Shen Miao sat for a while in Princess Rongxin’s mansion, changed into new clothes, and had her hair elegantly restyled by the maids. After finishing a cup of tea, Princess Rongxin finally entered.

“Is Miss Shen feeling better?” Princess Rongxin smiled. “I’ve already instructed the kitchen to prepare ginger tea. In such cold weather, it’s important to warm yourself up and avoid catching a cold.”

Shen Miao returned the smile. “Thank you, Your Highness.” But in her heart, she felt suspicious. Princess Rongxin had never been this warm and friendly toward her before. It was still the same face, but without any of the strictness and coldness from her previous life, making Shen Miao wonder if the person before her was truly Princess Rongxin.

While she pondered this, Princess Rongxin was also observing her, her gaze thoughtful. Although Princess Rongxin rarely went out, gossip from the capital still reached her ears. Because she didn’t frequently venture outside, her information was outdated, still fixated on the fact that the Shen family’s legitimate fifth daughter was a good-for-nothing.

In Princess Rongxin’s impression, Shen Miao was a timid and weak girl who was paradoxically bold and shameless in pursuing men, with neither talent nor virtue, and whose appearance was utterly common—how could she be worthy of Xie Jingxing, who excelled in both appearance and learning? But now, looking at her, the young lady appeared refined with clear eyes like water. Even while sitting, she displayed an unusual dignity and authority for her age, causing Princess Rongxin to somewhat revise her opinion.

“Tonight, Wanli Lake was crowded with people. Miss Shen got separated from her family and must have been frightened.” Princess Rongxin smiled. “After you finish the ginger tea, I’ll have servants escort you home.” With a hint of probing in her expression, she added, “When you got into trouble today, that nephew of mine made an unprecedented request for my help.”

The “nephew” naturally referred to Xie Jingxing. Shen Miao looked at Princess Rongxin’s meaningful expression, unsure how to respond to this. After a pause, she said, “Young Marquis Xie is chivalrous and righteous. I’ve imposed on him today.” She immediately felt sour at her own words—Xie Jingxing, chivalrous and righteous? He had a black heart. Today she had been implicated by Xie Jingxing, yet now it seemed as though she owed him a favor.

Seeing Shen Miao’s somewhat distant words that seemed deliberately to distance herself from Xie Jingxing, Princess Rongxin felt even more satisfied. If Shen Miao had been presumptuous, using Xie Jingxing’s small deed today to eagerly proclaim their relationship as special, desperately trying to cling to him, Princess Rongxin would have immediately thought less of her. While she welcomed young men and women’s feelings for each other, coming from the strictly rule-bound royal family, she couldn’t approve of private exchanges of that nature.

“What do you mean by ‘imposing’?” Princess Rongxin smiled warmly. “Jingxing already said you’re his friend. Friends shouldn’t stand on ceremony. After all, Jingxing is my nephew, and since you have a friendship with him, you can consider me as your aunt as well.”

Shen Miao, holding her teacup, nearly choked. Consider Princess Rongxin as her own aunt? Even in her previous life, when she married Fu Xiuyi and Princess Rongxin actually became her aunt, when she later tried privately to get on good terms with Princess Rongxin, the princess had coldly replied, “Enough of this. I don’t have a niece like you.”

That cold, standoffish Princess Rongxin, who had rejected her attempts at closeness, now warmly told her, “You can consider me as your aunt as well.” Shen Miao felt as if she must be dreaming.

Seeing her slightly stunned expression, Princess Rongxin thought this child was honest and lacked the scheming nature of noble young ladies. She took Shen Miao’s hand and said, “I don’t have children. In the future, you can come visit me here.” She removed the bracelet from her wrist and put it on Shen Miao’s. “This can be my welcome gift to you.”

“This is too valuable,” Shen Miao declined. This bracelet was a “spray sand peony jade double ring chime” with five interlocking gold rings that had been part of the late Empress Dowager’s dowry—Princess Rongxin’s mother’s dowry—later given to Princess Rongxin when she married. In her previous life, Shen Miao had seen Princess Rongxin wearing this double ring, showing how much she treasured it.

