The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage

"Which eye saw it, I'll gouge out that eye."

It was a blatant threat, uttered without regard for the presence of Lu Zhengchun and the Yongle Emperor. Xie Jingxing dared to speak such treasonous words. Lu Zhengchun was so furious he nearly collapsed. Xie Jingxing's implication was clear—he was openly pressuring Ye Hongguang to retract his statement right in front of him. How could there be such a scoundrel in this world!

"Now, tell me again," Xie Jingxing toyed with the gold ingot in his hand, speaking nonchalantly, "what exactly did you see?"

Ye Hongguang had never encountered such a situation before and likely never imagined someone would dare to act so unreasonably in the emperor's presence. In his nervousness, he instinctively looked toward Ye Mei for help, as among everyone present, she was the closest to him.

However, to Ye Hongguang's disappointment, Ye Mei did not come to his aid. Instead, she lowered her head, avoiding his gaze. This only made Ye Hongguang even more flustered.

Neither the Yongle Emperor nor Empress Xiande spoke up. While Lu Zhengchun's arrogance was infuriating, Xie Jingxing was not one to back down either. In this confrontation, it was clear Lu Zhengchun was at a disadvantage, so the imperial couple remained silent.

Though Lu Zhengchun was also furious with Xie Jingxing, he dared not act rashly. The Yongle Emperor still had to maintain his imperial dignity, and it was not yet time to openly break ties. Xie Jingxing, however, was different. When he first returned to Longye, court officials had openly voiced their suspicions of him in the Golden Luan Hall. At the time, he had merely smiled in response—yet not long after, none of those officials met a good end. Xie Jingxing was ruthless and vengeful; unless absolutely necessary, one should never openly provoke him.

Ye Hongguang stammered, unwilling to speak. Shen Miao, however, had calmed down by now. She stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Xie Jingxing, and addressed the young man in the wheelchair: "So you truly saw me push Consort Jing down?"

Ye Hongguang looked up at her. Shen Miao was, after all, a woman, and he was less afraid of her. Though his expression remained uneasy, his courage grew. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded firmly.

"Good," she said. "Then tell me, where were you at the time?"

Ye Hongguang froze.

"Were you at the top of the stairs or the bottom?" Shen Miao coaxed gently, softening her tone like a kind older sister. Yet her question made Ye Hongguang tense up, his neck shrinking slightly.

Ye Mei, kneeling motionless with her head bowed, trembled faintly.

Shen Miao gave him no time to think, pressing further: "Have you remembered? Top or bottom?"

"B-Bottom," Ye Hongguang stammered.

Shen Miao smiled faintly.

Lu Zhengchun and Madam Lu glared at her furiously, as if outraged that she could smile in such a situation. Empress Xiande, however, relaxed slightly. The Yongle Emperor watched Shen Miao intently, while Xie Jingxing crossed his arms, smirking at Ye Hongguang.

"How strange," Shen Miao said. "Those stairs were very long and steep—that’s why Consort Jing was so severely injured. If you were at the bottom, how could you possibly see me standing at the top? You probably couldn’t even see Consort Jing’s shadow."Ye Hongguang froze instantly. Being young and rarely leaving his residence, he was already extremely nervous from meeting the Yongle Emperor today. Now, confronted by Shen Miao's words, his expression turned panicked.

Ye Mei slowly clenched her fists.

Shen Miao asked, "Young Master Ye, think again. Could you have misremembered? Was it really above or below?"

Ye Hongguang hastily replied, "Above! I misremembered—it was above!" He repeated it firmly as if to convince himself.

On the ground, Ye Mei's shoulders suddenly slumped as if deflated.

Shen Miao still smiled, but her gaze sharpened. She said, "Oh? Young Master Ye, with your mobility difficulties, such a long flight of stairs would be impossible for you to climb alone. Surely someone must have carried you up—or carried your wheelchair. And you should have had your own servants with you. How is it that only you claim to have seen me push someone, yet none of your servants corroborate this?"

