Shen Miao had a long, drawn-out dream.
It felt as though the dream stretched endlessly, longer than a lifetime. As a mere observer, she watched herself transform from a babbling infant to a lively little girl, then into a graceful young maiden, a radiant young woman, the lofty mistress of the imperial harem, and finally, the deposed empress in the cold palace, reduced to ashes in the raging flames.
She watched herself fall in love with Fu Xiuyi, begging Shen Xin to let her marry him. From the sidelines, she desperately tried to stop her own foolish actions—but it was futile. No one could hear her, so she could only watch helplessly as everything unfolded once more.
Seeing her past actions from an outsider’s perspective, she finally understood just how foolish she had been. The most terrifying part was reliving those heart-wrenching pains all over again. Her girlhood had ended the moment she married Fu Xiuyi. Those carefree days, even if others had called her dull and naive, had at least been free and joyful. But once she became the Royal Consort of Prince Ding, she was dragged into the ruthless schemes and power struggles.
Even her own children could not escape.
One by one, those around her departed, and the Shen family’s main branch gradually declined. Their former prosperity was like flowers blooming to their fullest in spring—once spring passed and summer faded, the autumn wind swept in, scattering the petals, leaving only a desolate chill in its wake.
Yet in that dark, nearly lightless life, there were still things she had overlooked. Like stars hidden in the depths of night, obscured by other things, they had seemed unreal—until, by chance, they shone as brightly as ever. Or like the lingering embers of fireworks that had strayed into her courtyard, their vivid hues bringing life to the dull, cold night.
She saw Xie Jingxing.
Not the unruly youth, not the hero who had died on the battlefield. He was as proud and unrestrained as in later years, riding a tall steed with a longbow in hand, overturning an empire with a laugh. Under the clear moonlight, he had drunk the farewell wine she offered him, and on the day the city fell beneath dark clouds, he repaid her with a wish she could never have fulfilled in her lifetime.
They had once watched fireworks in broad daylight, as if keeping a promise from a past New Year’s Eve. Though their paths had crossed by chance, he had become the most indispensable person in her life.
Because of him, her wish was fulfilled. Because of him, she was reborn.
But their bond in that lifetime had been far too brief—so beautiful, so full of hope, yet cut short by fate’s cruelty. It was a pity, and that was why she had been given this second chance, to extend what had been far too fleeting.
All the unspoken questions no longer needed answers. In that moment, many things dissipated like smoke, including the questions and the answers themselves.
The karma of the past shaped the results of the future.
Slowly, Shen Miao opened her eyes.
Before her was a canopy the color of a sky after rain. A delicate sachet hung from one corner, likely meant to mask the bitter scent of medicine. The mingling of fragrance and medicinal herbs created an intriguing, almost contemplative aroma.
Shen Miao lifted her gaze to the side.The young man lay slumped by the bedside, one hand still tightly gripping hers. His eyes were closed, and the faint shadow of stubble on his chin marked a departure from his usual pampered appearance.
His fingers were long and warm, their prominent knuckles completely enveloping her slender hand. Shen Miao stirred slightly, and Xie Jingxing awoke at once.
Seeing her eyes open, he froze for a moment, as if not yet fully alert. After a pause, he suddenly said, "You're awake."
Shen Miao nodded.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Xie Jingxing pressed. "Should I call Gao Yang to examine you?"
His usual lazy indifference, as if nothing in the world mattered, was now replaced by rare urgency. Shen Miao replied, "No need. I'm fine." Then she asked, "How is Mr. Pei?"
Xie Jingxing's expression darkened instantly.
Seeing the shift in his face, Shen Miao was momentarily stunned before understanding dawned. She wasn’t sure how to explain. Was Pei Lang detestable? Undoubtedly. In her past life, he had taken her Fingertip Blood for Mei Furen. Though it was unclear whether Mei Furen’s so-called "altering of fate" was real, his actions had still abetted evil. And his words to Fu Xiuyi—"pluck the grass and dig up the roots"—had indirectly sealed Fu Ming’s tragic fate.
Shen Miao’s feelings toward Pei Lang were complicated. She could disregard her own grievances, but when it came to Fu Ming, she could never forgive him. Yet in the end, Pei Lang had given his life to grant her a second chance.