“Just wear it,” Princess Rongxin smiled. “It’s just a little trinket. Your Shen family probably has plenty of gold, silver, and jewels. Don’t refuse this.”

“How could your subject daughter think poorly of the Empress Dowager’s bracelet?” Shen Miao said. “But it’s still too valuable…”

Princess Rongxin was startled. “How did you know this was the Empress Dowager’s bracelet?”

Shen Miao paused, silently cursing her mistake. She knew about the palace women’s affairs because in her previous life she had become the head of the Six Palaces, but in this life, she was merely the daughter of a subject—how would she know such private royal matters?

Seeing Princess Rongxin’s suspicious gaze, Shen Miao had a quick thought and smiled: “I once heard Young Marquis Xie mention it. Young Marquis Xie has a close relationship with Your Highness and often speaks of you.”

“I see.” Princess Rongxin’s expression immediately softened, touched as she said, “All these years, I’ve treated him as my child. It’s good to know he still has a conscience.” At this point, she looked at Shen Miao differently and continued, “But for him to tell you about this…”

Shen Miao stiffened, and sure enough, Princess Rongxin said, “It seems he truly considers you a ‘friend.'” Princess Rongxin sighed, “This child Jingxing, though he appears mischievous, is a good person. In all these years, I’ve never seen him care so much about any young lady.” She smiled warmly at Shen Miao. “You’re the first.”

Shen Miao thought to herself that Princess Rongxin was behaving just like Xie Jingxing’s mother. However, Xie Jingxing’s interest in her had nothing to do with romance; he probably had suspicions about her. Dealing with someone so clever made every step feel exhausting.

Just then, a maid brought the prepared ginger tea. Princess Rongxin chatted with Shen Miao while watching her drink the tea. The more they talked, the more Princess Rongxin liked Shen Miao. She discovered that Shen Miao was not at all the stupid good-for-nothing of rumors; instead, she was knowledgeable with a generous spirit. Even in simple conversation, she didn’t seem rigid, and it was hard to imagine where a girl raised in seclusion had acquired such a broad perspective. Thinking of Shen Miao’s former infatuation with Prince Ding, Princess Rongxin felt a bit worried. Though Prince Ding was also her nephew, her heart naturally favored Xie Jingxing over Fu Xiuyi. And for such an excellent young lady, Princess Rongxin didn’t want her nephew to miss the opportunity, so throughout their casual conversation, she kept praising Xie Jingxing.

Princess Rongxin had a cold and rigid personality. Even with her own relatives, even with Emperor Wenhui, she maintained a frosty demeanor. Today, however, she was conversing pleasantly with a stranger, nearly dropping the jaws of all the servants in the Princess’s mansion.

Little did they know that in her previous life, when Shen Miao married Fu Xiuyi, she had hoped to win over all of Fu Xiuyi’s relatives, learning much about Princess Rongxin to cater to her preferences. Yet in her previous life, her efforts had yielded little result. Now, simply because of her connection with Xie Jingxing, she happened to appeal to Princess Rongxin’s taste. Had she known Princess Rongxin was so easy to please, in her previous life, she could have just cultivated a good relationship with Xie Jingxing. It would have been much easier.

After nearly an incense stick’s time had passed, Princess Rongxin finally rose reluctantly and said, “It’s getting late. If we don’t send you home soon, General Shen and Lady Shen will be worried. I’ve already had a carriage prepared to take you back.” With that, she stood up and instructed the servants.

When Shen Miao followed Princess Rongxin outside, she was startled by the grand display—Princess Rongxin’s carriage was incredibly luxurious, and even more shocking was the number of armed guards accompanying it. Princess Rongxin smiled, “The streets are crowded today. Having more people to protect you will prevent any further incidents.”

