The Fixed Capital was abuzz once again with Shen Xin's triumphant return to court.
Foremost in the discussions were praises of Shen Xin's bravery and invincibility in battle. Having secured the enemy's surrender ahead of schedule, it was certain the emperor would bestow countless rewards during the celebratory banquet. However, with Shen Xin already holding the highest official rank, further promotion was impossible. Many speculated that the honors would likely fall upon his legitimate son, Shen Qiu.
The other topic of fervent discussion was the unfortunate coincidence of Old Madam Shen's birthday falling on the day of Shen Xin's return. The ancestral hall had caught fire, and Fifth Miss Shen had been trapped inside. The indifferent attitude of the Shen family members that day had been witnessed firsthand by Shen Xin, foreshadowing future turmoil within the Shen household.
These two matters spread like wildfire through the capital. Some dismissed them with a laugh, while others grew as restless as ants on a hot pan.
In the West Courtyard of Shen Mansion, Shen Miao rose from her bed, draped in an outer garment. Shen Xin and his wife had been summoned to the palace by the emperor that day, but before leaving, they had specifically arranged for military guards to protect the West Courtyard—a clear message to the Shen family about whom they were guarding against.
Shen Xin had returned in haste the previous day, urgently seeking physicians everywhere. Not wanting to disturb Shen Miao's rest, he had yet to speak with her.
"Does the young lady feel better now?" Jing Zhe asked worriedly, her gaze lingering on the bandages wrapped around Shen Miao's arm, her eyes welling up. "If only this servant had been faster yesterday, the young lady wouldn't have had to endure such suffering. Now there will be scars..."
The burns were too severe. The physician had said they could only be treated with careful nursing, but complete removal of the scars was impossible. Young ladies cherished their appearance—even the slightest blemish was unacceptable. The thought of Shen Miao's burns filled Jing Zhe with endless guilt.
"It's nothing," Shen Miao said, smiling at her. "You did very well yesterday. You didn't rush in recklessly out of panic—if you had, you would have ruined my plans."
Jing Zhe lowered her head. After Shen Miao had fainted and Shen Xin and his wife had erupted in fury, she had pondered the matter and gradually understood Shen Miao's intentions. This realization only made her heart ache more for her mistress. It must have been sheer desperation that drove Shen Miao to risk such danger, all to make her parents see the true nature of the Shen family.
A young maiden in her boudoir, at this age, should have been like other noble daughters—playing the zither, practicing calligraphy. Yet every move Shen Miao made was a matter of life and death. Whatever she desired, she had to scheme for herself, as though treading on knife blades, where a single misstep could spell eternal doom.
"This servant will do whatever the young lady says," Jing Zhe murmured.
Shen Miao felt a swell of relief. Jing Zhe was indeed the boldest of her four maids. In the future, she could be relied upon for such tasks. Of course, Gu Yu and the others would also need to be gradually trained. She was no longer the sheltered young miss Shen Miao, but Empress Shen, mistress of the six palaces. She needed her own trusted aides, for the dangers ahead would be far greater than what lay before her now. She could adapt—and so must her maids.
As she pondered this, a hearty laugh suddenly rang out from outside: "Little sister!"Shen Miao turned her head to see Shen Qiu walking in from outside. He had shed his battlefield armor, wearing only a dark green martial outfit that accentuated his striking heroism. His wheat-colored skin and the dimples that appeared when he smiled added a touch of childish charm to his otherwise fierce and handsome features. He approached and carefully examined Shen Miao before asking cautiously, "Little sister, do you still feel unwell anywhere?"
Shen Miao abruptly closed her eyes as memories from her past life flooded her mind.
To be fair, Shen Qiu had been a devoted elder brother. No matter how coldly she treated him in the past, he had always remained warm and caring toward her. Later, an incident occurred—Shen Qiu was accused of defiling a young woman's virtue and was forced to marry her. From then on, everything changed. He frequently made mistakes in military affairs, later fell from his horse and broke his leg, and eventually, his wife cuckolded him. In a fit of rage, Shen Qiu killed the adulterer, only to discover the man was the sole legitimate son of the Minister of Personnel. The minister filed an imperial lawsuit, and Shen Xin exhausted the family fortune to save Shen Qiu's life. Yet, in the end, Shen Qiu still died—his body was found in a pond on a winter morning.
