Early the next morning, a special guest arrived at the Shen residence.

The visitor was none other than Feng Anning.

Since the previous incident when Shen Miao and Luo Tan were kidnapped, Feng Anning had indeed come to apologize in person. The Shen Xin couple were generous people, and besides, they couldn’t blame Feng Anning for what happened; they could only blame the kidnappers for their skillful methods. Although the Shen Xin couple expressed that there was no issue, and neither Shen Miao nor Luo Tan held it against her, Feng Anning still seemed deeply remorseful. Apart from occasionally sending small gifts every few days, she hadn’t visited again. Perhaps she felt too ashamed to face Shen Miao and Luo Tan. Luo Tan had sent invitations to Feng Anning, but she had politely declined them all.

They hadn’t expected her to take the initiative to visit today.

When Luo Tan heard that Feng Anning had arrived, she was overjoyed and pulled Shen Miao along to the front hall. In Jing Capital, besides Shen Miao, Feng Anning was Luo Tan’s only friend. One was fiery yet straightforward, the other was bold and uninhibited; they shared many interests. Because of the previous incident, Luo Tan hadn’t seen Feng Anning for a long time, so she was quite eager.

When they reached the main hall, they indeed saw Luo Xueyan talking with Feng Anning. Feng Anning was wearing a moon-white short jacket with a brocade skirt, her hair styled in a fallen horse bun, with pearl earrings and glass hairpins. She looked much more refined than usual. Luo Tan called out “Feng Anning” first and rushed over.

However, Shen Miao noticed that next to Feng Anning sat a young man in his early twenties. This young man had clear features, wore a raven-blue straight brocade robe that fit him well, and had a gentle demeanor, appearing very polite. Seeing Shen Miao looking at him, he nodded slightly to her, showing complete courtesy.

His features somewhat resembled Feng Anning’s.

Luo Tan also noticed there was another person and asked, “And this is…?”

Luo Xueyan was somewhat embarrassed; it was certainly improper to let two young ladies meet an unfamiliar man. But considering Feng Anning’s reason for coming today, she felt conflicted, unsure whether to be happy or worried.

Feng Anning took the initiative and said, “This is my elder brother.”

Shen Miao suddenly understood. Among the Feng family’s legitimate children, there were only Feng Anning and her elder brother Feng Zixian. This must be her elder brother Feng Zixian.

Feng Zixian stood up and cupped his hands to Shen Miao and Luo Tan. Shen Miao and Luo Tan quickly returned the gesture. Luo Tan looked confusedly at Feng Zixian, then at Feng Anning, and asked, “Anning, didn’t you come here today to play with us?”

If Feng Anning had come to see Shen Miao and Luo Tan, she wouldn’t have brought Feng Zixian along. This was quite puzzling. They didn’t understand what Feng Anning intended.

Feng Anning didn’t speak but looked at Feng Zixian. Feng Zixian’s face showed slight embarrassment, but he still spoke first: “I came today because I heard from Brother Shen Qiu of the Ministry of War that your family is currently seeking a son-in-law…  I boldly recommend myself. Please forgive my abruptness, young lady and madam.” After speaking, his face reddened slightly, and he turned his gaze away from Luo Tan’s inquiring look.

Luo Xueyan was somewhat embarrassed, but there was joy in her eyes. Luo Tan opened her mouth wide, seemingly not expecting this to be his intention. Shen Miao was startled, unsure of what to feel.

Feng Zixian’s words were quite bold. Typically, those who came to propose either sent a matchmaker to advocate or had their parents visit to observe and probe. It was rare for someone to come and speak for themselves. Although he had come to speak for himself, he had brought an elder with him, which didn’t violate etiquette. If word got out, no one would gossip about Shen Miao’s reputation. He seemed to be a person who understood the rules well.

Shen Miao didn’t speak, but Feng Anning took the initiative. She looked at Shen Miao; the usually proud and arrogant Feng Anning had now set aside her inherent pride, probably still feeling guilty about the previous incident. Her tone carried a tentative attempt to please. She said, “We’ve heard the rumors. Now the officials in the capital are all cautious, and marrying into the Eastern Palace might not be your best choice. Instead… instead, you could marry my elder brother. My brother is accomplished in both civil and military affairs, and his character is upright. If you marry into our family, I will help you too, looking after you in every way.”

