Shen Yun’an ultimately couldn’t stand staying in the Eastern Palace any longer!
Xiao Huayong’s love-laden words made even a grown man like him feel uncomfortable.
“Your Highness, aren’t you worried that the World Son will tell the Princess everything you said?” Tianyuan truly couldn’t understand.
His master clearly had feelings for the Princess yet concealed them as indifference, but showed a completely different face to her brother, as if eager to pour out everything he wanted to say to the Princess.
“Between siblings, no matter how close, some things can’t be spoken.” Xiao Huayong’s fingertips caressed a black Go piece, a faint smile escaping his lips. Otherwise, why would he have spoken so explicitly?
Tianyuan thought about it and found it reasonable. Even he couldn’t help but shiver at those passionate vows his master had just made. The World Son had fled because he couldn’t take it – asking him to relay those words to the Princess would be too much to ask.
“Aren’t you concerned that the World Son… might think you’re too sentimental?” Tianyuan really couldn’t imagine Xiao Huayong saying what he had just said.
“Different identities lead to different inclinations of the heart.” Xiao Huayong gave a short, light laugh. “Youyou don’t believe in love. When it concerns herself, she naturally remains cold and composed. Buwei is Youyou’s brother – rather than a cold and unfeeling but qualified emperor, he would prefer to entrust his sister to someone who adores her madly.”
If he had truly shown Shen Yun’an the same attitude he showed to Shen Xihe, that would have been what got him rejected.
After all, who in this world wouldn’t want their cherished treasure to be loved and cherished by more people?
Tianyuan finally understood why Xiao Huayong had acted that way earlier, and couldn’t help but sigh: “Your Highness, are you tired?”
He had put in more than his full effort to marry Princess Zhaoning, calculating every angle. Even just watching made Tianyuan tired.
“Don’t you find it interesting?” Xiao Huayong raised his eyebrows, flicking the black piece into the air before catching it with a reverse grip. “Never has there been a person or thing that made me scheme so thoroughly. The days in this palace are too hard to endure – it’s rare to have something interesting…”
As he spoke, the smile on his lips was as gentle as a spring breeze brushing over willows by the riverbank, creating ripples across the lake water.
The Crown Prince’s entertainment was beyond the understanding of a common person like Tianyuan.
After returning home, the more Shen Yun’an thought about it, the more he felt the Crown Prince was slick-tongued and untrustworthy. Yet when faced with Shen Xihe, he couldn’t bring himself to repeat Xiao Huayong’s words. He didn’t want to simply tell his sister that the man had feelings for her – wouldn’t that be helping him?
One had to admit that Xiao Huayong had calculated human nature perfectly.
As a brother, even though Shen Xihe repeatedly emphasized that she was cold-hearted and would never develop feelings for anyone, Shen Yun’an subconsciously still hoped someone would love and cherish his sister, and hoped she would marry someone who truly cared for her.
Moreover, he didn’t believe that his sister, a living person, truly did not need love. It was just that she hadn’t met the right person, which was why she remained unmoved. So how could he tell Shen Xihe that Xiao Huayong had feelings for her?
Unable to speak of the feelings, yet unable to repeat those sickeningly sweet words, he could only stew in frustration!
“Brother?” Seeing Shen Yun’an return with a dark face, Shen Xihe asked with concern, “Did something happen?”
Unable to vent his pent-up frustration, Shen Yun’an could only sullenly ask: “Why did you agree to climb the city tower with him?”
Shen Xihe: “It was just a consoling gesture. I didn’t know you would come to the capital then, and I didn’t want to be bothered by others on Double Ninth Festival, so I simply agreed to go with him.”
Shen Yun’an’s expression remained displeased: “You even made wontons for him and prepared to warm incense!”
Shen Xihe couldn’t help but smile.
In the Northwest, Shen Yun’an was known as a fierce warrior, famous as the God of Death, yet only in front of her would he act like a child. He would get jealous not just of outsiders but even their father. Every year when sending gifts to both father and son, they had to be the same, otherwise, he would argue for ages.
It always ended with Shen Yun’an winning verbally but suffering physical punishment from Shen Yueshan. Yet he never learned his lesson and would dare to do it again next time!
“Hmph!” Shen Yun’an hadn’t expected Shen Xihe to laugh and angrily snorted, crossing his arms and turning away.
Shen Xihe moved with light steps around to face Shen Yun’an, who snorted again and turned his head to the other side.
She placed both hands on his head and slowly turned it back: “The warming incense was to thank him for dealing with the Sixth Prince…”
Shen Xihe told him everything about what Prince Xiao Changtai had intended to do.
Shen Yun’an’s fist slammed onto the table with a bang: “The Sixth Prince has some nerve!”
“Brother, I’m not so easily fooled.” Shen Xihe held his fist. “The wontons were about the An Xi matter…”
She then explained how Xiao Huayong had taken preemptive action, creating a smokescreen to gloss over the An Xi situation.
After hearing this, Shen Yun’an furrowed his brows: “Every matter is significant. This Crown Prince… is not to be underestimated.”
“Mm.” Shen Xihe nodded. “This is good too. He won’t need to rely entirely on us. When he ascends to power later, he won’t feel unable to face me. I’ve asked about his intentions toward the Northwest – whether they’re true or false will be clear from his future actions.”
“Since he has such extensive connections, what purpose does he have in marrying you?” Whatever deep-rooted feelings – Shen Yun’an had heard them sound sincere but didn’t believe a single word. Who knew what schemes he was hiding?
“His illness must be from palace struggles. I’ve checked – twelve years ago, no royal family members were punished.”
This meant that whoever was responsible for making Xiao Huayong so miserable, forcing him to leave the palace and nearly losing his claim to the throne, had not been punished.
“I really can’t think who else…” Shen Xihe cast a subtle glance, “could make His Majesty not even bother with superficial gestures.”
“His Majesty… how could he?” Shen Yun’an was shocked. Throughout history, emperors being wary of their heirs was common, but that usually happened in their twilight years. Eleven years ago, His Majesty had been in his prime…
“Back then, His Majesty was forced to make him Crown Prince to appease the loyal ministers.”
Whether it was the civil officials led by Minister Gu or the military commanders represented by Shen Yueshan, they had initially followed not Emperor Youning but Prince Qian.
When Prince Qian suddenly died, how could these loyal supporters who had bet their lives on him willingly step aside at the final moment? How could they watch Youning’s confidants take power?
At this time, Emperor Youning had to stabilize their hearts and make them clearly understand he would reward merit. Making the deceased prince’s wife empress and his newborn motherless son Xiao Huayong the Crown Prince was the best reassurance.
Moreover, establishing a Crown Prince then could temporarily pacify the imperial consorts with sons and their backing forces.
Otherwise, just the struggle for heir apparent would have made his confidants turn against each other in bloodshed, let alone those who had originally supported Prince Qian.
It could be said that establishing an heir was a crucial move in stabilizing his throne!
“But that’s too early…” Though Shen Yun’an knew royal families were heartless, he felt acting so early was too blatant.