“A young girl, quite pretty, with the surname Shen, probably from the Shen family,” Ji Yushu scratched his head. “But she’s very fierce, completely ignoring my charm.”

As soon as he finished speaking, an eerie silence fell over the tea room. After a moment, Gao Yang smiled at Xie Jingxing: “I think I know who it is. This Shen family girl is quite formidable.” Though his smile was gentle, his tone revealed some sharpness.

“I also found it strange,” Ji Yushu shivered and scratched his head. “When she came earlier, I observed her. She didn’t seem like someone visiting Hundred-Intelligence for the first time. I asked Hong Ling, who had never seen her before. Our profession is inherently secretive—even among the official families in the capital, only a few would know about it. So how… did she know?”

“This girl is extraordinary,” Gao Yang pondered. “I originally thought the Shen family in the capital was just mindless fat meat, bound to be swallowed sooner or later. But now it seems the waters run deeper than imagined.” He glanced at Xie Jingxing, finding him lowering his head in thought, and asked, “What do you think?”

Xie Jingxing raised his head and looked at Ji Yushu: “Her conditions—did you accept them?”

“For such a significant matter, I naturally needed to consult with you both.” Ji Yushu ate one pastry after another. “But I reckon, with the Shen family’s vast wealth and considerable military strength, if what that Shen girl says is true, it should make things much easier for Third Brother Xie in the future. She doesn’t know that our Feng Xian Pawnshop is Third Brother’s property.”

When the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman benefits. That Shen girl probably didn’t know that the promise she made would ultimately benefit Xie Jingxing. But she couldn’t be blamed, as even Hong Ling, who had managed the Feng Xian Pawnshop for many years, was unaware of these intricate relationships.

“Although that may be true…” Gao Yang mused, “This gamble is too great. The information she wants to create could easily attract the royal family’s attention. We must proceed with extreme caution now. If something goes wrong, the loss would outweigh the gain. As for having the Shen family or not, they weren’t in our initial plan anyway, so we needn’t be too concerned.”

“What you say makes sense,” Ji Yushu nodded and looked toward Xie Jingxing. “But ultimately, it’s up to Third Brother to decide.”

“Accept her conditions.”

As soon as Xie Jingxing spoke, Gao Yang frowned and said, “Why make such a hasty decision?”

“Since the Shen family has already become a variable, they may still be useful in the future. They can be used to deal with certain people, still capable of putting up a fight. As for the information she wants to create, it’s aimed at Prince Yu’s manor.” Xie Jingxing raised an eyebrow. “Conveniently, we won’t need to deal with it ourselves, which saves us trouble.”

With his explanation, everyone suddenly remembered. Ji Yushu clapped his hands: “That’s right! I almost forgot—she wants to create news about Prince Yu’s conspiracy to rebel. This is aimed at Prince Yu’s manor. Does the Shen family have a grudge against Prince Yu’s manor?”

Having just returned to the capital, Ji Yushu didn’t usually pay attention to the affairs of official ladies, so he was still unclear and somewhat confused about these matters.

Gao Yang understood in his heart. He knew about the grudge between Shen Miao and Prince Yu, and couldn’t help but be impressed. If an ordinary girl encountered such a situation, she would fear Prince Yu’s power. Yet Shen Miao not only wasn’t afraid but was seeking a chance to counterattack. She was indeed clever—since Prince Yu’s manor had the royal family’s backing, she would first drive a wedge between them. If the royal family became suspicious of Prince Yu, naturally, the protective talisman behind Prince Yu’s manor would also lose its effectiveness.

But even so, what else could she do?

“Accept this business,” Xie Jingxing said. “Notify the Chen family in Jiangnan as soon as possible.”

“Rest assured, I’ve already had Hong Ling send a message to the Yuzhou side. The Chen family case has dragged on for three years, but I don’t know if that Shen girl’s information is true or false. After all, the Chen family tried everything back then without any news. How could a young girl now know? If her information is false, I expect the Chen family won’t let her off easy,” Ji Yushu said indistinctly with his mouth full of pastries.