The room fell deathly silent.

Large beads of sweat broke out on Ye Hongguang's forehead. His face flushed crimson, and for a moment, he was speechless—like a liar caught in his deception.

The Yongle Emperor said coldly, "Do you know the penalty for deceiving the sovereign?"

The crime of deceiving the emperor was punishable by death. Ye Hongguang was easily frightened, and while a quick-witted person might have found excuses—such as claiming his servants had stepped away momentarily—most would stubbornly defend their lies rather than confess outright. But Ye Hongguang's immediate admission exposed his inexperience in deceit. Someone like Ye Mei, a seasoned liar, could have spun falsehoods effortlessly.

Xie Jingxing's lips curved. "Imperial Brother, for noble families to knowingly commit crimes warrants harsher punishment. Why not hand him directly to the Ministry of Justice? Or perhaps a public shaming?" He drawled lazily, "Otherwise, anyone would think they can bully Prince Rui's household with impunity. How am I to live like this?"

Xie Jingxing was clearly settling personal scores, but he had never been one for mercy, nor did he harbor any goodwill toward the Ye family. He spoke without hesitation, leaving Ye Mei pale-faced and Lu Zhengchun grimacing.

The lesson was clear: the chicken was being slaughtered to warn the monkeys—and it was obvious who was who.

Xiande Huanghou said sternly, "Ye Hongguang, you dared to lie in the palace and falsely accuse a royal consort."

Her sharp tone nearly reduced Ye Hongguang to tears. But Ye Mei ignored him, and with no other allies in the palace, he was utterly helpless.

"Young Master Ye is still young. Misremembering in the heat of the moment is understandable," Shen Miao interceded on his behalf. "When he saw Consort Jing in distress, his urgency to catch the culprit may have led to misunderstandings."

Everyone was astonished by her leniency. After all, Ye Hongguang had falsely accused Shen Miao, and while she wasn't cruel, she never spared those who harmed her—just look at how she'd dealt with the second and third branches of the Shen family and even the Ming Qi imperial household. Her sudden mercy toward Ye Hongguang was puzzling.

Xie Jingxing frowned.

Shen Miao bent slightly, meeting Ye Hongguang at eye level, and asked gently, "Or... did someone tell you something that led you to misunderstand me? Did someone instruct you to say this?"

Ye Hongguang jolted violently. From this close, Shen Miao could clearly see the flicker of panic in his eyes.Ye Hongguang was truly terrible at lying. Though he showed little expression, almost anyone with eyes could tell he was lying. Xie Jingxing's eyes turned sharp, but Ye Hongguang raised his head again and said firmly to Shen Miao, "No one taught me."

No one taught him, yet he no longer insisted that Shen Miao was the murderer.

Shen Miao said, "I understand."

Xiande Huanghou frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, then added, "The matter regarding Consort Jing will be handed over to the Ministry of Justice for investigation. Ye Hongguang, since you lied, your words cannot be taken as truth. The immediate priority is to thoroughly search the palace for any traces of this assassin and to properly handle Consort Jing's remains." Finally, she turned to the Lu couple and asked, "Does General Lu have anything else to say?" By the end, her tone carried a hint of mockery.

Lu Zhengchun glanced at Xiande Huanghou, his chest burning with suppressed anger. Back when the Yongle Emperor doted on Consort Jing, they had hoped she would replace Xiande Huanghou's position. Yet Xiande Huanghou had always conducted herself flawlessly, leaving no room for criticism, and after all these years, they had never succeeded. Lu Jing had whispered countless times in the Yongle Emperor's ear, but none of it had ever swayed him to consider deposing the Empress.

Finally, when Lu Jing had conceived imperial offspring—at such a delicate time—they thought they could turn the tables. But fate was unpredictable, and all their efforts had come to nothing.

