Shen Qiu and Shen Miao, the siblings, hadn’t had such a long heart-to-heart talk in a long time. The guards outside the West Garden, whom Shen Qiu had specifically recalled from the army, stood watch, ensuring no one could intrude. An hour wasn’t particularly long, nor was it short, but throughout, Shen Miao mostly listened as Shen Qiu spoke. Likely trying to cheer her up, he shared amusing anecdotes from the military and subtly probed about what Shen Miao had experienced over the past year—questions she deftly avoided.
Some things weren’t yet the right time to reveal. Besides, the current Shen family hadn’t reached the point of scheming against the eldest branch as they had in her past life, making such claims hard to believe. For now, if she were to strike, it had to be decisive—even if it meant slowly wearing them down, the first step was to ensure they bled.
After more conversation, weariness began to show on Shen Miao’s face. Concerned for his sister, Shen Qiu said, “You’re still recovering, so I won’t overstay. Rest for now. Father and Mother won’t return until evening. Once they’re back, I’ll come again to see you with them.”
Shen Miao nodded in agreement.
As Shen Qiu stood to leave, he hesitated, then turned back. “Sister, you mentioned Shen Qing’s virtue was defiled. Was the culprit ever caught? Even if it’s to protect her reputation, the Shen Mansion has guards—they should have discreetly investigated.”
Shen Miao looked at him, her eyes curving slightly. “The scoundrel was cunning and slipped away.”
“I see.” Shen Qiu lowered his head thoughtfully, then smiled reassuringly at her. “In that case, I’ll take my leave.” He strode out of the room, but once beyond the door, his warm expression vanished, replaced by a dark storm. The servants outside shivered, suddenly reminded of the iron-blooded ruthlessness beneath the young general’s amiable demeanor. He ordered the guards beside him, “Send two men to Crouching Dragon Temple. Also, keep an eye on the capital’s officials for any unusual movements.” Glancing back at Shen Miao’s closed door, he clenched his fists and murmured, “Sister, just what happened this past year?”
Inside, Shen Miao said to Gu Yu, who had just entered, “Take some silver to Chun Tao, and have a servant deliver banknotes to Doctor Chen as well. This is the most critical time—we must ensure my eldest sister’s pregnancy is well cared for.” She traced the burn scar on her arm, the mark stark against her fair skin like a flaw on fine brocade. Yet she felt no sorrow, only the satisfaction of a shrewd deal. “The next act of this play depends entirely on my unborn nephew.”
“Miss,” Jing Zhe ventured, “why didn’t you tell the young master everything earlier?” Shen Miao had withheld certain details from Shen Qiu—such as Prince Yu’s involvement. Jing Zhe continued, “If the young master intervened, at least they wouldn’t dare act recklessly. And if the master and madam knew, they’d protect you.”
“Even if I didn’t say it, Brother will investigate on his own.” Shen Miao gazed out the window. “By now, he’s probably already inquiring about what happened at Crouching Dragon Temple that day.”"But can the young master really find out?" Jing Zhe fretted anxiously. "If he does, he'll eventually know. What's the use of the young lady keeping it a secret?"
"Prince Yu leaves no traces in his actions. If I'm not mistaken, the monks at Crouching Dragon Temple have probably been completely replaced inside and out. Not even Elder Brother could find a clue, let alone Father."
"Heavens!" Jing Zhe covered her mouth. "Does that mean this matter can never be brought to light?" The malice of the Shen family's second branch, Prince Yu's shamelessness—she had thought everything would be resolved for Shen Miao once Shen Xin and his wife returned. Yet Shen Miao's words now meant that everything that happened that day at Crouching Dragon Temple had been deeply buried, the truth forever unknown.
"I never intended to seek justice through such fair means," Shen Miao said calmly. "There are many ways to achieve one's goals in this world."
Justice and fairness were worth less than weeds. Justice only constrained the weak—the truly powerful made their own justice. Those years in the imperial harem had taught her many truths. There were indeed kind-hearted women in the harem, but they were like flowers in winter—too fragile, unable to withstand even a breeze before being trampled into mud. Since she had chosen a path of darkness and bloodshed, the methods along the way were destined to remain unseen by the light.