It was hard to define her emotions. One could neither wholly hate nor wholly be grateful to another. The only solution was to sever ties cleanly. Shen Miao wanted no more entanglements of debt—neither owing Pei Lang nor being owed by him. She remembered clearly: when the childlike assassin lunged, it was Pei Lang who took the deadliest blow for her. If he died because of her, the threads binding their two lives would never be unraveled.
But seeing Xie Jingxing’s expression, she knew he had misunderstood. When Xie Jingxing got angry over such matters, Shen Miao couldn’t help but think of the little wolfhound Luo Sui kept in the Luo Family Army.
She quickly soothed the bristling hound, saying, "He saved my life. Regardless of anything else, he’s my savior. For someone with no ties to me to risk his life—such a debt can’t be ignored."
Xie Jingxing’s expression softened slightly. "Gao Yang checked on him. He woke briefly last night—lucky to be alive." Then he glanced at Shen Miao. "But you wouldn’t wake up. If you hadn’t, I’d have chopped off that Daoist’s head."
"Daoist?" Shen Miao was puzzled. "You mean the Crimson Flame Daoist?"
"Daoist, my foot," Xie Jingxing scoffed. "Just a swindler preying on the gullible." The so-called "Crimson Flame Daoist" had taken his leave of Prince Rui’s Estate that very morning, helping himself to a fine antique vase from the hall as a "token of gratitude." Hardly the behavior of a true ascetic, scheming for gold and silver like some charlatan.After listening to Xie Jingxing's account of the Taoist taking a vase and leaving, Shen Miao felt somewhat puzzled. The long dream had resolved many of her doubts, though it wasn’t necessarily real. Yet for some reason, Shen Miao couldn’t shake the feeling that everything in that dream was the complete story of her past life.
That Taoist was indeed someone she had encountered on her way back from the Qin State to Ming Qi. She had assumed he was a refugee fleeing famine, disguising himself as a Taoist to beg for food. After all, she was Shen Xin’s daughter, raised with a measure of kindness in her heart. She had offered him a bowl of water, never imagining it would lead to so many complications.
Had she truly heeded the Taoist’s words in her past life and not returned to the Fixed Capital, perhaps the tragedies that followed would never have occurred. But even if given another chance, knowing full well it was a path of no return, she would still have made the same choice—because her children were in that deep palace.
Yet, in the end, that Taoist had played a part in their fate.
Shen Miao remembered it clearly.
In the dream, her corpse had been reduced to ashes by the fire Fu Xiuyi ordered to be lit, leaving nothing behind. But the resentment was so intense it refused to dissipate. Mei Furen had summoned people to perform rites, yet she neither became a vengeful spirit nor could she pass on to the next life. Her soul remained trapped within the palace walls, wandering aimlessly day after day, growing weaker with each passing moment.
All her remaining belongings had been burned. Were it not for the red string on Xie Jingxing’s wrist, she might have long since vanished into the void.
That red string spared her some suffering. During those days when she could not move on, Shen Miao’s lingering soul took refuge in the red string around Xie Jingxing’s wrist, drifting through existence in a daze.
Until the day the city fell.
She saw Fu Sheng die at the hands of his own people. She watched as Mei Furen and Fu Xiuyi were bound and dragged onto the city Building, pierced by countless arrows until they perished. She witnessed the palace she had hated all her life engulfed in flames from within, reduced to rubble and ashes. The unfulfilled wishes in her heart, the soul unwilling to disperse, finally found peace in that moment.
The red string snapped. She could let go. And so, time abruptly reversed. Pei Lang paid with his life, and she was reborn anew.
Noticing Shen Miao’s silence, Xie Jingxing frowned and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Shen Miao snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him without speaking.
She was somewhat agitated. She had always wondered why, in this life, she and Xie Jingxing were inexplicably bound together, unable to break free despite their lack of connection in the past. Now she understood—their ties had been forged in her previous life. Back then, Xie Jingxing had owed her a wish, though it had been spoken in jest. Yet he had kept his promise, personally ending Fu Xiuyi and Mei Furen to avenge her.
Softly, she asked, “Xie Jingxing, do you have a wish?”
Xie Jingxing glanced at her. “What? Are you going to fulfill it for me?”
“I can grant you one wish,” she said earnestly. “As long as it’s within my power, I’ll do everything I can.”
Her solemn expression made Xie Jingxing pause briefly. Then, with a faint smirk, he replied, “Alright.” Leaning closer to her ear, he whispered, “My wish… is something you can definitely fulfill.”
Shen Miao asked, “What is it?”
“Give me a child,” he said casually.
