The Duhuo Tower stood before the East Market, with many people coming and going and shops lined up nearby. Being the first month of the year, the bustling sounds rose and fell endlessly.

Yet the private room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Shen Yun’an raised his eyebrows proudly, secretly casting an admiring glance at his sister.

Shen Xihe smiled slightly at him, her hands folded, sitting properly, and quietly turning her gaze back to Xiao Changying.

Xiao Changying’s thumb lightly traced the edge of his teacup, saying with an ambiguous smile: “The Princess is good at intimidation. I believe in your intelligence, but unless the rumors about the lost defense map originated from you, how could you have predicted how things would unfold? How could you have tampered with the map so early?”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the siblings: “These rumors spread with exquisite precision, neither causing panic among officials nor giving His Majesty reason to act, seeming both true and false, reality hard to discern. As they say, three people repeating something makes it true. Forgive my offense, but the Princess and World Son don’t have such capability.”

Indeed, they didn’t have such ability. Controlling rumors while concealing their source required considerable control and connections to orchestrate.

Shen Xihe admitted: “Your Highness speaks truly. My brother and I don’t have such capability, but I have someone helping me.”

Xiao Changying’s fingers tightened: “Is the Princess referring to the Crown Prince?”

“Who it is doesn’t concern Your Highness. I’m simply giving you two choices: either tell me the truth, or I’ll go to the palace to thank Prince Lie for informing me early about the An Xi matter, allowing my father to detect the oversight in time and prevent disaster.” Shen Xihe smiled faintly.

Xiao Changying laughed lightly: “Princess, basil incense doesn’t change color with water, no matter what spices are added.”

Shen Xihe’s expression remained unchanged. That day at the Ministry of Justice was just a small trick – basil indeed wouldn’t change color. What changed color in the water was the spice hidden in Mo Yu’s fingernails, and both Ding and Zhi were pressed into the water by Mo Yu.

“Yes, basil doesn’t change color, but I still caught the real culprit.” Shen Xihe spoke softly. “Your Highness can also gamble on whether I’ve tampered with the defense map. Or perhaps I haven’t, but if I want to prove I have, I can certainly make false become true.”

Just as basil won’t turn red in water, she had other ways to make water turn red. With no one knowing basil’s properties, they would still be led by the nose – the principle was the same.

“I believe you.” Xiao Changying said lazily. “The Princess wants to know who stole the defense map to catch the snake hiding in the Northwest, a snake that surely keeps the Northwest King from sleeping peacefully. Even if you go before His Majesty and twist black into white, I’ll just tell His Majesty what I know. If he’s angry with me, I can claim youthful indiscretion and being confused by emotions…”

Seeing Shen Xihe still calm and unruffled, but some instinct telling him she was slightly angry, Xiao Changying felt inexplicably delighted: “Whether I’m the mastermind can be easily investigated. Even if His Majesty is angry, he’ll at most punish me with house arrest for reflection.”

Taking a flatbread from the table and biting into it, Xiao Changying made a satisfied sound. After finishing the whole piece and drinking some tea, he continued: “But if His Majesty learns about this snake and it becomes his hidden piece, will the Northwest ever know peace again?”

Looking at Shen Xihe leisurely, Xiao Changying eagerly awaited how she would resolve this predicament.

“Clap, clap, clap.” Shen Xihe applauded softly for Xiao Changying. “Your Highness seems well-prepared.”

“Having been outmaneuvered by the Princess several times, one must be more careful.” Xiao Changying smiled seemingly modestly.

“But Your Highness overlooked three points.” Shen Xihe smiled lightly. “First, as I mentioned earlier, this mastermind is too quiet. Since they’re not rushing to counterattack, they must be meticulous, taking time to clean up. I wonder if His Majesty can still find evidence once Your Highness provides clues?”

Glancing at Xiao Changying’s slightly dimmed smile, Shen Xihe continued: “Your clues are only useful against our Shen family. Second, in the Northwest’s desert, snakes are not only poisonous but numerous and skilled at camouflage. Missing one after exposing it doesn’t matter.”

After stating these two points, Shen Xihe picked up her osmanthus drink again, moistening her lips: “Third, I have someone behind me.”

Xiao Changying’s gaze darkened.

Someone behind Shen Xihe – someone who could intercept evidence from his hands, someone who could instantly resolve such an earth-shattering matter as the defense map.

This person was his brother, yet he still couldn’t figure out who!

The rouge case evidence was ultimately presented by his second brother, Prince Zhao. Though Prince Zhao’s principal wife had passed, he had a son and daughter. He didn’t believe Shen Xihe would settle for being a secondary wife, let alone a stepmother.

Shen Xihe was telling him that if this matter reached His Majesty, it wouldn’t be as simple as he thought – mere reprimand or punishment for reflection.

“Your Highness was made a prince before coming of age. The more His Majesty values you, the less he can tolerate betrayal.” Shen Xihe gently set down her cup, making a dull sound against the wooden table. “Your Highness, I just want to hear one more thing from you. This one statement will determine my actions – Your Highness should speak carefully.”

Xiao Changying stared intently at Shen Xihe for a long while. She maintained her listening posture throughout, unhurried and composed.

“The Military Commissioner of Hexi!” Xiao Changying threw out these five words before rising and striding away with a sweep of his sleeve.

His face was dark, not even offering a courteous farewell.

“Ye Qi?” Shen Yun’an’s sword-like eyebrows drew together. “Can we trust this?”

“At this point, he wouldn’t make false accusations.” Shen Xihe believed Xiao Changying truly intercepted the defense map from Ye Qi.

Ye Qi was the father of Prince Ding’s wife Ye Wantang. At Prince Ding’s wife’s birthday celebration last time, Ye Wantang had been very familiar with the Northwest…

The Hexi position was also just outside the Northwest. If one day the Northwest had a military uprising, the first person they’d face would naturally be the Military Commissioner of Hexi.

“If it’s Prince Ding, it makes sense.” Shen Yun’an said darkly. “If the defense map hadn’t been intercepted by Prince Lie and had reached His Majesty’s desk, His Majesty would surely have sent Ye Qi to capture Father and me. He’s been stationed in Liangzhou for over a decade and knows the Northwest like the back of his hand. When the Northwest falls into chaos, he’d be the one most capable of easily quelling the rebellion and taking merit, then replacing Father’s position.”

“Let’s have Father investigate first.” Shen Xihe didn’t jump to conclusions.

Seeing his sister’s concerns, Shen Yun’an asked: “What do you think?”

“What Brother said makes sense, but I feel the timing is wrong.” Shen Xihe shook her head slightly. “Ye Qi has his eye on the Northwest and surely wants to replace Father, but taking over the Northwest now would make His Majesty suspicious of Prince Ding. If I were him, I would wait until His Majesty was on his deathbed before making such a move.”

“You suspect Ye Qi is also just a pawn?”