Li Yanyan was threatening her.

A threat made with impunity.

Certain that she wouldn’t dare take action.

Shen Xihe slowly stepped forward. Li Yanyan and her maids were restrained by Eastern Palace guards. She stood before the detained Li Yanyan, looking down at her: “You think I wouldn’t dare?”

Her cold voice was flat, as chilling as autumn rain.

Li Yanyan seemed not to notice Shen Xihe’s hostile tone, showing no fear: “Would you dare?”

After the threat came provocation. Shen Xihe raised her hand, and Mo Yu picked up Li Yanyan’s fallen dagger and handed it to her.

Holding the cold dagger handle, she looked down at it – an elegant dagger, affordable to anyone of modest means, nothing special about it.

Her indifferent eyes met Li Yanyan’s defiant, unyielding gaze. Shen Xihe raised her hand, aiming at Li Yanyan’s heart.

When Shen Xihe lifted her wrist, Li Yanyan showed no fear of death. Instead, her dark eyes gleamed with a burning light.

Anticipation, excitement, impatience!

In an instant, Shen Xihe’s hand shifted, throwing the dagger past Li Yanyan’s shoulder, leaving only a blood mark.

Li Yanyan froze, then raised her chin in anger and contempt: “So this is all you’re capable of!”

Looking down, Shen Xihe adjusted her sleeve: “Do you know what the Third Prince said before he died?”

Li Yanyan was incredulous: “What did you say? Did he leave words? What words? No, you’re lying, you couldn’t know!”

Xiao Zhengchen died at the hands of the Lingwei Army, with only Prince Jing and several guards present. Only Prince Jing got close to him, and Prince Jing was now imprisoned in the Court of the Imperial Clan’s dungeon, awaiting judgment after today’s Crown Prince burial!

Shen Xihe couldn’t have seen Prince Jing, and even if she had, he wouldn’t have told her!

Casting a calm glance at the emotional, doubtful, hopeful, and confused Li Yanyan: “The Third Prince asked me to let you and him be buried together.”

Li Yanyan suddenly calmed down, thunderstruck. These words indeed sounded like they came from Xiao Zhengchen, but why would he ask Shen Xihe?

Unable to understand the reason, Li Yanyan hesitated, falling into endless struggle.

“You don’t deserve the Third Prince’s devotion. He thought you had at least some true feelings for him. These years, he saw you living worse than death, seeking death but finding no way. For your release, he gave his life, earning the honor of dying to save the Emperor.

And you could have become a steadfast woman who died for deep marital love. The surrendered Li Dynasty officials wouldn’t feel uneasy, and His Majesty wouldn’t transfer his anger – this might have been the best escape he could plan for you.

But sadly, he overestimated you.

You’re cowardly and weak. Though you have feelings for him in your heart, you dare not admit it. Even after his death, though you have nothing to live for, you won’t follow him in death. You want to die by my hand, so it won’t be your initiative to follow him.

Li Yanyan, you’re truly despicable.

Do you know what the former Li Dynasty officials would do if you died by my hand in the Eastern Palace today?”

Li Yanyan seemed lost and resistant.

Shen Xihe showed no mercy: “I could take your life and remain unscathed. I could make you die in the Eastern Palace with no one able to hold me accountable.

But what would the surrendered Li Dynasty officials think? Could they remain docile? Even if they rose in rebellion, they would only die more gloriously. When the Emperor’s fury falls, corpses would float for hundreds of miles.

Do you still want to be buried with the Third Prince? Dream on!”

If the former Li Dynasty officials learned that Li Yanyan was killed by her and the royal family protected her, they would surely become restless and wouldn’t wait for death. Even knowing they were like ants trying to shake a tree, they would still cause trouble. How could Emperor Youning tolerate that?

Li Yanyan trembled, suddenly feeling ice-cold, standing frozen in despair.

“Tell me, who incited you to come make trouble in the Eastern Palace?” Shen Xihe asked coldly.

Li Yanyan’s mind was in chaos. She couldn’t think now, couldn’t distinguish right from wrong or truth from lies. She deeply felt she had fallen into a swamp, with predators on both sides and no one wishing her well.

Shen Xihe, who had only been guessing, gave Zhenzhu a look.

After Zhenzhu silently withdrew, Shen Xihe said: “I’ll give you one incense stick’s time to think carefully about how to explain.”

Hearing these words, the troubled Li Yanyan suddenly became calm. She looked at the confident Shen Xihe: “If I don’t explain, you’ll prevent me from being buried with Third Brother after death, right?”

“Whether you explain or not, I have ways to learn what I want to know.” Shen Xihe’s expression was cold. “Don’t try to bargain with me. You don’t have that privilege.”

Shen Xihe felt no guilt about Xiao Zhengchen’s death. He sacrificed himself for Li Yanyan, choosing this path of death himself. As for his eager cooperation that day, Shen Xihe hadn’t forced him – and what if he hadn’t cooperated?

Li Yanyan had exhausted his time. When he received the message, there was no time to notify His Majesty, and even if he had, what difference would it have made?

The arrow was already on the string, it had to be released. At most, His Majesty could only change plans temporarily, not abandon them, and they would adapt accordingly.

No one could stop Xiao Huayong from “dying to save the Emperor.”

“Hahahahaha…” Li Yanyan laughed loudly and wildly, then wiped tears from her eyes. “Shen Xihe, Crown Prince Consort! Born noble, beyond coercion. Since you’re so confident, find the answers yourself!”

With that, Li Yanyan rushed toward a pillar, but before she could break free, Jiuzi Yuyu grabbed her, this time personally restraining her.

Zhenzhu brought in a small porcelain bottle. Shen Xihe rolled up her sleeves, gripped the bottle, stepped forward to Li Yanyan, and grabbed her mouth: “You want to die? I’ll grant your wish.”

Despite Li Yanyan’s struggles, Shen Xihe held her jaw firmly and forced the poisoned wine down her throat.

With a crash, after forcing the wine down, Shen Xihe threw the cup. Baize’s porcelain bottle shattered on the ground, causing Li Yanyan’s maids to cry out in heart-wrenching screams.

“Bring her over here,” Shen Xihe commanded, first moving to a space, and having people place Li Yanyan on the bed.

Two of Li Yanyan’s maids stayed with her; one had run out while they were moving Li Yanyan. Shen Xihe didn’t order anyone to stop her.

Li Yanyan died with her two maids beside her, making hoarse sounds until she breathed her last.

Shen Xihe stood quietly in the outer room, gazing out the window at the blooming pomegranate flowers, momentarily lost in thought.

That year, he had tried every way to get close to her, giving her pomegranates, when she hadn’t yet pondered deeply about the pomegranate’s meaning to many children.

He had calculated heaven and earth and human hearts, yet what he had schemed longest for in this life was her love.

Meeting him was her fortune.

She just didn’t know if meeting her had been his fortune!