The day Shen Xin left the palace to return home, Shen Miao personally went to meet him beneath the city wall outside the palace gate.

The other members of the Shen family were naturally dissatisfied with this outcome, especially Old Madam Shen, who had thought Shen Xin would be in serious trouble, but never expected that ultimately his life would be spared. However, after hearing Shen Gui explain what the confiscation of military authority meant, Old Madam Shen became happy again.

Shen Xin, with his military authority confiscated, would at least no longer be able to compare with Shen Gui and Shen Wan in terms of official career and influence. Old Madam Shen was short-sighted and didn’t realize that the Shen family was one entity—when outsiders looked at the Shen family, they naturally looked at Shen Xin’s reputation. With Shen Xin’s reputation damaged, how could the Shen family maintain its former prestige?

But Old Madam Shen probably didn’t care. In her heart, her sons Shen Gui and Shen Wan were many times stronger than Shen Xin. If the Old General hadn’t been biased in the past, how could Shen Xin have achieved so much? Now that Shen Xin was approaching decline, it was not a bad idea to take this opportunity to expel Shen Xin’s branch from the Shen family.

But how to divide the family was also a delicate matter.

In the Shen residence, Old Madam Shen was planning to divide the family, but Shen Miao didn’t take it to heart at all. At this point, they still had to proceed according to her previous plan. The Emperor taking back military authority was one thing—without military power, the Shen family was indeed no longer formidable. If they continued to stay here, with the Shen family having many enemies, Shen Xin’s branch would eventually be pushed into a corner.

They still needed to retreat.

For no reason, Shen Miao thought of Xie Jingxing’s warning that day. This word “retreat” was indeed the only way out for the Shen family. He had seen the key point at a glance.

The carriage stopped in a corner of the palace wall to avoid being seen. Those who kick people when they’re down, colleagues who disagreed with Shen Xin politically, and those who enjoyed watching spectacles might very well be waiting at the palace gate. Shen Miao knew better than anyone what the Fu family was like—while putting on a show of magnanimity, they would secretly ensure that their opponents suffered. With Shen Xin’s illustrious reputation, now stripped of his tiger tally as he exited the palace gate, many people would surely be pleased to see him in such a wretched state.

In her previous life, Shen Miao had suffered many humiliations and had completely lost face in Mingqi. She could endure humiliation herself but couldn’t bear to see her family treated this way. The only solution was to park the carriage here and wait for Shen Xin to come out so she could pick them up.

Just as she was thinking, she heard Moqing call out from outside, “Stop!” A gust of wind rushed in, and before Shen Miao could react, the carriage curtain was lifted, and suddenly another person appeared in the spacious carriage.

Guyu was so frightened that she let out a startled “ah,” which was promptly covered by Jingzhe’s hand. Moqing’s somewhat flustered voice sounded, “Young Miss?”

Shen Miao looked at the person opposite her.

On the carriage seat, the young man wore a deep red official robe. His peach blossom eyes were filled with charm, his thin lips slightly curved upward. Though his court attire should have appeared solemn and upright, he somehow made it look beautiful and noble, making it impossible to look away.

“Moqing, stand down,” Shen Miao ordered in a low voice.

“But—” Moqing’s voice tensed beyond the carriage curtain. The man’s movements had been too fast for him to intercept, and allowing a stranger to be alone with Shen Miao in a carriage was unacceptable.

“You can’t beat him,” Shen Miao calmly said to the outside, then looked at Jingzhe and Guyu. “You two go out as well. Guard the carriage.”

Jingzhe and Guyu had met Xie Jingxing before and knew that he and Shen Miao had some kind of relationship, though exactly what kind was unclear. To call it intimate, the two would occasionally be at odds with each other; to call them enemies, Shen Miao wouldn’t be so accommodating to an enemy.

After several experiences, Jingzhe and Guyu also presumed that Xie Jingxing wouldn’t harm Shen Miao. Since Shen Miao so boldly allowed Xie Jingxing to stay in the carriage, she must have been certain of this. So Jingzhe and Guyu didn’t say anything and left the carriage as instructed.

In an instant, only Xie Jingxing and Shen Miao remained in the carriage.

