The pattern on the peace pendant was very distinctive, recognizable at a glance. Luo Ling’s expression turned extremely unpleasant as he asked, “May I ask Your Highness Prince Rui… where did you get that peace pendant from?”

Deep Autumn glanced at Luo Ling with some surprise. Luo Ling was usually a very measured person, quite steady when out in public. But now he was rashly questioning Prince Rui, which seemed rather abrupt. When Prince Rui greeted you, that was because he was in a good mood—it was your honor. If you initiated a conversation with Prince Rui, it depended on whether he was willing to acknowledge you.

Unexpectedly, today’s Prince Rui was particularly accommodating. He untied the peace pendant from his waist, toyed with it in his hand, and said lazily with a smile, “This? A young lady gave it to me.”

Shen Qiu: “…”

Prince Rui was saying far too much today. Why was he discussing these “romantic affairs” in front of two people he barely knew? Shen Qiu felt quite awkward. The more you knew about certain things, the sooner you might die. He had no interest in Prince Rui’s private affairs, so why was Luo Ling asking about such irrelevant matters?

Luo Ling’s face grew increasingly pale as he stared uncontrollably at the peace pendant in Prince Rui’s hand. But Prince Rui merely glanced at him before casually hanging the pendant back on his waist. He said to Shen Qiu, “This Prince has other matters to attend to, so I won’t speak further with General Shen. When General Shen has time, he may visit Prince Rui’s residence.” He smiled enigmatically and said, “This Prince would very much like to spar with General Shen.”

With that, he pulled on the reins, his horse raised its hooves, and he departed with sudden elegance, leaving Shen Qiu and Luo Ling standing dumbfounded.

Shen Qiu murmured, “Could it be that Prince Rui wants to win me over?” Why would Prince Rui suddenly invite him to his residence? Shen Qiu dared to say that Prince Rui probably hadn’t even extended such an invitation to the imperial princes of Ming Qi.

Although his martial arts were indeed outstanding, Prince Rui had probably noticed his skills at a glance. While Shen Qiu was feeling rather pleased with himself, he suddenly noticed Luo Ling’s unusual expression. Finding it strange, he asked, “Cousin, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Why do you look so troubled?”

Luo Ling came back to his senses and forced a smile, “It’s nothing. Let’s go back.”

“Alright.” Shen Qiu looked once more down the street where Prince Rui had disappeared and said, “It seems Prince Rui must like that young lady, carrying her token of affection on his waist. I wonder which family’s daughter is so fortunate—she’d probably smile even in her dreams.”

Shen Qiu was carefree and failed to notice that on the way back, Luo Ling’s steps were unsteady, as if he had suffered some severe blow.

…

As everyone had predicted, the assassination attempt on Emperor Ming Qi involving Huang Fu Hao had indeed caused many complications. Although people from the Crown Prince’s faction had been trying to clear his name, the Ministry of Justice had been silent, seemingly intending to keep the Crown Prince imprisoned indefinitely.

The Emperor’s actions also caused court officials to reassess the situation. When people fell from favor, support quickly evaporated. Once the Crown Prince was imprisoned, some people, seeing which way the wind was blowing, immediately switched their allegiance to other princes. The court’s power structure changed once again, but that’s a story for another time.

The night was cold. During the day, Shen Miao had gone out with Luo Tan to buy fabric for the New Year. Luo Xueyan said that since they were both young ladies, they should have several new outfits made, and they had practically toured the entire capital city of Ding Jing. By the time they returned to the residence, even though Shen Miao was resilient, she felt somewhat fatigued.

After asking Jingzhe and Guyu to prepare water, Shen Miao bathed and came out to find someone else in her room.

When Xie Jingxing turned around, he saw Shen Miao wearing an inner robe, one hand wringing out her wet hair with a handkerchief.