Given the other’s good intentions, Shen Miao had no reason to refuse. Moreover, she could use Princess Rongxin’s impressive entourage to deal with certain people in the Shen residence. So she graciously thanked Princess Rongxin and boarded the carriage.

On the capital’s streets, the crowds had not diminished even now. True to their word, fireworks would continue throughout the night. Such a conspicuous group of people and carriages on the busy streets naturally attracted attention.

At the corner of the street, on the city wall, stood a youth wearing a fox fur coat, accompanied by a middle-aged man. The man said, “Her Highness sent so many guards to escort Miss Shen home.”

“Aunt Rong isn’t easily won over,” the young man remarked with interest. “This Miss Shen has quite an ability.”

The middle-aged man remained silent until he suddenly heard the youth beside him ask, “How are the captives from today?”

“Master, they’re all locked in the tower prison. Three dead soldiers took poison and killed themselves. The remaining three had their jaws dislocated but refused to talk.”

“Then pick one and crush his bones—don’t spare a single inch of his body. I don’t need to teach you how to make an example.”

“Yes,” the man hesitated before asking, “Those who infiltrated the city…”

“Find them and show no mercy.”

…

Beneath the bustling prosperity of the capital, with its flowing crowds, the unrest and danger stirring underneath left no trace in the General’s mansion.

In the main hall of the Shen residence, everyone stood solemnly. In the center, General Shen and his wife could barely hide their anxiety and worry, while Shen Qiu’s face was full of remorse.

After searching the entire night without finding any trace of Shen Miao, the Shen couple weren’t fools—they knew that in the current situation, she likely hadn’t been taken by ordinary kidnappers. Who would risk forcibly abducting Shen Miao with Shen family guards just steps away? No ordinary kidnapper would take such a risk; the fear was that someone might be seeking revenge.

The Shen couple didn’t know about the Prince Yu matter, but Shen Qiu was well aware. The extermination of Prince Yu’s household was likely connected to Shen Miao, and if Prince Yu’s remaining followers wanted to avenge their master, one could imagine Shen Miao’s fate if she fell into their hands.

Shen Xin had even mobilized the Shen family’s troops and secretly notified the city guards to seal the gates. They had searched house by house throughout the capital, but as time passed, Shen Xin and the others were nearly going mad.

Chen Ruoqiu spoke gently, “Brother and sister-in-law, this situation is impossible. Why don’t we… report it to the authorities? If we report it, having the Prefect of the Capital involved would be better. Searching like this isn’t working.”

“That’s right,” Shen Wan also spoke up. “Brother, the longer we delay, the worse it is for Little Five. The Shen family troops have been searching outside, and others who see this will become suspicious.”

Shen Yue stood behind Chen Ruoqiu, keeping her head down to hide her upturned lips. Serves her right! Shen Miao’s disappearance was perhaps the most delightful news she had heard today. She wished for nothing more than for Shen Miao to be returned with her reputation ruined, just like Shen Qing. Then, among the Shen family’s legitimate daughters, only she would be left untarnished. At that point, even if the Shen couple held military power and had Shen Qiu to protect them, what would it matter? With Shen Miao’s reputation destroyed, she would never be able to hold her head up for the rest of her life!

“No,” Luo Xuenian raised her eyebrows fiercely, glaring at Chen Ruoqiu. “If we report this, Jiaojiao’s reputation will be completely ruined!” She had initially wanted to keep Shen Miao’s disappearance secret from others, but the people in each branch of the Shen family were too shrewd. Paper couldn’t wrap fire, and the news of Shen Miao’s disappearance had been revealed.

Shen Xin and Shen Qiu had searched the entire night without success and had to order their subordinates to continue the search while they returned to the mansion to plan next steps.

“Sister-in-law,” Chen Ruoqiu said with a sincere face, “which is more important—Jiaojiao’s reputation or her life? If a young woman loses her life for the sake of her reputation, I believe her sister-in-law would regret it in the future.”

