Chapter 71: Just consider it a drunken case of mistaken identity

Upon hearing Xie Lin's name, Xiao Jingyuan's sanity returned instantly, his pupils constricting sharply.

He then realized what he had done to Shen Shuangning.

Probably too shocked, he had no immediate reaction.

Shen Shuangning merely glanced at him and asked again, "Heir, do you still intend to force me?"

Her gaze was like a dead pool, devoid of any emotion; Xiao Jingyuan saw his own reflection in her pupils, as if also seeing his shameful thoughts laid bare.

Xiao Jingyuan suddenly felt a strong sense of self-loathing.

Afterwards he heard his own throat emit a hoarse voice: "Whether you believe it or not, I didn't mean to force you..."

Shen Shuangning snorted, her eyes seeming to say: "Do you think I'd believe you?"

Xiao Jingyuan dared not meet her eyes, wondering how to explain—should he say he mistook her for his past-life wife and thus wanted to sleep with her?

Xiao Jingyuan ultimately said nothing, immediately distancing himself, then standing helplessly like a child who'd made a mistake, gaze averted, not looking at her.

Shen Shuangning slowly sat up from the noble consort's couch, pulling the clothing that had slipped onto her forearm back up to cover a glimpse of spring.

This situation was unexpected for her, so she didn't know what to do.

She lowered her eyes, not looking at him, and softly said, "Heir, please leave."

Having said that, she was about to rise and return to the inner chambers.

Xiao Jingyuan suddenly seized her hand hanging at her side, his voice hoarse as he said, "I will take responsibility for you."

Those words stabbed her like a needle, striking a nerve.

To her, it sounded like charity.

Almost the instant his words finished, Shen Shuangning whirled around, raising her other hand to slap him.

Xiao Jingyuan did not dodge, and Shen Shuangning's slap landed on his handsome face.

With a smack.

Her strike was heavy; a red palm print quickly appeared on Xiao Jingyuan's face.

Xiao Jingyuan frowned slightly but said nothing.

Shen Shuangning stared at him and asked, "Heir, how will you take responsibility for me?"

Xiao Jingyuan replied, "I can marry you."

Shen Shuangning jerked her hand away, hissing, "I refuse!"

Xiao Jingyuan's eyes widened slightly; he hadn't expected her to refuse so bluntly, but upon reflection he understood why and did not press for reasons.

He merely felt an increasing dull ache in his chest.

Shen Shuangning sneered, "Xiao Jingyuan, not everyone wants to be your woman; I don't like you at all. Even if something really happened between us tonight, I would never marry you! You ought to apologize, not offer marriage—who wants you to marry me?"

Shen Shuangning is usually gentle and calm, rarely speaking so harshly.

Even a man with the steadiest temperament would find it hard to stay calm when spurned by a woman like this.

Xiao Jingyuan believed he had shown his utmost sincerity, yet she rejected him, slapped him, and told him she didn't care.

Xiao Jingyuan's face turned ashen, gloomy enough to drip water.

Seeing the usually lofty man reveal an embarrassed expression, Shen Shuangning felt delighted to the core!

She then stepped forward, reaching out to smooth the wrinkles on his collar, deliberately saying something to embarrass him further.

"The Little Marquis trusts the Heir so much, entrusting you to look after me—not to take advantage of me in bed. What you did to Shuangning tonight, Heir, can be chalked up to drunken mistaken identity. I won't tell the Little Marquis, but please, Heir, behave yourself and refrain from such offense again."

Xiao Jingyuan's hand hanging at his side gradually clenched, knuckles whitening from the force, the darkness in his eyes sinking inch by inch as if a winter pond had frozen.

Shen Shuangning, seeming understanding, lifted her gaze to him, as if unable to see how grim his expression was.

"After all, the Little Marquis and the Heir are bosom friends, as close as brothers; surely the Heir wouldn't actually sever their years of bond with his own hands?"

Xiao Jingyuan turned and fled, looking every bit like he was escaping in disgrace.

The faint smile Shen Shuangning had put on her face gradually faded, and she touched her neck.

Her neck still felt slightly damp, the trace of Xiao Jingyuan's kiss.

Aheng woke up the next day; as soon as she opened her eyes, she hurried to look for her mistress.

Then she saw her mistress sitting properly before the vanity, fastening her earrings.

Aheng rose from the noble consort's couch, the blanket slipping to the floor; she picked it up and put it back before approaching cautiously.

"Sorry, Miss, I fell asleep accidentally last night; please punish me!"

Shen Shuangning, without lifting her head, said, "Feel the back of your head—does it hurt?"

Aheng did as told, then realized and shouted, "It hurts! It hurts even more!!"

