The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage

As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell into complete silence.

Luo Xueyan dared not meet Shen Miao’s gaze, while Shen Xin’s voice carried deep exhaustion. Luo Ling was stunned, Luo Tan’s mouth hung open, but it was Shen Qiu who slammed the table and stood up, exclaiming, “What kind of nonsense is this?”

The calmest one, ironically, was Shen Miao.

Though she appeared composed on the surface, her heart was far from untroubled. She had anticipated Xie Jingxing’s move, but she hadn’t expected him to be so brazen about it… Wait, how had he even managed to get Emperor Wenhui to willingly issue an imperial decree for their marriage?

While Shen Miao was lost in thought, Shen Qiu couldn’t contain himself any longer. He stood up urgently and said, “What kind of person is Prince Rui? How can my sister, a girl from Ming Qi, marry someone from Great Coolness? Has the Emperor gone mad?”

“Qiu’er!” Luo Xueyan glared at him. “Watch your words!” Walls had ears, and the imperial family’s spies could be lurking anywhere. Shen Qiu was so furious that he had uttered such treasonous words.

Shen Qiu immediately clamped his mouth shut, glancing at Shen Miao before scratching his head in agitation. “No matter what, my sister can’t marry that so-called Prince Rui… Prince Rui… Why does that name sound so familiar…?” A sudden realization struck him, and he clapped his hands together. “So it’s that man! I wondered why a noble prince of Great Coolness would take the initiative to greet me. Turns out he had his sights set on my sister all along! The audacity!”

Shen Xin frowned and asked, “You’ve met Prince Rui before?”

“Last time, when Ling and I were returning to the residence, we ran into him. He even invited me to Prince Rui’s Residence for a sparring match,” Shen Qiu fumed. “If I’d known he had such intentions back then, I should’ve cut his horse’s legs and let him fall to his death!”

Shen Miao: “…”

Luo Ling was also taken aback, but then, as if recalling something, he turned to look at Shen Miao.

Shen Miao was baffled by Luo Ling’s complicated gaze, but she had no time to dwell on it. Instead, she asked Shen Xin, “This is an imperial decree issued by His Majesty? Why would the Emperor suddenly arrange a marriage for me?”

If there were plenty of marriageable young ladies in Great Coolness—royal princesses and noble daughters among them—there was no reason for them to fixate on her. Of course, Shen Miao knew this was Xie Jingxing’s doing, but she still wanted to find out how he had managed to persuade Emperor Wenhui.

Shen Xin looked at Shen Miao, his expression heavy with sorrow. After a long pause, he sighed deeply and said, “Jiaojiao, it’s your father’s incompetence…” He then slowly recounted the events of the day.

It turned out that during court earlier, after handling routine state affairs, Emperor Wenhui had abruptly shifted the topic just before dismissing the assembly. He mentioned that Prince Rui of Great Coolness intended to take a Royal Consort from Ming Qi back with him. The court officials reacted with a mix of excitement and unease—those who cherished their daughters naturally opposed sending them far away, while those eager for advancement hoped their daughters could marry Prince Rui and at least secure the title of Royal Consort.

But Emperor Wenhui gave no one time to deliberate. He directly issued the decree, and the chosen bride was none other than Shen Miao, the beloved daughter of Grand General of Might, Shen Xin.

The court was stunned. Everyone knew Shen Miao was Shen Xin’s treasured pearl. To send her off to Great Coolness—Shen Xin would surely be unwilling. And with Ming Qi currently in need of Shen Xin’s service, why would Emperor Wenhui choose this moment to provoke him? Even the most cunning and astute courtiers couldn’t fathom the Emperor’s intentions this time.Shen Xin was naturally seething with anger, wishing he could draw his sword and slash through the Golden Luan Hall. He could endure all kinds of grievances, but he could not bear to see his daughter suffer. This time, Emperor Wenhui hadn’t even consulted him before directly issuing an imperial decree for Shen Miao’s marriage. This meant the Shen family had no opportunity to oppose it. If they resisted, it would be defying the imperial decree, risking the entire family’s destruction—something Shen Miao would surely never want.

