Hearing this, Shen Zhi was practically petrified on the spot. Did he really not plan on going back?
When Lian Xin heard his response, her head dropped even lower.
“Your Highness, Side Consort Liu said she really wishes to see you,” Lian Xin’s voice grew significantly weaker.
Pei Lian glanced at her, then called out to Yuan Qing, who was standing nearby, “Yuan Qing, go summon an imperial physician for the Side Consort. Furthermore, have the kitchen brew a throat-soothing soup for her, and ensure the maidservants by her side attend to her properly.”
Listening to his arrangements, Shen Zhi closed her eyes tightly, her beautiful face the very picture of despair.
She only wanted to live a quiet, idle life. Now that the Crown Prince had come to stay at her quarters, even Liu Yan sending someone over couldn’t call him away. Liu Yan would definitely think that she was the one tightly clinging to Pei Lian and refusing to let go. She was completely doomed; it looked like that lotus pond would definitely have a spot reserved for her.
Upon hearing the Crown Prince’s command, Yuan Qing immediately responded, “Yes, Your Highness.”
Lian Xin froze for a moment after hearing Pei Lian’s words. She bit her lip slightly, but in the end, she could only comply, “Yes.”
Once Lian Xin and Yuan Qing departed, Pei Lian closed the door directly. Shen Zhi had already sat down and was currently eating a pastry. There was no expression on her face as she ate mechanically.
“You aren’t full yet?” Pei Lian asked, raising his hand to adjust his outer robe as he noticed her eating the pastry.
“No,” Shen Zhi replied curtly.
Pei Lian could sense the despair radiating from her body. He found it somewhat incomprehensible—why would she feel despair over him staying the night here?
Meanwhile, over at the Lanyue Pavilion, Liu Yan was so enraged after learning of Pei Lian’s arrangements from Lian Xin that she smashed the teacup in her hand directly onto the ground.
The teacup shattered into countless pieces upon impact with the floor, while Lian Xin stood in place, not daring to flinch or dodge.
Shen Zhi, is it? This woman cannot be allowed to live.
Brother Pei’s soul had been completely snared by her. In the past, whenever Brother Pei heard that her old illness had flared up, he would always be deeply anxious, yet this time he hadn’t even come to see her. This gave Liu Yan a profound sense of crisis.
“That wretch must be eliminated.”
“Lian Xin, go make preparations in a moment,” Liu Yan looked at her maidservant and spoke indifferently. “Aim to eliminate her within these next two days.”
“Yes,” Lian Xin hurriedly complied.
In the bedchamber, the two lay on the bed. Shen Zhi pressed herself all the way against the inner wall, leaving an empty space in the middle that was wide enough for another person to lie down.
Pei Lian did not understand why she was so resistant to him now. In the previous nineteen lifetimes, she had used every means imaginable to get close to him. Yet in this lifetime, before she even had to try, why was Shen Zhi so unwilling instead?
Turning her back to him, Shen Zhi closed her eyes to sleep.
This sleep was far from peaceful for Shen Zhi. In her dream, she was killed by Liu Yan time and time again, and that agony was something she still couldn’t forget to this day. The sensation of oxygen gradually draining away filled her with terror.
Then there was the poison. She had no idea where Liu Yan managed to procure so many kinds of poison, as the method never repeated across any of her lifetimes.
Shen Zhi’s brows furrowed tightly, her hands gripping the embroidered quilt covering her body.
In her dream, Liu Yan ordered people to force the poison down her throat. Pain coursed through her entire body, and she coughed up fresh blood. Dressed in a magnificent red robe, Liu Yan sat securely in a high seat, holding a cup of tea and savoring it slowly.
Meanwhile, Shen Zhi collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony, the floor stained entirely with the fresh blood she had spat out. Because of the intense pain, Shen Zhi’s beautiful face had become horribly distorted.
“How hideous. Lian Xin, throw her into the mass grave,” Liu Yan said with a smile, setting down her teacup and propping up her head. “Those wild dogs and wolves haven’t tasted meat in a long time, have they?”
