Imperial Consort Xu smiled prettily and asked, “Why doesn’t your sister go inside? Could it be that you’ve done something wrong and are kneeling to beg for His Majesty’s forgiveness? Would you like your younger sister to go in and speak for you?”

The Empress gritted her teeth and said, “That won’t be necessary.”

Struggles in the court often implicated the women in the palace. The conflict between Prince Zhou’s faction and the Crown Prince’s faction represented not only the fight for the throne but also the people standing behind them. If the Crown Prince fell, how long could the Empress maintain her position? Eventually, the Emperor would age, and if Prince Zhou ascended the throne, what would become of the Empress?

In ordinary noble households, there were countless underhanded tactics; the palace was even worse. One misstep could cost not only your life but also implicate your family. Daily life required constant vigilance.

Imperial Consort Xu smiled and said, “If sister is unwilling, I won’t force the issue. However, I have something to discuss with His Majesty now, so I won’t disturb your… enthusiasm.” She covered her mouth with a smile and was about to send someone to announce her to the Emperor.

The Empress could only wish to claw Imperial Consort Xu’s face. She could almost guess what Imperial Consort Xu would say upon entering. It would surely be fanning the flames, adding fuel to the fire. The Emperor had always been receptive to Imperial Consort Xu’s words, and his anger toward the Crown Prince would likely intensify.

But she had no way to stop Imperial Consort Xu.

Just as Imperial Consort Xu was about to enter, someone hurriedly ran over from outside. Seeing Imperial Consort Xu, he apologetically said, “Imperial Consort Xu, Prince Rui is outside and is requesting an audience with His Majesty.”

Prince Rui? Both Imperial Consort Xu and the Empress were startled. What was Prince Rui doing here?

Though Imperial Consort Xu was usually proud and capricious, she wasn’t someone who couldn’t read the situation. Her haughty behavior was merely playing coy with the Emperor; she wouldn’t dare be careless about important matters. She immediately said, “Then I shall come back later.”

The Empress, being several years older than Imperial Consort Xu and having seen more court affairs, felt her heart sink. Prince Rui, who wouldn’t come early or late, specifically chose to appear when the Crown Prince was in trouble and the Emperor had issued the conviction document. His intentions couldn’t be good.

The Emperor’s close attendant quickly came out and said a few words to the person who had announced Prince Rui. As that person left, the Empress, kneeling and Imperial Consort Xu standing, saw a young man in purple robes approaching from outside.

He wore a silver half-mask and had a leisurely demeanor. The Empress felt inexplicably humiliated—being the Empress of the country yet being seen in such a sorry state by an outsider. Imperial Consort Xu stared at his face, somewhat dazed. Some people were strange from birth; even when their features weren’t visible, their innate nobility and elegance were enough to captivate. It seemed that as long as he stood there, others couldn’t help but look at him.

Prince Rui walked past the Empress, merely glancing at her. His eyes conveyed little meaning, and his steps didn’t falter, as if he hadn’t seen the mother of the nation kneeling before the hall. But this certainly wasn’t out of consideration for the Empress. Though Prince Rui didn’t reveal any expression, the Empress felt that he simply couldn’t be bothered to look—it was contempt and disdain emanating from the depths of his heart.

She felt extremely embarrassed.

In the study, the Emperor sat upright at the table, appearing calm and composed, as if the person who had been raging in the study earlier wasn’t him.

But his back was somewhat stiff.

The young man in purple robes walked in, lazily called him “Your Majesty” as a greeting, and then casually sat down opposite him. He sat comfortably, as if the Emperor were the guest, with no trace of respect or admiration in his eyes.

In that moment, the Emperor had a feeling that before this young man, who wasn’t even very old, he seemed to be nothing.

This thought lasted only briefly before the Emperor came to his senses. Smiling at Prince Rui, he said, “These days, I’ve been very busy. I haven’t inquired whether Prince Rui is comfortable with his accommodations?”

