"Child-termination drug... for men?"
Ren Wanyun lowered her head, looking at the paper packet Shen Miao had placed in her hand, unable to suppress the trembling that ran through her entire body.
"Dosing any concubine with a child-termination drug—what kind of solution is that? Even if one can't bear a son, there will be a second, a third. Second Aunt, you can't guard against them all." Shen Miao's words carried a subtle allure, falling pleasantly on the ears.
"Why should I trust you? Who knows if this isn't arsenic inside," Ren Wanyun said disdainfully.
"If Second Aunt doesn't trust me, you can have your maids take a bit to ask a physician or feed it to an animal. If that still doesn't suffice, you can discard it and buy your own. I'm merely pointing the way—the rest depends on Second Aunt's willingness."
"Why should I do this?" Ren Wanyun stared coldly at Shen Miao.
"Why?" Shen Miao pondered briefly. "Perhaps because if Second Uncle loses the ability to father children in the future, Seventh Brother's position as the legitimate heir will be secure. Not only that, as Second Uncle's sole successor, Seventh Brother will undoubtedly earn his favor. Scarcity increases value, after all."
Ren Wanyun laughed. "You think I don't know what you're scheming, Shen Miao? I underestimated you—you want the second branch to have no heirs!"
"Now, that's not quite accurate," Shen Miao feigned surprise. "How can the second branch have no heirs when Seventh Brother still exists? Unless... Second Aunt believes she can still bear another child with Second Uncle in the future?" She teased, "Even if Second Aunt has the capability, it still depends on whether Second Uncle is willing."
"Outrageous!" Xiang Lan scolded.
"You shameless—!" Ren Wanyun's face flushed with anger. Shen Miao's words were a blatant mockery of her faded beauty, implying that someone like Shen Gui, who lusted after youth, would never spare her a glance. Yet Ren Wanyun knew well—Shen Gui had long ceased treating her with the tenderness of years past. Her face held no allure for him now, and bearing another child would be near impossible. "Shameless or outrageous, it's all for your benefit," Shen Miao smiled faintly. "I've given Second Aunt a way out—whether to take it or block it is your choice." She stood, then added as an afterthought, "Of course, Second Aunt could also tell Second Uncle about this—after all, you're family. But let me remind you, my parents and the Old Madam have already fallen out. We've torn all pretenses—there's nothing left to fear."
Ren Wanyun remained seated in silence, while Xiang Lan and Cai Ju watched Shen Miao warily.
"Enough said. Farewell." Shen Miao walked out with a smile.
After she left, Xiang Lan stepped forward and asked, "Madam, are you really going to listen to the Fifth Miss?"
"The Fifth Miss is definitely up to no good," Cai Ju agreed. "Her actions are clearly meant to oppose the Master."
"She is opposing the Master," Ren Wanyun murmured, "but now... the Master and I are no longer on the same side."
"Madam, you mean...?" Xiang Lan's eyes widened.
Ren Wanyun lowered her head. "I need to think more."
In the eastern courtyard, someone had been observing their every move. The moment Shen Miao and Jing Zhe stepped out, an unfamiliar maid approached with a smile. "Fifth Miss, Wan Yiniang heard of your visit and invites you to speak with her.""There are still some matters to attend to. Another day." Shen Miao refused outright, not giving any face at all. The maid was somewhat embarrassed but had no choice, watching helplessly as Shen Miao and her entourage walked away before turning back to report to Wan Yiniang.
"Is she trying to draw a line with us?" Wan Yiniang was indignant, but more than that, she was worried. She turned to Shen Dongling and said, "Dongling, could it be that the Fifth Young Miss has sided with the Madam and is joining forces with her against us?"
"How could that be?" Shen Dongling shook her head. "Because of Eldest Sister's matter, they would never come together."
"But why does the Fifth Young Miss always ignore our overtures?" Wan Yiniang paced back and forth. "Could it be that she looks down on our background..." Her voice trailed off gloomily. "After all, she is a legitimate young lady..."