“Since she came to sell information, it must be true,” Xie Jingxing frowned. “But there are still aspects of this matter that don’t add up.”

“Are you a rice bucket?” Gao Yang watched Ji Yushu’s voracious eating and couldn’t help but shake his head. “Has the shopkeeper of Feng Xian Pawnshop never eaten his fill?”

“Hmph,” Ji Yushu shook one finger. “The pastries elsewhere aren’t as good as those made by Third Brother’s cook. The last time I brought some pastries made by Third Brother’s cook to Miss Peony, she smiled at me. You see,” he picked up a pastry and waved it in front of Gao Yang, “there’s something different.”

Gao Yang couldn’t be bothered with him. Suddenly, Ji Yushu’s expression changed as he remembered something, and he pulled out a silver note from his bosom, saying, “Speaking of which, that Shen family miss still gave me a thousand taels of silver to buy a piece of information.”

“What information?” Xie Jingxing and Gao Yang looked at him simultaneously.

“She said she wanted to find a girl called Liu Ying, said to be… probably a courtesan from a pleasure house, right here in the capital. She asked me to find her by all means.” He curiously asked, “What does she want with a courtesan? Could she also appreciate beautiful women like me?”

Gao Yang and Xie Jingxing exchanged a glance—the former confused, the latter merely shaking his head slightly.

…

When Hong Ling escorted her out, Mo Qing and the others were relieved to see her safe and sound. Shen Miao had stayed inside for too long; if she had remained any longer, they would have rushed in to get her. Before leaving, Shen Qiu had repeatedly warned them that Shen Miao had attracted trouble, so they must be extremely careful on the road. If they lost Shen Miao, Shen Qiu would tear them apart.

Hong Ling smiled politely at Shen Miao: “Miss Shen can return here in ten days.”

“Thank you, Manager Hong,” Shen Miao replied gently.

The dressed young shop assistant at the door, probably seeing Hong Ling being so respectful to someone for the first time, couldn’t help but look at Shen Miao a few more times.

After Shen Miao and her group got into the carriage and left, the young assistant couldn’t resist asking Hong Ling, “Manager, who is that young lady?”

“Just go about your business,” Hong Ling lightly tapped his head, then thought for a moment and added, “Next time you see Miss Shen, be extra sweet to her. She’s no ordinary person.”

The young assistant hurriedly agreed. Hong Ling watched the carriage disappear into the distance and sighed inwardly. The capital truly was full of talented people. Even a young girl could scheme so calmly, almost matching her own master.

In the carriage, Shen Miao was lost in thought, pondering who knows what. Jingzhe and Guyu, afraid of disturbing her thoughts, remained silent. In fact, they didn’t know what business Shen Miao had conducted today—though it was a pawnshop, they didn’t know what she had pawned. But for matters Shen Miao didn’t explain, the two maids wouldn’t ask.

When they passed a certain place, Guyu smiled and said, “Guangfu Zhai is just ahead. Since we haven’t been out for a long time, why not let this servant buy some of their pastries?”

Guangfu Zhai’s pastries were always in high demand. Since it wasn’t yet the busiest time, buying some wouldn’t be inconvenient. Although Shen Miao herself didn’t particularly enjoy them, Luo Xuexian and Shen Qiu did. Shen Miao nodded and said, “Go ahead.”

Guyu then jumped off the carriage and went to Guangfu Zhai.

Mo Qing and the others surrounded the carriage. These tall and sturdy guards were quite eye-catching, causing passersby to look twice. Shen Miao lifted the curtain, intending to get some fresh air, when her gaze was attracted to someone.

That person had just left Guangfu Zhai, still carrying a package of pastries. His eyes happened to meet Shen Miao’s in midair, and he couldn’t help but be slightly startled.

It was Pei Lang.

Shen Miao hadn’t visited Guangwen Hall for a long time. She neither wanted to gain fame as a talented lady nor use it to achieve scholarly merit. Busy with her affairs these days, she had forgotten about this encounter. Looking at Pei Lang, she suddenly smiled and nodded to him from the carriage.