Shen Miao stared at him for a long moment. Xie Jingxing rubbed his nose, about to speak again, when she answered, “Alright.”Xie Jingxing was taken aback.
Shen Miao stared at him, the corners of her lips curled in a faint smile—different from her usual reserved and somewhat restrained expression. This was a genuine, heartfelt smile, as if she truly felt happy. There was even a hint of tenderness in it.
Xie Jingxing instinctively reached out to touch her forehead. "You're clearly still unwell," he said.
Shen Miao brushed his hand away. "Xie Jingxing, you were really frightened on my birthday, weren't you?"
He withdrew his hand, relieved to see her calm expression with nothing unusual about it. Playing along, he countered, "What do you think? I thought..." He trailed off. Even now, recalling that scene sent a chill down his spine—Shen Miao lying unconscious in a pool of blood, as if she might never wake again. His heart had clenched in terror, more so than when he'd led the Xie Family Army to the Northern Frontier Battlefield for the first time, or even when he'd been ambushed with his own life hanging in the balance.
He, too, had things he feared, people he was afraid to lose, and vulnerabilities. And all three were embodied in the person before him.
"Let me make it up to you," Shen Miao said. "Your birthday must have passed long ago. How about we celebrate it today instead?"
Xie Jingxing gave her a baffled look. "I appreciate the thought. But you're still recovering—don't push yourself."
"It's just a flesh wound," Shen Miao insisted. "Let's go out."
Her behavior since waking had been unusual. For one, Shen Miao wasn’t the type to seek amusement. For another, she seemed far more affectionate than before. She had always carried herself with a certain reserve, though no one knew why she habitually maintained such formality. But Shen Miao was a proud person—otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to sustain such a long cold war with Xie Jingxing. This sudden, almost ingratiating initiative took him by surprise.
Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "Did you do something behind my back?"
"Yes," Shen Miao nodded seriously.
"Does it involve Pei Lang?" Xie Jingxing’s expression darkened.
Shen Miao took a deep breath. She felt that Xie Jingxing’s attitude really shouldn’t be indulged—his thoughts had veered completely off track. Her usual demeanor returned as she asked, "Are you coming or not?"
Her unpredictable mood left Xie Jingxing speechless. Before he could respond, a voice chimed in from behind: "Go."
Gao Yang walked in, glancing at Shen Miao. "Heard you were awake, so I came to check. That injury was just superficial—didn’t even reach the deeper tissues. It’s nothing serious." Turning to Xie Jingxing, he added, "You should get out and stretch your legs too. You’ve been cooped up indoors all this time without even seeing the sun. The weather’s nice—just don’t come back too late."
With that, he picked up the medical kit and left.
Xie Jingxing and Shen Miao stood in silence, facing each other. After a moment, Xie Jingxing chuckled. "What do you want to do?"
"I haven’t had a chance to explore Longye since arriving," Shen Miao said. "I’m not familiar with the city. Why don’t we just walk around, and you can tell me about the place?" Suddenly remembering something, she added, "Oh, that day at the pavilion outside Azure Cloud Tower, I had Bajiao buy a lot of fireworks. They’re probably still there—let’s bring those along too."
"Fireworks in broad daylight?" Xie Jingxing stared at her. "Did you hit your head as well?"Shen Miao retorted, "Have you ever seen fireworks in broad daylight?"
Xie Jingxing replied, "Only fools have."
"I have," Shen Miao answered.
Xie Jingxing stared at her in confusion.
"Fireworks at night are beautiful, but those in daylight might not be inferior. Since you haven’t seen them, I’ll take you to see some." Shen Miao smiled faintly and moved to get out of bed. However, having lain in bed for days, her legs were weak, and the sudden movement caused her to gasp in pain.
Seeing this, Xie Jingxing stood up with an amused grin, crossing his arms as if watching a show. "Need my help?" he asked.
"Would you even know how?" Shen Miao could tell from his expression that he was up to no good.
"Beg me, and I’ll help you," Xie Jingxing said, leaning closer as if eager to hear her plead.
Shen Miao found Xie Jingxing’s temperament utterly unpredictable—domineering and calculating beyond his years, yet now behaving like a mischievous boy who took delight in teasing others.
Gazing at his handsome profile, she suddenly felt an impulse and decisively planted a kiss on his cheek.
Xie Jingxing froze. Shen Miao averted her eyes, looking instead at the sachet hanging by the bed.
