Days always seemed extraordinarily peaceful, but whether something was still lurking beneath this calm, no one could truly know.

These past few days, everyone at the Prince of the First Rank’s mansion lived in fear, especially several of Fu Xiuyi’s valued advisors, who proceeded with extreme caution in everything they did. This wasn’t without reason. A few days ago, Fu Xiuyi’s most valued advisor, Pei Lang, had been arrested and locked in a private prison. The exact reason wasn’t clear to most, but informed servants had leaked that Pei Lang was a spy sent by Fu Xiuyi’s opponent.

Before this, no one could deny Pei Lang’s talent. Although the other advisors envied Fu Xiuyi’s high regard for him, Pei Lang had indeed resolved many problems for Fu Xiuyi over the past two years. Fu Xiuyi arrested him without warning, and regardless of whether the allegations were true, the night before his arrest, Pei Lang had still been playing chess and drinking tea with Fu Xiuyi, presenting the perfect image of harmony between lord and subject.

If Fu Xiuyi had suddenly discovered a clue, he would surely have investigated its authenticity first. Otherwise, wrongfully accusing a good person would needlessly damage a loyal confidant. But Fu Xiuyi had made this decisive judgment, which could only mean he had suspected Pei Lang for some time. To maintain such intimacy while harboring suspicions proved that this Prince of the First Rank was no simple man. Whether this was meant to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys or not, when the advisors faced Fu Xiuyi again, they showed even greater respect.

However, Fu Xiuyi himself wasn’t living as comfortably as others might have imagined these past few days. He also had some perplexing matters.

He had sent people to watch Princess Rong Xin’s mansion, only to discover that Princess Rong Xin had disguised herself and gone to the Ping Nan Baron’s residence to find Su Mingfeng. Although he didn’t know what they had discussed or why Princess Rong Xin had gone there, Fu Xiuyi believed there must be something suspicious about it. Princess Rong Xin lived in seclusion and wasn’t particularly close with the Emperor, though she had been good friends with Princess Yu Qing years ago. But Princess Yu Qing had died many years ago, and although her son Xie Jingxing had been close to Princess Rong Xin, Xie Jingxing had also died on the northern battlefield two years ago. The Ping Nan Baron’s family had no relationship with Princess Rong Xin.

Fu Xiuyi racked his brain trying to find any past connection between Princess Rong Xin and the Ping Nan Baron’s family, but no matter how hard he searched, he found nothing of value. What puzzled Fu Xiuyi even more was why Princess Rong Xin had specifically sought out Su Mingfeng rather than the Ping Nan Baron Su Yu. Su Mingfeng had long left his official post; for public matters, Su Mingfeng couldn’t help at all, and for private matters… did Su Mingfeng know Princess Rong Xin privately? Su Mingfeng… Su Mingfeng… Fu Xiuyi was mulling over this name when he suddenly froze.

Su Mingfeng’s name was known to many in the capital, not only because of his excellence and talent, nor because people regretted that he had to leave his promising official career due to serious illness, but because he had been Xie Jingxing’s childhood friend. Some had wondered how such an upright and dignified young man like Su Mingfeng could spend his days with a frivolous and mischievous boy like Xie Jingxing. But since the Lin’an Marquis’s family and the Ping Nan Baron’s family were old family friends, their close relationship was understandable.

As if discovering a clue, Fu Xiuyi’s thoughts suddenly became clear. Su Mingfeng was Xie Jingxing’s childhood friend, Princess Min’an was Xie Jingxing’s aunt, and if Princess Min’an privately visited Su Mingfeng, they would most likely be discussing Xie Jingxing.

But wasn’t Xie Jingxing dead? Why would Princess Min’an suddenly ask about someone who had died? In the past, no one dared mention Xie Jingxing in front of Princess Min’an, fearing it would remind her of painful memories. For Princess Min’an to take the initiative to ask… could it be that Xie Jingxing wasn’t dead? Fu Xiuyi was startled by his sudden speculation, but quickly dismissed it. He had personally reviewed the confidential report of Xie Jingxing’s death; there couldn’t be a mistake. Moreover, how could anyone switch bodies under public scrutiny? It seemed impossible.

But he had been following the trail from Princess Min’an to investigate the Rui Prince’s affairs—how had it suddenly led to Su Mingfeng, and possibly involved the deceased Xie Jingxing? If so, the matter had become more complex, but also more interesting…

Fu Xiuyi stood up, thought for a moment, and instructed the person beside him: “Go to the dungeon.”