Pei Lang was momentarily stunned. Shen Miao was his student. Ming Qi still valued the virtue of respecting teachers. Xie Jingxing’s behavior was an exception, but generally, students were always polite to their teachers. But Shen Miao’s nod just now gave Pei Lang a strange feeling, as if he had to look up to her, as if she were a step above him.

Before he could react, Shen Miao had already lowered the curtain. Mo Qing and the others on the carriage noticed his gaze and looked at him vigilantly.

Pei Lang stood rooted to the spot. Such disrespectful behavior would normally anger someone as inherently proud as him. But for some reason, apart from feeling somewhat wryly amused, he couldn’t muster any other emotion. Perhaps it was due to Shen Miao’s recent display of strength, making him feel that if she were to act properly and curry favor with him like other students, he would find it uncomfortable.

Shaking his head, Pei Lang could only walk away.

Feeling the gaze from outside the carriage depart, Shen Miao lowered her eyes to look at her sleeve. Her feelings toward Pei Lang were complicated. She resented his indifference to how Fu Xiuyi had treated Wanyu and Fu Ming, but she also knew that Pei Lang was merely being what he considered a loyal subject. The grudges of her past life were resolved; since Pei Lang could still be useful in this life, she shouldn’t dwell on this matter, though it still made her somewhat uncomfortable.

As she was thinking, Guyu had already returned with the pastries.

Upon returning to the Shen manor, it was still early. Shen Qiu also resided in the western courtyard, so Shen Miao planned to bring him some pastries. Just as she reached the main hall, she happened to encounter Ren Wanyun supporting Shen Qing as they walked out. Ren Wanyun’s gaze at Shen Miao was like daggers, and Shen Qing’s eyes were full of venomous resentment, causing even Guyu and Jingzhe to shiver involuntarily, both moving to shield Shen Miao.

“The fifth daughter hasn’t paid respects to the old madam these days,” Ren Wanyun brought up a different topic. “Is she planning to be an unfilial child?”

Shen Miao glanced at her. Ren Wanyun was now like a mad dog, biting anyone she could, both fearing Shen Xin and Luo Xuexian while being unwilling to let Shen Qing suffer in vain. She could only make some ineffective minor moves.

But Shen Miao wasn’t raised to be timid. She wasn’t afraid of reputation at all and smiled faintly at Shen Qing: “Second Aunt still has the energy to meddle in my affairs while worrying about Big Sister’s heartbreak. The Empress’s arranged marriage came urgently—next month, she’ll enter the Prince’s manor. Second Aunt should teach Big Sister some things, after all, it’s not an ordinary household she’s marrying into, but a Prince’s manor.”

With that, she led Jingzhe and Guyu away without looking back.

Ren Wanyun trembled with anger. These days, the angrier she became, the more confused her mind felt. She didn’t even have time to deal with the fact that Shen Gui was increasingly favoring Wan Concubine. Wan Concubine’s daughter, Shen Dongling, had also changed from her previously frail and dependent image, now often making food for Shen Gui. Compared to Shen Qing, she seemed even more obedient. Together with Wan Concubine, they had Shen Gui wrapped around their fingers, while Ren Wanyun and Shen Qing were declining day by day.

And all of this stemmed from Shen Miao. Otherwise, with Ren Wanyun’s methods, Wan Concubine, whom she had once subdued, would never have become so arrogant.

“Mother,” Shen Qing, beside her, tugged at her hand. These days, having endured cold looks, her previously arrogant and impetuous nature had become much more restrained. The resentment in her eyes remained undiminished as she gritted her teeth and said, “Don’t worry. Just endure a little longer. Once I enter the Prince’s manor, even if it costs me my life, I’ll make Prince Yu deal with Shen Miao. I definitely won’t let her get away with this.”

Since Shen Qing was already pregnant, the Empress’s arranged marriage was set for the following month to avoid scandal if delayed. In such a short time, and with an imperial decree, Ren Wanyun truly had no recourse but to watch helplessly as Shen Qing jumped into the fire pit.