"Yiniang," Shen Dongling put down her book, somewhat exasperated. "Where are your thoughts wandering? Fifth Sister's unwillingness to associate with us is definitely not because of our own reasons. I think Fifth Sister isn't particularly warm to the entire Shen Mansion, likely wanting to avoid any connection with the Second Household, which is why she ignores us. Since that's the case, currying favor is useless. Let's do less of such things in the future."
"But..." Wan Yiniang still wanted to say something.
"There are no buts." Shen Dongling cut her off. "As long as we behave properly and don't make any mistakes, naturally, no trouble will come our way."
On the other side, back in their quarters, Jing Zhe quietly asked Shen Miao, "Miss, will the Second Madam really drug the Second Master?"
"Of course." Shen Miao looked at her nails and said nonchalantly, "Ren Wanyun values her children above all else. Now that she has lost a son and a daughter in succession, leaving only Shen Yuanbai as her sole remaining heir, and given that Shen Gui is not a kind-hearted man, the only way to secure Shen Yuanbai's position is to drug Shen Gui."
"But what if the Second Madam tells the Second Master about this?" Gu Yu had been worried about this all along.
"She won't. If Shen Gui knew he had been given a child-termination drug, he would despise Ren Wanyun to the core. Even if Shen Yuanbai is his only heir, he would still take his anger out on him. Ren Wanyun, if only to ensure Shen Yuanbai lives well, would keep this matter tightly under wraps. Perhaps Shen Gui will never discover in his lifetime that he can't father sons, and even if a physician examines him, they would never suspect Ren Wanyun of drugging him."
"But then..." Jing Zhe gritted her teeth, seemingly hesitating before finally steeling herself to say, "Even if the Second Madam secretly drugs the Second Master without anyone knowing, and the Second Master truly can't father sons anymore, isn't there still the Seventh Young Master? He's still young now, but when he grows up and understands things, he might seek revenge against you for the Second Young Master and Eldest Young Miss. Raising an enemy from childhood, and with you having made such a vow..." Shen Miao had sworn in front of Ren Wanyun not to lay a hand on Shen Yuanbai, or else be struck by lightning. Such a heavy oath still sent chills down Jing Zhe's spine.
"Since I made the vow, I never intended to lay a hand on Shen Yuanbai," Shen Miao said.
"Even so, the Seventh Young Master will surely see you as an enemy," Gu Yu reminded her. "Having an enemy lurking in the shadows every day..."
"We'll deal with that when he grows up," Shen Miao smiled. Unfortunately, Shen Yuanbai would never get the chance to grow up.A year later, a plague broke out in Fixed Capital, and Shen Yuanbai died from smallpox. At that time, Shen Miao had already married Fu Xiuyi. The entire capital was in a state of panic, but fortunately, Shen Xin and his family were away fighting in the northwest, avoiding the disaster. While the noble families in the city fared better, many impoverished commoners perished. Shen Yuanbai was unable to escape his fate.
Shen Miao had always believed that divine retribution was inevitable—it was only a matter of time. In her past life, the sins committed by Shen Gui and his wife had been repaid through Shen Yuanbai. But the second branch still had Shen Yuan and Shen Qing. In this life, without Shen Yuan and Shen Qing, following the same path as before, Shen Yuanbai would ultimately meet his demise.
Rather than wiping them out now, it was better to let them live with hope. Shen Gui believed he still had a son, and Ren Wanyun thought Shen Yuanbai would replace Shen Yuan. Yet one day, when Shen Yuanbai too failed to escape the wrath of fate, the seeds of despair lurking within the second branch would finally sprout, drowning them all.
The second branch was destined to be left without heirs, but for now, they clung to hope, unaware that misfortune was slowly creeping toward them, waiting for the day the scythe would fall and harvest all signs of life.
The chessboard was set, and the pieces were moving step by step along their predetermined paths. Wasn’t this perfect?
