This year in Ming Qi had been both joyful and somewhat sorrowful.
Joyful because having the whole family together was always a happy occasion. Sorrowful because once the new year passed, Shen Miao would be married off to Great Coolness. As the day drew nearer, everyone in the Shen residence was bustling about without pause—preparing Shen Miao's dowry, selecting guards and maids to accompany her, and planning the arduous journey to Great Coolness.
The dowry Shen Xin prepared for Shen Miao, though not as extravagant as the betrothal gifts Xie Jingxing had sent, was still substantial. They didn't include shops or farmland since those would be of little use in Great Coolness, nor did they bring cumbersome furniture. Apart from some rare jewelry, most of it was converted into gleaming silver. In a foreign land, other things might be dispensable, but silver was indispensable—having ready cash would make life much easier.
Originally, the silver Shen Xin and his wife had prepared for Shen Miao would have been more than enough. But Shen Qiu secretly pulled Shen Miao aside and pulled out a thick stack of banknotes from his sleeve, saying, "These are from Tonghui Bank and can be used in Great Coolness too." He added sheepishly, "Your elder brother doesn't have much else to give, only these banknotes. Don't think it's too little."
Seeing the crumpled banknotes Shen Qiu had tightly clutched, warmth surged in Shen Miao's heart. Shen Qiu was still a young man, and the soldiers under him in the Ministry of War worked hard for him. Naturally, he occasionally had to reciprocate by treating them to meals or the like. His salary wasn't much—most of his wealth came from military rewards earned in the past. Instead of saving it for his future family, he gave it all to her. Touched, Shen Miao said, "Elder Brother, the banknotes Father and Mother gave me are enough for a lifetime of food and clothing. Why are you giving me these?"
"Father and Mother are one thing, but your elder brother is another. How can what I give you be the same as what they give?" Shen Qiu grew flustered, shoved the banknotes into her hands, and strode off without looking back. Watching his retreating figure, Shen Miao didn't know whether to laugh or cry, thinking she'd find a way to have Mo Qing secretly return them to him later.
Just as she was pondering this, Shen Xin walked in from outside and said, "Jiaojiao, your father has something to say to you. Come, let's go to the study."
Hearing this, Luo Xueyan made to follow, saying, "Good timing—Mother also has a few words for you."
"Madam, you can share your words later," Shen Xin said. "Let me and Jiaojiao have a father-daughter talk alone first."
Luo Xueyan scoffed but didn't insist on joining. She assumed Shen Xin was planning to secretly give Shen Miao more silver or something else, so she didn't think much of it.
Shen Miao followed Shen Xin into the study. Shen Xin had the servants guard the door outside and seated Shen Miao at the table inside, serving her pastries and tea. He sat down across from her, sighed deeply, and said, "In just a few days, Jiaojiao, you'll be married. I plan to have Mo Qing accompany you to Great Coolness." He paused, then continued, "Although Prince Rui is the Yongle Emperor's younger brother and holds considerable status in Great Coolness, the imperial family is always fraught with complications. Some things may not be as simple as they appear on the surface. Once you're there, never endure grievances. If anyone bullies you, tell Prince Rui. He spent a fortune to marry you—he ought to protect you. Don't shoulder it alone; leave it to him to handle."
Shen Miao nodded in agreement."If even Prince Rui cannot protect you, don't be afraid—you still have your parents. I've selected a few men from the Shen Family Army. Though their skills may not match Mo Qing's, they're no ordinary fighters. They'll be disguised as your escort guards from Shen Mansion when you leave. Just don't let yourself suffer any losses."
Shen Xin spoke earnestly. After some thought, Shen Miao finally couldn't help but ask, "Father, have you and Mother ever considered leaving Ming Qi?"
Shen Xin froze, looking at Shen Miao without speaking.
