Yu Sangning couldn’t let these things be exposed. Once revealed, she would be expelled from the clan – the Yu family wouldn’t spare her! Even those people left behind by Yu Xiang, whom she had carefully taken charge of, would abandon her!

She would truly be left with nothing then! She couldn’t lose these things, but she also didn’t want to keep opposing Shen Xihe under others’ coercion – otherwise, she would eventually die at Shen Xihe’s hand.

She had roughly anticipated becoming a disposable piece. Yu Sangzhi was originally kept as leverage to bind the Yu mansion when her father and brothers abandoned her but unexpectedly became her death warrant.

She could only take the risk and attempt an escape. She had it planned out – with Yu Xiang’s people, she could leave the capital and live a comfortable life far from imperial reach. This prosperous capital, the peak of power, had too many frightening people and wasn’t suitable for her survival.

But she had ultimately underestimated Shen Xihe!

The raised torches in the tunnel cast warm light over Shen Xihe’s striking features. Rather than softening her features, they illuminated her bone-chilling depth.

After silently watching her for a moment, Shen Xihe said, “The Yu family has been exiled. Your grandmother is among them.”

The former Marquis’s wife, who had lived in luxury for most of her life, was now a criminal. In such scorching summer heat, being driven into exile – Shen Xihe didn’t think she would survive until reaching the place of exile.

Yu Sangning’s eyes flickered. In the Yu mansion, only the old madam had truly cared for her, always remembering how she had jumped into the pond to save her.

“The Yu family didn’t have to end up like this,” Shen Xihe continued.

Even if Yu Sangzhi’s matter had been exposed, if not in this way that made the Emperor suspect Xiao Huayong’s death was suspicious, and with Long Qing preventing the coffin from being examined, the Emperor would at most have stripped the Yu family of their titles.

Yu Sangning knew this too, but the premise was that she would be left with nothing, abandoned by all!

So she made another choice. As she expected, Yu Sangzhi still didn’t know everything was her calculation, thinking that her fake death was done with her help and that both she and the Yu family were implicated in Yu Sangzhi’s crimes. Therefore, Yu Sangzhi was still protecting her!

This meant Yu Xiang’s people still trusted her and were waiting to secretly help the Yu family members in exile alongside her.

She could go to the place of exile as a benefactor – after all, to live well, she needed people to command, and the Yu family members would be perfect for that.

Everything had been planned perfectly, but she happened to encounter Shen Xihe. No matter how perfect her plans were, they always came to nothing when facing Shen Xihe!

Though she kept her head down submissively, a trace of resentment wasn’t completely hidden. Shen Xihe didn’t mind: “In my life, I’ve seen countless people. Those as selfish and cold-blooded as you are rare.”

Human nature is changeable and complex. Not everyone is righteous and kind at all times. What makes humans human, in Shen Xihe’s view, is that even the most vicious criminals would have moments when they were touched by someone or something.

Yu Sangning didn’t seem like a great villain, but her coldness chilled to the bone.

“Hehe…” Yu Sangning laughed softly, her laughter full of mockery. Tilting her head to meet Shen Xihe’s gaze, she said, “Your Highness Crown Princess, born noble, you’ve never tasted what it’s like to be trampled by others. What right do you have to accuse me of being selfish and cold-blooded?”

She had once been kind, but what did her kindness bring her? It brought her closest relatives selling her to a brothel for a few dozen taels of silver!

She had once trusted, but what did her trust bring her? It brought her birth father handing her over to a beast who wouldn’t even spare a ten-year-old girl!

She had once been tolerant, but what did her tolerance bring her? When disaster struck, the person she had risked her life to save pushed her into a den of thieves!

Her kindness was mocked as stupidity, her trust was seen as incompetence, and her tolerance was taken as weakness!

“All the beautiful things in this world are only fit for noble people to possess. For someone who can’t even own their life or peace, the noble character isn’t a praiseworthy radiance – it’s just ghost claws dragging oneself into hell!” Yu Sangning’s face was full of fury, her whole body emanating intense hatred.

Knowing she must have had her experiences, and having not experienced such things herself, Shen Xihe didn’t speak more on it. She stopped mentioning the Yu clan and only said, “I want the people your mother left you.”

“Never!” Yu Sangning shouted in refusal!

In response, she received only Shen Xihe’s indifference back. Since she couldn’t find out who was behind this, Shen Xihe didn’t want to waste time on Yu Sangning.

Yu Sangning wouldn’t be killed yet – she might be useful in the future. The place where Yu Sangning was intercepted reported that no one had followed along the way. Perhaps Yu Sangning’s fake death had already fooled those using her from behind.

From then on, Yu Sangning was imprisoned in the sunless secret passage. Every day, Zhenzhu personally delivered her three meals. As for the people Yu Xiang left behind after Lüling personally came once, Yu Sangning ultimately couldn’t withstand Lüling’s torture and revealed everything.

The Yu family had some foundation, and the people they raised did have some ability. This could be seen just from how they had managed to conceal from the Emperor and Xiao Huayong that they had brought back Yu Xiang’s last words from the Min River.

It was easy to win over these people. Shen Xihe only needed to send some people to protect them on the exile route, ensuring the Yu family members safely reached their place of exile and could live with food and clothing.

Places of exile were mostly gathered with vicious criminals, and the guards there weren’t easy to get along with. Some even enjoyed tormenting those who were once wealthy and noble.

Having Shen Xihe’s people give word was much better than them secretly guarding, not daring to move carelessly.

Moreover, with the Yu family fallen, though they remembered their loyalty to their former master, they also needed to survive. Turning to Shen Xihe was the best choice.

Prince Jing’s rebellion had cast a shadow over the imperial capital. Under the mourning period for the Crown Prince’s death, the former splendor of ten thousand lanterns and the interweaving of silk and bamboo music that used to appear when lanterns were first lit had disappeared.

From civil and military officials above to common people below, everyone became more cautious.

At the end of July, Shen Xihe, who seemed to be living in seclusion and leading a peaceful life, finally received a letter from Xiao Huayong amid her anxiety.

It was brought back by the gyrfalcon. The letter said he had arrived safely, but the residents there lived in isolation and wouldn’t allow him to communicate with the outside. The gyrfalcon might not be allowed to enter the tribe again in the future, otherwise, for the tribe’s peace, he might be driven away by the tribal people.

This letter was only possible because he had initially gained the chief’s trust for a special exception. Getting another chance would be very difficult.

Additionally, he had begun receiving treatment with initial effects. He had to thank her for letting Duanming come along – the detoxification required a type of snake. This snake was highly poisonous and difficult to catch, and he needed a large quantity. Snakes raised by people lacked potency, wild ones were hard to find, but Duanming was like this snake’s natural enemy, catching them without fail, even more at home here than the gyrfalcon.