Regardless, Shen Zhishu couldn’t bring himself to disappoint his sister’s wishes.

While paying respects to his parents, he also sent servants to deliver invitations to those officials in the capital with whom he had close relationships, inviting them to a banquet at the Shen residence.

Though Shen Zhili hadn’t said much, how could Shen Zhishu not understand what was in her heart?

Although Shen Zhili’s previously spotless reputation had been affected because of Gu Qin, due to the imperial favor the entire Shen family had enjoyed for many years—and the fact that both Shen and Ceng were former officials from the Western Capital—the officials from the Western and Meng factions didn’t direct their attacks at Shen Zhili regarding this matter. Instead, they heaped all the blame upon Gu Qin.

This was precisely why Shen Zhili was so distraught, feeling that Gu Qin had fallen into his current predicament because of her one-sided affections.

Shen Zhili’s temperament was quite similar to her mother’s. Since entering court service, she had been extremely straightforward in her dealings with others, never inclined to think ill of people. But Shen Zhishu understood that this incident wasn’t as simple as it appeared. If there hadn’t been deliberate scheming behind the scenes, how could it have occurred so conveniently? During his two years as an official in the Northern Chao’an Circuit, his conduct had become much more measured and reserved compared to before. The local officials in the various prefectures around Chao’an were sometimes even more difficult to deal with than court officials in the capital. As a result, he now instinctively thought more carefully when encountering situations, looking for any unusual circumstances.

Moreover, since this matter involved the selection of an Empress, Shen Zhishu was hesitant about going to the palace to probe the Emperor’s intentions and thus dared not act rashly. From Shen Zhili’s tone, it seemed that Meng Tinghui’s relationship with the Emperor had grown increasingly intimate. Therefore, he planned to sound out Meng Tinghui during the family banquet before deciding on his course of action.

Although Shen Zhili had caused such a great disturbance, Shen Zhishu’s political achievements in the Northern Chao’an Circuit over the past two years were undeniable. The Emperor’s summons for him to return to the capital to report on his duties—whether intending to keep him as a court official or appoint him to the vacant position of Transport Commissioner for the Northern Chao’an Circuit—was not to be taken lightly. Therefore, upon receiving the invitations from Shen Zhishu, the officials in the capital changed their recent attitude of “avoiding suspicion” and arrived at the Shen residence for the banquet as scheduled.

An imperial decree also came from the palace, stating that as Shen Zhishu must be exhausted from his journey, he need not present himself at court immediately but was permitted to rest at home for three to five days before answering the imperial summons. The Emperor presumably knew what chaos the Shen household had been experiencing lately, and thus allowed him to stay home for a few more days to handle family matters.

But the officials detected a different meaning in this private imperial decree.

While it was reasonable for the Emperor to show consideration for officials returning from distant posts, the fact that he still bestowed favor upon the Shen family during this time of great upheaval was tantamount to telling everyone that in this matter, the Emperor did not consider Shen Zhili at fault.

That being the case, people became even more convinced that the “guilt” lay with Gu Qin, and they surmised that the Emperor must be displeased with the Secretariat’s memorial requesting the appointment of an Empress, thus allowing the wave of impeachments against Gu Qin to grow increasingly intense without restraint.

With two political upheavals within a year and the consecutive decline of senior officials from both Eastern and Western factions, the only effective force remaining were the young, ambitious, and passionate new talents at court.

In this moment, Meng’s faction rose rapidly, and the tripartite balance of power at court was thus established.

That evening, the family banquet at the Shen residence began as scheduled, with Meng Tinghui arriving at the latest.

By the time she arrived, the banquet was already half over.

The silver lamps in the hall shone brilliantly. Most of those seated were Shen Zhishu’s former colleagues from the Imperial University and previous official positions, or childhood friends like Di Nian. They were all young people who gathered together and felt little constraint. Seeing her arrive late, they didn’t take offense but jokingly said that Master Meng was entangled in official duties and should be penalized with a drink.

Meng Tinghui’s purpose in coming to the Shen residence was certainly not to welcome Shen Zhishu back.

When Shen Zhishu came to greet her, his smile was extremely faint, and the former frivolity in his expression had completely disappeared. “Since our parting at Qingzhou, has Master Meng been well?”

Back then, Meng Tinghui had gone alone as a woman to the city to rescue him from the hands of rebellious troops. Although he had never explicitly thanked her for this favor, he had not forgotten this debt of gratitude.

She smiled at him, “Though Master Shen has been at the frontier, I’m sure you haven’t missed a single court gazette, not to mention having the right to send confidential memorials directly to the Emperor. Whether I’ve been well or not, don’t you already know?”

Shen Zhishu smiled in response.

Although he knew of her actions at court, he wasn’t very clear about her relationship with the Emperor. After returning to the capital, he had brought it up casually with others, but no one dared to speak openly about it. Now, seeing that she also didn’t speak directly, he began to understand somewhat and gained a little confidence regarding Shen Zhili’s situation.

Meng Tinghui glanced around lightly, seeing that Shen Zhili had indeed not come out to meet guests. She also noticed that Shen Zhishu’s smile wasn’t sincere, and so she said directly, “I wish to see your sister.”

This was exactly what Shen Zhishu wanted to hear.

He had been considering when would be the appropriate time to bring up this matter, but he hadn’t expected Meng Tinghui to take the initiative. A thought crossed his mind that Meng Tinghui and Shen Zhili were normally on good terms, so she must also be concerned about Shen Zhili. He smiled slightly and said, “Leyan is unwell tonight. I’ll have someone take you to her room.” With that, he called over a maidservant who was attending the banquet and asked her to lead Meng Tinghui to the rear courtyard to see Shen Zhili.

