It was him…
She breathed a slight sigh of relief, but then immediately felt awkward.
She was annoyed—how could the Crown Prince himself peep at her bathing… Yet she had kicked the Crown Prince in the face, which made her feel somewhat embarrassed and guilty. She quickly wrapped her arms around her knees and shrank deeper into the water.
Murong Xuan wiped the water from his face.
Looking at Shen Xiyue, who now only had her head above the water, he suddenly felt rather despicable.
He quickly turned his back and shouted toward the door, "Come in and help her get dressed!"
Shuangye hurried in to attend to her.
Shen Xiyue gripped the sides of the tub and stood up from the water with a splash.
Water droplets rolled down her jade-like skin. As her warm skin was suddenly exposed to the air, she shivered, scrambling out of the bathtub with hands and feet. Shuangye deftly wrapped her in a dry cotton cloth.
Shen Xiyue hastily dried her wet hair, while Shuangye carefully helped her wipe her body and dressed her in a slightly worn palace gown that resembled the Empress’s attire—likely an old garment of Empress Qin.
…Though it was presumptuous, there was no time to worry about that now.
She let out a long breath, steadied herself, and said, "…I’m ready."
Murong Xuan, breathing in the fragrant, moisture-laden air, shifted his shoulders slightly before turning around.
His gentle phoenix eyes glanced at her deliberately or not, noting how well his mother’s clothes fit her. He cleared his throat and said seriously, "Well, I came to ask…"
Since she hadn’t blamed him, he naturally let the matter of peeping at her bath pass.
"Even if Your Highness hadn’t come to ask me, I would have come to beg Your Highness," Shen Xiyue spoke up first, taking a few steps toward him before stopping a short distance away.
She looked into his eyes as she spoke, her tone soft and carrying a hint of pleading.
The distance between them was just right—not so far as to seem distant, yet not so close as to cause discomfort.
Murong Xuan could still clearly see the lingering hatred in her eyes.
She thought she hated him.
He sighed softly. "It was my fault."
Seeing her remain silent, he continued:
"I was careless and drank the drugged porridge, ruining your wedding night. What’s done is done, and I know I cannot make it up to you. Whatever request you have, just say it. If it’s within my power, I will not refuse."
Now he appeared as a modest, gentle gentleman, completely different from the fierce man who had thrust into her with such intensity on the bed moments ago.
A cold glint flashed in Shen Xiyue’s eyes. She hated him deep down, yet she knew she shouldn’t blame him for everything.
She lowered her gaze to hide her emotions, her voice indifferent. "Well, it’s not entirely Your Highness’s fault. Qi Xun already had someone in his heart. He never truly intended to marry me. The wedding night was just a stage he set."
Her tone was neither hurried nor slow, as if she were speaking of someone else’s affairs.
Murong Xuan found it utterly ironic. Who in the entire capital didn’t know that Qi Xun, the heir of Marquis Wen Yuan, was infatuated with County Princess Huayang? Was this his so-called devotion?
He softened his voice. "You said you wanted to beg me earlier. Was it to ask me to help you kill him?"
Shen Xiyue was about to nod but then shook her head. "No."
First, she didn't know where Qi Xun had hidden Gu Zhilan, the true culprit. If Qi Xun were to die now, it would be difficult for her to exact revenge.
Second, Murong Xuan, the Crown Prince, was already in a precarious position. She didn't want to trouble him with risky endeavors.
Murong Xuan gave her a meaningful glance, his eyes filled with unmistakable frustration at her perceived weakness. "Can't bear to let him go?"
After speaking, he felt inexplicably foolish. What right did he have to dictate her decisions?
Shen Xiyue couldn't explain herself to him. Seeing the faint disdain in his eyes, she felt a mix of bitterness and frustration. To suffer such a grave injustice in silence and still be looked down upon was truly unbearable.
Taking a deep breath, she addressed him directly, "Your Highness, I only ask one thing of you. Qi Xun has been assigned to handle disaster relief in Jiangnan. Please take that assignment from him."
Disaster relief in Jiangnan was a lucrative opportunity.
Local officials there were experienced in flood control, making the relief efforts virtually foolproof. In previous years, various princes had taken turns handling such assignments to build their reputations.
This year, the Emperor had granted the disaster relief task to Qi Xun out of consideration for the Shen family.
In her previous life, Qi Xun had distinguished himself during the relief efforts, earning a promotion to the Ministry of Works upon his return and filling the vacancy of Vice Minister.
It was only on her deathbed that she learned Qi Xun had taken Gu Zhilan with him to Jiangnan. The two had spent their days indulging in pleasure, traveling and reveling together without a care in the world!
Now, if she wanted to expose Gu Zhilan, she couldn't let Qi Xun go to Jiangnan.
She intended to shatter the dreams of that wretched pair step by step, then offer their lives in tribute to her unjustly ended past self!
Murong Xuan frowned, his gaze complex as he looked at Shen Xiyue. "That's all?"
Was this her revenge against Qi Xun? Having grown up in the Western Frontier, how had she developed such a hesitant and indecisive temperament?
Shen Xiyue nodded. "That's all."
After a pause, fearing he might refuse, she added, "Wouldn't this also be an opportunity for Your Highness to participate in court affairs?"
Murong Xuan neither agreed nor disagreed, utterly baffled by this woman's thoughts.
But since it was what she wanted, he would make amends to her.
Seeing him nod, Shen Xiyue eagerly offered her plan:
"Your Highness, Qi Xun's beloved is named Gu Zhilan. You could have someone post notices in her name, claiming that she and Qi Xun are deeply in love but were forcibly separated by the Shen family's bullying. The more heart-wrenching the story, the better. Once the censors submit their memorials, the opportunity will arise."
Murong Xuan couldn't help but glance at her again.
Doing this would utterly humiliate Qi Xun, dragging his reputation through the mud… She couldn't bear to see him dead, yet she was willing to strip him of all dignity and make his life a living hell. How intriguing.
His mood inexplicably lifted. "What else do you have in mind that I can help you with?"
Shen Xiyue understood that his willingness to assist stemmed from guilt over ruining her innocence on their wedding night.
A man's guilt was the easiest thing to exploit.
As long as he could secure his position as Crown Prince, she would rely on him for many things in the future.
But for now, she wasn't greedy. "Your Highness helping me with this one matter is enough. Moreover, once you post the notices, I can seize the opportunity to strike the Dengwen Drum. I'll accuse Heir Qi of shifting his affections and attempting to burn me to death on our wedding night, pleading with the Emperor to grant me a divorce. That will suffice."
Murong Xuan chuckled, thinking she wasn't as foolish as he had imagined, and said nothing more.
The room fell into silence once again. Shen Xiyue didn't know how to face him and slowly turned her head away, avoiding his gaze.
Murong Xuan frowned slightly and followed her line of sight, noticing she was staring blankly at a candlestick.
…What was so interesting about a candlestick? Could she see flowers blooming from it?
After standing there for a moment, he too found it dull and said, "You should rest early."
Then he stepped out of the room.
The night was deep and thick, and in the distance, the fire set by Marquis Wenyuan seemed to be burning brighter and fiercer.