Princess Ningde leaned sideways on the main seat, propping her snowy cheek with one hand while holding the other hand up to examine her freshly dyed fingernails from the previous night.
Looking at Princess Shouyang, who lay on the floor, dazed and disoriented, she asked curiously:
“Was he really that good?”
In appearance, he was nothing special.
In scholarship, nothing special either.
In character, he was despicable.
What was there to miss?
After a long silence, Princess Shouyang pushed herself up from the floor.
She wiped away her tears, raised her hand to tidy her disheveled hair, pursed her lips, and sat down on another chair, her back straight.
Princess Ningde arched an eyebrow.
Now, that was more like a royal princess.
“Bring tea.”
A female official outside relayed the command, “Come in, bring tea!”
Shortly thereafter, attendants from Prince Shun’s residence brought steaming tea and four varieties of seasonal pastries.
Princess Shouyang picked up her teacup, watching the curling steam rise from it, as if watching her own ridiculous past life dissipate into the air.
“When I was first married,” Princess Shouyang’s voice was somewhat distant, like a hanging spider’s thread, “I disliked it greatly…”
In the first few years after moving to eastern Lu, she was consumed entirely by a strong sense of betrayal, leaving no room for other thoughts.
The father she revered and the elder brother she relied upon had both cast her aside like a mere tool.
She had cried, protested, and struggled, but no one paid any attention.
So she hated everything in eastern Lu—Shen Shi, the prince consort…
“But during those years, he was truly so good to me,” Princess Shouyang’s gaze turned distant, a few fleeting glimmers of light briefly flashing in her eyes, as brief as a shooting star, “No one had ever treated me like that before—as if his entire world revolved around me alone!”
My parents and siblings discarded me like a worn-out shoe, yet someone cherished me so dearly…
Princess Shouyang knew that her temper had been terrible back then, often throwing tantrums for no reason, but Shen Xuan never once frowned, always indulging her and trying to cheer her up.
But back then, she couldn’t see it, nor could she hear it.
At this point, Princess Shouyang slowly exhaled, her tone carrying a complex mix of regret and sorrow.
“A few years later, I accepted my fate—or perhaps one day, I suddenly opened my heart, thinking that if I couldn’t change the current situation, living the rest of my life that way wouldn’t be so bad either.”
For the first time, she felt guilt toward Shen Xuan and began secretly learning more about him, hoping it wasn’t too late to make up for it.
However, the more she learned, the more the perfect image Shen Xuan had created began to blur.
Eventually, it became precarious.
Princess Ningde clicked her tongue, “Gold is never pure, and no one is perfect.”
If you think someone is absolutely perfect, you must be cautious.
He must be hiding many things that would shatter your perception.
Princess Shouyang’s eyes moved slightly, finally regaining a bit of vitality.
Her fingers gripping the teacup twitched, as if summoning all her courage to ask a question she had long wanted to ask, “Does Xie Xian have any flaws either?”
Everyone knew she and Princess Ningde did not get along, but in reality, she had never truly hated her.
She was merely envious and jealous, even harboring hatred toward herself for being incapable.
She envied the other’s current status, her excellent prince consort and son, and her perfect family.
Sometimes, she would even think darkly that perhaps Princess Ningde’s life wasn’t as smooth as it appeared, and that her husband, Xie Xian, might have many hidden vices…
Princess Ningde actually thought for a moment seriously before starting to count off on her fingers, “He’s a bit shameless, vain, has a sharp tongue, often doesn’t let go even when he’s right, and is proud of causing trouble outside…”
Princess Shouyang’s expression shifted from hesitation to shock, finally settling on stunned disbelief.
Was this still the Xie Xian she knew?
After listing for a while, Princess Ningde finally smiled, her eyes seemingly flowing with honey, “But I really like him.”
Despite his countless flaws, I still like him.
Princess Shouyang had never heard such words before. After a long pause, she said somewhat enviously, “That’s really nice.”
Back then, she often thought that even without those suspicious aspects, there always seemed to be something missing between her and Shen Xuan.
Until now, she finally understood:
Those who only speak well are at best sovereign and minister;
Those who point out flaws are husband and wife.
After a long silence, Princess Ningde asked, “How much do you know about his affairs? Have you ever been involved?”
Princess Shouyang shook her head, “You can call me foolish or naive, but I, I really did harbor some hope for him, and I never thoroughly investigated his matters…”
Not only did she not investigate thoroughly, but she never even asked because of that sliver of hope.
One year, Shen Xuan went out to meet friends, and later officials came to the princess’s mansion to inquire.
At that time, Princess Shouyang had already caught a glimpse of some of Shen Xuan’s hidden secrets. Seeing the official’s probing attitude, her heart sank, already sensing something ominous.
But after all, there was no evidence, right?
Princess Shouyang thought this more than once. Besides, he was so gentle—maybe it was just a misunderstanding.
She chose to escape.
Many times, not denying was tantamount to approval.
Seeing Princess Shouyang’s attitude, the official made a decision.
A few days later, the case files were sealed, becoming an unsolved mystery.
In the following days, Shen Xuan treated Princess Shouyang with even more tenderness, almost to the point of being overly accommodating, not even going out to meet friends for several months.
Princess Shouyang was caught in an unprecedented struggle.
She was greedy for the remaining warmth, even if it was an illusion, yet she couldn’t shake off her doubts.
Princess Ningde changed her posture, “Hesitation invites trouble.”
Princess Shouyang was stunned, “Perhaps.”
Either decisively cut ties and uphold justice, or pretend to be deaf and dumb for life, continuing to immerse herself in the dream she had woven.
