Qiongzhi followed the Imperial Physician to the Medical Office to collect medicine, while Tinglan poured a cup of hot tea for her own lady.
Shen Yunshu leaned back against a bolster pillow, and after drinking half a cup of the hot tea, she saw Xie Heng return.
There was no expression on his face, but his lips were tightly pressed together, the corners of his mouth flattened into a straight line. He raised his hand to signal Tinglan to leave first.
Shen Yunshu clenched the cup in her hands tightly, wondering if the Imperial Physician had said something to him.
Sure enough, after Tinglan left, he immediately began searching the room.
The wardrobe, the trunk, the flower vase, the drawers…
Finally, he found the medicine she had been taking recently on her dressing table.
The porcelain bottle was light as a feather; inside, more than half of the medicine had already been consumed.
He turned around, his clear, handsome brows darkened with gloom. “Wife, what is this?”
Shen Yunshu knew she could no longer hide it, so she parted her lips lightly. “Contraceptive medicine.”
“Bang!” As soon as she finished speaking, he slammed the medicine bottle he was holding onto the floor.
Porcelain shards shattered and scattered everywhere.
Stepping on the fragments, he took slow steps toward her. “Wife, why did you take this?”
Shen Yunshu’s lashes lowered slightly. It was the first time she had taken this kind of medicine. The apothecary who sold it had warned that excessive use could harm the body. She thought the damage wouldn’t be obvious, but she hadn’t expected her menstruation to betray her.
Nor had she expected he would find out.
But now, even having been discovered, it made no difference.
During the day when he wasn’t around, Consort Chen had come once. She said she heard that recently Xie Heng had been visiting the Imperial Study every day to plead with His Majesty to revoke the marriage decree, which had greatly displeased the Emperor.
Consort Chen had hinted to her subtly that Xie Heng’s repeated pestering might wear down His Majesty’s patience. Even if he were not punished, being cold-shouldered for a time would be enough for those with ill intentions to take advantage.
Later, Consort Chen asked about whether she intended to become a female court official or the wife of the Imperial Grandson.
When she shared her thoughts, Consort Chen was very pleased, praising her for knowing when to advance and retreat, and for understanding the bigger picture.
Now, Xie Heng had smashed the medicine bottle and was questioning her about taking contraceptive medicine. Shen Yunshu repeated what she had said to Consort Chen today, telling him, “Your Highness, I still want to take the civil service exam for female officials.”
Hah, calling him “Your Highness” and still saying she wanted to take the exam?
The cold smile on his lips gradually twisted into something else. The lamplight in the bedchamber cast a heavy shadow on his face. “Am I really not as good as that female official? I like you so much—why can’t you like me a little more?”
“Xie Heng, don’t you see?” Shen Yunshu endured the cold pain in her abdomen and looked at him. “You are surrounded by danger.”
“I know. But I have tried my best not to be a threat.” Every day he diligently attended lessons at the Wen Yuan Pavilion, and during his free time, he rarely went near his Imperial Grandfather. He didn’t think of anything else—he only wanted to live peacefully with her.
“It’s useless. No matter how you behave, your existence is a threat to them. The only one who can protect you is your Imperial Grandfather. You cannot defy him; otherwise, you will lose even your sole protector…”
The more she worried for him, the heavier the ache in Xie Heng’s heart grew.
He had just been angry at her for secretly taking contraceptive medicine, but seeing her blood drained, her face pale and nearly translucent, he suddenly regretted losing his temper.
“You all say it’s for my own good—one forces me to marry a girl I don’t like, another wants to leave me,” Xie Heng knelt before the bed, wrapped his arms around her waist, and buried his head in her lower abdomen, trying to warm her chilled body. “Wife, I don’t want you to leave me. I won’t let you go…”
Shen Yunshu stroked his hair and slowly lifted his face. “Husband, do you believe me?”
“Hm?” Now that she finally called him husband, Xie Heng’s heart felt more at ease. “What else do you want me to say, wife?”
“I want you to say that only by separating now can we be together in the future. Do you believe me?”
His expression went blank for a moment, a trace of confusion in his eyes. “What does that mean?”
“Actually, when I first wanted to betroth Third Sister to you, Father was opposed. He knows your true identity and thought it unsuitable to marry a Shen daughter to you, to avoid arousing the Emperor’s suspicion someday…”
Shen Yunshu could have told him this earlier, but she worried that his straightforward and rash nature might lead him to plead with His Majesty directly for the Shen family, which would only deepen the Emperor’s distrust.
“But by a twist of fate, I married you. If you were the Emperor, wouldn’t you suspect that the Shen family has ulterior motives?”
With his intelligence, Xie Heng had never thought of this, so he was shocked. “How could that be? How would Imperial Grandfather suspect you? You have done so much for me…”
“It’s true that you’ve been helped, but as long as the Emperor suspects the Shen family, neither of us will have peace. Why not separate for a while now and exchange it for lasting peace later?”
“I don’t even know…”
“How sure are you?”
“Only six or seven out of ten…”
She was merely guessing at the Emperor’s heart. Even if one day the Emperor no longer suspected the Shen family, she was uncertain if he would still accept her as his granddaughter-in-law.
