In late spring, the grass grew tall and orioles flew about. After the drizzling rain, even the flowers had been beaten into moist red clusters. The entire small city was filled with spring’s unique fragrance, and it seemed that even the wind and sand had lessened somewhat.
Rainwater dripped from the eaves, forming small puddles on the bluestone slabs. Each clear droplet that splashed up seemed pitiful yet lovely. In the birdcage hanging from the beam, a yellow oriole chirped melodiously, its crisp calls mixing with the sound of rain, more beautiful than the finest music played by the best musicians.
At the end of the corridor, a teenage girl came running energetically. She wore a peach-pink embroidered long riding skirt, bright and adorable in color, but she was lifting the hem with both hands, rushing forward in such a hurry that she looked somewhat comical. With her wheat-colored skin, she appeared lively and mischievous, shouting as she ran: “Little cousin! Little cousin!”
“Sister, slow down!” the young man following behind her shouted. “The ground is slippery, be careful not to fall!”
No sooner had he spoken than the lively girl in front stumbled and nearly fell, but fortunately, she had some martial arts skills and stabilized herself with a light tap of her toes. She turned back angrily to complain to the young man: “Luo Qian, shut your crow’s mouth!”
Luo Qian stuck out his tongue. Behind him appeared two more tall figures, and a dissatisfied voice rang out: “Luo Tan, behaving like this, you’ll never find a husband.”
“Brother Sa!” Luo Tan anxiously stamped her foot. “If I can’t find a husband, I’ll just marry Cousin Qiu!”
Luo Qian snorted with laughter: “Cousin Qiu would never be interested in a tigress like you.”
“Luo Qian!” Luo Tan made a gesture as if to hit him.
“Alright, stop fooling around,” said the gentle young man walking last, with a smile. “Weren’t you going to visit cousin for a chat? Let’s go in.”
After their playful bickering, they went to the innermost courtyard where they saw Bailu and Shuangjiang moving flowers and plants outside. Seeing them, the maids quickly said: “Miss is waiting for you inside.”
Luo Tan lifted the door curtain with one hand and called out: “Little cousin!”
No incense had been lit in the room, but the maids had found several jasmine branches from somewhere, filling the entire room with a sweet floral fragrance. By the window sat a young girl dressed in a deep indigo cloud-patterned fine silk robe with a purple-tinted emerald-patterned skirt. Though the colors were very deep, they didn’t make her look old-fashioned; instead, they accentuated her skin, which was as translucent as congealed jade. Hearing the commotion, she slightly raised her head, revealing an exquisitely beautiful face.
Her eyes were bright and dark, her eyebrows gracefully connected, her lips red and teeth white, as intoxicating as a new moon. Strangely, though this girl’s appearance was extremely delicate, as if she were a morning glow reflected on snow, inspiring tenderness in people, her gentle eyes and smooth brows gave her a dignified air. She seemed like someone who could handle great pressure. Beneath that serene demeanor, if one looked carefully, there seemed to be a hardness completely at odds with her appearance. She was someone who appeared fragile but was very strong.
She turned her head slightly and smiled, her eyes bright and lively, making one’s heart tremble. It seemed that with just her casual smile, this simple study transformed into a carved jade palace, and she was the noble person sitting on the high seat, looking down at everyone with a faint gaze.
The group at the door was momentarily stunned. Even after seeing her many times, they would occasionally still be amazed by this girl’s unintentional grace. The saying about ethereal aura surrounding one’s gestures likely referred to this exact phenomenon.
After being dazed for a moment, Luo Tan was the first to react, dashing in with a flick of her hand, saying: “Little cousin, your dress looks so beautiful!”
Girls will be girls—no matter how mischievous and playful she usually was, her appreciation for beauty was just the same as others. Shen Miao smiled faintly: “If you like it, you can have the tailor make you one.”
Luo Tan pouted: “I couldn’t pull off this color; I can only envy you.” She looked Shen Miao up and down and sighed: “No wonder all the young gentlemen in Xiaochun City keep asking Brother Ling and the others about you. Little cousin, you’re growing more beautiful by the day.”
