A shocking scandal erupted in Fixed Capital.
First, before dawn, a middle-aged man knelt at the yamen gates, beating the drum to demand justice. He accused Shen Wan, the third master of Shen Mansion, of forcibly seizing his wife to make her his concubine, an act that defied heaven and earth. Though the man looked like a lowly, despicable character, he somehow possessed an extraordinary gift of gab—his words were almost dazzlingly eloquent. His dramatic storytelling, complete with singing, was so captivating that it quickly drew a large crowd of onlookers. Within half an hour, the entire Fixed Capital knew of the incident.
Thanks to the recent high-profile lawsuit between the Chen and Shen families, the people of Fixed Capital were already quite familiar with the legendary concubine, Chang Zaiqing. Shen Wan had divorced his long-time wife for her, showing not an ounce of mercy, which naturally led to much speculation. Some busybodies had even dug up information: Chang Zaiqing was the daughter of Old General Shen’s old friend—cultured, gentle, elegant, and even more refined in temperament than Chen Ruoqiu. She had also become pregnant with Shen Wan’s child, so naturally, public sympathy leaned toward her.
But early this morning, this middle-aged man, accompanied by a young boy kneeling at the yamen gates, shattered all those favorable opinions about Chang Zaiqing.
He claimed Shen Wan had abducted his wife, but the crowd wasn’t foolish. Liuzhou and Fixed Capital were far apart, and back then, Chang Zaiqing had come to Shen Mansion on her own, publicly declaring herself unmarried. The idea of "forcibly seizing a commoner’s wife" was likely just Chang Zaiqing throwing herself at Shen Wan. It seemed that despite Shen Wan’s lifetime of intelligence and refinement, he had failed to see Chang Zaiqing’s true nature—raising another man’s wife for so long that the cuckold’s horns on his head could probably grow grass by now.
As for the man’s claims, no one doubted them. For one, he held a marriage certificate bearing Chang Zaiqing’s name, complete with an official seal in black and white. Secondly, the young boy accompanying him looked exactly like Chang Zaiqing, though he appeared much more silent and bewildered.
The crowd pointed and gossiped, treating it as a once-in-a-decades spectacle. They always said wealthy households were rife with drama, but no one expected the master of such a household to be this foolish. In the past, such a scandal might have been suppressed before spreading so quickly across Fixed Capital. But today, the man’s sudden appearance and early-morning drum-beating made suppression impossible. Besides, the yamen officials knew how to read the room—with Shen Wan and his entire family now imprisoned, who cared about his reputation? They joined the crowd in enjoying the spectacle.
In a secluded courtyard of the Chen residence, Chen Ruoqiu listened to the news Shi Qing had gathered from outside and laughed until she nearly doubled over.
She had grown increasingly lazy lately, her appearance more unkempt than ever. The worse she looked, the less the Chen family tolerated her. But she likely didn’t care—her sole purpose in life now was to bring down the Chen family, and without a doubt, Chen Ruoqiu had succeeded.
She truly had. After so many years as Shen Wan’s wife, she knew his vulnerabilities well. Piece by piece, she gathered evidence, even bribing one of Shen Wan’s subordinates to deliver it to his sworn enemy. After anxiously awaiting news, she finally received the good tidings she had hoped for.Chen Ruoqiu's hatred for Shen Wan ran as deep as her love had once been. It was Shen Wan who had reduced her to such a wretched state, and she would never allow Chang Zaiqing and Shen Wan to live in peace. When she learned that the entire Shen family had been imprisoned, Chen Ruoqiu felt a grim satisfaction. But what she hadn't expected was that by the very next day, news would break that Chang Zaiqing was actually a woman who had abandoned her husband and child.
To think that after a lifetime of shrewdness, she would lose to such a woman. Chen Ruoqiu had initially laughed wildly, but soon the laughter turned bitter on her lips. If only she had been calmer back then, less hasty, if she had sent someone to investigate in Liuzhou—perhaps things wouldn’t have turned out this way. Shen Wan, a man who couldn’t tolerate the slightest flaw, would have despised Chang Zaiqing the moment he learned of her true identity, without Chen Ruoqiu even needing to say a word.
