Jiang Xuening basically didn’t sleep all night. Only when dawn was about to break did she think that she still had to attend classes at Fengchen Hall when daylight came, so she forced herself to forget the discomfort this palace brought her and dozed off for a bit.

But not even for an hour.

The more imperial the family, the stricter the rules. Sleeping in late was something Jiang Xuening could do at the manor, but Shen Zhiyi could hardly do in the palace. After many years of palace life, when the time came to rise, she didn’t even need palace maids to wake her. She opened her eyes on her own, got up, and had palace attendants serve her while washing and dressing—clearly long accustomed to it all.

Probably because she had cried and vented last night, when she woke this morning, apart from somewhat swollen eyes, she had actually recovered her usual vitality.

Not only did she wash up herself, she also directed the palace attendants to serve Jiang Xuening.

Jiang Xuening hadn’t slept well the night before last, and after last night’s ordeal she appeared even more exhausted. But seeing that Shen Zhiyi had rarely recovered her cheerful appearance, she couldn’t very well show it and let her notice anything amiss, spoiling her rare good mood. So she forcibly ignored the throbbing tightness from both temples, hung a smile on her lips, conversed with Shen Zhiyi while accepting the palace attendants’ service.

The palace attendants in Yangzhi Studio didn’t serve their daily needs.

But Jiang Xuening had been Empress in her previous life, so being served by palace attendants didn’t make her uncomfortable. Only when she extremely naturally passed the brocade handkerchief back into that palace attendant’s hand and subconsciously waved to have them withdraw did a chill suddenly shoot up from the soles of her feet, making her shudder with cold.

Shen Zhiyi still hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

The female official serving in the sleeping hall glanced at Jiang Xuening, but asked somewhat awkwardly: “Your Highness, you kept Study Companion Jiang in the hall on a whim last night, but the palace attendants haven’t yet gone to Yangzhi Studio to fetch Study Companion Jiang’s usual dresses. I wonder now…”

What should she wear?

Shen Zhiyi also turned to look. At this moment, Jiang Xuening stood there wearing only snow-white undergarments, her beautiful face bare without makeup. Perhaps because she had just woken up, she had a rather sickly, languid air, much like those beauty-afflicted ladies with lightly furrowed brows in scholars’ paintings.

She was truly too beautiful.

Her eyes couldn’t help but light up. She immediately said to the female official: “Ningning’s figure is about the same as mine. Having her wear mine would naturally be best! Come, Ningning, I’m going to pick out the most beautiful outfit for you!”

Jiang Xuening: ???

She had just been thinking about those pampered and privileged habits she had developed in Kunning Palace, not paying attention at all to what they were saying. Before she could react, she was already pulled by Shen Zhiyi to sit before the dressing mirror.

Next she heard Shen Zhiyi calling out orders left and right.

One moment summoning this palace maid to powder her face and draw her brows, the next moment having that palace maid fetch a different set of palace attire, then personally opening her own cosmetic box, comparing red ruby eardrops and cloisonné bracelets against Jiang Xuening’s body.

For a moment, Jiang Xuening didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She only felt that Shen Zhiyi was like a little girl who had suddenly acquired a doll, determined to dress her up beautifully before she’d be satisfied.

She was somewhat tired, so she didn’t have the energy to stop her.

She simply stood up and sat down intermittently, allowing her to manipulate as she pleased.

Shen Zhiyi changed to another pair of eardrops to compare against her earlobes, only feeling that this pale purple glass like misty clouds could only be supported by such a slender neck and snow-white complexion. It looked so beautiful that she couldn’t bear to look away.

But as she watched, her previously spirited eyes drooped.

Jiang Xuening caught a glimpse and asked: “Doesn’t it look good?”

Shen Zhiyi lowered her hand. Her gaze never left Jiang Xuening, but now held little drops of heartache: “It looks good, but it’s just too beautiful. I can’t help but think, with your nature of not competing or fighting, you still get schemed against in the palace. If later Yan Lin is also gone, who will be there to protect you?”

Jiang Xuening was speechless.

