“They’re here.”

With Xie Jingxing’s words, Gao Yang immediately dropped his teasing manner and looked at him, asking, “You mean they’ve arrived in the capital?”

“Be careful these days,” Xie Jingxing frowned. “Items from the Prince of Yu’s mansion may have spread. To avoid exposing your identity, none of you should go out during this time.”

“But how can you manage alone?” Before Gao Yang could speak, Ji Yushu urgently said, “You’ve already caught their attention. Now that they’ve entered the capital, they’ll surely come looking for you first. And you can’t alert others in the city.”

“Don’t worry,” Xie Jingxing stretched lazily, his smile suddenly revealing a hint of ruthlessness. “I’ve been waiting for them for a long time.”

“Third Brother Xie, are you going to teach someone a lesson again?” Ji Yushu’s eyes sparkled. “Can I come along this time?”

“Sure,” Xie Jingxing replied nonchalantly. “You can be the target.”

Gao Yang: “…”

……

The affairs regarding the Prince of Yu and the Shen family in the capital were soon drowned in the joy of the approaching New Year. With the New Year coming, a festive atmosphere permeated everywhere. The brutal massacre on that snowy night and the desperate suicide in the gloomy prison seemed to have been forgotten.

Nothing was more important than welcoming the new year. Time would not stop; new snow covered the old, new topics replaced old discussions, and new hopes were always more joyful than the past.

Even the Emperor showed no sign of distress over the matter. He spent a considerable sum on arranging a palace banquet, inviting all the consorts to celebrate the New Year together. His brother’s death hadn’t saddened Emperor Wenhui, which seemed to confirm the common belief that the royal family was heartless. However, only the truly intelligent knew that Emperor Wenhui had eliminated a potential threat in such a clean and efficient manner, so he was naturally pleased. Therefore, even though the authorities had failed to find the murderers and the case had become a mystery, Emperor Wenhui didn’t pursue it further.

Shen Qing was buried together with the Prince of Yu in the royal tomb. However, because she had committed suicide and her status was awkward, the royal family provided no compensation. This once again infuriated the Shen Matriarch.

In the west courtyard of the Shen mansion, Bailu and Shuangjiang were taking books from Shen Miao’s room to air in the sun.

Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan had gone to the training grounds early in the morning to drill recruits. New soldiers had been conscripted for the New Year and needed training. Shen Qiu had also gone to join the excitement, leaving only Shen Miao in the west courtyard.

“The young master sent over some more books a few days ago. Should we air those too?” Guyu asked Shen Miao.

“I still need those books; there’s no need to air them,” Shen Miao replied. Ever since Shen Qiu had seen the military books in Shen Miao’s room, he had excitedly told Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan about it. Although Shen Miao had never shown interest in military tactics before, and Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan thought it was just a passing interest, they still had people search for many military books for her.

Anyone unaware might think the Shen family was raising a young female general. Shen Miao certainly had no intention of becoming a female general, but the Shen army would face many dangers in the future, and she could only rely on her knowledge from her previous life to help the Shen army overcome these potential challenges. More knowledge was never a bad thing.

Bailu, while flipping through the pages of a book, said, “Tomorrow is the Jade Rabbit Festival. I heard that this year there will be a grand display of ten thousand lanterns at Wanli Lake. Will you go, miss?”

The Jade Rabbit Festival was a Ming Qi holiday. On the eve of each New Year, people would leave their homes to view lanterns and solve lantern riddles in the streets, creating a lively atmosphere. Among the lanterns would be an especially large jade rabbit that blessed the entire Ming Qi with good weather and harvest in the coming year. What made this year’s Jade Rabbit Festival different was that the jade rabbit would be on the water. People could also place their handmade lanterns on the water to pray for their wishes. Imagining lanterns on water, the scene would certainly be vibrant. Bailu and Shuangjiang, both in the prime of their youth, naturally enjoyed fun and novelty.

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Guyu scolded. “The streets will surely be extremely crowded then. What if something happens to the young miss?”

“But we’ve gone in previous years, haven’t we?” Bailu protested.

“Previous years were previous years, and this year is this year!” Guyu snapped. Bailu was right; in previous years, Shen Xin and his wife would have already returned to the capital by this time, and the entire Shen family would go out together to enjoy the Jade Rabbit Festival. However, this year, with the major incidents at the Shen mansion and the Prince of Yu’s mansion, and with the culprits still at large, Shen Miao would be in greater danger if someone sought revenge. No matter how grand the festivities, they weren’t as important as Shen Miao’s safety.

