Empress Liang’s gaze remained firmly fixed on Nanzhi, causing the pressure weighing down on her to multiply exponentially. Yet Nanzhi maintained a remarkably steady composure, keeping a faint, appropriate smile graced across her features as she crossed her delicate hands in front of her. Not a single trace of panic slipped through her armor before the Empress.
Because the Empress kept her silence, the atmosphere in the hall grew heavy and tense. Just as Liang Bingyue noticed her aunt staring intently at Nanzhi with furrowed brows and moved to speak up, the Empress finally broke the silence.
“You are the girl the Crown Prince brought back?” Empress Liang’s authoritative voice echoed through the vast hall. Her expression was solemn and cold as she looked down at Nanzhi, her eyes carrying an unmistakable undercurrent of aversion.
Weren’t the Empress’s words completely stating the obvious? Nanzhi could now feel with absolute certainty that Her Majesty disliked her, and she could only pray the Empress wouldn’t make things too difficult for her. Lowering her eyes, she replied in a respectful, cautious tone: “Answering Her Majesty, this subject’s daughter is indeed she.”
Though Empress Liang detested Nanzhi, her etiquette was flawless, and she carried herself as someone who clearly understood the rules—leaving no obvious faults to pick at. The real issue was simply that her face was entirely too gorgeous.
In the past, because the Crown Prince showed no interest in women, the Empress had expended a great deal of effort worrying over the matter. Now that the Crown Prince had finally taken an interest in someone, she swung to the opposite extreme, terrified that her son might be led astray by feminine wiles.
“Whose daughter are you?”
Nanzhi answered, “Answering Your Majesty, this subject’s daughter is the daughter of Nan Huaimin, the magistrate of Nanjiang County.”
Empress Liang withdrew her critical inspection. She had no recollection of a Nan Huaimin; she was merely the daughter of a low-ranking county magistrate with a humble background—someone who offered no political utility to her son.
Initially, a dark urge to chase Nanzhi away had bloomed in her mind, but worrying that it might create a rift with her son made it a losing gamble.
Weighing the pros and cons, Empress Liang ultimately abandoned the thought of making things difficult for her. So be it; let her stay by the Crown Prince’s side for now. Xuer is a man who knows his boundaries. I know my son well; he carries great ambitions on his shoulders and is not the type to drown himself in sensual indulgence.
As for whether this girl could survive long-term inside the Eastern Palace, that was another question entirely.
Withholding any further punishment, Empress Liang’s stern, dignified face suddenly softened slightly. Lowering her phoenix eyes, a dark, calculating glint flashed across them.
Lifting a nearby teacup, she took an elegant sip before setting it down, beginning her psychological warning: “Since the Crown Prince has brought you back, you will serve him wholeheartedly from now on. This palace expects you to know your place and act with strict decorum.”
“That will be all, you may withdraw.”
“I will strictly heed Your Majesty’s teachings. This subject’s daughter takes her leave.” Nanzhi offered a respectful bow to the Empress before turning on her heel to walk out of the hall.
She felt a genuine sense of surprise at the Empress’s unexpected leniency. Having initially feared that the Empress’s clear dislike would translate into harsh punishments, her nerves had been strung taut; now that she was being permitted to leave unscathed, a massive wave of relief washed over her chest.
Lu Wanyan wasn’t particularly surprised to see the Empress let Nanzhi off so lightly. However, noting the distinct distaste lingering on Her Majesty’s face, a comforting sense of reassurance settled into her heart.
Liang Bingyue, on the other hand, nearly lost her seat the moment Nanzhi left. Staring at Empress Liang in utter shock, she blurted out, “Aunt, how could you just let her walk away like that?!”
“Bingyue, what kind of talk is that?” Empress Liang shifted her gaze toward her niece, the smile fading from her face as her majestic, imposing aura flooded the room.
Realizing she had crossed a line, Liang Bingyue quickly scurried over to latch onto the Empress’s arm, whining coaxingly, “Aunt, it was Bingyue’s fault, please don’t be angry.”
“Besides, Aunt, she comes from an unknown background and harbors heaven knows what kind of malicious intentions! How can you possibly allow her to stay by Crown Prince Brother’s side?”
Empress Liang’s face melted back into a maternal, doting smile as she patted the girl’s hand. “This palace will naturally look into her background. But since the Crown Prince brought her back of his own accord, her origins shouldn’t present any major anomalies.”
“Bingyue, this is the Crown Prince’s personal affair. All you ever do is fuss over things that aren’t your concern. She’s merely a woman of low birth; if the Crown Prince fancies her, let him keep her around to amuse himself. Very well, this palace still has matters to attend to and won’t keep you two any longer. You and the third young miss of the Lu family may head back now.”
Though Liang Bingyue still wanted to protest, Lu Wanyan smoothly pulled her to her feet, offered their formal farewells to the Empress, and escorted her out of Changxin Palace.
Empress Liang watched their receding backs with a deeply thoughtful, calculating look in her eyes.
