A day’s plan always passes quickly. On the third day, when Shen Miao came to the Fengxian Pawnshop again, the Chen brothers had already been waiting for a long time.

Compared to before, the two seemed to have changed quite a bit. Especially Chen Yueshan – that forthright aura, reminiscent of a green mountain, had disappeared, replaced by deep gloom. Shen Miao glanced at Chen Yueshan and Chen Yuehai, and had a general idea in her heart. These two must have inquired about the news of the Chen family sister, or perhaps they had even seen her in person. Witnessing a sibling fall into such miserable circumstances could be a tremendous shock for decisive jianghu people. Otherwise, in her previous life, the Chen family wouldn’t have recklessly attempted to assassinate Prince Yu.

“Miss Shen,” Chen Yuehai spoke first, “Regarding what Miss Shen mentioned earlier about preventing the imperial family from tracing the matter to the Chen family, could you please inform us brothers of your method?”

Ji Yushu looked at his teacup, as if he could see flowers blooming in it, deliberately avoiding looking at Shen Miao.

Shen Miao sighed: “I naturally want to help, but as I said before, by doing so, I would be taking an enormous risk. In a sense, the Shen family would be in the same boat as your Chen family. If anything goes wrong, the Shen family would also suffer disaster.”

Chen Yueshan paused, then said: “I know this request is somewhat imposing, so if Miss is willing to help, I will give half of the Chen family’s assets to the Shen family.”

With these words, even Ji Yushu couldn’t help but look up at Chen Yueshan.

The Chen family was the wealthiest in Jiangnan. Since ancient times, Jiangnan had been a fertile and prosperous region, and the Chen family’s wealth probably far exceeded even that of the imperial family. Now, voluntarily giving away half their fortune would be like adding wings to a tiger for the Shen family.

Upon hearing this, Shen Miao looked at Chen Yueshan’s imploring face and couldn’t help feeling dazed. The Chen sisters had suffered torture, and to seek revenge, the Chen family was willing to pay such a price, knowing full well that even with her help, they might not be completely safe. Even so, they were still willing to take the gamble, which only showed the importance of the Chen sisters in the hearts of the Chen family. In her previous life, when she was imprisoned in the palace, isolated and helpless in the imperial harem, if the Shen family had still existed, would her parents and brothers have also done everything possible to save her?

“Miss Shen?” Seeing Shen Miao in a daze, Chen Yueshan called out.

Shen Miao returned to her senses and smiled slightly: “Half of your family assets are unnecessary. I will help, not for your family’s wealth, but merely to establish goodwill. In the future, if I need the Chen family’s assistance, I hope you won’t refuse. Secondly, I also have a grudge against Prince Yu’s mansion. As long as Prince Yu’s mansion stands, trouble will eventually come my way.” She looked at Chen Yueshan: “We are now in the same boat.”

Chen Yueshan looked at Shen Miao before him. Her eyes were clear, her tone sincere, as if every word she spoke had weight, and every sentence she uttered could be fulfilled. From their first meeting until now, she never behaved like a young girl in her teens. Chen Yueshan couldn’t help but think, if the Chen sisters had the same temperament and methods as the young lady before him, would they have ended up in such a miserable state?

Thinking of the Chen sisters, Chen Yueshan’s slightly improved mood immediately darkened again. He asked: “What is Miss Shen’s plan?”

“As for the imperial family, you need not concern yourself for now; things will improve in a few days. Additionally, if you want to make your move, it’s best to do so next month. Next month, Prince Yu is going to marry my cousin. The day after the wedding, security will inevitably be relaxed. If you strike at dawn at that time, it should be foolproof.”

“You—” Chen Yueshan wanted to say something, but in the end, he just shook his head and asked: “How can you resolve the matter with the imperial family within a month?”

Shen Miao gave a knowing smile at the tea-drinking Ji Yushu: “You need not worry about that. The urgent matter is for you to gather your men.” After a pause, she continued: “Prince Yu’s mansion is not small. You must first familiarize yourselves with its layout. On the day of action, except for my cousin, once you’ve rescued your people, you must eliminate everyone else.”

“Rest assured, we brothers understand,” said Chen Yuehai.

