“I can’t accept this, I hate them!” Chen Ruoqiu’s words carried deep resentment. Now with her haggard appearance, speaking such words with a ferocious expression, even Shen Yue was startled.

Shen Yue said, “Mother, what are you saying?”

“You’ve seen it yourself.” Chen Ruoqiu gritted her teeth and continued, “Your father and I were once well-matched. Over all these years, we’ve been through so much together. I was completely devoted to him. I never expected him to be faithful to just me, but I didn’t think he would find someone to humiliate me like this. He even drove me out and brought the Chen family to court. Now the Chen family’s fortunes have greatly declined, and the Chen family members mock me at every turn. It was your father and Consort Chang who forced me into such a desperate situation. My reputation in the capital is now ‘a barren hen’ and ‘a jealous woman’—this is how your father repays me.” Chen Ruoqiu continued with a cold laugh, “And that old hag who won’t die, ever since I married into the Chen family, she has found fault with everything I do. It’s only because she was originally a lowborn songstress that she can’t stand to see others do well. This affair between Consort Chang and your father was also pushed by her from behind the scenes. Those people from the Shen family, not a single one of them is any good.”

Shen Yue couldn’t help but frown, feeling that Chen Ruoqiu’s words had the air of a shrew cursing in the streets. However, when it came to the Shen family, Shen Yue still had no particular feelings.

Indeed, immediately afterward, Chen Ruoqiu glanced at her and continued, “When your father arranged for you to marry into the Wang family, I thought your heart belonged to someone else. But your father coaxed me, saying only the Wang family could protect you, so I had no choice but to agree. Who knew what kind of person from the Wang family it would be? After getting Shen Donglin, they refused to acknowledge you. Even now, you don’t have your own identity. It’s truly too much! If your father had even the slightest consideration for the father-daughter relationship, he would surely stand up for you. But look at what your father did—he wanted you to apologize to the Wang family and to stand on equal footing with Shen Donglin. Why should you, the legitimate daughter of the Shen family, stand on equal footing with a daughter born of a concubine? It’s ridiculous! Does he even consider you his daughter?” Chen Ruoqiu’s words were full of incitement. At present, Chen Ruoqiu had nothing, with no one on her side. Having finally found her daughter, she feared that Shen Yue would be coaxed back by Shen Wan with a few words, leaving her truly alone. If Shen Yue remained with her, at least Chen Ruoqiu would have someone to cling to.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yue’s expression darkened. To be fair, there was indeed a father-daughter bond between her and Shen Wan, but what she resented most about the Shen family was that they had used her marriage as a raft, ultimately causing her to have no home to return to. They claimed it was for her good, but Shen Yue had only suffered hardships. Although Prince Huangfu treated her well, she was still just a concubine. Being a concubine, even to the Crown Prince, was still the lowest rank of concubinage, subject to being discarded like an object at any time. Combined with Chen Ruoqiu bringing up “the one in her heart,” and thinking about how there was no possibility with Fu Xiuyi now, she sighed in dejection: “Mother, stop talking about these meaningless things. There’s no possibility between the Prince and me. I haven’t dared to hope for him in this lifetime; we must be fated to meet but not to be together.” She gave a bitter smile and added, “Besides, the Crown Prince is very good to me, and I like him very much.”

Chen Ruoqiu understood her daughter better than anyone and could see the disappointment in Shen Yue’s heart. Both angry and heartbroken, she ended up hating Fu Xiuyi too. Her daughter was so wonderful; why couldn’t she have the one she loved? She took a deep breath and said, “The Shen family has brought us, mother and daughter, to this point. It cannot be this simple. Don’t worry, I will get revenge for us. Not a single person from the Shen family will escape. Since I have now been sent back to my maiden family, I have nothing to do with the Shen family anymore. Even if something happens to the Shen family, they certainly can’t trace it back to me. And you are no longer using the identity of Shen Yue, so you will certainly be safe.”

