Days flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.

The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month was an auspicious day according to the calendar, suitable for funerals and weddings. It was also the day when Prince Yu’s mansion, which had been quiet for many years, was welcoming a new princess. After many years as a widower, Prince Yu’s mansion was finally receiving a new mistress. However, everyone knew clearly that this was not something to be happy about. Just like the previous Princess Yu, who could know when this joyous occasion would turn into a funeral?

The bride that Prince Yu’s mansion was welcoming was Shen Qing, the eldest daughter of the Shen family’s second branch in Dingjing. Among the three daughters of the mighty General’s household, Shen Miao was once known for being foolish and stupid, Shen Yue was famous for her talents, and Shen Qing could be considered beautiful, capable, and wise. Yet, such a fine young lady was marrying someone like Prince Yu, which left people feeling quite melancholic.

“That Shen Gui must have gone mad,” someone in the crowd of onlookers whispered. “Isn’t this like watching his daughter jump into a fire pit with his eyes wide open? What a sin!”

“What do you know?” another person said dismissively. “I heard from my cousin, who’s an official, that this eldest Miss Shen had already been secretly involved with Prince Yu and is carrying his child. If it weren’t for the fact that she’s pregnant with royal blood, she would have been drowned in a pond.”

“Ah! Is what you’re saying true?” The surrounding people were surprised upon hearing this, clearly unaware of this layer of information before.

That person nodded proudly: “Isn’t it so? I heard that at the palace banquet that day, all the civil and military officials saw it with their own eyes. So this eldest daughter of the Shen family isn’t pitiful at all; she brought it upon herself.”

“Indeed, getting pregnant before marriage is immoral.”

“Truly shameless!”

“How could the second branch of the Shen family raise such a daughter? General Shen is upright and honorable; this truly tarnishes the family name.”

“What does this have to do with General Shen? He’s rarely in Dingjing City. Aren’t these daughters raised by the other two branches?”

The crowd gossiped in a cacophony, with their words filled with contempt for Shen Qing. The shift from initial sympathy to subsequent condemnation seemed to happen in just a brief moment. Even Shen Gui and Ren Wanyun were being criticized behind their backs.

The person in the crowd who initially mentioned Shen Qing’s pregnancy quietly smiled and then disappeared into the crowd.

Inside the Shen mansion, a matchmaker was helping Shen Qing with her makeup and attire.

Ren Wanyun stood behind Shen Qing, tightly wringing the handkerchief in her hand, wishing she could tear it to pieces. Her well-raised daughter was now about to jump into a fire pit before her very eyes. No mother doesn’t love her children; for Ren Wanyun, this was like someone cutting her flesh with a knife.

Unlike Ren Wanyun, Shen Qing didn’t exhibit such strong emotions. She sat quietly in her seat, allowing the matchmaker to do as she pleased. The matchmaker smiled and said, “Young Miss, I’m going to pluck your facial hair now. It might be a bit painful, so please bear with it for a moment. After this, you’ll be a beautiful bride.”

These words only made Ren Wanyun feel more heartbroken, nearly causing her to faint. Shen Qing, however, looked at herself in the bronze mirror with a wooden expression. If not for her eyes blinking occasionally, others might have thought she was a corpse.

The matchmaker, seeing Shen Qing’s demeanor, felt a bit uneasy. She took out a thin cotton thread from a box and began to pluck Shen Qing’s facial hair. This process of making the face clean and white was indeed quite painful. Usually, young ladies would cry out in pain with a delicate voice. However, when the thread touched Shen Qing’s face, she remained expressionless, as if she were dead.

“Qing’er!” Ren Wanyun couldn’t help but burst into tears.

Seeing this scene, the matchmaker observed that the bride not only lacked the joy of a bride but also exuded a sense of despair from head to toe. She understood the situation to some extent. She barely spoke any auspicious words, quickly finished the makeup, and found an excuse to leave.

Only Ren Wanyun, Shen Qing, and a few maids remained in the room.

