Chapter 15 Speculation

Chapter Fifteen

She returned to the capital not to go back to the palace, but for another matter.

Shen Panyan felt that she was right; there must be someone behind Qiu Shuang, but she didn't know who that person was.

She asked Lin Xiao if those bandits were really bandits, and whether they might have other identities. However, Lin Xiao had already investigated and found that those bandits were indeed just ordinary bandits.

For some reason, the Zhaoyan Kingdom has been experiencing extremely heavy snowfalls every winter in recent years.

The heavy snowfall resulted in a poor harvest the following year. Even though the government had ordered tax reductions, people would still go up the mountain every winter to become bandits and engage in arson, murder, and looting.

Once winter was over, they retired from their profession and settled down in the mountains to live peacefully as ordinary people.

Suppressing bandits in winter is already difficult, and most of those bandits are disorganized, ineffective, and extremely good at hiding.

Suppressing the bandits would require too much effort and time. With the arrival of spring, every household would help conceal the truth. Faced with numerous difficulties, the local prefect turned a blind eye and let the matter rest as long as nothing serious happened.

If Shen Panyan hadn't encountered robbers on her way to the royal villa, this matter wouldn't have reached the capital.

When His Majesty learned of this, he was furious and dismissed many officials overnight.

However, these bandits are not a significant force, so the matter of suppressing them is still inconclusive. There are rules and regulations governing who should do it and how it should be done. This back-and-forth will likely take one or two months to finalize.

Shen Panyan listened attentively, and upon realizing that they were indeed robbers, she couldn't help but sigh.

When will this heavy snow finally stop?

However, the trail went cold.

After Qiu Shuang pushed her off the cliff that day, she actually came back once.

Seeing her hurried manner, everyone assumed it was the princess's order and didn't disturb her further. However, when Shen Panyan woke up and searched her room, they found that she had cleaned her room spotlessly, and there was nothing related to her left, let alone any clues.

Since then, she has never returned to the Royal Villa, nor has she had any correspondence with anyone there.

Her actions further solidified Shen Panyan's suspicions: Qiu Shuang must have someone behind her. Moreover, this person must be someone from the palace.

She thought about it for a long time, but still couldn't figure out who wanted to harm her.

She never made enemies in the palace, so who could hate her so much?

As the saying goes, those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly. Lin Xiao's words were a wake-up call for her.

“Princess, before you, your maid Qiu Shuang was the Empress’s person.”

The Empress Dowager?!

Shen Panyan's first reaction was disbelief.

Although her mother was strict with her and often used her to compete for favor when she was young, she was still not bad to her. As she grew up, although she didn't like her personality very much, she never lacked the treatment a princess should have. If someone wanted to harm her, why go to such great lengths? She wouldn't even need to grow up; she could just die directly.

Over the years, she has had countless opportunities to make her move, so why did she have to wait until now?

Moreover, if something happens to her, Qiu Shuang will definitely not escape the blame. How could such an obvious flaw be so easily seen?

As the head of the six palaces, the Empress Dowager wasn't that stupid.

But what if?

Regardless, Shen Panyan remained cautious and became even more wary of those who had once been empresses.

The thought that someone was secretly watching her all the time filled Shen Panyan with uncontrollable fear.

Who exactly is it?

Suddenly, Shen Panyan remembered that she wasn't entirely without enemies in the harem; for example, Consort Hui disliked her very much.

Consort Hui had a daughter who was one year younger than her. She was spoiled from a young age, had an arrogant personality, and always wanted to be the best in everything. However, she always managed to outdo her.

In addition, Consort Hui had always been at odds with the Empress Dowager, so every time she met her, she would be subjected to sarcastic remarks.

Back then, Qiu Shuang was also made things difficult by Consort Hui. It was Qiu Shuang who pleaded with her mother, the Empress Dowager, and only then did Consort Hui let Qiu Shuang go. If you were to ask who the most hated people in the harem were, Consort Hui and Shen Xu would be the first to be mentioned, without a doubt.

In this harem, enemies one second can become friends the next. Although Qiu Shuang has been made difficult by Consort Hui, it's hard to guarantee that she won't switch sides and side with Consort Hui.

After all, Consort Hui had a younger sister who married the eldest son of Chu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

Meanwhile, Qiu Shuang kept mentioning the Second Young Master Chu in her ear.

But she didn't block Consort Hui's path, so why should she be treated so cruelly?

Shen Panyan knew she wasn't a particularly clever person, so she always kept her distance from all the commotion and tried to avoid it whenever possible. Unexpectedly, she ended up getting involved anyway.

Consort Hui, the Empress, Qiu Shuang, Shen Xu, the Chu family, the Vice Minister of Rites... Just thinking about it gave Shen Panyan a terrible headache.

She couldn't see clearly, nor could she understand it.

So she told Lin Xiao about all these pros and cons. He knew far more than she did, and she was really looking forward to him giving her an answer.

Lin Xiao was only responsible for relaying messages and protecting the emperor. Although he knew nothing about the emperor's harem, he was very clear about the affairs of the court.

But these matters are confidential, and if he were to reveal them, it would be tantamount to betraying the emperor.