“Mother, what are you planning to do?” Shen Yue detected something wrong in Chen Ruoqiu’s words and asked with concern.

Chen Ruoqiu gave a cold laugh and replied, “You’ll see. I just came to tell you, and seeing that you’re safe, I’m relieved.”

Unable to get anything more from Chen Ruoqiu, Shen Yue had no choice but to let it go, missing the fleeting ruthlessness in Chen Ruoqiu’s eyes.

A few more days passed, and the capital seemed somewhat peaceful. Nothing fresh had happened, except that with the approach of the New Year, the streets gradually became busy with people preparing for the festivities.

The Shen household was naturally also beginning to prepare for the New Year celebrations. Luo Tan was still very happy, but since the last incident, Shen Xin had instructed Shen Miao and Luo Tan not to go out easily. If they did go out, they would have to be accompanied by a large group of guards, which was somewhat tedious. Moreover, Feng Anning, feeling guilty about the previous incident, had apologized but seemed to have become cautious like “one bitten by a snake fears a well rope for ten years” and no longer invited the two out. Luo Tan felt bored in the mansion, and when it got too tedious, she would follow Luo Ling and Shen Qiu to the training field to watch the soldiers practice. Dressed as a young man, with Shen Xin and Luo Ling by her side, she had nothing to fear.

Shen Miao, on the other hand, remained quietly in her room. She didn’t particularly enjoy lively scenes, nor did she like going out to shop. Staying alone was the most reassuring option for her.

One day, Mo Qing returned from outside and reported that Consort Chang’s husband and son had been brought to the capital. To avoid attracting attention, they were not brought directly into the residence but were settled in a civilian house in the eastern part of the city.

Shen Miao said, “You’ve done well.” She remembered that in her previous life, Consort Chang’s husband was a gambling scoundrel who, due to years of alcohol abuse, had become somewhat violent. If such a person got involved with the Shen residence and developed other ideas later, it would be like sticky cow-hide glue, requiring a great effort to properly clean up. Besides, who knew if the Shen family’s people were monitoring the Shen residence daily? If they spotted this father and son, it would likely cause more trouble.

Mo Qing repeatedly said he didn’t dare take credit and asked Shen Miao, “When does Miss plan to see the father and son?”

Shen Miao had brought this father and son to the capital certainly for a purpose. Before this, she would need to meet and talk with them.

Just as Shen Miao was about to answer, she suddenly thought of something and stopped.

In Pei Lang’s letter, Fu Xiuyi had given Shen Wan a difficult task, which was to make her marry the Prince of Zhou. Although Shen Miao wasn’t entirely clear about what methods Shen Wan might use, she could guess to some extent—it would likely involve some underhanded tactics. Therefore, stepping outside the Shen residence meant potential dangers lurking everywhere. The peaceful days recently might have been precisely because she hadn’t gone out. If she did go out, perhaps the other party wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.

She wasn’t foolish enough to jump into a fire pit knowingly, and getting involved with the imperial family wasn’t something that could be resolved with just a few words.

Shen Miao asked, “How many more experts like you are there in the household?”

Mo Qing was taken aback, then frowned and replied, “The Eldest Young Master should have some, and the Master also has some. Altogether, there should be less than thirty.”

Mo Qing was indeed considered a top expert, and people like him were rare. Thirty people providing protection would likely deter anyone from trying anything, but walking on the streets with so many guards would be too conspicuous and would certainly attract attention. Moreover, suddenly having so many guards following along would raise suspicions from Shen Qiu and Shen Xin, who weren’t fools. Shen Miao shook her head and said, “I understand.”

“Is Miss concerned about safety on the road?” Mo Qing asked. “We can dispatch more people if needed.” Mo Qing also found it strange; Shen Miao had never been a timid person. This matter today seemed somewhat unusual.

“No need. I know what to do. You may go now,” Shen Miao said.