“I heard that yesterday at court, the Marquis of Lin’an spoke up to help. Thank you, Young Marquis,” Shen Miao said.

Xie Ding had helped Su Yu impeach Shen Xin—on the surface, it was an impeachment, but in reality, it gave Shen Xin a way out. Others might not have seen it, but Shen Miao believed that a crafty old fox like Xie Jingxing couldn’t have missed it.

Sure enough, when she spoke these half-true, half-false words, Xie Jingxing raised his lips in a smile, lazily leaning back with his arms slightly relaxed, and said, “That was the Marquis of Lin’an’s idea; it had nothing to do with me.”

“Oh,” Shen Miao looked at him with a smile, “Then did the Young Marquis invite himself onto my carriage just to hear me say thank you?” She deliberately emphasized the words “my carriage,” clearly irritated by Xie Jingxing’s habit of appearing uninvited.

Xie Jingxing stared at her and said, “You plan to have Shen Xin retreat to the northwest to the Luo family?”

Shen Miao’s heart skipped a beat as she looked at Xie Jingxing without speaking.

That was indeed her plan. Xie Jingxing had pointed her toward a path of “retreat,” but she didn’t want to retreat passively. This game of Mingqi—she hadn’t played it to the end yet, how could she lose the initiative now? Her ambition, her revenge had not yet begun, and to be suppressed now was unacceptable.

Having military authority confiscated wasn’t a big deal. What Shen Xin’s branch valued most wasn’t the tiger tally that the Fu family thought, but rather their ability to lead troops in battle. If they could lead one Shen family army, they could surely lead another. And among the recently confiscated military forces, the Shen family army had already been infiltrated by Shen Yuan’s people, who were also Fu Xiuyi’s people. Leading such an army, constantly wary of someone stabbing them in the back, would be too exhausting.

Unless they led another clean and fresh army. Starting anew—the Shen family’s military authority was gone, but Luo Xuenian’s natal family, the Luo family, still had some. It was just that the Luo family’s army had never been as powerful as the Shen family’s, and because they were fixed in border defense without sophisticated tactics, they hadn’t attracted much attention.

Shen Miao was planning to use the Luo family. She wanted to turn the Luo family into another Shen family army, as a trump card she kept in hand—a trump card no one knew about. Wasn’t the Fu family constantly worried that Shen Xin would rely on his military power to rebel? She would show the Fu family what rebellion looked like!

But these secret thoughts were completely exposed under Xie Jingxing’s piercing gaze. The momentary panic of having her thoughts read caused a flash of awkwardness to cross Shen Miao’s face.

If Xie Jingxing knew her thoughts… this person, who would leave a brilliant and tragic mark as a hero in Mingqi’s history books, what would he do? Blackmail her? Expose her? Or kill her?

But there probably wouldn’t be an opportunity for that. Shen Miao was no ordinary person—she had survived the most difficult times in her previous life and had been utterly humiliated in Mingqi. Even if momentarily startled, she could quickly suppress her emotions. She thought that Xie Jingxing was about to depart for the northern border, and on this northern border expedition, if she followed the path of her previous life, Xie Jingxing would die. He would meet the end of being pierced by ten thousand arrows. The ten-day deadline was approaching, and no matter how the hand of fate might turn things around, no matter how connected and cunning Xie Jingxing might be, he ultimately couldn’t escape that fate.

Shen Miao raised her eyes to look at Xie Jingxing.

Xie Jingxing was truly handsome. In her previous life, Shen Miao had seen many talented and handsome young men after entering the palace, but even Fu Xiuyi, whom she had once yearned for, didn’t have such grace. Slanting eyebrows extending into his temples, a high straight nose, thin curved lips that were quite red—his smile always seemed to have a hint of wickedness. He was handsome to the point of domination. Though his features were hard and cold, he had been born with a pair of dark, bright peach blossom eyes that, when looking at people, seemed both passionate and indifferent, giving a misleading impression of gentleness.

But what kind of black heart this person had beneath his cynical and arrogant exterior, only he himself knew.