“Chen Ruoqiu, who are you cursing?” Luo Xuenian immediately shouted angrily upon hearing this. She had a quick temper. She didn’t mind if others criticized her, but she couldn’t tolerate anyone speaking ill of Shen Miao, and immediately turned against Chen Ruoqiu.

“What are you arguing about?” Old Lady Shen, who had been silent, finally spoke up. She glared at Luo Xuenian. “You lost the fifth miss, and now you’re venting your anger on others? Was the second daughter-in-law wrong? If too much time passes, the fifth miss might lose her life—what use is reputation then?”

On the surface, these words seemed to be concerned for Shen Miao, but Luo Xuenian still felt uncomfortable and instinctively wanted to retort.

“That’s right, Aunt,” Shen Yuan also spoke up. “Even if we don’t report it, with the Shen family guards searching so conspicuously, people will likely guess the truth by tomorrow. What difference will it make whether we report it or not?”

Shen Yuan had always seen Shen Miao as a thorn in his side and wanted nothing more than to remove her. Now that she had encountered misfortune on her own, how could he not add fuel to the fire?

Shen Gui was even happier, though he never liked to take the lead. He only maintained a regretful expression as he said, “Alas, Little Five was such a fine child. How could this happen to her? Brother, do you have any enemies?” Shen Gui hated Shen Xin the most. Shen Xin had achieved outstanding merit and overshadowed him in all matters at court. If Shen Miao’s misfortune was due to Shen Xin, Shen Xin would likely feel guilty for the rest of his life, and Shen Gui relished the chance to twist the knife in Shen Xin’s heart.

Concubine Wan held Shen Dongping behind Shen Gui. As a concubine, she had no right to speak here, so she listened to others without making a sound, only secretly rejoicing that she had kept Shen Dongping close and prevented her from being abducted as well. Shen Dongping kept her head lowered, hiding her expression.

“That’s enough, eldest daughter-in-law. Either way, everyone will find out. Reporting it now might spare the fifth miss some suffering. Let’s report it soon,” Old Lady Shen said, a gleam flashing in her eyes. She hated most that the son of the old general’s first wife always overshadowed her son in everything. At least Shen Miao’s incompetence had given her some satisfaction. Who knew when Shen Miao had started to outshine both Shen Qing and Shen Yue, and with Shen Qiu now frequently wandering about the mansion, Old Lady Shen felt stifled. This rare opportunity to see Shen Miao in trouble almost made her secretly gleeful. She would love nothing more than for the entire Ming Qi to know that Shen Miao had been kidnapped, preferably with her purity compromised, leaving the Shen family’s main branch unable to hold their heads high. That would be truly satisfying!

Before Shen Xin and Luo Xuenian could speak, Shen Qiu clenched his fists. Though young and impulsive, he wasn’t blind to the intentions behind people’s words. These people, while claiming to be concerned for Shen Miao, had eyes that flickered with schadenfreude and a desire to kick her while she was down. No wonder Shen Miao had changed so dramatically in a year, becoming calculating and mature beyond her years—she had been forced into it by the Shen family. Never before had he so clearly recognized the kind of environment in which Shen Miao had been living.

Luo Xuenian and Shen Xin exchanged a glance, their eyes almost fierce. If the ancestral hall fire incident could still be attributed to some misunderstanding, since they hadn’t seen its cause, the scene before them now was crystal clear. Luo Xuenian was furious, while Shen Xin was extremely shocked and disappointed.

He had treated them with sincerity, respect, and help, yet when his daughter was in trouble, what he saw was secret joy. Shen Xin suddenly felt that all those past images of harmony and familial love were incredibly ironic.

Shen Yue spoke with concern, “What will those people do to Fifth Sister? Fifth Sister is beautiful, and I’ve heard kidnappers sell beautiful girls to very distant places… If they aren’t kidnappers, after going to such lengths, they probably won’t treat Fifth Sister well.” As she spoke, two tears rolled down her cheeks, giving her the appearance of extreme sorrow.

Shen Dongping, who had been standing quietly to one side, had a trace of mockery flash across her eyes but remained silent and expressionless.