“Husband, will you trust me?” Shen Yunshu caressed his face and kissed his forehead softly. “You used to trust what I said the most.”
The hand on his face was cold, the kiss on his forehead was cold too, but Xie Heng caught her hand and used his palm’s warmth to soothe her.
He had indeed trusted her words before.
But that was because she had always been by his side, making him feel incredibly safe.
Now she was leaving, and there was no guarantee she would return to his side. How could he still trust her words?
However, she had already made her intentions so clear. If he still refused to let her go, then he was being selfish.
“Wife, I can trust your words to separate for now, but we cannot truly part…”
“Hmm.” Shen Yunshu thought that two people who loved each other deeply could be apart physically, but their hearts would remain one.
But he didn’t think that way.
“After you leave, I will find a chance to see you.”
“That won’t do…” If they were to separate, they had to keep up appearances. How could they still meet?
“Wife, trust what I say.” Xie Heng gripped her hand anxiously. “I won’t meet you openly. I will meet you secretly.”
“Wouldn’t that be an illicit affair?”
That phrase made Xie Heng’s blood heat up. “Yes, wife, from now on, let’s have a secret affair.”
Shen Yunshu looked at him, half laughing, half crying. “Do you even know what you’re saying?”
“Promise me, wife, and I will trust your words…”
How could she agree to that?
When he wouldn’t relent, he clung to her, rubbing and pleading, “Please, sister, pity me. Don’t close the window too tightly before sleep. I’ll wash up properly before coming to you…”
He knew this was her weak spot. Sure enough, the word “sister” made her slip up. “Scoundrel!”
As the year drew to a close, Shen Yunshu left the palace, leaving behind a divorce letter.
Shen Youran, unaware that her sister had returned to the Shen family, thinking she had merely come home to visit, hurried to see her.
The sisters had not met for many days. Youran clung to her sister’s arm and pouted, “Sister, since you’re out of the palace, can you stay a few more days?”
“All right.” Shen Yunshu patted her sister’s head. “I should be staying at home for quite a while this time.”
At those words, Youran immediately perked up. “Sister, you’re… not going back?”
Shen Yunshu smiled brightly. “I can take the female official exam next spring. I want to prepare at home peacefully.”
“Prepare at home?” Youran was shocked. “What about His Highness, the Imperial Grandson? Aren’t you going back to be with him?”
“We have divorced.”
“Divorced?” Youran gasped. “Why?”
“The Emperor intends to arrange another marriage for him.”
“Didn’t he refuse?”
“He can’t refuse. He’s not in control of himself.”
“How is that possible? When my mother-in-law wanted to take a concubine for my husband, both my husband and I refused, and we avoided it. As long as the couple is united…”
Youran wanted to encourage her sister with her own experience, but seeing Shen Yunshu’s gentle yet resolute expression, she knew she had oversimplified the problem.
The imperial family was not like the Pei family. The Emperor was not trying to make Xie Heng take concubines, but was arranging a marriage.
That meant the Emperor did not acknowledge Shen Yunshu as Xie Heng’s wife.
Since the last time her sister hadn’t appeared at the Southern Imperial Courtyard, Youran had already vaguely guessed this outcome, though she hadn’t expected it to come so soon.
She hugged her sister tenderly. “Sister, you have been wronged.”
“It’s nothing. Not really wronged…” Others had it much worse than she did.
Youran wanted to stay at the Shen family to keep her sister company, but with year-end affairs at the Pei residence, she could only return before nightfall.
Pei Huaijin had just come back from the yamen. The couple’s carriages stopped one after another at the manor gate.
His shoulder was slightly higher on one side, still wrapped in thick bandages because the wound hadn’t healed.
They entered the manor together and returned to their courtyard to change his dressing.
Although the Imperial Physician had said the wound would heal in ten days, it had already been nine, and after removing the bandages, the wound was still a bloody mess, showing no sign of healing.
While changing the dressing, Youran told him about her sister and Xie Heng’s divorce.
Pei Huaijin smiled and wasn’t surprised, reassuring her not to worry too much. “Perhaps your sister’s fortune lies ahead.”
“Right, a fortunate woman won’t enter an unfortunate household,” Youran snorted. “My sister will definitely meet someone better in the future.”
Seeing her misinterpret his words, Pei Huaijin wanted to explain but thought it best not to judge the matter lightly and simply smiled without further comment.
After changing the dressing, Pei Huaijin went to the study to attend to official duties.
When he came out, he ran into Qingjian in the courtyard.
Qingjian’s injury was no longer serious, and since he had some knowledge of medicine himself, his recovery was swift. Although he still needed months of recuperation, he could move freely now. Not wanting to stay confined indoors, he had come back to do what he could.
Pei Huaijin chatted with him briefly. Just as he was about to head to the study, his vision suddenly darkened for a moment, and he stumbled.
Qingjian steadied him. “Young master, are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” As his sight cleared, Pei Huaijin didn’t think much of it. “Maybe I’m just a little tired lately.”
But Qingjian noticed a trace of bluish-gray in his eyes. He grasped his wrist to check his pulse, his expression stiffening. “Young master, it seems… you’ve been poisoned.”