This was the seventy-first year of the Ming Qi dynasty. Two years had passed, and during that time, Shen Miao had been slowly growing up. Her face, which had contained some childish features, gradually showed more refined contours, and her cute features also became more delicate. Only her gentle temperament hadn’t changed; in fact, it had become even more serene. But the more serene she appeared, the deeper her all-encompassing magnanimity seemed to grow. Her presence on the streets made people turn their heads repeatedly. No wonder Luo Ling and Luo Sa’s brothers were secretly asking if Shen Miao was betrothed.
After all, though Xiaochun City had its beauties, one with such a unique and outstanding temperament was truly rare.
“Of course! Just look at whose little cousin she is,” Luo Qian proudly stepped forward, resting one hand on the desk in front of Shen Miao, and said: “Little cousin, did you know the Emperor sent more silver again?”
“Received rewards?” Shen Miao said while putting away the book on the table. Luo Qian had sharp eyes and noticed the book’s title. He asked curiously, “The Chronicles of Qin? Little cousin, why are you reading about Qin?”
“Just reading casually,” Shen Miao replied indifferently.
Luo Sa’s gaze flickered slightly. Luo Ling stared at Shen Miao and said softly: “Countless rewards in a year, and recently they’ve been too frequent. Little cousin, what do you think is the reason?”
He very naturally sought Shen Miao’s opinion, as if asking advice from a girl much younger than himself was nothing to be embarrassed about. Of course, the four young people in the room wouldn’t laugh at her. How capable Shen Miao was remained a question worth exploring. However, the four had tacitly agreed not to tell the Luo family elders about Shen Miao’s mysterious abilities, as if they firmly believed that even if Shen Miao had secrets, she would never harm the Luo family.
“When things deviate from the norm, there must be some scheme afoot,” Shen Miao said. “The Emperor is overly suspicious. If the Luo Army were to rise rapidly, he would suppress it discreetly. Yet these frequent rewards seem like public praise. This means he wants something, or he’s deliberately elevating the Luo Army’s status. As for what he wants, isn’t the Ming Qi tribute ceremony about to begin?”
Everyone was startled. Luo Tan rubbed her chin and said: “I believe so.”
“During the Ming Qi tribute, representatives from Qin and Great Liang will attend. Qin and Ming Qi are equally matched, while Great Liang is far superior to Ming Qi. The Emperor must be fearful,” Shen Miao said calmly. “Without the Shen Army, and with the Xie Army severely weakened, Ming Qi lacks a general to defend the nation. How can this be acceptable?”
“So the Emperor wants to elevate the Luo family to intimidate Qin and Liang?” Luo Tan answered quickly.
Shen Miao nodded.
“So that’s it!” Luo Qian said, looking at Shen Miao with admiration. Though they were the same age, Luo Qian always felt that Shen Miao seemed much older than him, even more mature and steady than Luo Ling. Shen Miao never hesitated to analyze court politics. Compared to the elders’ roundabout and complicated explanations, Shen Miao was much more ruthless and direct—elders would never say things like “the Emperor is overly suspicious.” The Luo family’s younger generation enjoyed spending time with Shen Miao and truly accepted her, naturally, because Shen Miao possessed something extremely attractive about her. Perhaps people from the capital were more knowledgeable than those from Xiaochun City; Shen Miao always seemed to know things they didn’t.
“This isn’t necessarily a good thing,” Luo Sa frowned. “The higher you’re raised, the harder you fall.”
“Indeed,” Shen Miao said. “But it’s also an opportunity.”
“What kind of opportunity does cousin think this is?” Luo Ling asked with a smile.
“The Luo Army has finally made some progress these past two years, and the Emperor intends to promote it. Although greater achievements bring greater danger, the Luo Army already has enough strength to avoid being bullied. The Luo Army, trained over the past two years, considers the Luo family its master, not the Emperor. This is the Luo family’s military force, not Ming Qi’s. The Emperor is elevating the people of the Luo family. As long as we maintain this distinction, it will be fine.”