Xie Jingxing was still a young man now, naturally possessing a young man’s handsome vigor, but today, wearing the dark red court robes made him appear somewhat more mature. When Fu Ming once read a passage of Mingqi history about the Xie family, he sighed, “A talented youth, a figure for the ages, dying young—the sorrow of Mingqi is evident.” This showed how highly Xie Jingxing was regarded.

Shen Miao had only truly noticed Xie Jingxing after she became the Empress, and had only seen him from afar at palace banquets, vaguely remembering him as a very handsome young man, though Fu Xiuyi’s attitude toward him had not been particularly warm. Now, this Xie Jingxing was still a green youth—who could imagine that this handsome, charming young man smiling before her would, before long, lose his life on the battlefield?

A hint of pity appeared in Shen Miao’s gaze. Living a second life, she was not a kind-hearted person, but for someone whom both Fu Ming and Princess Wanyu had praised, she did feel some appreciation.

Her expression changing unpredictably, alternating between wariness and sympathy, puzzled Xie Jingxing. Suddenly, he remembered that when he first saw Shen Miao at the entrance of Guangwen Hall, she had also looked at him with such a pitying expression. Thoughtfully, Xie Jingxing asked, “Do you pity me?”

This person was even better at reading expressions than she was! Shen Miao thought secretly, but on the surface, she put on a smile and said, “How could I be in a position to pity others?”

Xie Jingxing calmly responded with a “hmm,” seeming to think her words made sense. But then he suddenly reached out and lifted the carriage curtain.

This location was in a secluded area, where no one would pass by. Lifting a corner of the carriage curtain provided a clear view of the high palace walls.

Shen Miao’s gaze became somewhat distant.

She had lived in this deep palace for so many years. Even in this second life, she still couldn’t escape this fate. But she didn’t regret it. What was the purpose of living? The dead could not come back to life—living, naturally, was for revenge.

Shen Miao looked intently, as if trying to engrave every brick of the palace wall into her memory. Seeing this, Xie Jingxing raised his lips and said, “Do you want to live in there?”

Shen Miao was slightly startled.

“If you want to live in there, I can help you,” Xie Jingxing said, his tone somewhat mysterious, though his smile seemed to hide something deeper. “Then, how would you thank me?”

“If the Young Marquis could burn down this palace with one torch, I might be eternally grateful to you,” Shen Miao replied.

Xie Jingxing unexpectedly raised his eyebrows: “I thought you wanted to become a noble lady.”

“I do want to be a noble lady,” Shen Miao turned her head, looking at him with a sarcastic smile. “But not the kind of noble lady you’re referring to. I want to be a noble lady more noble than noble ladies.”

“You want to be the Empress?”

Empress? Shen Miao’s eyes became slightly dazed. She had once worn imperial robes, with phoenix hairpins adorning her head. At the coronation ceremony of Emperor and Empress, she had been resplendent, with ministers kneeling in obeisance, citizens cheering—the mother of the nation.

At that time, she thought she had everything she wanted.

But now she saw that the higher you climb, the harder you fall. Being Empress was merely an empty title.

“Being Empress is simple,” Xie Jingxing said lightly, “But being Emperor is difficult.”

In the changing political landscape of Mingqi, with nine princes each having their strengths, even the Crown Prince’s position wasn’t secure. Who knew in whose hands the imperial seal would eventually end up? When great families married their daughters to princes, weren’t they also taking a gamble, betting on a future?

Fortune favors the bold, and greed is human nature. “One general’s success, ten thousand bodies withered”—the victor becomes the king, the loser the bandit. If a woman chose the wrong man, she would naturally follow him to his fate.

Xie Jingxing carelessly asked, “Who have you chosen?”

He was asking which prince she had her eye on, which one she wanted to marry, which one she was supporting…

“Which one does the Young Marquis think has a future?” Shen Miao asked in return.

“Judging by their appearances, none of them have a future,” Xie Jingxing’s words were chilling to hear. “What will you do?”

“Then I’ll find someone who has a future.”

“What do you think of me then?” Xie Jingxing raised an eyebrow and asked. This question was probably meant to tease Shen Miao, not asked in complete seriousness.

“The Young Marquis has no future either,” Shen Miao said, looking at him seriously.

