The Little Princess's Secret Guard - Chapter 15
Chapter 15: Deduction
Shen Panyan’s return to the capital this time was not to return to the palace but for a single matter.
Shen Panyan felt her suspicion was correct: someone must be behind Qiushuang, but who that person was, she didn’t know.
She had asked Lin Xiao if the bandits were really just ordinary bandits, or if they had another identity. However, Lin Xiao had investigated and confirmed that they were indeed very common bandits.
For some unknown reason, in recent years, the snow in the Zhaoyan Kingdom was extremely heavy every winter.
The excessive snow led to poor grain harvests the following year. Even though the court had ordered tax reductions, people still went into the mountains every winter, becoming bandits and engaging in plunder and murder.
Once winter passed, they would clean up their act and return to being peaceful citizens.
Suppressing bandits in the winter was already difficult. These robbers were mostly disorganized and inconsequential, yet they were exceptionally good at hiding.
The effort and time required for suppression were too great. When spring arrived, every family helped conceal them. Faced with these overwhelming difficulties, the local prefects often turned a blind eye. As long as no major incidents occurred, they were left alone.
If Shen Panyan hadn’t encountered the bandits while at the Imperial Retreat, the matter would never have reached the capital.
The Emperor was furious upon learning of the incident and immediately dismissed numerous officials overnight.
However, since these bandits were disorganized, the suppression issue was still being debated. Who should do it and how it should be done were still under discussion. This back-and-forth would likely take one or two months to settle.
Shen Panyan listened carefully. Knowing they were genuine bandits, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
When would this heavy snow finally stop?
Nevertheless, the clues had been broken.
The day Qiushuang pushed her off the cliff, she had actually returned to the Retreat once.
The servants, seeing her hurry back, assumed it was by the Princess’s order and didn’t bother her. It wasn’t until Shen Panyan woke up and searched Qiushuang’s room that they found she had packed it cleanly. Nothing related to her remained, let alone any clues.
Since then, she had never returned to the Imperial Retreat nor had any communication with its staff.
This action only further solidified Shen Panyan’s guess: someone must be behind Qiushuang. Moreover, this person must be someone in the palace.
Yet, she pondered for a long time and couldn’t figure out who would want to harm her.
She had always kept clear of conflicts in the palace. Who could hate her this much?
An outsider often sees what the involved party misses. Lin Xiao enlightened her with a single sentence.
“Your Highness, before you, your maid Qiushuang was the Empress’s person.”
Imperial Mother?!
Shen Panyan’s first reaction was disbelief.
Although her Imperial Mother was strict and often used her to compete for favor when she was young, she hadn’t treated her terribly. Even when she grew older and her Imperial Mother didn’t particularly like her personality, she was never denied the treatment a Princess deserved. If the Empress wanted to harm her, why go through such a massive effort? She could have easily died before reaching adulthood.
Over the years, the Empress had countless opportunities to strike. Why wait until now?
Furthermore, if she were harmed, Qiushuang would surely not escape punishment. How could the Empress leave such an obvious flaw for people to easily spot?
The Empress, as the mistress of the Six Palaces, couldn’t be that foolish.
But what if?
Regardless, Shen Panyan remained vigilant, increasing her guard against anyone who had once belonged to the Empress.
The thought of someone secretly watching her constantly made an uncontrollable fear rise in Shen Panyan’s heart.
Who could it be?
Suddenly, Shen Panyan remembered that she wasn’t entirely without enemies in the Harem. For example, Consort Hui strongly disliked her.
Consort Hui had a daughter, only one year younger than her, who was spoiled since childhood, arrogant, and insistent on being the best at everything. Yet, Shen Panyan consistently outperformed her.
Coupled with the fact that Consort Hui and her Imperial Mother were always at odds, Shen Panyan was often subjected to ridicule whenever she encountered them.
Years ago, Qiushuang was even deliberately harassed by Consort Hui. It was Shen Panyan who pleaded with her Imperial Mother to make Consort Hui back off. If one were to name the people in the Harem who hated her the most, Consort Hui and Shen Xu (Consort Hui’s daughter) would be the first to come to mind.
In the Harem, enemies one moment could be friends the next. Although Qiushuang was once troubled by Consort Hui, it was possible she had switched allegiance to her.
After all, Consort Hui’s natal family had a sister married to the eldest son of the Ministry of Rites, Chu.
And Qiushuang had continuously urged her to marry Second Young Master Chu.
But she wasn’t obstructing Consort Hui’s path. Why resort to such brutal tactics against her?
Shen Panyan knew she wasn’t a particularly intelligent person, so she always kept a respectful distance from palace conflicts, avoiding them whenever possible. She hadn’t expected to be dragged into them eventually.
Consort Hui, the Empress, Qiushuang, Shen Xu, the Chu family of the Ministry of Rites… Just thinking about it made Shen Panyan’s head ache terribly.
She couldn’t see clearly or understand.
So, she discussed these connections with Lin Xiao. He knew far more than she did, and she hoped he could give her an answer.
Lin Xiao was only responsible for intelligence transmission and protecting the Emperor. While he might not know much about the Emperor’s Harem, he was certainly privy to matters concerning the previous court.
But these matters were classified secrets. If he spoke of them, it would be considered treason against the Emperor.
