Shen Zhi noticed that there was no one around, so she wandered around Hengyuan Palace. Every plant, tree, brick and tile here was deeply engraved in her memory.
Especially when she passed by the familiar garden, her eyes fell on the white camellias that Xie Shaoheng had planted for her.
Today, those flowers are still in full bloom, but they have long since changed, and even seeing them again makes me feel sick.
Shen Zhiyi looked at them and felt a sting in his heart. She stretched out her hand, pinched one of the delicate camellias, pulled hard, and let it slip from her hand and fall into the soil.
"Xie Shaoheng, you owe me more than this." Shen Zhiyi said coldly, with an unprecedented determination and cruelty in his tone.
She looked up to the sky, her eyes shining with determination. No matter how difficult the road ahead is, she will walk on it firmly. She will not let go of those who betrayed her and those who hurt her.
If Xie Shaoheng really colluded with people from Tianshu Kingdom, then the evidence must be hidden in his study.
Shen Zhiyi remembered that in her previous life, Xie Shaoheng always allowed her to move around the house freely, but she was not allowed to step into the study. At that time, she thought it was just a protective desire between men and they didn't want her to see some confidential documents.
But now that I think about it, there must be some ulterior secret hidden in that study.
Shen Zhiyi remembered that Xie Shaoheng told her that Tianshu once gave him a Luban box. He hid many important things in that box. What you got was false information.
Shen Zhiyi didn't take it seriously at that time, he just thought it was strange.
She quietly came to the study door and reached out to hold the door handle, only to find that the study door was not locked.
Shen Zhiyi quietly entered the study, looked around and found that nothing had changed. The bookshelves are filled with various books and scrolls, and some manuscripts are scattered on the desk. She took a deep breath and began to search carefully.
She flipped through every book and scroll, looked at the manuscripts on the desk, and even looked at the back of the bookshelf. As time passed, her heart became more and more nervous.
Suddenly, her eyes fell on a worn volume on the bookshelf. That volume looked particularly different from other books, as if it had been read frequently. She walked over, carefully picked up the old book, and opened it to see a dense stack of letters hidden inside.
There was a sound of footsteps stopping at the door, and Shen Zhiyi knew that he had no time. She quickly put the things back in their place and hid under the bed. Her heartbeat quickened and she held her breath nervously.
The door was pushed open and she could feel someone walking in. She closed her eyes tightly and huddled under the bed, trying not to make any noise. She could hear the man breathing and moving.
Shen Zhiyi listened to the sound of him rummaging around, and it seemed that he was also looking for something. The man's footsteps were very light, and the time passed by, and the man's voice never stopped.
She felt that the man seemed to be approaching her bed. Her heartbeat was racing and she was so nervous that she almost stopped breathing.
Suddenly she heard Xie Shaoheng's voice, and that man hurriedly hid under the bed, and happened to meet Shen Zhiyi.
Their eyes met in the air, and Xie Yu had a scrutinizing look on his face, Shen Zhiyi? Why did she come here? It didn't look like she was doing it for her sister or Xie Shaoheng.
Only then did Shen Zhiyi see the person coming clearly, "The eldest prince?"
He quickly covered her mouth to signal her to keep quiet.
"Why are you here?" he asked coldly, with a hint of questioning in his tone.
Shen Zhiyi did not answer, her eyes were fixed on the eldest prince.
At this time, Xie Shaoheng opened the door and walked in. He turned on the light and looked around, a look of confusion on his face. He frowned, feeling wary.
Flipping through the letters on the desk that had not yet been sorted, she walked behind the table and took out the box hidden inside. Shen Zhiyi recognized the box through the gap under the bed as the Luban box. If the eldest prince hadn't suddenly barged in, , she had already seen clearly what was inside.
The eldest prince covered her mouth tightly to prevent her from making any sound. Their eyes were all focused on Xie Shaoheng, but unfortunately Xie Shaoheng was blocking it, and Shen Zhiyi couldn't see how he opened the Luban box.
After Xie Shaoheng opened the Luban box, he took out a scroll. He looked at it carefully, with a satisfied smile on his face. Then, he put the scroll back into the Luban box and closed the box.