Since the words were already out, Shen Miao decided to say everything on her mind. "Now that I'm married into Great Coolness, the Emperor will inevitably become wary of the Shen family. Although you and Mother still hold military positions now, the Emperor may not trust you in the future. A ruler's thoughts are always hard to guess. If His Majesty develops other intentions, it might be better to use concern for me as an excuse to leave for Great Coolness now. As for military power—let it go if we must. Staying in Ming Qi, who knows when that power might be taken away anyway?"
She phrased it tactfully. Had this been before, Shen Xin might have been puzzled by her words. But after that long conversation with Xie Jingxing, he immediately understood Shen Miao's implications. He couldn't help but laugh bitterly to himself—his daughter had been reminding him in so many ways, both obvious and subtle. Why had he never taken it seriously? Was it because of the Shen family's creed of loyalty to the country? Or had he never truly trusted that Shen Miao's warnings were real?
Shen Xin said, "The royal family wants to suppress the Shen family and fears the military power in my hands. They would never let us leave Ming Qi easily. What's more, they want to use the Shen family to control you."
Shen Miao was stunned. All this time, she had been cautious with Shen Xin, never daring to speak too plainly about the Ming Qi royal family's cold ruthlessness. It wasn't that she thought Shen Xin blindly loyal—he had been taught since childhood by Old General Shen to be devoted to his sovereign and country. To overturn decades of reverence was a long process; some people never managed it in their entire lives. But now, Shen Xin's words showed he saw things with remarkable clarity.
Shen Xin continued, "Jiaojiao, I understand your concerns, but I still can't leave."
"If Father is determined, there are ways to leave, even if it requires some maneuvering," Shen Miao said. "The royal family wants to use the Shen family to control me, or use me to control the Shen family. Their calculations are clever, but they might end up losing both." By the end, a hint of sharpness had crept into her tone, her brows carrying a trace of ruthlessness.
Shen Xin laughed heartily. "I used to think Jiaojiao was too gentle, not like a girl from a military family. But seeing you like this, so much like your father, you've truly got the bearing of a heroine. Unafraid of power, with vision and strategy—excellent!" He took a sip of tea, then added, "With your cleverness, finding a way wouldn't be hard. But what about the future?"
"The future?" Shen Miao was puzzled. "What future?""Jiaojiao," Shen Xin suddenly spoke up. "The imperial family sees the Shen family as a thorn in their side. Even if Ming Qi prospers one day, the Shen family will eventually become fish on the chopping block, at the mercy of others." He sighed deeply. "We Shen family members walk straight and fear no crooked shadows—we wouldn’t fear death itself. But I refuse to let your mother, your elder brother, or you be dragged into this. Nor will I allow the Shen family’s generations of integrity and the loyal, virtuous reputation passed down by your grandfather and ancestors to be tarnished."
Shen Miao’s heart pounded wildly. She guessed what Shen Xin was about to say, but she could hardly believe it.
The next moment, Shen Xin’s voice rang out: "This loyal servant of the imperial family—I, Shen Xin, am done."
Shen Miao jerked her head up. "Father—"
"Jiaojiao, don’t try to persuade me," Shen Xin laughed heartily. "Though your father is loyal, I won’t pledge myself to those with the hearts of wolves and the guts of dogs. And I certainly won’t gamble with the lives of my entire family. As Liso has seen, if our Shen family were to follow you to Great Coolness now, and if Great Coolness were to attack Ming Qi one day, the people would curse us as traitors and you as an accomplice to tyranny. We won’t bear such baseless slander."
"And if we stay in Fixed Capital while you marry far away, should Ming Qi and Great Coolness ever go to war, you wouldn’t be involved. You’re just a woman, adrift like duckweed, alone in a foreign land, powerless to act. The people wouldn’t blame you. Meanwhile, the Shen family in Ming Qi couldn’t possibly collude with Great Coolness, so we’d never be saddled with false accusations."
Shen Miao shook her head. "In that case, Father, would you lead the Shen Family Army to fight Great Coolness on Ming Qi’s behalf?"