Mo Qing said no more and silently withdrew. Shen Miao looked around, and her gaze fell on the half-open window in the room. Suddenly, an idea came to her.

She instructed Guyu, “Open the window wider.”

Guyu was surprised: “Miss, the wind is still blowing outside. Opening it might cause you to catch a chill.” She found it very strange. Shen Miao had been quite sensitive to cold as a child, but for some reason, in recent days, she seemed to particularly enjoy sleeping with the window open at night. But now it was broad daylight—did she want the window open now as well?

“I’m not cold,” Shen Miao said calmly. “Go and open it.”

Guyu glanced at Shen Miao’s thick outer garments but dared not object. With confusion, she opened the window wider.

For the entire day, Shen Miao stayed in her room, occasionally glancing toward the window, causing Jingzhe and Guyu to also look toward the window, thinking perhaps some flowers might bloom there. But clearly, there was nothing on the windowsill. Shen Miao would read for a while, then walk to the windowsill and stand there for a bit, though it wasn’t clear what she was looking at.

Before they knew it, the sky darkened. After dinner and washing up, Jingzhe and Guyu withdrew. Shen Miao trimmed the oil lamp again and again, countless times it seemed. She felt that outside was completely silent, as if the entire capital had fallen into slumber, and the window remained empty.

Disappointment flashed in Shen Miao’s eyes. Idly, she took the chess pieces from the table and tapped them against the oil lamp. Small flowers of lamplight fell on the table and quickly disappeared. Shen Miao gradually grew drowsy and closed her eyes, resting her head on the table and starting to doze off.

When Xie Jingxing entered the room, he saw Shen Miao sleeping sweetly with her head on the table. The window was left open, apparently left for him, and the lamplight flickered slightly with the cold wind he brought in. Shen Miao was resting her head on her arms, sleeping peacefully.

He walked to Shen Miao’s side, lowered his gaze to look at her, paused, and then took off his cloak and gently draped it over her.

Shen Miao was ultimately an alert person. This movement disturbed her slightly, and she tilted her body slightly, raising her head but not opening her eyes. In a half-asleep state, she murmured, “Xiao Li Zi, give this palace a shoulder massage.”

Xie Jingxing: “…”

He simply leaned against the cabinet nearby, looking at Shen Miao, and amusingly said, “Hey, are you dreaming about being the Empress again?”

This abrupt question made Shen Miao suddenly wake up. Just then, a gust of cold wind blew in from outside, causing her to sneeze, instantly dispelling all drowsiness.

Xie Jingxing walked to the window and closed it, making the room immediately warmer. He leaned against the window with his arms crossed and asked, “Why are you sleeping here?”

Shen Miao looked at the young man in purple and rubbed her eyes, asking, “Why did you come so late?” Her words carried a tone of complaint, and because she had just awakened from her dream, her mind wasn’t entirely clear, so she didn’t notice anything wrong with her words.

Xie Jingxing, however, noticed.

The room fell silent for a moment. He walked step by step towards her, right up to the table where Shen Miao was sitting. Leaning forward with his hands on the table, he asked, “Were you waiting for me?”

Shen Miao suddenly came to her senses and quickly answered, “No.”

Xie Jingxing’s lips curled up, his tone somewhat regretful: “Oh, I heard you were waiting for me by the window all day, but it seems that’s not true. Since there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving.” With that, he made a gesture as if to leave.

“Wait!” Shen Miao called out to him.

Xie Jingxing said, “What is it?”

“You know, yet you still ask me,” Shen Miao said through gritted teeth. Faced with Xie Jingxing, all composure and grace went out the window because this person was exceptionally aggravating. She realized that her actions by the window today were too deliberate. It wouldn’t be surprising if Xie Jingxing had also arranged people at the Shen residence who had observed her behavior and reported back to him. But for Xie Jingxing to know yet deliberately ask was truly aggravating.

