Shen and Xie (continued)

"I don't think she's a girl from the Shen family."

"Then whose daughter do you think she is, Your Highness?"

"I..."

Zhao Huiluan pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "I once went to the Imperial Prison to see your esteemed teacher, Xie Shangxiu."

As she spoke, she glanced at Rong An, watching his expression.

Sure enough, when Rong An heard his teacher's name, his face, calm as still water, visibly changed.

Zhao Huiluan couldn't help laughing.

Rong An was taken aback, then realized what had happened. "Your Highness, you tricked me?"

Zhao Huiluan nodded without the slightest hesitation.

"Yes, I tricked you."

"Only just now did I confirm Shen Zhiyao's true identity!"

"Last year, when I held the Spring Exploration Banquet, I sent invitations to the young ladies of every family in Yan Capital whose officials held rank three or above. Only the daughter of Chief Censor Xie was absent."

"Xichun told me that Xie Zhiyao had been raised in her family's old home in the countryside since childhood. They said her health was poor, and a fortune-teller said she couldn't bear the capital's air of prosperity, so she couldn't enter Yan Capital before she turned sixteen. That's why neither I nor any of the noble ladies of Yan Capital had ever met her."

"But she turned sixteen at the Mid-Autumn Festival last year and came to the capital. The night Censor Xie was sent to the Imperial Prison, a great fire broke out in the rear courtyard of the Xie residence, burning quite a few women to death. Everyone thought Madam Xie and her daughter had both perished in the sea of flames, but Jingzhi..."

Seeing Rong An look at him, Zhao Huiluan corrected herself. "Xiao Qinglan told me someone rescued the Xie family's youngest daughter, Xie Zhiyao."

"Minister Rong, you've given me quite a surprise. The person who rescued her before I could was sent by you, wasn't he?"

Rong An smiled without answering.

Zhao Huiluan continued, "With no one to rely on in Yan Capital, you went to your teacher's own teacher, Great Scholar Shen Linfu. You entrusted the orphaned girl to Great Scholar Shen, didn't you?"

Rong An quietly looked at the young girl before him, who was not yet fifteen and had not come of age.

He could hardly believe those words had come from her mouth, yet he had to admit that, young as Princess Zhenning was, her mind was exceptionally meticulous.

Zhao Huiluan saw the admiration in Rong An's eyes.

At this point, she no longer needed Rong An's confirmation.

"To protect you, your teacher did not hesitate to sever all ties with you. Though you were grieved, you understood his intentions and, bearing the world's misunderstanding and condemnation, refused to plead for him. Minister Rong, I admire you greatly!"

Rong An's lips curved in a self-mocking smile.

"When did Your Highness begin to suspect?"

"Outside the Gate of Assembled Worthies, the moment I first saw Shen Zhiyao. Her manners were impeccable, and she carried herself with poise. Her bearing was far beyond what a distant collateral branch of a great clan could have instilled in a daughter. That was my first suspicion."

"My second suspicion was the way you and she behaved toward each other, Minister Rong."

"You have always treated all the students at the Imperial College equally, but there was worry in your eyes when you glanced at Shen Zhiyao without thinking, especially when you saw her with Wen Yan."

"As for Shen Zhiyao, she is wary of others and doesn't even have much to do with Wanwan. But whenever something happens, she always looks at you first without thinking. In that brief glance, I saw two words: 'reliance on you.'"

Listening to her, Rong An couldn't help laughing. The way he nodded to himself seemed to say, Your Highness has a keen eye.

Zhao Huiluan was delighted.

Whenever she had nothing to do, she loved sitting in a pavilion drinking tea. But what fun was drinking tea alone? Of course she had to observe all the people around her!

"In that case, why did Your Highness help the young master of the Wen family?"

"That was my third suspicion."

"Wen Yan's feelings are plain for all to see, but Shen Zhiyao's heart is like an abyss, its depths impossible to fathom. The way she looks at Wen Yan is far too complicated."

"If a woman truly wants to reject a man, she has plenty of ways to do it, unless she has another purpose."

Zhao Huiluan saw Rong An's gaze darken a little, his expression very serious. She put away her smile as well.

"Minister Rong, if Xie Zhiyao is willing to live her whole life under an assumed name, the Shen family will naturally keep her safe, and I will also do what I can to help her live out her days without worry."

"But, Minister Rong, she came to the Imperial College. That proves she is no timid, ignorant weak woman. She knows exactly what she is doing. Even though she knew I was deceiving her, she was still willing to meet Wen Yan."

"Minister Rong, she would rather endure humiliation and shoulder a heavy burden than cling ignobly to life. She chose a path of thorns for herself. I respect her, and I am willing to help her!"

Zhao Huiluan pushed open the window. A crescent moon hung in the sky. The evening breeze brushed her face, and Rong An's quiet voice came from behind her.

"I understand."

The summer night was silent. Leaning against the window, Zhao Huiluan spoke calmly.

"Minister Rong, now that we have formed an alliance, there is something I would like to tell you frankly."

"At first, I wondered whether you had feelings for that Shen Zhiyao."

At her words, Rong An's brow twitched.

Then he heard the woman by the window laugh softly before turning around to look steadily at him.

"Minister Rong, you are the top scholar I took a liking to at the Jade Forest Banquet. No one but me may covet you. Do you know that?"

"Since we have formed an alliance, we must trust each other. Do you understand?"

Rong An also came over to the window. "There is something I would like to tell Your Highness frankly as well."

"On the day the results of last year's imperial examination were announced, I went to pay my respects to my teacher. He intended to betroth his youngest daughter to me."

Zhao Huiluan's eyes widened. "You agreed?"

She suddenly remembered how Rong An had publicly refused the marriage at the Jade Forest Banquet in her previous life. Could it be that, like Wang He, Rong An had done it for his fiancée, Xie Zhiyao?

No wonder he had risked himself to save Xie Zhiyao!

No wonder his gaze had dimmed when he saw Wen Yan getting close to Xie Zhiyao!

So that was it...

Zhao Huiluan suddenly found it utterly laughable.

Rong An knew nothing of the twists and turns in the mind of the person before him. He only watched her go from shock to realization, sad one moment and mocking herself the next.

He replied, "I refused."

"Wh-what?"

"What did you just say?"

"I said, I refused."

Rong An repeated himself with considerable patience. Then he watched the young girl go from shock to delight and then to annoyance.

"Your Highness, it's time to go. I'll escort you back to the dormitory."

Rong An turned and left Chongwen Pavilion, the furious footsteps of the young girl close behind him.