Deep down, Lu Zhengchun knew that since Lu Jing was already dead, nothing could be done now. Yet he couldn't accept it. He still hoped the Yongle Emperor would compensate him in some way. His obstinacy today stemmed not from grief over his daughter's tragic death but from regret over the loss of his imperial grandchild.

With Xie Jingxing's sudden appearance, Lu Zhengchun had no choice but to rein in his arrogance. When it came to ruthlessness, Prince Rui was even more formidable—perhaps even more sinister.

Realizing he would gain nothing more today, Lu Zhengchun reluctantly said, "This subject obeys the decree."

Meanwhile, a flash of killing intent flickered in the Yongle Emperor's eyes.

The Lu couple left. From the moment they entered the palace to their departure, they never once glanced at the deceased Consort Jing, as if she had never been their daughter.

After they left, the Yongle Emperor said, "You may all leave as well."

Xiande Huanghou gave him a surprised look. Ye Mei and Ye Hongguang—one had been with Consort Jing at the time, though the talents in the small residence could vouch for her, it didn't entirely clear her of suspicion. The other had outright slandered Shen Miao. Even if these two weren't the murderers, they certainly shouldn't be let off lightly. Yet the Yongle Emperor seemed unwilling to pursue the matter.

Just as Xiande Huanghou was puzzling over this, she noticed the Yongle Emperor swaying almost imperceptibly. Startled, she immediately said, "Indeed, you should all leave now."

Xie Jingxing frowned but said nothing. He merely cast a cold glance at Ye Mei, who was expressing her gratitude, and the servant helping Ye Hongguang up as they hastily retreated.

"If there's nothing else," Xie Jingxing said, "this subject will take his leave."

In front of the Yongle Emperor, Xie Jingxing had never bothered to conceal his emotions. Clearly, he was not pleased with the Emperor's decision.Shen Miao and Xie Jingxing left Jinghua Palace together. As they were walking out of the palace, they happened to encounter Ye Mei and her younger brother. Shen Miao was slightly taken aback when Ye Hongguang suddenly ordered the servant pushing his wheelchair to stop and turned to look at her, as if he had something to say.

Xie Jingxing's expression immediately darkened. He now classified everyone from the Ye family as dangerous individuals. If a dangerous person approached Shen Miao and something happened, what then? Thus, he stepped forward closely, the dagger in his sleeve silently slipping out of its sheath.

Shen Miao watched as the young boy stopped before her. Not far away, Ye Mei was looking over with a tense expression, seemingly wanting to stop Ye Hongguang's actions. However, with Tie Yi and Cong Yang blocking her path, she dared not move.

Ye Hongguang raised his head, his face flushed with apparent shame, and said, "I'm sorry." He seemed to want to say more but hesitated and ultimately remained silent. After giving Shen Miao one last glance, he pushed his wheelchair away on his own.

Xie Jingxing raised an eyebrow, seemingly puzzled by Ye Hongguang's behavior. Shen Miao, however, watched his retreating figure with a complicated expression.

On the carriage ride back, noticing Shen Miao's prolonged silence, Xie Jingxing remarked, "Let the Ink Feather Army capture that boy and throw him into the Tower Prison for a day or two. Once he’s subdued, he’ll confess who’s behind this."

He was referring to Ye Hongguang. Given the boy’s behavior in Jinghua Palace today, only a fool would believe he hadn’t been coached to slander Shen Miao.

Shen Miao rolled her eyes at Xie Jingxing. "What’s there to confess? Who else could it be but Ye Mei?"

Ye Mei’s subtle tricks might fool others, but not her.

"Then why are you still upset?" Xie Jingxing pinched her cheek. "Seeing that boy today was strange. Is there something I don’t know?" He narrowed his eyes.

Shen Miao brushed his hand away. "Do you remember the dream I once told you about, where I had a son and a daughter?"

Xie Jingxing’s playful expression froze as he looked at her.