“All under heaven belongs to the king, and all within the four seas are the king’s subjects”—yet Shen Miao had drawn a line between the Luo family and Ming Qi. If Luo Sui heard this, he would likely faint from anger. These treasonous words seemed like preparation for rebellion. But when the Luo family’s younger generation heard them, although surprised, they felt no anger.
Unlike their ancestors, the younger Luo generation was born when the family had already fallen from grace. The imperial court withheld funds and abandoned the Luo Army in a remote frontier region. The younger generation harbored resentment. With so many grievances, their loyalty to the Emperor had diminished.
After a moment of silence, a trace of wild enthusiasm appeared in Luo Sa’s eyes. He said: “Little cousin speaks extremely well.” His temperament was violent and impulsive, completely different from Luo Ling’s gentleness. He rarely praised anyone, so his compliment now clearly showed strong agreement with Shen Miao’s words.
Luo Ling was steadier, but though this was the case, he didn’t oppose her either.
Luo Qian and Luo Tan had lively personalities and felt an inexplicable trust in Shen Miao’s words, so they also didn’t say anything against them. Thus, regarding Emperor Wen Hui’s rewards, the Luo family’s younger generation had almost reached a consensus by default: it was a good thing, no need to dissuade.
“Speaking of which,” Luo Tan leaned on the table, looking at Shen Miao, “Little cousin is already sixteen now. Yesterday, one of my sisters asked me if you were betrothed yet, and if not, whether you might consider her brother. Little cousin, would you like to meet him?”
The customs in Xiaochun City were open and simple; if someone liked a girl, they could inquire through friends and relatives. Luo Qian said: “What nonsense are you talking? Little cousin is only sixteen, there’s no rush. You, on the other hand, are already eighteen. Why not worry about yourself?”
“What’s there for me to worry about?” Luo Tan tossed her hair. “Being as beautiful and clever as I am, I’ll have suitors even when I’m eighty. I’m just concerned about little cousin. She looks so fragile and delicate, with people always thinking about her—that’s not good. It would be better to find a good husband to protect her. Luo Qian, if you keep being so rough, I guarantee no girl will marry you!”
“Who says no girl will marry me?” Luo Qian argued. “If worse comes to worst, there’s always little cousin, right? Little cousin has a good heart. When the time comes, she would marry me to help me out, wouldn’t she?” He leaned forward with a flattering smile.
Luo Tan slapped his face away, saying: “Look in a mirror before you speak. If little cousin were to marry, my brothers Ling and Sa aren’t married yet. Who wouldn’t be better than you? Why don’t you ask brothers Ling and Sa if they would be willing to marry little cousin?”
The conversation had unwittingly turned to Luo Ling and Luo Sa. Luo Ling was startled, his face turning slightly red. Luo Sa also coughed lightly and turned his head away. The atmosphere suddenly became a bit awkward.
Luo Tan remained oblivious, smiling as she propped her chin up and asked: “Little cousin, tell us, what kind of man do you like? Handsome ones? Rich ones? Those skilled in martial arts? Those who can write poetry?”
Shen Miao looked at Luo Tan. Although the three men in the room each pretended to look elsewhere, their ears were perked up straight. Shen Miao said: “Someone who can defeat my brother in combat, I suppose.”
With a loud “clang,” Luo Qian slipped and fell, crying pitifully: “That’s impossible! Cousin Qiu’s martial arts are so good, who could be better than him?”
Coincidentally, while they were discussing Shen Miao’s potential suitor, others were also talking about Shen Miao’s marriage prospects.
In a small room, Madam Ma, Madam Yu, and Luo Xueyan were conversing. Unlike the Shen mansion in the capital, the sisters-in-law in the Luo family got along very well. Madam Yu was gentle, Madam Ma was spirited, and Luo Xueyan had a military personality—straightforward and efficient. These three women had been getting along extremely well during their two years together.
Madam Yu held an invitation card in her hand and said to Luo Xueyan: “This is from Madam Zhang in the city, inviting us to visit the Zhang mansion sometime.” She hesitated for a moment before adding: “And we should bring Jiaojiao along.”
