Hearing that Pei Lian was going to send men to protect her, Shen Zhi’s beautiful apricot eyes widened slightly.
Her voice carried both pleasant surprise and disbelief. “Really, Your Highness? Are you truly going to send people to protect me?”
This dead Crown Prince was finally willing to send people to protect her in this lifetime. It seemed Pei Lian understood that if she kept dying like this, even the throne that was well within his grasp would vanish into thin air.
Seeing her look at him with such an excited expression, Pei Lian turned around, walked over to the square table, and set his teacup down. After sitting down on one of the wooden chairs, he propped up his head and looked askance at Shen Zhi.
“I won’t let you die in this lifetime, so rest assured.”
Receiving his word, Shen Zhi felt incredibly excited in her heart. It seemed she could peacefully live a comfortable, lazy life in this lifetime.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Shen Zhi said, bowing to him respectfully, her tone carrying a hint of sincerity.
Pei Lian gave a brief response and looked around her living quarters. It was very simple, and it looked quite empty without much decoration. Compared to Liu Yan’s residence, it was indeed rather crude.
At that moment, Su Wen, who was guarding outside the door, knocked and inquired, “Mistress, are you awake?”
Hearing Su Wen’s words, the way Shen Zhi looked at Pei Lian changed. Had he entered while avoiding Su Wen and the others?
“I am hungry. Have them prepare the food,” Pei Lian said to Shen Zhi at that moment.
This sentence indicated that he intended to dine in the Lanxin Pavilion.
“Yes, Your Highness,” Shen Zhi replied, bowing her head despite her doubts.
She walked to the door, opened it, and said to Su Wen with a smile, “I’m awake.”
“Then I will help you freshen up,” Su Wen said hurriedly. But when she caught a glimpse of the black robe embroidered with gold thread through the gap in the door, Su Wen froze on the spot.
When did the Crown Prince arrive?
While full of doubt, Su Wen was also incredibly excited. Was her mistress about to receive the Prince’s favor? Would a little prince be born before long?
“Quickly tell Nanny Zhao to go to the kitchen and give orders. His Highness will be dining in our Lanxin Pavilion today,” Shen Zhi whispered to her. “Go quickly.”
“Yes!” Su Wen replied excitedly, her voice rising slightly.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Pei Lian had already picked up a book that had been tossed aside and began flipping through it. After turning a few pages, he found it to be a storybook of the type young ladies in their inner chambers loved to read. Feeling bored, Pei Lian closed the book and tossed it back onto the square table.
Su Wen led the servants of the Lanxin Pavilion and began bustling about.
Shen Zhi closed the door, turned around to face the Crown Prince, and said with a beaming smile, “Your Highness, this servant is going to change her clothes.”
“You may.”
Shen Zhi hurriedly went to find a bamboo-green skirt embroidered with water patterns and a matching jacket to change into. After doing her hair into a simple bun, she sat before the dressing table to apply her makeup.
Having changed her clothes and put on makeup, Shen Zhi became even more beautiful and moving.
Looking at Shen Zhi as she walked over to him, Pei Lian sized her up for a moment, then gave a light laugh and said, “Why did I never notice before that you are quite beautiful?”
Gentle and quiet, with a crisp and pleasant voice, her slight smile felt like a passing spring breeze. Perhaps it was for this reason that he had thought of bringing her into the Eastern Palace after seeing her back then.
A beautiful woman is loved by all.
Shen Zhi had always been proud of her beauty. She raised her hand to gently touch her cheek and then replied with a charming smile, “This servant does indeed possess some good looks.”
The news that the Crown Prince was going to dine in the Lanxin Pavilion quickly spread throughout the Eastern Palace.
When Liu Yan learned of this, she rose from her couch in a rage, an angry expression appearing on her cold and elegant face.
“That jade is truly restless. She has only been in the Eastern Palace for a few days, yet she has already seduced His Highness to dine at her place. After dining, she will surely use some petty tricks, and His Highness will definitely spend the night in her Lanxin Pavilion.”
“Wretch!”
Seeing her mistress so angry, Lian Xin hurriedly stepped forward to comfort her. “Side Consort Liu, please do not be angry. She is merely a minor Fengyi. His Highness has only developed a passing interest in her.”
“You are the most important person in His Highness’s heart. Even the Crown Princess cannot compare to you.”
Hearing Lian Xin’s words, Liu Yan felt a bit better. At the same time, she began plotting in her heart how to get rid of this wretch.
If it weren’t for the Emperor being wary of the Liu family’s immense power and bestowing the position of Crown Princess upon Lin Shiya, things would be different. A woman from a family of brute warriors had no dignity or grace at all, spending all day brandishing swords and spears in her courtyard without the slightest resemblance to a proper lady.
“In a few days, call her out. The lotus pond in the Eastern Palace needs some nutrients,” Liu Yan looked at her maidservant and spoke slowly. “I absolutely will not allow anyone to steal Brother Pei away.”
Hearing Liu Yan’s words, Lian Xin hurriedly bowed her head and complied. “Yes.”
Meanwhile, upon receiving the news, the Crown Princess merely smiled faintly and said, “To be able to keep His Highness is Consort Shen’s own skill. Why should we reprimand her?”
“I see that someone is going to be angry.”
“Tomorrow will be another good show.”
Lin Shiya propped up her head as she read the book of military strategy in her hand, her voice unhurried.
Yue Hua looked at the Crown Princess’s indifferent attitude, neither fighting nor vying for favor, which truly made her anxious. His Highness had not stepped foot into their Yichun Hall for eight or nine days, yet the Crown Princess could remain so calm. She did not know from whose belly the eldest son would be born.
Because the Crown Prince stayed to dine at the Lanxin Pavilion, everyone in the Eastern Palace harbored their own hidden thoughts.
Shen Zhi, however, ignored all of it. Let them plot if they wanted to plot. It was just a worthless life anyway; at worst, she would just start over again.
After the dishes were served, the two sat together while Yuan Qing tested the food for poison on the side. Only after confirming it was safe did they begin to eat.
Dining with the Crown Prince was a rather solemn affair. One had to observe the rule of no talking during meals, while also maintaining an elegant posture, ensuring the utensils made no clashing sounds.
At this moment, Shen Zhi found him a bit annoying. There were so many broken rules, and they were interfering with her eating.
After the meal concluded, the two sat on the wooden chairs, and Pei Lian asked the question that puzzled him. “How did you die in your past life?”
In his past life, after his Imperial Father passed away, he had been busy handling official duties and his ascension to the throne, rarely asking about matters of the harem. Who could have known that while he was busy handling official duties, Shen Zhi would die just like that?
“Poisoned to death by Side Consort Liu,” Shen Zhi said directly, hiding nothing.
Hearing that Liu Yan had killed her, Pei Lian did not believe it. He frowned slightly, his tone becoming much colder.
“Is there some misunderstanding in this? Although Yan’er is usually a bit arrogant and domineering, she is kind-hearted at her core. She could never commit such an act of harming others.”
Drinking her tea, Shen Zhi heard these words and looked up at him, her face filled with disbelief.
Liu Yan had killed her so many times, yet in the Crown Prince’s heart, Liu Yan was kind-hearted. It could only be said that she was indeed his “white moonlight,” completely incomparable.
“The truth is exactly as I said,” Shen Zhi replied.