"Shen Miao," Xie Jingxing frowned at her, "You’re seriously ill. I should fetch Gao Yang to check on you again." He made as if to leave, prompting Shen Miao to call out urgently, "Xie Jingxing!"
He paused, then turned back with a teasing smirk. Realizing she’d been tricked, Shen Miao regretted her actions, but before she could react, Xie Jingxing burst into laughter, strode forward, and scooped her up into his arms. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Carrying her out the door, Xie Jingxing drew the curious gazes of the servants in Prince Rui's Estate. In both her past and present lives, Shen Miao had never been so brazenly intimate with a man. Whether in Prince Ding's Residence or the imperial harem, she had always maintained the dignified bearing of an empress. Even Mei Furen, it seemed, had never been carried by Fu Xiuyi in front of so many people. Had that happened, the labels of "besotted ruler" and "seductive femme fatale" would have been inevitable.
Was she, once a poised and virtuous empress, now doomed to be branded a seductress in this life? Xie Jingxing certainly fit the role of a besotted ruler. Lost in these thoughts, Shen Miao glanced at the giggling servants and grew irritated. Pinching Xie Jingxing, she demanded, "What are you doing? Put me down!"
"Tsk, feeling shy now?" Xie Jingxing raised an eyebrow, his tone so provoking it made her want to punch him. "Just now, someone was bold enough to assault my virtue in broad daylight..."
Even using phrases like "assault my virtue." Shen Miao could only strive to calm herself.
Just then, Luo Tan approached. Unprepared for such a scene, even the usually carefree Luo Tan felt awkward as a young woman. Shen Miao urged Xie Jingxing to set her down, while Luo Tan struggled to find a place to look. "You’ve worked hard these days," Shen Miao said to her."It's no trouble at all," Luo Tan quickly waved her hands, glancing at Xie Jingxing with a hint of fear. Back then, she had been solely focused on venting her anger for Shen Miao and had lashed out at Xie Jingxing, only to regret it later. Given his high status and position as Prince Rui of Great Coolness, if he were to take his anger out on Shen Miao because of her, her mistake would be grave. But now, seeing how intimate Shen Miao and Xie Jingxing appeared, it seemed they hadn’t quarreled, which brought her some relief.
"Oh, right," Luo Tan suddenly remembered something and pulled an item from her sleeve, placing it in Shen Miao's hand. "This was given to me by Taoist Chiyan before he left. He asked me to pass it to you, saying it was a farewell gift."
It was a small wooden box carved with what appeared to be a chicken and a snake. Luo Tan remarked, "I really don’t know why he’d carve a chicken and a snake."
Shen Miao: "..." She said, "That’s a dragon and a phoenix."
Taoist Chiyan’s carving skills were truly something to be desired. If not for Shen Miao’s familiarity, she might not have recognized it as a dragon and phoenix either. Luo Tan choked back her words as Shen Miao opened the box and pulled out two red strings.
"This..." Luo Tan said, "These are just two red strings. What’s so special about them? And to make it sound so mysterious—I thought it was something valuable. He might as well have given some medicinal herbs. That Taoist is so stingy, with a whole valley of herbs, yet he sends this..."
But Shen Miao stared at the strings, her eyes flickering slightly.
In her past life, she had once received a similar string from a Taoist. That string had accompanied her for years before eventually finding its way into Xie Jingxing’s hands. Her lingering spirit had once resided within the red string, which also served as the medium connecting her past life’s bond with Xie Jingxing.
Suddenly, the red strings felt somewhat familiar and dear to her.
She reached out and tied one around her wrist. Luo Tan watched in shock. "You... Cousin, you’re not actually going to wear this, are you?"
Shen Miao admired the red string on her wrist with satisfaction, then picked up the other one and said to Xie Jingxing, "Give me your hand."
Xie Jingxing replied, "I’m not wearing it."
"Give me your hand," Shen Miao repeated.
Xie Jingxing looked at her incredulously. "I’m a man."
"This can protect you," Shen Miao bluffed. "If we both wear these, I’ll know if you’re in danger, and you’ll sense if I am."
Luo Tan, standing to the side, asked weakly, "Is it... really that magical?"
Shen Miao didn’t care whether it was magical or not. She believed Taoist Chiyan was extraordinary, and his gifts must hold significance. Even if, as Luo Tan said, they were just ordinary strings, they carried deep meaning for her—more precious than gold or silver.