But there was no turning back now. Once the arrow was loosed, it could not be retrieved.
"Madam, what should we do now?" Shi Qing asked cautiously. Chen Ruoqiu was now barely tolerated in the Chen family, and with the Shen family's affairs settled, simply drifting through the days was no solution for her.
"I think..." Chen Ruoqiu pressed her fingers to her temples, exhausted. "Yue'er has found her place now. As for me, it doesn’t matter anymore. In a few days, I’ll leave the Fixed Capital and find a small, quiet place to live out the rest of my days in peace." She smiled bitterly. "At least that’s better than staying here in the Fixed Capital, where everyone would mock me."
Shi Qing breathed a quiet sigh of relief. It was good that Chen Ruoqiu could think this way. As long as there was some hope, things would gradually improve.
"But first, I must see Yue'er," Chen Ruoqiu said, pressing a hand to her chest. "Otherwise, I won’t be at ease."
Just then, Hua Yi rushed in, her face pale with panic. "Madam, something terrible has happened!"
Chen Ruoqiu stood abruptly, frowning. "What is it?"
"It’s—it’s the Second Young Lady!"
At the mention of Shen Yue, Chen Ruoqiu’s heart lurched violently. She seized Hua Yi’s hand, urgency sharp in her voice. "What’s happened to Yue'er?"
Hua Yi looked on the verge of tears. "The Second Young Lady’s presence in Prince Qin’s residence has been discovered!"
When Shen Yue was taken from Prince Qin’s residence, Huangfu Hao did not intervene.
Despite Shen Yue’s tearful pleas, clutching at his sleeve in desperation, Huangfu Hao merely comforted her, saying, "Nothing will happen. Just go with them." His words held not a trace of protectiveness toward her. The officials who had come were quick to notice his attitude, and their last shred of hesitation vanished. They practically dragged Shen Yue out with rough hands.
Watching the group escort Shen Yue away in a grand procession, Huangfu Hao frowned and turned to his attendant. "Go and find out what exactly has happened in the Ming Qi palace."
Early that morning, officials had arrived, demanding to take away Shen Yue, the legitimate daughter of the Shen family’s third branch. Since entering Prince Qin’s residence, Shen Yue had never revealed her identity to outsiders. No one would have imagined that an official’s legitimate daughter would become the Qin Crown Prince’s concubine. Yet somehow, these officials had learned of it and come to Prince Qin’s residence to claim her.Emperor Wenhui had indeed left some room for courtesy towards Huangfu Hao. The reason for taking Shen Yue away was that she was also a member of the Shen family and thus could not escape involvement, yet he deliberately avoided mentioning the marriage exchange between Shen Yue and Shen Dongling, likely trying to sidestep the issue. However, how much trouble could a mere concubine stir up? Just for this, Emperor Wenhui had no need to make such a grand spectacle. Huangfu Hao suspected there must be something fishy behind it all.
Since the other party had come prepared, Huangfu Hao saw no reason to oppose them. Shen Yue was merely a means for him to understand Shen Miao, and while she happened to have some charm for amusement, he had not truly taken her to heart. There was no need to create an ugly scene with Emperor Wenhui over her, so he simply went along with it.
Yet, regarding what exactly had happened in the Ming Qi palace, Huangfu Hao remained completely in the dark. Precisely because of this, there were still many things he did not understand. After a moment of contemplation, Huangfu Hao summoned his attendant and said, "Go to Prince Ding's Residence and deliver a message for me."
The affairs of the Shen family could indeed be described as a pot of chaos. It was as if a loose thread had suddenly appeared on an otherwise smooth and taut surface. Pulling on this thread, the once neatly embroidered pattern instantly became a tangled mess, obscuring its original appearance.