When she had just woken, she felt a headache, but she subconsciously thought it was from her previous day's injury not yet healed, never imagining she had suffered another sneak attack last night!

Aheng cursed under her breath, then whispered, "Are Xiao Heir's people coming again?"

If they were assassins, Shen Shuangning wouldn't be sitting here unharmed.

Shen Shuangning gave a slight nod, saying nothing.

Aheng, thoroughly convinced, muttered ruefully, "Miss, could you tell them next time to just come and stop messing with me?"

She believed her martial skill was decent, yet she'd fallen to sneak attacks twice in a row; last night she had no consciousness at all, completely unaware how she fainted.

Aheng's confidence was on the verge of being shattered.

Soon after, she heard her mistress say, "There won't be a next time."

After that night, Xiao Jingyuan indeed never came to Chang Le Gong again.

When Shen Shuangning and Jingyu practiced archery, he was still present giving pointers, but his whole demeanor had grown colder, not sparing her a single extra glance.

The benefit was that Jingyu studied more earnestly, able to ride a horse alone in a circle after just three days.

Shen Shuangning could also practice archery without distraction.

For Shen Shuangning, having endured those unforgettable ordeals from her past life, she could now face Xiao Jingyuan as if nothing had happened, making that night's affair seem insignificant.

She remained just as before, gentle toward him while keeping a proper distance, as if nothing had ever happened between them, and they were back to square one.

Xiao Jingyuan looked at her, her nonchalant and composed demeanor making his heart feel increasingly uneasy, and he could only force himself not to look at her.

Although on the surface neither showed anything unusual, the Crown Prince keenly noticed Xiao Jingyuan's difference.

The Xiao heir apparent seemed indifferent, but when facing Miss Shen the fourth, his eyes clearly betrayed turbulence.

The Crown Prince shifted his gaze, saying nothing.

Xiao Jingyuan's archery was superb, hitting a willow leaf at a hundred paces was no problem; he unreservedly taught his skill to Shen Shuangning, causing her progress to skyrocket.

Shen Shuangning truly was uncarved jade; though her wrist strength was weak when drawing the bow, her aim betrayed astonishing spirit, and of the ten feathered arrows she shot, two steadily struck the bullseye's red circle!

Such perceptiveness, let alone a lady of the inner chambers, even a newly enlisted stalwart soldier in the army would likely have to look up to her.

On the seventh day, Emperor Xuwen came to take a glance, but Shen Shuangning dared not perform too well, deliberately holding back.

After all, if the emperor came to expect something of her, then when the time came and she could not match the Jurchen princess, he would hold it against her.

Shen Shuangning was well aware of her own abilities; she was no martial arts prodigy, and at her current level she would certainly fall short of the Jurchen princess who had trained since childhood, and to expect her to improve her archery to nine hits out of ten within a month was nothing short of fantasy.

Better to perform poorly now, then give it her all later; as long as she didn't lose too embarrassingly, the emperor wouldn't be too disappointed.

Emperor Xuwen saw that Shen Shuangning hadn't hit the bullseye with any arrow, but all had struck the target, which was within expectations, and he still lavishly praised her, saying:

«As a woman, to hit the target in just a few days, and with one more arrow just shy of the bullseye, is already great progress. Reward! »

Emperor Xuwen's reward was the jade pendant he wore on his person, engraved with dragon patterns, warm and smooth in texture, and adorned with a coral tassel, of extraordinary value.

Shen Shuangning dared not accept it.

Emperor Xuwen insisted on giving it.

Shen Shuangning had no choice but to kneel and kowtow in thanks.

Emperor Xuwen smiled with a face full of affection and said, «Get up, get up, no need for excessive ceremony. »

Emperor Xuwen was very pleased with Shen Shuangning's performance, after all, when he had come to look just then, Crown Prince's arrows either shot up into the sky or flew toward him, frightening him till his face turned white.

Had he not known it was his own daughter, he would have thought she was deliberately trying to assassinate the sovereign.

Thus Emperor Xuwen only watched for a moment, then summoned Xiao Jingyuan and hurried away.

Emperor Xuwen had rewarded only Shen Shuangning with gifts, yet Crown Prince felt no jealousy, happily saying to her, «Ningning, you must keep this jade pendant safe; I heard it was passed down from the Retired Emperor to my father when he was alive—seeing it is like seeing the sovereign! »

«What Crown Prince said is not wrong; this is indeed the Retired Emperor's. » The Crown Prince had come over at some point, looking at the jade pendant in Shen Shuangning's hand, his tone full of envy.

Hearing this, Shen Shuangning's heart jolted, and she immediately felt the object in her hand heavy and weighty. How could she deserve such a precious reward?