“Even you can’t figure it out?”
The light in Shen Panyan’s eyes gradually dimmed.
“This subordinate…”
“It’s alright, Lin Xiao. If you find it difficult, you don’t have to tell me.”
She realized her mistake. Lin Xiao was the Emperor’s Shadow Guard. Some things could not be told to outsiders, not even to her, a Princess.
Speaking them would be considered betrayal.
The punishment for betrayal would be, undoubtedly, an extremely severe torture.
Shen Panyan did not want to harm Lin Xiao.
“Your Highness…”
“It’s fine, Lin Xiao. Just help me investigate this matter. Don’t tell me anything you shouldn’t.”
Looking at the Princess’s concerned gaze, Lin Xiao remained silent for a long time.
Suddenly, he spoke, revealing something Shen Panyan had never known.
“Your Highness, General Zhao is returning to the capital. He has achieved a great military feat this time, and His Majesty intends to grant a marriage to his third son.”
Marriage Grant?!
Shen Panyan’s eyes widened, and the words almost spilled out. Fortunately, she quickly remembered that this matter could not be loudly proclaimed and lowered her voice.
“Is it to a Princess?”
Lin Xiao didn’t speak, just nodded.
Shen Panyan’s brows furrowed, and a sense of panic settled in her heart.
General Zhao was the Grand General who defended the state, expanded its borders, and dedicated his life to the Zhaoyan Kingdom. The Emperor wanted to grant a marriage to General Zhao’s third son?
Even she, who lived deep in the palace, knew that General Zhao’s third son was a military genius of his generation and was highly likely to inherit the title of Grand General. If the Emperor granted a marriage to a Princess, wouldn’t that cut off the future of the General’s Mansion?
After all, once one became a Princess’s consort, they could no longer enter court—it was a rule passed down by their ancestors that no one could violate.
What was the Emperor planning? Aside from everything else, she had indeed heard of the Grand General’s third son, Zhao Yun. Rumors said he was handsome, his personality unrestrained yet carrying a youthful spirit. Most importantly, he was eighteen this year but didn’t even have a concubine in his household. This fact alone was enough to satisfy many families with daughters in the capital.
Not to mention, the Grand General’s family had an upright tradition, without the myriad rules of other noble families. General Zhao and his wife had a wonderful relationship, and their household was clean, with only two minor concubines.
Marrying into such a family would bring happiness.
Lin Xiao’s voice continued. “This news is not top-secret. Officials with better access to information already know the Emperor’s intention.”
Consort Hui’s maternal family was composed of high-ranking officials, so they would naturally fall into the category of ‘well-informed.’ If she already knew, then everything made sense.
Currently, the Emperor’s daughters of marriageable age were only herself and Shen Xu.
If Consort Hui had her eye on Zhao Yun, planning to secure this excellent husband for her daughter, then she would inevitably target Shen Panyan.
She would bribe Qiushuang, promising her unknown benefits. First, she tried to make Shen Panyan marry Second Young Master Chu. When that failed, she devised another plan, instructing Qiushuang to ruin her directly.
In this way, a disgraced Shen Panyan would naturally not be eligible for the Emperor’s marriage grant, and this great opportunity would naturally fall to Shen Xu.
What a malicious calculation!
Shen Panyan clenched her handkerchief, her eyes suddenly turning red.
Just because she stood in Shen Xu’s way, Consort Hui would be so vicious to her?
She had lived cautiously all her life. Now, she had done nothing and known nothing, and if not for Lin Xiao, she would still be in the dark.
Shen Panyan looked up. “Lin Xiao, help me…”
She didn’t want to be calculated against and killed without ever understanding why. But relying only on herself, success was impossible. At the moment, Lin Xiao was the only person she trusted.
Lin Xiao was silent. After a moment, he slowly spoke. “This subordinate will protect Your Highness and ensure you do not suffer the slightest harm.”
Shen Panyan smiled through her tears. “Thank you, Lin Xiao.”
However, while Consort Hui was the most likely suspect, the Empress’s suspicion was not small either.
With Lin Xiao’s help, Shen Panyan easily learned from a few lower-ranking maids that Qiushuang had once been promised by the Empress that upon her marriage, she would be found a good match, marrying an Imperial Guard and becoming a titled lady.
The formerly clear thread of clues immediately became clouded by this information.
Was it the Empress or Consort Hui? Shen Panyan no longer knew.
Counting the time, the New Year was approaching, which coincided with the day General Zhao would return to the capital. She had to go back to find out whether the person trying to harm her was Consort Hui or the Empress.
And so, Shen Panyan boarded the carriage, taking Muying with her, and headed toward the capital.
Lin Xiao’s mask had already been removed by Shen Panyan. He did not put it back on. Returning to the capital while being overly distinct would be drawing unwanted attention.
It was better to appear ordinary like this.
With the “thudding” of horse hooves, Shen Panyan finally entered the capital before sunset.
The bustling, vibrant street scene instantly came into view.
Muying lifted the carriage curtain, looking out the window with unconcealed joy. “Your Highness, look, it’s so lively today!”
Shen Panyan was curious and also leaned out to look. It was at this moment that a person flew out of the teahouse ahead and hurtled toward their carriage!