“This method is very simple, as long as the Crown Prince of Qin cooperates,” said Shen Dongling.

Hearing this, Wang Bi asked, “What do you mean?”

Shen Dongling smiled, “Isn’t Ming Qi currently seeking an alliance with Da Liang? According to what my husband said, Qin would certainly be happy to ally with us too. What if Qin’s condition for agreeing to the alliance is to marry my fifth sister?”

“That certainly wouldn’t work. Even if His Majesty agrees for the sake of the common people, General Shen would never agree to let Fifth Miss Shen marry so far away.” Wang Bi was quite clear about this, after all, everyone in the capital knew how much Shen Xin doted on his daughter Shen Miao. Marrying to another city was already impossible, let alone to a distant land like Qin, where they might not see each other for years.

Shen Dongling smiled, “That’s exactly the point. But what if this news spreads, and the common people of Ming Qi learn about it? They would certainly demand that General Shen marry Fifth Sister over there. After all, Huangfu Hao is the Crown Prince of Qin, and he’s quite handsome—Fifth Sister wouldn’t lose out by marrying him. If Uncle doesn’t agree, then Qin won’t ally with Ming Qi, and Da Liang might take advantage of the situation, putting Ming Qi’s kingdom in danger. Trading one Fifth Sister for the safety of all the common people—regardless of whether Uncle considers it worthwhile, from the people’s perspective, it would be a good deal.”

Wang Bi fell into deep thought.

Shen Dongling continued, “Everyone knows my uncle places the greater good of the realm above personal lives. Now being pressured by the common people, he can defy the emperor, but he cannot disregard the wishes of the people.”

“Even His Majesty must, more or less, consider the people’s wishes rather than act arbitrarily. How much more so for my uncle? On one hand, Uncle doesn’t want Da Liang to have an opportunity to take advantage, but on the other, he certainly won’t allow Fifth Sister to marry far away. But who dares to oppose Huangfu Hao? Even if someone dared, they might not have the courage. At this point, if the Crown Prince steps forward and says that Fifth Sister has already been betrothed to the Crown Prince’s household, everything would be resolved easily.”

“This…” Wang Bi was hesitant as he listened, while Shen Dongling continued with a smile, “The Crown Prince’s face is something Huangfu Hao cannot ignore. Moreover, news of this matter had already spread some days ago—Huangfu Hao only needs to inquire a bit to find out. Compared to marrying Huangfu Hao and living far away in Qin, Uncle would naturally prefer Fifth Sister to marry into the Crown Prince’s household, where he could still watch over her frequently. If the Crown Prince stands up at this critical moment, Uncle would also be grateful for the Crown Prince’s kindness.”

Wang Bi’s eyes brightened; being clever, he naturally heard the merits in Shen Dongling’s plan and fell into contemplation.

But Shen Dongling hadn’t finished. With one arm around Wang Bi’s neck, she said, “Of course, this play would require Huangfu Hao and the Crown Prince to cooperate. The Crown Prince could offer some benefits to Huangfu Hao; once Huangfu Hao accepts, they can act together, and the rest would naturally fall into place.”

Wang Bi tightly embraced Shen Dongling and gave her a firm kiss on the cheek, saying, “I didn’t expect I’d married such a strategist!”

Shen Dongling lowered her head bashfully, “My husband, please don’t tease me. I just thought of this suddenly. There must be many inappropriate aspects, but my husband can surely find ways to remedy them.”

“It’s already impressive that you thought of this.” Wang Bi looked at Shen Dongling with increasing delight and said, “This time you’ve been of great help to me. Don’t worry, once we succeed, I’ll mention your contribution to the Crown Prince, so our family’s Ling’er can enjoy some glory!”

Shen Dongling inwardly scoffed, knowing that men establishing merit feared having their achievements shared with others, especially a woman. It would be strange if Wang Bi mentioned her contribution—these were just sweet words for the moment.

Though she understood inwardly, Shen Dongling still pushed Wang Bi away and said anxiously, “My husband, please don’t mention that this was my idea. Who would plot against their sister for no reason? If not for helping my husband solve his worries, how could I do such a thing? If this got out, how could I face people in the future?”