At the same time, Shen Xin was deeply puzzled. Not long ago, Emperor Wenhui had still intended to marry Shen Miao to the Crown Prince, though his true motives lay elsewhere. How had it come to this, where in such a short time, he now wanted to marry her off to a prince of Great Coolness?

After court adjourned, Emperor Wenhui stopped Shen Xin, preventing him from leaving first. Instead, he took Shen Xin to the imperial study for a heartfelt conversation.

This time, the topic was the truth behind the marriage decree for Shen Miao.

Thus, Shen Xin learned that it was Prince Rui’s wish to marry Shen Miao. Prince Rui had threatened Emperor Wenhui with the border cities of Ming Qi to force this decision.

Though the pretext was the border cities, the underlying implication was the entirety of Ming Qi’s territory. Helpless, Emperor Wenhui had no choice but to agree. In the end, the emperor said to Shen Xin, “As the ruler of Ming Qi, I cannot stand idly by while the lives of our people are at stake. So, General Shen, I must ask you to endure this once—sacrificing Miss Shen alone for the safety of the realm. If she knew, she would surely understand my decision.”

A subject must obey their sovereign’s command, especially when the sovereign speaks so earnestly and even apologizes for the decision. In the past, Shen Xin would have understood, perhaps even felt a measure of gratitude.

But when Emperor Wenhui uttered the words, “sacrificing her alone for the safety of the realm,” a chill ran through Shen Xin’s heart. For the first time, he felt that the ruler he had devoted his life to serving seemed somewhat hypocritical.

The people of the realm—wasn’t his daughter Shen Miao also one of them? Why must she be the one to sacrifice? He had spent most of his life on the battlefield, giving everything for Ming Qi, even ready to lay down his life at any moment to protect the people. Yet now, he couldn’t even protect his own daughter. What kind of father did that make him? After sacrificing himself, was it now his daughter’s turn?

Shen Xin barely registered the rest of Emperor Wenhui’s words, which likely concerned the lavish gifts the emperor would bestow upon Shen Miao to make her wedding more glorious. But to Shen Xin, it all sounded bitterly ironic.

Even the most selfless person’s heart will lean toward their loved ones. Especially Shen Xin, who had failed to keep his daughter by his side in her early years, causing her to grow distant from him and his wife—a regret he deeply felt. Later, by some mercy of heaven, Shen Miao had grown closer to them again, but her temperament had changed significantly, as if she had matured overnight. Shen Xin saw it all, and it pained him.

Shen Miao had once been like a delicate flower carefully tended within the manor. Now, without anyone noticing, she had grown into a sturdy tree, maturing so quickly that she had lost much along the way. Already burdened with guilt toward her, this imperial decree left Shen Xin utterly ashamed to face her.

After Shen Xin finished his long speech, silence fell over the room. Even Shen Qiu said nothing more.Emperor Wenhui had already spoken to this extent—what more could be done? But to watch Shen Miao marry just like that? It seemed far too cruel to her.

To spend a lifetime with a man whose true face she had never seen, whose temperament was unknown, and whom she could not even claim to like... and in a foreign land at that. Shen Qiu dared not imagine it.

Shen Miao said, "So that's how it is." Her expression was calm, seemingly unaffected in the slightest. Only then did everyone realize that from the moment she learned of the imperial decree until now, Shen Miao had not shown even a trace of surprise.

Luo Xueyan, afraid she was bottling up her emotions, said, "Jiaojiao, you don’t have to keep it all inside. The matter isn’t yet decided—"

"Mother, there’s no need to comfort me. The imperial decree has been issued—we can’t defy it, can we?" Shen Miao smiled. "Besides, marrying Prince Rui isn’t such a bad thing. As a royal consort, I’ll live in luxury without a care for food or clothing. And judging by Prince Rui’s demeanor back then, though his face was hidden, he must be quite handsome."

"But you’ve never met him before," Shen Qiu said urgently. "How can you know what kind of person he is?"

"Isn’t that how the world is?" Shen Miao replied indifferently. "Some people spend a lifetime together without ever truly knowing each other. Marrying Prince Rui isn’t as terrible as you think. Staying in Fixed Capital would only make me an easier target for schemes—the Shen family can’t protect me."