“It’s fine,” Shen Miao smiled slightly. “I was thinking of going to see the festivities too. With my parents and brother by my side, nothing dangerous will happen.”

“But…” Guyu was about to persuade her.

“That’s settled,” Shen Miao interrupted her and walked back into her room. Guyu had to suppress her concerns. Somehow, Shen Miao had developed a decisive nature, quite unlike her former self, who always sought help from the Second and Third Branches for everything. Having her thoughts was good, but when she became stubborn, it was quite frustrating.

Shen Miao returned to her room, sat down at her desk, and gazed at the plum tree branches outside. The branches were dotted with hints of red, reminding her of the letter she had received earlier.

The Chen brothers had returned to Jiangnan. After the massacre at the Prince of Yu’s mansion, they had no further contact. Shen Miao was extremely cautious; all her communications with the Chen family were done through Mo Qing, delivering messages to the Feng Xian Pawnshop. Mo Qing’s indenture was no longer with the Shen family, so no one would suspect her.

This time, Mo Qing had brought back another piece of news. The courtesan Liu Ying, whom she had asked Ji Yushu to inquire about, had finally been located in Baoxiang Tower, the largest pleasure house in the capital. Liu Ying was one of the most beautiful women there, and it was said that on the day of the Jade Rabbit Festival, she would dress as the Jade Rabbit Fairy and dance by Wanli Lake. Shen Miao wanted to see her, and this would be a perfect opportunity.

As for Guyu’s concern about potential revenge, Shen Miao found it trivial. The Chen brothers were her collaborators—where would revenge come from? As for the Shen family, the Shen Matriarch was so angry these days that she saw no one except her two sons and the grandson from the Second Branch. The Second Branch of the Shen family had collapsed; Shen Wan was busy currying favor with officials and wouldn’t move against her for now. The Third Branch had always kept a low profile and wouldn’t cause trouble at such a critical time.

Looking back, no New Year had been more comfortable than this one.

With these thoughts, the corners of Shen Miao’s lips curled up slightly, causing Guyu, who was watching her from outside, to be momentarily stunned. But before she could recover, Jingzhe’s voice sounded. Jingzhe walked in from outside and said, “Miss, Madam Wan from the East Courtyard wishes to see you.”

Madam Wan? Guyu frowned and whispered, “Why her again?”

“Why does this Madam Wan keep coming to our courtyard?” Shuangjiang and Bailu also whispered. “She’s trying too hard to curry favor.”

The maids were all unwelcoming toward Madam Wan. In fact, after the incidents with Ren Wanyun and Shen Qing, they had grown to detest the people from the Second Branch. Regardless of Madam Wan’s intentions, she was still from the Second Branch, and her frequent visits made them uncomfortable.

In the past few days, when Madam Wan wanted to see Shen Miao, she had been turned away using various excuses. Today, however, Shen Miao said, “Let her in.”

Jingzhe was surprised but then went out to comply. Guyu and the others showed concern on their faces, fearing that Madam Wan might be plotting something.

A moment later, Madam Wan followed Jingzhe into the room. Shen Miao raised her head to look at her.

Madam Wan wore a dark blue padded jacket and a cyan horse-face skirt, with a plain silver bracelet on her wrist, appearing to be a very simple person. However, upon closer inspection, the jacket was embroidered with small white flowers, the hem of the skirt was designed in a wave pattern, and her fair hands were painted with bright red nail polish, drawing attention. The waistline of the jacket accentuated her already graceful figure, making one’s imagination wander. Looking up, she had an oval face, large eyes, white skin, and red lips. When she smiled, despite her efforts to restrain it, an inherent flirtatiousness and charm were unmistakable.

She was a woman who knew how to hide—evident from how she had stayed out of sight for Shen Dongling’s sake for so many years—yet also a woman who couldn’t hold back. With Shen Qing’s death and Ren Wanyun’s mental breakdown, she had eagerly come out to flaunt herself. Shen Miao had seen many such women in the palace in her previous life: somewhat clever, somewhat attractive, believing they could firmly control a man’s heart if they wished. They didn’t realize that there were countless fresh young women in the world, and a man’s heart was most unpredictable. If they could remain patient, they might hold a special place in a man’s heart, but once they became impatient, their small cleverness turned into foolish self-importance.

Madam Wan was the type who was foolishly self-important.

Madam Wan curtsied to Shen Miao and sat down on the small stool across from her. She sat with her body slightly tilted, her legs slightly inclined, making her body appear smooth and soft, truly befitting a lead actress of the Huadan role. Shen Miao looked at her calmly, without any pleasantries, and got straight to the point: “Why has Madam Wan come to see me?”