Wang Bi had only spoken casually, and if Shen Dongling had readily agreed, he might have thought she was too eager for credit. However, her current panicked refusal made him extremely satisfied. The more he looked at Shen Dongling, the more adorable she seemed, and the more he was grateful that Shen Dongling had switched places with Shen Yue for marriage. He said, “Alright, alright, I won’t tell. But this isn’t a bad thing either—marrying the Crown Prince, and when the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, Fifth Miss Shen will become a Noble Consort and will eventually thank you. This is something that can’t be sought even if desired.”

Shen Dongling smiled, “I feel the same way.” But in her heart, she knew that Shen Miao wasn’t a person who craved power and status. The Shen family already treated Shen Miao like a precious pearl in their palm, so wealth and prestige weren’t important to her. In some ways, Shen Miao was like Shen Xin, with a kind of stubborn persistence in her bones. For others, marrying the Crown Prince would be a good thing, and even if they were initially unwilling, they would be satisfied after tasting the benefits.

But Shen Miao was different—one wrong step, and she might stubbornly hold to her position until death. Even if she didn’t show it on the surface, she would still suffer inside.

I’m sorry, Shen Dongling said in her heart. In the entire Shen household, the one she least wanted to antagonize was Shen Miao, because Shen Miao was also dangerous, with unconditional support from Shen Xin and his wife. But… times had changed.

Now Shen Dongling had the qualifications to oppose Shen Miao, and she suddenly realized that she was jealous of Shen Miao. Shen Dongling could trample on others in the Shen family, including the second and third branches, Shen Yue, and Shen Qing, but she alone couldn’t surpass Shen Miao. The family members Shen Miao relied on were precisely what Shen Dongling could never obtain.

When people of low status gain power, they abandon their former caution and humility, becoming even more distorted. This is why scholars from poor families, once they pass the examinations and obtain a minor official position, often become extremely arrogant.

The inner sense of status haunts them, always fearing others will see their former inadequacies.

As Shen Dongling was lost in thought, she heard Wang Bi say, “This requires careful planning. I need to discuss with the Crown Prince first.”

Shen Dongling came back to herself and smiled, “It would be good to invite Fifth Sister out together at that time.” She thought for a moment, “I can send Fifth Sister a card.”

“Oh?” Wang Bi asked, “Will she come out?”

It seemed he already knew that the relationship between Shen Dongling and Shen Miao was not particularly warm, but to Shen Dongling’s ears, it sounded like he was mocking the legitimate-concubine divide between her and Shen Miao. Suppressing her displeasure, Shen Dongling said, “Doesn’t my husband believe me? Rest assured, I will get Fifth Sister to come out.”

…

At the Marquis of Pinnan’s residence, Su Mingfeng was also experiencing a headache.

Yesterday, Princess Ronxin had come to the Marquis of Pinnan’s residence. Princess Ronxin hadn’t gone out for a long time, living in seclusion, and no one paid attention to her. She was also in disguise, and Su Mingfeng almost didn’t recognize her.

For Princess Ronxin to humble herself and come to the Marquis of Pinnan’s residence, she must have had an extremely important matter. Princess Ronxin had the servants announce her to Su Mingfeng directly, indicating that this matter had nothing to do with Su Yu and was specifically for him. Although Su Mingfeng was puzzled, he dared not neglect her, welcoming Princess Ronxin inside, thinking she wanted him to do something.

Who would have thought that Princess Ronxin wasn’t there to command someone, but to gather information?

And the information she was seeking surprised Su Mingfeng greatly—Princess Ronxin was inquiring about Jingxing Xie.

Jingxing Xie had died on the northern frontier battlefield two years ago. Because everyone in the capital knew that Jingxing Xie and Princess Ronxin were very close, after Jingxing Xie’s death, Princess Ronxin fell seriously ill. Since then, no one dared to mention Jingxing Xie in front of Princess Ronxin, lest they remind her of painful memories.

Who would have thought that now Princess Ronxin would actively ask Su Mingfeng about him?