“I wonder what your jianghu rules are for wiping out an entire family. When I say eliminate, I mean regardless of whether they are women, children, elderly, servants, or concubines – leave no one alive. The entire Prince Yu’s mansion should thoroughly become a tomb.”

Both Chen Yueshan and Chen Yuehai were startled. Chen Yuehai frowned: “Even the servants and concubines? Many of those concubines are pitiful people abducted by Prince Yu.”

Shen Miao laughed coldly: “A centipede dies but doesn’t stiffen. If Young Master Chen wishes to show mercy, it will only bring death to the Chen family, and my Shen family will also be implicated.”

She spoke ruthlessly. After a moment, Chen Yueshan nodded: “We will not leave any survivors to burden you.”

“Very good,” Shen Miao said. “Then I wish you both success in your revenge and in washing the prince’s mansion with blood.”

After talking with the Chen brothers for a while longer, they finally stood up to take their leave. After they left, Ji Yushu finally spoke: “Miss Shen, at such a young age, you seem to understand many things. I saw just now, those Chen brothers, despite being experienced individuals, followed your arrangements. Miss Shen, I have never met a woman as intelligent and beautiful as you. I wonder if there will be an opportunity in the future to accompany you for a spring outing, a summer boat ride on the lake, autumn…” While he had started well enough, as he continued, his words became increasingly inappropriate, sounding exactly like a lecher harassing a respectable young lady.

“Manager Ji,” Shen Miao asked, “Is this all you wanted to tell me?”

“Ahem,” Ji Yushu cleared his throat. “I just wanted to inform Miss Shen that the news has been fabricated and transmitted to the palace. I think that before long, the results Miss Shen desires will be achieved.”

Shen Miao’s heart skipped a beat. Though she knew Fengxian Pawnshop had capabilities, she didn’t realize they could act so quickly. They must have people responding in the palace; otherwise, infiltrating information into the palace unnoticed would require considerable effort. This Fengxian Pawnshop’s background was indeed very deep. Just now, she hadn’t concealed her deal with the Chen brothers because she knew it was impossible to hide anyway.

“Thank you for your trouble, Manager Ji.” Shen Miao lowered her eyes. “After the matter is accomplished, I will keep my promise to you as agreed.”

Ji Yushu was silent for a moment, then asked with rare seriousness: “Miss Shen, there’s something I don’t understand.”

“Please ask.”

“Miss Shen is using the Shen family as collateral to do business with me. Aren’t you afraid that one day, I might ask the Shen family to do something dangerous, pushing the Shen family into peril? This deal might not be worthwhile then.” After saying this, Ji Yushu stared intently at Shen Miao, observing her expression.

Shen Miao didn’t even blink, saying calmly: “Rather than worrying about future difficulties, it’s better to focus on the current problems. If that day comes, it can only be said that it’s the fate of my Shen family.”

Ji Yushu asked puzzledly: “Really?”

“Fake,” said Xie Jingxing lazily in the secret chamber, listening to the sounds coming from one side.

“Only a fool like Yushu would believe her words,” said Gao Yang. “This girl’s deception skills have reached perfection. Yushu is no match for her.”

“Don’t worry,” Xie Jingxing said slowly. “Once you board my ship, getting off isn’t so simple.”

When Shen Miao rose to bid farewell to Ji Yushu, he suddenly said: “By the way, Miss Shen, about that Miss Liuying you asked me to inquire about, it seems there’s some news. If Miss Shen is in a hurry, there might be results in a few days.”

However, Shen Miao’s answer surprised Ji Yushu. She said: “There’s no rush. Manager Ji can take his time looking, and I’ll wait patiently.”

After she left, Ji Yushu shook his head, walking into the room while saying: “She’s even more inscrutable than Miss Shaoye. At least Miss Shaoye would be happy if you gave her pearls. Does this one prefer being given heads?” He shuddered and hurried into the room.

In the palace.

In the Emperor’s study, the memorials on the desk had piled up high. Emperor Wenhui sat at the desk, a memorial spread before him, but he didn’t even glance at it. He was already in his fifties and approaching his sixties. Although still mentally sharp, his temples showed traces of gray. Worldly affairs generally follow a cycle; he once had youthful vigor and commanded respect, but even with his undiminished ambition, the way people looked at him now was still like a tiger gradually growing old.

There would always be a new tiger to inherit his position.

