There is no right to refuse...
No…
qualifications…
Xiao Huayong was appointed as the crown prince before he was even a month old. Emperor Youning openly favored him, leaving him isolated and helpless, but no one dared to offend him, and no one ever said that he was not qualified to refuse.
Shen Xihe was not speaking without purpose. What she said did make sense. She only needed to spread some rumors or do something slightly wrong, and the vigilant emperor would launch a massive purge and destroy most of his efforts.
"Princess, even if the deal fails, we still have our righteousness. If you force the deal, don't you worry about making enemies?" Xiao Huayong asked with a serious look.
"There is a folk saying: The more debts you have, the less worries you have. I have a lot of enemies, so one more won't hurt." Shen Xihe didn't care. "I gave Hua Taoyi the opportunity to choose. Whether to fight or make peace is entirely up to Hua Taoyi."
The last time she attacked Cui Jinbai, this man knew that she saw through him. Since he knew that she had such a big handle on him, it would be dangerous if he didn't make it clear.
"The princess' heart belongs to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and she wants to join forces with me, but she doesn't ask about my identity." Xiao Huayong smiled with an ambiguous meaning, "What does the princess mean by this? Aren't you worried that if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince knows about it, it will be bad for the princess?"
"When did I say I wanted to join forces with you?" Shen Xihe corrected, "Cooperation is only a temporary mutual benefit. Whether you and I can continue to gain what we want depends on whether our interests conflict in the future. At that time, whether we win or lose depends on our own methods."
Xiao Huayong was speechless for a moment, with mixed feelings: "The princess is really heartless. Before we even started cooperating, she said that we will each do our own thing in the future..."
"It's not indifference, but sincerity." Shen Xihe corrected again, "I don't like to be hypocritical with smart people. You and I should make it clear from the beginning, so that we won't harbor resentment when we draw our swords against each other in the future."
Xiao Huayong nodded as if he had understood something: "Since the princess has thought about the future, she must have guessed that there is a prince behind me..."
After a pause, Xiao Huayong said meaningfully: "Or maybe I am the one, why doesn't the princess favor me?"
"I have already answered you." Shen Xihe repeated, "I don't like to flatter smart people."
Xiao Huayong had long noticed that Shen Xihe was different from the ordinary gentle and virtuous ladies. She was very opinionated and would never submit to or obey a man. Therefore, compared to someone who was extremely intelligent, she was more likely to be patient with ordinary but extraordinary people because she did not like anyone to control her.
Now that he had guessed it right, Xiao Huayong felt confused: "So, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is actually a stupid person?"
Shen Xihe raised his chin, his tone slightly cold: "Hua Taoyi, be careful with your words."
There was a layer of white gauze between them, so Xiao Huayong couldn't see clearly how Shen Xihe, who was already reserved, reacted, but he could sense her displeasure.
Is he unhappy because someone slandered him
Xiao Huayong was delighted: "I was wrong. I still want to know why His Royal Highness the Crown Prince deserves the princess's protection. Maybe... I still have a chance."
"He is different from you." Shen Xihe just said in a calm voice, "Hua Taoyi, I choose to cooperate with you at this moment because I feel that we don't need to compete with each other too early, lest someone takes advantage of it."
How could an ordinary person dare to infiltrate the emperor's confidant, the talented person whom the emperor relies on