At that time, Shen Miao had already married Fu Xiuyi, right in the midst of the critical struggle for the throne. Upon hearing the tragic news, she rushed back home, only to see Shen Qiu's bloated, disfigured corpse.
Though she had never been close to him, they still shared the same blood. The grief and pain she felt over his death made her gravely ill. Yet, Fu Xiuyi chose that moment to send Shen Xin off to war.
The cold winter sunlight, the waterlogged corpse by the pond, Shen Qiu's pale and distorted face—all merged with the young man's slightly ingratiating smile before her, piercing her like a sharp sword, leaving her breathless.
Shen Miao suddenly bent over, clutching her chest as she gasped for air.
"Little sister!" Shen Qiu was startled. He quickly supported her and shouted outside, "Call the physician! Hurry! My sister is unwell!"
A hand gripped Shen Qiu's arm. He turned to see Shen Miao holding onto him as she stood up and said to those behind her, "No need. I'm just a little tired."
"Little sister, you're not fully recovered yet. It's better to have the physician check on you," Shen Qiu insisted, shaking his head with deep concern.
"I'm fine." Shen Miao turned to the hesitant Jing Zhe and said, "All of you, leave us."
Her tone was firm and composed, leaving Shen Qiu momentarily stunned.
"Little sister, what's wrong with you?" Shen Qiu asked. As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted how harsh they sounded. Accustomed to dealing with hardened soldiers in the army, he had forgotten to soften his tone for a young girl. So, he gentled his voice and added, "When we returned yesterday and saw you trapped in the fire, Father and Mother were terrified. Little sister, how did you end up in the ancestral hall? Were you locked in?"
Shen Miao shook her head and smiled at him. "It's been a year since we last met. How have you been, Eldest Brother?"
"Huh?" Shen Qiu, ever carefree, scratched his head and grinned. "I'm doing alright. The army is the same as always. I've earned a few minor merits—once His Majesty bestows the rewards, you can pick whatever you like." Then, as if remembering something, he added cheerfully, "Oh, right! Father hunted a fire rat earlier and had its pelt made into a cloak. I'll have the servants bring it to you later. That cloak is impervious to blades, fire, and water. If you'd had it yesterday, you wouldn't have gotten burned..."Before the words even finished, Shen Qiu froze in place. Shen Miao stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his and resting her head against his chest.
Even though they were siblings by blood, they were no longer children. Shen Qiu felt a mix of awkwardness and joy. It had been so long since Shen Miao had been this affectionate with him that he was almost overwhelmed by the sudden closeness. Just as he began to feel happy, his heart sank again. Knowing Shen Miao's temperament, her rare display of affection today must mean she had suffered some great injustice.
He asked urgently, "Little sister, did someone bully you? If so, just tell me, and I’ll beat them half to death—"
His righteous indignation almost made Shen Miao laugh. Mei Furen had an elder brother, a man of extraordinary talent who had advised Fu Xiuyi in the previous dynasty. Fu Xiuyi’s later favor toward Mei Furen was likely due in no small part to her brother’s influence. Shen Miao had once envied that, but by then, Shen Qiu was already dead.
It had been so long—so very long—since she had known the feeling of having someone to rely on. Life had conditioned her to fight alone, to split herself into countless roles. Perhaps her defeat at Mei Furen’s hands in her past life was simply because she had been outnumbered and outmatched.
Now, the sensation of being protected felt almost unreal in its sweetness.
She slowly released him and looked up to meet Shen Qiu’s concerned gaze.
"Little sister…" Shen Qiu was momentarily stunned. The girl before him had bright eyes and pearly teeth, but the impatience and irritation she used to show him were gone, replaced by something deeper. The change felt unfamiliar, and he studied her carefully. After a year apart, Shen Miao had grown much thinner. Her once-round face now had a delicate, pointed chin, making her appear more slender. Her delicate features had grown even more refined, and not a trace of her former childish innocence remained. As she looked at him, there was a quiet contentment in her eyes—and a loneliness she kept hidden.