But Shen Zhiyi began thinking unusually seriously. Her eyes rolled around, then suddenly brightened. She actually asked: “What do you think of my Imperial Brother?”

Shen Jie?!

Jiang Xuening’s eyelid twitched. She immediately recalled the trajectory of her fate in her previous life. Without thinking, she immediately said: “Many thanks for Your Highness’s regard. Prince Linzi is naturally refined and magnanimous. Xuening, being of humble birth, only wishes for a peaceful life. You mustn’t joke about such things.”

Shen Zhiyi was very puzzled: “What’s wrong with my Imperial Brother?”

In her heart, Jiang Xuening thought: Your Imperial Brother is fine in every way, just not suitable for me.

Thinking of this idea made Shen Zhiyi very excited. The palace was full of her people, so she wasn’t afraid of being overheard by others. She squatted directly before her and said: “Really, Ningning, I heard from Mother and Imperial Brother that soon they’ll be selecting a consort for my Imperial Brother. If you could become my Imperial Brother’s princess consort, in the future Imperial Brother will most likely be named Crown Prince by Imperial Brother, and later will also live in the palace. That way you’d also live in the palace. Wouldn’t we be able to live together every day, see each other constantly, eat together, play together, and sleep together?”

Her eyes were both sparkling bright.

Jiang Xuening recalled that in this life, Shen Zhiyi had been extremely sincere toward her. She wanted to refuse directly, but facing such a gaze, when the words reached her lips, she found them rather difficult to speak.

But if she didn’t make it clear…

The matter of entering the palace as a study companion through unexpected circumstances even though her name hadn’t been submitted surfaced in her mind once more, immediately followed by everything she had experienced since entering the palace, as well as everything that would happen in the future.

She was truly afraid and weary.

Having experienced the prosperity of her previous life, Jiang Xuening truly didn’t want to repeat the same mistakes.

She suddenly used an unprecedentedly serious gaze to look back at Shen Zhiyi, gently taking that string of purple glass eardrops from her hand and placing them back in the cosmetic box, saying: “Xuening was exceptionally summoned into the palace by Your Highness. The great efforts involved, Your Highness surely understands better than I. Then Your Highness should also understand that the person the Jiang manor initially reported for palace entry was not me. To receive Your Highness’s favor, be summoned by imperial decree to enter the palace, and receive Your Highness’s abundant care while serving—to know Your Highness, Xuening is also very happy. But palace life is not what Xuening enjoys. Xuening is of humble birth, without great ambitions, and only wishes to return to the countryside of childhood, to give free rein to my heart…”

Shen Zhiyi froze.

She hadn’t expected Jiang Xuening would say such words.

The string of purple glass was gone from her hand, replaced by her palm with its faint warmth.

But a surge of anger rose from the bottom of her heart.

Shen Zhiyi wanted to say “I’ve treated you so well, how dare you think of leaving,” but upon touching Jiang Xuening’s warm and sincere gaze, the anger that had just risen was pressed down like being suppressed by gently flowing water, slowly extinguished, transforming instead into a bit of loneliness and pitifulness.

She said: “You don’t like the palace?”

Jiang Xuening said: “The days here are very unpleasant.”

Shen Zhiyi held her breath: “Then you tell me—whoever makes you unhappy, I’ll give them all a quick end, so you can be happy!”

Such a childish temper.

Her eyes widened greatly, her fine brows raised up. Though there was an old scar beneath the corner of her eye, it didn’t diminish her noble bearing as a Princess. Only her cheeks puffed out on both sides, her lips pressed tightly together, clearly unwilling to let the matter rest.

Jiang Xuening was utterly helpless.

She immediately feared that if this topic continued, it would instead provoke her temper, and she’d give herself a “might as well go all in” situation, secretly arranging for her to marry Shen Jie. Then there’d be nowhere to seek justice. So she sighed and wanted to change the subject, saying: “Let’s still look at what to wear today. The eardrops are also quite pretty…”

But Shen Zhiyi wasn’t so easily fooled.

She simply liked Jiang Xuening as a playmate.