Ren Wanyun’s tears wouldn’t stop. In just a few short months, she had aged like an old woman, with wrinkles across her face and much more gray hair. She no longer resembled the elegant, plump, and shrewd noble lady she once was.

“Mother, don’t worry,” Shen Qing spoke first. Her voice was hoarse, with an odd tone that sounded like crying yet also like laughing. She said, “Everything I’m suffering today will not be in vain. I will avenge myself.”

“Qing’er, I’ve failed you.” Ren Wanyun stepped forward and embraced her.

Shen Qing remained wooden, allowing her to hold her, and said hoarsely, “Neither father nor mother can help me. I will avenge myself.” Her tone was gloomy, but the overwhelming resentment was palpable to everyone. Shen Gui’s cold indifference and Ren Wanyun’s cautious hesitation had left them powerless in the face of Shen Qing’s marriage, and Shen Qing had finally grown to resent her parents.

Ren Wanyun, being resented by her daughter, felt as if struck by lightning. However, she also knew that the current situation was partly her fault. If she hadn’t schemed against Shen Miao, if she had checked on things that night at Wolong Temple, or if she hadn’t written to Prince Yu about the switch, would Shen Qing have ended up in such a desperate situation?

She forced a smile and said, “Don’t be afraid, Qing’er. Mother swears, Mother will avenge you. And your second brother will also make that little slut suffer in disgrace!”

Outside the Shen mansion in the main hall, Old Lady Shen sat in the central chair with a grim expression. Shen Yuanbai was half leaning against her bosom, seemingly afraid of the ferocity on Old Lady Shen’s face, obediently not daring to move.

“What dowry?” Old Lady Shen said. “After doing such a shameless thing, she still has the face to want a dowry? Second son, you’ve raised a fine daughter!” Old Lady Shen loved vanity and enjoyed putting on airs outside. This time, Shen Qing had caused such a big scandal that eventually couldn’t be concealed from her. Learning that all civil and military officials knew of Shen Qing’s disgrace, Old Lady Shen felt she had lost all face and naturally grew to hate both Shen Qing and her mother.

Shen Gui hastily agreed, wishing he could divorce Ren Wanyun right away.

Shen Qiu, upon hearing this, had a somewhat strange expression, as if wanting to laugh. Perhaps Old Lady Shen herself had forgotten that she was originally a songstress. Speaking of which, how was she any better than Shen Qing? It was only because she now held the position of the Shen family’s matriarch that she thought of herself as a pure and noble lady.

Shen Wan remained silent, and Chen Ruoqiu would not actively step into Old Lady Shen’s line of fire. As for Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan, they stood nonchalantly in place, as if they hadn’t heard Old Lady Shen’s words at all.

After venting her anger, Old Lady Shen added, “The dowry shouldn’t be too much either. For such a girl, it’s not worth spending our Shen family’s silver.”

Upon hearing this, the disdain in Luo Xueyan’s eyes intensified. Old Lady Shen favored the eldest branch the most, and despite her preference for boys over girls, Shen Qing had grown up under her care. Knowing that Shen Qing’s marriage to Prince Yu marked the beginning of a tragic life, giving her more silver might allow her to live more comfortably. Unexpectedly, Old Lady Shen was so stingy and heartless. Indeed, she was of a humble origin as a woman from the pleasure quarters.

Shen Gui agreed again. He had always maintained the demeanor of a filial son. Seeing him so obedient, Old Lady Shen’s expression softened a bit. Her gaze then fell on Shen Xin, and just as she was about to say something, she suddenly heard Shen Yue exclaim, “Second Brother!”

Everyone followed Shen Yue’s gaze and saw a young man walking in from the entrance, dressed in a blue-green robe. The man was quite handsome, and upon closer inspection, he resembled Shen Gui by about sixty to seventy percent, though there was a hint of arrogance between his brows.

This person was none other than Shen Yuan, the eldest son of the Shen family’s second branch, Shen Gui’s son.