"Miss, Mo Qing came by earlier," Bailu entered and said hesitantly. "He said the silver notes you gave him before have all been spent. Should we still go to Fragrant Treasure Pavilion?"
Bailu felt awkward and a little confused. It was unheard of for a master to give their subordinate money to visit courtesans. And this wasn’t just ordinary extravagance—it wasn’t even a task assigned to him. It was practically paying for his indulgence. What was worse, Mo Qing, blessed with such a cushy job, always put on a pained expression, making it all the more infuriating.
"Give him another five hundred taels," Shen Miao said.
Bailu’s face twisted in distress, but then Shen Miao added, "And tell Mo Qing he can say that sentence to Liuying now."
The maids in the room froze, looking at Shen Miao curiously. After all, none of them knew what "that sentence" referred to.
Just as Bailu was about to leave, she suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Miss, Mama Zhang from Hall of Glory and Scenery came by earlier. It seemed she wanted to inquire about the matter of Master and Madam separating from the family."
After learning the truth from Jing Guansheng that day, Luo Xueyan had a fierce argument with Old Madam Shen and later told Shen Xin everything. Naturally, Shen Xin was furious and immediately went to Hall of Glory and Scenery to confront the old madam. Luo Xueyan was determined to split the household, and after this incident, Shen Xin had also grown disillusioned with the Shen family, so he agreed. Even if it meant forfeiting the assets left by Old General Shen, they were resolute about the separation. Old Madam Shen, knowing she still relied on Shen Xin’s wealth and influence, feigned a stroke in desperation and fainted—an act that was both exasperating and laughable.
Now, Mama Zhang was probing for information, trying to gauge whether Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan were merely speaking out of anger.
"If she comes again, tell her the decision to separate is final. Kindly ask her to take good care of the old madam. If her condition doesn’t improve, we can always invite the clan elders to oversee the division."The clan elders had always looked down upon Old Madam Shen’s background. When Old General Shen was alive, he favored Shen Xin, so naturally, the elders also showed bias toward Shen Xin. Now that the clan had sent people to divide the family assets, they certainly wouldn’t let Old Madam Shen gain any advantage.
“This servant understands,” Bailu replied with a smile before stepping out.
Shen Miao sat down at the table. The path of this life had only just begun, yet she already had to plan so much. However, while seeking revenge, protecting the Shen family was no easy task.
Everything had to be taken step by step.
...
The recent turmoil in Fixed Capital was merely idle gossip for people to chat about over tea. Once discussed, it would be dismissed with a laugh, and no one would remember it. Even as a topic of conversation, it would soon be overshadowed by fresher news within a few days.
When a person dies, their light extinguishes—such was the cold indifference of the world.
The Fragrant Treasure Pavilion remained as bustling as ever. Recently, a new troupe of Persian dancers had arrived—beautiful and bold—drawing the eager attention of the capital’s young noblemen. The pavilion, already thriving, was now nearly overwhelmed by the crowds.
Men crave novelty, always chasing the new and discarding the old. The newly arrived dancers were the current sensation, while the former top courtesans found their doors deserted, leaving them disheartened. Yet among these pleasure-seeking men, one stood out distinctly. As soon as he reached the entrance, the welcoming girl waved her handkerchief and teased, “Master Mo, not calling for Liuying today?”
Mo Qing placed a silver ingot in her hand and said, “Same as always.”
The girl replied with a mix of envy and admiration, “You’re truly a man of steadfast affection. Liuying must have accumulated great fortune in her past life.” With that, she swayed her hips and went upstairs to summon the courtesan.
While everyone else flocked to the new arrivals, Mo Qing unwaveringly requested Liuying’s company. Those unaware might think he had developed genuine feelings for her—but whether he truly had or not, only he and Liuying knew.
Across from the Fragrant Treasure Pavilion, by the window of the Joyful Pavilion, three men were drinking together. Ji Yushu pointed at Mo Qing’s figure entering the pavilion and exclaimed, “Look, look! He’s gone in again!”
