Everything seemed to change overnight. The envisioned glory and triumph had, in the blink of an eye, turned into countless troubles.
Wang Bi and Shen Dongling never expected that Huangfu Hao would be killed by the Crown Prince. They had no clear understanding of what truly happened, though the Crown Prince's guards repeatedly insisted that the Crown Prince had not laid a hand on Huangfu Hao—that by the time the Crown Prince arrived at Phoenix Pavilion, Huangfu Hao was already dead. Yet Huangfu Hao's guards seemed utterly convinced otherwise.
A misunderstanding had already taken root, and a bloody one at that. What followed was an earth-shattering accusation.
Shen Dongling maintained a composed facade, reassuring Wang Bi, "There must be some misunderstanding here. Once it's cleared up, everything will be fine." Yet inwardly, her heart sank like a stone into an abyss.
To outsiders, it appeared that Wang Bi had procured fine incense for the Crown Prince, who then extended the invitation to Huangfu Hao to enjoy it together—only for this bloody incident to occur. Wang Bi was seen as the root of the disaster. Even if he had nothing to do with it, the imperial family's wrath was swift and far-reaching. There was no way Wang Bi could escape unscathed.
Moreover, even if the Crown Prince were somehow proven innocent, the idea of sharing the incense had been Wang Bi's suggestion. Because of his advice, Huangfu Hao had died. The Qin State would never let this go, and with the Crown Prince's ally now dead, how could the Crown Prince not blame Wang Bi?
No matter how one looked at it, Wang Bi was destined to be the scapegoat.
Wang Bi, too, had realized this, his expression grim. He was slightly more composed than Shen Dongling and merely said, "Let's return to the estate first. We'll visit the Crown Prince's residence and find out what really happened."
How could Huangfu Hao have died so suddenly? Who killed him? And why did Huangfu Hao cry out the Crown Prince's name? The complexity of it all was baffling. Regardless, they needed to uncover the truth before they could devise a plan.
The coachman turned the carriage back toward the city, but Shen Dongling suddenly seemed to remember something. "Why haven't we seen Fifth Miss Shen?" she asked.
Wang Bi was taken aback.
The entire scheme had been orchestrated for Shen Miao's sake, which was why the Crown Prince had agreed to it. Shen Dongling had timed their arrival at Phoenix Pavilion to coincide with Shen Miao's, so they could casually display their "sisterly affection." They had lingered here for a while, so by all logic, Shen Miao and her party should have arrived by now. Yet the mountain road outside the city was clearly visible—there were no other carriages in sight.
Why hadn't Shen Miao come?
Wang Bi only knew Shen Miao as Shen Dongling's cousin from the third branch of the Shen family, favored because of Shen Xin's military power. Privately, however, he knew nothing of Shen Miao's temperament. But Shen Dongling had witnessed Shen Miao's methods in dealing with the second and third branches, and her heart plummeted.
If Shen Miao hadn't come, why was the timing so coincidental? Could it be that Shen Miao had known in advance that something would happen today? No one could foresee the future—was it possible that Shen Miao was involved in this?
But even if she were extraordinarily capable, how could she have effortlessly killed the Crown Prince of Qin?
Misinterpreting Shen Dongling's question, Wang Bi replied, "You're right. If Fifth Miss Shen were here, things might have gone more smoothly."Wang Bi thought that having one more person would help share the blame. If Shen Miao was present, Emperor Wenhui would not be too harsh on him out of consideration for Shen Xin. Punishing him alone would seem unfair. To demonstrate impartiality, Shen Miao's presence would save Wang Bi a lot of trouble.
He said, "Let's return to the mansion first. Fifth Miss Shen might have already gone back. We’ll see what happens with the Crown Prince’s side."
Shen Dongling nodded, though inwardly she smiled bitterly. For some reason, she had a feeling Shen Miao would never have "already returned." It was likely Shen Miao had never intended to go to Phoenix Pavilion in the first place.
This opponent, Shen Miao, was far more formidable than she had imagined.
