“Unfilial daughter, kneel at once!”

With Old Madam Shen’s command, Shen Miao remained motionless.

Everyone looked at her with surprise. Shen Xin had been away at war for years, and Shen Miao had been raised under Old Madam Shen’s strict supervision. She had been molded into a timid and dull character who never disobeyed the Old Madam’s orders. Yet today, she refused to kneel?

Was it true that anything related to Prince Jin gave her such tremendous courage?

“Grandmother, Fifth Miss doesn’t know what wrong she has committed,” Shen Miao said calmly.

“Fifth Sister, have you lost your mind from fever?” Shen Yue was the first to speak, her face showing some urgency. “Grandmother is merely upset, not truly punishing you. This matter could be settled with a simple apology. Why are you being so stubborn?”

With just one sentence, she had labeled Shen Miao as someone who refused to admit mistakes and defied her elders.

“Outrageous! This is absolute rebellion!” Old Madam Shen sat up straight in anger, her voice sharp. Shen Yuanbai, who had been eating sugar-steamed custard, was so startled by Old Madam Shen’s outburst that he accidentally dropped his dessert on the floor and immediately burst into loud crying.

“Don’t cry, Seventh Brother.” Ren Wanyun stepped forward quickly to hold her son in her arms. Her gaze toward Shen Miao was full of disapproval. “Fifth Miss, have you gone mad? Who taught you to talk back to your elders?”

Shen Miao looked at Ren Wanyun.

Second, Madam Ren Wanyun had a plump figure and wore a long blue brocade garment with cloud patterns. Her complexion was rosy, and she was fair and plump. She always appeared kind and benevolent, constantly wearing a smile. As the household manager, everyone in the Shen mansion respected her for being fair and just—a worthy daughter-in-law.

Shen Miao had once thought so too, until later when she got married. Shen Xin had provided nearly half of the family’s wealth as her dowry, but by the time she arrived at Prince Jin’s residence, there was barely anything left. Why? Naturally, it had been withheld by Ren Wanyun.

Ren Wanyun had kept the valuable items from the dowry and changed the ownership of the shops. With Shen Xin absent from the capital, she had foolishly married into Prince Jin’s household only to be looked down upon by everyone there due to her meager dowry. All thanks to her “fair” Second Aunt’s actions.

“Does Second Aunt also believe that Fifth Miss has done wrong?” Shen Miao asked softly. “But Fifth Miss doesn’t know what mistake she has made.”

“Fool!” Old Madam Shen couldn’t contain herself and immediately started cursing. “At such a young age, you have no sense of shame, secretly watching Prince Jin and bringing disgrace to our Shen family! You dare talk back to me? Who taught you such improper manners? So undignified!”

Shen Miao sighed inwardly. Old Madam Shen maintained a perfect, dignified appearance day to day, but once she opened her mouth, her background as a singing girl was unmistakable. What respectable matriarch of a noble family would curse so crudely? She behaved no better than those brothel women. In her previous life, Shen Miao hadn’t noticed, but after becoming an Empress, she realized that even conversing with Old Madam Shen lowered her status.

“Secretly watching Prince Jin?” She tilted her head and asked in confusion.

Shen Yue couldn’t help but interject: “Fifth Sister, although we know you admire Prince Jin, falling into the water because you were spying on him damages our family’s reputation. Prince Jin must be displeased. Fifth Sister, you should find an opportunity to apologize to him.”

Admiring Prince Jin and apologizing to him? What woman would want to lose face in front of the man she loved? In her previous life, Shen Yue had said the same thing, and Old Madam Shen had agreed wholeheartedly. Shen Miao felt too embarrassed to comply and stubbornly refused, which resulted in Old Madam Shen putting her under house arrest in a fit of anger.

The implication was that she had behaved shamelessly because of her admiration for Prince Jin, ruining her reputation and embarrassing the family. Shen Yue appeared gentle and elegant, but her thoughts were so calculating. Shen Miao couldn’t help but glance at her.

As soon as Shen Yue finished speaking, she noticed Shen Miao looking at her. Those grape-dark eyes were exceptionally clear, seemingly containing some special meaning that startled her.

The next moment, Shen Miao’s calm voice could be heard: “Second Sister, what nonsense about admiring Prince Jin—you shouldn’t spread such rumors. Fifth Miss is now a lady who has come of age. Speaking this way might damage Fifth Miss’s reputation.”

Shen Yue was stunned.

Everyone in the noble circles of the capital knew that Shen Miao admired Prince Jin. Although Shen Miao had never explicitly stated it, her behavior and actions made it obvious. How could she deny it now?

