Based on the intelligence gathered by the women’s army, the woman practicing in the temple was almost certainly Shen Chan.

Qin Zheng decided to go to the temple herself to investigate.

In the original book, Shen Yanzhi’s sister was only briefly mentioned, with her fate being “died in childbirth.”

A young woman, used as a pawn for political marriage and losing her life in childbirth—despite never meeting Shen Chan, Qin Zheng couldn’t help but feel some pity for her.

In these turbulent times, the lives of women from noble families were not their own.

Not having any impression of Shen Chan, Qin Zheng first visited Madam Qin before setting out.

Although Madam Qin hated the Shen family, she was mostly sympathetic when speaking of Shen Chan: “She is also a pitiful child. She lost her mother at a young age, and her stepmother was very cunning. Who knows how much she suffered in the deep recesses of the mansion. She has a soft heart, much like her mother, which made people pity her.”

**

The temple was built on a mountain.

After arriving at the foot of the mountain, Qin Zheng had her people ask the local woodcutters about all the paths up the mountain.

She then had 3,000 elite cavalry block all exits.

She took 1,000 elite cavalry up the mountain and easily subdued the guards outside the temple, from whom she learned that Shen Chan was indeed the one practicing inside.

Some guards tried to enter the temple to take Shen Chan away, but they were stopped by the armed maids inside.

Two maids, who were Shen Yanzhi’s people and responsible for caring for Shen Chan, stood guard at her door and demanded, “Who are you?”

The sky was overcast, and the wind blowing through the temple was cold, hinting at rain.

A figure approached from the winding path.

Her long hair and light purple skirt fluttered in the wind, her movements graceful.

As she came closer, those in the courtyard saw her face and found their breath taken away.

If there were truly goddesses or fairy maidens in this world, they would likely look like this.

She looked like a crescent moon in a clear sky, or a tree covered in snow, cold and untouched by mortal concerns.

“Who… who are you?” one of the maids at the door stammered.

Qin Zheng’s gaze was calm as she asked, “Is Shen Chan inside?”

Before the maid could answer, there was a sound of something falling inside the room, followed by the door opening from within.

A woman in a sea-blue robe, her eyes brimming with tears, looked at Qin Zheng.

She was pale and frail, as if she could be blown over by the wind—this was Shen Chan.

She clutched a prayer bead tightly and, uncertain, called out, “Sister A-Zheng…”

Shen Yanzhi had sharp, piercing eyes, but Shen Chan, possibly taking after her mother, had rounder eyes that were always slightly watery, giving her a timid appearance, like a small, sheltered animal.

Qin Zheng responded with a gentle “Hmm,” her gaze falling on Shen Chan’s belly.

Despite the loose fit of her sea-blue robe, it couldn’t completely hide her pregnancy.

Shen Chan instinctively covered her stomach with her hands.

Knowing from the original book that Shen Chan would die in childbirth, seeing her so frail made Qin Zheng’s heart ache.

Regardless of whether the Li family had a hand in her fate in the original story, her current physical condition was clearly very poor.

“The wind is strong outside, let’s talk inside,” Qin Zheng suggested.

The maid at the door tried to stop her, but Shen Chan gently admonished them, “Do not be rude.”

“But…” The maids were still worried about Shen Chan’s safety.

Qin Zheng gave them a cold look and said, “If I meant her harm, I wouldn’t need to waste words here.”

The armed maidservants who accompanied Qin Zheng stood behind her, each armored and armed, overwhelming the two maids with their imposing presence.

Seeing the situation, the two maids had no choice but to let Qin Zheng and Shen Chan enter the meditation room together.

After sitting down on the prayer mat, Shen Chan carefully sat down as well, holding her waist.

She picked up the teapot on the clay stove to pour tea for Qin Zheng.

Qin Zheng took the teapot from her and said, “Let me do it.”

Shen Chan smiled and agreed.

As she lowered her eyes, the tears that had welled up since seeing Qin Zheng finally fell. “My brother told me that Sister A-Zheng doesn’t remember the past, but seeing you again makes me so happy.”

Seeing her cry silently yet smile with bright eyes, truly happy to see her, Qin Zheng felt her heart soften.

Unaware of the Shen family’s misfortunes in Bianjing, Qin Zheng asked, “Weren’t you in the capital? How did you end up here?”

Shen Chan’s expression grew sad, her hand resting gently on her belly. “The Li family wouldn’t allow this child to be born.

My brother used our grandmother’s illness as an excuse to bring me back to the Shen family.

Two months ago, the Imperial Guard suddenly surrounded our home.

My brother’s guards fought to get me out of the capital. We were constantly pursued, and many guards were killed or injured.

With no other options, we were saved by a merchant caravan. They helped me contact my brother, and he brought me here.”

Listening to Shen Chan’s story, Qin Zheng’s eyes darkened.

Li Xin feared that if Shen Chan gave birth, the Shen family might unite with the old Great Chu ministers and overthrow him, using Shen Chan’s child to command the lords.

Given this, in the original story, Shen Chan’s death during childbirth was likely due to her poor health, but Li Xin must have had a hand in it as well.

Qin Zheng asked, “How far along are you?”

Shen Chan replied, “Almost six months.”

Qin Zheng’s gaze fell on her belly, frowning.

Despite Shen Chan’s frailty, her belly didn’t seem to match someone nearly six months pregnant.

