Chapter 88: As she sees, as she believes

Shen Shuangning instinctively tried to pull away from his embrace, her wrist already tensing slightly, when suddenly she heard his apology, she froze, unable to react.

Why apologize?

Shen Shuangning didn't feel he was apologizing to her; after all, he had done nothing wrong to her, quite the opposite—since he appeared he had been helping and advising her, albeit with some ulterior motive, but nothing serious......

Before she could ponder further, the intense sorrow almost overflowing from the person in her arms surged over her like a tide, wrapping her in it.

Shen Shuangning felt an inexplicable tug in her chest, and she too was overcome with an indescribable discomfort.

Her stiff stance gradually relaxed; after a moment's hesitation, she slowly raised her hand and lightly placed it on his slightly trembling shoulder, as if soothing a wounded beast, and whispered softly, "It's okay, it's okay..."

Her voice was soft, yet it carried a strange calming power that gently rippled through the silent hall.

Pei Zhi held her without speaking; she could not clearly see his expression, only feeling his chest's rise and fall gradually steady.

The intense emotion that had almost consumed him was slowly settling down.

After a while, he slowly released his arms, looking at her with evident remorse in his tone: "I just recalled some painful past events and lost composure for a moment; Miss Ning, please forgive me."

In private, they remained as well-matched as ever.

Shen Shuangning had already straightened her posture; hearing this, she lightly shook her head, her eyes showing gentle understanding: "It's fine."

She paused, seeing his eyes still troubled, and softly said, "Master Pei, if something weighs on your mind, you might as well tell me; speaking it out might ease your burden."

Pei Zhi gave a sigh-like smile, unwilling to say more.

"Please have a seat."

He changed the subject, lifted his hand to take a celadon teacup, and poured her tea.

Shen Shuangning sat down opposite him as instructed, her gaze unintentionally sweeping over the incense ash on the floor.

Pei Zhi followed her line of sight, realized the mess on the floor had not been cleaned up, and called out loudly, "Someone!"

Outside the hall it was quiet, with no response.

Shen Shuangning spoke up at the right moment: "When I entered just now, I saw no one guarding outside."

Pei Zhi then realized—he had been momentarily annoyed and sent the hall attendants away on other errands, forgetting this altogether.

"Forget it; we'll clean up when they return later."

He pushed the teacup toward Shen Shuangning, gesturing for her to drink, then asked, "Miss Ning, do you have business with me?"

His tone had returned to normal, as if the earlier lapse had never happened.

Apart from Xiao Jingyuan, she had seen only two people whose expressions changed this quickly; perhaps those with deep scheming share some trait.

Shen Shuangning took a light sip of tea and asked, "Master Pei, do you know General Zhang Zhong?"

Pei Zhi raised his eyebrows slightly, not expecting this young lady to come straight to the point.

While pouring out the cold tea in his hand, he said calmly, "I know him. What's wrong?"

Shen Shuangning did not directly mention her past life, but probed: "Earlier I heard you say you wanted to place reliable personnel in the Capital Garrison; I wonder if this General Zhang is the one you have in mind?"

Pei Zhi did not hide it from her: "That's correct."

Seeing his frankness toward her, Shen Shuangning felt her words catch in her throat, and an inexplicable shame welled up inside.

"What do you find unsuitable about him?" Pei Zhi asked, observing her expression.

Shen Shuangning's fingers tightened slightly on the teacup; she lifted her eyes to meet his gaze, but ultimately did not reveal her past-life secret, only asking, "Master Pei, do you know his background?"

Had it not been for this matter, she would not have come to see him privately.

Upon hearing this, Pei Zhi's lips curved into a faint smile as he said slowly, "Zhang Zhong comes from a humble family with no notable background, but he is strong-willed, a man who stands by his principles; once he decides on something, not even ten oxen could pull him back."

"Precisely for this reason, he is inept at ingratiating himself, does not fit in, and in officialdom he always seems out of place, repeatedly hitting walls in his career; his martial skills and talents thus become useless ornaments."