"No," Shen Xin smiled. "Before that happens, His Majesty will surely move against the Shen family. Even if the Emperor doesn’t act, I have ways to make him do so." He gazed at the teacup on the table. "The imperial family is deeply suspicious. With a little maneuvering, if the Emperor hears some unfounded rumors—given his long-standing wariness of the Shen family—he’ll inevitably strike first." His tone was laced with irony. After years of fighting for Emperor Wenhui, defending the realm, and risking his life time and again, all it took was a few slanderous words from petty men for the Emperor to forget a subject’s loyalty and ruthlessly eliminate them.
At the slightest threat to his throne or the faintest suspicion, Emperor Wenhui would never leave a potential danger unchecked.
"When that day comes—" Shen Xin’s expression darkened abruptly. "The day the imperial family shows the Shen family no mercy is the day the Shen family rises in rebellion!"
Unwilling to let the Shen family bear unjust infamy, yet refusing to sacrifice the living for the sake of integrity and become victims of despicable imperial power, they would instead make sure the people understood: it was the imperial family who betrayed the Shen family first, and only then would the Shen family retaliate.
Perhaps, compared to the imperial family, the Grand General of Might, with his illustrious military achievements, held even greater prestige among Ming Qi’s people. Shen Xin intended to leverage this, pitting the will of the people against the imperial family in a battle for hearts and minds.
This was the Shen family’s counterattack against Ming Qi’s imperial house.
But Shen Miao’s thoughts were elsewhere. What preoccupied her was this: this wasn’t Shen Xin’s usual way of doing things.The Shen family was straightforward and honest, speaking their minds without playing games of intrigue. Except on the battlefield, they were often as transparent as blank paper. This was why, since her rebirth, Shen Miao had always shouldered everything alone. Firstly, the Shen family couldn’t match others in cunning schemes, and secondly, she feared that if they saw her true self, they would label her as scheming, sinister, and ruthless.
But now, Shen Xin was secretly making plans and laying out strategies. Shen Xin would never take such initiative on his own. Had someone said something to him, or made a request? Almost immediately, Shen Miao thought of one person—Xie Jingxing.
She looked at Shen Xin, wanting to speak, but for a moment, words failed her.
Shen Xin seemed to sense her inner turmoil and patted her head with a smile. “I used to think Jiaojiao would never grow up, but after being alone in Fixed Capital, she did. I always thought it wasn’t good for a young girl to be too serious all the time, but now, I’m very glad.” He smiled warmly. “This way, even if your parents aren’t by your side, Jiaojiao can protect herself.”
Shen Miao said, “Father, if the Shen family can’t protect itself, write to Great Coolness. I am a daughter of the Shen family—I will find a way.”
“These are matters for men. You’re a young lady—don’t tell me you really think of yourself as a boy?” Shen Xin chuckled. “But our Jiaojiao is the best girl in the world. Thinking about it, marrying Prince Rui is still a loss for you.”
Shen Miao felt her nose sting. It was as if, in this moment, she clearly understood that in this second life, she would soon be leaving her family.
“Prince Rui may be cunning and ruthless, but he keeps his word. Since he’s agreed to marry you, he’ll protect you. If you like him, don’t hold back. Love what you love, and do what you want to do.”
“I understand,” Shen Miao said softly.
Shen Xin gazed at her for a long while before smiling. “In a few years, just a few more years—I promise I’ll come find you.”
Shen Miao smiled faintly. “I’ll wait for you, Father.”
After that private conversation between Shen Xin and Shen Miao in the study, their relationship seemed to grow even closer. Shen Miao often watched Shen Xin practice martial arts in the courtyard, making Shen Qiu somewhat jealous. He grumbled, “Lately, my sister has been clinging to Father and ignoring me.”