Madam Wan hadn’t expected Shen Miao to be so direct, and it caught her off guard. She had heard that in the Shen mansion, Shen Xin and his wife now held the most power, and the once most useless Fifth Miss was now formidable. She had thought to come and build a rapport, but Shen Miao’s direct approach, without any social niceties, left Madam Wan uncertain whether Shen Miao was ignorant of social customs or deliberately being mysterious.

Madam Wan overthought the situation. Shen Miao’s dismissal of her was simply because a mere concubine wasn’t worth her attention.

Madam Wan smiled apologetically, “With the New Year approaching, I came to see Fifth Miss and wish you a happy new year.” She continued, “It seems that there was some unpleasantness between us because of the Eldest Miss’s matter. I’m here on behalf of the master and mistress to apologize to Fifth Miss.”

Shen Miao looked at her with a half-smile, “Madam Wan, do the Second Uncle and Second Aunt know about your ‘apology on their behalf’?”

Madam Wan stiffened slightly but continued to smile, “I am, of course, of little significance, but I heard the master mention to me that he had been somewhat impulsive that day, so I took the initiative to come and apologize to Fifth Miss.”

Shen Miao stared at her, not blinking. Under Shen Miao’s gaze, Madam Wan showed signs of discomfort, which she quickly suppressed. She smiled and said, “Actually, the Third Miss also wanted to come see Fifth Miss. After all, you are sisters. However, the Third Miss has been feeling chilly lately and fears catching a draft. She said she would come to talk with Fifth Miss once she feels better.”

Shen Dongling? Shen Miao raised an eyebrow.

Besides the three legitimate daughters in the Shen family, there was also an illegitimate daughter, Shen Dongling from the Second Branch, born to Madam Wan. In the Shen family, the Third Branch’s Shen Wan and Chen Ruoqiu had only one daughter, Shen Yue; Shen Xin and his wife had only Shen Miao and Shen Qiu; but the Second Branch’s Shen Gui had taken many concubines, and some had given birth to illegitimate daughters, though they had died shortly after. This explained the odd numbering of the Shen family’s legitimate daughters.

Shen Dongling was ranked third and was thus called the Third Miss. Ren Wanyun was extremely jealous, and after Madam Wan gave birth to Shen Dongling, she stayed in her courtyard without leaving. Shen Dongling was also sickly. In both her previous and current lives, Shen Miao had no impression of Shen Dongling at all. She was virtually invisible. Even the most neglected illegitimate daughter in a high-ranking family might be bullied or scolded, but not forgotten like this.

Such a person was either truly insignificant or strong enough to endure what others could not. In her previous life, Shen Dongling had been given away by Ren Wanyun as a pawn in Shen Gui’s career. In this life, with Ren Wanyun having lost her position and Madam Wan rising again, whether Shen Dongling’s fate would change remained unknown.

“If Third Sister is unwell, she shouldn’t come out,” Shen Miao said indifferently. “If she catches a cold because of this, I couldn’t bear the responsibility.”

Madam Wan was displeased upon hearing this but still maintained her smile, saying, “It’s the Third Miss’s genuine desire to be close to Fifth Miss. It’s all my fault; the Third Miss was born with an illness and could only watch other children play in the courtyard for all these years. It’s all my fault…” She then turned her head aside, covering her mouth with a handkerchief, appearing deeply sad.

Shen Miao, unable to stand Madam Wan’s affectation, said coolly, “No one can control their health. Besides, it’s not necessarily bad for Third Sister to stay in the courtyard. The Eldest Sister enjoyed everything she should have, yet she met an untimely end.” Her lips curled slightly. “A person’s fortune cannot be judged by appearances.”

At these words, Madam Wan looked at Shen Miao with uncertainty. After a moment, she forced a smile and said, “Fifth Miss is right.” She suddenly stood up and looked at Shen Miao, “Fifth Miss, I just remembered I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now. If one day Fifth Miss is free, the Third Miss would surely come to speak with you. She’s unwell, so please be accommodating.” With that, she curtsied to Shen Miao and gracefully departed, though with much more haste and confusion than when she had arrived.

Jingzhe, who had been serving tea on the side, looked at Madam Wan’s hastily departing figure and asked in confusion, “What was Madam Wan’s intention? Was she trying to build a rapport? And the Third Miss, who hasn’t left her courtyard for so many years and has barely met with you, why does she speak as if there is significant affection between you?”