Princess Ronxin asked Su Mingfeng about some old matters concerning Jingxing Xie and indirectly inquired if Jingxing Xie had any secrets. Finally, she asked about Jingxing Xie’s corpse.

Jingxing Xie had died on the northern frontier, his heart pierced by countless enemy arrows. The enemy leader had cut off his head and hung it on the city tower, skinned it, and dried it in the wind. At the time, with the Xie army witnessing, there could be no deception. Later, when they managed to retrieve his corpse, it was already in an unrecognizable state and incomplete. Xie Ding had fainted upon seeing Jingxing Xie’s remains, and Princess Ronxin, fearing she couldn’t bear it, didn’t dare to look. It was Su Mingfeng, his childhood playmate, who had accompanied Jingxing Xie on his final journey.

Now Princess Ronxin was asking Su Mingfeng if he was certain that the corpse was indeed Jingxing Xie’s.

Ordinarily, Su Mingfeng would have been merely puzzled, but ever since he encountered Shen Miao on the street and noticed the tiger-head bracelet on her wrist, Su Mingfeng had been suspicious and had been monitoring Shen Miao’s movements in the Shen residence. When Princess Ronxin suddenly came to inquire about Jingxing Xie, Su Mingfeng almost immediately confirmed his guess—Jingxing Xie wasn’t dead but was likely still alive in this world.

Although he didn’t understand why Jingxing Xie would stay hidden if he were alive, Su Mingfeng wasn’t a fool. After placating Princess Ronxin with a few words, she left, and Su Mingfeng fell into his thoughts.

Since Princess Ronxin had suspicions, she must have discovered some clues, indicating that Jingxing Xie had revealed some traces of himself. Thinking of Shen Miao’s bracelet and Princess Ronxin’s unusual behavior, Su Mingfeng made a bold guess—Jingxing Xie was not only alive but probably right here in the capital.

What puzzled Su Mingfeng was that Jingxing Xie and Princess Ronxin had never kept secrets from each other and were very close. What made Jingxing Xie unwilling to reveal the truth even to Princess Ronxin? And why was Princess Ronxin asking about Jingxing Xie’s childhood? What was the connection?

Regardless of the reason, Su Mingfeng felt that Jingxing Xie must have his reasons. The urgent matter now was to find Jingxing Xie’s whereabouts. Once Jingxing Xie was found, all questions would naturally be answered.

Where should he look for Jingxing Xie? The capital was neither large nor small, but to find someone hiding in the vast sea of people, especially someone quite capable, was not an easy task.

Su Mingfeng decided to have people watch Princess Ronxin.

Since Princess Ronxin had already discovered some clues, she must possess more information than he did. Whatever Princess Ronxin investigated, he could simply follow behind and take advantage.

Su Mingfeng raised his hand to summon a servant and whispered a few instructions in his ear.

…

When Shen Miao received Shen Dongling’s card, Jingxing Xie was drinking tea in her room. Since that night, Jingxing Xie had been rightfully managing her affairs. Shen Miao was very uncomfortable with this at first, but later became accustomed to it. After all, Jingxing Xie had extensive connections, and even if she didn’t tell him, he could find ways to investigate on his own, leading to the same outcome in the end.

Jingxing Xie glanced at the card in her hand and said, “Shen Dongling?”

“She’s probably up to something again,” Shen Miao said. “Inviting me to sample incense.” She paused for a moment, then smiled, “They’ve brought out incense sampling—it seems the foundation of the Outer Bureau Counselor’s household is quite solid.”

Tea tasting and wine tasting were all quite conventional, but incense sampling was different. A good piece of incense could be worth a fortune, and once burned, it was gone. Shen Miao knew that the most valuable incense was Jade Pear Sinking Incense; a piece the size of a fingernail would cost ten thousand gold taels. Once, a Western regions merchant presented it to the palace, seeking the title of Imperial Merchant. That Jade Pear Sinking Incense was as big as a child’s fist, very rare, and all the consorts in the palace came to see it. Shen Miao also found it quite fascinating.

