Chapter 069: Deep Affection

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“Big thanks to Arya, Etin, and Julia for your contributions. This chapter is specially dedicated to you. Enjoy the read!”

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He wants to break off the engagement.

He doesn’t like Yao Xi.

These two sentences suddenly surfaced from the depths of Jiang Xuening’s mind, like two stones dropping into her heart, shattering her forced calm and bringing boundless joy and excitement.

There was no need for any more concerns.

Because it was Zhang Zhe himself who didn’t like Yao Xi, it was Zhang Zhe himself who wanted to break off the engagement, and she had a clear conscience in this matter, having used no underhanded means. She still kept her promise from the previous life and wasn’t a bad person.

Jiang Xuening’s heart raced.

After saying those two words, Zhang Zhe thanked her and bid farewell, turning to walk down the long palace path.

The bright moon in the sky dimmed.

But the starlight became even more brilliant.

Despite the deep palace being shrouded in night and filled with unpredictable dangers, Jiang Xuening felt that the entire sky’s brilliance was draped over him, and she wanted nothing more than to become one of those lights, illuminating his rugged path.

Ahead, Chen Ying was waiting for him.

The young eunuch holding the lantern bowed his head.

Zhang Zhe’s figure gradually approached.

Jiang Xuening felt that if she stood there watching for too long, it would be too conspicuous, so she turned and walked back.

As she turned, a smile spread across her lips.

Despite the near-death crisis she had faced in just a few hours tonight, in this rare moment of peace, she didn’t want to think too much. She just wanted to bask in this joy, even if only for a moment.

Her steps became lighter.

As she turned the corner ahead, she couldn’t help but playfully jump forward.

“Ah!”

A startled cry came from around the corner.

The young eunuch holding the lantern shook it and instinctively said, “How dare you bump into the Grand Tutor!”

“……”

Jiang Xuening looked up and saw Xie Wei standing in front of her. He seemed surprised to see someone jump out from the corner, but when he saw it was her, his brows furrowed deeply.

She suddenly felt stiff all over.

Xie Wei turned his head and looked past her down the path she had come from.

At the end of the path, Chen Ying and Zhang Zhe had just reached the end.

In no time, their figures disappeared.

But Xie Wei, thinking for a moment, knew that the only external officials leaving the inner palace at this hour could only be Chen and Zhang from the Ministry of Justice. Seeing Jiang Xuening’s elated demeanor, it was hard to believe she had just been framed and narrowly escaped.

Jiang Xuening felt inexplicably nervous. She slowly stood up straight, as if she hadn’t just jumped in front of someone, and respectfully greeted Xie Wei, “Good evening, Master Xie.”

Xie Wei looked at her quietly, “Are you really that happy?”

Jiang Xuening felt a chill down her spine.

Xie Wei took the lantern from the young eunuch beside him and waved him away before saying, “If I were you, having just been framed and narrowly escaped with my life, I wouldn’t be able to laugh.”

Here comes another lecture.

Jiang Xuening could tell he was displeased. She thought to herself that the little joy she could find in this palace was fleeting, and couldn’t she be allowed to be happy for a moment? She wanted to retort but knew her situation was already difficult. Offending him further would make things even worse.

So she lowered her eyes and said nothing.

Xie Wei walked ahead with the lantern and asked, “How was it in Kunning Palace today? Did you find out who wanted to harm you?”

Jiang Xuening was a bit stunned.

Xie Wei turned to see her still standing there and frowned even more deeply, “Don’t you know to follow?”

Jiang Xuening said, “But I don’t take this path.”

Xie Wei replied, “Yangzhi Zhai and the palace exit are in the same direction. Are you coming or not?”

Jiang Xuening shrank her neck and finally realized: This was Xie Wei. If he walked ahead with a lantern and told her to follow, she had to follow. Not listening would be asking for trouble.

She lowered her head and followed.

Xie Wei felt a bit more at ease and asked as they walked, “Any clues?”

The joy Jiang Xuening had felt from seeing Zhang Zhe was almost completely destroyed by this person. As her mind cooled, she began to feel the winter night’s chill seeping into her bones.

Reflecting on the events in Kunning Palace, she was silent for a moment.

Then she slowly said, “It was found that a young palace maid was behind it, but the Empress Dowager said it was too late to deal with it outside the palace gates. The emperor ordered her to be taken to the Department of Punishments for interrogation. I don’t know if they will get any results.”