But Shen Miao felt that she and Shen Xin now shared an unspoken secret. Shen Xin had become the person in the Shen family who understood her best, so she spoke without reservation. More often than not, she advised Shen Xin on how to guard against the imperial family. Having spent so many years in the palace in her past life, she had some understanding of the Ming Qi royals. When she shared this with Shen Xin, he was astonished, unsure where she had learned such things. Without hesitation, Shen Miao credited Xie Jingxing for all of it, making Shen Xin even more wary of him. Such cunning and skill were not to be underestimated—he would have to be extra cautious, lest he be sold out and still be counting the money for the seller.Speaking of Xie Jingxing, Shen Miao had once asked him if he had said anything to Shen Xin. Xie Jingxing neither admitted nor denied it, but judging by his attitude, Shen Miao had a good idea. When she brought up the future of the Shen family in Ming Qi, Xie Jingxing assured her that with his arrangements in Fixed Capital, the Shen family would be safe. His words put her mind at ease.
Time flew by, and soon it was the night before the wedding.
The next day, Shen Miao would leave the Shen family to be married. The bridal procession would parade through the entire city of Fixed Capital in a lively celebration before exiting through the city gates, departing Ming Qi in a grand procession to Great Coolness.
Everything that needed to be packed was ready, and everyone who needed to accompany her was prepared. She hadn’t even forgotten Pei Lang. Given his current identity, staying in Fixed Capital was dangerous—Fu Xiuyi would surely turn the city upside down to find him. It was better to have Pei Lang blend into the wedding procession and travel to Great Coolness together.
Shen Miao had initially thought that, even for Liuying’s sake, Pei Lang wouldn’t easily agree to go to Great Coolness and would require some persuasion. However, when she merely mentioned it in a letter, Pei Lang responded promptly, agreeing without hesitation. This left Shen Miao somewhat puzzled, wondering if Xie Jingxing had threatened him. But then again, she doubted Xie Jingxing would bother with such matters—whether Pei Lang stayed in Ming Qi or went to Great Coolness, lived or died, likely meant nothing to him.
With Shen Miao’s wedding the next day, aside from the sleepless night at Shen Mansion, there were naturally others who found it hard to rest.
The princess’s residence was one such place.
Rong Xin Princess paced back and forth in her room, having dismissed all her servants, afraid that her unusual behavior might arouse suspicion.
Since discovering that Prince Rui was Xie Jingxing, Rong Xin Princess had many questions but never took the initiative to visit Prince Rui’s Residence to confront him. She knew Fixed Capital was filled with the emperor’s spies. Though she was now just a reclusive princess, that didn’t mean no one was watching her every move. If someone noticed something amiss and traced it back to Xie Jingxing’s identity, what then?
Rong Xin Princess still held some lingering affection for Xie Jingxing. She distrusted him, suspected him, and remained wary of him, yet she couldn’t forget the companionship of past years—how Xie Jingxing had visited her, talked with her, and helped her through the difficult days of her widowhood.
Human emotions were complex, never purely love or hate. If one could clearly separate the two, many things in life would become much simpler. The hardest part was when love was mixed with resentment—unable to be ruthless, yet incapable of indifference.
Tomorrow, Shen Miao would be married. Tomorrow, Xie Jingxing would leave Fixed Capital of Ming Qi. Once he returned to Great Coolness, when would he set foot in Ming Qi again? Would that be the day he raised arms against her or led an army to crush Fixed Capital?
Rong Xin Princess had once been Xie Jingxing’s aunt, but she was also a princess of Ming Qi. Between loyalty to her country and familial ties, she had to make a choice. Especially when those ties were tainted with deception.
After a while, she walked to the table and sat down, taking out paper and brush. Dipping the brush in ink, she poised it over the paper, hesitating at the last moment, as if deeply conflicted.Once this letter was written and sent, no one could predict what awaited Xie Jingxing—perhaps public condemnation, perhaps grave danger. But one thing was certain: the completion of this letter marked her decision, and in that instant, all the affection between her and Xie Jingxing vanished into thin air.
For Princess Rongxing and Xie Jingxing, the transformation from closest kin to bitter enemies was a painful ordeal. The princess dared not imagine the outcome, yet she had no other choice.