Feng Anning had always been straightforward, and her words, though honest, showed genuine concern for Shen Miao. Luo Xueyan’s expression softened considerably. Shen Miao asked, “Do Madam Feng and Lord Feng know about this?”

Feng Anning hesitated for a moment but still said, “Initially, Father didn’t agree, but after our persuasion, he gave in to our wishes. My father may sound harsh, but he has a soft heart. He’s just stubborn verbally, but he’s very loyal. He certainly won’t obstruct this matter.”

Shen Miao didn’t doubt this point. Just looking at Feng Anning’s straightforward and guileless nature, she knew that Lord Feng was probably also someone who appeared clever but wasn’t so.

She looked at Feng Zixian again and asked, “Does Young Master Feng also feel sorry for me and want to extend a helping hand, so that’s why you want to marry me?”

With these words, everyone was stunned.

Luo Xueyan was surprised that Shen Miao, when facing such a major life event, showed no shyness or other emotions, handling it so calmly seemed quite strange. Feng Zixian was surprised that Shen Miao would ask such a direct question.

He quickly recovered and said, “My sister has mentioned you many times before. I admire your talents and temperament… this time, it’s just a fortunate coincidence, I dare not say I’m extending a helping hand.” After saying this, his face reddened even more.

Hearing this, Luo Tan burst into laughter with a “puchi” sound. Shen Miao felt somewhat helpless, wondering what Feng Anning had told Feng Zixian about her, for him to even mention “talents and temperament.”

Feng Anning looked anxiously at Shen Miao and asked, “My elder brother is better than the Crown Prince.”

Shen Miao almost laughed. If these words fell on others’ ears, they might accuse Feng Anning of great disrespect. But that Feng Anning could say this showed she truly cared about her. Shen Miao looked at Feng Zixian, who resembled Feng Anning somewhat, with clear eyes and an open demeanor, suggesting he was probably an upright person.

Shen Miao smiled and said, “Surely my marriage can’t be decided in just a few sentences. That would be unfair to me and Young Master Feng.”

Luo Xueyan listened to Shen Miao speak and had some thoughts. Shen Miao’s meaning was clearly that she had other ideas about her marriage. But as a mother, she didn’t know what Shen Miao’s exact intentions were. Shen Miao didn’t want to marry into the Eastern Palace, but she also didn’t seem interested in the promising young talents they had found. Luo Xueyan was anxious.

She had thought no one would dare oppose the royal family by proposing to the Shen residence, but unexpectedly, three had come: Luo Ling, Su Mingfeng, and Feng Zixian, any one of whom would be satisfactory. Yet Shen Miao didn’t seem particularly interested in any of them.

Feng Anning said, “But if you don’t hurry, there won’t be time!”

This was true. Who knew when the imperial edict would arrive? In the past, there would have been plenty of time for Shen Miao to think it through, but now, once the edict was issued, there would be no room for negotiation.

Shen Miao waved her hand, about to speak, when suddenly she saw Jingzhe running in anxiously from outside, urgently saying, “Miss, someone from the palace has come.”

Luo Xueyan’s face turned “swoosh” white.

Not wanting to let anyone discover the Feng siblings were here, Luo Xueyan took Shen Miao to the front hall to receive the message. After hearing what the small eunuch had to say, they learned it wasn’t an imperial edict, but rather a summons for Shen Miao to enter the palace alone tomorrow, as the Empress had something to tell her.

After the small eunuch left, Luo Xueyan’s expression turned very unpleasant. Although it wasn’t an imperial edict, it wasn’t much better. If Shen Miao entered the palace alone tomorrow and the matter of the imperial edict was brought up, then she would find it difficult to refuse by herself. Even if it wasn’t mentioned, who knew what intimidating words the Empress might say? Letting Shen Miao face the Empress alone was a malicious act.