“What’s so interesting about that?” Gao Yang rolled his eyes. “He goes every three days, stays one night, and leaves at dawn the next morning—never a moment longer. You’ve memorized this routine by heart. Is there any need to make such a fuss?”
Ji Yushu glared back defiantly. “Are you stupid? We both know this, but Third Brother Xie just returned—how would he know? I’m just filling him in.”
Opposite them, Xie Jingxing reclined lazily on the couch, gazing at the Fragrant Treasure Pavilion. Today, for once, he wasn’t wearing his usual purple robes but a fitted black robe that made him appear much more austere. Yet upon closer inspection, traces of weariness lingered in his brow, clearly from having just returned from a journey.
“Xie Jingxing, how did things go this time? What happened to those people?” Gao Yang asked.
“They were all dead-set followers—couldn’t get anything out of them, so I killed them all,” Xie Jingxing replied absentmindedly. “Time is tight. We need to move quickly here.”
“What’s the point of moving fast?” Ji Yushu grumbled. “We haven’t even found the thing.”
“Shen Yuan made some moves before, getting close to Fu Xiuyi. He might have had some leverage. But now that he’s dead...” Gao Yang mused. “Fu Xiuyi will probably try to search Shen Yuan’s belongings for clues.”
“I need to visit the Shen Mansion again,” Xie Jingxing frowned. “It’s impossible that we can’t find it.”"Hey hey hey, forget it, let's not talk about this for now." Ji Yushu interrupted their conversation. "Speaking of which, we've been staking out here for so long, watching this Mo guy visit the Fragrant Treasure Pavilion every few days. What’s the meaning behind it? Could it be that Miss Shen treats her servants with such leniency? Even covering their expenses for visiting courtesans? Such a cushy job, so generous—more lavish than me, the manager of Fengxian Pawnshop!"
"Have you ever seen someone visit a courtesan and leave at the crack of dawn?" Gao Yang glanced at Ji Yushu. "As I recall, when you visited Shaoyao, you’d cling to her boudoir, unwilling to leave, wishing you could stick by her side day and night. *The night is short—who’d be so unromantic? At least stay to paint her brows or chat a little. Leaving within an hour each time seems more like fulfilling a task."
"Are your eyes stuck in the sky?" Xie Jingxing shot them a look. "Didn’t you notice there’s someone else across the street?" His gaze lowered slightly, and the other two froze, following his line of sight. There, at the corner opposite the Fragrant Treasure Pavilion, stood a man in a blue robe, staring intently at Liuying’s small residence.
"He looks pretty ordinary," Ji Yushu remarked. "Dressed so shabbily—probably just here to gawk at the courtesans, too poor to afford one. What’s so special about that?"
"That man..." Gao Yang studied him from afar. "His figure seems familiar. I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before."
"Pei Lang," Xie Jingxing said.
"Who’s Pei Lang?" Ji Yushu asked.
"A teacher from the Hall of Extensive Learning."
"Oh, I remember now," Gao Yang added. "I saw him at a palace banquet once. But what’s he doing here?"
"A teacher?" Ji Yushu gulped. "A teacher visiting a brothel? And they say the Hall of Extensive Learning is where all the noble families of Fixed Capital send their children. How can even the teachers be so morally corrupt?"
"You visit brothels all the time—why aren’t you morally corrupt?" Gao Yang shot back.
"I don’t teach students!" Ji Yushu retorted.
"Shut up," Xie Jingxing cut in. "How did you two miss such a conspicuous person?"
"I don’t know him either," Ji Yushu grumbled. "There are so many people coming and going outside the Fragrant Treasure Pavilion. I only pay attention to the unusual ones. This teacher looks completely unremarkable—how was I supposed to know he’s a teacher?"
Gao Yang turned to Xie Jingxing. "You think Pei Lang is suspicious? But he’s just a poor scholar."
"Shen Miao never does anything without purpose. There must be a reason she sent her subordinate to find Liuying. I didn’t understand before, but seeing him now, it makes sense." Xie Jingxing’s gaze lingered on Pei Lang in the distance.