Meanwhile, on the street, Luo Tan sat in the carriage, wiping sweat from her forehead, and said, "What should we do? We’ve been delayed for so long. Even if we rush to Phoenix Pavilion now, we probably won’t make it in time."
Earlier, the Shen family’s carriage had accidentally collided with an elderly woman in a bustling part of the city. The old woman fainted immediately. The Shen family was no small household in Fixed Capital, and Shen Xin was a widely respected hero, so they naturally had to uphold their reputation. There was no way Shen Miao and Luo Tan could abandon the old woman and leave. They had the guards escort her to the nearest clinic and only left after personally witnessing the physician confirm she was fine and seeing her regain consciousness.
Their actions naturally earned them praise from many commoners, who felt the young ladies from the General’s Mansion carried no airs of arrogance and instead showed genuine care for the people—a rare virtue indeed.
While they had certainly gained admiration, they had also lost a lot of time. By the time they reached Phoenix Pavilion now, it would likely be noon.
After a moment’s thought, Shen Miao said, "Let’s not go."
"Eh?" Luo Tan was still pondering how to resolve the issue and was startled by Shen Miao’s words. "Why not? Didn’t you always hate people who break their promises?"
Shen Miao smiled. "Appreciating incense requires the right time and place. The best time at Phoenix Pavilion is in the morning when the air is freshest—that’s when the fragrance is most invigorating. At noon or in the afternoon, the atmosphere is muddled, and it’s harder to discern the true essence of the incense. We can’t make others wait for us. That wouldn’t be proper." She beckoned Mo Qing over and had him send a carrier pigeon to Phoenix Pavilion, informing them that she and Luo Tan would not be attending due to unforeseen delays.
Though Luo Tan felt a little regretful, she had never been particularly interested in the incense appreciation event in the first place. Seizing the rare opportunity to go out, she immediately pulled Shen Miao along to explore the city.
Seeing that it was still early and with A Zhi and the other guards accompanying them, Shen Miao agreed to stroll around.
But Luo Tan’s enthusiasm was boundless, and by the time they returned to Shen Mansion, it was nearly evening.
As their carriage arrived at the mansion’s entrance, a servant at the gate smiled and said, "You’ve returned just in time, young misses. The master and mistress have also just come back."
"Perfect timing for dinner!" Luo Tan giggled, pulling Shen Miao by the hand as she stepped inside.
However, upon entering the main hall, they found Luo Xueyan and Shen Xin deep in conversation. Seeing Shen Miao and Luo Tan return, Luo Xueyan was momentarily stunned before letting out a huge sigh of relief. "Jiaojiao, Tan’er, where have you been?""Today, Madam Wang from the Assistant Minister's residence invited us to the Phoenix Pavilion for an incense appreciation. On the way, our carriage accidentally collided with an elderly woman. My cousin and I were busy tending to her, which delayed us, so we simply sent our apologies and decided not to go. We just wandered around casually instead. Father, Mother, has something happened?"
Shen Miao referred to Shen Dongling as "Madam Wang from the Assistant Minister's residence," clearly drawing a deliberate line to avoid any association with her, showing not the slightest desire to acknowledge kinship.
Luo Xueyan didn’t notice this detail and merely let out a deep sigh of relief. "You scared me to death! The Crown Prince of Qin was assassinated at the Phoenix Pavilion today. Everyone involved has been arrested and taken to prison for questioning. Wang Bi claimed you were there too, though no one saw you. Your father and I rushed back in a panic, and when we couldn’t find you, we feared the worst."
Luo Tan was stunned. "Assassinated?" she exclaimed. "Who would dare to assassinate the Crown Prince of Qin in broad daylight? Were his guards so incompetent that they couldn’t even protect their own master?"
Unlike Luo Tan’s visible shock, Shen Miao remained perfectly calm. "Don’t worry, Cousin and I never went to the Phoenix Pavilion. When we collided with that elderly woman earlier, many townsfolk witnessed it. To avoid trouble, we even gave our names. Those people can testify for us—we were too busy helping the old woman to have any time to visit the Phoenix Pavilion."