There was a hint of friendliness in these words. Currently, Qin’s attitude toward Ming Qi was hostile. If Da Liang also had ulterior motives at this time, Ming Qi would truly be in a dilemma. Therefore, the Emperor didn’t want relations with Da Liang to deteriorate too much. Whether it meant yielding or bowing his head, as long as they could get through this crisis first, other matters could be dealt with later.

That’s why he was going out of his way to please Prince Rui. If the common people of Ming Qi saw the Emperor behaving like this, they would likely sneer.

Prince Rui smiled lazily and said, “Thanks to Your Majesty’s blessing, this Prince is doing quite well. However, I hear that Your Majesty hasn’t been faring well these past few days.”

The Emperor’s heart skipped a beat, but his face showed nothing. He only shook his head with a bitter smile and said, “I’ve failed in raising my son properly. I’ve made Prince Rui laugh at me.”

“It’s not Your Majesty’s fault,” Prince Rui said. “After all, Your Majesty has nine sons.” His tone revealed neither joy nor anger. “But the Emperor of Qin is pitiful. Coming to Ming Qi to pay tribute, both his Crown Prince and Princess perished here. It’s truly a calamity that fell from the sky.”

The Emperor’s smile became somewhat awkward.

Prince Rui was right. The Emperor of Qin had been demanding the Crown Prince’s life, not only to seek balance but also for another reason. Two countries came to pay tribute: Da Liang’s Prince Rui was perfectly fine, yet Qin’s Crown Prince and Princess both died. What did this mean? Was Ming Qi specifically targeting Qin? Or was it showing that Qin’s national strength was so weak that they couldn’t even protect their Crown Prince and Princess?

In any case, this was a face-losing matter for Qin, and the Emperor of Qin was most infuriated by this. So even if the Crown Prince paid with his life, the Emperor of Qin’s vanity would still cause him to despise Ming Qi for some time.

He said, “I am also expediting the handling of this matter.”

Prince Rui smiled, “The Emperor of Qin probably won’t easily let this go.”

The Emperor suppressed a breath in his chest. He spoke diplomatically and made every effort not to delve into this topic with Prince Rui, but he didn’t know whether Prince Rui hadn’t understood the hint or what—he kept using this matter to block the Emperor’s heart, and every sentence was merciless. The Emperor certainly wouldn’t think Prince Rui was too stupid to read the situation. Therefore, Prince Rui was being deliberate, intentionally making him uncomfortable.

The Emperor very much wanted to leave in a huff, as he would with disobedient court officials, or fly into a rage. Unfortunately, Prince Rui was not his court official. Although Prince Rui was a prince, from a certain perspective, he was even more formidable than the Emperor himself.

The Emperor could only stiffly change the subject and ask, “But I wonder, why has Prince Rui come to see me today? What is the matter?”

Prince Rui didn’t speak. He merely curled a finger and tapped on the table intermittently. In the silence, the Emperor’s heart was gripped by that finger tapping on the table. He suddenly realized that Prince Rui had chosen this moment to come today, perhaps to discuss something very important with him.

If Prince Rui brought up the cities at the border between Da Liang and Ming Qi at this time… how could the Emperor refuse?

His back, initially stiff, now dripped with cold sweat. The other party’s silence imposed an immense weight on him.

After a moment, Prince Rui’s tapping finger paused. He said carelessly, “It’s about this Prince’s lifelong happiness.”

“What?” Upon hearing this, the Emperor instinctively froze. Before he could understand, he heard Prince Rui’s flat voice.

“My royal brother has long hoped that I would settle down. During this visit to Ming Qi, he instructed me to bring back a Princess Consort. This Prince agrees.”

This time, the Emperor understood. Prince Rui wanted to find a woman in Ming Qi? But why? The Emperor instinctively felt something strange, suspecting a plot, but he couldn’t show it. He immediately displayed a magnanimous smile and said, “I see. It’s nothing. Even heroes have difficulty passing the beauty barrier. Prince Rui is a talented young man who naturally deserves a beautiful wife to form an unparalleled couple. But I wonder which family’s daughter has caught Prince Rui’s eye?”

Prince Rui stared at him, his beautiful phoenix eyes suddenly blooming with sparks of amusement. The Emperor was taken aback, and then heard the young man speak quietly.