The young lady was different now from two years ago. Though still petite in stature, she was like a flower bud about to bloom—unripe yet fragrant. Her loose inner robe was slightly damp, seemingly allowing one to glimpse the slender figure underneath. In the flickering light, her lips were red, her teeth white, and her eyes seemed covered with a layer of mist. Her hair was black and wet, clinging to her cheeks, and the further down one looked, the more one could see hints of snowy whiteness…

Xie Jingxing averted his eyes. Before Shen Miao could react, she saw a thick cloak thrown toward her, almost making her stumble. After clutching the cloak tightly, Shen Miao angrily said, “What are you doing?”

“Put it on,” Xie Jingxing frowned. “If you catch a cold, no one will care.”

Shen Miao was furious. This person always had a way of making kind words sound annoying. Nevertheless, she did feel a bit cold, so she wrapped the cloak around herself.

Xie Jingxing turned back and glanced at her, seeing that Shen Miao didn’t seem to care at all about a man being in her room. She remained calm and continued to wring out her hair. His mouth twitched slightly.

It wasn’t that Shen Miao lacked awareness of propriety. In her previous life, she had admired Fu Xiuyi, but it had been entirely one-sided, never mutual. When Fu Xiuyi was pretending with her, the most he showed was gratitude and respect. As for those heart-pounding moments… There were none. Later, when she became Empress, what she faced most often were the thousands of beautiful consorts in the palace, and the people she saw most frequently were eunuchs, so she didn’t think her current appearance was inappropriate.

She continued wringing her hair as she walked over to sit down. Noticing Xie Jingxing thoughtfully appraising her, her face inexplicably grew warm, and she asked, “What are you looking at?”

“I thought you would never feel embarrassed,” Xie Jingxing said lazily. “Well, I feel reassured now.”

Shen Miao was baffled.

Xie Jingxing propped his chin up, looking at her, and asked, “Why did you call for me?”

Today, Shen Miao had asked Cong Yang to find a way to summon Xie Jingxing. Since there was a messenger available, why not use him? But Cong Yang was indeed reliable—hadn’t Xie Jingxing come now?

Shen Miao stopped wringing her hair, hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Master Pei hasn’t replied to me for a long time. Could you inquire about the situation at Prince Ding’s residence to see if something has happened to him?” Shen Miao hesitated when she said “Master Pei.” She had never spoken to Xie Jingxing about Pei Lang, but with Xie Jingxing’s methods, he had probably already figured out the relationship between her and Pei Lang. Pei Lang used to send her letters every few days, conveying some news from Prince Ding’s residence, but there had been no messages lately. Shen Miao suspected something had happened. Without Xie Jingxing, she would have gone directly to the Feng Xian Pawnshop, but since she had Xie Jingxing, and Ji Yushu and Xie Jingxing were on the same side, she might as well entrust it to him.

Hearing this, Xie Jingxing’s gaze paused, and he looked at her meaningfully, “Pei Lang?” He said flatly, “You care a lot about him.”

Shen Miao frowned, “I’m not the type to ‘burn the bridge after crossing it.'” No matter how many grievances and complaints she had about Pei Lang in her previous life, in this life, Pei Lang had indeed stood by her side. She couldn’t betray his trust.

Xie Jingxing nodded casually, “Very well, I’ll inquire for you.”

Shen Miao: “…” Why did she feel that Xie Jingxing was just giving a perfunctory response?

The two fell silent, creating an awkward atmosphere. Shen Miao changed the subject and asked, “I heard the Crown Prince hasn’t been released yet. What’s the current situation in the palace?”

Xie Jingxing glanced at her and said, “Don’t worry, the Crown Prince is finished.”

Shen Miao was startled, “What?”

“The Emperor of Qin has already issued his final threat to the old Emperor. If he doesn’t deal with the Crown Prince to avenge Huang Fu Hao, he will send troops to attack Ming Qi.” Xie Jingxing stared at the tea leaves floating in his cup, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger. “At this critical moment, the old Emperor doesn’t dare take risks.”