Hearing this, Madam Ma laughed. She said, “I always said that Madam Zhang, relying on having a top scholar from her family, looks down on us military families. How could such a haughty person send us an invitation? It turns out she’s not interested in us at all, but in seeing Jiaojiao.” Madam Ma nudged Luo Xueyan with her elbow: “Sister-in-law, this Jiaojiao now has more face than even our father.”
As Shen Miao grew older and more beautiful, many families in Xiaochun City had come to inquire about her marriage prospects. Previously, people didn’t know what a girl from the capital would be like, and considering the earlier rumors, they feared she might be a willful young lady. Who would have thought that over the past two years, Shen Miao’s temperament had been steady and gentle, quite to the liking of those matrons compared to the restless young girls. Especially that generous and magnanimous air she carried, which made people couldn’t help but think that if Shen Miao became the lady of a household, she would certainly be able to manage it well. Additionally, Shen Miao was quite beautiful, and the Luo family was famous in Xiaochun City. With the Luo Army being revitalized these past two years, the Luo family had become an even more desirable match. People coming to propose marriage had almost worn down the Luo family’s threshold.
Speaking of this, Madam Ma continued with a mixture of jealousy and admiration: “One daughter, a hundred suitors—that’s truly wonderful. Unlike our Tan, such a big girl is still fooling around all day. Forget about suitors, there isn’t even a matchmaker. Going on like this, will she remain an old maid at home?” Madam Ma had started out joking, but by the end, she genuinely began to worry.
Luo Xueyan consoled her: “Tan’s lively personality is truly a good thing. There will be a suitable match eventually; sister-in-law, why rush? As for Jiaojiao, she’s only sixteen, yet she seems more profound than a sixty-year-old woman. This temperament doesn’t resemble me or her father. I wonder whom she takes after.”
“Sister-in-law, what are you worrying about?” Madam Ma couldn’t help but laugh. “Girls like Jiaojiao are rare nowadays. Look at her bearing—when she sits down, who wouldn’t say she’s full of nobility? In my opinion, even the imperial consorts might not have such an air. So I’d say Jiaojiao’s dignity is innate.”
“Indeed,” Madam Yu also praised. “My sister-in-law and I have lived in Xiaochun City for so many years, and the elders of those noble families don’t have Jiaojiao’s dignity.”
Luo Xueyan shook her head and sighed. Being obedient and understanding was certainly good, but having such a serious temperament at such a young age also made her somewhat worried. Luo Xueyan would rather have Shen Miao be as cheerful as Luo Tan, looking animated—the proper liveliness of a young girl.
“Coming back to the topic,” Madam Yu said seriously, “Jiaojiao is now sixteen. If she doesn’t return to the capital, she will eventually marry. Does sister-in-law have any suitable candidates in mind? Before, Jiaojiao was too young, but now, at sixteen, she’s at the right age for marriage arrangements. Now that families in Xiaochun City all want to marry Jiaojiao, does sister-in-law not favor any of them?”
Luo Xueyan was startled. She had always been straightforward, and when she was with Shen Xin in the past, it was her bold initiative that led to their union. She had never experienced the normal process of having someone arrange viewings for potential matches, so she hadn’t thought about this matter. When she first heard Madam Yu bring it up, she was somewhat dumbfounded. After a moment, Luo Xueyan said: “This would have to depend on Jiaojiao’s wishes.”
“Would sister-in-law be willing to let a girl like Jiaojiao marry?” Madam Ma sighed. “She’s so intelligent and never causes trouble, with a lovable personality that makes one want to cherish her. If it were me, I certainly wouldn’t want her to marry out; I’d keep her for life.” Unlike the noble families in the capital, people in Xiaochun City didn’t believe that daughters should marry as early as possible. On the contrary, they felt that the longer a daughter stayed in the family, the more cherished she was. Madam Ma said: “Speaking of which, Ling and Sa are also of the age to take wives. Why not have Jiaojiao marry into our own family?” Madam Ma asked tentatively.
