Hearing that shameless tone, Gao Zhi grabbed the other person’s wrist with her free hand.
“If you want to pamper me, you’d better see how much you’re actually capable of.”
“Tsk. Haven’t seen you for half a year, and you’re still this arrogant. Be careful you don’t get beaten up walking home at night.”
The darkness before her eyes disappeared, and before Feng Rong could react, she found herself falling into Gao Zhi’s arms.
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? You’re married now, and you’re still flirting with me?”
Gao Zhi breathed in the familiar fragrance, her eyes warming as she fought back the urge to cry and released her.
Feng Rong still sensed that something was wrong. She brushed a finger over Gao Zhi’s eyes.
“You’ve been wronged, haven’t you? I spent too long at the Shen family’s ancestral home when I went back to Qinzhou this time. I heard about Jiang Tou and the Crown Prince.
“Those bastards. Sooner or later, I’ll chop them into pieces for you. Don’t be sad, sweetheart.”
Gao Zhi couldn’t help laughing.
“Who could possibly wrong me? I was simply mistaken about people. I thought Jiang Tou was like you and truly cared about me.
“As for the Crown Prince, there was never any affection between us. I don’t care who he’s with. I just hate that he deceived me.”
Only then did Feng Rong smile.
“I knew it. My sweetheart is the most clear-headed person in the world.”
Gao Zhi smiled as well. After living through another lifetime, she couldn’t help studying Feng Rong carefully.
Feng Rong wore a long robe embroidered with flowing jade-green patterns and pear blossoms. Her black hair was tied high, and she loved dressing in the elegant, dashing style of a young nobleman. Yet her delicate features were so strikingly beautiful that, for a man, her appearance was almost too enchanting.
Because Feng Rong had already been married once and preferred dressing like a young man, no one dared pursue her despite her extraordinary beauty. Everyone feared that the rumors were true—that her previous husband had broken her heart and that she had developed an attraction to women.
“Look at those rosy cheeks of yours. Marrying the man you love feels pretty good, huh?”
Feng Rong gave a roguish grin.
“You told me before that once Feng Che returned, you wouldn’t let him off easily. Yet now he’s come back with children, and you’ve put the past aside and married him anyway.
“I regret it so much now. I should have hurried back to the capital and personally witnessed your wedding. That way, my prophecy from all those years ago wouldn’t have gone to waste.”
Gao Zhi glared at her helplessly.
She still remembered how, back when they were at the academy, Feng Rong was always saying that she would eventually marry Feng Che.
What hadn’t come true in her previous life had actually come true in this one.
“Still, I don’t believe that Feng Che would fool around with other women.”
Feng Rong raised an eyebrow.
“I’m just afraid those three children have another story behind them.”
Gao Zhi froze.
This girl really was sharp. Her ability to see through things was no worse than it had been back at the academy.
“You two share the same blood, so naturally you’d defend him.”
Since the matter involved the Liao people, Gao Zhi didn’t dare follow that line of thought. She simply changed the subject.
“And you, too. Today is Old Master Shen’s birthday, and both he and your mother have always disliked the way you dress. Why deliberately dress in a way that displeases them?”
“Not at all.”
Feng Rong waved the folding fan in her hand and struck a theatrical pose.
“I dressed like this because I’m putting on a performance of their favorite opera, The Flower Drum, for my old man.”
Gao Zhi burst out laughing.
“So you dressed like this to perform for Old Master Shen? Then why are you still standing here?”
Just as she finished speaking, another warm male voice came from behind her.
“Rong’er, the stage is waiting for you.”
Gao Zhi turned around. When she saw that familiar handsome face, it truly felt as though an entire lifetime had passed.
“Shen Xi.”
The tall, refined young man bowed to her.
“Princess Consort.”
“You’re being so formal with me?”
Other than Wen He, Shen Xi had been one of the people who had helped her the most at the academy. In her previous life, when all the Shen family men had died, she had mourned them for a long time. She had even burned paper offerings for Shen Xi.
