Chapter 056: Impure Intentions

Shen Zhiyi knew about the relationship between Yan Lin and Jiang Xuening. After all, when Yan Lin was selected as a companion reader, he specifically told her, and she had teased him about it for a long time.

Now, he was directly distancing himself from Ningning?

Seeing their expressions, she felt confused and inexplicably angry, feeling it was unfair to Jiang Xuening. She stepped forward, ready to confront him: “Yan Lin, you—”

“Your Highness, the Princess.”

Yan Lin was already feeling bad, and Jiang Xuening, fearing Shen Zhiyi might say something to embarrass him further, quickly reached out and gently pulled her back, smiling reassuringly.

“Prince Yanping is young and just made a casual joke. It’s no big deal.”

“But I wasn’t talking about—”

Not about Prince Yanping.

Shen Zhiyi stopped when Jiang Xuening pulled her, and just as she was about to argue, she saw a sincere plea in Jiang Xuening’s seemingly calm eyes. Although she couldn’t understand why, she couldn’t bring herself to voice her questions.

After all, she didn’t know what had happened between them.

So, she put on a stern face and followed Jiang Xuening’s lead, scolding Prince Yanping, “If you talk nonsense again, see how I report you to my brother!”

“……”

Prince Yanping was utterly stunned.

Even as Shen Zhiyi pulled Jiang Xuening away with the others, he couldn’t understand how a single sentence, which wasn’t even a joke, had gotten him scolded so harshly.

But Princess Leyang was always domineering, and he didn’t dare to retort.

Watching them leave, he muttered, “Really, what’s going on? What does it have to do with me?”

Yan Lin said nothing, lowering his eyes as he walked forward.

The others walking with him didn’t notice his unusual behavior. Although they felt Yan Lin had been more silent lately, he seemed more composed and mature, shedding his youthful naivety and gaining a sense of worldly wisdom.

So, they all assumed his upcoming coming-of-age ceremony had changed him and didn’t think much of it.

Although Prince Yanping was puzzled about Yan Lin’s relationship with Jiang Xuening, he couldn’t ask in front of everyone. He just lowered his head and followed them to Fengchen Hall.

Xie Wei was still in the side hall, staring at the spot where the little white cat had stepped, his long eyebrows slightly furrowed as if pondering something troublesome.

However, when the group was announced and entered, his expression was as usual.

With an ink line stretched between his fingers, he turned and immediately saw Yan Lin standing next to Prince Yanping. He asked, “Why are you all here?”

No one spoke.

Someone from behind kicked Prince Yanping.

Prince Yanping stumbled forward a few steps, blushing as he came into Xie Wei’s view. He shyly said, “I… I listened to your lecture on strategy a few days ago, and my father asked me to write an essay on ‘Advancing in Studies.’ I’ve been burning the midnight oil for the past two days and managed to put something together. I don’t know if it’s any good and wanted to ask you to review it before showing it to my father.”

Everyone behind him laughed quietly.

Prince Yanping was annoyed: “What’s so funny! Today it’s me, tomorrow it could be you!”

Yan Lin also smiled slightly.

But after smiling, the sadness didn’t dissipate; it deepened. He should have been like Prince Yanping, a bit reckless with youthful ignorance, but now he couldn’t.

Xie Wei immediately understood that Prince Yanping was afraid of being scolded for a poorly written essay, so he smiled kindly and said, “Prince Yanping, your studies have been excellent these past few months, among the best of your peers. Even if there are some shortcomings in your essay, I’m sure your father won’t mind. But since you’ve come to ask, I’m curious to see your progress. However, Fengchen Hall is a place for the Princess’s studies, and it’s inconvenient for so many of you to be here. Let’s go to Wenyuan Pavilion instead.”

Everyone agreed.

Prince Yanping’s face lit up with joy, and he repeatedly said, “Thank you, sir.”

Xie Wei casually put down the ink line in his hand and said he needed to tidy up the side hall a bit before leaving, asking them to go to Wenyuan Pavilion first, and he would join them shortly.

The group left, laughing and joking.

But as they reached the door, Xie Wei called out, “I have some wood for making zithers that I no longer need. Could I ask Young Master Yan to stay and help move it?”

Yan Lin was startled and stopped in his tracks, instinctively replying, “I am at your service, sir.”

The others glanced back but didn’t think much of it, bidding Yan Lin farewell before leaving.

