The kiss was gentle at first, carrying the shyness of a young girl.
But Xie Yanzhao was clearly not satisfied with that. He held the back of her head with one hand and deepened the kiss.
Only when Shen Tinghe was almost out of breath did he finally let her go, still reluctant to stop. Looking at her watery eyes and slightly swollen lips, his eyes were filled with amusement.
Xie Yanzhao carefully straightened her slightly disheveled dress and tidied the loose strands of hair by her temples. Only then did he call out toward the outside, “Come in.”
His voice had returned to its usual coolness and authority, as though the man who had just been lost in tenderness had merely been an illusion.
Only then did Wang Xude push open the door and enter.
As soon as he stepped into the study, he saw the Crown Prince, Xie Yanzhao, sitting upright in the spacious redwood chair, calmly handling the official documents on the desk.
Miss Shen stood quietly beside His Highness, holding an ink stick and grinding ink for him.
However, there was still a faint flush lingering around the corners of her eyes and brows, making her look as though she had been crying.
“What is it?” Xie Yanzhao raised his eyes and looked at Wang Xude, his tone revealing neither anger nor happiness.
Wang Xude glanced at Shen Tinghe beside him, seemingly hesitant. He spoke uncertainly, “This…”
Xie Yanzhao said, “Speak.”
“Yes.” Wang Xude composed himself and said solemnly,
“Your Highness, the legitimate son of Prince Qi raped and murdered a woman in Xingzhou. The woman’s father is a well-known upright official in Xingzhou. He has traveled all the way to the capital to appeal the case and seek justice for his daughter. This humble official is too foolish to know how the case should be judged, so I have come specifically to seek Your Highness’s instructions.”
The moment the words “raped and murdered” were spoken, Shen Tinghe’s hand tightened abruptly around the ink stick, and she pressed down harder as well. Black ink rippled outward in circles across the inkstone.
Her brows knitted tightly together, and a trace of anger and pity flashed unmistakably in her eyes.
Xie Yanzhao noticed her subtle reaction. He took her hand, his palm conveying a reassuring warmth.
He looked up at Wang Xude, his thin lips parting as his voice turned cold as ice.
“Over these past two years, Imperial Uncle has become increasingly brazen.”
“Handle it according to the law. There is no need for consideration.”
The matter had already caused quite a stir. Handling it according to the law would not only appease the public and increase the Crown Prince’s prestige among the people, but also give him an opportunity to suppress the increasingly arrogant Prince Qi.
He was not like his imperial father. He did not have so many reservations about showing mercy.
“Who is the person who came to the capital to file the accusation?” Xie Yanzhao asked.
Wang Xude replied, “Xingzhou’s Sima, Lin Qizhang.”
“Have him remain in the capital. There is no need for him to return,” Xie Yanzhao ordered indifferently.
“Yes.”
Wang Xude understood immediately. His Highness intended to keep Lord Lin in the capital and appoint him to an official position.
It was both a small consolation and a form of protection.
After all, if Lin Qizhang returned to Xingzhou, given Prince Qi’s ruthlessness, he would probably not survive.
Having received his instructions, Wang Xude bowed and withdrew.
As soon as the study door closed, Shen Tinghe dropped the ink stick in her hand. It landed on the inkstone with a dull “thud,” splashing a few drops of ink.
“It’s so unfair!” she said through gritted teeth, her voice filled with grievance and indignation.
Seeing this, Xie Yanzhao was not angry at all. Instead, he reached out and pulled her toward him, letting her sit on his lap.
One arm wrapped around her waist while his other hand gently stroked her long hair. His voice carried a hint of helplessness.
“Have I not already ordered them to handle it according to the law? Why are you still so angry?”
Shen Tinghe looked at him.
“It was clearly Prince Qi’s son who was at fault, yet because of his identity, they still had to come to the palace and seek your instructions before he could be punished. If that poor father hadn’t risked his life to seek justice for his daughter, the villain might have gotten away with it.”
The implication was clear: If Lin Qizhang had not made such a huge commotion, Xie Yanzhao might have considered other factors and might not have ordered the case to be handled strictly according to the law.
Xie Yanzhao raised an eyebrow, his tone neither harsh nor gentle.
“Impertinent.”
Shen Tinghe immediately wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck.
“Don’t scold me!”
Xie Yanzhao had not actually been angry in the first place. This little girl had done things far more outrageous in front of him before.
He gently patted her back, patiently soothing and teaching her.
“Yuanyuan, there has never been absolute fairness in this world. Those with power and influence can easily determine the fates of many people. Their lives, deaths, fortunes, and misfortunes can often depend on a single word from us.”
“The higher one’s position, the more things one has to consider. The authority in our hands does not give us the right to act however we please, nor does it mean we can simply show kindness on a whim. Many times, we have to put the greater picture first.”
He raised a hand and gently caressed her face, his tone solemn yet tender.
“My darling is a kind-hearted girl. That is a good thing. But remember, kindness needs to have an edge to it. Otherwise, people will only take advantage of you. I promise you, I will make sure the guilty person receives the punishment he deserves. I will give Lin Qizhang, and that poor woman, an answer.”
Shen Tinghe knew that what he said was right, but she still felt a heaviness in her heart.
Whenever she thought of the suffering endured by that woman she had never even met, she felt a surge of sorrow and anger.
Rape and murder those were the cruelest and most hateful things she could imagine.
She had been born into a prestigious family. Although she was not an ignorant or sheltered young lady, she had nevertheless been well protected by her family. She had never before experienced so directly the helplessness and despair of ordinary people when faced with those who wielded overwhelming power.
“Brother, I just… I just feel so angry and so sad.”
She buried her face even deeper, drawing warmth and strength from him.
Holding her in his arms, Xie Yanzhao repeatedly pressed gentle kisses onto her cheeks and forehead, silently comforting her.
He knew that his darling still had a lot of growing to do.
He would slowly teach her teach her how to preserve her true nature amid the unpredictable and treacherous imperial court, teach her how to become a Crown Princess who could stand beside him as his equal, and one day, the future Empress.
When Shen Tinghe returned to the residence, she did not go back to her own courtyard. Instead, she headed toward Mingzhan Courtyard, located in a secluded part of the estate.
This was the residence of her grandfather, Ding Shan Wang Shen Jun.
Prince Ding Shan usually kept a low profile and rarely appeared in public. Except during major festivals and celebrations, very few people had the opportunity to see him.
Shen Tinghe would occasionally come here to accompany her grandfather in a game of chess.
Beneath the pavilion in the courtyard, a chessboard was laid out on a stone table.
Shen Tinghe held the white pieces while Shen Jun held the black. Amid the interweaving black and white pieces, a complicated game had already taken shape.
Shen Tinghe held a smooth white chess piece between her fingertips, hovering above the board, her brows slightly furrowed.
“If your mind is unsettled, you cannot play chess well.”
Shen Jun’s voice was not loud, but it carried a steady calmness that seemed to see straight through to the heart.
He rolled a black chess piece between his fingers without putting it down, simply gazing quietly at his granddaughter.
Hearing this, Shen Tinghe gently placed the white piece down and sighed.
She looked at her grandfather and told him about the incident involving Prince Qi’s son.
“If His Majesty had not indulged him all these years, Prince Qi… would never have become so arrogant.”
Shen Jun lifted the celadon teacup from the stone table and took a leisurely sip. His voice remained calm and emotionless.
“A-Yuan, watch your words.”
Shen Tinghe replied, “I only dare to say such things when I’m in front of Grandfather.”
Shen Jun put down his teacup and smiled faintly, but his gaze drifted toward the distance.