With the Emperor gravely ill and the Crown Prince absent, anyone qualified to inherit the throne should prepare themselves, even if they had no ambition for it.
Xiao Changqing urgently informed Shen Xihe only after receiving definitive news that Emperor Youning might not survive.
He felt Shen Xihe should deliver her child sooner rather than later. If necessary, risking an induced labor at seven months would be better than waiting until eight months.
His concern was that if the child was born after His Majesty passed, who would support an unborn infant of unknown gender, whose safe delivery wasn’t guaranteed?
Even if all the princes died, there were still other branches of the imperial family.
If Shen Xihe wanted to contend, she must first deliver the imperial grandson!
Shen Xihe’s response made Xiao Changqing frown.
“Brother, what does the Crown Princess mean?” Xiao Changying was also at Xiao Changqing’s residence, as they had just attended their sister’s wedding banquet.
When the Emperor suddenly fainted and was rushed back to the palace, the Empress Dowager ordered all princes to stay away, not wanting them to know the cause of His Majesty’s collapse.
But Xiao Changqing quickly discovered that His Majesty had been poisoned earlier, and it was the work of that person Xiao Changmin who had been involved.
That’s why he immediately notified Shen Xihe.
Contrary to their urgency, Shen Xihe was remarkably calm and domineering.
After careful consideration, Xiao Changqing said, “The Crown Princess was born prematurely herself and was especially frail in childhood. She likely doesn’t want to risk childbirth or have her child be as weak as she was.”
Xiao Changying believed this explanation and was sent away by Xiao Changqing after a few words.
There were some things he couldn’t tell his innocent-hearted brother.
The Emperor had fainted, and he’d received news that His Majesty might not recover, yet Shen Xihe could still be so assertive in saying heaven’s will was hers to decide. This meant she could either prevent the Emperor’s death, or she was certain His Majesty wouldn’t pass so quickly…
The former was absurd – even a divine physician couldn’t truly wrestle with Death, and even if possible, Xiao Changqing didn’t believe Shen Xihe would waste such effort or expose such a person before the Emperor.
That left only the latter – Shen Xihe knew precisely that His Majesty wasn’t at death’s door. Who could be so certain about whether the Emperor had reached his final days?
Only the person who had poisoned His Majesty.
Moreover, the Second Prince’s matter had someone pulling strings behind the scenes, and Xiao Changqing had always deeply believed it was the Eastern Palace’s doing.
Now he had confirmation.
His brother still harbored pure affection for the Crown Princess, unlike Xiao Changqing’s hatred for the Emperor. After all, they were father and son. If he knew Shen Xihe had poisoned His Majesty, he wouldn’t know how to face her.
He would surely be troubled and pained. Xiao Changqing had only this one brother whom he had protected wholeheartedly since childhood, and naturally couldn’t bear to see him suffer.
However, he needed to meet Shen Xihe privately.
“Prince Xin wants to see me?” When Tianyuan delivered the message, Shen Xihe was slightly surprised.
Though Xiao Changqing might admire and appreciate her, she knew that Xiao Huayong was the one he truly feared.
Xiao Changqing had no desire for the throne and only wanted to oppose His Majesty, which was why he had no conflict with the Eastern Palace. Otherwise, even with someone as formidable as Xiao Huayong, Xiao Changqing wouldn’t fear a fight. Like Xiao Changyan, he would rather fight to the death with no regrets than live with lifelong resentment.
His current alignment with her, besides the above reasons, was also because His Majesty didn’t want her child to inherit the throne, so Xiao Changqing deliberately opposed His Majesty’s wishes.
Therefore, Xiao Changqing’s genuine feelings toward her were few. Given his personality, he wouldn’t seek to meet her unless it was crucial.
“Your Highness, do you wish to meet Prince Xin?” Tianyuan asked, seeing Shen Xihe deep in thought.
“We must meet, but how…” Shen Xihe pondered.
She had just lost her husband, and Xiao Changqing was her brother-in-law. The imperial family wasn’t without precedent of brothers marrying their deceased brothers’ wives.
Their positions were especially sensitive – because of Jun Shu, even before her child was born, they were strong contenders for the throne’s succession, especially since Xiao Huayong was the legitimate heir.
But Xiao Changqing was also known for his virtue and outstanding ability and was naturally the surviving eldest prince.
Countless eyes were watching them; any slight movement would surely lead to scandalous rumors. Reputation – she had previously only considered herself and didn’t care, but now, thinking as Xiao Huayong’s wife, she came to cherish it.
“Your Highness, why not use the secret passage to meet him outside the palace?” Zhenzhu suggested quietly.
Shen Xihe immediately rejected this: “There’s an eight out of ten chance that His Majesty wasn’t ambushed, but deliberately fainted.”
His Majesty’s unexpected attendance at his daughter’s wedding might seem like favoritism toward Xiao Changqing and Xiao Changying to the court officials, as His Majesty had few surviving princes, and these two were blood brothers.
But Shen Xihe knew His Majesty would never give a face to Xiao Changqing. He would pass the throne to Xiao Changying, Xiao Changgeng, or even Xiao Changhong, but never to Xiao Changqing.
Xiao Changqing hadn’t passed his test, and his current actions didn’t seem like those of someone who could be emperor.
His Majesty didn’t particularly value the princess, so personally attending Princess Pingling’s grand wedding was intriguing. Shen Xihe had reason to suspect he used it as an opportunity to fake his collapse.
If he was pretending to be gravely ill, the only purpose would be to draw out those who were restless and impatient.
At this time, he would surely be secretly watching everyone – the Eastern Palace, the residence of the Sixteenth Prince, and even useful officials…
Shen Xihe didn’t want to risk exposing the secret passage to His Majesty.
“Send word to Prince Yan, tell him to seek out Prince Xin and Prince Lie tomorrow and bring them to the Eastern Palace to see me,” Shen Xihe suddenly decided.
If they couldn’t meet in secret, they would meet openly. Since His Majesty was feigning illness, he certainly wouldn’t wake tomorrow.
With His Majesty unconscious, several princes visiting the Eastern Palace together wouldn’t seem deliberate to outsiders, whether they were testing each other or seeking information.
Having Xiao Changgeng actively seek out Xiao Changqing – even if His Majesty learned of it, he wouldn’t suspect her private discussion with Xiao Changqing, because His Majesty didn’t know that Xiao Changgeng was truly the Eastern Palace’s man!
The next day, His Majesty did wake briefly, gave a few instructions, then fell unconscious again.
Upon hearing the news, Xiao Changgeng, Xiao Changqing, along with the Three Departments and Six Ministries and imperial clan members sought an audience, but were all turned away by Liu San. The three brothers then came to the Eastern Palace.
Shen Xihe received the three of them.
Following earlier instructions, Xiao Changgeng took Xiao Changying aside. In the elegant pavilion remained only Xiao Changqing and Shen Xihe, with Zhenzhu and Tianyuan in attendance, while Xiao Changqing had brought no attendants inside.
“Is the Crown Princess certain His Majesty isn’t in grave danger?” Xiao Changqing asked directly.
Shen Xihe nodded: “I won’t let anything happen to His Majesty before I give birth.”
The poison His Majesty had ingested was difficult to cure but not fatal. The poison was just a facade, concealing the ink His Majesty used daily. His Majesty’s daily usage was recorded, and it wasn’t difficult for Shen Xihe to access these records. From the usage, she could roughly estimate His Majesty’s physical condition.