She immediately gripped it tightly, afraid that any instability would cause it to fall to the ground.

At the same time she felt enormous pressure, for the sovereign's gift of such a valuable dragon-patterned jade pendant clearly showed he valued her greatly.

What could she do? She had no confidence she could beat the Jurchen princess.

On another side, Eunuch Hai walked behind the emperor, whispering, «Your Majesty, you have bestowed such a precious treasure on the Fourth Miss; she probably won't be able to sleep. »

Emperor Xuwen then realized what had happened, stopped, and said, «It was my oversight; I only saw Crown Prince and her together becoming ever more optimistic and uplifted, I was overly pleased and gave the reward without thinking. Should I take it back? »

Eunuch Hai: «... Your Majesty, what do you say? »

Emperor Xuwen waved his hand: «Never mind, never mind; the reward has been given, that girl deserves it. »

Eunuch Hai followed closely behind the emperor, saying, «However, speaking of the princess, she has indeed changed a lot, like a little sun; I don't know what the Fourth Miss has done to her, but it's truly miraculous. »

Eunuch Hai had watched Crown Prince grow up little by little; the former little princess was always shrouded in an unshakable gloom, timid and weak, a slight noise could frighten her, and frankly speaking, she lacked the dignity of a princess.

As for the Virtuous Noble Consort, she had always valued only the imperial sons, not the princesses, and lacked affection and guidance toward them.

The emperor, too, neglected Crown Prince due to his preoccupation with state affairs, and these various causes accumulated over the years, leading Crown Prince to become increasingly passive.

By the time the emperor and the Virtuous Noble Consort realized the little princess's problem, Crown Prince had already become set in her ways, and had built an impenetrable wall in her heart, making intervention difficult.

Thus, when Emperor Xuwen saw Crown Prince now become optimistic and open, even able to candidly accept her own flaws, he was so happy he almost wanted to cry.

He felt grateful to heaven for sending Shen Shuangning his way; otherwise he truly would not have known what to do......

When Emperor Xuwen returned to the study to handle state affairs, he saw a memorial that turned out to be an impeachment of the Duke of Rong, Shen Lang, for negligence in his duties at the Capital Garrison.

The impeacher was Censor Yao, who fabricated some charges, such as lax drills in the Capital Garrison and neglected equipment maintenance—... and similar minor faults that could be forgiven.

Emperor Xuwen gave it a rough glance, set it aside, and picked up another memorial: Shen Lang's report on governing Zhengding.

Emperor Xuwen examined it carefully, and his brows gradually furrowed.

His gaze settled on the final sentence: «Request to relinquish the post of Commander of the Capital Garrison and remain to garrison Zhengding. »

Now Censor Yao's impeachment and this resignation memorial arrived one after another, as if they had been prearranged.

Emperor Xuwen fell into deep thought, unconsciously tapping his fingers on the desk.

Half a month quickly passed, and the day to leave the palace and return home arrived.

Shen Shuangning, however, learned that three days after returning home she would still need to re-enter the palace to accompany studies.

The one who informed her was Aunt Fang.

Shen Shuangning was not particularly surprised; roughly speaking, her stay in the palace had been fairly smooth, not as hard as she had imagined, and upon hearing the news her heart no longer felt the previous resistance.

Crown Prince was reluctant to part, knowing she missed home dearly, and could only let her go.

The carriage of the Duke's manor had long been waiting outside the palace gate, and Madam Liu personally came to fetch her back.

Upon boarding the carriage, Shen Shuangning learned that her father had already left the Capital Garrison and the news that he was to remain garrisoned in Zhengding.

Madam Liu worried, saying, «Your father was originally supposed to come back, but Zhengding has actually been troubled by bandits, and moreover it's a collusion of officials and bandits—how serious! Consequently, your father has remained to garrison Zhengding and was forced to relinquish his post in the Capital Garrison. »

Originally, Shen Lang remained in the Capital Garrison, holding real power and a sinecure, with high salary and general respect, and most importantly he could often return to keep the family company; Madam Liu was extremely pleased with that.

But now, Shen Lang has left the Capital Garrison to serve as prefect of Zhengding, his rank dropped by one grade, equivalent to a demotion, and he can no longer return often, leaving Madam Liu almost dying of worry.

Shen Shuangning, however, thought this was a good thing, never expecting Pei Zhi to have settled it so quickly.

Seeing her mother's displeased expression, Shen Shuangning calmly comforted her: «Zhengding is not far from the capital; since Father cannot return, we can go visit him. »

Shen Shuangning then took out that dragon-patterned jade pendant to coax her mother.

«Mother, look, this is what the sovereign rewarded me with; am I not impressive? »