First, Shen Wan was imprisoned for failing in his duties. Then, Chang Zaiqing's husband and son from Liuzhou knelt at the government office gates, beating drums to demand justice. And now, it was discovered that the legitimate daughter of the third branch had somehow become a concubine in the Crown Prince of Qin's residence, exposing the marriage exchange between the legitimate daughter of the third branch and the illegitimate daughter of the second branch. People marveled at the sheer disorder in the Shen Mansion's inner quarters while also wondering if the Shen family had offended some malevolent spirits, as their streak of misfortune was truly uncanny.
It was just past noon, and Shen Miao had drawn the curtains, intending to take a short nap on her bed. The Shen family's affairs were unfolding step by step as she had planned. She could roughly guess what Emperor Wenhui would do next.
As she removed her outer cloak, she suddenly sensed something amiss. Turning her head, she saw Xie Jingxing standing in the shadows, having arrived unnoticed. He was leaning against her bed, idly stroking something fluffy that wriggled in his hand. Upon closer inspection, it was the white tiger she had seen before.
The tiger had likely grown a bit sturdier, its fur now glossy and sleek, more beautiful than ever. But Shen Miao paid no attention to that. She took a deep breath and said, "Who allowed you on my bed?"
Xie Jingxing truly had the audacity to push his luck. Having grown accustomed to him sneaking in through her window at night, he now dared to boldly climb onto her bed in broad daylight. Given a few more days, would he simply waltz in through the front door for tea, expecting the entire household to welcome him with open arms?
His boldness was beyond reason.
Xie Jingxing replied, "I came specifically to congratulate you. Why this reaction?"
"Congratulate me?" Shen Miao was taken aback. "For what?""The Shen family has been imprisoned, just as you wished." Xie Jingxing released his grip, and the white tiger let out a playful "aowu" before happily bouncing around on Shen Miao's bed, even using her fine silk bedding to sharpen its claws—a sight that pained the heart. Xie Jingxing stroked his chin and said, "Chang Zaiqing's reputation is ruined, Shen Wan is filled with regret, Chen Ruoqiu has been implicated, and Shen Yue has also been thrown into prison. By all accounts, this is a matter worth celebrating." His eyes curved slightly, shimmering like rippling water, as he added, "Aren’t you happy?"
Being so bluntly confronted with the results of her schemes made Shen Miao slightly uncomfortable. She took two steps forward, grabbed Xie Jingxing’s sleeve, and tried to pull him up from her bed, saying, "Verbal congratulations are enough, or you could prepare some silver as a gift. Prince Rui need not trouble himself to come in person."
"How could that possibly convey my sincerity?" Shen Miao exerted considerable force, but Xie Jingxing remained unmoved. He glanced at her with a faintly mocking smile and said, "Besides, in this game, you also managed to trick Fu Xiuyi. That’s even more cause for celebration."
Shen Miao’s heart skipped a beat, and her grip involuntarily loosened. Xie Jingxing suddenly raised an eyebrow, turned his hand to grasp hers, and pulled her toward him.
Caught off guard and unsteady on her feet, Shen Miao stumbled forward and ended up collapsing directly against Xie Jingxing’s chest.
The young man’s eyes were filled with laughter, yet his gaze was sharp as a blade. Though his tone was gentle, almost like a lover’s whisper, his words carried a chilling edge.
He murmured, "You even dragged Huangfu Hao into this. The old emperor will be even less inclined to let Fu Xiuyi off easily. This move of yours is clever, indeed—but aren’t you afraid of getting burned?"
Shen Miao looked up at Xie Jingxing.
Two years ago, the youth had been dazzlingly handsome, yet somewhat frivolous—perhaps intentionally so. Now, having revealed his true self to the world, he seemed even more inscrutable. His tone was playful, as if everything in the world deserved nothing more than a careless laugh, but beneath that handsome exterior lay an ambition that was truly terrifying.
"Making a pact with a tiger"—those four words surfaced in Shen Miao’s mind.
Yes, Xie Jingxing was right. The internal strife between Chen Ruoqiu and Shen Wan was merely a prelude, and Chang Zaiqing was simply receiving the punishment she deserved for being abandoned. But all of it was a smokescreen, a diversion she had set up for her final move.
