Seducing?
If that refers to seducing Pei Lian, then she refuses to accept that accusation.
Because she was just sitting there, and Pei Lian came over by himself; there was absolutely no seduction involved in that.
Shen Zhi looked at He Xuan and explained very earnestly, “Sister He, this concubine does not accept your statement.”
“Where the Crown Prince chooses to sleep is his own affair; these are things we cannot control. How can this be called seduction?”
After saying this, Shen Zhi looked at He Xuan and said very seriously, “Sister He, if that is how you think, you can also go and seduce the Crown Prince to go to your place.”
After hearing these words from Shen Zhi, He Xuan’s face turned green with anger.
She was a lady from a respectable family; how could she possibly act in such a shameful and conspicuous manner like this lowly wretch Shen Zhi?
Damn vixen!
She was sickening to look at. Why didn’t yesterday’s incident just take her life?
“Let’s go!” He Xuan did not want to listen to Shen Zhi boasting there; after speaking, she turned and walked toward her own residence.
Watching her leave in a fury, Shen Zhi looked at Su Wen behind her and asked with confusion, “Su Wen, what is going on with her?”
“Why is she angry?”
Shen Zhi had become too lazy to ponder the reasons for others’ behavior, and even less willing to hide her own inner thoughts.
Su Wen looked at the straightforward Shen Zhi, averted her gaze, and replied, “Lady He thinks you are showing off.”
“Showing off that you have gained the Crown Prince’s favor, while she has not.”
So that was it.
“What is there to be envious of?” Shen Zhi was puzzled.
Upon hearing this, Su Wen lowered her head and said nothing more.
In this back courtyard, women could only rely on men to survive.
Not long after returning to Lanyue Pavilion, an old matron arrived with some people.
“This old servant greets Consort Shen.” The matron bowed to Shen Zhi, but an arrogant aura radiated from her.
This person was the Crown Princess’s wet nurse; it was no wonder she carried such an arrogant air from head to toe.
“I wonder why Nanny Li has come to Lanyue Pavilion?” Shen Zhi still stood up and asked the visitor.
At this moment, a maid stepped forward with a bowl of pitch-black medicine. Nanny Li took the bowl, looked at Shen Zhi, and said, “Yesterday, Consort Shen was frightened. The Crown Princess is kind-hearted and specifically ordered this old servant to brew a bowl of decoction for Consort Shen to nourish your body.”
“Consort Shen should drink it well to build up your health.” As she spoke, she handed the medicine to Shen Zhi.
Su Wen stood by, feeling deeply distressed as she looked at the decoction.
She was still hoping that the mistress could bear a child or two, so that Lanyue Pavilion would be a bit livelier.
Shen Zhi looked at the bowl of black, murky decoction in front of her. For a moment, she couldn’t understand why the Crown Princess would send her this medicine.
Was it to poison her?
Should she drink it?
Qingxue and the others did not step forward to stop her, so it should be safe to drink, right?
Seeing that Shen Zhi did not take the medicine, Nanny Li’s tone became sharper and more abrasive, “Consort Shen, do you intend to disobey the Crown Princess’s order?”
The other party began to urge her, so Shen Zhi stopped hesitating. She reached out to take the bowl and, right in front of Nanny Li, drank it all in one go.
The empty bowl was dropped onto the tray at the side. She looked at Nanny Li and said, “This concubine would not dare.”
“Hmph, you know your place.” Nanny Li said, flicking her sleeves, and left with the maids.
The moment they were gone, Shen Zhi’s beautiful little face immediately twisted into a grimace.
“Where are the candied fruits? Hurry!”
“So bitter!”
Su Wen hurried to take out the box of candied fruits, opened it, and handed it to Shen Zhi.
Shen Zhi quickly stuffed two into her mouth, and the sweetness slowly suppressed the bitterness in her mouth.
So bitter.
“Mistress, you drank it; will you still be able to conceive in the future?” Su Wen looked at her and asked with great concern.
Conceive?
When was she going to conceive?
Nothing had happened between her and Pei Lian; they had only been innocently sleeping under the same covers.
What was wrong with Su Wen’s train of thought?
Moreover, pregnancy was not something Shen Zhi was considering at all; it was enough of an achievement just to survive.
Shen Zhi looked at her and analyzed the current situation for Su Wen: “The Crown Princess has not yet given birth to the eldest legitimate son. No matter how much the rest of us jump around, we cannot get pregnant.”
It seems everyone wrongly assumed that she and Pei Lian had consummated the relationship.
No wonder everyone looked at her differently during the morning greeting today.
Shen Zhi stuffed another candied fruit into her mouth, looking completely uninterested in these matters.
Su Wen wanted to say more, but seeing Shen Zhi’s indifferent expression, she kept her mouth shut.
“She really drank it?” Pei Lian, sitting in his study, asked.
“Yes, Your Highness.” Qingxue stood before him and replied.
“You may go.” Pei Lian waved his hand, signaling for Qingxue to withdraw.
After Qingxue left, Pei Lian couldn’t help but chuckle. It seemed the entire back courtyard had misunderstood.
Fine, let them guess.
He sat at his desk, thought for a moment, then picked up paper and brush and began to draw slowly.
I don’t know how much time passed, but Pei Lian put down his brush and looked at Shen Zhi, who seemed to leap off the paper.
Dressed in white, her eyes downcast, a single teardrop hanging from her lashes; she truly looked like a vision of pity.
Pei Lian stared at the painting, momentarily stunned, his dark eyes slowly narrowing. After looking at the painting for a good while, he folded it, threw it into a basin, and burned it directly.
From that day on, Pei Lian did not come to Lanyue Pavilion again.
Shen Zhi returned to her ideal life—eating, reading, and sleeping every day; life was incredibly cozy.
Only Su Wen and Nanny Zhao were worried sick. They felt that the incident from that day had caused the Crown Prince to grow weary of Shen Zhi.
Otherwise, why wouldn’t he visit Lanyue Pavilion for so many days in a row?
He had been visiting almost every day before.
“Mistress, you must think of a way to win the Crown Prince’s heart back,” Nanny Zhao reminded her very earnestly.
“If the Crown Prince becomes truly annoyed with you, what will happen in the days to come?”
Nanny Zhao had been nagging for several days, and coupled with the fact that everyone mocked her subtly or openly during the morning greetings, the long-lying-flat Shen Zhi couldn’t take it anymore.
“I will think of a way.” Shen Zhi looked at Nanny Zhao and said.
“That’s good, that’s good.” Nanny Zhao became excited the moment she heard this; as long as the mistress was willing to think of a way, that was enough.
Qingxue then slowly offered a reminder: “Today, the Crown Prince is busy with the disaster in the Jiangnan region. Mistress, you could prepare some food and take it to him.”
Shen Zhi nodded after hearing this, “Then I will make some pastries and take them for His Highness to taste.”
Thinking of this, she began to take action.
There was a small kitchen in Lanyue Pavilion, though it was rarely used.
Now that she needed to make food for Pei Lian, the small kitchen was naturally put to use.
Shen Zhi didn’t know how to make many pastries, but sponge cakes and candied red date cakes were her specialties.
And the taste was excellent.
After finishing the pastries, Shen Zhi was pulled by Su Wen to groom and dress up, and then she carried the food box toward the study.