“I was waiting for you because I need your help with something,” she finally said after taking a breath.

“Speak,” Xie Jingxing pulled out a chair and sat down opposite Shen Miao. He seemed to be in a very good mood, which made his already captivating phoenix eyes even more charming than usual.

“You must have many talented and extraordinary people under you, and many experts like my guard Mo Qing, right?” Shen Miao tentatively asked.

“You call that kind of person an expert?” Xie Jingxing sneered. “How about I send you a few real experts?”

“Lend me a few people to use. I’ll pay with silver,” Shen Miao said.

Xie Jingxing glanced at her, slightly frowning, and asked, “What do you want to do?”

Shen Miao thought that since Xie Jingxing already knew about the matter of Consort Chang’s husband and son, there was no need to hide it from him. So she said, “Consort Chang’s husband and son from Liuzhou have already been brought to the capital and are arranged in a place in the eastern part of the city. I’m afraid the people by my side are not enough.”

“You want to use my people?”

Shen Miao said, “I’ll pay with silver.”

Xie Jingxing asked, “Do I look like I’m short of silver?”

Shen Miao was silent. Indeed, not only did Xie Jingxing not appear to be short of silver, he seemed to have so much that he couldn’t spend it all, almost as if he could aid the entire world. Even the richest man in Ming Qi might not be as extravagant as him. She simply asked, “What exactly do you want before you’ll agree?”

Xie Jingxing narrowed his eyes: “Is this how you ask people for help?”

Shen Miao finally got annoyed and said, “Forget it, pretend I never mentioned this. It’s late, Prince Rui, please leave.” When she was angry, she called Xie Jingxing “Prince Rui,” which sounded very formal. Sure enough, Xie Jingxing frowned, looking displeased.

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t let you use them,” Xie Jingxing stopped her. “Why are you in such a hurry?”

Shen Miao sat back down. Xie Jingxing’s beautiful eyes stared at her, his gaze flashing slightly, but he said, “You’re foolish. Why seek far when what you need is near?”

“What do you mean?”

“This Prince is in a good mood today,” Xie Jingxing said unhurriedly. “I’ll personally accompany you.”

In the middle of the night, the moon had disappeared, with only a few sparse stars hanging in the sky. Because it was winter, the weather was extraordinarily cold, and the ground was covered with a thin layer of snow. Stepping on it produced the crisp sound of ice crunching. However, due to the approaching New Year, red lanterns hung from the eaves of every household, creating an intriguing scene of red lanterns against white snow.

At this moment, two people were standing under those eaves.

A tall young man was slightly bent over, tying a face cloth for the person beside him. The two were standing quite close, and if one got closer, one could hear the shorter girl complaining, “Why do I have to wear this?”

“Shh,” the young man whispered in her ear. “Just think of it as protecting your world-class beauty from being seen and causing trouble. Don’t ask too much.”

Shen Miao laughed coldly: “If it’s about world-class beauty, you should cover yourself first.”

“I don’t need to,” the young man said, his face handsome, seemingly not noticing the sarcasm in her words and calmly replying, “I have immense power, no one dares to cause me trouble.”

Shen Miao: “…” Shen Miao couldn’t have imagined that after telling Xie Jingxing about the father and son from Liuzhou, and Xie Jingxing saying he would personally accompany her, it would be at this time. In the middle of the night, the father and son had probably already gone to bed, yet Xie Jingxing wanted to go at this time. But Xie Jingxing’s reason was: there are fewer people at night, and during the day, even with someone accompanying her, what if they were still discovered?

He had made such a reasonable argument that Shen Miao couldn’t find words to refute, but she hadn’t expected that when Xie Jingxing said they would go out, it meant the two of them would simply walk openly on the street.

Although the street appeared to be empty, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“What are you afraid of? My people are following. If anything’s amiss, they’ll alert us,” Xie Jingxing had said.