Shen Miao had never forgotten her true enemy—the most fearsome, the most hated—Fu Xiuyi. Shen Wan was already tied to Prince Ding, Fu Xiuyi, and now Shen Yue had become Huangfu Hao’s woman. Since Shen Yue was Shen Wan’s daughter, it would naturally lead people to suspect some connection between Huangfu Hao and Fu Xiuyi.
The suspicious Emperor Wenhui would surely send someone to investigate. If Huangfu Hao and Fu Xiuyi truly had no ties, nothing would be found. Unfortunately, the two had already formed a secret alliance. If Emperor Wenhui dug deep enough, he might uncover something very interesting. At this critical juncture, it would deal Fu Xiuyi a fatal blow. His path to the throne, now shadowed by the emperor’s suspicion and covert obstruction, would no longer be so smooth.
She had thought this move was well-hidden, yet the young man in purple before her had seen through it at a glance—peeling back the colorful facade to reveal the crucial step she had taken.She wanted to get up from Xie Jingxing's body, but he held her wrist with one hand and supported the back of her head with the other. Shen Miao was practically lying entirely on top of Xie Jingxing. In the closeness of their shared breaths, the ambiguous proximity allowed her to hear the violent pounding of a heartbeat—though she couldn’t tell if it was hers or his.
If anyone were to walk in at this moment, Shen Miao’s reputation for the rest of her life would be ruined. Yet Xie Jingxing was a frivolous man who saw nothing improper in his actions.
Shen Miao suddenly laughed softly and slowly spoke, "Playing with fire."
Xie Jingxing watched her leisurely.
"The fire has already found me," Shen Miao's voice carried an indescribable coldness and weight. "Does Prince Rui think I still have a way out?"
She had never had a way out. Even without the blood feuds, without Wan Yu and Fu Ming, without her rebirth for revenge, Shen Xin's towering achievements would one day lead to the Shen family's downfall. To protect the Shen family, even Fu Xiuyi would become her enemy.
"Of course there's a way out," the young man suddenly said.
Shen Miao's fingers, clutching his collar, twitched slightly.
His profile was breathtakingly handsome, his dark eyes so beautiful they could drown a person, and his long lashes, bathed in the sunlight filtering through the curtains, carried a faint warmth. He said calmly, "With me here, the fire won’t touch you. If you're afraid, you can hide with me."
His voice, mellow like fine wine, drifted softly into Shen Miao’s ears.
"I’ll carve a path of retreat for you."
Shen Miao looked at him. He spoke carelessly and acted with irreverence, yet he gave the illusion that his promises carried the weight of a thousand pounds—that his words were deeds.
But why did she suddenly feel like crying?
If, in her past life in the palace, someone had said to her, "Come to me, I’ll carve a path of retreat for you," would she have stubbornly walked the dark path to the end? Would she have avoided the tragedy of losing her child and her family? Human interactions were truly strange. Whether Xie Jingxing’s words now were true or false, Shen Miao’s heart was gently stirred.
It was as if a butterfly were about to flutter out from within her heart.
Xie Jingxing suddenly lost the smile on his lips. He looked at Shen Miao seriously, frowned slightly, and whispered in her ear, "But why is your heartbeat suddenly so loud?"
Shen Miao shoved Xie Jingxing hard and sat up abruptly. Xie Jingxing smirked, lazily resting his hands behind his head. "Are you sick?"
"You’re the one who’s sick," Shen Miao took a deep breath. "Prince Rui has offered his congratulations. Now, can you leave? I’m still an unmarried maiden. If someone sees us, I’ll never be able to marry."
Xie Jingxing frowned. "Aren’t you going to be Empress? Who else could afford to marry you?" Noticing Shen Miao’s rising anger, he finally sat up, grabbed the tiger still chasing the pendant on the couch, and tossed it into his arms. Glancing at Shen Miao, he teased, "Since it’s a joyous occasion, why don’t I add to the celebration?"
Shen Miao was taken aback and instinctively asked, "What do you want to do?"