The Prince of the First Rank’s mansion had a dungeon built in the ancestral hall within the compound. The imperial ancestral hall wasn’t located here; the purpose of establishing an ancestral hall in the prince’s mansion was merely for Buddhist worship and blessings. On the wall hung a portrait of a kind-faced Guanyin. Lifting that painting revealed a small laughing Buddha statue. Turning the wooden fish at the Buddha’s feet caused a stone door to rumble open. Following the passage through the stone door led to the Prince of the First Rank’s dungeon.

This dungeon held spies or those who had committed serious offenses among the Prince’s subordinates. Ordinary death wasn’t sufficient punishment for them; various cruel tortures abounded. Upon entering, one was enveloped by the smell of blood. The stone walls were hung with thin skin-like objects. Looking closely, they were the skins of dead people, peeled off and dried, still bearing the extremely painful expressions of their final moments. One glance was enough to make one shudder.

Outside was a hall for blessings, but inside, such devilish acts took place. Right under Guanyin’s watchful eye, this place was like the eighteenth level of hell, even more terrifying than the eighteen levels of hell.

Fu Xiuyi walked in with a serene expression, his gaze at the human skins on both sides even filled with appreciation. His subordinate led the way, stopping only when they reached the last cell.

The prisoner in the cell was hanging upside down from a beam, his face pressed against it, his entire body soaked in blood. His clothes were dyed bright red, making their original color almost indiscernible. Being hung upside down, blood dripped one drop at a time onto the ground, forming a small pool.

Fu Xiuyi silently watched the man, who seemed to have fainted. He gave his attendant a look, and immediately someone poured a bucket of chili water over the prisoner’s head.

The man jerked, his entire body trembling uncontrollably, apparently in too much pain to speak, suffering immensely.

Fu Xiuyi stepped forward with a smile and said, “How is the gentleman finding his accommodations?”

The chili water stung the wounds but also washed away the blood on the prisoner’s face, revealing a clear and defiant face—it was Pei Lang.

Pei Lang smiled back, his voice trembling as he replied, “Thanks to Your Highness’s kindness, not too bad.”

“I always knew you were no ordinary person, but I didn’t expect that not only are you talented, your integrity also commands my respect. No wonder the Shen family sent you to me,” Fu Xiuyi sighed. “They say every soldier under General Shen Xin’s command is valiant. Master Pei, you’re a scholar, yet your bones are just as strong. I wonder how General Shen trains his people.”

Pei Lang caught his breath and smiled, “This servant has no relationship with General Shen.”

“After all these days, the gentleman persists,” Fu Xiuyi said. “Although your integrity is admirable, it’s truly troublesome, forcing me to prepare some extraordinary methods specially for you.”

Pei Lang merely smiled without speaking.

Fu Xiuyi looked at him, his tone very gentle, seemingly even nostalgic: “Actually, I’ve enjoyed our master-servant relationship, and I truly appreciate your outstanding talent. I’ve always been soft-hearted and am willing to give you a chance. After you atone for your crimes through meritorious service, we can pretend none of this ever happened. I will be as before, addressing you as ‘master,’ and you will be my most capable strategist.” He moved closer to Pei Lang, almost coaxingly: “Just tell me what secrets the Shen family is hiding, and what your true purpose was in being sent to my side. Two sentences in exchange for one opportunity—how about it?”

Pei Lang coughed twice, coughing up clots of red blood, before struggling to smile and say, “Thank you for Your Highness’s favor, but this subject has no connection to the Shen family and cannot answer Your Highness’s question. It seems Heaven isn’t giving me this opportunity, what a pity.”

Fu Xiuyi stared at him expressionlessly, and after a while, he smiled faintly. He clapped his hands, dusted off the blood spatters on his body, and said, “The gentleman has strong bones, I admire that greatly, and I’m also very curious to see how long your bones can remain strong.” He waved to the people beside him: “These methods are beneath the gentleman’s notice, not elaborate enough. Let’s try something better.”

He stepped back, about to leave, when he suddenly remembered something and said, “If the gentleman won’t talk, I’ll find out the Shen family’s secrets myself. But I’d like to ask, I’ve heard the Shen family values loyalty greatly. The gentleman is sacrificing himself for his master. Will General Shen send someone to rescue you from this fire pit?”

He then left with his guards.

After Fu Xiuyi left, Pei Lang violently coughed up a large mouthful of fresh blood. This prince, who appeared gentle and at most cunning, actually had such a cruel side. But Fu Xiuyi’s final question to Pei Lang made him smile bitterly.