Now that she was seeing him alive and well before her eyes, she couldn’t help feeling a pang of sympathy.
Shen Xi was Shen Zhong’s eldest son and served as the Commander of the Capital Infantry Forces. Outsiders respectfully called him Commander Shen. After his father died because of the serious charges against him, the Shen family was nearly wiped out within half a year.
The affair had caused a tremendous uproar. At the time, even Gao Zhi couldn’t determine whether Shen Zhong, who had always been praised for his loyalty and integrity, had truly committed corruption.
It wasn’t until Shen Xi’s younger sister, Shen Qing, entered the Eastern Palace, pretending to curry favor with the Crown Prince and flattering him with gifts, that the truth finally came to light.
The seemingly delicate young woman ultimately exposed the truth: Shen Zhong’s alleged corruption had been fabricated by the Crown Prince.
The case was finally overturned.
As a result, all of the Crown Prince’s evil deeds were exposed, and he was stripped of his position as heir.
“Gao Zhi.”
Shen Xi concealed the melancholy in his eyes.
“I was accompanying Rong’er to the ancestral home earlier, so I couldn’t make it to your wedding. In a few days, I’ll definitely send you a generous wedding gift as an apology.”
“Why are you being so formal with me? We’re old classmates and friends.”
Gao Zhi smiled. Determined that the Shen family would not suffer the same fate in this lifetime, she suppressed the worry in her heart and said,
“Old Master Shen is still waiting for you two. Go on.”
After the two left, the smile on Gao Zhi’s face gradually faded.
She simply hadn’t expected that before one problem was settled, another would already arise.
“I was wondering who was over here. I could see that aura of bad luck from a distance.”
Walking over with Jiang Tou were the several noble young ladies who had previously forced Gao Zhi to kneel at Heyun Teahouse.
Zou Hao, who also came from a military family, had been rather cold toward Gao Zhi ever since the group became acquainted. In her previous life, Gao Zhi had never understood why. It was only after she became a spirit and followed Feng Che that she learned the truth.
Zou Hao had been secretly in love with Feng Che since she was young.
She had remained unmarried until the age of twenty because she was obsessed with Feng Che. She had approached him repeatedly and had even gone so far as to scheme her way into his bed.
Naturally, she failed in the end.
Cang Zhu had tied her up and thrown her out of the Prince’s residence with her clothes in disarray.
Her reputation was ruined because of it, and later, the Zou family ended her life with a white silk cord.
Looking at the young and beautiful face before her, Gao Zhi couldn’t help feeling regret and disgust.
She regretted the loss of a life, but she despised the woman’s inability to recognize boundaries and her utter foolishness.
Back when she and Feng Che were engaged, Zou Hao had naturally disliked her.
Now that the two were married, that hostility had only grown stronger.
“Sister Zou, A-Zhi is the Princess Consort of Prince Huai’an now. You can’t speak to her like that anymore.”
Jiang Tou held Zou Hao back.
Shi Zhen, however, scoffed from the side.
“What’s so impressive about being the Princess Consort? Didn’t you see how Prince Huai’an practically ignored her just now?
“Does she really think that having a pretty face means she can make the Prince fall head over heels for her?”
Zou Hao’s expression darkened even further.
“The Prince isn’t some shallow fool who lusts after beauty. Gao Zhi, if I were you, I’d know my place. Since you’ve clearly married above your station, you should wisely separate from the Prince as soon as possible.”
“Separate?”
Gao Zhi laughed.
“To give you my place?”
Zou Hao froze for a moment before immediately snapping,
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Don’t argue with her.”
Dou Xiang’er remembered that her father was only a minor Imperial Academy official and didn’t dare get involved in a quarrel. She urged them,
“We’ve already finished the banquet. Why don’t we leave first, before more rumors start spreading?”
Her words only made Zou Hao even angrier.
“Do you really think I’m afraid of her?”
Looking at Gao Zhi’s delicate, radiant face, Zou Hao felt increasingly indignant. She stepped closer.