"But what can the young lady do?" Jing Zhe asked. "At least the master and mistress can protect you. If possible, they could even seek retribution for you. After all, the young lady is a maiden of the inner chambers—there are many inconveniences when it comes to revenge." Jing Zhe spoke wholeheartedly for Shen Miao's sake.
"Father and Mother are filled with indignation. If they act, they would directly confront Prince Yu's Manor; if they retreat, they can only protect me and make Prince Yu think twice. But for the Shen family to oppose Prince Yu's Manor without suffering any losses is impossible. And if it's merely to intimidate, that's not what I want either."
Jing Zhe grew even more confused. Shen Miao's meaning was clear: she neither wanted Shen Xin to seek vengeance against Prince Yu nor to intimidate him into refraining from targeting her. Yet it was obvious Shen Miao wouldn't let the matter rest. So what exactly was her plan?
Shen Miao smiled faintly. "If someone wrongs me, I will wipe out their entire family."
Jing Zhe started, instinctively raising her head to look at Shen Miao. The young girl bathed in the morning sun, her smile pure and innocent, yet like a young beast baring its fangs in the dark forest.
A chill ran down Jing Zhe's spine. For a moment, she was too stunned to speak, lowering her head in unease. She realized Shen Qiu had been right—how had Shen Miao changed so completely in just a year? Not just Shen Qiu, even they, the maids who spent every day with her, couldn't trace how it had happened.
Shen Miao closed her eyes contentedly. Now that everyone had returned, the game could begin. Shen Qing was a mere pawn, Prince Yu the chariot, and the Ming Qi imperial family the white pieces. When would that chariot be devoured, throwing the entire game into chaos? It all depended on fate.
This time, fate would be in her hands.
Marquis Lin'an Manor.Even in the harsh winter, the entire marquisate remained adorned with vibrant flowers. The late Marchioness, Princess Yuqing, had been particularly fond of flowers and plants during her lifetime. When she first married Lin'an Hou, their love was passionate, and their harmony was like the perfect duet of a zither and flute. Xie Ding adored Princess Yuqing so much that he renovated the entire marquisate to resemble the Princess Hall where she had resided in the palace. At the time, it caused quite a stir—a military man refurbishing his residence with such extravagance was rather absurd.
After Princess Yuqing passed away, Xie Ding preserved every detail of the estate as it had been during her lifetime. He hired specialists to maintain it, so even after all these years, the place never felt desolate, even in winter.
Yet, though the scenery remained lush, it was not the landscape that had grown bleak but the people. The inevitable truth of "things remain, but people change" is an inescapable challenge on life's journey. No matter how hard one clings to appearances, the past can never truly be reclaimed.
Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao were practicing spear drills in the courtyard. Since the Verification incident, the two had rarely left the estate. For one, Xie Jingxing's solo Challenge against them that day had left them utterly humiliated, making it impossible to show their faces in public. Secondly, their injuries had not fully healed, leaving them unable to exert themselves. Though Xie Jingxing had seemed effortless in his movements that day, his strikes had been devastating. As the saying goes, "A bone injury takes a hundred days to heal," and even after months of recovery, they still felt lingering pain. Fang Shi was heartbroken for them but dared not complain to Xie Ding. Even so, Xie Ding had berated the two harshly.
The thought of it made the brothers gnash their teeth in resentment. Xie Changchao shook his arm—his shoulder, which Xie Jingxing had stomped on that day, still ached faintly. He said, "Second Brother, I heard Shen Xin and his wife entered the palace today. Since they’ve achieved military merits this time, His Majesty will likely reward Shen Qiu."
The Shen and Xie families had long been at odds, but Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao didn’t view Shen Qiu as a thorn in their side solely because of the political divide between the two families. In truth, they saw every talented young man in the capital as a rival—and Shen Qiu was undoubtedly the most outstanding among them. Though Xie Jingxing was also exceptional, he had not entered officialdom, and with Xie Ding shielding him, there was little the brothers could do against him. Shen Qiu, however, was different. If Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao were to take office, everyone would inevitably compare them to the eldest legitimate son of their sworn enemies, the Shen family.