"You mean..." Gao Yang mused. "After all this elaborate maneuvering, Shen Miao’s real target is Pei Lang?"
Xie Jingxing smirked, his eyes glinting with hidden meaning. "For some reason, I feel Shen Miao places unusual importance on this Pei Lang. From what we’ve uncovered, he’s just a poor scholar—there must be more to it."
"That’s simple!" Ji Yushu exclaimed. "I know the reason."
Gao Yang and Xie Jingxing both turned to stare at him.Ji Yushu cleared his throat and said with great enthusiasm, "It's so simple! Judging by his figure, this man must be exceptionally handsome and elegant. Plus, as a scholar, he would naturally appear learned and profound. Miss Shen is at that tender age where young girls are easily smitten by talented and handsome gentlemen. Little did she expect that beneath his refined exterior, he was actually a hypocrite who frequents brothels. In a fit of anger, Miss Shen simply had her servant buy the courtesan's token..."
"Wait," Gao Yang interrupted, "If Shen Miao liked Pei Lang, why would she buy Liuying's token instead?"
Ji Yushu pondered for a while before answering, "Probably because Pei Lang couldn't afford Liuying's token, so Miss Shen had her servant buy it to humiliate him. Pei Lang couldn't even compare to a servant—how infuriating! Miss Shen must have wanted to drive him mad with rage!" He grew more and more animated, nearly climbing onto the table in excitement. "See how deeply Pei Lang has wounded Miss Shen! A young lady, willing to spend a fortune just to spite him!"
Gao Yang rubbed his temples in exasperation. "Ji Yushu, have you been listening to some absurd plays in the brothel again?"
"I'll take my leave first," Xie Jingxing said expressionlessly as he stood up. He glanced at Ji Yushu and added, "If you're that bored, the Tower Prison is short-staffed. Pack your things and go with Tie Yi whenever you're ready."
Ji Yushu immediately wilted like a frostbitten eggplant, falling silent.
Meanwhile, at the Firefly Abode, Mo Qing sat at the table drinking tea as usual.
Liuying had long given up on him. Previously, she had harbored some desire to conquer this man, but now she didn't even have the slightest inclination to try. She had completely lost her temper with him. Not even bothering with her makeup, she sauntered over, picked up the silver ingot Mo Qing had left on the table, and tucked it into her box. Then she sat down opposite him, poured herself a cup of tea, took a sip, and said indifferently, "Thank you, Young Master Mo, for your unwavering patronage. At least Liuying won't go hungry in these hard times."
While other courtesans were losing their regular patrons to the newly arrived Persian dancers, Mo Qing alone remained loyal to her. The other girls in the building were green with envy, but little did they know that in Liuying's eyes, Mo Qing was just an eccentric with some inexplicable quirk.
Perhaps Mo Qing simply enjoyed sitting in brothels, staring blankly while spending his silver.
Liuying didn't bother making conversation with him either. In all his visits, Mo Qing had never once spoken to her. If not for the occasional words he exchanged with the girls at the entrance, Liuying might have thought he was mute.
But today, Mo Qing broke his silence. He said, "It's not me."
So shocked that she could only stare at him wide-eyed, Liuying blurted, "Huh?"
"The one giving you silver isn't me," Mo Qing clarified.
Liuying was puzzled. "What silver?"
"My master instructed me to come here every three days to give you silver and do nothing else."
This was probably the longest sentence Mo Qing had ever spoken in the Fragrant Treasure Pavilion. But as soon as the words left his mouth, Liuying's gaze turned wary. She stood up and demanded, "Who is your master?"
Mo Qing shook his head. "I can't say."
"You!" Liuying glared at him.
"My master said she will come to see you in due time," Mo Qing replied. "For now, don't take any other clients."Liuying laughed. "Big brother, I don't know who your master is or what he wants, but I'm a girl from the Fragrant Treasure Pavilion. Business is so bad these days, and I'm not some newly popular top courtesan. If I don't take other customers, what will I eat? What will I drink? Are you going to support me?"