Pei Zhi refilled his own teacup, the cup turning half a circle on his fingertips, took a light sip, then added gently, "Such a person, if used well, is a handy good blade."

The words "good blade" came from his mouth in a tone as flat as discussing the weather.

Shen Shuangning, however, only felt a chill rush up her neck, spreading down her spine.

For a moment, Shen Shuangning felt Pei Zhi was a devil cloaked in a saint's skin.

In her previous life, Zhang Zhong was a "good blade" in Prince Rui's hand, absolutely obedient to him; even if the blade pointed at kin or blood stained the palace, he never hesitated.

And now, Zhang Zhong has become Pei Zhi's man...

Looking at the upright, noble gentleman before her, Shen Shuangning hastily dismissed that absurd, terrifying thought.

Her worry was somewhat unnecessary.

Master Pei, with his clear and serene demeanor, possesses an upright nature akin to sages, which is worlds apart from Prince Rui, who harbors wolfish ambitions.

Following him, Zhang Zhong ought to be different, right?

Shen Shuangning's inner unease gradually faded.

Pei Zhi took in all the changes in her expression, as if he could discern her current thoughts.

He withdrew his gaze without a change in expression, his eyes resting on the tea in his hand.

Some secrets he would never let her know—for instance, he had once been an advisor to Prince Rui, calculating people's hearts for that overwhelming power, and his hands had also been stained with the blood of countless innocents...

He only wanted her to forever remember him as he is now—sitting equal with her, discussing tea and affairs as Pei Sanlang.

As she sees, as she believes.

Pei Zhi withdrew the complex emotions from his eyes, leaving only a seemingly calm warmth.

"Speaking of which, Heir Apparent Xiao teaches you archery; I've heard he's always devoted and your progress has been good, yet the Princess suddenly proposed to change instructors, and I'm curious—what could be the reason?"

Pei Zhi seemed to ask casually.

Shen Shuangning's eyes flickered slightly; without hesitation she passed the buck to Jingyu: "Perhaps the Princess feels the Heir Apparent's pressure on her is too great, so she can't bear it."

Finally, she lowered her lids and added, "General Zhang teaches quite well, not inferior to the Heir Apparent."

Pei Zhi raised his brow, saw she was concealing something, immediately guessed it was related to her, but did not expose her.

As expected, Heir Apparent Xiao did not disappoint his expectations.

Xiao Jingyuan would be best off pushing her further and further away.

Pei Zhi's lips curled slightly, and he said no more.

Soon after, hurried footsteps sounded from outside the hall.

The messenger was a young eunuch.

The young eunuch had come to deliver a message, but he hadn't expected that there was also a woman in Pei Zhi's room; a man and a woman alone together, the floor in disarray, and he had no idea what had happened......

He stood there for a moment, unsure whether to speak, but there was an urgent matter at hand, so it was not proper to withdraw.

The young eunuch was in a dilemma.

Pei Zhi curled his fingers and lightly tapped the corner of the table, speaking gently: "What is it?"

The young eunuch came to his senses and glanced hesitantly at Shen Shuangning.

With an outsider present, Shen Shuangning felt she should rise, performed a respectful bow, and said, "Student, I have troubled you for quite a while; I will take my leave now."

Pei Zhi gave a slight nod, did not detain her, and as she turned, he added softly: "A teacher transmits the Dao, imparts knowledge, and resolves doubts. Henceforth, if you have any worries, you need not stand on ceremony—come to me anytime here, and if I am absent, you may leave your words with the palace attendants guarding the courtyard."

Shen Shuangning had already come to regard Pei Zhi as half a teacher; hearing this, she immediately straightened her posture, her tone gaining a touch of respect.

"Thank you, sir."

At that moment, neither of them knew what great event would occur.

Shen Shuangning walked along the palace wall all the way to Chang Le Gong, with Ah Heng following quietly behind.