With so many witnesses, there was no room for doubt. Shen Miao couldn’t possibly be in two places at once—how could she have been in the marketplace and the Phoenix Pavilion simultaneously?
Shen Xin let out a cold snort, his expression dark with anger. "Wang Bi has some nerve, daring to smear our Shen family’s name!"
"It seems the Wang family wants to drag us down with them," Luo Xueyan realized, her voice laced with fury. "Shen Dongling is even our relative—who would have thought she harbored such malice? Since when does one scheme against their own kin?"
Shen Miao smirked coldly. "When have the second and third branches of the Shen family ever treated us with sincerity?"
Luo Xueyan and Shen Xin fell silent.
Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Luo Tan tried to lighten the mood with a laugh. "Ah, well, it’s a good thing Cousin and I were lucky today. If we hadn’t run into that old woman, we might’ve actually gone to the Phoenix Pavilion. Since Huangfu Hao was assassinated and even his guards couldn’t save him, the assassin must’ve been incredibly skilled. If we’d gone, we might’ve been caught up in it too. In a way, we should thank that old woman."
Shen Miao chuckled but before she could respond, Luo Tan muttered again, "But the invitation earlier never mentioned the Crown Prince of Qin attending the incense appreciation. Why would he go? Were there others there too? If so, were there any other casualties?"
Before anyone could answer Luo Tan’s rapid-fire questions, two figures hurried in, covered in dust—Shen Qiu and Luo Ling. Luo Tan turned and gasped at the sight. "Ah! Cousin Qiu, Brother Ling, what happened to you?"
Shen Qiu and Luo Ling’s clothes were disheveled, and their faces and bodies were stained with blood, making them look utterly disheveled.
Luo Xueyan and Shen Xin were equally startled. Luo Xueyan rushed forward, anxiously inspecting them. "What happened?"
Shen Qiu quickly reassured her, "Don’t worry, this isn’t my blood—it’s someone else’s."Luo Xueyan finally relaxed, but before she could fully settle, Luo Tan asked, "Cousin Qiu, were you and Brother Ling chasing the assassins who tried to kill the Crown Prince of Qin today? Were they very strong and hard to deal with? You both look quite exhausted."
Shen Xin frowned and asked, "Shen Qiu, is that true?"
Shen Qiu and Luo Ling exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat odd. After a moment, Shen Qiu dismissed all the servants from the main hall and then looked thoughtfully at Luo Tan and Shen Miao. Shen Miao smiled and said, "Cousin Tan and I won’t breathe a word. If you have something to say, Brother, just speak plainly."
Luo Tan quickly raised her hand, swearing she wouldn’t leak a single detail.
Seeing Shen Qiu act so solemnly, Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan also grew suspicious. Luo Ling nodded at Shen Qiu, who sighed and finally spoke, "Today, the city guards from the Ministry of War were mobilized to intercept someone—but not the assassins who tried to kill Huangfu Hao. It was Huangfu Hao’s own guards."
"His guards?" Luo Xueyan frowned. "Are they demanding an explanation from Ming Qi? Has it already escalated beyond control?" Luo Xueyan had no fondness for the people of Qin. Perhaps because Qin was the youngest of the three kingdoms, lacking historical depth, everyone from the royal family down to commoners carried an air of arrogance. Even though Qin’s national strength now slightly surpassed Ming Qi’s, their blatant arrogance in front of Ming Qi was truly grating.
"Not exactly," Shen Qiu hesitated before continuing, "Huangfu Hao’s guards claimed that the one who attempted to assassinate him was the Crown Prince. Now, they’re all heading toward the Eastern Palace, demanding the Crown Prince’s death to avenge Huangfu Hao."
"The Crown Prince tried to kill Huangfu Hao?" Shen Xin stood up abruptly. "Impossible!"
Leaving aside whether the frail Crown Prince could even manage such a feat, Ming Qi was currently trying to ally with Qin to counter Great Coolness. Why would they sabotage their own plans? Killing Huangfu Hao would only provoke Qin’s fury, destroying the alliance and adding another enemy. It would be adding frost to snow—why would the Crown Prince, who was no fool, do something so counterproductive?