“Brother, are we reporting this or not?” Shen Wan asked.

Just as the atmosphere grew tense, they suddenly heard a servant boy outside, panting as he shouted, “Madam, Master, the Fifth Miss has returned!”

The servant boy ran into the great hall, not even catching his breath as he said, “The Fifth Miss was brought back by people from the Princess’s mansion!”

Everyone was first startled by the news of Shen Miao’s return. While the Shen couple was still feeling the shock of joy, they hadn’t quite processed the mention of the “Princess’s mansion.” Shen Wan, however, had a thought and stepped forward to ask, “Which Princess’s mansion?”

The servant boy, catching his breath and somewhat excited, said, “It’s Her Highness Princess Rongxin. She sent many people to escort the Fifth Miss home. The guards are still standing at the front gate!”

Princess Rongxin?

Chen Ruoqiu’s steps faltered, and she bit her lip hard.

Princess Rongxin didn’t concern herself with court affairs, which might mean little to men, but not to women, especially in the circle of noble ladies in the capital. Currently, all the women in the palace had to pay respect to Princess Rongxin, yet the princess herself was extremely difficult to approach. She was serious and rigid, and many noble ladies who had tried to please her had failed. Yet this legendarily strict and serious princess had personally escorted Shen Miao home? Looking at this display, it seemed to be no small matter!

Chen Ruoqiu was nearly mad with jealousy.

Shen Xin and Luo Xuenian rushed out without another word, heading toward the mansion gate, with others following behind. At the General’s mansion gate, they saw a sea of people. Getting closer, they could see they were armored guards carrying swords—so many that it was truly intimidating. The gate was also surrounded by commoners watching the spectacle, probably wondering what drama the Shen family was staging.

Shen Xin and Luo Xuenian were stunned; so many guards exceeded their expectations. Then they saw a woman who appeared to be a palace official walk to the carriage and help Shen Miao down.

Luo Xuenian immediately went forward with concern, “Jiaojiao!” She examined Shen Miao up and down, and seeing her normal expression, finally relaxed.

The female official smiled and said, “Today, while Her Highness was enjoying herself at Wanli Lake, she happened to encounter the lost Fifth Miss Shen. The Princess’s carriage accidentally knocked down Miss Shen, so she took Miss Shen back to the Princess’s mansion to rest. We didn’t expect to cause General Shen and Lady Shen such worry. The Princess has sent this servant to apologize.”

These words openly explained why Shen Miao was with Princess Rongxin. Though there were still some peculiarities, since Princess Rongxin had spoken, who would dare question it? With so many guards today and so many onlookers, even if someone wanted to spread unfavorable rumors, no one would believe them. This truly confirmed Shen Miao’s innocence.

At the back of the crowd, Old Lady Shen’s face turned ashen with anger. Today, she had been eagerly waiting for Shen Miao’s misfortune, yet Princess Rongxin had appeared midway. Old Lady Shen now hated this meddling Princess Rongxin as well.

“Your Highness is too kind. It is Shen who should thank Your Highness for saving my daughter,” Shen Xin responded.

The maid quickly stepped aside, smiling, “I dare not accept General Shen’s courtesy. Now that the person has been delivered, this servant will take her leave.” With that, she urged the guards to set off. Just before leaving, she seemed to remember something and walked back to Shen Miao’s side, saying, “The Princess is very fond of the Fifth Miss Shen. Though today’s hospitality was hasty, before leaving, she said that if the Fifth Miss has free time in the future, she would be welcome to visit the Princess’s mansion. Her Highness would certainly provide good hospitality.” Only after saying this did she leave with the carriage and guard entourage.

Princess Rongxin was very fond of Shen Miao. And invited her to visit the Princess’s mansion when she had time?

The Shen family members all stood at the mansion gate, stunned by the maid’s final words. Shen Yue nearly tore her handkerchief to shreds. She knew about Princess Rongxin and how difficult it was to get close to her. Now Shen Miao had somehow used some witchcraft to impress even Princess Rongxin, finally establishing a connection with the royal family. Would she be able to connect with Prince Ding next?