Mo Qing fell silent.
Seeing Mo Qing remain silent, Liuying grew even angrier, an inexplicable fury rising in her heart. Other men, whether sincere or not, would at least offer some comforting words like, "I'll take care of you." Even if it was just a lie, in the world of pleasure, no one took anyone's words seriously. But this Mo Qing was truly a blockhead—stubborn and serious, unwilling to even utter a single sweet lie. Just as she was about to vent her anger and coax him, Liuying suddenly fell silent again. Mo Qing wasn’t part of that world, after all. He had said it himself—he was merely following his master’s orders. Thinking this, she found it rather pointless to hold such expectations of him.
Mo Qing watched as Liuying’s expression shifted unpredictably, feeling equally baffled. After hesitating for a moment, he spoke words that Shen Miao had not instructed him to say: "My master is a good person. You… don’t need to be afraid."
Liuying was taken aback. She turned to look at Mo Qing, but he had already lowered his head to sip his tea. For some reason, her mood lightened. "Why should I believe you?" she asked.
Mo Qing: "…"
...
That night, under a starless and moonless sky, Shen Miao stayed in Luo Xueyan’s quarters for a while before preparing to return to her own courtyard. On the way, Jing Zhe relayed the news she had gathered during the day: "Miss, I heard the Jing family left for Suzhou this afternoon. Before they left, they took all the valuable decorations from the side courtyard of the Hall of Glory and Scenery—truly bandit-like behavior. Old Madam Shen was so furious she nearly had another stroke."
The phrase "another stroke" was dripping with sarcasm. Everyone knew that Old Madam Shen would "have a stroke" whenever she flew into a rage. But now, she had finally met her match—shamelessness pitted against even greater shamelessness. One had to admire the Jing family’s audacity, brazenly making off with the Hall of Glory and Scenery’s belongings. It was truly absurd.
"Who would’ve thought the Jing family would make such grand, righteous claims about seeking justice for their cousin, only to slink back to Suzhou in disgrace, abandoning her? They knew full well she’d suffer in the Sun household, yet they didn’t lift a finger to help. All that tough talk earlier was just to extort more silver," Jing Zhe remarked.
"The people do not challenge the officials," Shen Miao said with a faint smile. "The Jing family must have realized they’d stirred up serious trouble."
"None of them are good people," Jing Zhe muttered disdainfully.
Shen Miao neither agreed nor disagreed. The Jing family might be rushing back to Suzhou, but would they even make it? Sun Tianzheng was no pushover. When Shen Qiu had been in trouble, Jing Chuchu had escaped, but the rest of the Jing family hadn’t been so lucky. Sun Tianzheng was never one for mercy. Whatever happened on their journey back to Suzhou would remain unknown.
Just as she reached her courtyard and was about to push open the door, Shen Miao suddenly paused, glancing at the window.
"Jing Zhe," she said, "go heat some water for my bath. Make it hot."
Jing Zhe blinked in surprise but nodded and complied. Shen Miao pushed the door open, walked through the outer hall, past the screen, and into her inner chamber, closing the door behind her.
The oil lamp flickered faintly, casting a dim glow. At the table, a figure lounged lazily, his robe shimmering with a dark golden hue that seemed to illuminate the shadows of the room. One hand propped up his head while the other idly flipped through the books on Shen Miao’s desk. Hearing her enter, he turned his head indifferently, revealing a strikingly handsome face with lips red as cinnabar and teeth white as jade.
"You’re back late," Xie Jingxing said, displeased.
"I don’t recall inviting you," Shen Miao replied calmly. "Young Marquis Xie."
"I’ve been waiting for you," Xie Jingxing raised an eyebrow. "I’m starving."
Shen Miao: "Get out."
Author’s Note:
Young Marquis Xie teases Her Majesty.
Her Majesty: (ノ｀Д)ノ
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