Shen Miao sighed inwardly. Shen Qiu possessed a youthful innocence that made his character truly precious—sincere and full of vitality. It was hard to imagine that such a person would eventually meet his end drowning in a pond. Back then, people said Shen Qiu had taken his own life because he couldn’t bear the weight of his notorious reputation. But now, thinking back, someone as resilient as Shen Qiu wouldn’t have succumbed to mere gossip. As for the instigator—her so-called sister-in-law, who had forced Shen Qiu to marry her under the pretense of a scandal—it was clear now that it had all been part of someone else’s scheme.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Shen Qiu asked, baffled. "Is there something on my face?" The current Shen Miao was strange to him—no tantrums, no coldness. She didn’t feel like the little sister he knew, almost as if she wasn’t a young girl at all.
"Brother, why didn’t you go to the palace today?" Shen Miao asked softly.
"His Majesty only summoned Father and Mother," Shen Qiu replied with a smile. "Naturally, I didn’t follow. Little sister, you still haven’t told me—what happened yesterday? How did you end up trapped in the fire at the ancestral hall?"
His mind was fixated on the incident, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it, especially since he was so worried about Shen Miao’s injuries.
"If I tell you, will you believe me?" Shen Miao smiled faintly. "If you won’t believe me even after I speak, then there’s no point in saying anything.""How could I not believe you?" Shen Qiu immediately grabbed Shen Miao's arm. "You're my sister. If I don't believe you, who else would I believe?"
"I can tell you about this, but you must promise me one thing—don't tell Father and Mother what I've said today. If you do, I'll never speak to you again."
"Why can't I tell Father and Mother?" Shen Qiu was puzzled at first, then suddenly realized. "Does this have something to do with Prince Ding?" The letters they received from Fixed Capital had mentioned Shen Miao's infatuation with Fu Xiuyi. But as a young lady of the inner chambers, she didn't understand that in the princes' struggle for the throne, officials should stay uninvolved—the earlier they got involved, the sooner they'd meet their end. Yet Shen Miao remained steadfastly devoted to Fu Xiuyi. Though Shen Xin and his family in the northwest were anxious, they could do nothing, only hoping Shen Miao would come to her senses and lose interest in Fu Xiuyi.
"It has nothing to do with him." Shen Miao found it both amusing and exasperating that Shen Qiu would think of that. She continued, "Before you returned, Second Aunt took the three legitimate daughters of the Shen family to offer incense at Crouching Dragon Temple. That day, I switched rooms with Eldest Sister, and she was violated by a scoundrel. Second Aunt's family believes Eldest Sister suffered in my place, that I was the instigator. Since I refused to admit fault, they punished me by confining me to copy Buddhist scriptures."
Hearing this, Shen Qiu first broke out in a cold sweat, thinking how close it had been—it could have been Shen Miao instead of Shen Qing. Then fury rose within him. What did this have to do with Shen Miao? Why confine her?
"This is sheer sophistry!" Shen Qiu exclaimed angrily. He had no fondness for Shen Qing, who, relying on her brother Shen Yuan, often looked down on Shen Qiu and had even mocked him as an illiterate brute.
"Not only that," Shen Miao went on, "but coincidentally, the Wei family, the Vice Minister of the Secretariat, came to propose marriage—for me. Meanwhile, the Huang family, the Director of the Lesser Treasury, also came to propose—for Eldest Sister."
Shen Qiu was stunned. "Marriage proposals?" They had received letters from the Shen family, but none had mentioned anything about Shen Miao's marriage. This was absurd—how could parents not inform their own children about such matters? The Shen family's behavior was utterly outrageous.
"Young Master Wei Qian of the Wei family is a talented scholar, while Young Master Huang Dexing of the Huang family is a cut sleeve. Second Aunt wanted to switch our marriages—Eldest Sister and I. When I learned of this, I declared I wouldn't marry, that I'd flee or resist any betrothal. So they locked me in the ancestral hall. Those guards you saw yesterday weren't there to fight the fire—they were guarding me to prevent my escape."
Shen Qiu's expression shifted with Shen Miao's account, and finally, he slammed his fist heavily on the table. His earlier smile had vanished, and his gaze at Shen Miao was tinged with red. "Little Sister, is this true?"