“The Shen family, Shen Miao.”

The Emperor could no longer smile.

His heart trembled with fury, and he wished he could have Prince Rui dragged out and beheaded, but he couldn’t. He could no longer maintain the friendly smile on his face, and his expression became extremely rigid.

He asked with a dry throat, “Who did you say?”

“The legitimate daughter of the Mighty General,” Prince Rui said. “Doesn’t Your Majesty remember? Didn’t the Crown Prince want to take her as a secondary consort a while ago?”

Such bullying and outrageous behavior!

Many thoughts flashed through the Emperor’s mind, but in the end, he couldn’t control his urge to laugh coldly.

This Prince Rui, appearing lazy and indifferent, seemingly unconcerned about anything, not even caring about the alliance between Ming Qi and Qin, doing his own thing every day, turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, with a backup plan!

What was he marrying? The legitimate daughter of the Mighty General? Was he marrying Shen Miao, or the military power of the Shen family?

The Emperor knew that for Da Liang, the military power of the Shen family might not mean much; Da Liang already had many outstanding generals. But for Ming Qi, most of the excellent generals had been dispersed by him in earlier years. Now the Xie family was also in decline, and only the Shen family remained to support Ming Qi’s prestige. Without the Shen family, Ming Qi would be like a tiger without claws. When facing Da Liang again, they might not even be able to struggle before being completely devoured.

What a Prince Rui! What a Da Liang!

The Emperor forced a smile and said, “Prince Rui has good taste. However, General Shen is known to cherish his daughter. If Prince Rui insists on marrying Shen Miao, General Shen may be reluctant to let his young daughter marry far away to Da Liang.”

“What’s so difficult about that?” Prince Rui toyed with the ring on his hand and said casually, “If General Shen is unwilling, can’t Your Majesty issue an imperial decree?”

The Emperor was stunned.

Prince Rui’s words continued to reach his ears: “Da Liang and Ming Qi are still friendly at present. Surely Your Majesty won’t deny this Prince even this favor?” He stretched lazily and said flatly, “If so, this Prince should also report back to my royal brother about the matter of the cities.”

The Emperor had lived his entire life and finally understood what it meant to “tremble with rage.”

The Shen family was a fat piece of meat, and Prince Rui was not only trying to seize it but also wanted the owner to offer it up with both hands.

If he issued an imperial decree, even if Shen Xin stayed loyal to Ming Qi in the future, he would harbor resentment. It was the Emperor who had issued the decree forcing Shen Miao to marry far away!

If he refused to issue the decree… The Emperor glanced at the man opposite him. With the mask, he couldn’t see his expression clearly, but he felt that beneath the man’s indolent and casual exterior lay extremely formidable methods. With the alliance between Ming Qi and Qin in a precarious state, rashly confronting Da Liang would not be wise.

Prince Rui had presented him with a difficult problem, one without a solution. No matter what answer he gave, he would lose.

The man’s gaze fell on the Emperor, like a cat toying with a mouse in its claws, asking lazily and slowly, “Has Your Majesty decided?”

The Emperor held his breath. Since his ascension to the throne, he had handled countless thorny issues, but none had made him feel as stifled as this one. Had anyone ever dared to be so disrespectful and unrestrained toward him?

For the first time in his life, the Emperor began to regret not having supported the great clans in his quest to centralize military power. If Ming Qi had a few more fierce generals like Shen Xin, would they still have to bow and scrape before Da Liang as they did now?

But where was there a medicine for regret in this world?

Seeing that he didn’t answer, Prince Rui smiled, stood up, and said, “This Prince understands.” He made to leave.

“Wait!” the Emperor called out to him.

Prince Rui stopped and smiled, “Has Your Majesty decided? The word of an emperor carries immense weight.”