Shen Miao said, “The final threat has been issued already? No wonder… But,” she raised her head to look at Xie Jingxing, “the message came so quickly. It seems the Emperor of Qin hasn’t even investigated the truth. Is he determined to make the Crown Prince the scapegoat? Why? Doesn’t he want to catch the real culprit who killed his son?”

In Shen Miao’s mind, although she had guessed this outcome, she hadn’t expected it to come so quickly. After all, a person’s death was no small matter. At the very least, the Emperor of Qin should investigate, and the Emperor of Ming Qi should hold out for a while.

Xie Jingxing smiled mockingly, “Naive.”

Shen Miao: “…” It had been a long time since anyone had called her naive.

Xie Jingxing continued, “The royal family only cares about results. The truth doesn’t matter, since Huang Fu Hao can’t be brought back to life.” He played with the teacup in his hand and spoke softly, “Qin lost a Crown Prince and a Princess. Qin may well have other suitable princes, but Qin’s court politics must be chaotic now because of this incident. Since Qin is wary of Ming Qi, naturally, Ming Qi must pay an equal price.”

“Whether the Crown Prince is the murderer or not, he must die.” Xie Jingxing’s smile was cold. “Only with the Crown Prince’s death will Ming Qi and Qin be even.”

Shen Miao inwardly drew a breath of cold air.

Xie Jingxing’s words were indeed ruthless, but they tore away the colorful façade covering the truth. Ming Qi and Qin were originally evenly matched in national strength. Now that Qin had lost a Crown Prince, the struggle for succession would likely cause further chaos in their court politics. If Ming Qi remained intact, it would only provoke anger.

No matter what, when a person is mired in a swamp, their first reaction isn’t to find a way to climb out themselves but to drag those around them down too. So-called alliances built on mutual benefit and hardship were nothing more than this—tied together by interests, and calculated meticulously by interests.

The Emperor of Ming Qi had probably recognized this point as well, which is why the Crown Prince would soon become the weight to balance this unfair scale. Ming Qi had gained a Crown Prince, so that the Crown Prince would be erased.

No matter how reluctant, for the sake of the realm and the throne, what could be sacrificed must be sacrificed.

Shen Miao remained silent.

Xie Jingxing smiled, “Killing two birds with one stone. You did well.”

Shen Miao said, “I only came up with the idea. You’re the one who deserves the credit.”

This plot was conceived by Shen Miao, but Xie Jingxing was responsible for perfecting it. Xie Jingxing had many talented people at his disposal. Calculating the different routes of the Crown Prince and Huang Fu Hao, timing everything precisely, and putting on a flawless performance were not simple tasks.

Shen Miao believed that the greatest credit belonged to Xie Jingxing.

Xie Jingxing smiled slightly, neither confirming nor denying.

After talking for a while longer, Shen Miao’s hair had dried, and she yawned twice from fatigue. Seeing this, Xie Jingxing prepared to leave.

As he was leaving, Shen Miao suddenly called out to him, hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Has Princess Rong Xin contacted you recently?”

“No,” Xie Jingxing raised an eyebrow.

“Then… what do you plan to do?”

Xie Jingxing slipped out the window without looking back, leaving behind three words:

“Nothing at all.”

…

Shen Dongling and Wang Bi were confined in the innermost cell of the prison. The Emperor, perhaps deliberately to show fairness and that he wasn’t arresting people arbitrarily, hadn’t taken action against other members of the Wang family.

But this didn’t mean the situation was much better. The External Official’s household had only Wang Bi as its sole heir. If anything happened to Wang Bi, the Wang family would likely be finished.

The passing jailers hardly showed any courtesy to these two. This dungeon had imprisoned many high-ranking officials; once they fell from power, they lost everything. Besides, an External Official wasn’t a high-ranking position and didn’t warrant any special treatment.

Shen Dongling was extremely humiliated.

A few days ago, she had been dreaming of future glory, but now this was the outcome. Previously, when they were wealthy and comfortable, she and Wang Bi had been respectful and harmonious with each other. But once trouble arose, the cracks and conflicts hidden by the shrewd Wang Bi and equally shrewd Shen Dongling were exposed.