"I thought so too," Shen Qiu said, perplexed. "But the guards insist they heard Huangfu Hao shouting the Crown Prince’s name on the mountain, loudly accusing him as the murderer. As Huangfu Hao’s guards, they have no reason to falsely accuse someone and let the real culprit escape."
Luo Xueyan asked, "Weren’t Huangfu Hao’s guards with him? Why do they say they only heard it?"
"That’s the suspicious part," Luo Ling interjected. "According to Huangfu Hao’s guards, it was the Crown Prince who invited Huangfu Hao to enjoy incense today, sending him a formal invitation. The guards recalled that the invitation mentioned important matters to discuss with Huangfu Hao, instructing his guards to remain at the mountain’s base while Huangfu Hao went up alone. But the Crown Prince insists his invitation contained no such instructions. Officials were sent to search for the Crown Prince’s invitation, but Huangfu Hao had already discarded it somewhere. Now, with no evidence and both sides sticking to their stories, it’s a real headache."
Luo Tan murmured, "The Crown Prince invited Huangfu Hao to enjoy incense, but why didn’t Madam Wang mention either of them in the invitations she sent to me and Little Cousin?"
Everyone in the room froze.They were all focused on the messy accounts between the Crown Prince and Huangfu Hao, while Shen Miao's side was overlooked. Now that Luo Tan brought it up, they suddenly remembered—indeed, why were Shen Miao and Luo Tan also brought along when the Crown Prince and Huangfu Hao went to enjoy incense? Luo Tan was one thing, having no connections with the people of Fixed Capital, but Shen Miao was different—she was Shen Xin’s daughter.
When Shen Dongling sent out the invitations, she couldn’t have been unaware that the Crown Prince and Huangfu Hao would also attend. So why didn’t she mention it to Shen Miao? Was it forgotten, or was it deliberate? And if it was deliberate, why? What was being planned?
A cold sweat broke out on everyone’s backs.
Luo Xueyan said, “No, we must ask Shen Dongling for clarification.”
“Mother,” Shen Qiu stopped her, “Shen Dongling and Wang Bi have already been thrown into prison. We can’t rush to see them now, or else we might be suspected of having some connection with them.”
Two crown princes went to enjoy incense together—one died, and the other inexplicably became the murderer. When Emperor Wenhui learned of this, he was so furious he nearly collapsed. What kind of mess was this? On one hand, he had to temporarily appease the anger of the Qin State by arresting a few people to show that Ming Qi was “handling matters impartially.” On the other hand, with his rage having nowhere else to vent, and since it was Wang Bi and his wife who proposed the incense gathering—effectively the instigators—the emperor’s wrath descended without explanation. Wang Bi, who had been basking in his dreams of success, was ruthlessly shattered. Worse still, whether he could even keep his life this time was uncertain.
Everyone’s expressions were varied, but Shen Miao remained as calm as ever. She listened to these events as if they had nothing to do with her—and indeed, they didn’t. She said, “This has nothing to do with us. Let’s just wait and see how the outside world handles it.”
Shen Qiu noticed Shen Miao’s demeanor and asked, “Little sister, why aren’t you the least bit surprised that Huangfu Hao was assassinated, or that the Crown Prince killed him?”
Shen Miao smiled faintly. “What’s there to be surprised about? As those people said, if the Crown Prince wanted to discuss something privately with Huangfu Hao, and during their discussion, they failed to reach an agreement or had some intense disagreement, it’s entirely possible the Crown Prince acted impulsively and killed him. Ming Qi has had cases like this before—why make a fuss?”
Shen Qiu was speechless. Shen Miao’s words seemed to unsettle everyone in the room. While what she said wasn’t wrong, what kind of disagreement could be so intense as to lead to murder—especially when the other party was the revered crown prince of a nation? Even if Emperor Wenhui was driven to madness by anger, he wouldn’t so decisively resort to silencing someone, would he?
Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan both frowned deeply. Shen Miao didn’t need to think too much about it, but they were officials in the court—every minor move in the court could affect their future lives. Moreover, this time, Huangfu Hao had died in Ming Qi, and the blame fell on Ming Qi’s Crown Prince. Presumably, the guards had already sent word back. Once the Emperor of Qin learned that both his children had perished in Ming Qi, who would bear the brunt of his thunderous wrath?
And as for the alliance between Ming Qi and Qin State—restoring it would be extremely difficult now. At this time, what actions would Great Coolness take? Everything was uncertain.That night, the sudden events cast a heavy atmosphere over the Shen residence. However, it wasn't out of sympathy for Huangfu Hao or the Crown Prince, but rather concern for the unforeseen variables that might arise in the future.
When Xie Jingxing came to find Shen Miao, she was standing by the window, lost in thought.
Huangfu Hao was dead just like that. In her past life, Huangfu Hao and Ming An Princess had become an inescapable nightmare during her five years as a hostage in Qin State. Ming An Princess was domineering and tyrannical, while Huangfu Hao enjoyed inciting others to torment him. As the Crown Prince of Qin, once Huangfu Hao targeted someone, others would follow suit. Truth be told, there was no deep-seated enmity between Shen Miao and Huangfu Hao or Ming An Princess, but the sheer malice and humiliation had gradually accumulated into resentment.
Unlike others, Shen Miao had never thought of demanding Huangfu Hao and Ming An Princess pay with their lives, because in her past life, the ones who had harmed the Shen family the most weren't them. These people had merely kicked her while she was down for a while.
Had they not schemed against her again in this life, Shen Miao probably wouldn't have even bothered with them.
Now that they were gone, Shen Miao felt somewhat adrift.
Since her rebirth, her path had been clear: revenge and protecting the Shen family from repeating the tragedies of her past life. But as long as the Fu Family remained in this world, they would never let the Shen family go. Her enemies had been formidable from the start, and sheer determination alone wasn't enough. Sometimes, Shen Miao wondered if she could see this through to the end.
A figure leaped down from the tree and waved a hand in front of Shen Miao's face, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Xie Jingxing's amused smile as he said, "So lost in thought about me?"
Shen Miao made to slam the window shut with a "snap," but Xie Jingxing caught it deftly, using the momentum to vault inside. One hand pressed down on Shen Miao's shoulder, immobilizing her, while the other closed the window behind him. "Careful, or you'll freeze your brains out," he said.
Outside, Cong Yang, who had been standing frozen in the corner: "..."
Shen Miao pried Xie Jingxing's hand away and sat down at the table in the room. "How did it go?" she asked.
"No problems," Xie Jingxing replied, sitting down as well and gesturing for her to pour him tea.
Shen Miao suppressed her irritation and poured the tea, reluctantly sliding the cup toward him. "Are you sure the people from Qin won't find out?" she asked.
"They won't," Xie Jingxing said with a smile. "Not everyone is as clever as you and me."
Praising others while still managing to praise himself—Shen Miao rolled her eyes. Watching the purple-robed young man leisurely sipping his tea across from her, she felt a slight ripple in her heart.
Today's events had been orchestrated by her and Xie Jingxing. Xie Jingxing had many capable and extraordinary subordinates under his command—some skilled in flawless disguises, others adept at mimicking voices, and even those who could replicate handwriting at a glance. Between Huangfu Hao and Fu Xiuyan, all they had done was alter the invitation sent to Huangfu Hao, including the time, ensuring that Huangfu Hao and Fu Xiuyan would ascend the mountain one after the other. Once on the mountain, Xie Jingxing's men, disguised as the "Crown Prince," would act, with the "guard" who had been keeping his head lowered beside the Crown Prince speaking in the Crown Prince's voice.