And what Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao despised most was being outshone.
"What’s there to fear?" Xie Changwu sneered. "He’s just a brute who knows nothing but fighting and killing, utterly clueless about court affairs. The Shen family has nothing but Shen Xin’s military achievements to boast of. But what can Shen Xin do now? The Shen family is already a spent force—impressive on the surface, but ultimately—" He abruptly cut himself off.
"Second Brother is right," Xie Changchao chuckled. "It’s their own fault for insisting on neutrality. In these times, dreaming of staying untouched by the chaos is pure folly. Still, thanks to the Shen family’s stupidity, at least we’ll have one less rival in the future."
Had their conversation been overheard, it would have shocked many. After all, Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao maintained a pristine reputation in public, and the Xie family had not openly taken sides in the princes’ struggle for succession. Yet their words just now hinted that they had secretly pledged allegiance to a faction—behind the Xie family’s back."Speaking of which, the Shen family isn’t much of a threat. There’s still one within our own household." Xie Changchao suddenly turned toward another direction—the courtyard where Princess Yuqing had once stayed to recuperate from her illness, and where Xie Jingxing now resided. The image of Jingxing pointing the ornate spear at his head on the Verification ground flashed in his mind, and a surge of resentment rose in his chest. After a moment, he finally said, "That bastard has grown more and more arrogant lately."
He actually dared to call Xie Jingxing a "bastard" in private, though in person, he was always reverent and respectful—truly astonishing.
"Exactly," Xie Changchao continued Xie Changwu’s line of thought. "Lately, he’s been keeping a low profile, and Father has grown even more fond of him. Could it be that someone is advising him? Is there some scheme at play?"
For years, Xie Jingxing had been notorious for his unruly temperament and refusal to enter officialdom. While this was a headache for others, it secretly relieved the two Xie brothers. Yet, despite this, whenever people spoke of the young Marquis Xie, aside from his carefree demeanor, they also praised his heroic feats on the battlefield. Moreover, no matter how much Xie Jingxing opposed Xie Ding, Xie Ding remained wholeheartedly devoted to him, while treating his own dutiful sons with indifference. As a result, their jealousy of Xie Jingxing had only intensified over the past decade.
In the past, whenever Xie Jingxing was in Fixed Capital, he would stir up trouble every few days. But ever since the incident at the Verification ground, he seemed to have changed overnight, keeping to himself and rarely stepping out. No one knew what he was busy with. This uncharacteristic quietness, however, pleased Xie Ding greatly, who even began to believe that Xie Jingxing had finally shed his rebellious ways and was ready to take things seriously.
This was precisely why Xie Changchao and Xie Changwu grew even more uneasy.
"Who cares if someone’s advising him?" Xie Changwu sneered. "One day, I’ll crush him under my feet. That woman was a princess, yet she still met a miserable end—what more a mere son?"
"Regardless, we must secure a close connection with Prince Ding during the court banquet," Xie Changchao said. With that, he raised his spear and viciously thrust it into the haystack before him.
Meanwhile, the subject of their discussion sat at a table inside his room.
The courtyard where Princess Yuqing had once recuperated was overgrown with flowers and plants. Some trees remained lush even in winter, their branches nearly covering the entire window in front of Xie Jingxing’s room, casting the interior in perpetual gloom even during the day.
Yet, amidst the dimness, the young man seated there shone as brightly as sunlight. A Guard handed him a letter, which he read carefully before tossing it into the Warm Stove in the room. In an instant, a puff of ash scattered, and the letter vanished without a trace.
"Well?" A voice came from behind him. A man in white robes leisurely poured himself tea, his movements graceful as if he were truly here for nothing more than a casual chat.
"Plans have changed," Xie Jingxing replied without turning, seemingly deep in thought.
"Oh?" The white-robed man paused, frowning at him. "But wasn’t it already—"
"Gao Yang," Xie Jingxing suddenly said, "What do you think of 'breaking before building, dying before rising'?""You're not usually like this," Gao Yang was taken aback at first, seemingly surprised, then shook his head. "You've always preferred to bide your time, only acting when everything is settled. If the outcome isn't certain, you wouldn't proceed. For someone who's used to strategizing, hearing you say this today is quite astonishing." He asked, "Did something happen to you?"