Feng Anning and Feng Zixian were both concerned, but Shen Miao reassured them not to worry. After the Feng siblings left, Luo Tan asked, “Cousin, what do we do now? Should we settle your marriage in the next few days?”

“A marriage can’t be settled overnight. We still need to match birth charts, exchange horoscopes, invite matchmakers to go through the formalities, and there are many more things to do. We can’t finish before tomorrow,” Shen Miao said.

Luo Tan was stunned. “So there are so many things to do.” She then added, “Little cousin sure knows all about it.”

Shen Miao paused. Of course, she knew clearly because in her previous life, she had happily watched all these things completed one by one, only wishing to marry into the residence of the man she admired as soon as possible.

Little did she know it was a grave that devoured people without spitting out bones.

Luo Xueyan looked seriously at Shen Miao: “Jiaojiao, tell mother, who among these men do you like?”

“It’s not really about liking,” Shen Miao smiled. “Let’s pick the most suitable one. Mother, don’t worry too much. After I return from the palace tomorrow, we can make plans. Perhaps more suitable candidates will appear.”

Luo Xueyan was startled. Shen Miao always seemed indifferent to her marriage and appeared to have no expectations for her future husband, which made Luo Xueyan anxious. Even after Shen Miao left, she murmured to herself, “Could it be… that Jiaojiao still has lingering feelings for Ding Wang?”

Shen Miao knew nothing of Luo Xueyan’s thoughts. She had already prepared for the worst scenario, which was nothing more than mutual destruction with the royal family. She had the resolve to cut off her arm like a martyr, but she wasn’t sure if the Fu family was willing to sacrifice their reputation.

Even in the worst circumstances, one shouldn’t lose hope, right? She was still alive after all.

Thinking this way, she cast a deep glance at the window, finally feeling somewhat irritated. She instructed Guyu: “Close the window tight, I want to rest.”

…

The Crown Prince’s intention to take Shen Miao as his secondary consort had caused officials to avoid entangling with the Shen family. This news had spread widely and could be heard by officials, naturally reaching the ears of the princes as well.

At the Zhou Wang’s residence, the Silent Prince and Zhou Wang, two brothers, were discussing this matter at the table.

“After competing with Sixth Brother and others for so long, I never expected the Crown Prince to seize the opportunity,” Zhou Wang angrily drained his cup of wine. “The Crown Prince usually seems honest, but he’s turned clever now.”

The Silent Prince was more composed than his brother and shook his head: “I think this isn’t just the Crown Prince’s idea, but also has Father Emperor’s approval. Father has always been dissatisfied with us and the Li Wang faction. The Crown Prince is the legitimate heir after all. Father favors the Crown Prince and wants to give the Shen family’s military power to the Crown Prince as support.”

“Father has become senile,” Zhou Wang sneered. “They say capable people deserve more work, but the Crown Prince is such a weakling. Has he thought about how many years he can use the Shen family’s military power once he gets it? Perhaps he’ll die before he can warm the seat, benefiting others for nothing.” These words were extremely malicious, almost like cursing the Crown Prince to an early death. Despite this, Zhou Wang’s tone was full of jealousy. If the Crown Prince gained the Shen family’s military power, his strength would greatly increase, not only enabling him to stand on equal footing with Zhou Wang and Li Wang but possibly even surpassing them.

The Crown Prince already had the advantage of legitimacy, and with the addition of the Shen family’s military power, his chances of success would increase greatly. How could Zhou Wang not be anxious?

“In that case, it would have been better to let the Shen girl marry Ninth Brother, at least better than the Crown Prince,” Zhou Wang said gravely.

“Ninth Brother?” The Silent Prince smiled meaningfully. “Fourth Brother, Ninth Brother isn’t as simple as you think.”

“You mean the affair between Shen Wan and Qin Wang?” Zhou Wang asked puzzledly. “It looks like someone was behind it. Even if it’s true, it only shows he has such ambition. To be honest, among our nine brothers, who doesn’t have ambition for that position? Ninth Brother doesn’t rely on anyone; he just wants to be independent. He may have the ambition, but he needs the ability. He barely participates in court affairs; which official would follow him?”

Fu Xiuyi and Shen Wan were quite close privately, and he also had an ambiguous relationship with the Qin Crown Prince. The princes heard about this and were wary of Fu Xiuyi, but they didn’t prioritize it. The reason was simple: Fu Xiuyi rarely participated in court affairs year after year. Even if he had ambition, he didn’t have the strength. At most, he was someone with lofty ambitions but weak abilities. Compared to him, there were more important enemies.

The Silent Prince shook his head: “Fourth Brother shouldn’t underestimate Ninth Brother. I always feel he’s hiding a lot.”

Zhou Wang impatiently waved his hand: “Why bring up Ninth Brother for no reason? I called you here today to discuss something.” Zhou Wang lowered his voice: “We can’t just watch the Shen family’s military power fall into the Crown Prince’s hands. If the Crown Prince gets the military power, and now the Crown Prince’s son has been born, and Father intends to support him, our chances are even smaller. I’ve fought with Li Wang for so long; I don’t want the Crown Prince to reap the benefits.”

“What does Fourth Brother mean?”

“This marriage cannot happen,” Zhou Wang smiled cruelly. “It’s best if they become enemies.”

“There are thousands of ways to create enmity. Which one does Fourth Brother prefer?” the Silent Prince asked.

“Naturally, a blood feud.” Zhou Wang put down his wine cup and said: “That Shen girl previously had her heart set on Ninth Brother, so she doesn’t want to marry the Crown Prince. Since that’s the case, our royal family shouldn’t force people against their will. Why not help her find release?”

“Trying to harm Shen Miao won’t be easy,” the Silent Prince said. “After Shen Miao was kidnapped last time, Shen Xin doubled her guards. The security is tight; how can we make a move?”

Zhou Wang smiled: “If not outside, we can do it inside the palace.” He said smugly, “Once inside the palace, regardless of what guards there are, they’ll have to wait outside. Inside the palace is our domain. I’ve inquired, and tomorrow the Shen girl will enter the palace alone. After she meets with the Empress, that will be our opportunity. It will be the simplest time to make a move.”

The Silent Prince said: “It’s easy to make a move in the palace, but investigating it would easily raise suspicions.”

“Hehe, that’s why this is killing two birds with one stone,” Zhou Wang laughed. “What if we make it look like Sixth Brother’s doing?”

The Silent Prince’s eyes lit up.

The two brothers had fought with Li Wang’s faction for many years without a clear winner. If this time Shen Miao were to have an accident in the palace, Shen Xin, who deeply loved Shen Miao, would certainly blame the Crown Prince. If not for the Crown Prince’s intention to marry Shen Miao, Shen Miao wouldn’t have gotten into trouble. The Crown Prince and the Shen family would become enemies. And if it was eventually discovered that Li Wang was responsible, Li Wang wouldn’t get away with it either.

Eliminating two powerful enemies without expending any effort—why not?

The Silent Prince smiled: “Fourth Brother’s plan is good, but we need to arrange it carefully to avoid exposing any flaws. Bring in my strategist.”

…

Coincidentally, while the Zhou Wang’s residence was planning to assassinate Shen Miao the next day, the Li Wang’s residence was also racking their brains over this matter.

Li Wang smiled at the two brothers before him and asked, “What do you think?”

Xiang Wang had a cautious and timid nature. Seeing Li Wang’s smiling appearance, he couldn’t help but shudder. Li Wang had always been a smiling tiger; on the surface, he seemed amiable, but over the years, he hadn’t shied away from ruthless actions. He said, “Isn’t it too risky?”

Cheng Wang, however, said, “What’s so risky about it? We can’t let the Crown Prince marry the Shen lady and effortlessly gain the Shen family’s military power. Sixth Brother has fought with Zhou Wang for so many years without clear results. That sickly Crown Prince should worry if he has the life to enjoy what he gets.”

Cheng Wang always spoke recklessly without considering consequences. These words were extremely presumptuous, but they aligned with Li Wang’s thoughts. He said, “Eighth Brother speaks well. The Crown Prince’s getting the Shen family’s military power is indeed not what I want. If this marriage succeeds, it will affect not just me but also you two brothers. That won’t do. I proposed assassinating the Shen lady to eliminate future troubles. Although the Shen lady is innocent, she’s ultimately implicated by the Crown Prince.”

Li Wang spoke about the assassination with a smile, and although his words expressed sympathy for Shen Miao’s innocence, there wasn’t a hint of mercy in his tone.

“But how do we blame this on Zhou Wang?” Xiang Wang asked quietly.

“Zhou Wang usually acts recklessly. It would be reasonable for him to do this impulsively. Father has already been somewhat dissatisfied with him. Losing the Shen family’s military power because of Zhou Wang when he wants to support the Crown Prince, Father will severely punish him,” Li Wang pondered.

“Killing two birds with one stone, it’s a good idea,” Cheng Wang casually spoke up. “I support Sixth Brother.”

Xiang Wang didn’t speak, but whether he spoke or not was irrelevant. He and Cheng Wang both followed Li Wang, and Li Wang’s decision represented them both. If successful, they would ascend together; if they failed, they would suffer together. This was the “sharing joys and sorrows” that was understood from the beginning.

Sighing inwardly, he could only hope that tomorrow’s assassination of Shen Miao would proceed smoothly.

…

The night was dark as ink. The winter wind cut across the face with biting cold, as if someone was scraping with a knife. Water prepared during the day froze at night, left out in wooden buckets, sticking to the ground by the next day, impossible to move.

On the upper floor of an inn, by the window, a young man in purple robes stood with his hands behind his back, brows furrowed, lost in thought. From outside, a snow-white pigeon suddenly flew in, landing on the windowsill in front. Its body was covered with a layer of fine ice crystals; flying outside in such cold weather must have been extremely chilling.

Xie Jingxing took a small silver tube from the pigeon’s leg and casually tossed the pigeon behind him. The room was heated with charcoal, warm and cozy. The pigeon tilted its body, flew to the desk, and cocked its head to peck at corn grains in a small bowl.

Xie Jingxing pulled out a small paper roll from the silver tube, unfolded it, and read it. He then casually tossed it into the charcoal stove, where it turned to ashes. Iron Clothes walked in from outside, approached Xie Jingxing from behind, and said, “Master, the carriage and horses are ready. We will depart for the capital early tomorrow morning.”

Xie Jingxing responded with an “Mm.”

Iron Clothes didn’t withdraw, but looked at Xie Jingxing’s back, seemingly hesitant whether to speak.

“If you have something to say, say it,” Xie Jingxing said without turning around.

Iron Clothes trembled and quickly said, “Master, news from Jing Capital indicates that Shen Xin has been looking for suitable young talents for Fifth Miss Shen these past few days, seemingly intending to arrange a marriage.”

Xie Jingxing didn’t turn around. Iron Clothes looked at his slender, elegant back and felt his scalp tingling for some reason. He didn’t know if he should mention this, and inwardly cursed his misfortune. Neither Ji Yushu nor Gao Yang from Jing Capital had mentioned this in their reports. By bringing it up now, if Xie Jingxing later blamed them, it would seem like Iron Clothes was stirring up trouble.

But if he didn’t mention it, this was a major matter. If Xie Jingxing found out about it himself later, and great mistakes had already been made, Iron Clothes would lose his position as a trusted guard, and possibly his life too.

Between loyalty and life, Iron Clothes decisively chose the latter.

He said, “Su Mingfeng from the Su family, Luo Ling from the Luo family, and Feng Zixian, the eldest son of the Feng family, have all visited the Shen residence.”

“Feng Zixian?” The young man turned around, staring at Iron Clothes’ eyes, and asked, “Why did Feng Zixian visit?”

Iron Clothes felt a chill down his spine, but continued: “Because Shen Xin is desperate to marry off Fifth Miss Shen. News from the palace indicates that the Crown Prince intends to take Fifth Miss Shen as a secondary consort. The Shen family doesn’t want Fifth Miss Shen to marry into the Eastern Palace and wants to marry her off before the imperial edict arrives. Miss Feng is a good friend of Fifth Miss Shen and specifically brought her elder brother to help resolve the difficulty…”

“When did the news from the palace come out?” Xie Jingxing asked slowly, his voice seeming coated with ice.

Iron Clothes didn’t dare look Xie Jingxing in the eyes, lowering his head almost to the ground, and said, “Five days ago.”

“News from five days ago only arrives now?” Xie Jingxing laughed without anger, his beautiful peach blossom eyes flashing with anger. He said, “This prince didn’t know he had raised a bunch of useless servants.”

The air in the room suddenly turned cold, seeming colder than outside. Despite the warm charcoal fire, the pigeon on the table gently cooed “gu” and tucked its head back into its feathers.

Iron Clothes wanted to cry but had to finish his unfinished words: “The palace sent a message to the Shen family today that Fifth Miss Shen is to enter the palace alone tomorrow, as the Empress has matters to discuss.”

Before he finished speaking, the handsome purple-robed young man vanished in a flash, already at the door, grabbing a fox fur cloak from the hook and putting it on. He coldly said, “Prepare the horse.”

Iron Clothes was stunned: “Master, isn’t it early tomorrow morning…?”

Xie Jingxing gave him a cold glance, and Iron Clothes shuddered, not daring to say anything more.

That night, with wind and snow, bone-chilling cold, some tossed and turned in warm beds unable to sleep, some in magnificent mansions planned murders and robberies. Some rightfully dwelled in the nine-tiered palace directing the affairs of the state, while others rode precious horses from a thousand miles away through the night’s stars and moon, through wind and snow.

Some were happy, some sad, some anxious, some smug. In the vast and beautiful land of Ming Qi, the capital city was filled with songs and dances. As the New Year approached, there was laughter and joy everywhere, yet no one could see the undercurrents beneath the calm surface.

In the Ding Wang’s residence, in a certain room, someone was playing chess against himself.

The man wore a simple blue robe, with the chessboard in disarray, black and white pieces intersecting in a complex pattern. With each move, he would ponder for a long time, as if he had reached a bottleneck, holding a black piece but unable to place it.

The lamplight flickered slightly, almost extinguishing. He rose to replenish the lamp oil, and light returned to the room. This man’s features were clear and dignified, appearing as a modest gentleman, with a hint of proud frost in his heart, yet his expression carried an inescapable melancholy.

This person was Pei Lang.

Pei Lang looked at the wind and snow outside the window and sighed deeply.

Fu Xiuyi’s chess move was indeed well-played. Diverting trouble elsewhere, whether successful or not, had nothing to do with Fu Xiuyi. And whatever the outcome—whether the Crown Prince suffered, Zhou Wang and Li Wang suffered, or the Shen family suffered—it was all beneficial to Fu Xiuyi.

In such a chess game, Shen Miao had almost no other path to take. Even if there were alternatives, they would be poor strategies. In this game, Fu Xiuyi would profit without loss.

Pei Lang was somewhat worried for Shen Miao.

He didn’t know why he should worry for Shen Miao. If Shen Miao died, he could rightfully follow Fu Xiuyi. Fu Xiuyi relied heavily on him, and if he hadn’t misjudged, this person had the talent of an emperor. In the future, he would rise to great heights, enjoying endless wealth and honor, and could better protect Liu Ying from the shadows.

Yet, he still didn’t want Shen Miao to lose.

These days, Fu Xiuyi suspected there was a spy in the residence and had doubled the guards at the Ding Wang’s residence. Not even a fly could get in, let alone send messages out. He had no way to communicate with Shen Miao through letters and could only worry from afar.

Hearing that Shen Miao would enter the palace alone tomorrow, coincidentally, he would also be going to the palace tomorrow. Although he was Fu Xiuyi’s advisor, he was also a minor official.

Shen Miao had no path left. In such desperate straits, would there be any hope?

A moment later, Pei Lang looked at the chess game before him, already in a deadlock. There was no point in continuing. He placed one hand on the corner of the table and suddenly flipped it.

With just a gentle lift, all the chess pieces fell, making crisp sounds as they hit the ground.

The ground was in disarray.

The original situation was no longer visible.