In the second branch, Shen Yuan had always been clever and intelligent. Compared to Shen Qiu, whose military achievements were earned step by step through hard work, Shen Yuan displayed much more talent. He had achieved a high rank in the imperial examinations at a young age, and later, with the appreciation of a noble patron, he embarked on an official career. However, he had to serve as a minor official outside the capital for three years to gain experience. This was his last year, and he was supposed to return to Dingjing City to take up an official position after the New Year. Who would have thought that with Shen Qing’s incident, he would rush back, just in time to witness his sister’s wedding day.

Even Shen Yue couldn’t help but retreat behind Shen Wan. Shen Wan patted Shen Yue’s back, his gaze falling on Shen Yuan.

Regarding Shen Yuan, many in the Shen mansion were somewhat wary. Perhaps it was because Shen Yuan had achieved scholarly recognition at a young age, or perhaps it was intuition that his maturity beyond his years made him seem deep and scheming. In any case, Shen Yue and the former Shen Miao were quite afraid of him.

The happiest was Old Lady Shen, who excitedly beckoned to Shen Yuan: “Yuan’er!” Shen Yuanbai in Old Lady Shen’s arms also called out in a crisp voice, “Second Brother!”

Only then did Shen Yuan smile and step forward to bow to Old Lady Shen, calling her “Grandmother,” and then patted Shen Yuanbai’s head, saying, “Yuanbai has grown taller.”

“Yuan’er must have rushed back,” Chen Ruoqiu smiled and spoke. “Were you tired on the journey? Would you like to rest a bit first?” With Ren Wanyun absent, she was the mistress of the Shen mansion, naturally assuming the air of the lady of the house.

Shen Yuan turned to look at Chen Ruoqiu, and for some unknown reason, Chen Ruoqiu felt a sinking feeling in her heart, a sense of wariness arising spontaneously. After a year of not seeing him, Shen Yuan had become even more inscrutable. Chen Ruoqiu had always been clever, and when the children were young, she had occasionally set traps for Shen Yuan, both openly and secretly. But Shen Yuan was unexpectedly smart, and as time went on, sometimes it was Chen Ruoqiu who ended up at a disadvantage. Chen Ruoqiu thought that Ren Wanyun was fortunate to have given birth to such a clever son, so later, even though she had many grievances against the second branch, Chen Ruoqiu dared not completely offend them.

“That won’t be necessary,” Shen Yuan said. “I returned this time specifically to see my sister get married. If I rest any longer, I’m afraid there won’t be enough time.”

When Shen Qing was mentioned, the atmosphere in the room became somewhat awkward, and Old Lady Shen didn’t join in the conversation. Shen Yuan wasn’t fazed at all; his gaze turned almost without hesitation towards Shen Qiu’s side, where Shen Miao was standing.

“It’s been a long time, Fifth Sister has changed quite a bit,” he narrowed his eyes. “Girls truly change as they grow up. Fifth Sister has changed so much that I barely recognize her.”

Shen Miao calmly met his gaze. Shen Yuan’s look carried a chilling scrutiny, like a poisonous snake crawling through a swamp, slowly coiling around, bringing with it a spine-chilling cold dampness. She smiled slightly: “Second Brother remains unchanged.”

Chen Ruoqiu’s gaze paused, Shen Yue seemed to take some pleasure in the potential calamity, Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan both frowned simultaneously, but Shen Qiu smiled and interjected: “Indeed, Second Brother looks unchanged.” He diverted the conversation to himself, causing Shen Yuan to give Shen Qiu an additional glance, then meaningfully said: “I didn’t expect that now Fifth Sister and Eldest Brother would have such a good relationship.”

“Blood siblings naturally have a good relationship,” Shen Miao smiled warmly. “Second Brother, shouldn’t you go see Elder Sister now? You should still be able to catch up to offer a wedding gift.”

Shen Yuan gave Shen Miao a deep look, smiled, and said: “Right, I’ll go now.” Then he bowed to Old Lady Shen again: “Grandmother, I’ll go see my sister first. As her elder brother, I wasn’t by her side, and now she’s getting married. I don’t know if she’ll be bullied in the future, so I can only say a few words to her. I’ll take my leave first.” With that, he turned decisively and left quickly, not even glancing at the others.