It was a sudden idea, but when Madam Yu heard it, her eyes lit up. For the first time, she who was always soft-spoken eagerly spoke up: “That would work! I see that both Ling and Sa quite like Jiaojiao, especially Sa. You all know that Sa usually can’t even be bothered to look at girls, but these past two years, he’s often visited Jiaojiao’s quarters. These cousins get along very well. I know my son, Sa, must like Jiaojiao in his heart.”
Luo Xueyan opened her mouth, but before she could speak, she saw Madam Yu shake her head again: “But Sa has an impulsive temperament and doesn’t know how to cherish people. If Jiaojiao were to marry him, I fear she might suffer grievances. That boy has a wooden brain. Ling is better; he has a gentle personality and is older. Just the other day, these cousins went out for a spring outing together. Speaking of which, many people have proposed matches for Ling these past few years, but Ling himself hasn’t liked any of them, and I couldn’t force him. Ling must also like Jiaojiao, otherwise, he wouldn’t seek her out to talk after coming back from military duties.”
While Madam Yu was talking to herself this way, Madam Ma became displeased and countered: “Elder sister-in-law, how can you calculate like this? By your logic, our Qian is also of similar age to Jiaojiao. They’re the same age and play well together. Although Qian’s temperament is a bit mischievous, he’s very attentive, and the friendship from playing together with Jiaojiao is the best. Also, our Tan and brother Qiu would make a good pair, wouldn’t they? In this way, we could strengthen our family ties!” After speaking, Madam Ma looked at Luo Xueyan: “Sister-in-law, what do you think?”
Luo Xueyan was speechless.
Two pairs of eager eyes looked at her. Luo Xueyan reluctantly said: “This would still depend on the children’s wishes.” She hadn’t expected Madam Yu and Madam Ma to have such thoughts. But upon careful consideration, Luo Xueyan didn’t find it disagreeable. Firstly, they were all family, and the Luo family’s younger generation all had impeccable character and good looks. This matched her preference: “The official position doesn’t need to be too high, the money doesn’t need to be too much, the most important thing is to be good to Shen Miao and hold her dear in his heart.” She had also been through the phase of a young girl with romantic feelings. Setting aside Shen Qiu’s side, among the Luo sons, Luo Ling was gentle, Luo Sa was brave, Luo Qian was cheerful, and most importantly, they were all kind-hearted. If Shen Miao were to be with any of them, her future days would be sweet, not bitter.
However, Luo Xueyan still needed to consider Shen Miao’s wishes. She didn’t know exactly what type of person Shen Miao liked. She had originally known that Shen Miao liked someone like Fu Xiuyi, but in the past two years, Shen Miao hadn’t mentioned Fu Xiuyi at all, which gradually reassured her. But with her daughter having such a reserved temperament, Luo Xueyan was also worried.
“Why don’t we find an opportunity to ask Jiaojiao’s opinion?” Madam Ma hurriedly said. “If Jiaojiao truly likes someone from our family, regardless of who it is, our Luo family would be burning incense for good fortune. We should arrange the marriage early. The sons would surely be clever, and the daughters beautiful.”
Luo Xueyan was somewhat embarrassed by her words and reproached: “Sister-in-law, how can the youngest marry first?”
Madam Ma waved her hand: “I’m just afraid someone else might get to Jiaojiao first.”
Just as they were laughing together, a servant suddenly appeared at the door to report: “Madam, a message has come from the palace. The General asks all the ladies to go to the front hall immediately.”
“Didn’t the palace people just leave? Are they sending rewards again?” Madam Ma asked casually as she stood up.
“It seems they want Master Shen to return to the capital,” the servant replied.
Luo Xueyan’s movement froze as she was rising.
The front hall of the Luo mansion was in chaos.
It wasn’t that the people in the hall were disorderly, but their hearts were in turmoil. Emperor Wen Hui’s imperial edict required Shen Xin to return to the capital with his family and reinstated the title of Great General of Might and Valor. It also mentioned returning the tiger tally of the Shen Army to Shen Xin.
Two years ago, Emperor Wen Hui had slapped Shen Xin in front of the entire court. Now he was making a grand gesture of offering a sweet deal. Whether Shen Xin would accept this sweetness was another matter.