But she couldn’t do either.
Especially after the Fuyun Temple case, Princess Shouyang kept thinking that her life was just a joke.
It seemed that since childhood, she had been trapped in this dilemma:
Either accept her fate and remain complacent, or reject her fate and fight fiercely.
But she couldn’t do either.
She had seen too much, then began to desire more, yet lacked the ability and courage to capture happiness.
Thus, the gap between her desires and reality grew wider, the emptiness in her heart increasingly difficult to fill, eventually only allowing her to listen helplessly to the howling cold wind.
She had once considered herself exceptional, naively believing that as a princess born noble, everything she wanted was within reach. Yet she never expected that in the end, she was just an ordinary person.
Princess Ningde stared at her for a long time, “Being able to say these words means you still have a conscience.”
Princess Shouyang looked at her, finding the situation utterly absurd.
All along, she had been stifled, unable to confide in anyone.
Never did she expect that in the end, the first person she opened her heart to was Princess Ningde, with whom she had always been at odds.
How absurd the matters of this world were.
Conscience?
Perhaps she did have it. Otherwise, she wouldn’t feel so uneasy, so struggling—she could have just sunk into oblivion.
But…
She had once believed Shen Xuan would change, but now it was clear that his nature was hard to alter.
Her repeated silence and inaction were seen by outsiders as tacit approval and indulgence. It was she who allowed that devil to continue wreaking havoc, causing the deaths of one innocent woman after another.
All of this could have been avoided.
That evening, Princess Ningde entered the palace with Princess Shouyang’s handwritten testimony.
After reading the testimony, the emperor immediately summoned someone, “Arrest Prince Consort Shen Xuan immediately and bring these people to the capital for questioning.”
Princess Shouyang confirmed that Shen Xuan had lied.
On the day Fang Bao inquired about Shen Xuan’s whereabouts and activities around the time of Tian Shu’s murder, he claimed he had been in his study practicing calligraphy the entire time, which was untrue.
In fact, even in the afternoon of the days leading up to Tian Shu’s murder, Shen Xuan would often disappear for several hours.
Moreover, on the day of Tian Shu’s murder, Shen Xuan had someone dispose of a set of clothes he usually liked because they were torn.
If he had merely been wandering around Fuyun Temple, how would his clothes have gotten damaged?
In addition to exposing Shen Xuan’s actions, Princess Shouyang also presented a major gift:
She submitted a list containing not only the officials who had investigated those unsolved cases years ago but also several members of the Shen family.
According to her, these individuals had close private relationships and had met frequently around the time of the incidents. Whenever elders of the Shen family celebrated their birthdays, those officials either visited in person to offer their congratulations or sent expensive gifts through intermediaries, indicating many hidden transactions.
The emperor tapped the list with his finger, “At the end of the day, she’s finally not so annoying anymore.”
With this list, there was now an opening, making further actions much easier.
Delighted, the emperor went to practice calligraphy again, and Princess Ningde personally ground the ink for him, “What do you plan to do with her?”
The emperor held his brush and thought for a moment, “She’s somewhat pitiable. If she truly had no involvement in the crimes, send her to a temple for quiet cultivation.”
Princess Ningde remained silent.
She had a vague feeling that Princess Shouyang might have already resolved to die.
For someone as proud and sensitive as her, the pain caused by the successive betrayals of parents, siblings, and husband surpassed everything.
When leaving the palace, Princess Ningde couldn’t help but look back.
The night was dark, and the thick darkness completely enveloped the imperial city. The grand and magnificent buildings of the day had completely disappeared into the night, their outlines no longer visible.
The candlelight in the night wind burned fiercely but could only illuminate a small area around it.
What a desirable place, yet how terrifying it was.
When she returned to the Princess’s Mansion, it was already very late. Xie Xian had not yet gone to sleep, and his silhouette was projected onto the paper window, like a quiet shadow play waiting for its only audience.
Princess Ningde approached gradually, feeling that her worries and troubles were being pushed far away by the light, like shadows on the ground, replaced by an indescribable tranquility.
Seeing her enter, Xie Xian’s face instantly lit up with vibrant energy.
The shadow play finally had its audience.
He stepped forward, holding a blue-and-white porcelain vase, and said, “This evening, while walking along the road, I happened to catch sight of a few osmanthus branches blooming from behind a wall. They were so beautiful that I asked the owner for one.”
Princess Ningde indeed went to admire the osmanthus. On the deep green leaves were clusters of golden flowers, like jade sprinkled with gold, fragrant and moving.
She smiled and said, “Indeed, it’s very beautiful.”
Joy quickly filled Xie Xian’s eyes, as happy as a child.
Princess Ningde also felt happy and couldn’t help but tease his chin, “The flower is beautiful, but the person is even more handsome.”
Xie Xian became smug, “The princess is wise.”
The flower was indeed beautiful, but even if there were no better ones in the imperial garden, as long as Princess Ningde desired it, there would always be people ready to fetch it for her.
What was rare was the thoughtfulness behind it.
He had her in his heart, so no matter what he saw, he couldn’t wait to share it with her.
In the middle of the night, the couple was suddenly awakened by footsteps outside, “Who is it?”
At once, a servant hurried in to announce, “Your Highness, Prince Consort, the Shunwang Residence is on fire.”
Princess Ningde was wide awake, sitting up immediately, “When did it happen? What about Princess Shouyang?”
The servant lowered his eyes, “About half an hour ago. It is said that Princess Shouyang stabbed Prince Shun to death with a sword and then… then set herself on fire.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage