After they broke through the encirclement and finally boarded the carriage, Shen Xiaoyan saw Sima Han heave a sigh of relief.
"Puchi."
Unable to hold back, Shen Xiaoyan chuckled.
Zheng Wei looked at Shen Xiaoyan helplessly but also smiled.
Yue Qingxin said with a smile, "Ahan dislikes it now. In the future... won't he be annoyed to death every day?"
However, Yi Zhixie said seriously, "You're wrong about that. In the future, these people won't dare to pester us like this."
Hearing this, Shen Xiaoyan thought carefully and felt that what Yi Zhixie said was correct.
They were currying favor with Sima Han now simply because they believed he might have a bright future, so they wanted to build a good relationship early.
But if Sima Han truly became the emperor, would they dare to act like this?
Once she understood this, Yue Qingxin also felt at ease.
Upon arriving at Siyang House, they first saw the four children. Seeing that they were all sleeping soundly, they sat together to discuss matters.
"Baili Hao and Zheng Xiang are both dead. Grand Princess Zande is no longer a threat. Without Grand Princess Zande, Baili Ziyun is like a spotted tiger without teeth. Apart from a few roars, she poses no threat. We don't need to act; Lin Xiaowei can handle her."
Yi Zhixie's words were met with unanimous agreement.
Seeing everyone nod, Yi Zhixie continued, "Since that's the case, let's discuss the next plan."
"What plan?"
Shen Xiaoyan was a little curious. Next, shouldn't Sima Han take over the army and wait for the imperial capital to descend into chaos before taking the Forbidden City in one fell swoop?
But unexpectedly, Yi Zhixie suddenly said, "I added something to Sima Zhu's holy water today."
"What?"
At once, everyone asked in unison.
It wasn't that they were surprised, but they truly hadn't expected Yi Zhixie to attempt to poison Sima Zhu.
Yi Zhixie looked at their gazes and shook his head helplessly, "What are you imagining? If I really wanted to kill him, would I need to use such a method?"
"Then what did you add to it?" Shen Xiaoyan quickly asked.
"A medicine that makes people feel perpetually insatiable," Yi Zhixie replied calmly.
Shen Xiaoyan was a little slow to react, "Why would you give him this medicine?"
Sima Zhu was already very fat. If he continued to eat, he might starve himself to death one day.
Starve to death?
Shen Xiaoyan's eyes lit up, and she instantly grasped the key to the problem.
"You're not actually planning to stuff him to death, are you?" Shen Xiaoyan asked suspiciously.
"Didn't you say we need to cut the Gordian Knot quickly? This is a method I've thought of for a long time."
After Yi Zhixie finished speaking, he carefully explained to everyone.
If Sima Zhu were poisoned, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. But if Sima Zhu loved to eat, had a good appetite, ate more and more, became fatter and fatter, and finally stuffed himself to death, wouldn't anyone suspect anything?
After listening, Shen Xiaoyan was still a little confused, "Is there something you urgently need to do recently?"
Yi Zhixie shook his head, "No. I have no attachments. As long as I'm with Mu Zhong, it doesn't matter where I am."
Hearing this, Shen Xiaoyan looked at Yi Zhixie, "Since that's the case, why are you so eager?"
Yi Zhixie was taken aback by Shen Xiaoyan's words and didn't know how to answer.
Should he say that it was because Zheng Wei wanted to proceed more quickly, so he found a way to make Sima Zhu die faster?
Seeing that Yi Zhixie was about to explain, Zheng Wei stopped him with a look and continued, "This is also good. After all, the longer the night, the more dreams. If we can wait, Baili Ziyun might not be able to."
Thinking of Baili Ziyun, although she lacked ability and intelligence, a person pushed to a dead end would always choose a desperate gamble, so she still needed to be wary.
"You're right. In that case, Ahan, you need to hurry. You don't have much time."
Following Yue Qingxin's words, everyone looked at Sima Han.
Sima Han's expression was impassive, but he said very seriously, "Don't worry."
From the next day, Sima Han became like a dragon that only showed its head but not its tail.
Shen Xiaoyan hardly saw Sima Han again.
She learned from Yue Qingxin that every morning, Sima Han would go to the military camps outside the imperial capital, and sometimes he wouldn't even return.
The reason was to quickly deal with those in the military camps who were loyal to Zheng Xiang, or the old guard.
This situation lasted for about a month before Shen Xiaoyan heard that something had happened in the palace.
The news was brought back by Yi Zhixie, who did not say where he got it from.
It was said that Baili Ziyun had plotted to harm Lin Xiaowei's child, but instead of succeeding in poisoning, she accidentally ingested it herself.
The result was as expected. Although her life was saved, the child was lost.
If Sima Zhu had not killed her before because of the child in her womb, then now that she had destroyed her own protection, she naturally could not continue to live peacefully in the palace.
Sima Zhu did not pursue the matter to the bitter end, but instead demoted her to a commoner and sent her to accompany Grand Princess Zande.
And so, the once renowned Grand Princess Zande of the imperial capital, along with her consort and daughter, all disappeared from everyone's sight.
However, the imperial capital was not lacking in anything, but it was not lacking in people.
And where there are people, there will always be strife.
Shen Xiaoyan's truly peaceful life did not arrive because Zheng Fan came.
After Prince Duan died, the title did not fall to his legitimate son, Zheng Fan.
Princess Duan, who was once a high-ranking first-rank princess, became a widow.
Zheng Fan and Zheng Caiying, from being young masters and ladies, became commoners who could be trampled upon by anyone.
Sima Zhu naturally did not care about this.
When Zheng Xiang was alive, he disliked him but had to maintain appearances due to Zheng Xiang's power.
Now that Zheng Xiang was finally dead, and had ruined his plans before dying, if it weren't for public opinion, Sima Zhu would have dug him up and flogged his corpse.
Under these circumstances, it was already the height of benevolence that he did not kill Zheng Xiang's family with a single blow. It was impossible for him to make further arrangements for them.
Sima Hao was willing to make arrangements, but he was also powerless.
Thus, Zheng Fan and others quickly lost their income.
Although Prince Duan's mansion was not repossessed, its plaque was removed, and it became an ordinary mansion.
Without power and connections, having such a large mansion and so much wealth was a disaster rather than a blessing.
Therefore, Zheng Fan thought of finding Zheng Wei.
In his impression, Zheng Wei was still the illegitimate son who had stolen his favor as soon as he appeared.