“Ming Qi and Da Liang are on good terms, and I naturally want to fulfill others’ wishes.” The Emperor’s smile was more difficult than crying. He said, “If the young lady of the Shen family marries Prince Rui, it would be her good fortune. I am happy to see it happen. Rest assured, I will draft the decree today and issue it in court in a few days.” After a pause, he said with extreme difficulty, “Regarding the matter of the cities…”

“Let’s consider it a gift to Your Majesty,” Prince Rui smiled and left in good spirits.

After Prince Rui left, the Emperor collapsed into his chair. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, but his face was flushed bright red.

Anger, shame, humiliation, and resentment were intertwined vividly on his face. Yet he was powerless to change any of it.

This was perhaps the most embarrassing thing in the world—being the ruler of a country, the true son of heaven, yet having to admit one’s helplessness.

Imperial Eunuch Gao beside him didn’t dare breathe a word, having witnessed the ruler being forced into such a predicament. As a servant, he naturally felt anxious and fearful.

“Bring me my writing tools,” the Emperor said after a moment of stillness.

Imperial Eunuch Gao hurriedly complied.

The Emperor’s gaze was heavy. Although Prince Rui had said the matter of the cities would not be mentioned for now, that was only a temporary peace bought with the Shen family marriage. How long this peace would last, no one knew. Most importantly, after Shen Miao married Prince Rui, although Shen Xin would still be a subject of Ming Qi, the Emperor would no longer dare to trust him.

Previously, although he had suppressed Shen Xin, it was out of fear that Shen Xin’s achievements might overshadow the ruler. But the Mighty General’s family had been loyal for generations, and the Emperor still believed in Shen Xin’s loyalty. However, with his daughter in Da Liang, if Da Liang used Shen Miao as leverage to threaten Shen Xin, who knew what Shen Xin might do?

Shen Xin as a chess piece was now wasted, and Ming Qi’s situation would become even more difficult. To guard against Da Liang, Ming Qi must quickly restore its alliance with Qin. Only with the two countries working together could they somewhat resist Da Liang.

Qin was still angry with Ming Qi over the matters of Huang Fu Hao and Princess Ming’an, so Ming Qi had to show sincerity.

The Crown Prince must die.

The Emperor closed his eyes briefly.

…

To everyone’s surprise, the Emperor’s conviction of the Crown Prince came quickly and urgently, almost not giving people time to think clearly. The Crown Prince committed suicide in prison.

Whether it was suicide, discerning people could see. It was just to preserve the Crown Prince’s reputation. After all, a Crown Prince couldn’t end up like a common prisoner, beheaded in front of the masses, especially for the crime of assassinating another country’s Crown Prince. If that happened, the prestige of the Ming Qi royal family would be nonexistent the next day.

The common people might be easily fooled, but officials well-versed in such matters knew better. Who could tell if the Crown Prince committed suicide? The royal family always liked to create a presentable excuse, even if the truth was dirty and unseemly.

When the news of the Crown Prince’s suicide spread, the Empress made a scene, then fell seriously ill. She remained in Kunning Palace without stepping out, taking care of her health.

The consorts in the palace, however, were all cautious. How had the Empress fallen so ill? It was simply because the Crown Prince had fallen, and with him gone, the Empress had no support for the latter half of her life. It was uncertain whether she could even maintain her position. Having lost her beloved son, the Empress would likely harbor resentment toward the Emperor, and the Emperor would naturally be on guard against her. Whether she was confined to her quarters due to illness or under house arrest, only they knew.

If the Empress also fell, who would be the next mistress of the Six Palaces? Looking around, Imperial Consort Xu seemed to have the best chance. The Emperor favored her, and she had two imperial sons. Prince Zhou and Prince Jing fought Prince Li’s faction fiercely, but Prince Li lacked a favored mother as a consort.

Prince Zhou and Prince Jing had all the advantages of timing, location, and human support.

Therefore, the consorts were all treading carefully. At this juncture, they couldn’t afford to give others something to use against them. If they inadvertently became someone’s pawn, it would be disastrous.

In the matter of Huang Fu Hao, besides the Crown Prince and the Empress being implicated, others involved were also affected. The most severely affected was the External Official Wang’s household.