A mass grave, wild dogs, and wild wolves—she wanted her to die without even a whole corpse left behind. How ruthless.
By the time Shen Zhi was thrown into the mass grave, she only had a single breath left keeping her alive. At that moment, several famished wild wolves emerged from the depths of the dense forest. They slowly approached Shen Zhi, saliva dripping from their jaws.
They stopped right in front of Shen Zhi and opened their mouths—
“No!” Shen Zhi sat up abruptly with a sharp cry, her eyes wide as her entire body trembled slightly.
Beside her, Pei Lian was jolted awake by her shout. He opened his eyes and looked at her, discovering that her body was shaking and her hands were clutching her head, looking as though she were in immense pain.
“What’s wrong?” Pei Lian propped himself up on his arm and asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at her.
“It’s nothing,” Shen Zhi replied casually, still immersed in that exceptionally vivid dream.
Shen Zhi worked hard to calm her emotions, then turned her head to look toward the spot where incense was usually lit. There was no smoke drifting from it, meaning Su Wen hadn’t lit the soothing incense for her tonight. No wonder her sleep had been so restless.
“Someone come—” Ignoring Pei Lian, Shen Zhi shouted directly toward the outside.
Upon hearing her voice, the maidservants guarding outside jolted, all traces of drowsiness vanishing instantly.
“What is your command, Mistress?”
“Come in and light the soothing incense for me,” Shen Zhi called out.
Hearing this, a maidservant hurriedly pushed the door open, entered, and lit the soothing incense. Once the incense was lit, a faint medicinal fragrance drifted throughout the entire bedchamber.
Smelling this scent, Pei Lian’s eyes narrowed slightly. The faint medicinal fragrance he had smelled on her body in their past lifetimes had originated from this soothing incense. So, Shen Zhi had always been unable to sleep well at night?
Inhaling the scent, Shen Zhi’s tense nerves gradually relaxed. She lay back down, pulled up the quilt, and went back to sleep.
Looking at Shen Zhi’s back, Pei Lian pondered over what kind of nightmare could cause her to need this incense just to sleep.
“What kind of nightmare did you have? Do you always need to light this incense at night to sleep?” Pei Lian also lay back down, asking slowly in a raspy voice.
“It’s nothing. Your Highness should rest early; you still have to attend the morning court imperial audience tomorrow,” Shen Zhi did not want to answer.
Pei Lian did not press further, but he didn’t ask again either.
The next morning, by the time Shen Zhi was woken up by Su Wen, the space beside her was already empty. It seemed he had already left for the morning court audience.
“Mistress, you have to go pay respects to the Crown Princess today,” Su Wen said, a trace of worry lacing her voice as she helped her freshen up and dress. “Do you think Side Consort Liu will target you?”
Who in the entire Eastern Palace didn’t know that Side Consort Liu was intensely jealous and couldn’t bear to see the Crown Prince stay overnight anywhere else? Last night, Lian Xin had come to invite the Crown Prince, only to be rejected by him. This matter would surely be held in resentment by Side Consort Liu. What was her mistress supposed to do?
Shen Zhi merely yawned, not taking Su Wen’s worries to heart at all.
Upon arriving at the Yichun Hall where the Crown Princess resided, those who were already seated cast envious and jealous gazes at Shen Zhi the moment they saw her.
“Why has Sister Shen arrived a bit later than usual today?” The one speaking was He Chengwei, whose rank of Noble Lady was higher than Shen Zhi’s position as a Fengyi. “I heard that His Highness specifically summoned Sister Shen to the study yesterday. Sister Shen is truly blessed.”
“Sister Shen looks so young and tender, it’s no wonder His Highness favors her so much.”
These women chimed in one after another, but Shen Zhi ignored them all. She merely bowed to them in salute before taking her seat. It was a seat at the very end, quite close to the door—a consequence of her having the lowest rank in the entire room.
Lin Shiya walked out and sat formally in the high hall. She swept her gaze across everyone present and noticed that Liu Yan had not yet arrived.
Had she been so consumed by anger that she was unwilling to even come pay her respects?