“Qing’er, don’t be afraid,” Ren Wanyun said. “Your brother will return soon. Yuan’er is the smartest, and when he returns, he’ll surely find a way to make that little hussy fall into disgrace.” Shen Yuan would also return for Shen Qing’s wedding. Ren Wanyun’s eyes flickered—she was now isolated and helpless. If it weren’t for Shen Yuanbai following her instructions to please the old madam, perhaps that old woman wouldn’t help her either.

Shen Miao returned to the Western Garden, surprised to find Shen Qiu waiting for her in the courtyard. Seeing her return, Shen Qiu sighed in relief, looking her up and down and saying, “Why were you gone so long? I thought something had happened.”

“In broad daylight under the Emperor’s feet, only a fool would make a move,” Shen Miao handed him the pastries. “I bought these on the way back, for you.”

Shen Qiu was startled and accepted them with some emotion. Since his return, the change in Shen Miao’s attitude toward him had been particularly delightful.

“Where are Father and Mother?” Shen Miao asked.

“Just returned to the capital, social obligations with colleagues,” Shen Qiu looked around and said, “Sister, while you were out today, Father had some conflict with Second and Third Uncle these past few days. The old madam even severely reprimanded Father.”

“Father had a conflict with Second and Third Uncle?”

Shen Qiu looked at Shen Miao’s expression and thought for a moment before saying, “Sister, you know that Father and Mother were dissatisfied with Second and Third Uncle because of the ancestral hall incident. Naturally, they don’t pay much attention to them now. The old madam was probably anxious, which is why she reprimanded Father.” At this point, Shen Qiu’s face couldn’t help but reveal a hint of resentment. “The old madam’s heart is too biased. What did Father do wrong? Second and Third Uncle didn’t take good care of you in the manor, and I’m angry, let alone Father.”

Shen Qiu didn’t call her “Grandmother” but “old madam,” clearly showing his displeasure with Shen Old Madam.

After saying this, Shen Qiu couldn’t help but glance at Shen Miao’s expression again. After all, Shen Miao had been raised by Shen Old Madam all these years. Every time he returned in the past, he saw her being very respectful to Shen Old Madam. Having spoken impulsively, Shen Qiu wasn’t sure if Shen Miao would be upset.

“There’s a difference between close and distant relatives; after all, it’s not her blood,” Shen Miao said coldly. “Naturally, there’s bias.”

“Ha,” Shen Qiu seemed happy to have found an ally. “Exactly! Father has been filial to her for Grandfather’s sake and has done more than enough over the years. Yet she still accuses Father of being unfilial…”

“Reprimanding Father isn’t just because of Second and Third Uncle,” Shen Miao said. “It’s probably also related to Father not handing over the silver awarded by His Majesty.” Shen Old Madam loved money like life itself. This time, Shen Xin, in his extreme anger, had kept the reward for himself, and since Shen Miao hadn’t suggested sending the silver over, the old madam naturally couldn’t sit still after a while and came to find fault, thick-skinned as she was.

“This is really…” Shen Qiu seemed to want to say something but felt it inappropriate in front of his sister, so he restrained himself and said, “So what? Father’s belongings—he can give them to whoever he wants!”

“Exactly, so let her scold as she pleases. As long as appearances are maintained, ignoring her means she can’t do much. But Father is too straightforward. For some things, he should still appear to yield. When the time is right, there will naturally be an opportunity to vent.”

Shen Qiu felt that Shen Miao’s words were somewhat strange, yet he vaguely understood something. He smiled and said, “After a year apart, my sister’s nature has become much stronger.”

Shen Miao neither affirmed nor denied this. She watched as Shen Qiu opened the paper package, picked up a large pastry, and tossed it into his mouth, chewing a few times before saying, “The capital’s pastries are truly delicious. In the northwest desert, we don’t have such refined things.”

Shen Miao watched him eat quietly. After a moment, she gently asked, “Brother, what do you think of loyalty and righteousness?”