Wang Bi blamed Shen Dongling, since the idea of the perfume shop had been hers. Who would have thought it would lead to both of them ending up in jail? Wang Bi wasn’t a fool. Since even the Crown Prince hadn’t been rescued yet, how could their situation improve? More importantly, the Crown Prince was at least the heir apparent, with the Empress advocating for him. What did the Wang family have besides wealth that couldn’t be revealed to the public?

Shen Dongling could only defend herself. How could she have known that Huang Fu Hao would inexplicably die? This was a conspiracy. Someone wanted to frame the Crown Prince and had dragged them into it as well. Shen Dongling was innocent.

Today, a jailer came bringing food that was different from the usual fare.

The food was very fresh, even containing meat. Shen Dongling was somewhat delighted. In recent days, they had been eating prison food that was either spoiled or dry and hard to swallow. Seeing such a sumptuous meal, she was pleasantly surprised and asked, “Brother, is this for us?”

The jailer looked at her and smiled strangely, “Yes, it’s for you.”

Wang Bi suddenly realized something, his expression turning grim. He asked, “Brother… what does this mean?”

“Heh, at least someone understands,” the jailer said. “Enjoy your last meal before you depart.”

Shen Dongling’s chopsticks fell with a clatter, and she could hardly believe her ears.

As for Wang Bi, he collapsed onto the ground, as if he had anticipated this, seemingly drained of all strength and unable to stand again.

“Brother, what’s happening?” Shen Dongling became agitated, appearing unable to accept the reality. Her voice twisted into a shrill tone as she asked, “When can we be released? We’ve been wronged! The assassination of the Qin Crown Prince truly has nothing to do with us. We’ve been imprisoned for so long, hasn’t the truth been clarified yet? When can we go home?” She spoke rapidly and urgently, as if doing so could dispel the fear in her heart.

This was the first time Wang Bi had seen Shen Dongling so distraught. He stared at her, speechless.

The jailer, annoyed by Shen Dongling’s shouting, stepped back and impatiently said, “Never mind you two, even the Crown Prince has been found guilty. How can you claim innocence?”

Wang Bi was stunned and asked, “Has the Crown Prince confessed?”

The jailer snorted and said, “Indeed. Whether you’re innocent or not, being executed alongside the Crown Prince could be considered your fortune. Besides…” The jailer smiled maliciously, “Even if you were innocent of this crime, smuggling salt is no minor offense.”

Wang Bi’s body trembled, and he asked with a quavering voice, “How… how was this discovered?”

“How would I know?” The jailer waved dismissively, “That’s what everyone is saying.” He looked at Wang Bi again and said, “I heard that when they confiscated the Wang family’s property, they carried out boxes of gold and silver, hauling them out all morning. Since you’ve enjoyed such wealth in this life, you haven’t lived in vain. Master Wang, don’t think about anything else. Just enjoy this meal and hope for a better family in your next life.”

Shen Dongling’s heart sank. If there had been a glimmer of hope before, once the salt smuggling was exposed, she and Wang Bi truly had no way out.

Now that the national treasury was empty and the Emperor wasn’t wealthy enough, while the Wang family had grown rich from salt smuggling, how could he not punish them severely? Since the Wang family’s property had already been confiscated, likely none of the Wang family members would escape.

Shen Dongling felt the world spinning. She had gone to great lengths to switch places with Shen Yue and arrange this marriage for herself. She had been very satisfied with the Wang family. Although they weren’t extremely powerful, they had money and didn’t have to worry about food or clothing. Life would only get better. But how had they ended up in prison? How had their wealth vanished like smoke?

She couldn’t accept it.

If she hadn’t come up with this idea for Wang Bi, could they have avoided this calamity? Huang Fu Hao wouldn’t have died, the Crown Prince wouldn’t have been wrongly accused, and they wouldn’t have become innocent victims. Why had she been possessed that day to try to scheme against Shen Miao? She knew that those who opposed Shen Miao never ended well. Why had she deliberately crashed headlong into disaster?