Shen Xin’s gaze flickered, a flash of anguish passing through his eyes.

The greater his military power, the more shackles he bore. The more the emperor feared him, the more he sought to restrain him. If Shen Miao’s marriage could once be manipulated by the crown prince, it could just as easily be controlled by others. It wasn’t the thief one feared, but the thief’s covetous gaze—the Shen family truly couldn’t protect Shen Miao.

A common man’s only crime was possessing a treasure. For the first time, he hated his own military power with every fiber of his being.

"Great Coolness is a fine place," Shen Miao said with a faint smile, her tone tinged with longing. "I once read in a travelogue that Great Coolness is prosperous and peaceful, its doors unbolted at night, filled with song and dance. The people are happy, thieves are eradicated—it’s a splendid sight."

"No matter how splendid, you’ll be alone there..." Luo Xueyan couldn’t bear to finish.

"The Royal Consort of Great Coolness is a princess consort—second only to one, above ten thousand. It’s unlikely anyone would dare bully me." Shen Miao mused, "Since Prince Rui wants to marry me, perhaps he’s already deeply infatuated. Naturally, he’ll treat me well."

She rarely joked about herself like this, and her words drew laughter from Luo Xueyan and the others. Luo Xueyan chuckled, "Silly child, he might not—" Then she abruptly stopped. Shen Miao was clever and wise beyond her years—how could she not know that Prince Rui’s interest was likely not in her, but in the Shen family? She spoke this way only to ease their worries.

At this thought, Luo Xueyan felt an overwhelming ache in her heart.

Shen Miao smiled gently. "This is a joyous occasion—why do you all look so unhappy? If this continues, it’ll bring bad luck." She added, "Since the decree has been issued, the date will be announced soon. I should start embroidering my dowry."

There wasn’t a trace of resentment or unhappiness in her tone. Instead, she spoke as naturally as if this were a long-anticipated match. The more composed she seemed, the more it pained Shen Xin and his wife.After chatting for a while longer, Shen Miao began to feel tired, and everyone finally sat down to eat. The meal was tasteless as each person was preoccupied with their own thoughts. After finishing, everyone dispersed to rest. Luo Tan, holding Shen Miao's arm, had something to say to her and was walking toward her courtyard when Luo Ling called out to stop them.

"Cousin Ling, is there something you need?" Shen Miao asked, looking at him.

Luo Ling inquired, "Cousin, do you truly wish to marry Prince Rui?"

Luo Tan gave Luo Ling a strange look, while Shen Miao smiled and replied, "The Imperial decree has already been issued. Whether I want to or not doesn’t matter anymore."

"I thought you’d outright say you didn’t want to," Luo Ling's gaze dimmed slightly, but he still managed a smile. "Just like when you rejected those young masters back in Xiaochun City."

Shen Miao smiled without responding.

"Congratulations," he said with a bitter smile.

Shen Miao nodded in thanks.

Finally seeing Luo Ling off, Luo Tan pulled Shen Miao back into the courtyard. Once inside, she dismissed the servants, closed the door, and lowered her voice mysteriously. "Little cousin, you know about this, right?"

"About what?" Shen Miao was baffled.

"About Prince Rui forcing the Emperor to issue the marriage decree for you!" Luo Tan said urgently.

Shen Miao's heart skipped a beat. Luo Tan was usually careless and insensitive to most things, yet she had an uncanny intuition for matters she shouldn’t know about.

She evaded the question. "How could that be?"

"How could it not?" Luo Tan grew excited. "Remember when we were kidnapped last time? After I woke up, I relayed your message to Prince Rui, and he found you shortly after. I found it strange back then—your relationship must be quite close. Otherwise, why would he help you? Isn’t it just like those stories say, the hero and the beauty?"

Shen Miao sighed. "You should read fewer of those stories."