Indeed, she never expected that she, who had once nearly followed Xie Jingxing in death upon hearing news of his demise, would now be the one pushing him toward a possible fatal path.
Gritting her teeth, she finally picked up the brush and began writing swiftly.
At the Pingnan Bo residence, Su Yu and Su Furen exchanged uneasy glances as they stood before the tightly shut door of Su Mingfeng’s study. In his over twenty years of life, this was the first time Su Mingfeng had ever fallen for a young lady. Yet, fate had cruelly denied him this match. Previously, the Crown Prince had exerted pressure, but the Su family had been willing to take the risk and defy the Crown Prince to let Su Mingfeng pursue Shen Miao first. Just when the matter with the Crown Prince had passed, Prince Rui suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Even someone as doting as Shen Xin had no choice but to comply with the Imperial decree and send his beloved daughter far away to Great Coolness—let alone the Pingnan Bo family, whose status was inferior to the Shen family’s.
Su Furen sighed. "At this point, all we can do is wait for time to pass and hope Mingfeng comes to terms with it and forgets about the Shen family’s young lady."
"Easier said than done," Su Yu shook his head. "Mingfeng takes after me—he’s devoted. For him to shift his affections and forget Miss Shen won’t be simple." He glanced at Su Furen. "Standing here won’t help. Let’s go back and let Mingfeng think it through on his own."
Su Furen shot Su Yu a glare. "It’s not your flesh and blood suffering, so of course you don’t feel the pain. This is my son—seeing him heartbroken hurts me more than cutting my own flesh."
"But you’re not going in to comfort him either, and even if you did, he wouldn’t listen. It’s the same either way," Su Yu grumbled. Just then, Su Minlang passed by outside, carrying a thick stack of calligraphy practice sheets.
As he grew older, Su Minlang had gradually shed his childhood liveliness, becoming a second Su Mingfeng—though compared to his gentle and courteous elder brother, Su Minlang was far more aloof. Nowadays, he even put on a little adult airs in front of his parents, prompting Su Yu to complain openly and privately that Su Minlang was becoming less and less endearing.
Su Yu called out to him, "Minlang."
Su Minlang stopped and approached them, greeting his parents.
"Your elder brother suffered a blow today and isn’t in the best mood. Your father has an important task for you—go to your brother’s study and talk to him for a while. Comfort him."
Though Su Minlang’s temperament had changed, he remained as close to Su Mingfeng as ever. It was hardly surprising—Su Minlang had started his education late, and as a chubby child, he had often been mocked by peers or scolded by Su Yu. Every time, it was Su Mingfeng who shielded him and pleaded on his behalf before their father. Su Minlang never forgot the one who dug the well for his water—as he grew older, he remembered all the kindness his elder brother had shown him in childhood.
Su Furen chimed in, "Yes, yes! Minlang, ask your brother to teach you calligraphy or play leaf cards with you. Just don’t let him sit idle."Su Minlang glanced at the couple and said with an air of premature solemnity, "Are you asking me to persuade Eldest Brother not to be upset over Sister Shen's marriage?"
Su Yu and Su Furen: "..."
Su Minlang looked at the lit lamp in the study and said, "We brothers need to have a heart-to-heart talk. If Father and Mother have nothing else, you may leave first. I won't let Eldest Brother drown himself in the river."
After a long pause, Su Furen finally said, "Well... thank you, Minlang."
Su Minlang strode toward Su Mingfeng's study. Pushing open the heavy door with effort, he saw Su Mingfeng sitting at the desk with a complex, agitated expression—one that had become frequent these days.
Climbing onto a chair close to Su Mingfeng and sitting properly upright, Su Minlang looked at his elder brother and declared, "Big Brother, if you like her, go fight for her."
Su Mingfeng: "..."
"A real man dares to act and take responsibility," Su Minlang encouraged with grave earnestness. "As your brother, I'll definitely support you. Since you like the Shen family's young lady, go snatch her back in a bride kidnapping. After all, compared to that unknown fellow named Wang, you're far more outstanding."