From beginning to end, he hadn’t spoken a single word to Shen Gui.

Previously, although the relationship between Shen Gui and Shen Yuan couldn’t be described as particularly intimate, they were still father and son after all. Shen Gui valued Shen Yuan and took special care of him, while Shen Yuan was respectful towards Shen Gui. Today’s attitude indicated that there were some issues. Shen Gui’s face turned ashen, and he clenched his fists. Old Lady Shen gave him a reproachful look, feeling somewhat troubled herself, and directly waved her hand, saying, “Help me back to my room.”

Old Lady Shen had no intention of attending today’s wedding feast. In her view, most of the invited guests were high officials and nobles who knew the ins and outs of this marriage clearly. She didn’t want to further lose face, so she immediately had Nanny Zhang help her back to her room.

After Old Lady Shen left, the atmosphere in the hall became somewhat awkward. Shen Yue glanced at Shen Miao and asked: “Fifth Sister, what gift did you prepare for Elder Sister?”

“Just some jewelry and accessories,” Shen Miao said indifferently.

Shen Yue responded with an “Oh,” and seeing that she wasn’t very willing to talk, though irritated, she didn’t show it on her face in front of Shen Xin and his wife, standing quietly beside Chen Ruoqiu.

Shen Wan looked at Shen Xin: “Elder Brother, now that Yuan’er has returned, what should we do?”

“What does Yuan’er’s return have to do with me?” Shen Xin asked puzzledly. “I can barely manage my own Jiaojiao and Qiu’er. Why would I meddle with Second Brother’s son? Third Brother, your third branch has few people, so if there’s nothing else, why don’t you help Second Brother a bit? We’re all brothers after all.” He spoke earnestly.

Shen Xin, though appearing honest and simple, was as venomous as a snake when he spoke. This could be seen from how Marquis Lin’an Xie Ding, who had dealt with him for decades, had never gained the upper hand in verbal exchanges. After this speech, before Shen Wan could respond, Chen Ruoqiu was so angry that her nails dug into her palms. Everyone knew that the third branch had few people, and Chen Ruoqiu, apart from Shen Yue, didn’t even have a son to rely on. Although Shen Wan was now deeply in love with Chen Ruoqiu, Old Lady Shen had already thought of giving Shen Wan concubines several times because Chen Ruoqiu couldn’t bear sons. Shen Xin was twisting the knife in Chen Ruoqiu’s heart.

“Yes, Sister-in-law,” Luo Xueyan also smiled and spoke up. “Don’t always worry about other people’s affairs. I know you two are kind-hearted, but it’s also time to think about yourselves. Yue is already grown up, and after she marries, without brothers to help her, it might be too difficult.”

Shen Miao’s eyes flickered with amusement. Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan weren’t skilled in the battles of the inner courtyard, but their battlefield experience gave them a more sensitive intuition than others. Shen Wan and his wife wanted to sow discord, but were deftly deflected by Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan.

“Sister, let’s also go see Elder Sister,” Shen Qiu patted Shen Miao’s shoulder. “Your wedding gift is still in my room.”

Shen Miao knew that Shen Qiu had something to tell her, so she nodded in agreement. After bidding farewell to the others, she walked with Shen Qiu towards the west courtyard.

“Sister, Shen Yuan has hostility towards you,” Shen Qiu said.

“I know.”

“He might know the reason behind everything,” Shen Qiu was somewhat anxious. “He’s the kind of person who likes to cause trouble secretly and is quite calculating. He might seek revenge for Shen Qing and find ways to harm you. You… you should stay in the mansion these days and not go out.”

Shen Qiu had a kind of innate hostility towards Shen Yuan, which was an inexplicable reason. Shen Yuan and Shen Qiu didn’t have any grudges, but Shen Qiu just couldn’t stand Shen Yuan. Perhaps some people are just natural enemies.

