Seeing him remain silent, Shen Zhi knew in her heart that Pei Lian already knew who the culprit was.
“Your Highness, were you unable to find anything?” Shen Zhi did not expose him; instead, she looked at him with her large, glistening eyes and asked with feigned innocence.
“If Your Highness cannot find out, then just forget it.”
As she spoke, Shen Zhi lowered her gaze slightly, her eyes reddening, her voice tinged with emotion.
“This concubine will just treat that day’s fall as an accident. Who asked this concubine to be so unlucky?” With that, she sniffed lightly before looking up at Pei Lian again.
Seeing Shen Zhi in this state, Pei Lian remembered how her eyes had sparkled the day she heard he would help her find the culprit.
Now, she was full of grievances. Looking at her, Pei Lian felt a stifling sensation in his chest; he opened his mouth to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
He still did not want to believe that Liu Yan had done it.
The trail of Liu Yan’s actions had not been hidden well; with only a little effort, the truth would surface.
Yet, she still dared to harm Shen Zhi so brazenly. Firstly, she had the Liu mansion to back her, and secondly, she relied on Pei Lian’s doting, making her completely unscrupulous.
Shen Zhi knew that she was completely alone; even if she knew Liu Yan was the culprit, she had no way to seek justice for herself.
Watching Pei Lian’s silence, the hope in Shen Zhi’s heart slowly faded at this moment.
She had thought that since their fates were linked, Pei Lian would at least favor her a little—even if it were just a tiny bit, she would have been content.
Forget it, I don’t want to dwell on this anymore; I’ll just live one day at a time.
Shen Zhi gave a light laugh, reached out to grab Pei Lian’s wrist, and said softly, “Your Highness does not need to be so troubled. Actually, this concubine does not really want to know who that culprit is.”
“It is this concubine’s fault for causing Your Highness such distress.”
Shen Zhi appeared exceptionally sensible, making Liu Yan look even more like an unreasonable troublemaker by comparison.
“Rest assured, I will give you an explanation,” Pei Lian said, not wanting her to be like this, and patted Shen Zhi’s hand to comfort her.
“This concubine thanks Your Highness,” Shen Zhi replied with a smile.
An awkward silence descended upon Lanxin Pavilion, which Shen Zhi eventually broke. She looked at him and asked with a smile, “Your Highness, have you eaten since you came to my Lanxin Pavilion?”
“Not yet.” Pei Lian shook his head. Because he had been in a rush to discuss the flood matter with her, he hadn’t eaten.
“Then let us dine together,” Shen Zhi suggested with a smile.
Coincidentally, she hadn’t eaten either.
“Very well.” Pei Lian nodded in agreement.
Upon hearing that the Prince would dine here, Nanny Zhao was thrilled and immediately led people to call for dinner to be delivered.
After finishing their meal, Pei Lian did not intend to leave, choosing instead to sit there and read the books on flood control he had brought. His gaze remained fixed on the pages, completely focused.
Meanwhile, Shen Zhi sat beside him, also reading a storybook.
As she flipped through the pages, a letter slipped out.
Seeing the letter, Shen Zhi furrowed her brows slightly, a look of confusion on her face.
Why would a letter be tucked inside a storybook that Nanny Zhao had just bought?
Filled with curiosity, Shen Zhi bent down to pick it up, but her expression changed instantly once she saw the words written on the envelope:
“To Mother Shen.”
Mother Shen…
In all of Lanxin Pavilion—nay, in the entire Eastern Palace—she was the only one surnamed Shen.
So, this “Mother Shen” must refer to her.
Shen Zhi immediately tore open the envelope, took out the letter, and began to read.
The entire text was a confession of yearning and longing for Shen Zhi.
The final sentence was even more explicit:
“In the nights of missing Mother Shen, I cannot sleep.”
Dammit!
They were framing her for infidelity!
In this era, a woman’s chastity was everything. If news of an illicit affair were to spread, she would surely be sent to the magistrate to face judgment.
If such a matter were to leak, her reputation would be ruined forever.
Even if someone were innocent, many would steer clear of her out of fear of association.
It seemed that Liu Yan truly hated her to the core by using this tactic.
No, this was her wishing that Shen Zhi would drop dead this very instant.
“Your Highness.” Shen Zhi stood there with the letter in hand, called out, and then knelt down with a thud.
“A letter fell out of my storybook. I do not know who placed it there to frame me; I beg Your Highness to decide the matter.” With that, she offered the letter with both hands.
Pei Lian, who had been reading, saw her sudden kneeling and serious expression. He put down his book, reached out, and took the thin envelope.
After reading it, his face showed rage. “Shen Zhi, are you having an affair behind my back?”
Shen Zhi: …
His brain is truly hopeless.
If she were truly having an affair, would she let him know?
“This concubine would not dare!” Shen Zhi hurriedly kowtowed.
“Then how do you explain this letter?” Pei Lian held the letter in one hand, his gaze fixed on Shen Zhi. His cold, piercing look made her tremble slightly.
Is this guy truly angry?
“This concubine has been wronged! I spend my days here in Lanxin Pavilion, and besides the necessary morning greetings, I have never once stepped outside,” Shen Zhi felt she had been wronged to death, being suddenly saddled with the title of an adulteress.
“If Your Highness does not believe me, you may call Qingxue and the others inside to question them.”
In the end, Pei Lian called the two maids in and questioned them. Only after confirming that Shen Zhi had indeed stayed in Lanxin Pavilion all day did he let them go.
So, this was someone intentionally planting it here to frame her.
“Have you offended anyone lately?” Pei Lian asked.
“This concubine has not offended anyone,” Shen Zhi shook her head, while internally cursing both of them.
Crazy couple.
Pei Lian then ordered his secret guards to investigate the matter, demanding results by tomorrow morning.
At the same time, he ordered Qingxue and the other maid to search every inch of Lanxin Pavilion to see if there were any other suspicious items.
After turning Lanxin Pavilion upside down, Qingyu emerged holding a wooden hairpin. “Your Highness.”
Pei Lian looked at the hairpin, reached out to take it, and examined it closely, eventually letting out a scornful laugh.
Liu Yan.
This was her hairpin.
Pei Lian remembered very clearly that she had bought it from a small street vendor.
Although it was inexpensive, it was beautiful.
The old man’s craftsmanship had been excellent, carving the begonia flower so realistically and vividly.
As time passed, she now considered it cheap, which was why she had given this hairpin to Lianxin to frame Shen Zhi.
After all, who in the entire Eastern Palace would use a wooden hairpin?
As an orphaned girl, it was perfectly logical for Shen Zhi to use a wooden hairpin.
And the lover she “knew” wouldn’t be the type who could afford to buy her beautiful, expensive hairpins anyway.
Liu Yan had calculated everything, but she hadn’t calculated that all the arrangements she made would be discovered early.
Shen Zhi had been engrossed in stories recently, and it was perfectly reasonable that a letter had been tucked inside one of the new books Nanny Zhao had just purchased for her.
The wooden hairpin was intended to create the impression that they had known each other for a long time—long enough to have exchanged tokens of love.