It was the Wang family’s young master who had proposed going to the perfume shop, bringing his wife along. Who would have thought that Huang Fu Hao would bleed to death at Yi Feng Pavilion? Wang Bi and Shen Dongling certainly couldn’t escape punishment.

However, that wasn’t what sealed their fate.

Someone privately reported that the External Official was secretly engaged in smuggling salt. Salt smuggling was a serious crime that would implicate the entire Wang household. Wang Bi and Shen Dongling were sentenced to beheading. The other males of the Wang family were exiled, and the females were sent to the border as military prostitutes.

The Emperor’s actions made it clear to astute observers that he was in a particularly foul mood, as if he had been provoked and was deliberately taking out his anger on someone. However, the thoughts of rulers had always been unfathomable. Although the court officials were puzzled, they simply carried out their orders.

Shen Miao listened to Jingzhe talk about recent events while drinking tea. Beside her, Luo Tan kept stuffing snowflake candies into her mouth.

The snowflake candy had been brought in by Cong Yang, who said it was made by a famous pastry chef from Da Liang, and only the Da Liang royal family could eat it throughout the land. Shen Miao hadn’t noticed, but Luo Tan had discovered it. After tasting it once, she was delighted and asked Shen Miao where she had bought it. Shen Miao could only stammer and make excuses.

“The Qin Crown Prince’s affair has caused quite a stir,” Luo Tan said while eating. “So many people sacrificed for him, and even a Crown Prince wasn’t enough.” Toward the end, her voice grew quieter, as if afraid of eavesdroppers.

Shen Miao smiled slightly without commenting, but in her heart, she was shocked by the Emperor’s ruthlessness.

Indeed, like father, like son. Back then, Fu Xiuyi, to eradicate the Shen family and leave no future troubles, disregarded the lives of Fu Ming and Wanyu. At that time, she wondered how there could be such heartless people in the world. Now it seemed that Fu Xiuyi’s actions were quite similar to the Emperor’s.

In the eyes of the Fu family, kinship, love, or friendship were all unreliable. Only the throne and power were worth pursuing for a lifetime. For the sake of securing this position, sacrificing a son meant nothing—after all, other women would bear more children for them.

This was perhaps the innate lack of loyalty in the Fu family’s nature.

Luo Tan looked at the few remaining snowflake candies on the plate and counted on her fingers: “Aunt and Uncle have had some, Cousin Qiu has also had some, only Brother Ling hasn’t tried them. Let’s save these for him, shall we?” She looked at Shen Miao.

Shen Miao wouldn’t haggle over a piece of food, so she nodded.

“If only you could remember where you bought these snowflake candies,” Luo Tan sighed, quite regretful. “I’ve eaten pastries from all over Xiao Chun City, and I’ve tried almost all the pastries in Ding Jing, but this is the first time I’ve tasted such delicious snowflake candy. Even though you can’t remember, I plan to ask around tomorrow. I must find this shop.”

Shen Miao remained silent. This was made by Da Liang’s imperial chef. Even if Luo Tan turned the entire Ding Jing upside down, she probably wouldn’t find this “shop.” Shen Miao somewhat regretted saying “shop”—she should have said it was just a random vendor.

Luo Tan continued, “Brother Ling also likes pastries. He’ll certainly like this.” Then, remembering something, she said, “But Brother Ling has been a bit strange lately.”

Shen Miao asked, “How so?” Her daily concerns were not focused on this, so she truly didn’t know what changes Luo Ling had undergone.

“Apart from going to the Ministry of War, he doesn’t come out much after returning to the residence, just practicing martial arts in the courtyard,” Luo Tan said, resting her chin on her hand. “Brother Ling wasn’t usually so strict with himself. And these days when I talk to him, he seems low-spirited, as if he’s suffered some blow.” Luo Tan looked at Shen Miao. “Little cousin, you’re clever. Do you know what’s wrong with him?”

Shen Miao said, “I don’t follow him around all the time. How would I know what he’s thinking?” Seeing Luo Tan’s worried expression, she comforted her, “Don’t worry. It’s probably because the Ministry of War is busy as the New Year approaches. It’ll get better after this period.”

