. Shen Yun’an was obsessed with military campaigns, and had long yearned for naval warfare but never had the chance.

After Shen Xihe sent the message, Shen Yun’an set out immediately, sending word to her afterward. By the time she received the news, Shen Yun’an had already been traveling for two days.

“In that case, we’ll await Brother’s victory report!” Having Shen Yun’an personally put Xiao Huayong’s mind more at ease.

But while Shen Xihe could let Shen Yun’an participate, he couldn’t. After all, weapons were blind – although the chance of Shen Yun’an meeting with an accident was extremely low, they couldn’t completely rule out the possibility. Xiao Huayong couldn’t bear the responsibility of implicating Shen Yun’an.

Shen Xihe had considered this. Firstly, she trusted her brother’s abilities. Secondly, as long as their Shen family guarded the Northwest, they could never be far from the battlefield. In general, one shouldn’t fear any campaign.

More experience meant greater expertise, which could become a lifesaver on some future unavoidable battlefield.

Shen Xihe raised her eyes to the serene clear sky, her confidence in her brother leaving her without any worry.

Taking the route from the Northwest through Tibet to Minjiang, Shen Yun’an only needed five days. Now Xiao Changying, leading Bu Shulin’s subordinates, was facing wave after wave of pursuit, while Bu Shulin, nearly five months pregnant, was approaching Tibet, and Twenty-seven, who had gone ahead, had simultaneously reached Minjiang.

Therefore, Emperor Youning quickly received the news.

“Shen Yun’an is in Minjiang?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, the news is certain. However, with the Northwestern Prince controlling the Northwest, everyone believes the Prince’s Heir and his wife are worshipping at the temple…”

Now without their people in the Northwest, there was no way to uncover evidence of Shen Yun’an privately leaving the Northwest and abandoning his post unless they caught him.

“Good, good, excellent!” Emperor Youning’s gaze was ice-cold. The Shen family truly didn’t take him seriously. “Order the three divisions of the Divine Brave Army to proceed to Minjiang immediately. Don’t let either Bu Shulin or Shen Yun’an escape!”