Shen Miao had always thought that the Jade Pear Sinking Incense would be kept in the national treasury, as it was a very precious item. Later, on Madam Mei’s birthday, Fu Xiuyi had burned that Jade Pear Sinking Incense to please a beauty. Incense sampling burned real gold and silver, equivalent to losing many banknotes at once. Shen Dongling’s card mentioned sampling Feng Mouth Incense, which was also very precious. The salary of an Outer Bureau Counselor certainly couldn’t sustain such extravagance. The family Shen Dongling had married into had a solid foundation of wealth, as many first-rank ministers in the capital wouldn’t spend so lavishly. One wonders if Shen Yue would be so angry she’d come back to life if she knew the truth in the underworld.

“Feng Mouth Incense isn’t cheap. Spending so much money, it can’t just be for sisters to catch up.”

“Is she plotting against you?” Jingxing Xie raised an eyebrow and asked.

“Shen Dongling isn’t Shen Yue. If she wanted to plot against me, I wouldn’t be easily trapped by her. Shen Dongling isn’t stupid; I guess she wants me to go because she’s planning something, and if I go, it would only make her plans go more smoothly. If I don’t go, she won’t lose much either.” Shen Miao smiled, “I’m just surprised that the Outer Bureau Counselor’s family has so much money.” She looked at Jingxing Xie. When Shen Miao had seen Shen Dongling at the execution ground, she had noticed that Shen Dongling’s clothes and jewelry were extremely valuable. Even if Wang Bi loved her dearly, spending beyond what the Wang family could afford would be irrational. So how did the Wang family have so much money?

Jingxing Xie noticed Shen Miao’s look and tactfully responded, “The Wang family belongs to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince has some connections with salt smugglers in private. Wang Bi is the middleman.”

Shen Miao suddenly understood—no wonder. Salt smuggling was a tremendously profitable business; even taking just a small cut would be enough to make others envious. No wonder the Wang family could afford to burn such incense. Understanding this, Shen Miao could see where Shen Dongling’s confidence came from. If Shen Dongling had married an ordinary official, she would have been careful in managing affairs. But now the Wang family was swimming in wealth, and Wang Bi was working under the Crown Prince. Shen Dongling believed that Emperor Wenhui supported the Crown Prince, and ultimately the kingdom would be in the Crown Prince’s hands. As the waters rose, all boats would rise with them. Wang Bi, as someone working for the Crown Prince, would naturally increase in value. She was Wang Bi’s primary wife, with unlimited glory. Perhaps she had been momentarily blinded by the splendor, causing her to become bolder.

Born in sorrow, die in contentment—Shen Dongling couldn’t maintain a clear head, so she couldn’t see the facts. The world’s affairs had so many variables; who could guarantee that the Crown Prince would inherit the throne? Taking a step back, even if the Crown Prince did inherit the throne, who could guarantee that Wang Bi would always remain carefree and continue to rise in the Crown Prince’s service? The cases of “when the cunning hare is dead, the hunting dog is cooked” were numerous. Most merciless were the imperial families.

“Wang Bi is the Crown Prince’s man,” Shen Miao pondered. “If Shen Dongling is suddenly doing this, it must be related to Wang Bi, which means it’s related to the Crown Prince.” Shen Miao looked at Jingxing Xie. “My relationship with the Crown Prince… is she trying to use my marriage as a tool?”

Jingxing Xie looked at her admiringly and said, “Clever.”

“You already knew?” Shen Miao was somewhat suspicious.

“Shen Dongling’s idea,” Jingxing Xie casually picked up a piece of pastry and took a bite, saying, “is to have Huangfu Hao and the Crown Prince reach an agreement to perform a play together. Using your marriage to Huangfu Hao as a condition for allying with Ming Qi. Otherwise, the alliance would break, and Da Liang might attack Ming Qi. At that time, this news would be released, and under fear, the common people would demand that Shen Xin marry you to Huangfu Hao. Caught between the people and you, Shen Xin would inevitably be in great pain.