While dressing her up, she racked her brains, exhausting her wits trying to pry information from her mouth, asking: “Are the palace attendants at Yangzhi Studio not treating you well? Did those dogs from the Internal Affairs Bureau mistreat you with rations? Did that one called You Yue bully you again? Just tell me—exactly who made you unhappy? Ningning…”

This stance—clearly if Jiang Xuening named one person, she’d go eliminate that person!

Cold sweat broke out on Jiang Xuening’s forehead.

But Shen Zhiyi’s questions came one after another, each guess more outlandish than the last.

Her mouth suddenly chattered on endlessly, just like a garrulous mynah bird.

Jiang Xuening looked up to the heavens and sighed.

For the first time, she so badly wanted to give herself a big slap across the face: if she had known, she could have directly told Shen Zhiyi “I would rather be Your Highness’s study companion than Your Highness’s imperial sister-in-law.” Most likely Shen Zhiyi would have been delighted to immediately abandon the idea of having her marry Shen Jie. Why would she need to be interrogated over and over like now?

Sincere feelings get struck by lightning!

Finally, after Shen Zhiyi voiced her twenty-third outlandish guess, Jiang Xuening couldn’t withstand the test of temptation and tentatively said: “Since Your Highness cares so much about whether I’m happy or not, then I’ll… just say it. Actually, leaving the palace would make me happy…”

Shen Zhiyi gave her a sweet smile: “Ningning, you’re dreaming.”

Jiang Xuening: “…”

Shen Zhiyi hung the string of purple glass eardrops on her, very cheerfully coaxing her: “Pick another one, pick another one—this Princess will definitely make it happen for you!”

Jiang Xuening silently shed tears in her heart. After pondering for a long time, a bold-as-brass idea suddenly popped into her head: “Then what makes me most unhappy is learning the qin. Teacher Xie keeps dragging me off to learn qin every other day, and his requirements are extremely strict…”

Shen Zhiyi: “…”

Jiang Xuening blinked: “You said you’d definitely make it happen.”

Shen Zhiyi: “…”

This time it was Shen Zhiyi’s turn to silently shed tears in her heart: All the civil and military officials knew Teacher Xie’s standing in scholarship. You should know that her studying in the palace caused widespread criticism throughout the court. If Teacher Xie hadn’t approved, it probably couldn’t have happened. Moreover, with Teacher Xie’s usual teaching manner, even if she had a hundred times more courage, she wouldn’t dare act presumptuously before him or forbid him from dragging Jiang Xuening off to learn qin!

But anything could be lost—Grand Princess Leyang’s face could not be lost!

Shen Zhiyi forcibly suppressed her guilty conscience and said with stern righteousness: “For Teacher Xie to be so earnest in teaching you, when court affairs keep him so busy, yet he still takes most of an hour every day to teach you qin—this is something others would envy but can’t have. How can you dislike Teacher Xie for being strict? Too excessive!”

Jiang Xuening wanted to speak: “But—”

Shen Zhiyi cut in: “If you say one more word, I’ll tell Teacher Xie that you dislike learning qin!”

Jiang Xuening: “…”

I never knew before that you’d actually threaten people with tattling?!

She was dumbfounded.

But Shen Zhiyi coughed once and said without blushing or racing heart: “Oh my, this Princess isn’t omnipotent. Besides these two things, if there’s anyone else who makes you unhappy, speak up. This Princess will definitely uphold justice for you!”

After thinking for a long while, Jiang Xuening managed to squeeze out: “There’s nothing else.”

Only when fully dressed and made up, eating breakfast together with Shen Zhiyi, did she look at the pastry in her bowl with rose filling formed into half an orchid flower, pick it up and take a small bite, then slowly lower her eyelids.

Shen Zhiyi asked: “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Xuening’s gaze flickered slightly. Looking at that small piece of pastry, she only said: “It’s nothing. I just suddenly remembered my elder sister at home also makes such pastries. For a moment, I miss her a bit…”

After saying this, she changed the subject and continued eating.

But Shen Zhiyi lowered her eyes in thought for a moment, seriously committing this sentence to memory.

After breakfast, the two went to Fengchen Hall to study.

When they arrived, the others were already there early.

Everyone was talking when they heard Grand Princess Leyang was coming, and all turned to look.