It was true that the Shen family valued loyalty, but the person who had assigned him was Shen Miao. Shen Miao’s loyalty extended only to her family and friends; anyone else likely meant nothing to her. As for whether she would come to rescue him, as Fu Xiuyi had asked, Pei Lang thought probably not. Leaving aside whether Shen Miao could extract someone from the Prince of the First Rank’s mansion, especially from its most secret dungeon, when Shen Miao had initially ordered him to infiltrate Fu Xiuyi’s side as a hidden chess piece, she must have anticipated this day would come. Shen Miao had known that once discovered by Fu Xiuyi, Pei Lang’s fate would certainly be miserable, yet she had still sent him.

Rationally, he knew Shen Miao wouldn’t come to save him, yet Pei Lang found himself harboring a faint hope. He couldn’t explain his feelings toward Shen Miao. Initially, when Shen Miao had used Liu Ying to threaten him, Pei Lang had even felt some disgust; he hated being threatened and feeling out of control. But somehow, later on, he had truly come to see himself as Shen Miao’s man. He worried for her and devoted himself to being a good chess piece. Pei Lang couldn’t understand his behavior; he thought perhaps he owed Shen Miao something in a previous life, which was why he kept following her in this one, even to the point of having his life completely altered. The guard responsible for his torture returned, and Pei Lang put aside his thoughts, beginning a new round of suffering.

What he didn’t know was that at the Rui Prince’s mansion, Huo Long and Ye Ying were sitting in a tree cracking melon seeds. Ye Ying asked, “Manager Ji and Young Master Gao still haven’t come out. How long are they going to guard the tower prison?”

Huo Long spat out a melon seed shell and said, “I reckon our master has completely forgotten about this matter. She’s been busy running around outside these days; how could she spare any thought for others? I heard the Great Liang Palace has sent letters urging her again. The master probably wants to finish these matters quickly so she can return to the palace.”

“That makes sense, but with Manager Ji staying in the tower prison, what about the information from the Feng Xian pawnshop? Won’t it delay matters?”

Huo Long gave Ye Ying a dismissive look: “Feng Xian pawnshop is for making money. As for intelligence, naturally, the Ink Feather Army reports to the master. Besides, Manager Ji focuses on all sorts of bizarre matters himself; there’s hardly anything important. Why worry unnecessarily?”

Hearing this, Ye Ying immediately found his companion’s words reasonable and said, “True. Why bother about so much?”

Some things in the world happen by coincidence; sometimes a small change can affect the entire trajectory of events.

In the study above, Feng Xian pawnshop’s Lin Jiang Xian pavilion, a thick pile of letters had accumulated in the corner of the desk, covered in dust from lack of attention. And at the very bottom of the pile, an envelope bore three characters: Prince of the First Rank’s Mansion.

If the Prince of the First Rank’s mansion was experiencing some commotion due to this matter, the Crown Prince’s mansion was even more so. The Emperor wanted to do the Crown Prince a favor by helping him build a good relationship with Huang Fu Hao, so Huang Fu Hao’s visits to the Crown Prince’s mansion were almost ostentatious, without needing to be concealed.

However, what they discussed at the Crown Prince’s mansion was beyond the Emperor’s control.

The Crown Prince poured some wine for Huang Fu Hao and smiled, “What does Prince Huang Fu think of what I just said?”

Huang Fu Hao smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing: “You’ve calculated this so well. You let me be the villain while you gain a good reputation and win the beauty. I’d be delighted to see Miss Shen Five become your Qin state’s Crown Princess, but everyone knows that’s impossible.” The Qin Emperor would never be generous enough to marry the daughter of another country’s official to his own Crown Prince. The title of Crown Princess represented not just a woman but also her family’s power, ideally someone who could help the Crown Prince. Shen Miao, as a Ming Qi person, couldn’t help Huang Fu Hao, and Shen Xin wouldn’t willingly send his daughter to the Qin state.

Huang Fu Hao shook his head: “What’s the rush? I didn’t say I would steal what someone else desires. However,” he looked at the Crown Prince, “I’m not someone who habitually does good deeds, especially when it involves my reputation. If General Shen holds a grudge against me afterward, I’ll be in a difficult position.”

The Crown Prince laughed when he heard this. Huang Fu Hao was a perceptive person who quickly understood the benefits involved. Reputation was useless in Ming Qi, and arranging Shen Miao’s marriage couldn’t be considered a great evil. It was just a matter of saying a word, and for that, both the Emperor and the Crown Prince would owe Huang Fu Hao a favor—why not do it? Of course, how this favor would be repaid was unknown to the Emperor. This was the Crown Prince’s idea, and it depended on how important this marriage was to the Crown Prince.

“Does Prince Huang Fu have any difficulties?” the Crown Prince asked with a smile.

