Chapter 78

Dou Qing screamed in pain as he was beaten. Xie Tingzhou, usually a man who enjoyed peace and quiet, didn’t mind the noise now. He held his teacup calmly, watching the execution of the punishment by the bailiffs.

From time to time, he would turn his head slightly and compliment Shi Yu on the skillful execution of the punishment.

The bailiffs, hearing his praise, dared not show any leniency and redoubled their efforts.

Having been reborn, Shen Yu felt uncharacteristically satisfied for the first time. She realized that having power could indeed make things go her way.

Once the matter was settled, Liu Fu respectfully escorted Xie Tingzhou to the door.

As they stepped out of the yamen, a carriage happened to be parked at the entrance.

Gao Jin sat on the shaft of the carriage, and it must have been Jiang Lianzhi inside the carriage.

Shen Yu’s steps faltered, and she hurriedly turned her back.

There was only one way out. How could she avoid Jiang Lianzhi?

Xie Tingzhou glanced at her and then looked up. Jiang Lianzhi opened the curtain and stepped out of the carriage.

Xie Tingzhou’s gaze deepened as he asked her, “Why aren’t you leaving? Didn’t you want to make a good impression on Lord Jiang?”

He was clearly doing this on purpose, Shen Yu thought, as she looked up at him, silently pleading.

The footsteps drew closer, and Shen Yu’s heart raced.

“Your Highness,” Jiang Lianzhi greeted.

Xie Tingzhou said slowly, “The verdict has been passed, and the punishment has been carried out. Lord Jiang seems to have come too late.”

Jiang Lianzhi had deliberately arrived late to make Dou Qing suffer a bit.

“Not too late. I trust the Shuntian Prefecture will administer justice impartially.”

With that, Jiang Lianzhi’s gaze paused briefly before turning to the person standing beside Xie Tingzhou with their back to him.

Shen Yu felt a chill run down her spine and lowered her voice. “Your Highness, I remembered that I left my dagger behind in the courtroom. I…”

“Your dagger?” Xie Tingzhou clearly had no intention of letting her off easily. “Xi Feng has already retrieved it for you.”

Shen Yu felt like crying without tears when she heard Jiang Lianzhi’s footsteps approaching again.

“Is this the person who saved the child on the road?” Jiang Lianzhi asked.

Liu Fu, who had already gone out to meet the bailiffs, took the opportunity to respond, “Yes, it’s the Prince’s bodyguard.”

In other words, this was between the two of you; don’t involve me.

There was something about the person’s back that seemed familiar to Jiang Lianzhi.

He took two more steps forward, each one pressing on Shen Yu’s nerves.

“You, turn around.” Jiang Lianzhi stared intently at the person beside Xie Tingzhou.

Shen Yu’s heart turned cold.

Jiang Lianzhi furrowed his brow and reached out towards him.

Just as their hands were about to touch, Shen Yu’s arm was suddenly pulled, and Xie Tingzhou’s cloak was thrown over her, covering her completely.

Xie Tingzhou leaned in close to her ear and whispered softly, “I’ll wait for you to explain to me properly when we get back, Shen Yu.”

Shen Yu froze.

When had he noticed?

Xie Tingzhou pressed her head against his chest and looked down at her with a smile. “It’s just a scratch on your face. What’s there to be ashamed of? You’re still as beautiful as ever.”

Shen Yu didn’t know if Xie Tingzhou was deliberately joking or trying to dispel Jiang Lianzhi’s suspicions, but she could only hold onto his clothes tightly, afraid that if he got upset, he would push her away again.

Seeing her silent, Xie Tingzhou looked at Jiang Lianzhi, his gaze turning cold in an instant. “She’s a bit thin-skinned, please excuse her, Lord Jiang.”

At this moment, Jiang Lianzhi’s mind was on edge, feeling like he had missed something, but he couldn’t quite grasp it.

Jiang Lianzhi tried to search his mind for what he had missed, but Xie Tingzhou had already taken Shen Yu and started to walk away.

“Wait!” Dou Qing, supported by two servants, limped out of the yamen. “Cousin, don’t let him go.”

The string in Jiang Lianzhi’s mind snapped completely at Dou Qing’s scream, and he wanted to grab onto something but found nothing.

Feeling annoyed, Jiang Lianzhi gave Dou Qing a cold glance. “Aren’t you embarrassed enough already?!”

He then said to the servant, “Take him back and confine him to his quarters for a month. Tell his uncle that it’s my order.”

Dou Qing cried and wailed as he was taken away.

When Jiang Lianzhi turned back again, Xie Tingzhou’s carriage had already gone far.

Gao Jin withdrew his gaze. “That young man must be Xie Tingzhou’s favored bodyguard. It seems the rumors were true.”

Liu Fu shook his head in dismay. “The moral standards are declining. Two men embracing openly in public… What has the world come to? Uh, Lord Jiang, would you like to come in?”

“No need,” Jiang Lianzhi replied with a slight nod and left.

Gao Jin followed at his side, whispering, “Dou Qing being confined for a month, I’m afraid his aunt will come to plead again.”

Jiang Lianzhi’s voice was cold. “Does he think a beating is the end of it? Xie Tingzhou won’t let him off so easily. If he doesn’t want to be confined, he can go out and see if he ends up with a broken arm or leg.”

The carriage swayed gently as Shen Yu kept her head down, revealing a fair and delicate neck.

She hadn’t figured out when she started to expose herself or what to do now.

“Have you figured it out?” Xie Tingzhou asked.

Shen Yu hung her head and said, “Not… yet.”

Xie Tingzhou remained calm. “No rush. Take your time to think about it and come up with a better lie.”

With that, he calmly took out a book from the drawer on the low table, seeming prepared to engage in a protracted battle of wits with her.

Shen Yu pursed her lips and remained silent. She did want to come up with something.

The water stains on Xie Tingzhou’s robe had not dried completely and were infused with a faint tea fragrance from the heater on the carriage.

Sensing her gaze, Xie Tingzhou raised his hand, and the wide sleeve covered the damp area where the tea had spilled.

The carriage entered the palace through a side gate and stopped only when it reached Qing Pu Residence.

Shen Yu got off the carriage first and instinctively turned around to extend her hand.

Xie Tingzhou stood by the carriage’s shaft, glanced down at her, and then got off the carriage from the other side where a horse stool had been set up.

Shen Yu followed closely behind Xie Tingzhou.

Chang Liu thought that Shi Yu’s expression now was exactly like his when he did something wrong. He pulled Xi Feng aside and asked, “What happened to him?”

Xi Feng’s face was stern. “He got into a fight in the street and knocked down Jiang Lianzhi’s cousin.”

“That’s impressive!” Chang Liu exclaimed as he followed.

After walking a while, Xie Tingzhou’s body suddenly swayed.

Xi Feng reacted as if facing a formidable enemy. “Your Highness!”

Xie Tingzhou waved his hand dismissively. “It’s nothing.”

Xie Tingzhou entered the bedroom, and Shen Yu was about to follow when she heard him say casually, “You go back first.”

Xi Feng and Chang Liu entered the room one after another, closing the door behind them.

Shen Yu was about to leave when she heard a suppressed coughing from inside.

Shen Yu stepped out of the courtyard but didn’t hurry to leave. Within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the palace physician hurriedly arrived with his medicine box.

She seemed to have overlooked the fact that Xie Tingzhou’s health was not very good, because he was very good at enduring it.

He had been fine before entering the palace today, but now he looked pale when he returned.

What had happened to him in the palace?