“Indeed,” Guyu said while clearing the teacup Madam Wan had used. “Now that I think about it, I can barely remember what the Third Miss looks like. She’s a miss of the family after all, yet she’s been hidden away all these years, probably to avoid the Second Madam. It’s truly pitiful.”

“Pitiful? What’s pitiful?” Shen Miao picked up the tea on the table and took a small sip. “In her eyes, you might be the pitiful ones.”

“Her?” Jingzhe asked, puzzled. “Does the miss mean the Third Miss?”

Shen Miao smiled, “I was mistaken. It seems there’s another clever person in our family.”

Madam Wan’s purpose today was clearly to probe. However, for someone as overtly clever as Madam Wan to choose this method of probing seemed, on the surface, to be an eager announcement of her renewed favor with Shen Gui. But upon careful consideration, it wasn’t necessarily so. The elusive Shen Dongling was much smarter than Shen Qing.

However… regardless of whose side she was on, Shen Miao would never consider her a friend, let alone a sister.

“Be careful of everyone,” she warned her maids as she put down her teacup.

Meanwhile, Madam Wan hurriedly returned to her courtyard, closed the door, and quickly approached the figure sitting behind a screen, saying, “Ling’er.”

The figure behind the screen paused and looked at Madam Wan. Madam Wan sighed in relief, sat down on a wooden chair, and recounted her conversation with Shen Miao word for word. Having been an actress who played Huadan roles, she had an excellent memory and narrated the dialogue as if it were happening right before them. After finishing, Madam Wan said, “Ling’er, what exactly did the Fifth Miss mean? I felt a chill in my heart listening to her. Do you think… could the Fifth Miss be connected to what happened to the Eldest Miss?”

“Mother, be careful with your words,” the person behind the screen said. “The Eldest Sister’s matter is in the past, and whatever is said outside is the truth. We must never mention this again, or it will only harm ourselves.”

“I just feel uneasy,” Madam Wan said.

A soft sigh came from behind the screen. The person sitting there put down her embroidery, stood up, and walked to Madam Wan’s side.

She was also a beautiful young girl. Compared to Shen Qing’s grace, Shen Yue’s delicacy, and Shen Miao’s dignity, this girl appeared fragile. Her features resembled Madam Wan’s—an oval face with large eyes. If her gaze were more spirited, she might have been called a “little vixen.” However, her pale complexion and bloodless lips diminished her charm somewhat, making her appear harmless.

She wore a faded yellow jacket and skirt that might have belonged to Madam Wan. This girl’s body was not as full as Madam Wan’s, so the clothes hung loosely on her, further diminishing her beauty and making her appear ordinary.

This girl was Shen Dongling, the illegitimate daughter of the Second Branch of the Shen family.

“Everything is better now than before,” Shen Dongling consoled. “At least you and I can go out openly and don’t have to suffer the mistress’s threats.”

“Life in the Shen mansion is not easy,” Madam Wan looked at her daughter, her heart aching. “Back then, I was greedy for luxury, thinking that entering the Shen family would ensure a worry-free life, not knowing that life in a noble family is also hard. I’ve implicated you as well. For so many years, to survive under the mistress’s watchful eye, you had to live like this. The people in this mansion are formidable; even the previously quiet Fifth Miss now seems truly frightening…”

“Mother,” Shen Dongling shook her head. “Regardless of whether the Eldest Sister’s matter is related to the Fifth Sister, the person behind it has indeed helped us. The mistress will find it difficult to rise again. Even though Second Brother is formidable and the mistress holds the title, she has lost her former aspiration and certainly cannot compete with us.”

“You’re right,” Madam Wan looked at Shen Dongling with satisfaction. “We’ve finally made it through. But Ling’er, today you asked me to probe the Fifth Miss, and she was quite cold toward me. She probably doesn’t want to accept our goodwill. What should we do now?”

“If she doesn’t accept, then so be it,” Shen Dongling smiled. “The Fifth Sister seems to be a clever person, too. Since that’s the case, it’s better not to provoke her in the future. If possible, let her deal with Second Brother.”

“The Second Young Master?” Madam Wan was surprised. “The Second Young Master has already entered officialdom, while the Fifth Miss is just a young girl. How could she possibly deal with the Second Young Master?”

“Don’t worry, Mother,” Shen Dongling said. “The Fifth Sister is not a simple character. She’s the sharpest knife in the Shen family.”