Hearing this, Xie Jingxing didn’t refuse again. Though his eyes still brimmed with disdain, he allowed Shen Miao to tie the red string around his wrist, even letting her secure it with a tight knot.
Luo Tan grimaced at the sight. Xie Jingxing, a dignified man and the elegant Prince Rui, wearing such a trinket on his wrist—it wasn’t exactly a picturesque scene. It wasn’t just the femininity of it; the red string itself looked rather cheap, clashing starkly with their luxurious attire.
Shen Miao said, "Done."Xie Jingxing swiftly withdrew his hand, subtly adjusting his sleeve to cover the conspicuous red stain.
Luo Tan said, "Alright, I've delivered the items. You two seem busy, so I won't disturb you any longer. I'll take my leave now." She winked at Shen Miao and drawled, "I'm relieved to see my dear cousin in such good spirits," before darting away.
Shen Miao: "..."
Xie Jingxing said, "Let's go watch the fireworks."
The servants of Prince Rui's Estate: "..."
Cong Yang whispered to Tie Yi, "Clearly, it's Madam who's ill, but why does our master seem to have lost his mind? What fireworks are there to watch in broad daylight?"
Tie Yi expressionlessly handed him a broom: "Sweep the floor."
...
In Weiyang Palace, Empress Xiande was leisurely reclining on a couch reading a book. She listened idly as her palace maid spoke, then set the book aside with a relieved expression, saying, "It's good that nothing happened. With all these incidents lately, I was considering going to burn incense and pray for blessings."
The matter of Shen Miao's assassination attempt had been kept from outsiders but not from the Yongle Emperor and Empress Xiande. Even Gao Yang had been helpless, and the imperial physicians were even more at a loss. It had truly been a strange period—Prince Rui's Estate had faced one incident after another. First Xie Jingxing, who had barely escaped danger, and then it was Shen Miao's turn. Fortunately, Shen Miao had now awakened, lifting a weight from everyone's hearts.
Empress Xiande put down the book, her mood for reading gone. She stood and walked to the window. After last night's rain, the weather was fine again, with no trace of the previous night's storm—except for the plum tree by the window, its branches and leaves scattered across the ground by the wind and rain.
She murmured to herself, "Longye is restless too."
The wind howls before a storm. Prince Rui's Estate, once an impenetrable fortress, had already suffered two incidents since Xie Jingxing's return to Great Coolness—a clear signal. Perhaps a warning, or perhaps a counterattack?
Because the Yongle Emperor had already begun to move against the Lu family.
Tao Gugu, Empress Xiande's lady-in-waiting, had served her since she was made empress and was her most loyal confidante over the years.
Tao Gugu said, "Today, Consort Jing went to the imperial study to see His Majesty. She entered in tears and left seemingly in distress. The maids from Jinghua Palace say that upon returning, she punished several servants and smashed many things, as if in an extremely foul mood."
Empress Xiande smiled faintly. "The Lu family has suffered losses and wants to test His Majesty's stance, so naturally, they would use Consort Jing. Didn't Madam Lu visit her in the palace just a few days ago?"
"His Majesty seems to have lost patience with Consort Jing," Tao Gugu added. "She has been much more restrained around you these past few days. If His Majesty truly acts against the Lu family, what about Consort Jing? What do you think..."
"Leave it entirely to His Majesty to decide," Empress Xiande said calmly. "Whether it's genuine or feigned, I can't quite discern such things. Since entering the palace, I've understood these principles." She looked at Tao Gugu's worried expression and smiled. "You don't think I still care about these matters, do you?"
Tao Gugu fell silent.
Empress Xiande gazed outside again. "From the moment I became empress, I ceased to see myself as a woman. An emperor's wife is not just a wife—she must share the burdens of the realm with him. Fortune and misfortune are intertwined; life and death are shared. I have never feared, only regretted..." She looked down at her abdomen. "I... never bore a child of my own."
"If not for Consort Jing back then..." Tao Gugu clenched her teeth, her voice laced with resentment and unresolved anguish."Forget it," Xiande Huanghou waved her hand wearily, smiling a smile tinged with numb desolation. "Whether Consort Jing is here or not makes no difference. This child... I was never meant to carry it to term." She spoke softly, "Look around the harem—has any woman ever borne his child?"
"None. And none ever will. So though I grieve, when every woman in the harem shares this grief, my sorrow ceases to be sorrow. At least... at least I still hold this unshakable position," she said.
－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－
Here's some sweetness for you all
...
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