“Last time, you forced Jiang Tou to kneel for you at the teahouse and spread rumors about her. Today, you should kneel before Jiang Tou and apologize.”
Gao Zhi raised an eyebrow.
There was no one else around, which was why Zou Hao dared to demand that she kneel and apologize.
“Zou Hao, your father is a third-rank Champion General, while I am the Princess Consort of a first-rank prince. Even your father has to bow and salute when he sees me.”
Gao Zhi tilted her head, barely able to suppress her amusement.
“You want me to kneel before you? Go home and ask your father whether he dares accept even a single bow from me.”
Zou Hao clenched her fists.
“Everything you have now was merely bestowed upon you by the Prince. What do you…”
“I, Gao Zhi, have knowledge, family background, beauty, exceptional martial skills, and intelligence.”
Gao Zhi smiled faintly.
“First, I don’t covet my husband’s wealth. Second, I don’t seek my husband’s family’s power. I don’t even care about his reputation or status.”
Zou Hao fell silent.
“What I have, you will never be able to match, and you’ll never be able to take it away from me.”
Gao Zhi smiled politely.
“You’re provoking me.”
Zou Hao took a deep breath, her body trembling uncontrollably. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the muddy pond behind Gao Zhi, and a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
“Jiang Tou has suffered so much because of you. As her best friend, I absolutely won’t allow you to bully her like this.”
Zou Hao twisted her lips and threatened,
“If you refuse to kneel and apologize today, I don’t mind making sure that your beautiful, dignified appearance is ruined in front of everyone.”
“From the sound of it, Miss Zou wants to fight me?”
Zou Hao also came from a military family and had learned some martial arts from a young age. Although she couldn’t match a man, she believed that someone like Gao Zhi, who was only mediocre at martial arts, was no match for her.
“If I want to fight you, what can you do about it?”
Zou Hao sneered disdainfully.
“Gao Zhi, if you know what’s good for you, kneel and apologize now. For the sake of our past friendship, I won’t make things difficult for you.”
“And if I don’t?”
Gao Zhi looked up.
“What are you going to do?”
When she had just bid farewell to Madam Xiao, she had heard that everyone would return in about fifteen minutes. She could simply wait here until then.
Since Zou Hao insisted on delivering herself into her hands, Gao Zhi couldn’t be blamed for showing no mercy.
“No matter what I do, you don’t even have anyone to help you right now. You’re going to suffer.”
Hearing the young woman’s threat, Gao Zhi only found it amusing. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Jiang Tou, whose brows were faintly furrowed.
It seemed the real protagonist of this little drama had no intention of making things too big…
“Sister Zou.”
Jiang Tou tugged at her sleeve.
“Today is the Shen family’s banquet. Noble Consort Shen is here in person, and the Princess is here too. We shouldn’t make too much trouble…”
With a sharp snap, Zou Hao yanked her sleeve free.
“What are you afraid of? I didn’t ask you to do anything. I’m only standing up for you.”
A trace of ridicule flashed through Jiang Tou’s eyes.
His Majesty had been keeping a close eye on her lately, and with Noble Consort Shen watching, she had no intention of causing trouble.
Zou Hao was simply too foolish.
But that was fine.
With Zou Hao taking the lead, Jiang Tou could stay out of sight.
“A-Zhi, you should still apologize to Sister Zou.”
Jiang Tou’s beautiful eyes were filled with concern.
Gao Zhi scoffed.
“Jiang Tou, since you’re so worried about me, why don’t you kneel before Zou Hao and apologize on my behalf?”
“Arrogant!”
Zou Hao finally lost her patience and swung her palm toward Gao Zhi.
She hadn’t actually intended to strike Gao Zhi.
She merely wanted to send her into the pond for a bath, so that Prince Huai’an and the guests could see what this Princess Consort looked like when she was covered in mud and completely humiliated.
There was no one else around.
Who could prove that she had pushed Gao Zhi into the pond?
Everything went exactly as Zou Hao had expected. Gao Zhi took her palm strike and staggered backward toward the muddy pond.