There were many guests today, and it seemed that Xie Shaoheng was worried, so he took the time to come over and check.
At this time, the eldest prince released his hand covering Shen Zhiyi. He patted her back gently to signal her not to act rashly. Their eyes met again, each understanding the other's intentions.
Shen Zhiyi nodded. She still had many questions and confusions in her heart, but she also understood that now was not the time to ask questions.
Xie Shaoheng didn't notice them. He picked up the Luban box and walked out of the room. When the door closed, both Shen Zhiyi and the eldest prince breathed a sigh of relief.
The eldest prince crawled out from under the bed, and gently patted the dust on his body. Shen Zhiyi also crawled out from under the bed. Her face was stained with some dust and looked a little dirty, but she didn't care.
"Are you okay?" The eldest prince asked gently, with a hint of concern in his eyes.
"It's okay." Shen Zhiyi replied softly. She gently brushed the dust off herself and tried to make herself look tidier.
The eldest prince was silent for a moment, seeming to be thinking about something. He looked at Shen Zhiyi with a hint of doubt and vigilance in his eyes.
"Your sister has just married into Prince Hengyuan's palace, and you appear in this study. What do you want to do?" The eldest prince Xie Yu suddenly asked, with a hint of anger in his tone.
His eyes were fixed on Shen Zhiyi, as if he wanted to read her mind. He pressed her harder and harder until she was cornered, with no way out.
"Don't tell this prince that you are still attached to King Hengyuan. I saw clearly that day that you hated Xie Shaoheng." The eldest prince's tone was a bit sarcastic, as if he was testing Shen Zhiyi's reaction.
Shen Zhiyi did not answer. She raised her head and looked directly into the eldest prince's eyes, without any fear or flinching in her eyes. She knew that at this time, any concealment or cover-up would only put herself in a more dangerous situation.
"Although I don't know what's going on between you, Xie Shaoheng and the bride you're visiting today, what's your purpose of coming here? Also, what's your purpose in getting close to my imperial sister?"
"I don't have any purpose, I just want to find out the truth of some things." Shen Zhiyi answered calmly.
She knew that the eldest prince was not an ordinary young master from an aristocratic family. Although he stayed in the imperial mausoleum all year round, Xie Shaoheng's strongest opponent, Xie Yu, was definitely on the list, and he naturally had his own merits. Instead of being secretive, be honest.
The eldest prince narrowed his eyes slightly, as if examining Shen Zhiyi's words. He naturally knew that Shen Zhiyi was not the kind of woman who made trouble without reason. If she had an agenda, there must be a reason for it.
"I don't have any motive to approach Princess Yong'an. I just treat her as a family member." Shen Zhiyi answered calmly. She knew that the eldest prince had doubts about her purpose, but she had no intention of hiding it.
"Family?" Xie Yu sneered, with a hint of ridicule and questioning in his tone. He looked directly into Shen Zhiyi's eyes, as if he wanted to read her mind.
Shen Zhiyi felt a chill on her back. She knew that Xie Yu's question was not groundless. In a royal family with a fierce power struggle, the so-called "family" relationship may only be superficially harmonious, not to mention that Emperor Jing's behavior towards the two brothers was even more hateful.
She couldn't help but regret her answer just now, but it was too late to explain now.
"I am the only one in her family, who do you think you are?" Xie Yu's tone became even colder, with a dangerous light flashing in his eyes. He couldn't help but feel a little angry. Shen Zhiyi's answer touched his bottom line.
Shen Zhiyi was silent for a moment. She knew that in this situation, any explanation and argument would only make things worse.
"First Prince, please calm down, I just treat her as a younger sister." Shen Zhiyi took a deep breath and tried to keep herself calm. She tried to calm the atmosphere with a calm tone, but Xie Yu did not respond to her efforts.
"I know you are smart, but sometimes your cleverness is mistaken for your cleverness. Remember, your opponent is Xie Shaoheng. Don't have any inappropriate thoughts about the princess." Xie Yu looked at Shen Zhiyi with a hint of warning in his tone. .