Shen Yue was truly anxious now.

Shen Dongping’s gaze shifted slightly as she heard Concubine Wan’s envious voice, “The Fifth Miss is so lucky. That’s a princess, after all.”

Shen Yuan snorted coldly and turned away without another glance, leaving with a flick of his sleeve. Shen Miao smiled slightly at the Shen family members, “I’ve made everyone worry today.”

Her casual remark immediately reminded the Shen couple of how the family members had behaved earlier, making their expressions somewhat unpleasant. Seeing that Shen Miao was safe, the Shen family members were all greatly disappointed. Looking at Shen Miao now only made them more furious. After Old Lady Shen reprimanded Shen Miao a few times, they all found excuses to leave.

Shen Miao walked toward the west courtyard with Shen Qiu and the others, seeing their displeased expressions, she understood.

Earlier, she had deliberately delayed letting the Princess’s mansion inform the Shen family of her whereabouts. Trouble reveals true feelings, and similarly, it reveals false ones as well. Shen Xin couldn’t change his attitude toward the Shen family overnight, just as she hadn’t given up hope for Fu Xiuyi until the very end in her previous life. Emotional attachments can’t be withdrawn overnight. To make Shen Xin thoroughly reassess the Shen family would take more time.

This was a perfect opportunity to let Shen Xin see clearly what kind of wolves the Shen family truly were. If they could kick Shen Miao while she was down when they were still in the mansion, Shen Xin, not being a fool, could surely guess what Shen Miao endured when he was away from the capital.

Sure enough, upon reaching the west courtyard, Shen Xin and Luo Xuenian carefully questioned her about the night’s events, ensuring she was unharmed before instructing her to rest early. As they left, they called Shen Qiu to join them, clearly intending to discuss something.

After the three of them left, Shen Miao, when alone, rolled up her trouser leg. The wound on her calf was bandaged with clean silk, seemingly still retaining the warmth of someone’s palm.

It had been an unexpected night, yet she felt she understood Xie Jingxing a bit better. However, the more she understood her opponent, the more dangerous she found him. In the future… it would be best to interact with him as little as possible.

…

In the east courtyard of the Shen residence, Shen Yuan sat in his room, his expression gloomy and unstable.

After Ren Wanyun went mad, he rarely visited her, and there was a subtle estrangement between him and Shen Gui. He wasn’t a sentimental person to begin with—even his sister wasn’t safe from his hand—naturally, he prioritized benefits above all.

Tonight, he had thought Shen Miao would not escape calamity, yet she had not only returned unharmed but had also established a connection with the Princess’s mansion. This made Shen Yuan sense a hint of danger. A powerful opponent wasn’t enough to fear; what was truly frightening was that this opponent was continuously growing stronger.

From a good-for-nothing noble lady who was bullied by everyone to someone now respected by all, with deep thoughts and ruthless methods—even someone as rigid as Princess Rongxin could be won over by Shen Miao. It made one wonder, if Shen Miao set her mind to it in the future, could she find even more powerful backers? Could she gather more people to her side, and would she then come after him?

Considering a young girl as an opponent was shameful for someone as proud as Shen Yuan. However, he had to admit that it was this girl, who had just come of age, who had reduced his second branch of the family to its current state. Shen Yuan never left himself vulnerable to future troubles. Shen Miao had brought such harm to the second branch, clearly indicating she wouldn’t simply let things go—eventually, she would aim at him.

Shen Miao wasn’t difficult to deal with; the challenge was that she had Shen Xin and Luo Xuenian behind her. Some consideration had to be given to that, but… Shen Yuan looked at the letter in his hand and suddenly smiled.

Although the main branch of the Shen family had strong military power, if there were no successors… then it would be nothing but a pile of mud. He wondered if, after losing the siblings Shen Miao and Shen Qiu, the Shen couple would go mad with grief like Ren Wanyun.