“Elder Brother, if he truly wants to harm me, even if I hide as well as I can, he’ll find a way. Besides, what can he do? Don’t worry, since he’s such a cautious person, he certainly won’t just randomly kill me. He’ll use schemes.” When it came to schemes, who could surpass her, someone who had died once?

“Sister, you’re still young and don’t understand the dangers of some things.” Shen Qiu was more anxious. “Shen Yuan is not a good person. You’re being too careless; you’ll suffer!”

“Elder Brother, don’t worry,” Shen Miao looked at Shen Qiu. “We’ll deal with problems as they come. If anything happens, don’t I have you, Elder Brother?” She smiled coldly, with words she didn’t say to Shen Qiu in her heart.

In her previous life, Shen Qiu’s death couldn’t have been an accident. The second branch or the third branch, she didn’t know exactly who it was, but none of these people would escape. Even if Shen Yuan didn’t make a move against her, she wouldn’t let him off easily.

Consider it repaying the debt from her previous life.

In the Caiyun Garden of the east courtyard, when Ren Wanyun saw Shen Yuan, she rushed forward and embraced him, weeping uncontrollably. The fear and helplessness she had been experiencing alone these days finally burst forth upon seeing Shen Yuan. Ren Wanyun was so choked with sobs that she couldn’t speak a word. Even Shen Qing, who had been as wooden as a doll, showed a glimmer of light in her despairing eyes when she saw Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan comforted Ren Wanyun for a while, then stepped forward and stroked Shen Qing’s head. Shen Qing held back for a moment, then finally burst into tears with a loud “Wah,” crying and saying, “Second Brother, why didn’t you come back earlier?”

When Ren Wanyun saw Shen Qing crying, she cried along with her. Soon the room was filled with the sound of weeping, pitifully mournful. An uninformed observer might have thought it was a funeral rather than a wedding.

A shadow of gloom flashed across Shen Yuan’s eyes. He had grown up in the General’s mansion, and although the most powerful people in the mansion were Shen Xin and his wife, in his view, those two were merely warriors who only knew how to fight, and the daughter they had was a fool. These people could easily be manipulated by the second branch. As for his mother and sister, they had always lived in elegance and wealth. In comparison, Shen Miao seemed more like a newly rich country girl.

And now, that fool from a nouveau riche family had pushed Ren Wanyun and Shen Qing to this point, which was undoubtedly a challenge to Shen Yuan.

Ren Wanyun had already explained the ins and outs of the matter clearly in her letter to him. In Shen Yuan’s view, although Ren Wanyun’s plan wasn’t perfect, Shen Miao’s ability to counter and even escape unscathed was quite beyond his expectations.

“Mother, stop crying.” Shen Yuan’s expression didn’t show much emotion. He said, “Crying won’t help.”

“Yuan’er,” Ren Wanyun clutched his hand. “You’re the most resourceful. You can save your sister, can’t you?”

Upon hearing this, Shen Qing also looked at Shen Yuan expectantly: “Second Brother, please help me. I don’t want to marry that man. It wasn’t supposed to be me marrying him. Second Brother, help me, help me!” Although Shen Qing was also somewhat afraid of this brother of hers, since childhood, whenever she was bullied, Shen Yuan could always help her win without making a fuss. Regarding Shen Yuan, Shen Qing had mixed feelings of love and fear. Now, Shen Yuan was her lifeline, so she had to grasp it tightly.

“That’s not possible.” Shen Yuan’s expression was so calm it was almost cruel. “At this stage of the engagement, there’s no possibility of turning back. We can’t jeopardize everyone because of our sister’s willfulness. So this marriage, sister, must go through with it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Qing collapsed to the ground. After a pause, she finally cried out in despair. This action smeared all her carefully applied makeup, leaving her face dirty, but she was completely unaware.

“Is there no way?” Ren Wanyun murmured.

“Although there’s no way to ruin this marriage, my sister, Shen Yuan’s sister, certainly won’t just let someone scheme against her like this,” Shen Yuan said coldly. “Shen Miao became so smart overnight; either someone is guiding her, or she has been pretending all along. If someone is guiding her, that’s easy to handle, but to pretend for over a decade is too frightening.”