However, as Yan Lin re-entered the hall, he suddenly thought: The young eunuch was standing right outside the hall. He had heard that the wood for Xie Wei’s zither was specially selected by the Internal Affairs Office. It would be most appropriate to have the young eunuch return the unused wood to the Internal Affairs Office. Why did Xie Wei specifically ask him to help move it?

Xie Wei, without showing any emotion, pointed to two pieces of beech wood in the corner of the long table and said, “These two pieces are not needed. Please help move them, Young Master Yan.”

Yan Lin walked forward.

But as he passed by the zither table, he immediately recognized the zither on it as the one he had given to Jiang Xuening. His heart ached, and his steps faltered.

Xie Wei’s gaze also fell on the zither table, and he said, “Miss Jiang, although a bit mischievous and not particularly outstanding in her studies, is quite obedient in front of me and willing to endure and study. She just left after learning the zither. You can be a little more at ease about her, Young Master Yan.”

At that time, he didn’t know that the Marquis of Yongyi’s residence was about to face trouble.

So, thinking about Ningning entering the palace as a companion reader, he was happy but also worried she might not pass the selection. He had secretly asked Master Xie to take extra care of her after a lecture at Wenyuan Pavilion.

But now…

He had sent Ningning into this hellish place, and the coming days might not allow him to protect her.

Seeing the zither made Yan Lin feel sad, but hearing Xie Wei’s words made him somewhat happy. He couldn’t tell if the taste spreading on his tongue was sweet or bitter, so he smiled faintly and said, “If it were that easy to be at ease, it would be simple.”

He stepped forward to move the two pieces of beech wood.

Xie Wei looked at the young man’s somewhat silent back, lowered his eyelids, and his eyes darkened with a hint of confusion. After a long time, he spoke in a usual manner, “I didn’t see your father at the morning court today. I heard he was ill. Is it serious?”

Yan Lin once again felt that odd sensation but still replied, “It rained a few days ago, and my father drank a lot. His old wounds from the battlefield flared up, causing some pain, so he didn’t attend court. But it’s nothing serious.”

Xie Wei nodded and said, “You have something on your mind.” Yan Lin’s heart tightened, unsure of what he meant.

Xie Wei picked up a zither bag and placed the zither Jiang Xuening had left behind into it, hanging it on the east wall of the side hall along with his own zither.

With his back turned, Yan Lin couldn’t see his expression.

He could only hear Xie Wei’s voice, calm yet with a slight undercurrent, “A teacher imparts knowledge and resolves doubts. I was clumsy at learning the zither in my youth, but thanks to my teacher’s careful guidance, I have never forgotten his teachings. ‘Dripping water wears through stone, gathering sand forms a tower.’ It took me twenty-three years to achieve a small success. Young Master Yan is extremely intelligent and grasps things quickly, but even sages have doubts. It’s natural for you to have doubts. If you trust me, come to me like Prince Yanping in the future.”

“……”

Yan Lin’s pupils contracted as he stared at him.

Xie Wei turned around and smiled faintly at him, “Let’s go. They’ve been waiting for a while.”

After parting ways with Yan Lin and the others, Jiang Xuening and her group returned to Yangzhi Zhai. Shen Zhiyi couldn’t help but pull her aside to sit down and ask her privately what was going on with Yan Lin.

Jiang Xuening couldn’t say a word.

Seeing her like this, Shen Zhiyi was anxious and somewhat frustrated, but after a long time of trying, she couldn’t get a single word out of her. She finally said, “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk now. Just make sure to tell me when you do. If Yan Lin bullied you, I will definitely make him pay!”

Jiang Xuening, helpless, could only thank her for her kindness. After much effort, she finally managed to send Shen Zhiyi away.

But Shen Zhiyi left in a huff.

After sitting in Jiang Xuening’s room for a while and seeing how simply it was furnished, she went out and scolded the palace maids, “How are you serving her? The warm bed isn’t heated, the vases aren’t filled, the brocade stools are too hard, and there’s not a single pleasing decoration. This doesn’t look like a young lady’s boudoir at all! Report this to me, and replace everything with new ones! Tell those who serve based on status that if I see such shabbiness again, they’ll be in big trouble!”

The palace maids were terrified.

When this reached the ears of the stewardess, eunuchs, and the Internal Affairs Office, they were even more distressed, crying out in grievance.

Who didn’t know that Miss Jiang was the favorite companion reader chosen by the Princess?