Shen Miao? Yes, Shen Miao!

This situation must be Shen Miao’s doing behind the scenes.

Shen Dongling suddenly had an inspiration. She removed a bracelet from her wrist. Most of her jewelry had been used to bribe jailers since her imprisonment. This bracelet was given to her by Madam Wang on her wedding day and was extremely valuable, almost enough to buy a shop in a remote area. She placed the bracelet in the jailer’s hand and urgently said, “Please help me, brother. Find my Fifth Sister and relay a message. Tell her I have something to say to her.” She pleaded earnestly, “A dying person’s words are sincere. Please help me one last time.”

She was naturally beautiful, and now looking so pitiful with tears in her eyes, the jailer’s heart softened a bit. He took the bracelet and said, “Since that’s the case, I’ll help you this once. However, I can only deliver the message. I can’t guarantee whether the Fifth Miss Shen will come or not.”

Shen Dongling hurriedly thanked him.

Wang Bi laughed coldly, his expression weary, not knowing whether he was mocking himself or Shen Dongling. He said, “Do you think Shen Miao will come to save you?”

“Whether she comes or not, I don’t know.” Shen Dongling’s demeanor changed from the weakness she had shown the jailer to something more vicious. “If she’s willing to save me, I’ll humble myself before her. But if she has no intention of saving me, why should only the First Branch of the Shen family live safely? Since we’re family, we should face difficulties together.”

As Shen Dongling had hoped, the jailer indeed conveyed her message to Shen Miao. However, Shen Miao was decisive, cutting off the conversation and making it clear she didn’t want to go. She had Jingzhe give the jailer a heavy purse.

Now, the entire Shen residence was gone, with only the First Branch of the Shen family still standing like a copper wall and iron fortress in the capital. Two years ago, Shen Xin had been demoted and forced to leave the capital, but unexpectedly, he had returned two years later. Moreover, compared to two years ago, Shen Xin’s attitude was now more forceful, no longer merely humble, yet still giving others no leverage against him. Even the Emperor had to treat him with some courtesy. One was a prisoner, and the other was a military general with significant power. No matter what, the jailer would not offend a general for the sake of a prisoner.

The jailer left.

Shen Miao sat at her dressing table while Jingzhe combed her hair and asked, “I thought Miss would go see Third Miss one last time.”

Guyu glared at her, “Why should Miss see her? The Second and Third Branches of the Shen family have nothing to do with us anymore. Besides, they’ve committed capital offenses. If Miss goes to see her for no reason, what if others suspect something and implicate Miss?”

Jingzhe stuck out her tongue and said, “Didn’t Miss see Second Miss and First Miss one last time before?”

“Shen Dongling isn’t an ordinary person,” Shen Miao listened to their argument and said, “She’s deliberately setting a trap for me, and I won’t fall into it.”

“A trap?” Jingzhe’s expression suddenly changed, “Miss, are you saying Third Miss wants to harm you?”

“One must always be cautious of others,” Shen Miao said calmly.

Among the daughters of the Shen family, Shen Yue and Shen Qing had been spoiled by their mothers. They were malicious but not deeply scheming, perhaps because they were still young and didn’t see things. But Shen Dongling was different. Since childhood, she and Concubine Wan had been suppressed by Ren Wanyun, and her father, Shen Gui, was indifferent. Growing up in such an environment, Shen Dongling’s resolve was stronger than most. The fact that she could stay confined to her courtyard for over a decade, making Ren Wanyun lower her guard, was proof enough.

For such an enemy, Shen Miao never dared to underestimate her. If Shen Yue and Shen Qing suffered a heavy blow, they would panic first. But Shen Dongling would likely seize the final opportunity to scheme until her last moment, as long as she wasn’t dead.