“Loyalty and righteousness?” Shen Qiu said without looking up, “Naturally, it’s about being loyal to the Emperor and serving the country, with iron and blood to kill foreign enemies, bringing glory to the nation, becoming a pillar of the state.” After that, he asked Shen Miao, “Why do you ask this, sister?”

“Nothing,” Shen Miao shook her head and said softly, “Go ahead and eat.” But in the depths of her eyes, there was a flash of dimness.

…

After the first snow cleared, the capital had snowed all night. When the sun shone, the icicles frozen under the eaves the night before glistened brightly, a truly beautiful sight. On the streets, mischievous children crouched down to grab handfuls of snow, molding them into snowballs and throwing them at each other playfully. As the year’s end approached, the capital became increasingly lively, as if all the hard work throughout the year had culminated in a bountiful harvest at the tail end.

Outside the eaves of Feng Xian Pawnshop hung a neat row of red lanterns, but not ordinary ones. These lanterns, made of some unknown material, seemed to have gold threads mixed in, shining even in broad daylight. The pendants hanging below the lanterns were sparkling glass beads, twinkling and complementing the ice crystals. This display was only possible for those with wealth and power, with guards stationed outside. Otherwise, people coming to steal the lanterns would be endless.

The dressed young shop assistant welcomed customers with a beaming smile. Those who came to do business at Feng Xian Pawnshop were always few, and the assistants generally liked to slack off. But today, contrary to the norm, he was exceptionally energetic, as if certain that customers would come.

Beyond the long corridor of Feng Xian Pawnshop, in another realm, on the first floor of the Lin’an Marquis, in the tea room, the red-robed woman with a charming smile personally brought in pastries and placed them inside, smiling as she said, “These are made by the cook. Please try them first, everyone.” With that, she gracefully withdrew.

Three people sat in the tea room. One wore a lake-green robe, with a kind and amiable smile. Opposite him were two men in their twenties, who looked seven or eight parts similar, clearly a pair of brothers. Both had thick eyebrows and large eyes, with swords at their waists, giving them somewhat of a jianghu air.

At the moment, the older of the brothers said, “Shopkeeper Ji, hasn’t the person buying information perhaps deceived us brothers? Why hasn’t she appeared yet?”

Ji Yushu smiled and said, “Brother Chen, there’s no need to rush. I agreed with her to meet here today, but didn’t specify the time. She’ll come today and shouldn’t be too late. I hope you both can be patient.” After saying this, in his heart, he cursed the two opposite him vehemently. Who comes to do business at the crack of dawn? He was still groggy, and if it weren’t for the face of the Chen family from Jiangnan, he would have had the workers drive them away.

“To be honest,” Chen Yueshan, the elder Chen brother, said, “My brother and I received the news and should have taken half a month to reach the capital, but we traveled non-stop, wearing out several horses along the way, all because we heard news about our two sisters. Shopkeeper Ji knows how much effort we’ve put into finding our sisters these three years, without a single bit of news. Now that we finally have some leads, we’re naturally a bit anxious. I hope Shopkeeper Ji won’t laugh at us.” This elder Chen brother was quite articulate, probably sensing Ji Yushu’s displeasure at their early arrival, so he half-explained and half-apologized.

Ji Yushu felt somewhat better inwardly, and his smile became more sincere as he said, “These years, I’ve also been keeping an eye out for news for you. Now that there’s a lead, I’m quite relieved as well.”

“Having us wait here is fine,” Chen Yuehai, the younger Chen brother, was more youthful and spoke more impulsively, saying, “As long as the information is true, what does it matter if we wait half a month? But if it’s false… anyone toying with our Jiangnan Chen family should expect no courtesy from us brothers.”

Ji Yushu’s momentarily pacified heart immediately became displeased again. He didn’t care if the Chen brothers acted tough, but acting tough on his turf irked him. His smile remained unchanged, but his tone cooled: “My Feng Xian Pawnshop only deals in buying and selling information. If the business succeeds, then it’s an exchange of information for silver; if not, we part ways. I don’t care what Brother Chen intends, but my Feng Xian Pawnshop is a place for clean business and doesn’t welcome trouble.”