"Never mind the stories," Luo Tan propped her chin on her hands. "That Prince Rui is quite capable. Back then, your parents searched for you for days without success, yet he found you in no time. We Luo family judge people by their abilities—he’s a capable man. I’ve also heard he’s very handsome, which is rare. Many good-looking men are just pretty faces, useless in a pinch. Take that Dr. Gao who often visits our mansion—he’s good-looking too, but he looks like he’d collapse at the slightest push. Men like that are unreliable, only good for looking at, not for relying on."

Outside on a tree branch, Cong Yang, who had been listening with great interest, nearly fell off. "Only good for looking at, not for relying on"—this Luo cousin was quite bold. He wondered how Dr. Gao would feel if he heard that.

"Enough," Shen Miao shot her a look. "What’s your point with all this rambling?"

"Little cousin, I knew you’d understand me best—you’re the only one in Shen Mansion who gets me. Even my own brother Luo Qian isn’t as in tune with me as you are." Luo Tan gazed at Shen Miao expectantly. "I have just one wish—when you go to Great Coolness, take me with you as your bridal attendant!"

Shen Miao nearly fainted. "What did you say?"

"I’ve never been to Great Coolness," Luo Tan said. "But I’ve heard it’s a wonderful place with lots of delicious food and fun things to do. This trip with Cousin Ling was meant to broaden our horizons in Fixed Capital. And broadening horizons means seeing as many places as possible!"Shen Miao: "Clearly, you were the one who secretly climbed onto the carriage."

Luo Tan said, "If you have any sense of camaraderie, take me with you."

"No." Shen Miao was unyielding.

For the next half-hour, Shen Miao endured Luo Tan's persistent wheedling. Although she was heading to Great Coolness with Xie Jingxing, Shen Miao knew the journey wouldn’t necessarily be smooth sailing. No one could predict what the future held, and there was no need to drag Luo Tan into it.

After Luo Tan left, Shen Miao sighed and pulled open the window. Outside, tree shadows swayed in the cold, desolate winter night.

Xie Jingxing was truly something, she thought. Without even a word of warning, he had unilaterally "issued an imperial decree" for her. Not only that, but now he had vanished entirely. At a time like this, when explanations were sorely needed, his absence was infuriating. Did he just flirt and run?

Shen Miao slammed the window shut with a loud "snap." Shameless.

The noise made Cong Yang dig at his ears, thinking to himself that the young mistress must be on her monthly cycle, given her sudden mood swings...

Meanwhile, in the courtyard of Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan’s residence, the couple was discussing the matter.

Shen Xin said, "Going to Great Coolness with Jiaojiao?"

Luo Xueyan nodded. "If we’re not by Jiaojiao’s side and she encounters trouble in Great Coolness, it’s so far away—we wouldn’t even know if she suffered any grievances. Back then... weren’t there noble ladies married off to other countries who were harmed by their in-laws, and their families never even knew?"

"How dare he!" Shen Xin erupted in anger before suppressing his rage. "I could go, but I fear the Emperor wouldn’t allow it."

Luo Xueyan’s voice lowered. "With tensions so high between Great Coolness and Ming Qi right now, if we all went to Great Coolness together, the Emperor would surely suspect we’ve defected... That wouldn’t be appropriate. But is there really no other way?"

Helpless, Shen Xin turned his back to Luo Xueyan and stared at a calligraphy painting on the wall.

It was a piece gifted to him by Old General Shen: "Loyalty to the Nation."

He was loyal. He served his country. But what had he gained in return? The Shen family upheld the principle that no ruler could ever be wrong—that if the monarch demanded a subject’s death, the subject had no choice but to comply. So why did he now feel regret?

This ruler had always distrusted him, suppressed him, controlled him. Shen Xin had never minded, even when the Emperor used him.

But why did he have to harm his children?

Was this how all rulers treated their loyal subjects, or was it just this one? Shen Xin thought that if Emperor Wenhui had shown even the slightest resistance in front of Prince Rui, or had fought just a little for Shen Miao’s sake, he wouldn’t feel such resentment toward him now. But because Emperor Wenhui had agreed so readily, as if Shen Miao meant nothing compared to the empire, it left a knot of bitterness in Shen Xin’s heart.

If Ming Qi were stronger, would they still have to bow their heads to Great Coolness? Could a single Prince Rui really reduce their Emperor to such helplessness?