“It’s nothing significant, but I’ll have to make you laugh,” Huang Fu Hao sighed, feigning concern: “Although I am the Crown Prince of Qin, even commoners have their family troubles, let alone me. My father treats me very well, but my brothers are troublesome. If one day my brothers and I have disputes,” he gave the Crown Prince a meaningful look, “at that time, I hope you’ll lend me your support.”

The Crown Prince was stunned at first, then inwardly cursed Huang Fu Hao for his cunning. Succession disputes occur in every country, especially those with many princes. But Huang Fu Hao’s meaning was clear: if one day there was internal strife in the Qin royal family and Huang Fu Hao needed to secure his position, the Crown Prince must help him. How could a Ming Qi Crown Prince assist a Qin Crown Prince in succession? The only possibility was to lend troops.

Huang Fu Hao truly had calculated well.

Seeing his hesitation, Huang Fu Hao smiled: “What are you hesitating about? Isn’t what I’m helping you do now the same?”

The Crown Prince stiffened, staring at Huang Fu Hao without speaking. If this succeeded and Shen Miao married him, the Shen family would be tied to his Crown Prince mansion. With the Shen family’s support, the Crown Prince’s power would only increase, adding an important weight to his claim in the succession. Wasn’t Huang Fu Hao helping him secure his succession now?

From this perspective, Huang Fu Hao’s conditions didn’t seem so unacceptable. After all, he stood to gain more from this arrangement.

The Crown Prince steeled himself and said, “Very well. Since Prince Huang Fu is helping me now, I certainly won’t stand idly by in the future.”

Only then did Huang Fu Hao smile broadly. After exchanging a few more cups with the Crown Prince, he asked, “But do you want to marry Shen Miao?” Seeing the Crown Prince’s confused expression, he explained, “At the tribute banquet, I observed that Shen Miao doesn’t have a soft temperament; she seems quite fierce. Are you so confident you can tame her?”

“That’s nothing,” the Crown Prince said dismissively, waving his hand. “No matter how fierce her temperament, she’s still a woman. Once a woman is married, that little temperament of hers will be reined in. Let me tell you, the Crown Princess was even more spirited when she first came to the Eastern Palace, but now isn’t she completely obedient to me? Women are like cats; with some effort and coaxing, they eventually become docile.”

Hearing this, Huang Fu Hao said nothing more, though inwardly he sneered. Princess Min’an’s death remained a mystery, but Huang Fu Hao always felt Shen Miao was somehow connected to it. Later, somehow, the matter between him and Fu Xiuyi had been exploited, and now Fu Xiuyi deliberately maintained his distance. The Shen family was extraordinary, and Shen Miao seemed to have someone guiding her. Though the Crown Prince’s power was formidable, when facing Shen Miao, victory wasn’t guaranteed.

But these matters were irrelevant to Huang Fu Hao. He was content to watch the show, so after laughing a few times, he returned to drinking and chatting with the Crown Prince.

Meanwhile, at the Outer Courtier Lang’s mansion, Shen Miao had surprisingly responded to an invitation.

She had been invited by Shen Dongling to appreciate incense, and Shen Miao had agreed, saying she would bring Lady Luo’s niece, Luo Tan, with her.

Wang Bi was delighted when he saw Shen Miao’s reply and said to Shen Dongling, “Didn’t you say you two sisters hardly interact? I didn’t expect her to accept.”

Shen Dongling was also surprised but smiled and said, “Perhaps she’s thinking we haven’t seen each other for a long time. After all, among the sisters in the family, only the two of us remain.” She took the invitation from Wang Bi’s hand and examined it carefully.

Honestly, Shen Dongling never imagined Shen Miao would reply to her invitation and agree to come for the incense appreciation. From what Shen Dongling knew of Shen Miao, she was cautious by nature and wouldn’t normally come. Whether Shen Miao attended or not didn’t matter much to this scheme; Shen Dongling had written the invitation only to prove to Wang Bi that she was diligently working for him, hoping he would remember her favorably in the future.

But unexpectedly, Shen Miao had agreed.

Shen Dongling’s thoughts shifted rapidly. Shen Miao’s decision to bring Luo Tan was likely because Luo Tan knew martial arts and could provide a sense of security. Moreover, Shen Miao would certainly bring many guards to ensure her safety. Shen Miao’s willingness to come meant she had made thorough preparations.

Still, Shen Dongling didn’t mind, as her goal wasn’t to scheme against Shen Miao. She nudged Wang Bi: “Husband, since Fifth Sister has agreed to come, it’s even better for our plans. Let’s also invite the Crown Prince and Huang Fu Hao. Later, we can say Huang Fu Hao saw Fifth Sister’s grace and beauty during the incense appreciation and developed feelings for her. Then, the subsequent events will unfold more naturally.”