But no one would dare to oppose Huangfu Hao. At this point, only the Crown Prince could step forward and say that you and the Crown Prince already had a marriage agreement. Compared to marrying you off to distant Qin, Shen Xin would more readily accept you marrying the Crown Prince and staying in Ming Qi, and would be grateful to the Crown Prince for this.” Jingxing Xie shrugged, “This concubine-born sister of yours is not a simple character.”

Shen Miao listened with an ashen face and laughed coldly, “She certainly is concerned about my welfare.”

To use the common people to pressure Shen Xin, whose family creed, passed down from Old General Shen, was: fight for the common people at dawn. When Shen Xin was pressured by the commoners he deeply loved, with Shen Miao, his daughter, on the other side, one could imagine how painful it would be for Shen Xin. Among the people in the Shen residence, Shen Miao and Shen Dongling had always maintained a respectful distance, but now that Shen Dongling had provoked her first, Shen Miao felt an irrepressible disgust towards her.

She said, “The marriage with the Crown Prince is not acceptable.”

Jingxing Xie looked at her with a half-smile, “What, so eager to marry me?” Before Shen Miao could get angry, he added, “Don’t worry, no one in the world dares to snatch things from my hands. The woman I’ve set my eyes on, I’m afraid, he couldn’t afford to take.”

He always spoke so unreservedly and unscrupulously, causing Shen Miao’s face to inexplicably redden slightly. She changed the subject, “Shen Dongling is plotting against me, so naturally I should return the favor.”

“Whatever my wife wishes is my wish,” Jingxing Xie said languidly.

Shen Miao: “…”

She said, “What exactly are your intentions now? To destroy Ming Qi, for Da Liang to unify it?”

Jingxing Xie’s gaze was somewhat strange, and he said, “If I say yes, would you help me?”

“I’ve said before, on this point, I am the same as you,” Shen Miao replied.

The playful expression on Jingxing Xie’s face gradually faded. He didn’t know what Shen Miao was thinking; it seemed he couldn’t glimpse any clues. Regarding the enmity between the two countries, Jingxing Xie had never thought Shen Miao would support him. Shen Miao’s neutral state had already surprised Jingxing Xie greatly. And now Shen Miao’s expression reminded him that she was serious.

She wanted to destroy Ming Qi?

Why?

Shen Miao was not a person who craved fame and fortune, so it wasn’t to echo what he had said. And because she loved Jingxing Xie and was willing to discard Ming Qi for him… Jingxing Xie didn’t think that was likely either. It seemed that from the moment he had met Shen Miao, she had been extremely hostile toward the Fu family. This was certainly because the Fu family also wanted to suppress the Shen family, but as a sheltered young lady, how did Shen Miao know about these things? Sometimes it seemed she saw things more clearly than Shen Xin and Shen Qiu, always standing in front of the Shen family in a protective stance, as if she had already predicted what would happen. The closer he got to Shen Miao, the more mysterious aspects he discovered about her. But even Fengxian Pawnshop couldn’t uncover the reasons for these behaviors.

It was truly suspicious.

He hesitated for a moment and asked, “You… don’t like Ming Qi?”

Shen Miao lowered her eyes, “The great trend of the world is that after a long period of division, it tends toward unity, and after a long period of unity, it tends toward division. This has been the principle since ancient times. It’s not something my willingness or liking can change. Even if I am unwilling or dislike it, these things will still happen—it’s destined.” She raised her head, looking at the slightly flickering candlelight on the table, and said, “And compared to the Fu family, I would rather have this kingdom in your hands.”

Jingxing Xie was startled.

“When two countries are at war, it has nothing to do with the common people. Ming Qi’s fortune has been waning these years—heavy taxes, constant natural disasters, and the people living in hardship. The official circles are dark, the officials corrupt. The emperor is muddleheaded, guarding against and scheming against meritorious families, wishing to cut them down, with an ugly display of greed. In comparison, the people of Da Liang live in peace and prosperity, with all industries flourishing.” Shen Miao said, “I know Emperor Yongle is a wise ruler. When he attacked other small countries before, there were cases where the people of those small countries spontaneously opened the city gates to welcome him—isn’t this the principle?”