At this moment, Emperor Wenhui’s expression was dark. As he aged, he became increasingly gaunt, but his skin seemed to cling to his bones due to loosening, revealing an eerie sign of age. He spoke with a hoarse voice, with discernible fury in it.

“Old Eleven killed an identical assassin?”

The two men in black standing before him said: “Reporting to Your Majesty, yes, the captured person has been tortured. Additionally, a trusted aide of Prince Yu who was captured by the prince’s mansion personally confessed that the prince executed a masked guard a few days ago.”

Emperor Wenhui closed his eyes briefly, then suddenly threw up his hand. The paperweight on the table flew off and shattered into several pieces on the ground. After a moment, he laughed coldly: “Old Eleven, I still underestimated him.”

There were numerous spies in the palace – consorts, ministers, and even the Empress. These spies were primarily for survival in the palace; whoever obtained more information gained the advantage. The Emperor was no exception; only with eyes everywhere could his throne feel more secure.

Initially, when he unexpectedly learned from an informant that Prince Yu had executed an assassin identical to the previous one, Emperor Wenhui didn’t believe it. Royal feelings were typically cold; his throne was secured by stepping over the corpses of his brothers. He had kept Prince Yu, who ranked eleventh at the time, because Emperor Wenhui always remembered that dangerous night when Prince Yu had shielded him, saving his life while covered in blood.

Emperor Wenhui often thought that over the years, his kindness to Prince Yu wasn’t just because of the gratitude for that leg, but also because it represented from the side that Emperor Wenhui still had sentiments. After ascending to the imperial throne, everyone’s feelings towards him were no longer pure, even his sons’ were full of calculations. Prince Yu, however, could remind Emperor Wenhui that there was still someone in this world who would selflessly shield him from a sword, a true blood brother.

But now, it all seemed like a huge joke. It appeared that the earlier scene was all a play arranged by this “blood brother.” Emperor Wenhui even suspected that Prince Yu’s crippled leg was fake.

What exactly did Prince Yu want? To usurp the throne? History books recorded many instances of biding time and suddenly rebelling. Emperor Wenhui felt only the anger and humiliation of being deceived.

When someone you trusted betrays you, trust is withdrawn, and even worse, suspicion intensifies. Royal family members were inherently suspicious. Previously, Emperor Wenhui hadn’t suspected Prince Yu because of his sincerity. Now that sincerity had turned to falsehood, the seed of suspicion in the royal mind immediately grew into a towering tree that no one could shake.

“Have people watch Prince Yu’s mansion. I want to see what tricks he’s planning to play.”

Eunuch Gao lowered his head, eyes fixed on his nose and nose on his feet, silently looking at his toes, as if he hadn’t heard the emperor’s anger at all. But in his heart, he sighed: Troubled times, troubled times.

Days passed one after another, and in the peaceful capital city of Dingjing, it seemed as if nothing had happened. As the New Year approached, people were busy preparing New Year goods; even poor families seemed filled with a light joy.

However, no matter how joyful the days were, there would always be someone who wasn’t happy.

In the palace, Prince Li was walking with Prince Xiang in the garden.

In Prince Li’s faction, Prince Xiang and Prince Cheng had weak power and bowed to Prince Li with a respectful attitude. Compared to the Crown Prince’s steadiness and the sharpness of Prince Zhou and Prince Jing, Prince Li took a middle path. His scholarship wasn’t the most outstanding, and his mother wasn’t the most favored, but he was extremely smooth in handling matters up and down, making both court officials and brothers willing to give him face. Privately, however, he was an outright “smiling tiger.”

“Sixth Brother, these days, I’ve heard that Father Emperor has been quite cold towards Uncle Wang,” Prince Xiang said.

“You’ve heard about it too.” Prince Li smiled, and when he smiled, small wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes, making him look very easygoing. His attitude was also amiable as he chatted with Prince Xiang: “Father Emperor has always valued Uncle Wang. These few times Uncle Wang had requests and came to the palace several times, Father Emperor declined with the excuse of being busy with affairs. Anyone with eyes can see that Father Emperor is deliberately giving Uncle Wang the cold shoulder.”