“You women indeed think more thoroughly,” Wang Bi smiled and put his arm around Shen Dongling’s shoulders. “Having such a wife, what more could a husband ask for?”

Shen Dongling smiled and joked with him, but her mind was on other matters.

Shen Miao had always excelled at manipulating others. Shen Dongling had witnessed the struggle between Ren Wanyun and Shen Miao in the Shen household. In the end, the First House of the Shen family had survived, and if anyone was to be considered formidable, it would be Shen Miao and Shen Dongling.

Shen Dongling also wanted to see which of them, herself or Shen Miao, was more formidable. Including Shen Miao in her plans was far more interesting than scheming against Shen Yue.

Meanwhile, Shen Miao, the target of Shen Dongling’s “scheming,” was resting her chin on her palm, playing chess with Xie Jingxing in her room.

Xie Jingxing was an excellent chess player. Unlike Shen Miao’s steady, methodical approach, Xie Jingxing seemed able to immediately see the purpose of her carefully placed pieces. Wherever Shen Miao placed a piece, Xie Jingxing would block accordingly. After playing for nearly half a watch, Xie Jingxing had captured several of her pieces, yet the battle remained intense and close.

In her previous life, Shen Miao had practiced chess diligently to have something to discuss with Fu Xiuyi. She might not have been the best, but she rarely met her match. Yet against Xie Jingxing, she couldn’t gain the upper hand; he seemed like her nemesis. For the first time since mastering the game, she wanted to take back a move.

Seeing Xie Jingxing capture several more of her pieces, Shen Miao said, “I’m tired, I’m done playing.”

“Is it that you don’t want to play, or that you can’t play?” Xie Jingxing taunted. “Beg me, and I’ll teach you.”

Shen Miao almost laughed at his words. Coming to play chess in the middle of the night—only Shen Miao’s good nature tolerated it; others would have sent Xie Jingxing away long ago. She replied, “No, thank you.” She had no intention of becoming a chess master; what was the point of learning? Nevertheless, Xie Jingxing’s chess skills surprised her. Xie Jingxing was known for his battlefield prowess, not for excelling in other areas. But on second thought, for someone who manipulated the world in his palm, what challenge could mere chess pieces pose?

She asked, “Are your men arranged for two days from now?”

In two days, it would be the incense appreciation day, also the first time she and Xie Jingxing would work together to outmaneuver others. Their targets were two Crown Princes, which might make some people shudder. But Shen Miao didn’t find it remarkable; she had even given birth to a Crown Prince in her previous life, so the position didn’t seem so untouchable to her. And Xie Jingxing, whose own brother was the Emperor and whose nephew was the Crown Prince, felt the same way.

So from their perspective, it seemed fitting that she and Xie Jingxing were outsmarting two Crown Princes.

“Rest assured, it’s foolproof,” Xie Jingxing said. “Your carriage has also been arranged. Are you going?” He frowned. “You don’t have to go.”

“Why not?” Shen Miao replied. “Whether I go or not makes no difference to me, but I hope they’ll make it more elaborate. If I go, they’ll make their trap more convincing, only to discover in the end that everything was wrong. Wouldn’t that be more interesting?”

Xie Jingxing gave her a wry smile: “So ruthless?”

“Is it ruthless?” Shen Miao countered.

“Ruthless,” he nodded, his eyes glistening like clear water, his thin lips curving into a smile. “But I like it.”

Shen Miao: “…”

Since that night, Xie Jingxing’s speech had become increasingly frivolous, though only in his words; his conduct toward her remained respectful. Suddenly having someone intrude into her life, Shen Miao still felt somewhat uncomfortable. However, she had to admit that with Xie Jingxing around, many things became easier. What would take her considerable effort, Xie Jingxing seemed to handle effortlessly.

But continuing to rely on him like this would eventually make her feel uneasy. Shen Miao hadn’t yet learned how to trust someone, or more specifically, how to trust a man. In other matters, she was brave and resourceful, but in matters of the heart, she had been deeply hurt, making her as clumsy as a child when trying again. Even with someone gently guiding her, she remained foolish and slow to warm up.

Xie Jingxing gazed at her thoughtfully, his eyes deep with unspoken thoughts. The chess pieces were at hand, the young woman sitting properly and gently, the lamplight making her soft and graceful, like a blooming clear lotus.

He was handsome, his dark eyes as deep as night, looking at her pensively for a while before suddenly breaking into a smile.

“Once this matter is resolved, I will marry you, Shen Jiaojiao.”