“…” Xie Jingxing was choked by Shen Miao’s words. Though not angry, he was somewhat displeased. He thought that all the women he had met adored him, and all the men feared him, but Shen Miao neither adored nor feared him, and was always pulling the tiger’s whiskers. Had he been too gentle with Shen Miao, making her think he was a good-tempered person?

“What exactly does the Young Marquis want to say? If you’ve finished speaking, please leave quickly,” Shen Miao was already impolitely dismissing him. “If someone sees us, it would cause misunderstandings.”

“Misunderstandings?” A smile flickered in Xie Jingxing’s eyes as he deliberately asked softly, “What misunderstandings?”

“A libertine taking advantage of a respectable young lady,” Shen Miao replied without blinking, her answer crisp and direct. She had figured it out—when it came to disregarding propriety and rules, Xie Jingxing simply had no shame.

Even Xie Jingxing, who had seen all kinds of beautiful women, was somewhat dazed by Shen Miao’s blunt statement. He coughed twice, sat up straight, and stopped teasing Shen Miao, saying only, “Retreat to the northwest, the sooner the better. The longer you delay, the worse it is for Shen Xin.”

Shen Miao raised her eyes to look at him, not expecting that Xie Jingxing would give her such a reminder. In any case, she didn’t want to oppose someone like Xie Jingxing. If Xie Jingxing harbored no hostility toward her, that was already very good.

“Thank you.”

Xie Jingxing said, “It would be best if Shen Xin could leave the capital before I depart.”

Shen Miao was somewhat helpless: “That would only work if it’s possible.” Not everyone had abilities like Xie Jingxing. Shen Miao always felt that the background Xie Jingxing relied on didn’t seem to be limited to the Marquis of Lin’an’s household, and might even surpass it. But within Mingqi, what force could be higher than the Marquis of Lin’an’s household besides the imperial family? And the imperial family and Xie Jingxing were now opposed to each other.

Shen Miao couldn’t figure it out.

Xie Jingxing paused, then suddenly lifted the carriage curtain and darted out. He came quickly and left just as quickly. Before Shen Miao could react, she heard someone calling from outside, “Madam, Master, Young Master!”

Shen Miao lifted the carriage curtain and saw Shen Xin, his wife, and Shen Qiu walking around the corner of the city gate, surprised to see Jingzhe and Guyu there. Shen Miao looked around again but couldn’t find any trace of Xie Jingxing. She thought to herself that this person was very alert, with excellent martial skills, appearing and disappearing mysteriously—he could be the ancestor of cat burglars.

Luo Xuenian saw Jingzhe and quickly walked over, just in time to see Shen Miao jumping down from the carriage.

After a few days apart, Shen Xin, his wife, and Shen Qiu all looked much more haggard. Shen Miao had seen this tactic of the imperial family before. Sometimes, when they hadn’t decided how to deal with someone, confinement could wear down one’s will more effectively. The Shen Xin family was all military people with strong wills, but having left Shen Miao alone in the residence would inevitably cause concern.

Luo Xuenian stepped forward to grab Shen Miao’s hand and examine her: “Jiaojiao, has anyone given you trouble these past few days?”

Shen Miao shook her head.

Luo Xuenian finally relaxed. Shen Qiu asked, “Sister, why didn’t you stay at home and instead come all the way here?”

“I heard that Father and Mother would return today. Fearing you might not have a carriage, I came to pick you up,” Shen Miao smiled.

Shen Xin moved his lips, wanting to say something, but ultimately didn’t. He knew that many people were watching the spectacle now, and Shen Miao’s gesture was meant to avoid public attention, which was indeed very thoughtful. But having promised to protect his wife and children, now stripped of his tiger tally, he couldn’t help feeling depressed.

He silently got into the carriage, and Luo Xuenian, not wanting Shen Miao to worry, also pulled her into the carriage. Jingzhe and the others sat in the carriage behind, leaving only Shen Miao’s family in the first carriage.

“Mother, what did His Majesty say?” Shen Miao asked.

Luo Xuenian hesitated, then smiled and said, “Nothing much. It was just a misunderstanding.”

Shen Miao said, “How could it be a misunderstanding when the tiger tally has been taken away?”