For the first time, Shen Xin felt a flicker of disgust toward Emperor Wenhui’s incompetence.

Yet he didn’t realize that, in this entire affair, his resentment toward Emperor Wenhui far outweighed his anger toward Prince Rui of Great Coolness.

Nor did he know that this shift in his feelings had been anticipated long ago by someone else.

Luo Xueyan was still muttering, "Why would Prince Rui suddenly want to marry Jiaojiao? Great Coolness has no shortage of military power. Even if it’s to provoke, surely they wouldn’t go this far?"

Shen Xin said, "I’ll make more inquiries tomorrow. Let’s rest for now."But tonight was destined to be a sleepless one.

...

Emperor Wenhui had announced the imperial decree before the entire court during the morning assembly, so there was no possibility of keeping it hidden. Within just a single day, nearly everyone in Fixed Capital had learned of it. From officials to commoners, all were discussing the matter.

The princess's residence was enveloped in solemn silence.

Rong Xin Princess sat in the main seat, unable to suppress her cold laughter.

How had she failed to see that her nephew possessed such capabilities?

Xie Jingxing had clearly taken a special interest in Shen Miao two years prior. Later, he transformed into Prince Rui. Rong Xin Princess had assumed that given Prince Rui's status, no matter how much Xie Jingxing favored Shen Miao, the two of them would never be together in this lifetime. Yet Xie Jingxing had the ability to obtain exactly what he wanted.

In the afternoon, after learning the news, Rong Xin Princess had entered the palace to see Emperor Wenhui. She knew the emperor wouldn't bestow a marriage decree upon Shen Miao without reason and insisted on knowing the justification. Emperor Wenhui, who still held some respect for his elder sister, explained the entire sequence of events to her.

Rong Xin Princess couldn't articulate the emotions swirling within her, only feeling an icy chill creeping up her spine.

That beautiful youth who used to call her "Rong Yi" with a smile—the image in her memory was now vastly different from the Xie Jingxing of today. The current Xie Jingxing exuded an entirely unfamiliar aura. He could lie dormant for years to obtain what he desired, and in the end, he would always seize it. His domineering demeanor, ruthless methods, and merciless threats... He resembled a ruler more than anything else.

For the first time, Rong Xin Princess felt fear.

She didn't know whether she should reveal Xie Jingxing's true identity to Emperor Wenhui.

Even if she did, nothing would likely change. If Xie Jingxing dared to return, he must have prepared for every contingency.

Still, telling the truth would at least allow the people of Ming Qi to see Xie Jingxing for who he truly was, rather than endlessly praising him as the "brilliant young talent who died too soon."

As Rong Xin Princess pondered, scenes from the past surfaced in her mind. She rarely went out and interacted with few people, even forbidding her maids from entering her chambers at night. During the anniversary of her late husband's death, she had caught a chill and lay bedridden the next day, shivering uncontrollably. Xie Jingxing, then only five years old, had brought her a steaming bowl of congee from the kitchen, feeding her spoonful by spoonful. He even pulled up a small stool to sit by her bed, reciting poetry to her.

Any woman would be moved by such tender gestures from such a beautiful little boy.

In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed. Though not mother and son by blood, their bond had been deeper than that. How had things come to this?

On one side was national enmity; on the other, decades of companionship. A sudden wave of sorrow washed over Rong Xin Princess.

What should she do?

Unbeknownst to Rong Xin Princess, every move within the princess's residence was being watched—and not by just one person. Due to their isolation from outsiders, even the guards had grown lax. Her every action was practically under surveillance.

Meanwhile, at Pingnan Manor, Su Minlang looked at the steamed milk custard brought by the maid and refused righteously: "I won't eat it. Take it to Eldest Brother instead."Now that Su Minlang had reached the age of "caring about appearances," he much preferred being a jade-like, snow-cute "young gentleman" over the plump, doughy dumpling he used to be. So despite the sweet treats smelling delicious, he absolutely refused to touch them.

Suddenly remembering something, he called the maid back and said, "Never mind, don't serve these to Eldest Brother. If he marries Sister Shen in the future, what if she dislikes him for being too fat?"