She smiled and said, “Fifth Sister, we’re all family here. These matters are nothing to be ashamed of…”

“Second Sister!” Shen Miao suddenly interrupted her loudly and said sternly, “Second Sister, mind your words. As they say, misfortune comes from the mouth. Prince Jin is of imperial blood, and as members of an eminent family, we must be cautious in our speech and behavior. Previously, Fifth Miss was young and ignorant, perhaps doing things that could be misunderstood, but the recent incident was a lesson. Fifth Miss will restrain her words and actions in the future. Please don’t say such things.”

These words not only shocked Shen Yue but everyone in the room, including Old Madam Shen.

Shen Miao had always been gentle and timid, never raising her voice. She had been easy to manipulate and obedient. When had she ever spoken so sharply?

Chen Ruoqiu’s eyes flashed. Shen Yue was still young and not as shrewd as herself. Coming from a scholarly family, she was not without intelligence. She was usually proud and never willing to submit. Seeing her daughter at a disadvantage, she felt displeased and immediately spoke in a gentle voice: “Whether there’s admiration or not can be cleared up with just one word from Fifth Miss, after all, who can guess a young lady’s thoughts? But Fifth Miss should listen to Third Aunt’s advice. Your Second Sister is right—Prince Jin has a noble status. Regardless, you should apologize to him.”

“Indeed,” Old Madam Shen also recovered and said, “Starting tomorrow, we’ll send a note to Prince Jin’s residence and personally visit to apologize.”

Shen Miao almost laughed from anger. Such words could only fool her previous naive self. Looking at it now, she was the legitimate daughter of a military family with a noble status. Why should she personally apologize to a prince? If she did, where would Shen Xin’s face be? It would likely become another joke in the capital by tomorrow.

She finally understood that the Old Madam simply disliked the original wife’s First House and couldn’t wait for them to be humiliated daily, preferably facing downfall soon. With Shen Xin and his wife absent from the capital, they were using her as a scapegoat.

But how could things be so convenient for them?

Shen Miao smiled slightly and turned her gaze to Shen Qing, who had remained silent from the beginning. She said, “Eldest Sister, when I fell into the water that day, only you were by my side.”

Shen Qing raised her head and nodded calmly. She had already anticipated that Shen Miao would soon reveal that she had pushed her into the water, but Shen Qing wasn’t afraid at all. The current decision-makers in the Shen family were the Old Madam and Ren Wanyun. Shen Miao only had the title of a young lady in name, but in reality, she was just a daughter neglected by the Third House. As long as she firmly denied everything, the Old Madam and Ren Wanyun would side with her. Then Shen Miao would be accused of lying and be despised by the Old Madam, possibly receiving severe punishment. Serve her right! Who told this uncouth, ignorant girl to compete with her for Prince Jin? If only she had drowned that day!

“Eldest Sister, did you also see Prince Jin that day?” But Shen Miao’s question was unexpected.

“Yes, I did,” Shen Qing replied.

“Well then, the other day, I was merely playing by the pond with Eldest Sister and accidentally fell into the water. It just happened that Prince Jin, who had come to the Shen residence to ask Second Uncle for paintings and calligraphy, passed by,” Shen Miao shook her head. “If I had gone to spy on Prince Jin, how would I have received such information? Second Uncle and Third Uncle’s servants wouldn’t have relayed messages to the inner courtyard. How would I know that Prince Jin would suddenly come to the Shen residence looking for Second Uncle’s artwork? Am I clairvoyant? Or…” she continued leisurely, “Could it be that Prince Jin sent a formal invitation to our mansion?”

Shen Qing didn’t understand what Shen Miao meant by these words and frowned, about to refute, when she heard her mother, Ren Wanyun, suddenly exclaim: “Eldest Miss!” Her voice carried undisguised anxiety.

Shen Miao glanced at the pale-faced Ren Wanyun and the suddenly tense Chen Ruoqiu, and smiled slightly.

She thought so. With so many shrewd people in this mansion, how could they not understand her implication?

Fu Xiuyi had come to the Shen residence the other day because he happened to pass by and remembered a bet made while playing chess with Shen Gui, which involved claiming a painting.

Now Shen Miao was suggesting there had been a formal invitation beforehand… The current Emperor despised officials getting too close to the princes. If there had been a specific invitation, what would they have discussed? The plans for the heir apparent?

There were countless eyes and ears in the world—who knew if there were imperial spies in the Shen residence? Some things simply could not be said.

With one sentence, Shen Miao had elevated the issue from a young lady’s conduct to the loyalty of imperial subjects. Shen Xin was in the northwest, so naturally there was no problem there, but Shen Gui and Shen Wan remained in the Shen residence, and both still served in the imperial court.

This logic might be lost on Shen Yue and Shen Qing, but Ren Wanyun and Chen Ruoqiu certainly understood.

Shen Miao laughed coldly in her heart. If they wanted to trample on her reputation, she would bet with the heads of Shen Gui and Shen Wan. Did her Second Aunt and Third Aunt understand this? Were they willing to take that risk? Did they dare?