"Can't even you see it?"

The light in Shen Panyan's eyes gradually dimmed.

"Your subordinate..."

"It's alright, Lin Xiao. If you feel uncomfortable, you don't need to tell me."

She had misunderstood. Lin Xiao was the Emperor's secret guard, and there were some things that could not be told to others, not even to a princess.

Once spoken, it is tantamount to betraying God.

The punishment for betraying the Lord is self-evident; it would be an extremely severe and cruel torture.

Shen Panyan did not want to harm Lin Xiao.

"Princess......"

"It's alright, Lin Xiao. As long as you're willing to help me investigate this matter, that's fine. Don't tell me about things that can't be said."

Seeing the princess's concerned gaze, Lin Xiao remained silent for a long time.

Suddenly, he spoke up, revealing something that Shen Panyan had never known before.

"Princess, General Zhao is returning to the capital. He has rendered great service this time, and His Majesty intends to bestow a marriage upon his third son."

An arranged marriage?!

Shen Panyan's eyes widened, and she almost blurted it out, but fortunately she realized in time that this matter could not be publicized, so she lowered her voice.

"Is she a princess?"

Lin Xiao didn't speak, he just nodded.

Shen Panyan frowned, a sense of unease creeping into her heart.

General Zhao is a great general who guards the country and expands its territory. He devoted his life to the Zhaoyan Kingdom and worked tirelessly until his death. The emperor wants to bestow a marriage upon General Zhao's third son.

Even she, who had long lived deep within the palace, knew that General Zhao's third son was a military genius of his time and was highly likely to inherit the position of General of the State. If her father were to bestow a marriage upon him, wouldn't that be tantamount to extinguishing the future of the General's family?

After all, once one becomes the consort of a princess, one can no longer set foot in the imperial court. This is a rule passed down from our ancestors, and no one can disobey it.

What is Father Emperor trying to do... Putting everything else aside, she had indeed heard of the third young master of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Rumor had it that he was handsome, and although his personality was unruly, he also had the spirit of a young man. Most importantly, he was eighteen years old at the time, yet he didn't even have a concubine in his harem. This alone was enough to satisfy many families in the capital who had daughters.

Not to mention, the Zhenguo General's Mansion has a clean and upright family style, unlike other aristocratic families with many rules. General Zhao and his wife have a very good relationship, and the backyard is clean with only two concubines.

Marrying into such a family is a blessing.

Lin Xiao's voice continued, "This news isn't too important. Well-informed officials already know His Majesty's intentions."

Consort Hui's family was headed by a high-ranking official, so they were naturally well-informed. If she already knew about it, then everything would make sense.

Now, the only daughters of marriageable age that my father has are myself and Shen Xu.

If she takes a liking to Zhao Yun and intends to find this good husband for her daughter, then she will inevitably take action against her.

She bribed Qiu Shuang, promising her all sorts of benefits. First, she wanted her to marry the Second Young Master Chu. When that failed, she devised another plan: to have Qiu Shuang ruin her.

Thus, with her tarnished reputation, she could no longer be betrothed by her father, and this great opportunity naturally fell to Shen Xu.

What a vicious scheme!

Shen Panyan clenched her handkerchief, and her eyes suddenly reddened.

Is it really fair that Consort Hui is so cruel to her just because she blocked Chen Xu's path?

She had always lived cautiously since childhood, and now, having done nothing and knowing nothing, she would still be kept in the dark if it weren't for Lin Xiao.

Shen Panyan looked up, "Lin Xiao, please help me..."

She didn't want to be schemed against and die without knowing why, but she couldn't possibly succeed on her own. Right now, the only person she trusted was Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao remained silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Your subordinate will protect the princess and will not allow you to suffer the slightest harm."

Shen Panyan smiled through her tears, "Thank you, Lin Xiao."

However, while Consort Hui is the prime suspect, the Empress is also a strong suspect.

With Lin Xiao present, Shen Panyan easily learned from several palace maids that Qiu Shuang had received a promise from the Empress that as long as she got married, she would find her a good marriage, marrying a guard of the Imperial City and becoming a Lady of the Imperial Decree.

The once clear clues were instantly thrown into chaos by these words.

Whether she was the Empress or Consort Hui, Shen Panyan no longer knew.

Calculating the time, the end of the year is approaching, which is exactly the time when General Zhao will return to the capital. She must go back to find out whether the person who harmed her was Consort Hui or the Empress.

And so, Shen Panyan boarded the carriage, took Mu Ying with her, and headed towards the capital.

Lin Xiao's mask had already been removed by Shen Panyan, so he didn't put it back on. After returning to the capital, being too independent and unconventional was actually a form of high-profile behavior.

It's better to keep it ordinary and unremarkable.

With the clatter of hooves, Shen Panyan finally entered the capital city before sunset.

The bustling and lively street scene instantly came into view.

Mu Ying lifted the carriage curtain and looked out the window with delight. "Princess, look, it's so lively today!"

Shen Panyan was curious and also peeked out. Just then, a person flew out from the teahouse in front and crashed heavily towards them!

A note from the author:

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Today's update is a normal day.