“Splash—”
“Ah!”
The women were walking back with Madam Xiao when they suddenly heard a scream from a distance.
“It sounds like someone fell into the mud pond.”
One of the noble young ladies said.
Madam Xiao frowned, worried that the birthday banquet would be ruined. She hurriedly led everyone over.
“Gao Zhi, you…”
Shi Zhen stared in shock at Gao Zhi, who was standing perfectly fine at the edge of the pond. She was calmly removing the jade hairpin and golden hair ornaments from her head and tossing them onto the ground, leaving her hair loose and disheveled.
The muddy pond was only waist-deep, but Zou Hao had just been kicked hard by Gao Zhi. The pain in her hand was so severe that it felt as though her bones had broken, leaving her unable to lift it. In her panic, she had swallowed quite a bit of muddy water.
“Help… help!”
“Gao Zhi, how could you kick Zou Hao into the pond?”
Dou Xiang’er covered her mouth in astonishment. She didn’t dare step forward to rescue Zou Hao, afraid of angering this tomboy.
“When did I kick her?”
Gao Zhi raised an eyebrow, her clear eyes filled with nothing but confusion. At the same time, she deliberately rumpled her sleeves and clothes a little more.
“She clearly tried to hit me just now, but she lost her balance and fell into the pond herself.”
“We all saw it…”
Shi Zhen hadn’t finished speaking when Gao Zhi’s cold gaze landed on her. She couldn’t help swallowing nervously.
Hearing the sound of hurried footsteps approaching, Gao Zhi turned back toward Zou Hao struggling in the pond and smiled faintly.
“Miss Zou, didn’t you want to see the Princess Consort looking disheveled and humiliated? I’m simply helping you out.”
Zou Hao had finally managed to stand steadily in the mud, but she suddenly sensed that something was wrong. Gao Zhi, who had been standing perfectly upright just moments ago, suddenly collapsed to the ground as though her bones had turned to jelly, letting out a cry.
“Help—!”
“?”
Zou Hao was dumbfounded.
Damn it, I haven’t even shouted for help yet!
“What are you shouting for?”
Shi Zhen immediately grabbed Dou Xiang’er and rushed forward, trying to help Gao Zhi up.
“Did someone hurt you or something?”
Dou Xiang’er was terrified that Gao Zhi’s cries would attract people, so she hurriedly grabbed Gao Zhi’s other arm to help her up.
Jiang Tou watched helplessly as the crowd came rushing over and inwardly cried out that things had gone wrong. She had hinted several times, but Shi Zhen and Dou Xiang’er completely ignored her, too anxious to get Gao Zhi back on her feet.
“What happened here?”
When a middle-aged man’s voice rang out, Gao Zhi looked up in slight surprise from between the arms of the two women pulling her up.
It wasn’t just Madam Xiao and the female guests who had returned. The male guests had come as well.
“Sweetheart!”
Feng Rong anxiously shoved her maternal uncle, Shen Zhong, aside, then kicked Dou Xiang’er and Shi Zhen away one after another before rushing over with Shen Xi.
“Are you all right? How did you end up like this? Did they fight you?”
Seeing the anger blazing in Feng Rong’s eyes, Gao Zhi gave her a subtle look. Feng Rong immediately understood and relaxed.
“You actually dared to hit the Princess Consort?”
Feng Rong’s voice rang out loudly as she questioned them.
Shen Xi hadn’t missed the interaction between the two young women just now. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a wheelchair approaching and quietly stepped back into the crowd.
“When did we hit her?”
Shi Zhen rubbed the spot where Feng Rong had kicked her. She was utterly shocked by Gao Zhi’s accusation.
“She was the one who attacked first!”
Feng Che’s gaze fell upon Gao Zhi’s disheveled collar, and dark currents stirred deep within his eyes.
“Your Highness, you must give your servant justice.”
Zou Hao wiped the muddy water from her face and began crying, her tears falling like pear blossoms in the rain.