Chen Yueshan paused and glared fiercely at his brother. He naturally knew how formidable the seemingly kind and harmless youth opposite them could be and that he certainly wasn’t as simple as he currently appeared.

Chen Yuehai saw his brother’s expression, realized he had misspoken, and also fell silent. The atmosphere grew quiet.

After a while, footsteps came from the entrance. Hong Ling smilingly came forward, lifted the bead curtain, and smiled at Ji Yushu, saying, “Shopkeeper, the client has arrived.”

The Chen brothers instinctively looked toward the door. From behind, Hong Ling emerged as a purple-robed young woman. She had a pretty and cute appearance, looking about thirteen or fourteen years old. But for some reason, her brow and eyes were as calm as water, making her seem much older, causing people to feel somewhat confused.

She lifted the curtain and sat down in the empty chair, nodding to Ji Yushu, “Shopkeeper Ji.”

“This… miss,” Chen Yueshan began with difficulty, asking, “Are you the one selling information?”

Hong Ling smiled and withdrew, leaving only the Chen brothers, Shen Miao, and Ji Yushu in the tea room. Shen Miao said, “That’s right.”

Chen Yuehai’s expression changed, and he smiled coldly, “Miss, how old were you three years ago? Aren’t you deliberately toying with us?”

“There are many ways to obtain information. Perhaps I didn’t witness it personally, and perhaps I didn’t know three years ago. Business deals focus on results, and besides, the mere Chen family isn’t worth toying with.”

Ji Yushu couldn’t help but laugh out loud with a “puff.” As soon as he laughed, seeing Chen Yuehai’s unpleasant expression, he quickly straightened his face and said, “Miss Shen is correct. Business deals focus on results; how they come about is not important.”

“Is that so?” Chen Yuehai looked at Shen Miao and said coldly, “Then can this Miss Shen guarantee that the information is true? Business focusing on results is correct, so if the result is true, we brothers will naturally reward generously. But if not… do you know the consequences?” By the end, Chen Yuehai’s tone had suddenly turned sinister.

Those who mix in the jianghu often have a certain ferocity. The fierceness that erupted in that instant was enough to intimidate ordinary people, at least more than enough to intimidate a young girl.

Yet in the silence, Shen Miao stared at him without blinking, her expression showing not a ripple of change. Her calm demeanor made Chen Yuehai seem like someone causing unreasonable trouble.

Ji Yushu wanted to laugh but couldn’t, so he had to hold it in. The previously silent Chen Yueshan finally spoke: “Miss Shen, my brother is somewhat impetuous. I apologize on his behalf. We have come with sincere intentions to buy this information. If the miss’s information is true, we will certainly reward you with ten thousand gold.”

“Ten thousand gold is unnecessary,” Shen Miao said. “Just give what you think is appropriate. The Jiangnan Chen family has extensive connections. I merely wish to establish goodwill. Should I face difficulties in the future and need the Chen family’s help, I hope both of you, considering the relationship from this information, can assist.”

Facing two men much older and more experienced than herself, she spoke without losing any ground, with clarity and order, and with some jianghu heroism, causing Chen Yueshan to regard her more highly, clasping his hands in agreement. Little did they know that Ji Yushu was inwardly cursing Shen Miao as a swindler. The silver from selling this information would all go to Feng Xian Pawnshop, yet Shen Miao actively suggested giving less silver; wasn’t she just finding ways to make their Feng Xian Pawnshop earn less?

“You might as well tell us the information now,” Chen Yuehai was indeed somewhat impatient.

Shen Miao glanced at him and said, “The Chen sisters’ disappearance from Yuzhou in Jiangnan was an abduction. The mastermind behind the kidnapping of the two sisters is His Majesty’s brother, Prince Yu.”

At these words, all three in the tea room fell silent. In another secret room closely adjoining the tea room, two people were also startled. The white-robed young man even exclaimed involuntarily, “Prince Yu?”

The purple-robed youth caressed the jade cup in his hand, suddenly raised his lips in a smile, and uttered word by word: “Interesting.”