While Shen Miao was lost in thought, Xie Jingxing had already tied the face cloth for her, leaving only her eyes visible. Her eyes were round, watery, and clear, appearing even more endearing in the dim lantern light. Xie Jingxing helped her put on a hat, raising an eyebrow and saying, “Not bad.”

To avoid unnecessary complications, Shen Miao had chosen to wear a servant boy’s clothes, though the hat was somewhat ill-fitting and often covered her eyes. But when they went out, she had forgotten to bring a cloak. Xie Jingxing looked her over, then draped his cloak around her shoulders and said, “Let’s go.”

“We’re just going to walk over there?” Shen Miao was extremely surprised.

“The eastern part of the city isn’t far,” Xie Jingxing said nonchalantly. “Walking is good. You haven’t seen the capital at night, have you?”

Shen Miao remained silent.

Most of the night scenes she had seen were within the square walls of the Ming Qi palace. Sometimes she would sit in the vast Kunning Palace, thinking about the endless troubles of the inner palace, sitting for an entire night. Sometimes she would stroll in the imperial garden, only to see Fu Xiuyi and various beauties engaged in pleasant conversation.

As the head of the six palaces, it seemed her nights were all the same—lonely, unfree, desolate, and unnoticed.

She had regretted and envied the carefree life outside the palace.

Xie Jingxing said, “No one here can see you or recognize you. Do whatever you want.”

Shen Miao looked at his handsome features and suddenly felt a sense of envy.

Thinking about it, though Xie Jingxing was both the young marquis of the Linan Marquis Manor and the brother of the Grand Liang Yongle Emperor, Prince Rui, people only saw the surface glory. In reality, the burdens he carried were certainly no less than Shen Miao’s. Yet his inherently proud and arrogant nature seemed to have never changed. No external factors could alter his strength, as if, regardless of the passage of time or shifts in the stars, he would still stand there with an unshakable stance, so powerful that people could only look up to him.

Shen Miao envied those with strong inner cores. She felt she wasn’t as strong as Xie Jingxing because occasionally, when she thought of Princess Wanyu and Fu Ming, and all that had happened in her previous life, she would feel tired.

Xie Jingxing’s gaze suddenly sharpened, and he grabbed her chin, asking, “What’s wrong with you?”

Shen Miao broke free from his hand and turned away, saying, “Nothing.” She didn’t want anyone to detect her inner emotions. She turned and took two quick steps, but she wasn’t accustomed to wearing men’s boots, and the ground was slippery from ice, nearly causing her to fall headfirst. Fortunately, Xie Jingxing caught her arm, frowning and reprimanding, “Be careful.” His hand, however, smoothly slid down and grabbed Shen Miao’s hand.

His hand was slender and cool, perfectly enveloping Shen Miao’s hand in his palm. Shen Miao’s heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively tried to pull away, but to her surprise, Xie Jingxing’s grip was firm, and she couldn’t break free.

Xie Jingxing calmly said, “I’m holding onto you to prevent you from slipping.”

“I’ll be careful. I won’t slip,” Shen Miao said.

“Then I’m afraid I might slip. You hold onto me,” he continued without even furrowing his brow.

Shen Miao: “…”

The snow had covered the entire street, making it appear silver-white, with the lanterns reflecting the snow adorably. Shen Miao frequently raised her head to look at the sky. The sky was beautiful, spacious, more beautiful than the square, angular sky. The street was quiet, no one would discover her, and some unfulfilled wishes from her previous life were finally being fulfilled in this moment. The hand held by the young man beside her had a slightly damp palm, and she gradually began to smile.

The night is really beautiful, Shen Miao thought.

But she didn’t see that in the handsome young man’s eyes, a smile flashed, more captivating than fireworks.

In a civilian house in the eastern part of the city, loud snoring could be heard from one room. The entire room was filled with a strong, pungent smell of alcohol. Several wine jars were scattered on the floor, and a man on the bed was sleeping soundly.

