Morning sunlight had barely reached the palace when Princess Zhi and Lady Chen left their respective courtyards.
Neither woman spoke much as they walked.
Their destination was the same.
Shin Gu's courtyard.
After the conversation with the Empress the previous night, they had made their decision.
They would not accuse Shin Gu.
They would not spy openly.
They would simply visit her as friends.
If Shin Gu was innocent, they would discover it.
If she knew something, perhaps she would eventually reveal it.
And if there was something hidden beneath her calm expression...
They would find it.
Princess Zhi adjusted the sleeve of her outer robe as they approached the secluded part of the palace.
"Are you ready?" she asked quietly.
Lady Chen nodded.
"As ready as I can be."
"You look nervous."
"I'm not nervous."
Princess Zhi glanced at her.
"You have been fixing your sleeve for the last hundred steps."
Lady Chen immediately stopped touching it.
"I was thinking."