Knowing Shen Chan’s fate in the original story, Qin Zheng hoped she wouldn’t have to give birth, but it was too late now.

Given Shen Chan’s frail condition, aborting the pregnancy could be even more dangerous.

Qin Zheng asked, “What do you eat daily? How can you be this thin while pregnant? Have you seen a doctor? What did they say?”

Shen Chan, an introverted person with no close elders around her despite becoming a mother, felt overwhelmed by Qin Zheng’s concern.

Her nose tingled, and she nearly cried again. “I’ve been having nourishing soups and anti-miscarriage medicine regularly, but I’m not strong. I throw up more than I eat.”

Qin Zheng knew that morning sickness could be severe, but for it to be as bad as Shen Chan described, there must be deeper emotional issues.

This girl, barely fifteen, already seemed to be at the end of her life.

Qin Zheng softened her tone: “If you intend to become a nun, let go of the past and focus on getting healthy.”

Shen Chan, holding back tears, asked, “Sister A-Zheng, don’t you blame me? This child… is Li Xin’s.”

Qin Zheng shook her head: “Resentment and grievances have their proper targets. My anger is towards Li Xin. The prince will reclaim these lands through rightful means, and he won’t harm an unborn child.”

Shen Chan couldn’t hold back her tears any longer and began to sob uncontrollably.

As Qin Zheng guessed, ever since she found out she was pregnant, the resentment in her heart never faded.

She detested that it was Li Xin’s child, but seeing her elder brother being mocked and taunted by court officials everywhere for entering this situation, being ordered around by Li Xin like a dog, she felt a sharp pain in her heart too.

She told herself she had to give birth to this child.

It was the only thing she could do for her elder brother.

With a child as leverage, her brother could rally the dissatisfied former officials of Chu and join forces to overthrow Li Xin.

But this flesh was growing inside her day by day.

Shen Chan had lost her mother when she was young, and now, about to become a mother herself, she struggled internally.

Did she really want this child to be born as a tool for revenge?

Before being sent by the Shen family to become Li Xin’s concubine, she had never imagined that her life would become so bitter.

Shen Chan cried bitterly for a while, barely holding back her tears as she asked, “Is Sister Zheng here today because of my brother?”

Qin Zheng nodded silently.

After the tea in the pot had been boiled again on the clay stove, Qin Zheng told Shen Chan the whole story of Shen Yanzhi’s plan to use Yuan Qing.

Shen Chan was shocked and distressed again, tears welling up in her eyes. “Sister Zheng, I’ll go with you. You can use me to exchange for General An’s family. My brother is a man of integrity and should not be like this. That’s not my brother. I want to go and wake him up…”

On the way back to the city, it started to drizzle.

The official road was muddy, and the carriage swayed.

The coachman, fearing the slippery road, deliberately slowed down the carriage.

Shen Chan sat opposite Qin Zheng, hesitating for a long time before asking, “Sister Zheng, does the Crown Prince really treat you well?”

She asked this question with no ulterior motive, just that the Crown Prince had a notorious reputation before, and the rumors that came back to the capital later were all from hearsay.

She was afraid Qin Zheng was also pretending for the sake of her family, just like her.

Before Qin Zheng could reply, the coachman suddenly exclaimed, “Your Highness, the Crown Prince is here to pick you up!”

Qin Zheng lifted the curtain of the carriage, and the cold rain breeze rushed in, chilling them instantly.

Afraid of Shen Chan catching a cold, Qin Zheng lowered the curtain slightly.

On the misty official road ahead, there were about a hundred cavalrymen parked.

A tall figure walked towards them through the drizzle, holding an oiled paper umbrella with twenty-four ribs.

The clear rainwater slid down the edges of the umbrella ribs, leaving faint watermarks on the brocade silk robe.

Under the umbrella was a clear and cold face.

Qin Zheng leaned out of the carriage and asked, “Why are you here?”

Chu Chengji approached, worried that she might get wet, he tilted the umbrella towards the slanting rain and handed her a warm cloak, “It’s raining, and you haven’t returned for a long time, so I came to check on you.”

Qin Zheng took the cloak with one hand, her eyebrows softened, “I’ve just returned.”

It seemed that the carriage curtain had been open for a while, and the cold wind blew in.

Shen Chan, whose health was not very good, suddenly sneezed.

Qin Zheng immediately handed over the cloak Chu Chengji had given her to Shen Chan, “I forgot to give you a thick coat earlier. Put this on first, don’t catch a cold.”

Shen Chan repeatedly refused, “Sister Zheng, I’m not cold…”

Qin Zheng didn’t want Shen Chan to fall ill on this trip with them, so she insisted on putting it on her.

Shen Chan glanced fearfully outside the carriage, but the tall, stern man’s gaze had never fallen on her.

Seeing that Qin Zheng didn’t have her cloak, he simply took off his own silver satin cloak and handed it to her.

Even after Chu Chengji left, Shen Chan was still somewhat dazed.

As the carriage started moving again, Shen Chan looked at Qin Zheng, who was wrapped in the silver satin cloak opposite her, her eyes somewhat sad, but her lips slowly curved upwards.

She already had the answer to her previous question.

This disaster of the country was caused by her, but it brought suffering to her elder brother and Sister Zheng.

Now that Sister Zheng was doing well, half of her wish had already been fulfilled.