"When I first saw Ye Hongguang, I thought he looked exactly like the child from my dream—my child. I believed he was that child. But he stood by Ye Mei’s side, helping her slander me. To be honest, it broke my heart." Shen Miao sighed. "Later, I looked at him more carefully and realized they weren’t the same—they just resembled each other. Now that I think about it, the resemblance is only about seventy or eighty percent. There are still many differences."

After the initial shock and sorrow, Shen Miao had been observing the handsome young boy closely. At first glance, he bore an uncanny resemblance to Fu Ming, but their personalities were entirely different. Fu Ming, neglected by Fu Xiuyi and caught in the crossfire between her and Mei Furen, had matured early. Fu Ming was magnanimous, upright, and kind—he possessed all the qualities befitting an excellent crown prince. But the boy before her was just an ordinary young master from an official’s family, perhaps somewhat insecure due to his disability. Fu Ming would never lie, Fu Ming would never stand by Ye Mei’s side, and Fu Ming would never help Ye Mei against her. Most importantly, when Shen Miao stood before Ye Hongguang, her heart remained utterly calm. There was a natural bond between mother and child—if it had been Fu Ming, she would have felt it. Her heart wouldn’t have been so indifferent.Ye Hongguang was not Fu Ming, merely bearing an uncanny resemblance to him. For a moment, Shen Miao's mind was nearly clouded by the likeness, but she quickly regained her composure. No one understands their own child better than a mother, and thus there was no trace of Fu Ming in Ye Hongguang. This disappointed Shen Miao, yet also brought her some relief. If Fu Ming had truly been reborn into the Ye family in this lifetime, and the Ye family used him against her, that would have been the last thing Shen Miao wished to see.

"Similar?" Xie Jingxing asked, puzzled. "Is that why you were particularly lenient with him?"

"Partly, I suppose," Shen Miao replied. "Faced with that face, I couldn’t bring myself to be harsh. Besides, you know as well as I do that the true culprit behind this incident is someone else. Ye Hongguang was merely being used—he probably doesn’t even lie often, given how poorly he did it. It was almost laughable. But what puzzles me," Shen Miao continued, "is if this really is connected to Ye Mei, why would she push Consort Jing? It doesn’t seem like her usual style—it feels too reckless."

Xie Jingxing smiled faintly. "Or perhaps it was just an accident?"

"An accident?"

Meanwhile, Ye Mei and Ye Hongguang had boarded the carriage back to their residence.

Ye Hongguang had been uneasy the entire time. A servant helped him into the carriage, where he sat beside Ye Mei. Normally gentle and soft-spoken, Ye Mei had not said a word to him since they boarded, which only deepened his unease. Just as he was about to speak, Ye Mei suddenly asked, "Third Brother, what did you say to the Royal Consort earlier?"

Ye Mei was smiling, her expression no different from usual, yet for some reason, Ye Hongguang felt a flicker of fear. He hesitated before whispering, "I apologized to her."

Ye Mei’s expression darkened slightly.

"The Royal Consort seems like a good person," Ye Hongguang murmured, keeping his head low. "Even though I falsely accused her, she wasn’t angry. She was kind to me and didn’t look down on me for being lame… Eldest Sister, I lied and wronged an innocent person. I feel terrible."

"Didn’t I already explain this to you?" Ye Mei frowned. "If you hadn’t said those things, the Emperor and Empress would have suspected me. And if they suspected me, the entire Ye family would be implicated. Do you want to see our parents suffer for this? The imperial family doesn’t care about right or wrong—Mother and Father are old. If they were dragged into this, their dignity aside, what if their health suffered?"

Her tone was unusually sharp. Ye Mei had always been courteous and affectionate toward Ye Hongguang, and he adored his ethereally beautiful elder sister. This was the first time she had scolded him so harshly, and the implied blame made him feel even worse. He didn’t dare say anything more, but Ye Mei pressed on, "Besides, how do you know she was truly wronged?"

