“Princess…” After treating Xiao Changying’s wound, Zhenzhu saw Shen Xihe’s wrist as she pulled it from Xiao Changying’s grasp. The five deep fingerprints were shocking to behold, yet Shen Xihe hadn’t even furrowed her brow, as if she couldn’t feel the pain.

As Zhenzhu treated Shen Xihe’s wounds, her eyes reddened. Her princess was a precious branch of jade – when had she ever suffered such an injury? Such deep marks might leave scars – how terrible for a young lady to be scarred…

“It’s just a scar, and only on my arm, not on my face. Why do you all look as if you’re attending a funeral?” Shen Xihe truly didn’t mind. After Zhenzhu finished bandaging her, she stood up and walked toward her chambers. “Hongyu, Biyu, you two take turns watching over the Fierce Prince.”

“Ziyu, I’ll attend to the Princess. You go rest.” When they reached the chamber door, Zhenzhu instructed Ziyu.

Ziyu looked at Shen Xihe, and seeing her slight nod, curtseyed and withdrew.

Once inside the chamber, Shen Xihe let Zhenzhu attend to her. “If you have something to say, say it.”

After meticulously tidying Shen Xihe’s appearance and waiting until she lay down, covering her with the brocade quilt, Zhenzhu knelt on the footstool: “Please punish this servant, I shouldn’t have acted on my initiative.”

Feeling somewhat drowsy, Shen Xihe closed her eyes and silently drifted off to sleep. The room fell quiet, but Zhenzhu continued kneeling, not daring to move even slightly.

Shen Xihe woke to the sound of roosters crowing. It was still dark outside. She turned her head to look at Zhenzhu, who was still kneeling with her head bowed: “Do you know where you went wrong?”

“Please enlighten this servant, Princess.” Zhenzhu’s voice was hoarse.

“Your mistake was not understanding whose person you truly are.” Shen Xihe slowly sat up. “Having me go for a walk in the back mountains – was that Mo Yuan’s suggestion to you?”

“Yes, General Mo said it was His Highness’s order…” Under Shen Xihe’s increasingly sharp gaze, Zhenzhu’s voice grew weaker.

Shen Xihe continued: “You assumed Mo Yuan wouldn’t disobey my father’s orders, so you encouraged me. Why did I listen to your words? Because I trusted you and considered you someone who would never betray me. But how did you know Mo Yuan wasn’t being used by others? Weren’t you used by him as well?”

Zhenzhu opened her mouth but finally lowered her head in shame: “This servant knows her mistake. Please punish me, Princess.”

“Having you kneel for three hours is punishment enough.” Shen Xihe called out, “Ziyu.”

Having just risen and dressed, still somewhat drowsy, Ziyu entered the room. Seeing Zhenzhu kneeling, her sleepiness instantly vanished. Not daring to breathe loudly, she walked forward properly: “Princess.”

“Help your Elder Sister Zhenzhu up and apply medicine to her knees properly.” Shen Xihe instructed.

Ziyu hurriedly went forward to help Zhenzhu up. As she led the unsteady Zhenzhu out, they reached the doorway before Shen Xihe spoke again: “Zhenzhu, what I need is someone obedient, who understands boundaries, whom I can trust with my life – not a servant who acts clever thinking they know what’s best for me. In this regard, you don’t even match up to Ziyu.

Away from the Northwest, I’m no longer that little girl who needs a Father and Elder Brother to make decisions for everything. As we enter the capital, I can’t remain that naive young lady who only knows how to lament autumn and mourn the moon. Besides myself, no one can make decisions about my affairs.”

“Yes, this servant understands,” Zhenzhu responded solemnly and humbly.

Shen Xihe said nothing more, quietly watching the two leave as the door closed.

Each of Shen Xihe’s maids had their specialties: Zhenzhu was skilled in medicine and clever, Ziyu was innocent and good at cooking, Hongyu was obedient and skilled at embroidery, Biyu was quick-witted and good with numbers, Moyu was quiet and skilled in martial arts. Most precious of all was their loyalty.

The capital was different from the Northwest. In the Northwest, Shen Xihe was a pearl – people only sought to curry favor, who would dare scheme against her? If she didn’t wake them up now, by the time they reached the capital and suffered losses, it might cost them their lives.

The previous Shen Xihe had been too frank and unrestrained, sensitive in her thoughts. Even though she knew her mission in the imperial capital, she still tried to avoid it somewhat.

That’s why Mo Yuan and Zhenzhu had worked together to keep things from her. If it were the previous Shen Xihe, she would certainly have believed that the assassination attempt forced upon her was just a coincidence.

Her first meeting with Xiao Changying was just like in story books – saving someone’s life should be repaid with marriage…

Even someone as suspicious as Xiao Changying would surely have his doubts dispelled by her truly innocent eyes – this was what Shen Yueshan had worked so hard for.

But Shen Yueshan had forgotten that while his daughter was clever, she was truly a young lady in the flower of youth, at just the age to be captivated by romance. If she had genuinely met the extraordinarily handsome and untamed Xiao Changying this way, who knew who would be whose fatal attraction?

Shen Xihe didn’t go back to sleep. Soon Biyu hurriedly arrived, also carefully attending to Shen Xihe’s morning grooming. Just as everything was properly arranged, a maid announced from outside: “Princess, General Mo requests an audience.”

With a slight upturn of her lips, Shen Xihe said: “Let him in.”

Mo Yuan, having heard about Zhenzhu’s situation, came immediately. Looking through the beaded curtain at the young lady doing her makeup in the mirror, he lowered his head: “Princess, it was I who privately implored Miss Zhenzhu. If the Princess wishes to punish someone, please punish this subordinate.”

“Those who needed punishment have been punished. As my father’s daughter, I understand his strict military discipline, and I too know how to be fair in rewards and punishment.” Supported by Biyu, Shen Xihe stood up and slowly walked out. “Mo Yuan, I ask you once more: from now on, whose orders do you follow?”

Mo Yuan’s body stiffened, and he immediately dropped to one knee: “This subordinate follows only the Princess’s orders.”

“Good. Remember your words today.” Shen Xihe walked past Mo Yuan to the dining table. “Why was His Highness the Fierce Prince chased here?”

“This…” Mo Yuan turned around, still kneeling and facing Shen Xihe, but finding it truly difficult to speak.

“Hmm?” Shen Xihe raised an eyebrow lightly. “Unwilling to say?”

“Princess, His Highness the Fierce Prince went to Yangzhou to investigate the Rouge Case.” Mo Yuan said diplomatically.

The Rouge Case…

Shen Xihe smiled slightly, finally understanding why Mo Yuan was so hesitant.

This Rouge Case wasn’t about rouge and powder – it referred to women.

She knew about this case. A former Vice Minister of Personnel had a favored concubine named Rouge who was spoiled beyond control. He favored the concubine to the point of neglecting his wife, ultimately driving his main wife to desperation. The wife, having nowhere to turn, beat the concubine to death regardless of consequences, then committed suicide by swallowing gold.

A concubine being tortured to death in noble houses was quite common, but for the main wife to die for it as well – this caused an enormous stir.

The Empress Dowager sent people to investigate. What they didn’t know before investigating shocked them – Rouge had frequently encouraged the Vice Minister to sell official positions. The Personnel Ministry was in charge of evaluating the performance of court and local officials. This angered Emperor Youning greatly, and he ordered a thorough investigation.

This investigation revealed Rouge’s background and uncovered a den of criminals behind her. Their base was in Yangzhou, and this criminal organization specifically chose beautiful young women to train from childhood, sending them as concubines to noble houses to whisper in their masters’ ears…