Chapter 115

Jiang Lianzhi stared intently at her face, “Why are you so hostile towards me?”

Shen Yu was stunned. She had unknowingly brought her emotions from her previous life into this one. But in this life, she hadn’t married Jiang Lianzhi, and everything hadn’t happened yet. Jiang Lianzhi had even helped her.

She looked away, not knowing how to explain.

Compared to her previous life, she had changed so much. Even wearing the clothes of a lowly palace maid, she couldn’t hide the light that radiated from her.

Jiang Lianzhi looked at her for a moment, lowered his brows, and his expression was unreadable.

“Are you, investigating your father’s case?”

Shen Yu scrutinized him, not answering.

Jiang Lianzhi continued, “It’s not safe for you to be out and about now. I can help you. I’ll investigate General Shen’s case.”

Shen Yu controlled her emotions, “I appreciate your kindness, Lord Jiang, but I don’t need it.”

Jiang Lianzhi suddenly raised his voice, “I can’t, but Xie Tingzhou can?”

Shen Yu looked at Jiang Lianzhi in shock. How did he know?

Jiang Lianzhi looked at the curtain, his jealousy burning like a fire. “To be honest, I’ve seen you twice before, but I just confirmed it now.”

Once was at the gate of Dali Temple. He saw a glimpse of her profile, but he wasn’t sure. That time, he asked Xie Tingzhou who the person in the carriage was, and Xie Tingzhou replied, “My person.”

The other time was at the Jing Shi government office. She was facing away, afraid of being seen and exposed. Xie Tingzhou embraced her.

If it hadn’t been for the way she paused at the East Palace today, he wouldn’t have been able to connect everything.

Thinking of this, a deep anger surged through Jiang Lianzhi’s heart.

He lowered his eyes, stared at the tea on the table for a moment, poured a cup, and handed it to her.

Shen Yu had been traveling the world for many years. She was very wary of strangers, so she took the cup but didn’t drink it. She placed it on the table.

Jiang Lianzhi took the cup and took a sip himself, indicating that it was not poisoned.

“You don’t need to be so wary. I won’t harm you.”

Shen Yu said, “I have a quick temper. I was rude in my words just now. Please forgive me.”

“It’s alright.” Jiang Lianzhi smiled wryly and said, “Last year, before General Shen went to war, I couldn’t stop him in the palace that day. I feel very guilty about it.”

“It’s good to know you’re still alive. If you ever encounter any difficulties, you can come to Jiang Mansion and find me.”

The air in the carriage was stuffy. Shen Yu slightly lifted a crack in the curtain.

Seeing this, Jiang Lianzhi took an incense burner from under the table and lit it.

The incense burner was burning something unknown, but it smelled fresh and refreshing.

Shen Yu thought for a moment and said, “There is indeed something you can help me with, Lord Jiang.”

“Feel free to speak your mind.”

“I heard that you sent a letter to Beilin before the defeat, asking the Crown Prince of Beilin to send troops to Yanliang Pass. Is that true?”

Jiang Lianzhi was shocked, but he didn’t show it on his face. It seemed that Xie Tingzhou hadn’t concealed anything from her and had told her everything.

“Yes, I couldn’t stop your father, and after what you said to me at the palace gate, I was worried that something would happen at Yanliang Pass, so I wrote that letter.”

Shen Yu calmly sized him up.

His words were logical and couldn’t be refuted, but she didn’t believe it. She didn’t believe that Jiang Lianzhi would decide to write to Beilin just because of her few words.

Jiang Lianzhi continued, “You don’t believe me, do you?”

Shen Yu remained silent.

Jiang Lianzhi suddenly smiled, “You really can’t lie. Even if you don’t believe me, you should pretend to believe me and then find evidence to expose me.”

Shen Yu shook her head, “I don’t want to waste my time playing these games with you.”

The smile on Jiang Lianzhi’s face faltered. He suddenly asked, “What if I play tricks on you? Would you be angry?”

“What do you mean?” Shen Yu furrowed her brow. She was about to ask again, but she felt her body start to go numb, and her vision blurred.

Shen Yu immediately realized something was wrong. She hadn’t drunk any tea…

That’s right! It was the incense burner.

But Jiang Lianzhi was also in the carriage. Why wasn’t he poisoned?

She didn’t have time to think. Shen Yu drew her dagger and lunged at Jiang Lianzhi, pressing the dagger against his neck.

“Where’s the antidote?”

Jiang Lianzhi wasn’t afraid. He looked at her face.

Then he stretched out his arms and embraced the collapsing Shen Yu.

He held her in his arms, leaned her against him, took the dagger from her hand and threw it on the ground. Then he picked up the tea on the table and poured it into the incense burner.

The incense burner contained incense smoke, and the antidote was in the tea.

…

The East Palace had been invaded by an assassin last night, and the Crown Prince had been up all night.

If you walk on a dark path long enough, you’ll see ghosts. He had done many things that he felt guilty about, so he was naturally worried that someone was coming to seek revenge.

Crown Prince Li Jinchen forced himself to stay awake and host a banquet for Xie Tingzhou.

Li Jinchen knew that Xie Tingzhou was close to Li Jifeng, but Li Jifeng was a good-for-nothing who couldn’t be relied upon. He was no threat to him.

Beilin was powerful. If Xie Tingzhou could be used by him, he would be a powerful ally.

The sun was high in the sky, and the shadows of the trees outside the window fell in circles on the ground.

Xie Tingzhou got up to leave. He declined Li Jinchen’s offer to stay for dinner and left the East Palace. Xifeng immediately followed him.

“They didn’t find anyone in the palace, but there’s one suspicious point.”

Xie Tingzhou said, “Tell me.”

Xifeng said, “This morning, a eunuch was harassing a palace maid outside the East Palace. He was caught by the Fourth Prince and Lord Jiang. The Fourth Prince gave the maid to Lord Jiang.”

“Did Jiang Ji take her?”

If he didn’t, then it was just a trivial incident. But if Jiang Lianzhi took her, then it meant…

Before Xie Tingzhou could finish his thought, Xifeng said, “He did. To be honest, it was Lord Jiang who asked for her himself.”

Xie Tingzhou’s steps faltered.

“Go to Jiang Mansion.” His jaw tightened slightly, “Get her back.”

Jiang Mansion.

Jiang Lianzhi’s courtyard was closed.

The servants walked softly, because when the master brought someone back, his face was very grim.

It was the same courtyard as before, the one she had lived in for three years.

Jiang Lianzhi laid Shen Yu on the bed, stared at her face, and his hand trembled as he reached out to touch her. But he stopped before he could touch her.

She said she didn’t know where his deep affection came from. Where should he start?

Perhaps it was the thousands of days and nights they had spent together. He had unknowingly given his heart away.

But fate had played a cruel trick and they had missed each other.

A drop of water fell onto the bed sheet, creating a few wet spots.

Jiang Lianzhi held her hand and murmured, “I’ll make up for what I owed you in my previous life. I’ll give you double, okay? A’yu.”