Jiaojiao is getting married, and the male leads fall for her and fight over her.

Chapter 157 Entering the Palace to Meet the Saint
Shen Shuyi easily dismissed Zhang and her daughter, and was in a good mood, so she ate more breakfast.

As soon as Pei Dongzhou finished his shift, he heard Qingzhu report that Zhang Shi and Pei Xuexuan had visited Fusang Temple.

"Didn't I tell you to stop them?!" Pei Dongzhou glanced at Qingzhu indifferently.

Qingzhu felt a little guilty: "I couldn't stop her. The Second Miss kept getting closer to me, how could I dare to stop her?!"

Pei Dongzhou said calmly, "If there's a next time, just take him down without hesitation."

"Yes," Qingzhu quickly replied.

Pei Dongzhou changed into casual clothes and went to Fusang Institute.

Shen Shuyi was looking at the account book when she heard the bell ring, so she put the account book away and pretended to be reading a book.

Pei Dongzhou entered the study and quietly looked at Shen Shuyi, remaining silent for a long while.

Shen Shuyi wondered what Prince Pei was looking at and why he hadn't spoken after coming in.

She pretended to look up casually, and when she saw Prince Pei, she stepped forward to greet him with delight: "When did you arrive, Cousin Prince? Why didn't you tell me?"

"What kind of shady business was my cousin doing before she started reading?!" Pei Dongzhou curled his thin lips and scanned the study.

Shen Shuyi: ...

Seeing his cousin glaring at him, Pei Dongzhou smiled and said, "If you're not a mistress who can't be seen in public, why would you pretend to be reading a book?"

Shen Shuyi asked, puzzled, "Why did you say I was pretending to read, Cousin Prince?!"

She didn't hold the book upside down.

“My cousin hasn’t turned a single page of the book in her hands for ages, her posture is stiff, and she pretends not to know I’m here. If she hasn’t done something wrong, why would she bother?!” Pei Dongzhou took the military book from Shen Shuyi. “This isn’t the kind of book my cousin likes to read either.”

Shen Shuyi really dislikes such clever people, who magnify even the smallest details with a magnifying glass, leaving her with no privacy whatsoever.

"What wrong have I done? I just didn't want to talk to my cousin, the Crown Prince." Shen Shuyi remembered that Zhang and her daughter had come to see her, and decided to start from this point to prevent the Crown Prince from continuing to ask questions.

As expected, Prince Pei stopped looking at her with suspicion: "Is it because Mother and Second Sister came to see Cousin that Cousin is unwilling to see me?"

Shen Shuyi thought to herself that she didn't care at all. She had never lost a verbal battle, and it was clearly her who had angered Zhang and her daughter to leave.

But in order to clear herself of suspicion, she still replied insincerely, "That's right. Even though my engagement with my cousin the heir is fake, my aunt and second cousin are accusing me of marrying above my station. But we can't blame them for misunderstanding. Perhaps my cousin the heir should find an opportunity to clarify this misunderstanding to them."

Pei Dongzhou said calmly, "I came here for this very reason. His Majesty summoned me today, ordering me to bring my cousin to the palace tomorrow."

Shen Shuyi's brow twitched slightly; her reaction was particularly strong: "Why does Your Majesty want to see me?!"

"I heard that Li Yi filed a complaint with His Majesty, saying that I stole my cousin, and His Majesty therefore wants to see her." Knowing that Shen Shuyi was unwilling, Pei Dongzhou added, "It's just an audience with the Emperor. With me here, my cousin has nothing to be afraid of."

Shen Shuyi knew this was the emperor's will, and she could not escape it under any circumstances, otherwise it would be a serious crime of disobeying the imperial decree.

"So, do we have to go to the palace very early tomorrow?" Shen Shuyi felt she still needed to ask clearly.

"I have a day off tomorrow, and I will bring my cousin to the palace at 9:00 AM."

Shen Shuyi asked about some etiquette she should pay attention to, and Pei Dongzhou gave her a general overview.