The rear courtyard of the Shen residence was quiet at night. As Meng Tinghui followed the maidservant step by step toward the inner quarters, her heart gradually sank. Her purpose in coming to the Shen residence tonight was far from honorable. The closer she got to Shen Zhili’s room, the more she struggled internally.

As soon as the door was pushed open, Shen Zhili immediately stood up and stared at her without speaking. After a long while, she stepped forward and raised her hand to dismiss the maidservant.

Meng Tinghui could see traces of tears on her face, and her heart felt as if it had been tightly pinched. She made an effort to compose herself before slightly raising her lips and asking, “What’s wrong? I heard from Master Shen that you’re not feeling well tonight?”

Shen Zhili closed the door, turned back to look at her with an extremely complex gaze, and immediately said, “I have a favor to ask of you.”

Meng Tinghui nodded, pulling her to sit on a low couch in the room. “Is it about Minister Gu?”

Shen Zhili’s eyes moistened as she took Meng Tinghui’s hand and said, “Would you please plead for me before the Emperor? Please tell the Emperor that there is no improper relationship between Minister Gu and me. The Emperor will surely believe you! I beg you, please, will you?”

Meng Tinghui lowered her eyes. Each plea was like a fine needle piercing her heart and lungs, forcing her to clench her teeth inwardly before she could speak the words that followed: “What use would it be for me to plead with the Emperor? Even if the Emperor believes, this wave of criticism and impeachment throughout the court cannot be calmed. Earlier, I also submitted a memorial to exonerate Minister Gu. Did you see anyone at court believe my words?”

Shen Zhili naturally knew about her previous memorial asking the Emperor to see it clearly and requesting that Supervising Censor Qiao Bo be sent to the Censorate prison for questioning. She felt even more grateful toward Meng Tinghui, but upon hearing that even pleading with the Emperor would be useless, her eyes reddened again. She choked back tears and said, “If that’s the case, is he truly going to be ruined by my hands this time?” As she spoke, she wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. “If so, even if I were to die, it would not absolve me of my guilt!”

Meng Tinghui watched her cry silently, understanding how distressed she must be.

The man she had loved and admired for so many years was now deeply mired in trouble because of her affection. How could she possibly feel at ease?

How could Meng Tinghui not understand this principle? To love someone is to want the best for them. Nothing in the world could compare to his reputation for sagacity. As long as he could be well, she would do anything required of her.

After a long silence, Meng Tinghui finally said softly, “There is one possible solution.”

Shen Zhili suddenly looked up. “Please tell me what it is. As long as it can protect his position and reputation, I’m willing to do anything!”

Meng Tinghui met her gaze, her words hesitant: “…To convince the court officials that there is nothing between you and Minister Gu, you must prove it yourself. If you were to love someone else, this matter could be resolved.”

Shen Zhili was stunned, her brows slightly furrowing.

Meng Tinghui continued, “But this is not something that can be believed through mere words. If you truly wish to protect Minister Gu’s reputation, your only path is marriage.”

Her tone was calm, but her heart was in extreme turmoil. Only she knew how difficult these words were to speak. By the end, her voice seemed to fall into the dust on the ground, so low that it was barely audible.

But Shen Zhili understood, surprise flashing in her eyes. She restrained herself from speaking immediately, only pressing her lips together and lowering her head to think for a moment. Then she looked at Meng Tinghui again, frowning, “Given my reputation now, even if I were willing, I fear no one would want to marry me!”

Meng Tinghui was silent for a while before finally saying, “What if there is someone?”

“Who?” Shen Zhili’s frown deepened.

Meng Tinghui said, word by word, “Commander Di once told me privately that in this life, he wishes to marry only you. Commander Di has known about your relationship with Minister Gu for many years, yet he still thinks of you constantly, which shows the depth of his feelings. Although the situation has reached this point, I believe that if you are willing, Commander Di would still, just as before, be willing to take you as his wife.”

Shen Zhili pushed away her hand abruptly, her expression turning cold. She opened her mouth as if to refuse but then hesitated, her face alternating between red and white. After thinking for a long time, she turned to face Meng Tinghui again and said with trembling lips, “Even if he is willing to marry me, how do you know the court officials won’t say that I’m hastily marrying Di Nian just to clear Minister Gu’s name?”

Meng Tinghui shook her head gently, “Have you forgotten who Commander Di is? He is the successor to the late Martial Duke, and a military officer of the Imperial Guards with significant military merit, highly regarded by the senior generals of the Military Commission! Think about it—in the days since this incident began, while court officials have been in constant uproar, has anyone from the Military Commission uttered a single word? The senior generals of the Military Commission once stood with Madam Shen in the army through thick and thin, life and death. Moreover, Grand Secretary Fang is a former subordinate of the late Martial Duke Di Feng. By sentiment and reason, they have deep personal ties to both you and Commander Di. If you agree to marry Commander Di, the senior generals of the Military Commission will surely speak up for you! At that time, regardless of the Department of State Affairs, the Two Departments, the Three Ministries, or the Six Ministries, which civil official in the entire court would dare to sully your reputation?”

Shen Zhili listened carefully, her face growing paler. After a long while, she finally said, “You truly have thought this through thoroughly. If it were left to me alone, I fear I wouldn’t have considered any of this.”

Meng Tinghui thought for a moment before earnestly advising, “What kind of person Commander Di is, you surely understand better than I do. If you marry him, he will certainly cherish and love you, and how could he allow others to sully your name? At that time, I will also plead with the Emperor on your behalf, clarifying that there was no improper relationship between you and Minister Gu, and then Minister Gu will be safe.”

Shen Zhili remained silent, her long lashes lowered and trembling slightly, her inner struggle apparent.

Meng Tinghui said nothing more, simply sitting quietly and waiting for her.

But in her heart, a voice repeatedly and resolutely told her—

Meng Tinghui, you are despicable.