Shen Qiu was startled and instinctively looked toward Shen Xin. Having lost the tiger tally, Shen Xin should now be the angriest. Shen Qiu didn’t know where things had gone wrong. The only possibility was that there was a problem within the Shen family army; otherwise, who would know about the unauthorized massacre of a city?

“Losing the tiger tally isn’t such a big deal,” Luo Xuenian tried to comfort Shen Miao, afraid of making her feel insecure. “Without the tiger tally, we can still fight. Your father is still a general, and we’ll be the same as before.”

Shen Miao lowered her eyes. Shen Xin and Shen Qiu looked at her with concern. Shen Miao had been somewhat spoiled before, all because she had the Great General of Martial Valor as her support. Once that support was gone, it would be normal for this precious young lady to have trouble accepting it.

“Still fight?” Shen Miao said softly. “Fight with the front section people? Fight with kitchen soldiers?”

Luo Xuenian and Shen Qiu were momentarily stunned. These days, they had become accustomed to Shen Miao’s gentle and obedient demeanor. Suddenly hearing such sharp questioning, they could hardly believe it.

Shen Xin’s face, however, turned ashen. A general’s pride could not be trampled by anyone. Emperor Wenhui had spared his life but had given him a profound humiliation, which hurt Shen Xin more than killing him would have.

“Without the tiger tally, one can still fight, but His Majesty can easily dispatch a deputy general to oversee. Giving orders but having to watch someone’s face, commanding the three armies but having to borrow someone else’s tiger tally—isn’t the title of general just an empty shell?”

Shen Miao raised her head, her eyes crystal clear, as if she were discussing the most ordinary family matters.

But who had seen this aggressive Shen Miao before? Shen Qiu might have, but Shen Xin and Luo Xuenian certainly had not. Moreover, she was directly speaking about matters of the court.

Shen Xin clenched his fist but still comforted her: “Jiaojiao, Father will clear his name, and the Shen family army will eventually return to Father’s hands. Jiaojiao, your status won’t change in any way.”

Shen Xin had always spoken about his military achievements throughout his life. He believed that within Mingqi, except for Xie Ding, no one could match his bravery. A good blade doesn’t fear being hidden away—he would have his day to shine again.

“But how long will that take? By then, will the Shen family army, now incorporated into the Imperial Guard, still be loyal to Father? Even now, with Father still in command, there were traitors. Who can guarantee there won’t be more in the future?”

At these words, even Luo Xuenian’s expression became solemn. She asked, “Jiaojiao, who told you these things?”

Shen Miao knew that Shen Xin had lost his tiger tally and that the Shen family army had been incorporated into the Imperial Guard because this was common knowledge. But the matter of traitors in the Shen family army could not possibly have been heard from outside. Anyone who could tell Shen Miao such things must at least be someone well-versed in court affairs. Luo Xuenian feared that Shen Miao was being used by someone.

Shen Miao shook her head: “I’m not a fool. Things others don’t tell me, I don’t necessarily don’t know.”

Shen Qiu said, “Sister is very clever.” From the Prince Yu incident, Shen Qiu had seen Shen Miao’s capabilities. He knew that Shen Miao’s perspective wasn’t that of a sheltered young lady. She was remarkably ruthless yet clear-sighted.

With Shen Qiu also saying this, Shen Xin frowned and asked, “Jiaojiao, what exactly are you trying to say?”

“Since the Shen family army is no longer ours, let’s not have the Shen family army. Why not give it up?” Shen Miao’s words were shocking.

“Jiaojiao!” Luo Xuenian stopped her, but then, feeling her tone was too harsh, quickly softened it: “The Shen family army was raised by your father. Among them are countless confidants and comrades. To speak of giving up—how could it be so easy? These are battlefield bonds, this is impossible.”

“Then what does Father plan to do?” Shen Miao asked in return. “Continue to endure like this? Perhaps enduring might await a good opportunity, but if others press their advantage, in the end, nothing will be left.”

Shen Xin stared at Shen Miao as if he had never known his legitimate daughter, his face showing a thoughtful expression. He asked, “What does Jiaojiao think we should do?”

“If not the east, then the west,” Shen Miao’s bright eyes were startling. “Father can lead the Shen family army well, why can’t he lead other armies just as well?”

