Just as Shen Yunjiao was about to turn around, Xiao Huaijin suddenly coughed softly.

He looked at Shen Yunjiao with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "I misspoke, Miss Shen, please don't take it to heart."

Shen Yunjiao was stunned for a moment before nodding slowly, "Your Majesty doesn't understand me, and with what happened last time, it's natural that you'll have a bad impression of me."

“Miss Shen, since you are here, I will ask you seriously why you plotted against me that time… Do you know that if I hadn’t protected you back then, you might have lost your head?”

After asking that question, Xiao Huaijin's eyes never left Shen Yunjiao.

He wanted an answer, perhaps one that could help him regain his lost memories and explain many things he found strange.

"Your Majesty," Shen Yunjiao looked at him with amusement, her expression gentle and indifferent, "Do you really believe that this was something I painstakingly planned?"

Xiao Huaijin's heart sank inexplicably.

Isn't that right?

Why would he have an affair with the wife of a courtier and even spend the night with her?

Xiao Huaijin was not used to showing his emotions, but the surprise hidden in his eyes could not fool Shen Yunjiao.

The sky suddenly darkened, and then a light drizzle began to fall. Raindrops fell like curtains from the eaves, and looking into the distance from Shen Yunjiao's perspective, the rain and mist swirled around. This rain came at a rather inopportune time.

However, at that moment, firecrackers suddenly went off with a series of crackling sounds.

The time for the wedding ceremony has arrived.

Shen Yunjiao did not want to reminisce about the past with Xiao Huaijin amidst the rain and mist. If he wanted to know about the past, he would naturally come to find her.

In any case, she achieved her goal.

"Shen Yunjiao, what exactly are you to me?" Xiao Huaijin asked in a low voice. The fine raindrops gradually grew larger, and his voice blended with the raindrops, almost making Shen Yunjiao unable to hear him.

“Whatever Your Majesty thinks I am to you, that is who I am to you. If Your Majesty really wants to know, there will always be a way.” After saying this, Shen Yunjiao slowly bowed.

Her graceful figure disappeared into the rain and mist.

Xiao Huaijin suddenly felt a twitch between his eyebrows, and a familiar pain came from his forehead.

For some reason, Xiao Huaijin had a bold guess in his mind.

He and Shen Yunjiao must have known each other before.

What exactly is their relationship?

Why does he always lose control of his emotions when he sees Shen Yunjiao?

Xiao Huaijin stared intently at the rain and mist for a long time before saying to Nanfeng, "Let's go."

Shen Yunjiao walked forward along the path, followed the long corridor to the backyard, and after passing a row of pink walls and green tiles, she arrived at the main hall where guests were entertained.

After she found a seat and sat down, she discovered that Xiao Huaijin had not followed her into the hall.

That's true.

Jiang Yao's wedding invitations were all to important officials of the court. If the emperor himself were to appear, they would be extremely apprehensive and would have to be very careful in their behavior, which would make the wedding less enjoyable.

Perhaps Xiao Huaijin didn't want to come in because he thought of this.

What does it have to do with me?

Shen Yunjiao didn't want to interfere any further. She had already said so much; now it was up to Xiao Huaijin to decide what to do.

However, there is only one condition: if he really chooses a concubine, then her relationship with Xiao Huaijin will be over.

"Yun Jiao, it's been a long time."

A clear female voice interrupted Shen Yunjiao's thoughts. She looked up and saw Zhang Zhiyan, the daughter of the Vice Minister of Revenue, smiling broadly as she greeted her, "I saw you limping when you came in. Did you hurt your foot?"

Zhang Zhiyan spoke in a friendly tone, and Shen Yunjiao was willing to chat with her a bit more. "It's just that I twisted my ankle while walking."

"It takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone, you need to go back and recuperate properly." Zhang Zhiyan said, then suddenly remembered that Shen Yunjiao had been sent to Xuanqing Temple by the Empress Dowager to reflect on her mistakes, how could she possibly go home to recuperate?

She was immediately embarrassed and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Did you know Ye Zhixuan is here too? I remember you used to be on good terms with her?"

"Zhixuan is here? Where is she?" Shen Yunjiao asked hurriedly.

Zhang Zhiyan pondered for a moment and slowly said, "I just saw her walk forward. It seems that Young Master Li called her out."

"Young Master Li???" Shen Yun frowned, carefully recalling the person in her mind. She didn't know who this Young Master Li was, and she figured he was probably not famous.

"I'll go take a look," Shen Yunjiao said, smiling at Zhang Zhiyan before getting up and walking around the screen.

Zhang Zhiyan breathed a sigh of relief. Her best friend leaned over and said to her, "Why did you call her to Young Master Li's place and ruin his good time?"

Zhang Zhiyan rolled his eyes at her, "I almost said something wrong just now. To avoid getting into trouble, you'd better kick her out quickly."

"She's already been punished by the Empress Dowager, what are you afraid of her for?" The handkerchief friend pinched her arm with a grin.

Zhang Zhiyan forced a smile, but in her heart she was thinking about the scene she had just accidentally witnessed.

Shen Yunjiao first chatted back and forth with Lord Pei, and then got entangled with a man of elegant and noble bearing. She knew that this Shen family girl was indeed not simple.

It's not impossible that he might turn around and win back the Empress Dowager's favor in a few days.

If she does Shen Yunjiao a favor now, she'll have something to ask of her in the future.

Moreover, this young master Li has shifty eyes and doesn't look like a good person. If something happens to the Ye family girl after he called her out, I'll always feel guilty.

Shen Yunjiao grabbed a maidservant and asked her if she had seen the Ye family's daughter. The maidservant thought for a long time but couldn't remember which Ye family's daughter she was referring to. Instead, the old woman next to her said, "If you don't mind, Miss, let's go and take a look at the garden in front of the main hall where the gentlemen are sitting. I remember just seeing a young master leading a young lady there."

"Alright, Granny, please take me to see him." Shen Yunjiao said as she walked forward, a bad feeling creeping into her heart.

Unexpectedly, as she was walking, Shen Qinghuai called out to her, "Yun Jiao, where are you going?"

"Brother!"

A hint of surprise flashed in Shen Yunjiao's eyes as she looked at Shen Qinghuai and said, "I originally planned to come find you after the banquet."

Shen Qinghuai stood up, nodded to his colleagues, and then took Shen Yunjiao's hand and walked to the side. He whispered, "Yunjiao, I have already written to His Majesty asking him to make an exception. In a few days, it will be the day when Father's memorial tablet is returned to the ancestral hall. At that time, I will ask His Majesty to allow you to return to the Shen family to reflect on your mistakes. Just wait patiently."

Shen Yunjiao nodded, "Brother, let's not talk about this for now. I just heard that Zhixuan also came, but she was called out by some young master Li. I have to go and see what happened."

"Young Master Li?" Shen Qinghuai's expression changed slightly. There was only one Young Master Li at this banquet, namely Li Changping, the son of Li Yuanwai, the head of the merchants in the capital.

This man pretends to be very proper in public, but secretly he is quite dissolute and has a particular fondness for women. He can't help but have wicked thoughts whenever he encounters a beautiful woman, but every time something goes wrong, his father will bail him out.

"Brother, do you know this person?" Shen Yunjiao asked hurriedly.

Shen Qinghuai's eyes darkened slightly.