Soon it was evening, and Shen Shuyi pretended to invite Prince Pei to have dinner. Prince Pei did not stand on ceremony and actually stayed at Fusang Courtyard.

During dinner, Shen Shuyi glanced at Prince Pei, who was eating elegantly across from her, and felt that Prince Pei was very unreserved.

The next morning, Shen Shuyi got up early to dress up. After all, she was going to meet the emperor, so she couldn't dress too casually. She changed into a short jacket with gold embroidery of magpies on branches and a light-colored pleated skirt. It was too cold, so A-Jian helped her put on a smoky gray cloak trimmed with white fox fur.

"Don't worry, young lady. With the young master here, His Majesty won't do anything to you," A-Jian reassured her mistress.

Shen Shuyi smiled and said, "I think you're a little more worried."

A-Jian was indeed worried that if they really offended a powerful figure like the emperor, no one could save the girl.

But she dared not say such unlucky things.

Just as the mistress and servant were having a private conversation, Prince Pei arrived. He wore a sky-blue robe, his features were relaxed and unassuming. It was the most comfortable and ordinary attire, yet his overall bearing made him stand out at a glance.

The moment Pei Dongzhou saw Shen Shuyi, he naturally helped her put on her hat and fastened it, his movements natural and fluid.

Seeing that Shen Shuyi was staring at him, he slightly parted his thin lips: "It's windy outside, be careful not to catch a cold."

Shen Shuyi felt that Pei Shizi's actions were too intimate and natural; he didn't treat her like an outsider at all.

Before long, their carriage arrived outside the palace. Pei Dongzhou got off the carriage first, and then helped Shen Shuyi down.

"Once we enter the palace, my cousin can just come with me. Don't worry." Pei Dongzhou smiled as he saw Shen Shuyi curiously looking around the palace.

Shen Shuyi was indeed curious about the palace, but she was also worried that meeting the emperor would displease him.

"I'll do whatever my cousin says."

She then followed Pei Dongzhou into the palace, and not long after, she met the emperor in the imperial study.

Pei Dongzhou was the first to bow to the emperor, and Shen Shuyi followed suit: "This commoner respectfully wishes Your Majesty good health, long live Your Majesty!"

Emperor Jinglong's majestic voice rang out: "No need for formalities, raise your head."

Shen Shuyi looked up as instructed, and met Emperor Jinglong's slightly sharp eyes.

Emperor Jinglong looked at Shen Shuyi's face and was momentarily dazed: "Who is Miss Shen's mother?"

“My mother is Pei Zhichun,” Shen Shuyi replied respectfully.

"You are Zhichun's daughter?!" Emperor Jinglong's expression changed slightly.

Shen Shuyi was puzzled as to why Emperor Jinglong had changed his expression. The original owner's mother was named Pei Zhichun; was there anything special about the name Pei Zhichun?

Pei Dongzhou also felt that Emperor Jinglong's reaction was a bit too much. Could it be that His Majesty knows his aunt?
"That's right." Shen Shuyi suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and answered truthfully.

"She's Zhichun's daughter?" Emperor Jinglong looked dazed. After a while, he asked again, "Miss Shen is engaged to Dongzhou?!"

Shen Shuyi secretly groaned. Could she admit to the emperor that she was a potential bride? But if she did admit it, how would she handle the situation in the future? Would she really marry Prince Pei?
"Your humble servant is indeed engaged to my cousin," Pei Dongzhou replied.

"I was asking Miss Shen a question, why are you interrupting, my dear minister?" Emperor Jinglong glanced at Pei Dongzhou.

Prince Pei is usually a composed person, so it's unusual that he would interrupt.

“My cousin is timid, and I’m afraid she might offend His Majesty,” Pei Dongzhou said frankly.

“You two are a good match. How about this, when you get married, I will also go and join in the fun,” Emperor Jinglong suddenly said.

(End of this chapter)