Shen Xin was first stunned, then laughed heartily while stroking Shen Miao’s head, as if her words had greatly cheered him up. He said, “You are a little girl who hasn’t grown up. In this world, where are there so many soldiers for someone to lead?” His words carried a hint of sadness toward the end.

The Shen family army was like a child Shen Xin had raised by hand. Now, the pain of having it taken away couldn’t be expressed in words.

Shen Miao smiled faintly: “Then, what about the Luo family?”

Shen Xin’s smile abruptly ceased. Luo Xuenian and Shen Qiu simultaneously thought of something, and their gazes immediately fell on Shen Miao.

Shen Miao said leisurely, “Doesn’t Grandfather still have a dispersed army? Although it can’t compare to the former Shen family army, it’s not small in number. If cultivated slowly, couldn’t it become the next Shen family army?”

Luo Xuenian’s natal family, the Luo family, was military, but one that was gradually declining. They did have troops, but later, with Shen Xin stationed in the northwest, those Luo family soldiers in Small Spring City had mostly laid down their arms and returned to civilian life. Though they still held the title of troops, they were receiving rations without performing duties. After so many years, they were no different from ordinary people.

“This won’t do.” The Shen family had been loyal to the country for so many years, and serving the monarch was instinctive. Shen Miao’s words could even be considered treasonous—raising one’s troops without the Emperor’s knowledge. Luo Xuenian said, “Jiaojiao, this is not a matter to be taken lightly.” She didn’t know how to explain to Shen Miao how wary the imperial family was of generals who amassed private military power. How could a young girl like Shen Miao understand?

But it was the usually quiet Shen Qiu who spoke up: “Sister wants to use the Luo family army to replace the Shen family army?”

“I wouldn’t call it replacement,” Shen Miao smiled gently. “It’s just that Father is still a general, he can’t be completely bare without anyone by his side. Followers are naturally needed, and if so, what’s the difference between the Shen family army and the Luo family army? With the Luo family army, there’s one more chip for self-protection, isn’t that good?”

She had framed somewhat rebellious words as self-protection, which sounded less alarming. Luo Xuenian felt that Shen Miao’s words today were truly incredible. Looking up, she saw Shen Xin with furrowed brows, seemingly seriously considering Shen Miao’s words, which made her even more worried.

Shen Xin looked at Shen Miao and deliberately guided the conversation: “What Jiaojiao says sounds good, but the Luo family army is far away in Small Spring City. How would we get there?”

“That would depend on Father’s decision,” Shen Miao smiled at him. “Perhaps Father could try telling His Majesty that you wish to retreat to the northwest, volunteering to guard Small Spring City, departing immediately.”

The three were stunned again.

Small Spring City was a small town on the northwestern border, a thousand mountains and rivers away from the capital. If Shen Xin were to make such a request, everyone would think it was because he had lost his tiger tally and was disillusioned. As for the Great General of Martial Valor’s reputation, it would gradually be submerged by history.

Shen Xin’s tiger eyes widened: “This is retreat, not acceptable!”

“Each generation has its talents”—biding one’s time was fine, but Shen Xin was no longer a green youth. He was already past forty. If he wasn’t reinstated for a long time, without a suitable opportunity to return, even if he trained the Luo family people well, he would still be stuck at the border. Unfulfilled ambitions, a hero in his twilight years—perhaps the most tragic thing in the world.

“Using retreat to advance—even military strategy speaks of this. What is Father afraid of?” Shen Miao was unyielding. Those eyes, which had always been clear and calm when facing them, showed a challenging look for the first time. “Afraid of never recovering? Afraid of retreating again and again until there’s nowhere to retreat? Or afraid that time is fleeting, and it will be hard to rise again?”

These questions made Shen Xin’s heart contract, and not just Shen Xin, Luo Xuenian, and Shen Qiu were also stunned. Shen Xin gazed at Shen Miao, suddenly realizing that this soft and delicate daughter had somehow inherited the tenacity and audacity in his bones.

“Besides,” Shen Miao laughed lightly, “Within two years, His Majesty will certainly recall Father to the capital. The day you enter the capital will be the day of your rise.”