“That little slut seems possessed. Everything was about to succeed, but she escaped. Yuan’er, that slut can’t be left alive,” Ren Wanyun gritted her teeth. “Just thinking that everything is because of that slut, I wish I could eat her flesh and drink her blood.”

“Mother can’t recklessly deal with her now, precisely because of Uncle and his family. I heard that Uncle plans to stay in Dingjing City for an extra half year, which means Shen Miao’s backing will last longer,” Shen Yuan glanced at Shen Qing.

Ren Wanyun’s body trembled: “But we can’t just let her get away with it!”

“Of course we can’t,” Shen Yuan said. “In this world, no matter how strong one’s backing is, there comes a day when it falls. Since Shen Miao has backing, we’ll just make her backing collapse. It’s good that Uncle’s family is staying in Dingjing City,” a smile appeared on Shen Yuan’s lips. “It saves me from having to find them one by one.”

Ren Wanyun felt inexplicably frightened, but looking at Shen Qing collapsed on the ground, anger immediately rose, and she said, “Yuan’er, you must not let that little slut off!”

“Don’t worry,” Shen Yuan gaze was gloomy. “Playing tricks under my nose, I’ll return them in kind. Since Shen Miao has harmed Mother and Sister, I’ll make sure their main branch of the Shen family is left with only Shen Miao, leaving just one person to play with slowly. That’s what I call interesting.”

He began to laugh slowly.

Shen Qing’s bridal makeup had to be redone after all.

The matchmaker was surprised to find that this time, during the makeup, Shen Qing’s expression, compared to her previous death-like state, seemed more animated. At least she finally had some “human” essence.

When Shen Yue and Shen Miao came to deliver wedding gifts, Shen Qing even smiled at the two of them.

However, Shen Qing’s body was somewhat swollen due to her pregnancy, and she had been very emotionally agitated these days. Even with makeup, she looked old and haggard. This smile, far from a young girl’s charm, looked strangely terrifying.

“Elder Sister, you must take good care of yourself,” Shen Yue said with red eyes.

“I will,” Shen Qing replied, then looked at Shen Miao and said hoarsely: “Fifth Sister, I will repay the favor you’ve shown me.”

Though she was smiling, the viciousness in her words made even Shen Yue shudder.

“I’ll be waiting,” Shen Miao also smiled slightly.

What followed seemed to flow naturally. Old Lady Shen avoided seeing Shen Qing, so Shen Qing could only talk to Ren Wanyun. Because this marriage was not particularly honorable, everyone in the Shen mansion seemed somewhat embarrassed. Those ceremonial procedures meant for blessings and celebrations were all carried out perfunctorily.

In the end, when it was time to get into the bridal sedan, it was Shen Yuan who carried Shen Qing onto it. What was most embarrassing was that Prince Yu hadn’t even come to escort the bride; he had only sent a steward.

When Shen Yuan carried Shen Qing, the commoners gathered at the General’s mansion gate pointed and whispered about them. Their conversations vaguely reached everyone’s ears, all saying that Shen Qing was shameless and promiscuous. Even though Ren Wanyun and Shen Yuan were furious, against the public opinion, they couldn’t possibly execute all the commoners.

After the sedan finally departed, Shen Yuan returned to the entrance of the Shen mansion and stood beside Shen Miao, watching the sedan leave. He said, “Fifth Sister seems quite calm.”

“It’s not me getting married, why wouldn’t I be calm?” Shen Miao replied.

“Does Fifth Sister know what Qing’er’s future will be like after she marries?”

“The future is not determined by either of us.”

Shen Yuan seemed not to have heard Shen Miao’s words and continued on his own: “The world’s affairs are ever-changing. Sometimes when one is at an impasse, they don’t realize that they might soon see light. Sometimes though the path ahead seems clear,” his voice suddenly deepened: “it might be driving oneself into a dead end.”

