You are too good

Consort Zhuang, having plotted against His Majesty, was placed under house arrest within the palace pending disposition.

The Second Prince plunged down a cliff, at the bottom of which ran a river. Several days later, the searching guards discovered a bloated corpse. Upon hearing the news, Consort Zhuang dashed her head against a pillar in the palace and died.

The entire nation was in an uproar over this incident.

Shen Nanyuan was actually unharmed, having suffered only a fright. Although the wound on her neck had bled slightly, the cut was not deep. His Majesty specially dispatched imperial physicians to bandage her, applying top-quality hemostatic ointments. The physicians assured her that no scars would remain.

Shen Yi was heartbroken, coming with Madam Shen every single day to check on her, lingering in distress for a long time before finally leaving.

Though they did not speak of these matters directly to Shen Nanyuan, she could more or less guess the full picture.

They must have perceived long ago that the Second Prince and Consort Zhuang harbored treacherous intentions. Shen Yi had deliberately skipped the imperial autumn hunt precisely to protect His Majesty, and Shen Sinian's prolonged absence over the previous period was undoubtedly tied to this affair.

As for how they knew of the treasonous plot, Shen Sinian paused before explaining: "His Majesty's intention to name the Third Prince as Crown Prince was deliberately leaked to the Second Prince. Believing himself inferior to the Third Prince, and given the nature of the Second Prince and Consort Zhuang, they were bound to turn disloyal."

Yet, within the deep recesses of the palace, how could His Majesty remain ignorant of such rumors? Either he feigned ignorance, or those closest to him had already become Xiao Yan's people.

"Had the Second Prince managed to restrain himself and refrained from attempting to harm His Majesty and the Third Prince, the matter would have simply passed. He would have lived well, granted his own fief, and though still subject to the capital, he would have lived freely. But alas, the Second Prince was consumed by ambition."

Thus, he ultimately met his end at the bottom of a ravine.

Shen Nanyuan nodded slightly, subconsciously touching her neck.

It had not yet fully healed.

Gu Shengyu was no good man; she believed this even now. Whether it was his previous indulgence of Consort Zhuang which led to Xiao Yan being cast out of the palace, or the various events that followed, he was certainly no benevolent figure.

Yet, Shen Nanyuan had still been deeply traumatized by seeing him leap off the cliff right before her eyes, leading to persistent nightmares in the days immediately following the incident. Fortunately, things had eased considerably over the past few days.

She raised her head slightly and gently addressed Shen Sinian regarding what she had been contemplating for days.

"Eldest Brother, taking advantage of the capital and the palace being preoccupied with the Second Prince's affair, please make arrangements for me to leave the capital."

Shen Sinian paused. "Have you decided?"

"Yes, I have."

She longed so deeply to see other places, to behold the magnificent rivers and mountains of Shengqi; it would be far better than remaining perpetually confined within the capital.

All matters had finally settled. Next would come the investiture of Xiao Yan as Crown Prince. While the capital was undoubtedly prosperous, all she desired was freedom.

Shen Sinian nodded with a gentle expression. "Very well."

He reached out to pat Shen Nanyuan's head. "Your older brother will arrange it for you, but you must wait until your injuries are completely healed before you leave."

Shen Nanyuan nodded vigorously. "Eldest Brother, you are the best!"

"When you need a favor, I am the best; when you don't, you see me and are too lazy to even call me brother."

Though complaining, Shen Sinian's eyes were filled with indulgence.

Shen Nanyuan smiled brightly. "From now on, my first words upon seeing you will be 'Eldest Brother, you are truly wonderful.' Are you satisfied?"

"..." Shen Sinian hurriedly waved his hand. "Better not..."

He rubbed his arm. "I get goosebumps."

Shen Nanyuan: "..."

---

A few days later, the wound on her neck was nearly healed. Treated with superior medicine, not the slightest trace of a scar remained.

Xiao Yan had sought her out a few times recently, but mostly when others were unaware. Even when he came, he could only stay for a very short while. It appeared the palace truly had countless matters to handle due to the aftermath of the Second Prince's affair—

such as dealing with the remnant faction of the Second Prince.

However, two unexpected visitors arrived at the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion today.

Wu Shaozhong and Wu Miaofu.

The Duke Zhenguo's Mansion still barred Wu Miaofu from entering. It was only after they stood outside the gates for a long time that Madam Shen's heart softened and she allowed them in.

Though she had not been summoned, Shen Nanyuan went to the main hall anyway. After addressing her uncle, she obediently stationed herself behind Madam Shen.

This was the first time Shen Nanyuan had laid eyes on Wu Miaofu since the latter moved out of the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion.

The captivating charm she once possessed was entirely gone. Now, she appeared utterly haggard, her complexion extremely poor, and she had grown so thin her features were skeletal. No matter how resplendent her garments, they were of no avail.

She stood with lowered head behind Wu Shaozhong, evoking a sense of mixed emotions in Shen Nanyuan's heart.

How arrogant she had been before leaving the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion, convinced she was destined to enter the palace. Yet, after waiting in the capital for so long, she not only failed to receive word of the Second Prince summoning her into the palace, but instead learned of his rebellion and fatal fall from the cliff.

That was why she was reduced to such a state of despair.

Still, had she actually entered the palace, she would likely have been implicated and thrown into prison. Thus, failing to enter the palace turned out to be a blessing in disguise for her present self.

Wu Shaozhong wore a cautious, ingratiating smile, a complete contrast to his previous demeanor when he stormed into the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion accusing Madam Shen of breaking her promise by not securing Wu Miaofu's entry into the palace.

"I was ignorant before and only now realize that the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion was acting in Miaofu's best interest. Had she truly entered the palace back then, I shudder to think of the consequences today."

He fawned shamelessly: "It was I who misunderstood you and behaved so unreasonably at the time. Sister, please do not take it to heart."

Madam Shen's expression remained cool and she said nothing. Wu Shaozhong pressed his lips together, realizing he had received no warm response, and shifted his gaze to Shen Nanyuan.

"How is Yuanyuan's injury? I heard that Second Prince held you hostage, and your uncle was worried sick."

Shen Nanyuan lowered her head and smiled faintly. "Thank you for your concern, Uncle. My injuries have all healed."

Wu Shaozhong forced a dry smile. "That's good... that's good."

He continued, "Miaofu was simply foolish. I hope Yuanyuan won't hold past matters against her. Besides, had it not been for Miaofu, you might have ended up married to the Second Prince yourself."

Was he implying that she should be grateful Wu Miaofu seduced the Second Prince?

The mockery on Shen Nanyuan's face deepened.

It was evident they still believed they had done nothing wrong. They had not come out of a sincere realization of their faults; there was undoubtedly another motive behind their visit.

Unwilling to waste any more time dealing with him, Madam Shen cast a cool gaze upon Wu Shaozhong and spoke indifferently: "If you have something to say, spit it out."

Wu Shaozhong rubbed his hands together, clearly having waited for those exact words. "Well, you see, Miaofu never entered the palace and remains chaste. Therefore, I was hoping you could help us find a suitable marriage match for her."