……

The small movements in the east and west courtyards of the Shen mansion were probably unknown to outsiders. Except for the family members themselves, in the eyes of others in the capital, the General’s mansion was harmonious, with the elders kind and the younger ones filial. This had always been the case until this year. Unfortunately, things in the world are constantly changing. Sometimes seeds buried too deep will sprout and grow at an unexpected moment.

In the training yard outside the Shen mansion, Mo Qing was dueling with Zhi, Shen Qiu’s guard. Zhi was one of the most skilled subordinates under Shen Qiu, yet Mo Qing could fight him to a standstill. When Shen Miao had recommended Mo Qing to Shen Qiu, Shen Qiu had wanted to test Mo Qing’s abilities, and the results had been quite impressive.

Shen Qiu was naturally delighted. Strong commanders have no weak soldiers; the stronger soldiers under their command, the more illustrious the Shen army’s name would become. Since recruiting Mo Qing, Shen Qiu had constantly praised Shen Miao’s discernment, occasionally pestering her to “accidentally” discover more such talents in the marketplace, only to be rebuffed with cold looks. In her previous life, there had been only one Guard Commander. According to Shen Qiu’s logic, could every street and alley be filled with guard commanders?

After completing a round of combat, both Zhi and Mo Qing were drenched in sweat. Zhi took a big gulp of water and said, “Fighting with Brother Mo is truly exhilarating! Brother Mo’s swordsmanship is truly remarkable, making one envious.”

Mo Qing bowed, “Brother Zhi, you flatter me. My swordsmanship can hardly be called remarkable. There are always people better than you, and there are many masters in this world.”

“Are there people with even better swordsmanship than Brother Mo?” Zhi laughed. “I’d like to see that!”

Mo Qing remained silent, but his mind flashed back to that night at Wolong Temple when he had carried Shen Qing and switched rooms with Shen Miao, changing the fate of both women. That night, a man in black had slipped through the window and easily taken his sword in five moves. In that man’s hands, he had been as powerless as a child. He had heard Shen Miao call him “Young Master Xie.”

That young man’s swordsmanship was truly extraordinary.

After expressing his admiration, Zhi said, “I wonder how exhilarating it would be to fight alongside Brother Mo on the battlefield. I’m somewhat impatient, but unfortunately, the General is staying in the capital for half a year for the miss’s sake. To join forces in battle, we’ll have to wait half a year.” He looked at Mo Qing, “By the way, our miss truly has an eye for talent, being able to discover someone like you, Brother Mo. That’s remarkable.”

“The miss is an extraordinary person,” Mo Qing said. Having followed Shen Miao for a long time, Mo Qing disapproved of some of her actions. As a woman, Shen Miao was ruthless, without compassion, heartless, and cold. Yet, one couldn’t dislike her because the people she dealt with were those who wanted to kill her.

Mo Qing remembered the day Shen Miao had lifted the carriage curtain and asked him with a smile, “Are you willing to sell your martial skills to my military family, the Shen family?”

A man would die for someone who understands him. In a sense, Shen Miao was his benefactor.

Zhi punched him, “I know, you were chosen by the miss, so of course you think highly of her. Make sure to protect her well during tomorrow’s Jade Rabbit Festival.”

“Hmm?” Mo Qing suddenly looked up.

“What is it?” Zhi followed his gaze and asked in confusion, “There’s nothing there.”

“I must have felt something wrong,” Mo Qing shook his head, dismissing the strange feeling he had just experienced.

On the other side of the wall, two men were crouching. Both were dressed in hemp clothing and wore conical bamboo hats that completely concealed their faces, making it impossible to see their appearance at a glance.

One man said, “The Shen mansion is indeed full of talent; even a guard has such skills, almost discovering the two of us.”

“Indeed,” the other man lowered his voice to discuss, “The Shen mansion has many guards outside, and Shen Xin’s soldiers are on duty. Acting from inside would be too risky and probably difficult to succeed. It would also alert them, and if they protect Shen Miao more tightly in the future, it would be even harder to make a move.”

“Orders have come from above, and we’ve finally got some information,” the first man’s companion said. “Capturing her to get the result means this trip won’t be wasted. You and I will just be waiting for the promotion. How can we give up halfway?”

“Of course we can’t give up,” the man in the bamboo hat chuckled, “Didn’t the two guards just say that Shen Miao will be going out for the Jade Rabbit Festival tomorrow? With the surging crowds, it will be easy to do something. At that time, one group can distract the Shen family while another group takes her away.”

“Do it cleanly and neatly,” the man’s words carried a ruthless intent. “To eliminate future trouble, after getting the information, tie her up and throw her in the lake. Don’t have any other ideas.”

“Of course.”