“Indeed,” Shen Miao smiled. “In this world, no one can be certain. People have unpredictable fortunes; who knows, maybe there’s no path ahead.”

Shen Yuan finally turned to face Shen Miao directly. His eyes scanned her up and down, making her extremely uncomfortable. What was also uncomfortable was what he said: “Today I realized that Fifth Sister is a clever person.”

Shen Miao did not comment, but then heard a loud shout from behind: “Sister!” Shen Qiu came running urgently, gave Shen Yuan a wary look, and then said to Shen Miao: “Sister, don’t wander around. There are many villains out here; knowing someone’s face doesn’t mean knowing their heart. Who knows what dirty tricks they might have?”

Shen Yuan looked at Shen Qiu and smiled again: “Eldest Brother is joking. Besides, Fifth Sister is so clever, I’m afraid no one can scheme against her. As for knowing someone’s face but not their heart, perhaps there are more suitable people for that saying.”

Shen Qiu laughed coldly: “My sister is pure by nature, unlike those scheming villains. As her brother, I naturally have to worry all the time; otherwise, those scholarly wolves might devour her in one bite, and there’d be nowhere to cry. Come, Sister, let’s take the carriage to the Prince’s mansion.”

The Shen family members also had to follow the Prince’s mansion to attend the wedding feast. However, Shen Qiu’s words clearly expressed distrust towards Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan watched the siblings leave, a trace of viciousness flashing in his gaze.

The Shen family’s bridal sedan had to parade through half of Dingjing City, taking the most prosperous streets. After all, it was a marriage personally bestowed by the Empress, so the spectacle had to be grand. Even though everyone knew that this marriage wasn’t honorable, they still had to announce it to the world with gongs and drums.

At the most bustling section of the route, by the window of Kuaihuo Lou, a gentleman in white was, as usual, gently fanning himself, watching the grand wedding procession outside as a spectator. The wedding procession scattered copper coins as they walked, and the onlooking commoners rushed to grab them. From this perspective, it seemed quite festive.

However, only the person inside the sedan knew the various feelings involved.

“The Shen family’s wedding is quite grand,” Ji Yushu played with a silver block in his hand and said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a lively wedding. I wonder if my wedding to Miss Shaoye will be as grand.”

“Still thinking about your Miss Shaoye,” Gao Yang glanced at him. “Yushu, I remember you have a fiancée, don’t you? If you show such enthusiasm for Miss Shaoye, does your fiancée know?”

“I’ve said it was just a childhood betrothal, a joke. Who knows what she looks like? I’m not marrying her. I love Miss Shaoye. If not Miss Shaoye, then the Shen family’s fifth lady isn’t bad either,” he grinned and looked at the person across from him. “Third Brother Xie, isn’t that right?”

Xie Jingxing glanced at him, too lazy to even respond. Gao Yang snickered, “Shen Miao might not live long enough for you to marry her.”

“What are you saying? Don’t make the young lady sound like some demon. I admire her wisdom, courage, and meticulousness,” Ji Yushu objected. “Besides, she’s quite good-looking. I heard she used to like that Prince Ding fellow. A fine young lady with such poor taste, how could Prince Ding compare to me? Really.”

Gao Yang looked at Ji Yushu: “You’re something else. But your Miss Shen seems to be in trouble soon.”

“What trouble?” Ji Yushu asked.

“Shen Qing’s brother Shen Yuan has returned,” Gao Yang said with a mischievous pleasure. “Shen Miao got Shen Qing into Prince Yu’s mansion; Shen Yuan definitely won’t let Shen Miao off. This Shen Yuan is no pushover. In the General’s second branch, maybe even Shen Gui can’t match Shen Yuan’s deep schemes. And this Shen Yuan is most ruthless; once he strikes, he shows no mercy.”

“Shen Yuan doesn’t seem like an ordinary person.” Ji Yushu suddenly remembered something. “Isn’t he one of Fu Xiuyi’s people?”

“Just a small fry,” Xie Jingxing suddenly said.