"The Royal Consort said it wasn’t her. The Emperor and Empress believed her," Ye Hongguang said quietly. "Sister, why did we have to lie? Why did we have to accuse the Royal Consort to keep suspicion from falling on you?"

At last, anger flashed across Ye Mei’s face. She turned to him with an almost sinister look. "You’d rather believe her than your own sister?"

Ye Hongguang shook his head. "I just don’t think the Royal Consort is that kind of person."Everyone kept saying they believed in Shen Miao, and Ye Mei's frustration was beyond words. The Yongle Emperor, Xiande Huanghou, Prince Rui—and now even Ye Hongguang. What kind of bewitching magic did Shen Miao possess to always win others' trust? Even she couldn't gain any advantage over Shen Miao.

Thinking of what had happened earlier, Ye Mei couldn't help but tremble slightly.

She never expected Lu Jing to be so spoiled and foolish. Ye Mei had merely followed Ye Maocai's orders to gather information from Lu Jing. Who knew Lu Jing's jealousy would be so blatant? Deliberately making things difficult for her was one thing—Ye Mei could endure that.

But then Lu Jing was the first to lose her temper, even attempting to ruin Ye Mei's face.

Ye Mei was never one to suffer in silence. In the struggle, she accidentally pushed Lu Jing down. Panicked, she fled, intending to escape in the chaos. She knew Ye Maocai wouldn’t risk offending others for her sake—she could only rely on herself. Yet it was only then she realized that after all this time in Longye, she had failed to secure any escape route for herself. Even the Ye family, her supposed backing, was an uncertain ally at best.

But her luck had never been too poor. At the brink of despair, she always found a way out—Lu Jing had actually died. Dead men tell no tales, and with that, the matter was settled. She no longer needed to flee.

Once Ye Mei calmed down, she bribed an overlooked minor palace attendant. She knew she couldn’t completely clear herself of suspicion, so she decided to muddy the waters further. She even forced Ye Hongguang to testify, threatening him that if he didn’t lie, the entire Ye household would suffer. Ye Hongguang, timid and sheltered within the Ye estate all his life, knew nothing of the outside world’s complexities. Terrified, he agreed.

Yet Ye Mei hadn’t anticipated Ye Hongguang to be so useless, allowing Shen Miao to corner him step by step. The entire scheme of framing Shen Miao had nearly collapsed into futility. Moreover, the Lu family’s fearful deference toward Xie Yuan finally made Ye Mei understand just how terrifying it was to provoke Prince Rui’s Estate.

She had previously suggested to Ye Maocai that they assassinate Shen Miao, and now she had manipulated Ye Hongguang into slandering her. Ye Mei couldn’t shake the fear that if Xie Yuan ever uncovered her role in all this, he would never let her go.

And today—though Xiande Huanghou and the Yongle Emperor had unexpectedly spared her, and Shen Miao hadn’t pressed the matter—Ye Mei grew increasingly uneasy, suspecting some deeper scheme. Even if nothing else, Ye Maocai would eventually learn the truth. She had accidentally killed Consort Jing—another disaster. What would a shrewd man like Ye Maocai do to her? Ye Mei truly didn’t know.

Anger, dread, and frustration churned within her. Longye seemed to be a place of ill fortune for her. Back in Qinzhou, she had gotten everything she wanted, but here, she kept hitting walls. She had thought aligning with the Ye family would guarantee a glorious future, yet not only was the Ye family’s own standing precarious, but she had also offended those she shouldn’t have.

She couldn’t stay in Longye anymore. She had to leave the Ye family. The thought suddenly flashed through Ye Mei’s mind.

Her gaze instinctively flicked to Ye Hongguang. He was silently plucking at the fringes of the blanket draped over his knees, oblivious to her stare.