Seeing how coldly Shen Dongling treated her father, Shen Miao didn’t believe Shen Dongling would have any genuine feelings for her.

Guyu also muttered, “Who knows what she’s thinking? She’s already in jail, surely she can’t cause any more trouble?”

“Don’t worry. As long as I don’t go, there won’t be any problems,” Shen Miao reassured them. “If she wants to ask for my help, I can’t provide it, so going would be useless. If she wants to drag me down, I simply won’t see her, and she can do nothing about it.”

Jingzhe nodded repeatedly, “That’s right, not going is the right decision.”

Shen Miao lowered her eyes. There was one thing she found strange. The Crown Prince and Wang Bi were imprisoned because of the Huang Fu Hao incident, but the Emperor’s decision to convict them had spread so quickly. Besides the Emperor of Qin’s constant pressure, it must also be related to the salt smuggling information.

The Emperor could not tolerate people amassing wealth right under his nose, not even his son. The pressure from the Emperor of Qin, combined with the Emperor’s anger, had led to such a swift decision.

But… how had the salt smuggling information been leaked?

Was it Xie Jingxing’s doing? She propped her chin and pondered deeply.

…

In the palace, outside the Hall of Cultivated Heart.

The Empress had been kneeling in the courtyard for an entire day.

She had been kneeling since dawn, and servants’ attempts to persuade her had been futile. Now it was already afternoon. Winter was naturally cold, and ice had formed on the ground. Kneeling all day without a cushion beneath her, her knees would easily become cold and stiff. The sun was out, and although the Empress usually had no health issues, she was now sweating profusely. She clenched her teeth, said nothing, and continued to kneel silently, looking as if she might collapse at any moment.

A palace servant beside her advised, “Your Majesty, please go back first. His Majesty is probably busy today. Why harm your health? Catching a cold in this freezing weather would not be good.”

“I will kneel,” the Empress said firmly, “until His Majesty changes his mind.”

When the eunuch relayed the Empress’s words to the Emperor in his study, the Emperor became furious and said, “Let her kneel! Let her kneel! If she thinks I’ll change my mind, she can forget about it!”

Ever since learning of the Crown Prince’s conviction, the Empress had wanted to personally meet with the Emperor to plead for mercy. But the Emperor refused to see her. Worried about her son and having no alternative, the Empress could only kneel in the courtyard outside the Hall of Cultivated Heart, hoping that if she knelt long enough, the Emperor would save face and let her in.

The Empress knew the Crown Prince had made a grave mistake. Previously, with the Huang Fu Hao incident, discerning people could see that something was amiss, and the Emperor had still been protecting his son. But the salt smuggling with the Wang family had eroded the last bit of guilt in the Emperor’s heart. Now the Emperor was angry and disgusted with the Crown Prince, so how could he listen to the Empress’s plea?

The Empress had no choice. Having been married to the Emperor for so many years, she understood his thoughts clearly. But the Crown Prince was her only son. For her only son, she was willing to kneel for a lifetime, let alone a day.

As the standoff continued, a light laugh came from behind. Someone walked over gracefully, wearing a peach-red gold-threaded robe and skirt. Her clothes were bright, and she radiated glory. Looking at the Empress, she said, “Sister, why are you kneeling here? You gave your younger sister quite a fright. I thought you were paying such deep respect to me. Please don’t joke like this in the future.”

The Empress gritted her teeth as she looked at her, filled with hatred. This person was Imperial Consort Xu. Truthfully, the Empress suspected that the sudden revelation of the Crown Prince’s salt smuggling was connected to Prince Zhou and Prince Jing. After all, once the Crown Prince died, the two brothers would have one less formidable rival.

But without evidence, she couldn’t say anything. Still, Imperial Consort Xu certainly had a talent for pouring oil on the fire.

Imperial Consort Xu smiled prettily and asked, “Why doesn’t your sister go inside? Could it be that you’ve done something wrong and are kneeling to beg for His Majesty’s forgiveness? Would you like your younger sister to go in and speak for you?”