Luo Sui sat in the high seat. Over the past two years, reorganizing the Luo Army had given him much to worry about, and the white hair at his temples had increased. However, his imposing manner had not diminished from his prime. Perhaps because he had regained his fighting spirit, he looked even more like a valiant military general. He said: “The Ming Qi tribute ceremony is about to begin. The Emperor wants you to return to the capital before the tribute ceremony starts.”
A century tribute occurred every hundred years for a dynasty. During the previous tribute under the current dynasty’s name, Qin almost took advantage of a loophole. The late Emperor had relied on the Xie and Shen families to barely get through it. Now, besides Qin, even Great Liang was coming.
If Qin merely made Ming Qi wary, then Great Liang was enough to make Ming Qi fearful. Great Liang was located in the south, with strong national power, powerful armies, and Emperor Yongle was a wise ruler. Unlike Ming Qi’s corrupt court, Great Liang’s court appointed people based on merit, with more loyal and righteous officials. If Great Liang had ambitions, swallowing Ming Qi would only be a matter of time. However, for some unknown reason, Emperor Yongle seemed to have no such intention all these years. Of course, there was another possibility: Emperor Yongle wanted to eliminate both Qin and Ming Qi together, unifying the world.
The world divides and then unites, unites and then divides. The days of Qin, Liang, and Qi coexisting would eventually come to an end. It was just a matter of when that day would arrive. Emperor Wen Hui didn’t want to see that day in his lifetime. But after Xie Jingxing’s death, Xie Ding had lost interest in government affairs. Only the Shen family remained, and they had been stripped of their tiger tally and sent to Xiaochun City.
Whether Emperor Wen Hui regretted his actions was unknown, but now he hoped Shen Xin could help maintain appearances. Especially since Shen Xin had helped Luo Sui reorganize the abandoned Luo Army, showcasing his excellent leadership abilities.
Emperor Wen Hui was making a statement: Ming Qi needed Shen Xin.
Appear when needed, quietly withdraw when not. Perhaps the previous Shen Xin had such awareness, but after experiencing the imperial family’s cold-heartedness, Shen Xin might not be so selfless anymore. A man would die for someone who knows his worth—could the Ming Qi imperial family be considered as such?
“You should go back,” Luo Sui said. “Shen Xin, take back everything you’ve lost. Show them what kind of man the Luo family’s son-in-law and the Shen family’s son is.”
Shen Miao suddenly looked up.
She had anticipated that Emperor Wen Hui would summon Shen Xin back to the capital after two years, and that the capital’s situation would undergo earth-shattering changes. But she hadn’t expected that the usually rigid and dignified General Luo would say such somewhat treasonous words.
She stared with slightly widened eyes. Seeing this expression, Luo Sui simply smiled, looked at her, and said: “Girl, you think the same way, don’t you? Am I right?”
The gazes of everyone in the hall fell on Shen Miao. Luo Lianying and Luo Liantai’s expressions flickered, but they ultimately said nothing.
Shen Miao sighed inwardly. Her little tricks could not fool an old general like Luo Sui, who had weathered many storms. Luo Sui had a pair of eyes that had seen through the world’s affairs. Perhaps from the very beginning, from the reorganization of the Luo Army, he had vaguely guessed her intentions.
She appreciated Luo Sui’s trust and support. It felt good to have family behind her. Shen Miao looked at Luo Sui and curved her lips slightly: “Yes, Grandfather.”
Luo Sui laughed heartily. Luo Ling looked at Shen Miao with a hint of a smile in his eyes. Luo Sa also tugged at the corners of his mouth. Luo Tan and Luo Qian looked at each other, appearing somewhat confused.
Luo Xueyan and Shen Qiu had complex expressions. After leaving the capital for two years, were they going back now?
Taking back what was lost—military power, prestige, titles, and dignity.
Let them see what true members of the Shen family were like. A tiger wouldn’t turn into a dog just because it had fallen off a cliff. A dragon hidden in water would one day soar in the nine heavens.
Shen Xin cupped his hands toward Luo Sui and said: “I heed the General’s instruction.”