Emperor Wenhui could be said to have done his utmost for Prince Yu. Once, when Emperor Wenhui had a favored concubine who offended Prince Yu, and the concubine’s family had considerable influence, Emperor Wenhui sent her to the Cold Palace without a second thought. He even publicly warned everyone: “Eleven is my brother, disrespecting him is disrespecting me.” It was precisely because Emperor Wenhui almost always granted Prince Yu’s requests that this sudden change in attitude was noticed by everyone.

“But why is this?” Prince Xiang asked puzzledly. “Did Uncle Wang do something to anger Father Emperor? For so many years, no matter how outrageous Uncle Wang’s actions, Father Emperor never blamed him. These days, I haven’t heard of Uncle Wang doing anything unusual.”

“Do you know what Uncle Wang requested from Father Emperor when he entered the palace?”

Prince Xiang shook his head.

“Seventh Brother,” Prince Li patted his shoulder, as if an elder brother was admonishing his less understanding younger brother, “In the palace, one must always be vigilant. You’re so honest, and I, your Sixth Brother, cannot worry about everything for you.”

Prince Xiang smiled bashfully: “I follow Sixth Brother because Sixth Brother is smarter than me. Whatever Sixth Brother says goes.”

“I heard that what Uncle Wang requested in the palace concerned the Shen family.”

“The Shen family?” Prince Xiang suddenly realized: “Could it be that Uncle Wang angered Father Emperor because of the Shen family matter?” He thought for a moment, then said: “But Uncle Wang is marrying the eldest daughter of the Shen family’s second branch. Father Emperor shouldn’t be upset about the Shen family’s second branch, should he?”

No one understood Emperor Wenhui better than his sons. If Prince Yu had angered Emperor Wenhui, it must have been because his request was excessive. After living in the royal family for so long, they knew the emperor’s bottom line was essentially power. Shen Gui of the Shen family’s second branch was merely a third-rank civil official without much real power, hardly affecting the big picture, so Emperor Wenhui wouldn’t be angry with Prince Yu over this.

“That’s right,” Prince Li said meaningfully. “But what Uncle Wang requested was to marry the eldest daughter of the Shen family’s main branch, Shen Miao.”

“I see.” Prince Xiang finally understood: “Shen Xin holds military power. If Uncle Wang wants to marry the Shen family’s daughter, it would likely violate Father Emperor’s taboo. But why would Uncle Wang suddenly want to marry Shen Miao? Wasn’t he going to marry Shen Qing before? Even if Father Emperor allowed him to act as he wished, Uncle Wang wouldn’t be so confused as to commit such a sensitive mistake.”

“I don’t know either,” Prince Li shook his head. “Although Uncle Wang has been acting excessively these years, he has adhered to the duties of a subject. This time, however, he has gone too far.”

“Father Emperor definitely won’t let Uncle Wang marry Shen Miao, but this time Father Emperor didn’t directly tell Uncle Wang, instead avoiding seeing him, as if warning about something.”

“Perhaps his patience has been exhausted,” Prince Li smiled bitterly. “It’s better for us not to talk about these things. After all, it doesn’t concern us. These days, Father Emperor doesn’t look very happy, so we should avoid standing in front of him.”

“Sixth Brother is right,” Prince Xiang nodded.

After the two left, a figure slowly emerged from the depths of the garden. With green boots and a jade belt, it was Prince Ding, Fu Xiuyi. He stood in the garden, and clearly, Prince Li and Prince Xiang’s conversation had been heard by him. He looked towards the direction they had gone, murmuring thoughtfully: “Shen Miao?”

In the Linjiang Xian pavilion, an idle man was playing with a chess piece, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. In the world, the most dangerous things were not natural disasters, but human schemes. His name was Xie Jingxing.

Next to him, a man named Gao Yang asked: “Did Season find out about that person called Liuying?”

“Not yet, he’s still investigating.”

Ji Yushu, who was sitting opposite them, inserted: “But that girl named Shen Miao seems to be only interested in this Liuying. She doesn’t seem to care about anything else.”

“You think she’s only interested in this person?” Gao Yang laughed. “This girl possesses qualities beyond her years; who knows what she’s after?”

“I think there must be a significant connection between her and Liuying,” Ji Yushu shrugged. “But she doesn’t seem in a hurry to find her. It’s just peculiar – Liuying is a high-profile name in jianghu, but Shen Miao doesn’t seem like someone from jianghu. Shen Miao is from the general’s family, lacks martial arts, and hasn’t been raised by Shen Xin. With this temperament, no one would dare bully her.”