Although Huangfu Hao and the Crown Prince were somewhat familiar with each other, they were far from being close confidants or childhood companions, making it impossible for Huangfu Hao to realize that the person before him was an imposter. What followed was a series of misunderstandings.This move, in the eyes of outsiders, meant that the Crown Prince had killed Huangfu Hao. Regardless of the reason or any misunderstanding, it was an unchangeable fact. The Qin State would not let this go easily—forget forming an alliance, they might even become enemies with Ming Qi. Not only would the alliance be broken, but Emperor Wenhui would also have to sacrifice others to appease the Emperor of Qin's anger, and the Crown Prince would inevitably be among those sacrificed.
"Why are you so certain the emperor would sacrifice the Crown Prince?" Xie Jingxing raised a brow in challenge. "That's his own flesh and blood."
Shen Miao smiled faintly. "Do you remember my second uncle?"
"I do."
"Back then, Shen Yuan was his own flesh and blood. Yet when Shen Yuan got into trouble, he was quick to sever ties. An emperor is just an ordinary man, and familial bonds in the imperial family are even more tenuous. For the sake of the greater good, what does it matter to sacrifice one's own kin? Even if the emperor knew the Crown Prince was framed, he would have no choice but to swallow this bitter pill." Shen Miao's tone was mocking, but a faint trace of cold fury flickered in the corners of her eyes.
Xie Jingxing studied her thoughtfully.
Shen Miao always harbored an ingrained hatred for the Fu Family, no matter how hard she tried to conceal it. There were moments when the mask slipped, and Xie Jingxing caught glimpses of it. Though it aroused his suspicions, he never pressed her. Instead, he teased lightly, "You seem to know the imperial family well—almost as if you've lived through it yourself."
Shen Miao lowered her gaze.
Hadn’t she, though?
After marrying Fu Xiuyi, she had witnessed his ruthless climb to power—his brothers falling one by one, nine princes dead, crippled, or vanished without a trace. Those who barely clung to life were later purged under fabricated charges once Fu Xiuyi ascended the throne.
Leave no loose ends—that was the Fu Family’s nature.
Even between Fu Xiuyi and Emperor Wenhui, it had been nothing but schemes and power struggles. The emperor guarded against his own son’s ambition, while Fu Xiuyi eagerly awaited his father’s death. And in the depths of the palace—between Consort Xu, Consort Dong, and the Empress—whoever still believed in familial affection was a fool.
How pitiful that in her past life, she hadn’t understood. She had foolishly assumed everyone had a conscience. She had forgotten—if Fu Xiuyi could turn against his own brothers and father, what would stop him from doing the same to his own children?
By the time she had endured the palace’s machinations, the love and hatred of her youth had nearly been ground to dust. Whatever lingering affection she held for Fu Xiuyi had been solely because he was the father of Wan Yu and Fu Ming. She had believed—no father could fail to love his own children.
Yet in the end, Fu Xiuyi had sent their daughter away as a political bride to the Xiongnu and driven their son to his death.
This debt—she would collect it herself.
As the emotions in Shen Miao’s eyes shifted, a trace of anguish seeped through. Xie Jingxing frowned, unsure what had stirred such sorrow in her. After a pause, he softened his voice. "If you’re facing any difficulties, tell me. I’ll handle them for you."
Shen Miao lifted her gaze to his. "As if you could." But in her heart, she knew—Xie Jingxing could . He had killed two Crown Princes without hesitation. The Crown Prince and Emperor Wenhui had known they were being played, yet they couldn’t even fight back. Such ruthless, infuriating methods—only Xie Jingxing could wield them. His audacity and power knew no bounds, yet he was cunning enough to leave no traces. It was as if nothing in this world was beyond his reach.
If only I had met him in my past life... The thought surfaced abruptly in her mind.
But all she said was, "If I asked you to overturn the empire, could you do it?"
The young man in violet robes, holding a jade teacup, let out a low laugh. His features were breathtakingly beautiful, like spring itself blooming from a branch of crabapple flowers. Noble elegance radiated from his very bones. Though his gaze was sharp as a blade, his tone carried a hint of amusement.
"Toppling a dynasty is nothing. If you want it—it’s all yours."
Extra:
National Boyfriend Xie-gege: ♡(˃͈ દ ˂͈ ༶ )
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