Shen Zhi wanted to twist the knife further. She proceeded to list, one by one, the vicious things Liu Yan had done to her in her past lives.
“She had me strangled to death with white silk, and she had me pushed into the pond to drown,” Shen Zhi said, lowering her head to take a small sip of her tea, her voice exceptionally slow. “But most of the time, she used poison.”
“In my last life, she forced poison down my throat, and I died right here in this Lanxin Pavilion.”
Listening to Shen Zhi’s words, Pei Lian’s handsome brows furrowed tightly. The hand holding his white porcelain teacup gradually tightened at that moment, and a searching, inquisitive look appeared on his handsome face.
In their past life, after Shen Zhi died, he had also returned to the Eastern Palace’s study that very night. Every single lifetime had been like this, so he had never been able to investigate who the true culprit behind Shen Zhi’s deaths was.
But now, hearing from Shen Zhi’s own mouth that it was Liu Yan who had murdered her, Pei Lian was not willing to believe it at all.
“Impossible. Yan’er… she would never do such a thing.” Pei Lian set his teacup down and looked at Shen Zhi, a rather serious expression appearing on his usually cold and expressionless face.
He had known Liu Yan since childhood and knew her character. She was kind-hearted and friendly to others, so Pei Lian believed that Liu Yan would never commit such an atrocious act against heaven and reason.
“She might have been misled by someone else to do things that harmed you.”
“Do not blame her.”
Seeing him like this, Shen Zhi could not help but sigh.
This Liu Yan really had it good. Even after committing every evil deed imaginable, someone was still defending her and speaking up for her.
“If Your Highness does not believe this servant’s words, you are more than welcome to go investigate.”
It wasn’t as if the Eastern Palace hadn’t lost other concubines to “accidental” deaths before; there had been one. Word was that this concubine had been exceptionally beautiful and was highly skilled in singing and dancing. When she first entered the Eastern Palace, she had even caused Pei Lian to stay overnight at her quarters for two consecutive nights.
According to Shen Zhi’s investigations over her nineteen lifetimes, she had heard that this concubine was a young girl who happened to have a highly fertile constitution. Later on, for reasons unknown, she actually lost her footing and slid right into the Eastern Palace’s massive lotus pond.
That lotus pond was vast. Every year during the blooming season, it always managed to grow incredibly large and beautiful lotuses, and the lotus seedpods it produced were also delicious. Shen Zhi had eaten them before, and back then she had even remarked with a sigh that lotus seedpods grown after being fertilized were truly different.
Thinking about it now, that “fertilizer” must have been human.
“I have my own judgment,” Pei Lian responded, looking at her, before rising to his feet and walking outside.
Thinking he was about to leave, Shen Zhi hurriedly stood up to see him off.
“This servant respectfully sees Your Highness off,” Shen Zhi called out, bowing slightly to him with her hands folded.
Pei Lian turned his head, stared at her for a few seconds, and then asked, “You are not following?”
Shen Zhi: “…”
Why on earth should she follow? Right now, she only wanted to read some storybooks to pass this boring time.
But since the other party held a high status, Shen Zhi had no way to refuse his command and could only follow him out.
Once they stepped out into the courtyard of the Lanxin Pavilion, two maidservants quickly appeared before them. They had already changed into the uniform of maidservants, and upon seeing the two of them, they raised their hands in salute.
“Greetings, Crown Prince, Consort Shen.”
Pei Lian pointed at the two of them and said, “From now on, these two will be your maidservants. They will protect you at all times.”
Looking at the two women before her, Shen Zhi’s apricot eyes lit up once more.
These two were top-ranked experts from the Secret Night Bureau. She had not expected Pei Lian to be so generous as to assign them to her side for protection.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Shen Zhi thanked him hurriedly, then looked at the two of them and asked, “What are your names?”
“Your servants are named Qing Xue and Qing Yu.”