"Fu Xiuyi—I don’t like him," Xie Jingxing said lightly. "Though I can’t settle everything at once," he winked playfully at Shen Miao, "kicking a man when he’s down isn’t bad either."Just as Shen Miao had anticipated, when news of Shen Yue’s imprisonment reached Fu Xiuyi, even his unshakable composure faltered for once.
“How did Shen Yue suddenly end up in Prince Qin’s residence?” he asked his attendant.
“It is said that the Second Young Lady of the Shen family refused to marry the young master of the Wang family and arranged a marriage exchange with the illegitimate Third Young Lady of Shen Mansion. However, since it was a scandal, the matter was kept quiet. Later, the Second Young Lady secretly fled the mansion and, by chance, became entangled with the Qin Crown Prince, eventually becoming his concubine.”
“Enough.” Fu Xiuyi cut off the attendant, pressing his fingers to his temples in frustration. “That wretched Shen family.” Ever since getting involved with them, nothing had gone smoothly for him. Just recently, Shen Wan had sought his patronage, and Fu Xiuyi had deliberately set him an impossible task. Yet before Shen Wan could even begin, he had already fallen into a trap—and worse, dragged Fu Xiuyi down with him. Emperor Wenhui was already deeply suspicious of him, and Fu Xiuyi had painstakingly arranged everything to shift all blame onto Shen Wan, hoping to dispel the emperor’s doubts. But now, at this critical moment, Huangfu Hao had also been dragged into the mess.
On the surface, this was about Shen Yue, but in reality, it concerned the delicate relationship between Ming Qi and the Qin State. It was an open secret that the two nations were moving toward an alliance. Among the nine imperial princes, whoever grew closer to Huangfu Hao would inevitably become Emperor Wenhui’s target. The emperor naturally did not want his sons forming ties with Huangfu Hao—he wished to be seen as the sole ruler in the eyes of Qin. At such a sensitive time, with Shen Yue now in the Qin Crown Prince’s household, what would Emperor Wenhui think? Would he suspect that Shen Yue was a pawn planted by Shen Wan to win over the Qin Crown Prince? And since Shen Wan worked for Fu Xiuyi…
Now, Fu Xiuyi and Huangfu Hao were effectively bound together.
The more Fu Xiuyi thought about it, the more his head ached. Despite his usual strategic brilliance, he was at a loss today. After all, he had known nothing about the marriage exchange between Shen Yue and Shen Dongling, nor that Huangfu Hao had taken Shen Yue as a concubine.
“This is far too coincidental,” Fu Xiuyi muttered, his cold features twisting with malice. “Someone is clearly plotting behind the scenes, aiming the spear at me. Shen Wan’s downfall was just a pretense—the real goal was to push me into the water. I must find out who is pulling the strings.”
A young advisor cautiously asked, “What does Your Highness plan to do next?”
“His Majesty is already suspicious. Any rash attempt to clear my name might backfire,” Fu Xiuyi replied. “For now, we wait and observe. But first, we must uncover who is behind this.”
“Could it be Prince Zhou… or Prince Xuan?”
“Impossible,” Fu Xiuyi dismissed immediately. “This doesn’t align with their usual methods. Besides, involving Huangfu Hao would leave traces—if they acted, His Majesty would notice, and the cost would outweigh the gain.”
The advisors exchanged uneasy glances and fell silent.
Pei Lang stood among them, hands clasped behind his back. Fu Xiuyi had not sought his opinion, nor had he volunteered to speak. Yet he could feel Fu Xiuyi’s gaze resting heavily upon him.
As he observed Pei Lang’s calm, unchanging expression, another face inexplicably surfaced in Fu Xiuyi’s mind.The girl's face was delicate and petite, her eyes clear as a mirror, evoking a sense of tenderness like that of a small animal. Yet she always kept her brows slightly lowered, maintaining an air of dignity that reminded Fu Xiuyi of the empress presiding over the Kunning Palace. Perhaps compared to the empress, she exuded even more nobility and grace.
A phoenix or a beast?