He knew in his heart that Shen Zhiyi was not simple, but she also didn't know Xie Shaoheng's true strength. He was worried that Shen Zhiyi would be in danger because of his impulse.
"I know." Shen Zhiyi nodded lightly. She understood the eldest prince's worries.
She also knows that her opponent is Xie Shaoheng, and if she is not careful, she will fall into an irreversible situation.
"I will act with caution." Shen Zhiyi looked at the eldest prince, with a firm light shining in his eyes. She knows that her road will not be easy, but she will not give up easily.
Xie Yu looked at the dust on Shen Zhiyi's cheeks, and felt a ripple in his heart. He couldn't help but want to reach out and wipe it gently, but he was afraid that his actions would disturb her.
His hands were hanging in the air, "Your face is a little dirty. Remember to wipe it off when you go out. You are General Shen's daughter. Don't embarrass the Shen family."
She patted her cheek gently, trying to shake off the dust, "Thank you for your concern, eldest prince, I will pay attention to it."
"Also, Xie Shaoheng is extremely dangerous. It is best not to have any contact with him unless necessary."
The queen is from the Song family. In recent years, the power of the Song family has gradually retreated from the court, but it is not unable to make waves. Even though he was in the imperial mausoleum, the news from the imperial city never stopped.
Xie Yu clearly grasps the news in the capital, including her idiot legitimate daughter.
But when I met her today, I realized that her reputation as a "bastard" was mostly an act. I was wondering how a general's daughter could be so nasty, but it turned out that she was pretending to be a pig and eating the tiger.
Xie Yu couldn't help but feel a little curious, but she could only wait and see what happened, "Let's say goodbye today. I have never seen Miss Shen, and Miss Shen has never seen me."
Shen Zhiyi understood the meaning. Xie Yu was hinting to her not to tell anyone about today's meeting, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble. It would do him no good if she alerted Xie Shaoheng. At the same time, it was also a warning to her not to attempt to have contact with him, otherwise she would bear the consequences.
It's just that if we don't find out what's in Luban's box now, we won't have such a good chance next time.
She looked at Xie Yu and said firmly: "I have something I want to do here. We have nothing to do with the river. Why is the eldest prince so anxious to drive me away?"
Xie Yu frowned, a little surprised by Shen Zhiyi's attitude. He originally thought that Shen Zhiyi would choose to leave obediently, but he was wrong.
"I wonder if the eldest prince can tell me what the purpose of coming here is?" Shen Zhiyi had no choice but to talk about Xie Yu's tone first. He looked at Shen Zhiyi and tried to tell from her expression. Her true intentions.
"Looking for evidence, I am worried that my third brother is colluding with the Tianshu Kingdom, so I came here specifically to see if my third brother is innocent."
Xie Yu's answer surprised Shen Zhiyi. She didn't expect that Xie Yu would dare to tell her directly. Isn't he afraid that he would make trouble with King Hengyuan about this kind of thing? He just came back and his foundation is not stable...
"Why, Miss Shen doesn't believe it?" Xie Yu looked at Shen Zhiyi's expression and couldn't help but feel a little dissatisfied. He felt that Shen Zhiyi was suspicious of something, "I'm not afraid of you telling him, because you won't do this. Major General Shen's sister must also be a woman."
"The eldest prince is naturally trustworthy. If the eldest prince has doubts, why don't I accompany you to find him." Shen Zhiyi replied immediately, knowing that her reaction might misunderstand Xie Yu. She tried to lighten the mood, but Xie Yu did not respond to her efforts.
"In that case, Miss Shen can leave." Xie Yu's words shocked Shen Zhiyi. She did not expect that Xie Yu would drive her away so directly.
Xie Yu's words shocked Shen Zhiyi. She didn't expect Xie Yu to drive her away so directly. If she can't take this opportunity to find out what's in the Luban box, it might be difficult for her to get close to the Luban box next time.
You haven't achieved your goal yet. If you leave like this, all your efforts will be in vain.
"My daughter is willing to advance and retreat together with the prince."