Luo Tan nodded. Just then, they saw Shen Qiu and Luo Ling enter one after another. Seeing them both in the main hall, Luo Tan called out, “Cousin Qiu, Brother Ling, come and have some snowflake candy!”

Luo Ling entered the room, first glancing at Shen Miao. Shen Miao was smiling at Shen Qiu, causing Luo Ling’s eyes to darken as he walked to the side and sat down.

Shen Qiu unceremoniously grabbed a piece of snowflake candy and stuffed it into his mouth, asking, “Why are you all free today?”

As Luo Tan was bantering with Shen Qiu, they heard a servant announce from outside that Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan had returned.

Shen Qiu said, “Perfect timing. Father and Mother are back. It’s time for us to eat.”

Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan walked in from outside. This time, even the usually carefree Luo Tan noticed something was wrong.

Shen Xin’s face was ashen, his expression extremely unpleasant. Luo Xueyan also appeared very angry. Usually, even if there were unpleasant matters outside, Shen Xin and his wife wouldn’t show them in front of the children. Moreover, they were both naturally open-minded, and few things could anger them.

But today, they appeared furious.

The servant beside Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan didn’t dare breathe a word, lowering his head as he retreated.

Since Luo Tan and Luo Ling were relatives, although they were curious, they didn’t feel it was appropriate to ask. Shen Qiu wanted to inquire, but seeing his father’s expression that seemed to threaten death to anyone who asked, he hesitated and dared not speak.

In the end, it was Shen Miao who took the initiative. Looking at Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan, she smiled and asked, “Father, Mother, why do you look so unhappy? Did something unpleasant happen outside?”

As soon as Shen Miao spoke, Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan looked at her simultaneously. Shen Xin’s gaze was a mix of regret, anger, and frustration, while Luo Xueyan’s eyes were filled with deep guilt and helplessness.

Shen Miao’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly understood. For Shen Xin and his wife to display such expressions, the matter likely concerned her.

Luo Xueyan took a deep breath and smiled, saying, “It’s nothing, just some matters at court. Jiaojiao, are you hungry? Let’s eat first.”

But her smile was so forced that even Luo Tan’s expression became solemn.

What kind of issue was so severe that the always cheerful and fearless Shen Xin and his wife had to conceal it? Had the matter become this thorny?

Shen Miao didn’t speak, neither answering “good” nor “not good,” only looking at Shen Xin and his wife. Her posture made it clear that she demanded an explanation; she didn’t believe Luo Xueyan’s excuse at all.

Shen Qiu experienced a moment of déjà vu, as if seeing the Shen Miao from a few years ago. Back then, Shen Miao was still spoiled, not as close to them as she was now, and was very close to the Second and Third Branches. Whenever she asked Shen Xin for something, she would stand before them without saying a word, incredibly stubborn.

In fact, from then until now, though Shen Miao seemed to have changed a lot, some habits in her bones remained unchanged.

Shen Xin said, “Jiaojiao, be good.” He rarely had moments of sternness with Shen Miao. Such severity would have made the old Shen Miao cry.

Luo Ling looked at her with some concern.

Shen Miao’s expression remained unchanged, still appearing calm. She said, “Why won’t Father and Mother tell me the truth? If I can’t solve it, at least I can share the burden. If I can solve it, isn’t that better? Keeping things to yourselves makes us seem distant. I’m not a child anymore. Like Big Brother, I am also a member of the Shen family.”

Shen Xin’s lips moved, but he still didn’t speak.

Shen Miao looked at him, her eyes as clear as stream water. Under such a gaze, it became impossible not to tell her the truth. She said, “Besides, this matter concerns me, doesn’t it?”

Luo Xueyan was suddenly startled. Luo Tan and Luo Ling looked at Shen Miao in surprise, and Shen Qiu also wore a puzzled expression.

Hearing this, Shen Xin stared at Shen Miao for a while, finally letting out a deep sigh and smiling bitterly, saying, “Today at court, the Emperor issued an imperial decree.”

“Bestowing marriage upon you,” he said with difficulty, “with Prince Rui.”