Xie Wei lowered his eyes, a cold and deep look in them, and asked, “Don’t you suspect anyone?”

Jiang Xuening replied, “I’m still thinking.”

Xie Wei hadn’t expected that during these turbulent times, he would not only have to deal with external matters but also that this person inside the palace had no means of self-protection. The more he thought about it, the more it weighed on him. “Think carefully,” he said. Jiang Xuening then said, “I have suspects, but no concrete evidence.”

Xie Wei said, “Not everything requires evidence.”

Jiang Xuening thought about it and agreed, “Focusing too much on whether details are reasonable can sometimes make one overlook the bigger picture. Those at the foot of the mountain and those at the peak have very different perspectives.”

Xie Wei said, “That makes sense to me.”

Jiang Xuening thought, of course it does.

She remembered that in her previous life, she had overheard Xie Wei saying this to other ministers outside the main hall of the palace. It had left a deep impression on her, and she had remembered it for a long time.

He was bound to agree with his own words.

But as Jiang Xuening thought about her suspicions, her face clouded over, and she slowly said, “I thought she wouldn’t use such simple and crude methods, but maybe that’s exactly why she did it, to act contrary to her usual behavior. After all, until now, I thought she wouldn’t be so unwise. However, looking at the bigger picture, the Empress Dowager’s attitude is ambiguous. This person has the ability to bribe palace maids, learn the full details of those four rebellious statements, and prepare in advance. This couldn’t have been done just after Wang Quan’s raid. She must have known long before, which is why she could act so calmly today.”

Xie Wei then asked, “What will you do?”

Although he could protect her in secret as he did today, he couldn’t always be there. If Ning’er had no means of self-protection, she would be like a caged bird, which was not good.

Jiang Xuening didn’t know why, but she felt that Xie Wei’s questions tonight seemed to be testing her. However, it wasn’t the time to think too much about it, so she simply answered, “I haven’t done anything to wrong anyone. Whoever wants to harm me can’t stand to see me doing well. So I will live even better, to make them uncomfortable. And it’s not like I don’t have ways to deal with her. If I don’t retaliate, she might think I’m easy to bully. Since she dared to make me unhappy today, I will make sure she can’t sit or sleep peacefully in the future.”

Her words were steady.

It seemed she had made up her mind.

Xie Wei couldn’t help but look back at her.

The dim light of the lantern in his hand fell on her face, highlighting her bright and beautiful features. But she lowered her eyes, her lips set in a straight line, with an inexplicable indifference. He then realized that her earlier joy and light-heartedness, even the slight shyness, were gone.

He understood that his appearance had ruined everything.

Xie Wei felt that he had been too harsh and softened his tone, asking her, “Why did you take this path just now?”

Jiang Xuening responded with an “Oh,” and then, thinking of Zhang Zhe, her expression softened. She said, “Minister Chen and Lord Zhang took this path. I was able to escape danger thanks to Lord Zhang’s investigation, so I came to thank him.”

Although it was somewhat improper, she wasn’t afraid at that moment.

It was just a thought she couldn’t suppress.

Seeing her expression, Xie Wei suddenly stopped, “Zhang Zhe?”

Jiang Xuening looked up at him and nodded.

Xie Wei, who hadn’t been smiling, scrutinized her again, his expression darkening. He asked, “You don’t like Yan Lin?”

Jiang Xuening was stunned.

But the next question from Xie Wei made her whole body tense up, “You like Zhang Zhe?”

This was the most terrifying thing about Xie Ju’an.

Anyone standing in front of him, showing even the slightest flaw, would be seen through completely, no matter how thick their facade.

Jiang Xuening panicked for a moment.

But then she thought, why panic?

She truly didn’t love Yan Lin. With all that had happened in the previous life, she couldn’t let go of her emotional barriers to love him.

Now, she wasn’t the empress.

Without all the constraints of etiquette, she could face her heart and emotions openly.

That faint brightness returned to her eyes and brows. Jiang Xuening looked back at Xie Wei, boldly and honestly saying, “Yes, I like him.”

Xie Wei stared at her without speaking.

She then remembered her guilt towards Zhang Zhe from the previous life, and her expression fell again. She felt a bitterness on her tongue and in her heart, and she added softly, “I like him very much, very much…”