“The two of you will be responsible for taking care of her from now on. Your sole mission is to not allow her to die,” Pei Lian delivered his command to them at that moment.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Having arranged the maidservants to protect her, Pei Lian then said to Shen Zhi, “I wish to bathe.”
Hearing this, Shen Zhi was dumbfounded. The words slipped out of her mouth: “Your Highness, are you not going to Side Consort Liu’s quarters tonight?”
Upon hearing Shen Zhi’s words, Pei Lian’s gaze shifted toward her.
Did she want to drive him away that badly?
“I… am staying overnight here with you tonight.” After Pei Lian finished saying this, Shen Zhi felt as if she had been struck by a bolt from the blue, finding it somewhat impossible to accept.
Having spoken, he lifted his foot and walked back into the room, leaving only Shen Zhi and the two maidservants standing there.
Su Wen and Nanny Zhao stood to the side, their heads slightly lowered, but their hearts were already bursting with joy. The Prince was going to stay overnight at the Lanxin Pavilion; their mistress was about to gain favor!
Once the water was prepared for Pei Lian, Shen Zhi originally thought Yuan Qing would be the one serving him on the side, but the other party insisted that she do it.
Pei Lian sat at his ease, looking at her. “Shen Zhi, the water temperature is about to turn cold.”
“Are you not going to serve me yet?” He sat in the bath barrel, his tightly muscled arms resting on the rim of the barrel, his gaze falling upon her as she held the water ladle not far away.
The hot water in the bath barrel was currently billowing with steam. Where exactly was it turning cold?!
Moreover, she hadn’t even bathed yet herself, and this guy had not only taken over the bath but also forced her to serve him.
“This servant will serve Your Highness right away.”
Wash, wash, wash! Why don’t you just wash yourself to death? We just finished eating, and it hasn’t been long since darkness fell outside, yet you’re already taking a bath.
Shen Zhi took the soap and rubbed it over his body, the strength in her hands involuntarily increasing by a few degrees, fearing that being too light would make him feel too comfortable.
Feeling her strength increase, the corners of Pei Lian’s lips curled up slightly. This Shen Zhi actually had quite a little temper.
After serving him through his bath, Shen Zhi’s own clothes had also become wet.
While she stood there wiping down her clothes, a voice suddenly rang out from outside the door: “Your Highness, Side Consort Liu’s coughing fit has flared up again.”
“Side Consort Liu keeps coughing, and her chest feels incredibly uncomfortable.”
Su Wen wanted to stop Lian Xin, but she was held back by Qing Xue on the side. Qing Xue shook her head slightly at her, signaling Su Wen not to act impulsively.
The other party was Side Consort Liu’s maid. If Su Wen spoke up to stop her now, she would definitely be held in resentment. It was better to let His Highness make his own choice.
Being held back, Su Wen could only itch with hatred in her heart. Side Consort Liu clearly already possessed so much favor, so why did she have to keep clinging to His Highness without letting go? Her poor mistress had finally waited for an opportunity to serve the Prince overnight, only to be intercepted like this.
“Your Highness, Side Consort Liu’s old illness has flared up again. You should go take a look at her,” Shen Zhi said immediately upon hearing this, wishing to persuade him to leave.
As long as he left, she could read her storybooks.
“Your Highness, we beg you to go see Side Consort Liu. She is about to cough up blood,” Lian Xin continued to call out when she saw there was no movement inside.
“Your Highness, you heard it too. Side Consort Liu’s illness is already very severe. Go see her,” Shen Zhi urged, her tone growing more delighted the more she persuaded him.
Pei Lian, who had originally been hesitating, looked at her from the corner of his eye upon hearing the delight in her tone. Without saying a word, he lifted his foot and walked toward the doorway.
Dressed in his inner robes with a light blue outer robe draped over his shoulders, his hair casually tied behind his head, his entire person looked lazy and casual, lacking a bit of his usual sternness and coldness.
Opening the door, Pei Lian spoke coldly: “Since Side Consort Liu’s coughing is so severe, you should seek the imperial physician rather than me.”