Seeing Gao Yang lost in thought, Ji Yushu suddenly remembered something and continued: “Speaking of which, though I fabricated the news regarding the royal family this time, everything was done according to Shen Miao’s plan. Thinking about it now, she is quite frightening. Prince Yu, for some reason, seemed to have lost his senses recently and directly told Emperor Wenhui he wanted to marry Shen Miao. Knowing that Shen Xin holds military power, and whoever marries Shen Miao could be seen as harboring ill intentions in the emperor’s eyes, Prince Yu made such a mistake. Moreover, once Emperor Wenhui starts suspecting, he suspects thoroughly. Add a bit of fuel, and he probably wouldn’t even blink if Prince Yu died. This way, it conveniently benefits the Chen family’s actions. Shen Miao’s plan is interlocking, calculated without a single error.”

“Because she is a person without accidents,” Gao Yang sighed. Xie Jingxing was right; every seemingly dangerous action of Shen Miao’s ultimately matched her initial objectives perfectly. In her plans, there were never “accidents.”

Gao Yang mischievously thought: If one day he could see Shen Miao panic and be dumbfounded by an “accident,” it would be quite satisfying.

“In any case, I think this Shen Miao is worth befriending,” Ji Yushu said seriously. “Additionally, observing her appearance, she’ll likely grow into a beauty in a few years. Such an intelligent and beautiful woman, how could I, Ji Yushu, miss the opportunity?” He revealed a smile he considered debonair: “I’ve decided, she’ll rank alongside Miss Shaoye in my heart. From now on, besides Miss Shaoye, she can also be considered my intimate female friend.”

Gao Yang simply turned his head away, refusing to look at this fool.

Meanwhile, Ji Yushu’s so-called “intimate female friend” was picking through items in a room.

“Sister, are you selecting so many things to send as Shen Qing’s dowry?” Shen Qiu scratched his head and asked.

Shen Miao was in the storeroom selecting a portion of the items bestowed by the emperor, as if looking for something specific. Finally, she picked out a jade pillow, smooth and cool to the touch, emanating a soft jade glow, quite beautiful.

“Sister, are you planning to give this to Shen Qing?”

As Shen Qing’s wedding day approached, the entire Shen family began to concern themselves with her marriage. A few days ago, Shen Yue had asked Shen Miao what she would give to Shen Qing’s dowry, which Shen Qiu overheard. He had not seen Shen Miao take any action until now, which made him think she had finally remembered the matter.

“This?” Shen Miao picked up the jade pillow and shook her head: “No.”

“Oh,” Shen Qiu asked, “Is it for your use, sister? This jade pillow looks nice.”

Shen Miao lowered her eyes. This jade pillow, called the Ice Silkworm Pillow, had been given to her as part of her dowry by Shen Xin when she later entered the palace in her previous life. Later, she became the Empress, and Madam Mei, who was deeply favored by the Emperor, claimed one day to be unwell with a headache and specifically requested her pillow. By then, the Ice Silkworm Pillow had been given to Wanyu. Wanyu had refused, quarreled with Madam Mei, and shattered the pillow. Fu Xiuyi had severely punished Wanyu, and shortly after, news of the Xiongnu marriage alliance arrived.

Thinking about it now, it was all a past dream, yet still heart-wrenchingly painful.

“Sister?” Shen Qiu, seeing Shen Miao silent, asked worriedly.

“This is for me to give to someone,” Shen Miao said. “As for Elder Sister’s dowry, if Big Brother has time, please help me pick something. If Big Brother is busy, I can have Guyu buy something as well.” Her words revealed her indifference towards Shen Qing.

“Oh,” Shen Qiu responded awkwardly. Only after Shen Miao left the room did he slap his forehead: “Stupid, I forgot to ask sister who the pillow is for!”

Outside, Jingzhe also asked: “Miss, who are you giving the pillow to?”

“A friend.”

Since the Chen family would be useful in the future, a gesture was necessary. Favors and small kindnesses in times of need could secure loyal allies. The art of managing people was something she had learned bit by bit from Fu Xiuyi.

For the mentally disturbed Chen sister, something to calm the mind and focus energy would undoubtedly be a good thing.