Finally understanding what Su Minlang was talking about, Su Mingfeng chuckled wryly and shook his head. "Who she marries has nothing to do with me."
"Then why are you upset?" Su Minlang asked in confusion. "Don't you like Sister Shen anymore?"
"Don't listen to Mother's nonsense. I never liked her."
"But you secretly sent people to investigate Sister Shen," Su Minlang accused. "What else could that mean if not affection?"
Su Mingfeng shook his head. "I didn't do it because I liked her, but because..." His voice suddenly trailed off, and a complicated expression crossed his face.
Su Minlang studied him. "Elder Brother, you're acting really strange lately."
"Second Brother," Su Mingfeng suddenly asked, "do you remember Xie Jingxing from Marquis Lin'an Manor?"
"Brother Xie?" Su Minlang replied. "Of course I remember. Wasn't he your closest friend? Back then, you said Brother Xie had gone far away and would never return, and told me never to mention him again. Why bring him up now? Has Brother Xie returned to Fixed Capital?"
Su Mingfeng shook his head. "No." He then asked, "Do you also think he was my best friend?"
"Of course," Su Minlang said. "Brother Xie was fierce, had a sharp tongue, and always bullied me, but he treated our family well. Didn't you once say that since you were the youngest in Marquis Lin'an Manor, Brother Xie was like an elder brother to you?"
Su Mingfeng fell silent.
Su Minlang looked at him curiously. "Did you and Brother Xie have a falling out?"
Su Mingfeng stood up. "No. I'm going out for a while. Minlang, stay here and don't go anywhere."
The night in Fixed Capital concealed everything. In the princess's residence and Pingnan Count's manor, undercurrents surged like waves beneath reefs, brewing a storm powerful enough to destroy everything beneath the calm surface.
At Prince Ding's Residence, Fu Xiuyi sat solemnly on his high seat.
He looked slightly haggard, which dulled his usually striking appearance. Some time ago, a fire had completely destroyed the dungeon in Prince Ding's Residence, and Fu Xiuyi had nearly smashed everything breakable in his chambers in fury. His rage had no outlet, and the subsequent news only infuriated him further—Pei Lang's body was not found in the dungeon.
Clearly, Pei Lang had been rescued, and naturally, the fire had been set by his rescuers.
Daring to wreak havoc in his residence, and so brazenly at that—most importantly, destroying something he valued greatly—Fu Xiuyi was determined to scour the earth to find Pei Lang and the people behind him. He initially suspected the Shen family, but the investigation revealed no connection to them at all. Further leads were abruptly cut off, leaving no trace.
One could imagine the frustration burning in Fu Xiuyi's heart.
Tomorrow, Shen Miao and Prince Rui would wed, and afterward, Shen Miao would accompany Prince Rui to Great Coolness. Once that happened, the secrets surrounding Prince Rui would become even more elusive. Watching the opportunity slip away, how could Fu Xiuyi resign himself to it?
Just then, a guard Fu Xiuyi had sent to investigate entered and bowed before him. "Your Highness, there's movement at the princess's residence and Pingnan Count's manor."
Fu Xiuyi's eyes lit up. "What is it?"
The guard stepped closer and whispered into Fu Xiuyi's ear. When he finished, Fu Xiuyi's expression shifted to one of astonishment, followed by great delight.
"Heaven helps me! Immediately send people to follow those two. Don't miss a single detail."
The guard bowed and left. Fu Xiuyi leaned back in his chair, a smug smile slowly spreading across his face.
"Prince Rui... the princess's residence... Pingnan Count... Shen Miao," he murmured. "Let me see what unspeakable secrets lie between you all."\n\n－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－\n\nWedding tomorrow, PS: No wedding night :3ゝ\n\n┛\n\n｀o′\n\nIf there's ever a wedding night in the future, it'll probably just be cabbage leaves." No hand-holding or anything beyond that—write it, and you'll get a visit from the censors ┗
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