The sky gradually darkened. In the temple, the bell-ringing monk struck the last chime of the day. The heavy night was like spilled ink, and the pattering rain struck the trees, releasing the fragrant scent of damp earth...
Shen Yue sat at the table, putting down the book in her hands and rubbing her eyes, seemingly feeling a bit drowsy. The maid beside her asked, "Miss, would you like to rest now?"
Shen Yue remained silent. She opened the window—the neighboring room belonged to Shen Qing. Shen Qing's quarters weren't far, and the lights were still on.
"Does Second Miss wish to sleep with Eldest Miss?" the maid hesitantly inquired.
"No," Shen Yue replied with a hint of disgust as she turned away. "Go and close the courtyard gate."
Meanwhile, in Shen Qing's room, she idly toyed with a small trinket in her hand and lazily yawned, glancing outside. "It's already so late..." She stood up. "I should rest."
As she passed the table, she suddenly noticed an exquisitely crafted incense burner placed there, along with a stick of incense. Shen Qing picked it up and sniffed, finding the fragrance quite pleasant. "Light this scented incense as well," she instructed.
A short while later, the lights in her room were also extinguished.
All fell into silence. In the depths of the ancient temple, the late night was accompanied only by the calls of birds and insects, and the crisp sound of raindrops striking the roof tiles before trickling down the eaves onto the stone pavement.
Amidst the profound stillness, the light in the innermost room of the North Pavilion also quietly went out.
In the darkness, the faint sound of footsteps seemed to glide past. Had anyone been passing by at that moment, they would have seen a young woman in a purple robe sitting by the window, her expression cold and detached, her eyes—clear and sharp even in the darkness—resembling those of a beast stalking its prey.
A rustling sound came from the roof tiles above. Gu Yu and Jing Zhe, standing behind Shen Miao, simultaneously looked up, their faces tense as they shielded the person at the table.
A moment later, a soft "meow" of a cat came from outside the window.
The two maids exhaled in relief.
But before they could fully relax, another set of hurried footsteps reached their ears. Though light, the sound was unmistakable to the three wide-awake individuals. Then, the window was pushed open, and a figure leaped inside.
"Young Miss, it's me, Mo Qing," the person whispered.
Only then did Gu Yu and Jing Zhe truly relax. Jing Zhe lit a slender candle, careful not to let the light spill outside. At a glance, however, she was startled—Mo Qing was carrying someone on his back, none other than Shen Qing.
Shen Qing's eyes were tightly shut, as if in deep slumber. Both Jing Zhe and Gu Yu were filled with shock and fear, but Shen Miao merely glanced at Shen Qing and remarked coolly, "You've done well."
Mo Qing looked somewhat awkward. This was the first time he had done something like this. He had no idea what Shen Miao truly intended, assuming it was merely a childish tantrum over dissatisfaction with her quarters, hence this midnight room-swapping scheme. Still, the method was far too reckless—if discovered, he could easily be mistaken for a lecherous intruder, with no way to clear his name.
Fortunately, there were only two guards outside Shen Qing and Shen Yue's rooms—an oddly small number for young ladies of a military household. But since that was the case, he wouldn't complicate matters. Carrying a young girl was effortless for him, and beforehand, he had followed Gu Yu's instructions to mix something into Shen Qing's incense to ensure she slept soundly.
"Put her on the bed," Shen Miao instructed.
Mo Qing complied, then thoughtfully pulled the quilt over Shen Qing. Even now, he still couldn't fathom Shen Miao's intentions.
"Young Miss, what now...?" Gu Yu ventured cautiously. In this room, aside from Shen Miao, no one likely knew her true plans. Mo Qing assumed this was a petty quarrel, but Jing Zhe and Gu Yu sensed otherwise. Shen Miao was no longer the type to throw tantrums over trivial matters, and abducting someone in the dead of night for such a reason would be excessive.
"Let's go," Shen Miao said, casting a glance at the figure on the bed.
"Go?" Gu Yu was stunned. "Where to?"
"Naturally, to my dear sister's boudoir."
Mo Qing sighed inwardly—truly, the antics of a child. He felt a twinge of disapproval toward Shen Miao. Who would have thought that beneath her composed and aloof exterior lay such a competitive streak? To risk her cousin's reputation over something so trivial... Just as he pondered this, his expression abruptly changed. "Who's there?" he whispered.
At once, Gu Yu and Jing Zhe grew frantic.
"Did anyone see you when you came here earlier?" Shen Miao's expression darkened. If it were the other party, they shouldn't have arrived so quickly. Given Ren Wanyun's meticulous nature, she would have made them wait longer. Why would someone come knocking right after Mo Qing delivered Shen Qing? Unless... Her thoughts raced. If the worst came to pass, she might have to resort to the lowest measures.
"I'll go check first," Mo Qing said nervously, drawing the sword at his waist. But as soon as he reached the door, a shadow flitted past the window. Not daring to make a commotion, he hissed, "Who goes there?" and swung his blade toward the intruder.
The black-clad figure effortlessly dodged Mo Qing's strike, employing some unknown footwork to step onto the windowsill and dart inside like a swallow, moving through the space as naturally as a fish in water. Once inside, he spun around abruptly. Before Mo Qing could react, the man sidestepped and deftly seized his sword. In the next instant, the blade was pressed against Mo Qing's throat.
The sudden turn of events left everyone stunned. Even Shen Miao was taken aback. Mo Qing's martial skills were nothing to scoff at—after all, he had held the position of guard captain. In the past, his prowess had ensured Shen Miao's safety in Qin State for years. Yet now, he had been disarmed in fewer than five moves by this black-clad stranger?
Mo Qing, too, seemed both ashamed and alarmed, more concerned for Shen Miao's safety than his own humiliation. "I bear no grudge against you, sir," he said. "Why resort to such violence?"
His words weren't wrong. Aside from the monks, the only others in the temple tonight were the Shen family's guards. Yet none among them possessed such extraordinary agility. Mo Qing wondered—could there be others in Crouching Dragon Temple?
The intruder showed no intention of releasing him. Then came a faint sound—Shen Miao had retrieved a fire tinder and relit the nearly extinguished candle.
Caught off guard by the sudden flare of light, the black-clad man had no time to conceal himself. Instinctively, his eyes flashed with killing intent—clearly, he intended to silence any witnesses.
But under the dim glow, everything in the room was laid bare. Shen Miao's cool gaze met the strikingly handsome face of the intruder, whose expression flickered with surprise before settling into a frown. "Shen family's girl?" he said coldly.
"Would you release my guard?" Shen Miao's voice was colder than the autumn rain outside. "Young Marquis Xie."
Author's Note:
Tomorrow marks the official release of The Poisonous Empress ! After two months of serialized free chapters, we'll finally move beyond 2,000-word updates (┭┮﹏┭┮). I hope you'll continue to support the official release—you can earn coins through app activities! Please be kind to Empress Liangliang and the Young Marquis; they're still just kids at this stage~o(>_<)o~ Thank you, my dear readers, mwah mwah mwah (づ￣3￣)づ╭❤～ Let's watch these two little troublemakers conquer the world together~(≧▽≦)/~ ...
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