Ye Mei’s eyes turned cold in an instant.Escaping the Ye family and Longye was no easy task for her now. It was easy to board the ship but hard to disembark, not to mention Ye Maocai's watchful eyes.

But if she stayed here any longer, Ye Mei had a feeling she wouldn't even know how she died.

She needed to discuss this properly with Ye Ke.

...

Due to the incident involving Consort Jing in the palace today, which took up a considerable amount of time, it was already late by the time Shen Miao and Xie Jingxing returned to Prince Rui's Estate. After bathing and having dinner, Shen Miao sorted through some letters on the table while saying to Xie Jingxing, "I never expected it to turn out like this."

Xie Jingxing's subordinates had come to deliver the news, likely having clarified the events that transpired in the palace today. It was roughly deduced that Ye Mei had accidentally killed Lu Jing. Shen Miao shook her head and said, "The Lu family probably knows Ye Mei was the one who did it. Though they must harbor deep resentment, they won’t show it."

Xie Jingxing reclined on the couch, watching her tidy up, and simply responded with an "Mm."

Shen Miao asked, "What will happen if the Emperor uncovers the truth? Will he punish Ye Mei?"

"Whether it’s uncovered or not, what does it matter?" Xie Jingxing replied indifferently. "Even without Ye Mei’s accidental killing, the Ye family wouldn’t be spared. And with Ye Mei’s mistake, Ye Maocai wouldn’t care about sacrificing a daughter he took in halfway." He shrugged. "Consort Jing and the child in her belly—who cares?"

Shen Miao sighed. The Yongle Emperor loathed the Ye family deeply and had no expectations for the child Lu Jing had desperately conceived. Naturally, he wouldn’t care. In fact, Lu Jing’s death might even bring him some relief. He didn’t love Consort Jing, but the child was still his flesh and blood. Once the Ye family fell, how would he face his own son? Of course, the child was born frail, and living in this world would only be suffering.

Perhaps Heaven had made the choice for him. Maybe everything was predestined.

"Speaking of which, when we entered the palace today and Lu Jing’s incident occurred, the Emperor came, but you weren’t there. Where did you go?" Shen Miao asked. She asked naturally, as Xie Jingxing was an exceedingly straightforward person. When it came to these royal secrets, he would answer almost anything she asked.

But today, he simply looked at her without speaking.

Shen Miao had been waiting for his response, but when he remained silent, she paused in her movements and noticed Xie Jingxing smiling at her. His gaze was tender, as if he regarded her as something precious.

Shen Miao was taken aback. Xie Jingxing’s lips curved slightly as he said, "Come here."

She hesitated for a moment, but seeing his insistence, she stood up and walked to the couch. Just as she asked, "What is it?" Xie Jingxing grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his embrace.

Caught off guard, Shen Miao fell against his chest and struggled to prop herself up, but Xie Jingxing wouldn’t let her move. Resting his chin on her head, he said calmly, "I once asked you a question. Do you still remember whether you wanted to be Empress?"

"I remember," Shen Miao replied after a pause.

"Then I’ll ask you again now," he said.

"I don’t want to," Shen Miao answered. "My wish is simple—to protect the people I love and live well. Being Empress is fine, but I don’t like it."

"What should we do?" he said with a hint of frustration. "I don’t like it either, but now we have no choice."

"The head of the Gao family said my brother won’t live past six months. Today, he wrote the edict of succession."

"I don’t believe in fate, but there’s no time left," he murmured with a low sigh, placing Shen Miao’s hand in his palm.

"I know you don’t like it, but could you endure it for my sake? At the very least, I can promise you this—I will never let you become a deposed Empress.""You will be the only woman of the Great Coolness Emperor, and the price you must pay is," he leaned close to Shen Miao's ear and said fiercely, "there's no turning back in this lifetime."

－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－

After writing another seven or eight chapters, I'll probably take a break to write the grand finale. Suddenly feeling a bit sentimental (′?_?)>