Jingxing Xie looked deeply at Shen Miao, feeling something indescribable in his heart.

People say women are most shortsighted, with limited vision, only able to see what’s in front of them and not the big picture. Little do they know it’s just because they haven’t met the right ones. The woman with the most generous vision and broadest knowledge Jingxing Xie had seen was his sister-in-law, Emperor Yongle’s wife, Empress Xiande. But Empress Xiande came from a family of court historians, was knowledgeable and had a good memory, and was the mistress of the six palaces. Shen Miao was only sixteen years old now, and the farthest place she had been to was Xiaochun City. Two years ago, she was even called a flower-obsessed fool. Yet Shen Miao’s remarks about the current situation surpassed even most of Emperor Yongle’s advisors.

Not seeing herself as a person of any particular country, but standing at the height of history, very calmly following the patterns, just like following the changes of the four seasons.

There weren’t many people in the world who could see things so clearly, yet this person happened to be sitting in front of him. Jingxing Xie suddenly felt somewhat fortunate—this woman was discovered by him, and she was willing to say these words to him.

Shen Miao didn’t know what Jingxing Xie was thinking. She had only once heard Fu Xiuyi evaluate Emperor Yongle, saying that Emperor Yongle was a romantic historical figure, a wise ruler. Da Liang’s initial territory wasn’t as vast as it is today. Especially after the death of Da Liang’s previous emperor, the country seemed to have experienced some turmoil, and other countries took advantage of the situation. Later, the current Emperor Yongle ascended the throne and gradually began to reclaim territory. Not only that, but he also began to annex neighboring small countries. Emperor Yongle was extremely charismatic, following the will of the people. The people of some small countries even hoped that Emperor Yongle would annex them to improve their current difficult lives.

And Emperor Yongle had achieved this.

At the time, Shen Miao was quite amazed by this, and Fu Xiuyi was also very wary of Emperor Yongle. Later, when Fu Ming was studying, he also read about this and enthusiastically discussed it with Shen Miao, so Shen Miao’s memory of this matter was very deep.

Jingxing Xie paused for a moment and said with displeasure, “Why do you remember his affairs so clearly?”

Shen Miao: “…”

She said, “Of course, I’m not that noble—it’s just for self-preservation. If the Fu family rules, the Shen family will eventually be eliminated on some pretext. When the monarch is not benevolent, there’s no need for the subject to adhere to righteousness to live. Isn’t that so?”

“Then how do you know that Emperor Yongle won’t be a second Emperor Wenhui, that he won’t move against the Shen family?” Jingxing Xie asked.

“I’ve heard that there’s a general surnamed Li by Emperor Yongle’s side, whose situation is very similar to the Shen family, but the Li family is highly favored by Emperor Yongle. The Shen family’s military power is not comparable to that of General Li, so there should be no worries.” Shen Miao thought to herself, at least in her previous life, until her death, that General Li’s family had lived well.

Jingxing Xie was startled. “How do you know about General Li?”

Shen Miao’s heart stirred, forgetting that as the legitimate daughter of the Shen family, she naturally wouldn’t know Da Liang’s General Li. However, she still had to cover up a bit, saying, “This General Li is very famous; it’s not strange for Ming Qi to know about him.”

“Very famous?” Jingxing Xie frowned, “More famous than me?”

Shen Miao decided not to discuss these matters with him and said, “Let’s not talk about this anymore. Since we’ll eventually deal with Ming Qi, we naturally can’t let Qin and Ming Qi ally. If so, it would also be somewhat troublesome for Da Liang to deal with. You’re staying in the capital and not leaving—isn’t it to break up their alliance?”

Jingxing Xie smiled slightly, “A wife follows her husband; you’re thinking very thoroughly for me.”

Shen Miao ignored the parts of his words she shouldn’t listen to and said, “To break up their alliance, there’s a good method. Let’s see if you can manage it.”

Jingxing Xie smiled with his lips raised, “Tell me about it.”

“Murder, robbery, framing, slander.” She smiled gently and properly, “Dead men tell no tales—that’s best.”