Princess Xiangshan was married off to the Southern Yue Kingdom by the late Emperor to appease them.
Nearly twenty years had passed in the blink of an eye.
Even though she missed her homeland, she had never returned.
In Southern Yue, she was respected due to her status as a Grand Princess of Da Liang.
However, this respect was merely superficial. Within the imperial palace, there were countless unseen methods of manipulation and control.
Consider Princess Xiangshan; in her twenty years in the Southern Yue imperial palace, she had only given birth to one daughter, Yijiang.
There were no subsequent children.
The official explanation was that Princess Xiangshan suffered from poor health, making further pregnancies inadvisable.
But who truly knew the real reason?
It was simply that the people of Southern Yue did not wish her to bear a son, lest the heir to the Southern Yue imperial throne carry the bloodline of the Da Liang imperial family.
Therefore, from any perspective, Yijiang’s thoughts deserved careful consideration.
Yet, of all the people she could fancy, she had to set her sights on Shen Yun.
He was precisely like his former teacher, Mr. Gu.
Once married, he would not take concubines.
He had known this even before he ascended the throne.
In fact, his willingness to go to great lengths to deal with Marquis Dingbian and Prince Ping was also related to their past disrespect towards his wife.
Now that Yijiang was marrying him, this matter was in jeopardy!
Emperor Yongxing felt a headache coming on.
Consort Li, however, seized the opportunity to interject, "If a sovereign wishes a minister to die, the minister must die. Regardless of anything else, Physician Shen is a subject of His Majesty.
Does he not even possess this loyalty towards the Emperor?"
Emperor Yongxing's heart wavered once more.
Consort Li saw a glimmer of hope and continued her persuasion.
By the time the two of them were nestled together under the covers, Emperor Yongxing had already agreed to have Shen Yun remain after the morning court to discuss matters.
Consort Li, well-versed in such matters, snuggled into Emperor Yongxing's embrace with a soft, alluring manner, lavishing him with praise.
Her flattery almost made Emperor Yongxing…
Meanwhile, Yijiang returned to the official inn where she was staying.
Upon entering, she was startled to hear voices inside.
As the daughter of a Grand Princess of Da Liang and a princess of Southern Yue, she could have resided in the palace.
However, to facilitate her meeting with Shen Yun, she had politely declined Consort Li's offer.
It was more convenient to conduct matters outside.
For instance, it was now close to midnight.
Yet, an outsider could enter her room.
The person was dressed entirely in black, with their hair tied up high, concealing themselves in the shadows cast by the candlelight.
When Princess Yijiang entered, she didn't notice her immediately.
It was only when she heard the voice that she looked up, which startled her greatly.
"Hiss… Hey, Zhao Xiaohua, you're too much of a fright.
You nearly scared my soul away."
Zhao Xiaohua let out a cold snort, "Your Highness the Princess is incredibly bold, how could she be frightened by me?"
"Alas, what's the use of my boldness? Without manpower, matters still cannot be accomplished."
She was extremely angered today.
She hadn't managed to calm down yet.
"Is the Princess speaking this way because our agreement is null and void?" Zhao Xiaohua questioned.
"Oh, why are you in such a hurry? Am I not trying my best to achieve it?
Rest assured, as I was returning, Consort-Mother passed me a message.
She already whispered in the Emperor's ear tonight.
As long as I persist and act a little spoiled with my imperial uncle, I believe it will surely succeed.
It just requires patience!"
Zhao Xiaohua did not seem reassured by this answer.
She reminded her, "You mustn't underestimate how formidable those two are."
"Are they truly that formidable? I don't see it; they just seem to have quick tongues."
Otherwise, they wouldn't have managed to turn the situation around at the banquet today.
It made her think she could help Shen Yun, only to realize it was wishful thinking.
Neither of them explicitly named the two individuals they were referring to, but they both understood perfectly.
They were referring to the main targets of Princess Yijiang's visit: Shen Yun and Su Xiaoqi.
Her approach to Shen Yun was not because she had truly fallen for him from the start.
She had merely met Zhao Xiaohua, who had helped her a great deal.
Owing her a favor, and with further requests for Zhao Xiaohua, she was compelled to accept this task.
However, after spending so many days with Shen Yun, although there were always many Da Liang officials around when they met.
She had never had a private moment with him.
But she saw how genuinely good he was to his wife, Su Xiaoqi.
In her entire life, she had never witnessed such a harmonious marital relationship, and she couldn't help but feel envious.
So, while she might not have had any initial feelings for Shen Yun.
Now, things were unclear.
If she could marry him and receive the treatment his current wife enjoyed, she felt her own status would not be a compromise.
After experiencing a fortuitous encounter, Zhao Xiaohua had become smarter.
Seeing Yijiang lost in her daydreams, she was reminded of how she used to feel when she missed Shen Yun.
She understood inwardly, thinking that indeed, fate was fate.
Shen Yun was an insurmountable hurdle in Yijiang's life.
Just as in her previous life, without her interference, Yijiang would still have been moved and infatuated with Shen Yun, and eventually…
She shook her head, not wanting Yijiang to see the pity on her face. She turned to undo the door bolt, her back to Yijiang, and urged her to hurry.
Delay could lead to complications.
Yijiang readily agreed.
She now harbored a slight affection for Shen Yun. If she absolutely had to marry a Da Liang man, she hoped it would be Shen Yun.
A hint of softness crossed her heart.
After leaving, Zhao Xiaohua did not leave the official inn. She went directly to the adjacent room.
That's right, Zhao Xiaohua, whom Shen Yun and Su Xiaoqi had searched for everywhere, was hiding right under their noses.
And she wasn't the only one hiding here; another old acquaintance of Su Xiaoqi was present.
As Zhao Xiaohua entered her room, Su Yurou, who was already lying on the bed, sat up with a somersault upon hearing the commotion.
Seeing it was her, she breathed a sigh of relief, but her sleepiness had been disturbed, and she was slightly displeased, unable to resist complaining:
"I say, you're peculiar. You yourself are clearly very fond of Brother Yun… oh, no, of Lord Shen.
Why don't you pursue him yourself, yet you keep pushing those messy women in front of him? Don't you get jealous?"
Zhao Xiaohua remained silent, proceeding to undress and wash herself.
Su Yurou couldn't help but say again, "Sister Xiaohua, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Zhao Xiaohua suddenly looked up at her, her gaze sharp and piercing.
"Don't ask too many questions, and don't forget your identity."
Su Yurou was displeased with her commanding tone and muttered discontentedly, "My identity? What identity do I have? I'm just the confidante of the Second Young Master, and one that can be discarded at any time."
Zhao Xiaohua's lips twitched, a cold smile gracing them, "If not for this identity, how could you have saved the Su family?
You should be grateful to me for helping you attach yourself to Prince Zhou.
However, if you are not at ease, would you like to try the special medicated ointment I prepared for him?"
Su Yurou looked curious and interested, "Ointment? What ointment?"
Zhao Xiaohua said, "Don't bother yourself with what kind of ointment it is. Just know that after he uses it, he will never be able to leave you."