Empress Liang had naturally seen right through the hidden agendas playing out in those girls’ minds. Bingyue was simple-natured and had clearly been prodded by the third young miss of the Lu family into coming here, hoping to use the Empress’s hand to make things difficult for that young lady.
If she couldn’t even discern something that obvious, she wouldn’t have survived all these years sitting upon the imperial throne as Empress.
Outside Changxin Palace, the moment Nanzhi stepped past the threshold, she spotted the Crown Prince striding directly toward her.
She wanted to quicken her pace and pretend she hadn’t seen him, but the Crown Prince’s strides were vastly superior to hers. Within two or three steps, he had closed the distance entirely, leaving her with no choice but to face Shen Huaixu head-on.
Shen Huaixu had previously been stationed in Emperor Hui’s Taiji Palace, keeping vigil by the ailing, unconscious Emperor. When Qingyu arrived to report the situation, he instantly realized that something must have transpired involving Nanzhi.
Hearing that Nanzhi had been summoned by the Empress, he hadn’t experienced any major emotional fluctuations; Shen Huaixu knew well that as long as her conduct remained proper, the Empress wouldn’t openly target her.
His little canary understood how to read a room, so nothing catastrophic should happen. While he hadn’t initially planned on coming over, after turning it over in his mind and wrapping up his urgent tasks, he ultimately decided to pay a personal visit.
The moment he arrived outside Changxin Palace, he caught sight of her attempting to slip away and dodge him. Shen Huaixu’s expression instantly frosted over.
Closing in on her with a swift, predatory sweep, he locked his fingers around her wrist and demanded in a deep, rumbling voice: “Did Zhizhi intend to hide from Gu?”
Shen Huaixu’s grip was far from gentle; Nanzhi felt a sharp ache ripple through her wrist. Suppressing the pain, she lifted her head and blinked up at him in feigned surprise: “Why has Your Highness come over? This concubine was just lost in thought and didn’t notice you.”
“Your Highness, please loosen your grip a bit—my wrist hurts.” Standing this close to him, Nanzhi could catch the faint, elusive scent of sandalwood lingering naturally against his robes.
As she looked up, her features wore a fragile, wronged expression that tugged instantly at Shen Huaixu’s heartstrings. His grip immediately slackened, softening as he pivoted to ask: “Did you suffer any grievances inside the Empress’s palace?”
Nanzhi shook her head, her long eyelashes fluttering a few times as she answered softly: “Her Majesty the Empress did not make things difficult for this concubine.”
Making her wait outside the hall for an extra incense stick’s worth of time didn’t count as a major ordeal; at the very least, Her Majesty hadn’t openly insulted her with harsh words, and she hadn’t lost an inch of skin.
This fell entirely within Shen Huaixu’s calculations. Releasing Nanzhi’s wrist altogether, he lifted a hand to gently brush a stray lock of hair from her forehead, letting out a low chuckle: “Was Zhizhi frightened today? Go on back first; Gu will return tonight to keep you company.”
Hearing this, Nanzhi didn’t hesitate for a split second, nodding immediately: “Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness. This concubine will take her leave.”
Since the Crown Prince was showing rare benevolence by letting her go, she needed to bolt before he changed his mind! As luck would have it, right as she finished speaking, her sharp eyes caught sight of Liang Bingyue and Lu Wanyan stepping out from the inner courtyard of Changxin Palace. With fresh trouble approaching, making a swift exit was imperative.
Yet just as she attempted to turn on her heel and leave, Shen Huaixu reached out once more to capture her hand, trapping her in place as the two women caught sight of the Crown Prince and began marching straight toward them.
Looking up at him in utter bewilderment, Nanzhi flashed a look of helpless confusion: “Your Highness, if you keep holding my hand, how am I supposed to leave?”
“Gu has been thinking of you the entire time, yet Zhizhi doesn’t spare Gu a single thought. Gu was terrified you might be bullied by the Empress and rushed over specifically to check on you, yet you—the moment you see me, you’re in such a rush to run off.” Clinging to her hand, Shen Huaixu fixed her with a grievance-laden, smoldering gaze.
Nanzhi offered him a practiced, gentle smile, her voice soft as velvet: “Naturally, this concubine has been thinking of Your Highness.”
Was she thinking of him? Hardly. Rumor had it that the Emperor was currently unconscious, leaving the Crown Prince buried under a mountain of pressing state affairs with zero breathing room. Where would he even find the idle time to miss her?
He certainly wasn’t some hopelessly lovesick fool; uttering words like these was nothing more than a calculated play to flaunt his favor over her, inching forward step by step to devour her heart.
Since he wanted to hear it so badly, she would gladly feed him whatever lines he wished.
No sooner had Nanzhi finished speaking than Liang Bingyue and Lu Wanyan arrived within earshot, catching every single syllable loud and clear.
Staring at her with undisguised arrogance, Liang Bingyue spat out her words with a toxic mix of indignation and absolute disdain: “How utterly shameless! Flaunting your seduction of Crown Prince Brother out in the open like this!”