But who would have expected that with this look, their gazes couldn’t be withdrawn—

Only these gazes didn’t fall on Grand Princess Leyang, but fell on Jiang Xuening!

Having been in the palace for some time, the study companions mostly wore the clothes they had brought when they came.

Jiang Xuening’s usual attire tended even more toward plain elegance—somewhat willfully relying on her good foundation to be lazy about dressing up. But today she came from Mingfeng Palace, wearing palace attire that the palace attendants had spent a long time selecting from what Shen Zhiyi had worn in the past.

Snow-white fabric was pressed with layer upon layer of fine gold thread.

Dark blue crane-and-cloud patterns climbed up from the hem of the dress. The flowing water patterns on both wide sleeves were like piled brocade. A piece of exquisite white jade pendant hung at her waist. Only the moon-white embroidered peony sachet was her own.

Her face was even more exquisite and dazzling.

Her complexion was already fair. With drawn brows and painted eyes, lips touched with vermilion, with every glance her spirit seemed to fly—every frown and smile appeared soul-stirring.

But what was even more surprising was the feeling she gave.

There was none of the discomfort or unsuitability of a young girl secretly wearing splendid garments. Wearing this palace attire, her originally careless, frivolous casualness seemed to unconsciously restrain itself by two parts. Supporting herself on a palace attendant’s hand as she approached step by step, she actually displayed a kind of stern nobility belonging to one dwelling in the nine-layered palace.

Xiao Shu looked at her for quite a while without reacting.

But Grand Princess Leyang happily showed off to everyone—this was the result of her morning’s work.

Seeing Jiang Xuening’s bearing and her countenance after such elaborate dressing, everyone was shocked in their hearts and also felt somewhat sour, but on the surface they had to chime in with praise. For a moment, it was all as complicated as if five-flavor bottles had been knocked over.

Before leaving Mingfeng Palace, Jiang Xuening had also looked in the mirror. She only felt that this luxurious palace attire worn on her body was beautiful, certainly beautiful, but it was like a nightmare. Looking through the dressing mirror, what she saw wasn’t herself, but the Empress from her previous life who could neither advance nor retreat, whose eyes were dazzled by prosperity.

She had wanted to change outfits.

But seeing it was almost time for class and there wasn’t time to change again, she had no choice but to wear this outfit to Fengchen Hall.

She hadn’t slept all night and her thoughts were also in turmoil. She attended the class absent-mindedly. Not until the class ended and she saw everyone place qins on the qin tables did she suddenly remember that the next class was Xie Wei teaching qin.

So she pinched the space between her brows, which woke her up a bit.

That Zhang Jiao’an was still placed in the side hall. After leaving the hall, Jiang Xuening headed toward the side hall.

Unexpectedly, today Xie Wei was actually in the side hall very early.

The young eunuch at the hall entrance looked at her with some surprise. After announcing through the door, he opened it to let her in.

Jiang Xuening entered.

Xie Wei had no court lectures this morning and didn’t want to stay in the Grand Secretariat arguing with that bunch of old men, so he had come to the side hall to handle official documents. At this moment, he was rising to take down his own “Emei” from the wall. Turning his head to see Jiang Xuening, he also froze for a moment.

Jiang Xuening greeted him: “Teacher Xie, good day.”

But Xie Wei’s gaze lingered on her for a long time, examining her clothing and makeup. His brows gradually furrowed tightly, and he only said: “Not good-looking.”

After saying this, he cradled Emei at an angle and walked toward the hall entrance.

“…”

Jiang Xuening stood in place, practically with a head full of grievances.

What was wrong with this person?

Although she herself also felt this outfit was very unlikeable, hearing these words come from Xie Wei’s mouth—why did it sound so grating? What did a stinking man know about the depths and subtleties of a young lady’s makeup and clothing that he dared to comment?

Moreover, how could she possibly not! Look! Good!

That Xie fellow deserved his usual reading of Buddhist scriptures and Daoist texts. In his previous life, he didn’t even touch women—he probably wasn’t liked by young ladies to begin with! Deserved not being able to get a wife!