The scabbed wound on her wrist was a little itchy.

Shen Shuangning thought about matters while reaching in to lightly scratch through the cloth.

Earlier, rumors had circulated that Emperor Dao Xuan Wen had summoned the Third Prince, Zhai Ji, in the Yu Hua Yuan to question him.

No one knew what grave mistake Zhai Ji had made to provoke the emperor's wrath, but before any punishment could be meted out, His Majesty rushed off to the Virtuous Noble Consort's palace, so the inquiry into Zhai Ji was temporarily set aside.

Now Zhai Ji is temporarily confined to his quarters, and the true punishment has not yet been handed down.

Jing Yu had also worried about this, but because Zhai Ji had previously done something unpleasant to Shen Shuangning, she never brought it up in her presence.

Although this was not a good thing for Jing Yu, Shen Shuangning felt quite relieved.

Despite her premonition, with the Virtuous Noble Consort present, Zhai Ji's final punishment ought not be too severe.

Still, if it lets Zhai Ji taste some bitterness, it would not be in vain for her to have harmed herself.

Just then, the palace maids and eunuchs passing by hurried along, almost all heading in the same direction while whispering something.

Shen Shuangning initially paid no attention, but after walking halfway she belatedly noticed something amiss.

She lifted her gaze and saw two physicians in the robes of the Imperial Medical Institute, carrying heavy medicine boxes, walking briskly with solemn expressions toward the depths of the rear palace.

The hem of their robes was lifted by the wind, showing the urgency of the situation.

Shen Shuangning's steps faltered slightly, and her heart gave an inexplicable jolt.

This scene seemed to indicate that some master in the palace had encountered an urgent matter.

A name flashed inexplicably through her mind, but she immediately shook her head.

"No, the timing is wrong; it shouldn't be this early......"

Shen Shuangning muttered to herself, yet her unease grew, and she found herself repeatedly glancing at the hurried palace folk, eventually coming to a stop.

She gazed in the direction the physicians had gone, her expression growing somewhat grave.

Yesterday, in the Shu Zhai, Shen Shuangning had asked Jing Yu how her mother consort's condition was, and Jing Yu merely replied wearily, "Still the same as usual."

As for the Virtuous Noble Consort, Shen Shuangning, across her two lives, had seen her only three times total; in this life, upon entering the palace as a companion reader, she had met her just once briefly, and that was only a few days ago.

Or perhaps she was merely basking in Jing Yu's reflected glory.

The Virtuous Noble Consort appeared kind‑hearted at first glance, but inside she was not easy to get along with.

She wished to see Shen Shuangning: first, out of curiosity as to what sort of person could simultaneously earn the emperor's and her daughter's special regard; second, because she never believed anyone could approach the center of imperial power without harboring some ulterior motive.

Shen Shuangning's thoughts were clear, so she naturally understood the Virtuous Noble Consort's concerns; as for how that consort actually regarded her, she did not particularly care.

In short, after that single meeting, the Virtuous Noble Consort never summoned her again; Jing Yu explained that it was because the consort was still ill and not feeling well, hence her slight coolness.

Shen Shuangning generally kept a respectful distance from the women of the palace, so the Virtuous Noble Consort's coolness—or even dislike—toward her struck her as a good thing.

However, the Virtuous Noble Consort is Jing Yu's birth mother, and now that Shen Shuangning gets along well with Jing Yu, she also does not wish anything to happen to the consort.

"But some things, in the end, cannot be changed......"

Before entering the palace, her mother had repeatedly warned her that whatever she heard or saw within the palace was none of her business; she must not prattle on or inquire, lest she bring disaster upon herself.

But now Shen Shuangning could not restrain herself from stopping a palace maid and asking, "May I ask, sister, what has happened in the palace?"

The palace maid's voice trembled slightly as she said, "It is the Virtuous Noble Consort......"

The two words "noble consort" struck Shen Shuangning's heart like a stone, causing it to tremble.