"Met a madwoman," Xie Jingxing raised an eyebrow. "Made me suddenly think gambling isn't so bad after all." He stood up, the purple hem of his robe embroidered with cloud patterns in gold thread—barely noticeable unless examined closely, yet shimmering faintly with a dazzling glow in dim light.
"You can't possibly mean the Shen family's legitimate daughter?" Gao Yang cut straight to the point. "I heard from Tie Yi about that day's incident. Bold, yes, but too reckless. Now that Shen Xin has returned, given his temperament, there's bound to be another uproar."
"The item isn't with the Shen family," Xie Jingxing said. "I've changed my mind."
"Not planning to use the Shen family anymore?" Gao Yang was somewhat astonished.
"The Shen family has too many variables." Xie Jingxing shook his head. The young man's handsome features, once stripped of their usual frivolity, revealed a composure beyond his years. His innate elegance and noble bearing cast a mysterious aura around him, more radiant than the blazing sun.
"What variables are you referring to?" Gao Yang asked.
Xie Jingxing smirked. "Their stance toward the Fu Family. I have a feeling that in Ming Qi's future landscape, the Shen family will become the greatest variable."
Gao Yang seemed skeptical, but his trust in the young man ultimately overcame his doubts. "How do you know? And what makes the Shen family a variable? Shen Qiu? Shen Xin? Even if there are internal issues within the Shen family, it doesn't represent their overall stance."
"The Shen family has produced a clever one," Xie Jingxing said lazily. "But fate is too cruel. What's the use of struggling?" He added, "In any case, the plan has changed. We'll take a different approach."
"You don't mean to—" Gao Yang was visibly moved.
"I've endured for far too long," Xie Jingxing said. "I held back because of concerns, but now—" He smiled carefreely, as if dark clouds had suddenly parted, sunlight flooding the room, momentarily dimming all beauty and eclipsing the heavens. Standing with his hands behind his back, he said calmly, "Gao Yang, I'm tired of lying low. I'll act in the shortest time possible."
"But can you bear to?" Gao Yang asked.
"There's nothing I can't bear."
Gao Yang sighed, then lifted his head with renewed determination. "If that's the case, we'll proceed as you say. We'll keep it hidden from the other side for now and start with Ming Qi first. Among the Fu Family, who do you think we should begin with?"
"Same as always. Throw the ball, and whoever catches it first is our target," he said with a faint smile. His fingers brushed against something in his sleeve, and on impulse, he pulled out an exquisite small vial—a gift from Gao Yang containing what he claimed was a priceless remedy for scars. Gao Yang had boasted that this ointment could erase even the deepest scars completely.
He clenched the vial in his fist, and when he opened his palm again, the delicate bottle had turned to dust.
Just like what Shen Miao had done—a great fire would burn away all false equilibrium, exposing the ugly truth beneath, the only landscape where real action could be taken. Shen Miao had used her scars to sever any possibility of reconciliation in the future. And what about him?His gaze swept indifferently across the window, taking in the dim, confined sky visible from the four corners of Marquis Lin'an Manor. He had seen this view too many times over the years, and for the sake of some warmth in his memories, he had been willing to maintain this false equilibrium.
Now, it was time to shatter that balance.
He closed his eyes, his long lashes as delicate as a butterfly's wings in spring. Yet when they opened again, his gaze was sharper than the keenest blade.
On the table before him lay a map—none other than the territorial map of Ming Qi. From the Youzhou Thirteen Capitals to the northern desert city of Dingyuan, from the southern lands of Yuzhou to the western borders and eastern seas, from the ancient city of Lin'an to the ancient city of Luoyang—at the very heart of this vast territory stood the most prosperous of them all: Fixed Capital.
The world was in turmoil, heroes rising from every corner. He reached out and lightly traced his finger over the very center of the map.
As if deciding the fate of an empire.
－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－
Thank you all for your concern and understanding. Tea Tea is fine now, and updates will resume as usual.
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