If Shen Xihe had revealed this masterstroke earlier, perhaps Yu Xiang wouldn’t have been so willing to sacrifice his life – everything could have been blamed on Xiao Changyan. His capture by Shen Yun’an was all because Xiao Changyan didn’t trust his intelligence and didn’t provide enough manpower. His capture fundamentally proved he hadn’t colluded with Shen Yun’an.

As for how Shen Yun’an obtained the military tally and secret signals to manipulate the official ships and deceive Xiao Changfeng, these weren’t things a captive like him should understand. If they had the ability, they could go ask Shen Yun’an themselves. At most, he was guilty of dereliction of duty, and even that was largely Xiao Changyan’s responsibility.

“Though Yu Xiang is detestable, I am a person of my word,” Shen Xihe said seriously. “I promised that if he defected, I would spare his life, and I won’t go back on that promise.”

Yu Xiang wasn’t a good person – one could say he deserved death. But what of it? A promise made was a promise kept. She wouldn’t feel justified breaking her word just because the other party deserved death.

“Youyou speaks with the authority of the strong…” Xiao Huayong’s eyes were filled with mirth.

It was because she could have easily taken Yu Xiang’s life if she truly wished, that she didn’t mind passing up opportunities to easily crush him. One could say that even if it wasn’t Yu Xiang, but someone else equally unfathomable, she would have acted the same way – never betraying her word or changing her mind on a whim.

“However, his death has brought us considerable benefits,” Shen Xihe glanced at Xiao Huayong.

Now all blame fell on Xiao Changyan. Faced with irrefutable evidence, he had no defense. When His Majesty received the letter from “Yu Xiang” that had been in the Jiannan Military Commissioner’s possession from before the incident, he would question why Xiao Changyan hadn’t trusted Yu Xiang.

Could Xiao Changyan admit he had someone skilled in soul-capturing techniques constantly eavesdropping on Shen Yun’an’s every move?

Of course not!

Because saying so would be futile and only reveal his greater incompetence. His pride and previously invincible soul-capturing technique had become the blade that pierced his own body!

Xiao Changyan was thoroughly finished this time.

His Majesty’s fury, the court’s condemnation, the deaths of thousands of elite soldiers who perished in the river – he would have to bear responsibility for all of it!

“When one has powerful tools, one mustn’t rely on them too heavily,” Xiao Huayong sighed softly.

Xiao Changyan lost because he depended too much on and deeply trusted his soul-capturing technique, believing it to be an invincible key to victory. If not for this, with his sharp mind and intelligence, he would never have so easily staked everything on believing the message Shen Yun’an had Mo Yao transmit.

“The method to break this soul-capturing technique can only come from the practitioner because the anchoring objects used are so varied that even those who understand the technique find it difficult to comprehend.”

Shen Xihe had gone to great lengths this time to understand the mysterious soul-capturing technique. When Xiao Changyan’s advisor fell into Shen Yun’an’s hands, he was immediately tortured and broke Mo Yao’s technique.

Regarding countering the soul-capturing technique, though he revealed everything he knew without reservation, the results still didn’t satisfy Shen Xihe.

“Are you worried about…” Xiao Huayong looked down at Shen Xihe, “me?”

“Yes.” Shen Xihe nodded. “You once told me you were affected by the technique as a child. Prince Jing was even younger than you then, so it couldn’t possibly have been his doing.

Some dangers, once they show traces, must be guarded against.”

Xiao Huayong held Shen Xihe’s hand, his gaze falling on the pomegranate flowers swaying in the wind outside the window. The red tinted his deep black pupils like flames in the night, gleaming with a hint of otherworldliness.

No one knew what he was thinking.

News of Yu Xiang’s sacrifice reached the capital that evening. His Majesty had just awakened, looking quite unwell, but he wasn’t clear about what exactly had happened at the Min River and why the losses were so devastating this time.

For the moment, he only sent someone to inform the Yu household.

What Shen Xihe never expected was that a shocking incident occurred at Prince Zhao’s mansion that very night.

It was said that when the Princess Consort of Zhao learned of her father’s death, she went to seek Prince Zhao in her grief and anger. She found Prince Zhao frolicking with a concubine. Though there was a distinction between ruler and subject, Xiao Changmin was a prince but also a son-in-law. With his father-in-law’s death, Prince Zhao’s merrymaking enraged the Princess Consort. She immediately moved to confront the concubine, and when Prince Zhao tried to protect the concubine, he pushed the Princess Consort down in the scuffle.

Yu Sangning, four months pregnant, miscarried. This alarmed the Imperial Physicians Office, which naturally had to report to Shen Xihe, who oversaw the Six Palaces.

Shen Xihe listened thoughtfully.

“The Yu father and daughter certainly have the resolve of warriors willing to cut off their arm,” Xiao Huayong praised with his words, but his tone and gaze were full of mockery.

They both understood that Yu Sangning felt uneasy because the Crown Prince of Prince Shunan had safely returned to Shu. Whether or not Xiao Changmin would be dealt with by the Eastern Palace, in any case, Xiao Changmin held no future promise – she needed to extract herself early.

Now it was perfect – Xiao Changmin, as a son-in-law, indulged in pleasure and debauchery while his father-in-law’s body wasn’t yet cold – this was unfilial.

Gravely injuring his principal wife for a concubine, causing the loss of his flesh and blood – this was neither benevolent nor righteous.

But it wasn’t over. When Yu Sangning awoke after her miscarriage, she neither cried nor made a scene, but went straight to kneel before the Vermillion Bird Gate. She declared that she wasn’t virtuous or respectful enough, that she was jealous, unworthy to be an imperial family member. She held Xiao Changmin’s divorce papers and came to beg His Majesty’s punishment.

Shen Xihe had just finished listening to the report from outside when someone came from Qinzheng Hall. His Majesty had delegated such matters to Shen Xihe to handle.

Concerning the imperial family’s face and being tangled in such an awkward situation, with Shen Xihe being both Crown Princess and overseer of the Six Palaces, passing this matter to her was reasonable.

As Shen Xihe was about to rise, Xiao Huayong pressed on her shoulder: “Grandmother is handling this matter, you need only observe.”

It wasn’t that Shen Xihe passed it to the Empress Dowager – rather, just as Shen Xihe received His Majesty’s verbal order, the Empress Dowager had already sent people to carry Yu Sangning into the palace and summoned Xiao Changmin.

Shen Xihe couldn’t avoid making an appearance, so she went with Xiao Huayong to the Empress Dowager’s palace. When they arrived, Xiao Changmin was already kneeling at the palace gates.

Shen Xihe glanced at Xiao Changmin – his hair was disheveled, his brows furrowed, and his clothes seemed hastily arranged, looking quite disheveled.

When Shen Xihe entered the Empress Dowager’s palace, Yu Sangning had already fainted from crying, and the Empress Dowager’s face was dark as water: “Bring that wretch in!”

Soon Xiao Changmin followed the eunuch inside, dropping to his knees with a thud at the Empress Dowager’s loud command to kneel.

“Tell me, are these the actions of a human being? How are you any different from a beast?” the Empress Dowager berated.

Xiao Changmin tried to speak but stopped, his face pale, his eyes showing confusion: “Grandmother… grandson doesn’t know… doesn’t know how things came to this…”

Xiao Changmin truly didn’t know. He and Yu Sangning had disagreed about Bu Shulin’s matter, and after returning from his devastating defeat, Yu Sangning had even mocked and ridiculed him. So he stopped paying attention to Yu Sangning, favoring his concubines instead, often spending nights in their chambers after his return.