In the adjoining room, a child around twelve years old was lying on the bed. This room was much narrower than the one next door. After lying there for a while, he sat up, seemingly disturbed by the snoring from next door. He got up, wrapped himself in his quilt, and walked to the small courtyard enclosed by bamboo fences.

The child had gone to use the latrine. After finishing, he was about to return to his room when he caught a glimpse of two people standing in the courtyard. Startled, he was about to cry out when he saw the taller of the two flick a small stone towards him. In an instant, the child was frozen in place, unable to speak.

The two then approached him.

In the dim lantern light from outside, the faces of the two gradually became clear. One was petite, wearing clothes typically worn by servants, but still recognizably a woman, wrapped in an oversized cloak that seemed ill-fitting. Her face was covered with a face cloth, leaving only her eyes visible. But this made her clear and pure eyes stand out even more, making one wonder if there was a beauty behind that veil.

As for the person beside this petite figure, the boy was almost stunned. This person was extremely tall and straight, wearing a purple brocade robe embroidered with golden cloud patterns. The robe was somewhat loose, with a dark belt that made the entire figure seem ethereal. His appearance was even more handsome and beautiful, with phoenix eyes that, when looking over in the night, made one feel as if winter snow had transformed into layers of spring flowers. Could he be an immortal who had descended from heaven? How else could every movement be so elegant and pleasing to the eye, with an innate nobility?

The petite one gave the purple-robed man a glare, then softly asked, “What’s your name?”

The child felt his throat loosen and coughed a couple of times, suddenly realizing he could speak again. The person’s voice was that of a woman, very gentle, and the child’s fear gradually subsided. He nervously said, “I… I’m called Huaisheng.”

“Huaisheng,” the woman asked, “is your mother’s name Chang Zai Qing?”

Huaisheng was taken aback, and his eyes immediately reddened. He carefully looked at the woman and asked, “Do you know my mother? Do you know where my mother is? I haven’t seen my mother for a long time. They said my mother won’t come back. Someone brought us here, saying we could see my mother, but she’s not here.”

Shen Miao sighed inwardly. This child was about the same age as Su Minglang two years ago, but while Su Minglang had been an innocent, almost simple-minded rice dumpling at that time, this child was much more pitiful. When Consort Chang had abandoned her husband and son, it was indeed because her husband was an alcoholic gambler, making life unbearable. But before leaving, she hadn’t considered what would happen to her young son with such an irresponsible father. Therefore, Consort Chang didn’t deserve sympathy or forgiveness, because a mother who could be so heartless was not worthy of being called a “mother.”

“Don’t be afraid.” Shen Miao took out a handkerchief and wiped the child’s tears. Huaisheng was almost overwhelmed by this gesture of kindness. This woman had beautiful eyes, and her appearance was likely quite lovely as well. Although she was dressed as a servant, her hands were fair and delicate. Huaisheng knew that such hands were different from the calloused hands of those who did manual labor; they belonged to someone from a wealthy household. This woman must be quite privileged, and for such a noble person to wipe tears for a commoner like him—even his mother had never treated him so tenderly—Huaisheng was entranced.

A light cough broke the moment, coming from the purple-robed man standing beside Shen Miao. He glanced at Huaisheng and coldly said, “Let’s go inside.”

Huaisheng felt a chill run through his body from that look. Somehow, without doing anything, this extremely handsome man could make one feel terrified with just a casual glance. He snapped back to reality and saw the woman in front of him put away her handkerchief, her gaze quite gentle.

Shen Miao had thought of her own Fu Ming and Princess Wanyu. With a father like Fu Xiuyi, how could Fu Ming and Princess Wanyu not have had a difficult time? And although she hadn’t run away, she had been powerless to change her children’s fate, making her no better than Consort Chang.

Suppressing the complex emotions in her heart, she said, “Huaisheng, take us to see your father.”