No one dared to mistreat her.

But they were here to be companion readers, not to enjoy luxury. It wouldn’t make sense to treat them too well, as there was no precedent for pampering companion readers in any dynasty.

The Princess’s words nearly drove them to despair.

But by the early afternoon, a steady stream of new items flowed from the Internal Affairs Office, and the steward eunuch, with a face beaming like it was smeared with honey, said to Jiang Xuening, “The Princess ordered us to furnish Miss Jiang’s room properly. We didn’t dare to be careless. Everything, including the bedding, has been replaced with the best. Please take a look.”

In Yangzhi Zhai, everyone was discussing their encounter with Yan Lin.

If the two were close and Yan Lin was about to come of age, they could soon talk about marriage. There was no need to hide their relationship, and a few teasing remarks wouldn’t matter. Everyone was wary of Jiang Xuening because they guessed that the Jiang family and the Marquis of Yongyi’s family had secretly arranged a marriage.

But unexpectedly, Yan Lin had denied it himself.

This was different from what everyone initially thought.

Most people couldn’t stand to see others doing well and preferred to kick someone when they were down rather than help them. Especially someone as conspicuous and enviable as Jiang Xuening.

In private, people couldn’t help but make snide remarks over tea.

Some even openly showed schadenfreude.

But before they could enjoy it for two hours, the Internal Affairs Office sent various items specifically for Jiang Xuening, and the steward eunuch’s fawning attitude slapped them in the face.

Their mocking words were cut short, and they all fell silent.

Their hearts were filled with jealousy as they watched the people bustling around in Jiang Xuening’s room.

Jiang Xuening could guess that the group wouldn’t say anything good about her. But Yan Lin distancing himself from her and the impending trouble for the Marquis of Yongyi’s residence were all expected. She had faced worse situations in her previous life, so compared to the initial panic she felt back then, she now had a calm and composed demeanor.

In her previous life, without Yan Lin, she had Shen Jie;

In this life, without Yan Lin, she still had Shen Zhiyi.

She didn’t know how she had formed such deep connections with the royal family, but it was hard to shake off now, so she accepted the affection with a calm heart.

As the palace servants were arranging her room, she found it boring to sit and watch, and they felt uncomfortable too. So, she left her room and walked along the palace path outside Yangzhi Zhai.

After a few steps, she could see the glittering glazed tiles of Kunning Palace.

This reminded her of Zheng Bao.

Having Shen Zhiyi wasn’t enough. The upper echelons couldn’t see the filth and grime at the bottom, so having someone below was ideal.

She wondered if Zheng Bao, who was saved by Shen Jie in her previous life and by her in this one, would make the same choices.

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Jiang Xuening stopped walking.

She couldn’t go any further.

As a new companion reader, especially after the incident at Kunning Palace, everyone in the palace walked with their heads down. If she wandered around and caused trouble, no one could save her.

So, she turned to go back.

But as soon as she turned, she saw a tall figure in a dark blue eunuch’s uniform walking from the direction of Kunning Palace. His skin was fair, his features delicate, and although his face still bore some healing scars, he looked much better than when he was punished yesterday.

Jiang Xuening recognized him immediately.

But before she could speak, Zheng Bao spoke first, “Zheng Bao greets Miss Jiang. Thank you for speaking up for me yesterday.”

He must have entered the palace at a young age, as his voice had a slight, gentle tone. When he saw Jiang Xuening, his eyes softened, like a lake thawing under the spring sun, warm and inviting.

Jiang Xuening knew he was meticulous.

In her previous life, he was Shen Jie’s right-hand man. He could think of the details Shen Jie could, and if Shen Jie missed something, he would know. But he never showed his abilities in front of others, just quietly did his work.

Thus, few people noticed him.

As the empress, she knew who Shen Jie trusted most; having witnessed Zheng Bao’s choices, she knew the fierce loyalty and passion beneath his gentle exterior, willing to risk his life for what he believed in.

Shen Jie saved him out of pure kindness;

But her reasons for saving him were not so pure.

Jiang Xuening didn’t know if he had come specifically to find her or if it was a coincidence, but it didn’t matter. She looked at him for a moment and said, “But my reasons for saving you were not pure.”

Zheng Bao was taken aback.

He had been thinking about repaying the favor, as there were so few who would help in the palace. He had tossed and turned on his narrow, hard bed last night, unable to sleep.

But he never expected such a response from the young lady in front of him.