Fu Xiuyi sneered—she was just a woman after all. Even if she had extraordinary abilities, it was impossible for these matters to have originated from her hand. Yet despite this, Fu Xiuyi hadn’t forgotten that Shen Miao might have a close relationship with that Prince Rui from Great Coolness.
Prince Rui from Great Coolness had always been indifferent toward the entire Ming Qi imperial family, occasionally seeming to deliberately target Fu Xiuyi—perhaps for Shen Miao’s sake.
If it truly was for Shen Miao, then with Prince Rui’s intervention, Fu Xiuyi would have found his opponent’s weakness. And once he identified the weakness, the next step would be to strike without mercy—such was Fu Xiuyi’s way of doing things.
Without hesitation, he retaliated in kind, not wanting to waste the grand "gift" the other had sent him.
Fu Xiuyi clenched his fists, slowly calming down. He said, "Send a few men to guard Prince Rui's Residence day and night—keep a close watch." Then, with a leisurely glance at his advisors, he added indifferently, "Double the guards at our own residence. Not a single fly should get in, nor a mosquito fly out."
Pei Lang's heart skipped a beat, sensing that Fu Xiuyi's words seemed to carry an underlying implication. Yet, he remained composed, his sleeves hanging low, his expression calm. The surrounding advisors, however, began whispering among themselves, as if catching a whiff of something brewing.
The anger on Fu Xiuyi's face dissipated, replaced by his usual smile—but before the smile could fully form, a guard hurried in and announced, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince has sent someone with a verbal message for you."
Fu Xiuyi was taken aback. "Let them in," he said, about to rise when suddenly, realization struck him. His expression darkened. "This is bad."
Emperor Wenhui had already learned about Shen Yue's situation and was now suspicious of any connection between Fu Xiuyi and Huangfu Hao. At this very moment, the emperor was likely investigating their ties with all his might. Huangfu Hao, unaware of what had happened and unclear about the real reason for Shen Wan's arrest, had probably come to inquire—only to unwittingly walk straight into the line of fire.
By now, Emperor Wenhui's men must have intercepted him. There was no way to clear his name now. His guilt was practically confirmed at this point.
Fu Xiuyi slumped back into his chair.
Meanwhile, in the Heavenly Prison of Ming Qi, many were also imprisoned.
Shen Yue and Chen Ruoqiu never imagined they would reunite with Shen Wan's family under such circumstances. Shen Wan, too, was stunned to learn that Shen Yue had become Huangfu Hao's concubine. As someone who had navigated the court's treacherous waters, Shen Wan understood the situation far better than others. Though he knew his own fate was sealed, Shen Yue's involvement with Huangfu Hao only deepened his despair.
Emperor Wenhui wouldn’t act against Huangfu Hao—he was the Crown Prince of Qin, after all. Fu Xiuyi, too, had ways to protect himself, surrounded as he was by capable and extraordinary men. The emperor wouldn’t rashly punish a prince on mere suspicion unless he was willing to risk chaos in the realm. That left only one conclusion: the Shen family would be the ones sacrificed.
Shen Yue was both terrified and furious. Locked up with the other women of the Shen family, she anxiously tugged at Chen Ruoqiu’s sleeve and asked, "Mother, why were we arrested too? Aren’t we already cut off from the Shen family? What’s going on?"
Chang Zaiqing, witnessing this, felt a twisted satisfaction. She had long regretted choosing the Shen Mansion—instead of securing wealth and status, she had gambled away her life and future. In contrast, Shen Yue, who had left the family, and Chen Ruoqiu, who had been divorced, had seemingly escaped misfortune. Chang Zaiqing had no reason to be dragged into this mess, and the more she thought about it, the more resentful she became. Now that Shen Yue and Chen Ruoqiu had been thrown back into the fray, she was overjoyed. Misery loves company, after all.
Chang Zaiqing sneered, "Second Young Lady, how can you say you’re not part of the Shen family? You’re still the master’s daughter."
Shen Yue scoffed. "Who asked for your opinion, you whore?"Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to all my dear readers
This chapter comes with a bonus: Brother Xie's flirting tutorial
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