"I have no reason to lie to you," Shen Miao said. "Even that fire—it was so inexplicable, I suspect..." She smiled faintly. "After all, if I died, Eldest Sister's switch would be all the more justified."
"This is beyond intolerable!" Shen Qiu roared, turning to leave. Shen Miao grabbed his arm. "Where are you going, Eldest Brother?"
"I'm going to confront them. Whoever dared harm you will pay in blood!" Shen Qiu declared.Shen Miao looked at him and asked calmly, "How do you plan to argue? What evidence do you have? Will you just scold them all or kill them outright?"
The sarcasm in her tone made Shen Qiu sober up slightly. He turned to look at her, frowning as he asked, "What do you mean by that, little sister?"
"Big brother, why don’t you think about why I didn’t want to tell Father and Mother about this?" Shen Miao said indifferently. "Both of them are straightforward by nature, and Father is especially impulsive. Standing up for me would be easy for them, but what comes after? The Shen family is a prominent household in Ming Qi, with countless eyes watching. If Father demands justice for me today, the censors will twist it into a report against him tomorrow." The corner of her lips curled slightly. "In this world, might makes right—whoever has more people on their side holds the advantage. With the three branches of the Shen family, the main branch against the second and third, plus the old madam, do you really think we can claim the moral high ground?"
Shen Qiu was startled by her words, but what shocked him even more was Shen Miao’s demeanor—her detached analysis, her ruthlessly sharp insight, made him look at her anew. These were not words befitting someone her age. What young lady of the inner Pavilion could speak so coldly about the ways of the world? Hesitating, he said, "Little sister..."
With just a glance, Shen Miao knew what Shen Qiu was thinking. He was too upright and honorable—in fact, the entire main branch of the Shen family was too upright and honorable. And in this harsh world, good people seldom met good ends.
"You want to ask why I’ve become like this now," Shen Miao said, lowering her gaze. "Because this is how I’ve lived."
"After going through so much, no one can remain unchanged, big brother. I am no longer who I once was, and neither are you. Now, I just want to ask you one thing—after hearing my words, do you hate them?"
Shen Qiu froze for a moment before looking at her. Slowly, he clenched his jaw. "Yes."
"Why do you hate them?"
"Because... how could they treat you like this?"
Shen Miao shook her head. "That’s not what you should hate."
Shen Qiu was taken aback. He suddenly realized that this sister of his was becoming harder and harder to understand, yet somewhere deep down, he felt that what she said made sense.
"What you should hate is that we offered them our sincerity and loyalty, only to receive false affection worse than that of an enemy. For their own sake, they would take our lives. These are not family. If strangers harmed us like this, it would already be a blood feud—between kin, it’s even more sinful."
Watching the flicker in Shen Qiu’s eyes, Shen Miao sighed inwardly. If possible, she would have wished to shield this young man before her, to let him spend his life galloping across battlefields as a hero revered by all. But she was afraid—terrified that one day, the scene by the pond would replay. All she could do now was build a wall in Shen Qiu’s heart. It was better to remember hatred than love—love was the most painful wound of all.
"What do you want to say, little sister?" Shen Qiu finally asked.
Shen Miao breathed a sigh of relief. Shen Qiu wasn’t truly foolish. Once he understood, some things would become much easier."I hate them, and Elder Brother wants to stand up for me. But if Father and Mother intervene, they can't very well kill them all," Shen Miao said. "I want to deal with them myself, but I'll need Elder Brother's help." No matter what, Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan had no concrete evidence. If they were to kill the second branch of the family, according to Ming Qi's laws, killing one's own kin would require paying with one's life. Shen Xin might truly do such a thing for her sake. She was willing to gamble with her own life, but she couldn't bear to see Shen Xin and his wife take such risks.
Death was the easiest way out. If she could emerge unscathed, then a slow, drawn-out torment would be far more painful for those on the receiving end. Besides, the big fish she was angling for hadn't yet taken the bait.
"What does Younger Sister plan to do?" Shen Qiu asked.
Shen Miao smiled. "No rush. We have plenty of time. Let’s take it... slow."
－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－
I received a call today—my grandmother passed away. I’ll be taking the morning train home for the funeral and will need to take two days off. I hope everyone understands.
Life is fragile, and the world is unpredictable. I hope everyone cherishes the people around them.
...
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