The maid looked at Su Minlang's little adult-like demeanor and was somewhat speechless, holding the tray and unsure of what to do. Seeing this, Su Minlang sighed deeply and said, "Since you're so troubled, I'll reluctantly eat it." He then fiercely warned the maid, "Don't tell Mother I stole Eldest Brother's sugar-steamed custard!"

The maid: "..."

Inside the room, however, Su Mingfeng had no mind for sugar-steamed custard. He paced back and forth, his expression filled with anxiety.

Su Yu looked at him sympathetically and patted his shoulder, saying, "Son, I know you're heartbroken, but this Imperial decree was personally issued by His Majesty. There's nothing I can do. It's just bad luck—the girl you fancy isn't meant for you. But fortunately, since Miss Shen is to marry Prince Rui, she’ll inevitably go to Great Coolness. Out of sight, out of mind. In time, you’ll forget her."

After Emperor Wenhui issued the decree, Su Yu and Su Furen were most afraid that Su Mingfeng wouldn’t be able to bear the blow. After finally breaking the news to him gently, Su Mingfeng locked himself in his study. Su Furen, fearing he might harm himself, specifically asked Su Yu to go in and console him.

"Father, could you please not add to my troubles?" Su Mingfeng said impatiently. "I’m not upset because of that."

"Son, don’t I know what’s on your mind?" Su Yu said. "Youth is the time for romance—I’ve been your age too. It’s nothing. There are plenty of fish in the sea. You need to move on."

Su Mingfeng couldn’t take it anymore. "Fine, Father, I understand. I want to be alone now. I won’t do anything drastic. Just let me be for a while, alright?"

Seeing the usually mild-mannered Su Mingfeng begin to show signs of irritation, Su Yu feared pressing further might upset his fragile young heart. He forced a smile and said, "Anyway, I’ll do my best to find you another fairy-like maiden for a wife. Don’t be sad," before slinking away.

After Su Yu left, Su Mingfeng plopped down at his desk, inexplicably agitated.

Emperor Wenhui suddenly issuing a decree to betroth Shen Miao? This surprised Su Mingfeng greatly. After all, just days ago, Shen Miao had been linked to the Crown Prince—how had she now become entangled with Prince Rui?

Su Mingfeng had no time to speculate about Emperor Wenhui’s intentions. His thoughts were on Shen Miao. Two years ago, Shen Miao and Xie Jingxing had seemed to share some connection. Recently, because of the Tiger Head Bracelet, Su Mingfeng was certain there was something special between them. He even suspected Xie Jingxing might still be alive.

To uncover news about Xie Jingxing, he had to keep an eye on Shen Miao.

But why did the news of Shen Miao’s betrothal to Prince Rui unsettle him so much? It was as if something was on the verge of being revealed, as if something significant was about to happen.

This strange premonition had left Su Mingfeng restless all day. Just as he was fidgeting uneasily, someone returned—a scout Su Mingfeng had sent to monitor Princess Rong Xin’s residence and the Shen household. Su Mingfeng suspected Princess Rong Xin might know something, and Shen Miao was even more of a given.

The scout bowed to Su Mingfeng and said, "The matter Young Master asked this subordinate to investigate has yielded some leads."

Su Mingfeng’s heart leaped with joy. He immediately straightened up and said, "Speak quickly.""My men followed the guards from the princess's residence and discovered someone has been keeping watch on Prince Rui's Residence. If I'm not mistaken, it should be on Rong Xin Princess's orders."

"Several of Prince Rui's guards seem to have infiltrated the Shen residence—whether they're watching over or protecting Fifth Miss Shen, I'm not sure."

Su Mingfeng frowned. Why was everything connected to Prince Rui? Rong Xin Princess was watching Prince Rui, and Prince Rui was watching Shen Miao?

But the clue he was looking for was supposed to lead to Xie Jingxing...

Unless... A terrifying thought flashed through his mind.

Su Mingfeng's heart pounded violently.

－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－

Xie-gege, who flirts and then disappears, is about to have his identity exposed. Bala-la, magical boy transformation—beep beep!

...