“That’s not for a whore like you to comment on.”

Chang Zaiqing was stunned. She had long known that Shen Yue wasn’t as refined as she appeared on the surface, but she hadn’t expected her to be so vicious with her words. Instinctively, she looked toward Shen Wan, but to her surprise, he didn’t even glance at her, as if he hadn’t heard Shen Yue’s words at all.

Seeing Chang Zaiqing’s expression, Shen Yue said triumphantly, “What? Did you expect my father to speak up for you? Now the entire capital knows that you, Chang Zaiqing, are just a worn-out shoe that’s been bedded in Liuzhou. They say whores have no feelings and actors have no loyalty, but for someone who claims to be so well-mannered and learned, you’re just as shameless—even worse than the top courtesans in brothels.”

“You… what nonsense are you talking?” Chang Zaiqing’s heart skipped a beat as she reflexively responded. Having been confined in prison, she knew nothing about the outside world and was unaware that her affairs in Liuzhou had been made public. She didn’t know that the entire capital now viewed her as a joke.

“Oh, you don’t know?” Shen Yue had anger in her heart and deliberately provoked her with her words. “Your husband and son from Liuzhou have been missing you terribly. They came to the capital to find you.” Shen Yue cast a malicious glance at Shen Wan, toward whom she also harbored resentment, and continued unhurriedly, “That Tian Li knelt at the magistrate’s office gate early in the morning, beating the drum and crying for justice, saying our Shen family had forcibly taken his wife.”

Chang Zaiqing’s body trembled, knowing she could no longer hide the truth. She looked at Shen Yue and, seeing that Shen Wan showed no sign of surprise, asked in a trembling voice, “You… you already knew?”

“What?” It was the Old Madam Shen who had been staring wide-eyed from the other side who spoke. She had thought Shen Yue and Chang Zaiqing were simply not getting along, which explained the insulting words. Now, finally understanding the implication, she shrieked, “You were already married? You even have a son?”

Chang Zaiqing didn’t answer. Chen Ruoqiu, who had been coldly observing from the side, smiled and said, “Mother, you didn’t know? This daughter-in-law you carefully selected for your son is still someone else’s wife. The Shen family has been raising another man’s wife, and the son Chang Zaiqing, born ultimately, is not a Shen. The things they’re saying about the Shen family outside are quite entertaining. Mother, you should hear them too.”

Shen Gui was also shocked by this sudden news. Chang Zaiqing finally came to her senses, glanced at Chen Ruoqiu, laughed coldly, and dropped her previously gentle facade. With nothing left to lose, she said, “So what if I was married before? So what if I had a son? Is the Shen family as clean as you make it out to be? It’s just the pot calling the kettle black. Besides, I hardly enjoyed any good days after marrying into this family before suffering. Who’s truly the victim here remains to be seen.”

Hearing this, Old Madam Shen was overcome with rage. Being thrown into prison had left her both frightened and irritable, with a fury that had nowhere to go. Chang Zaiqing had walked into the line of fire. Without a second thought, Old Madam Shen lunged at Chang Zaiqing, pulling her hair and cursing, “You slut! I’ll teach you to ruin the Shen family! Shameless!”

Chang Zaiqing was never one to take things lying down. If before, she had been humble in the Shen household because she had ulterior motives, now that her mask had been torn off, she didn’t care anymore. She immediately began fighting back against Old Madam Shen.

Though Old Madam Shen was advanced in years, she fought with the ferocity of her younger days, having grown up in the common quarters. Chang Zaiqing had youth and strength on her side, but she had always considered herself educated and above physical altercations, so she couldn’t gain the upper hand. The two women fought and hurled insults at each other, both in complete disarray. Shen Gui wanted to intervene, but men and women were kept in separate cells, so he was helpless. Chen Ruoqiu and Shen Yue, who were confined together, certainly weren’t going to break up the fight. Chen Ruoqiu watched coldly, while Shen Yue even laughed out loud. This distorted scene came to an abrupt end when Chang Zaiqing let out a painful cry.

Old Madam Shen pushed Chang Zaiqing away. Her face was covered in scratches from fingernails, her hair and clothes in complete disarray, but she looked satisfied as she stared at the person on the ground. Chang Zaiqing was curled up, clutching her lower abdomen, her face twisted in agony as she moaned heavily. Beneath her, a pool of fresh blood was slowly spreading.

She had miscarried in prison.

It wasn’t clear what Old Madam Shen had done to Chang Zaiqing, but these days, the prison food had been unpalatable, and Chang Zaiqing’s body was weak. Perhaps during the fight with Old Madam Shen, her abdomen had been injured.

Shen Gui looked uncertainly toward Shen Wan, but saw that Shen Wan’s gaze showed not a hint of emotion as he watched Chang Zaiqing writhing in pain on the ground, as if he were watching a stranger.

As for Old Madam Shen, she looked at Chang Zaiqing with an almost deranged expression, cursing repeatedly, “Slut… deserves to die… slut…”

Shen Yue was somewhat afraid of blood. Seeing the blood beneath Chang Zaiqing spreading into a large stain on the ground, she began to grow frightened and moved closer to Chen Ruoqiu. Chen Ruoqiu held Shen Yue tightly, watching Chang Zaiqing as the corners of her mouth slowly curled upward.

Chang Zaiqing’s consciousness was blurred by pain. She desperately called for the jailers, hoping someone would notice her condition and find a doctor for her. But those jailers came and went, and the occasional glance they cast her way was filled with contempt and mockery. They had no intention of helping her.

After what seemed like an eternity of moaning, Chang Zaiqing gradually lost her voice. Perhaps there was only air going in but none coming out, as she lay on the brink of death, seeming like she might pass away at any moment.

No one spoke in the cell, the silence terrifying. In the gazes the Shen family members directed at Chang Zaiqing, there was disgust, impatience, mockery, fear, and disdain, but not a shred of sympathy.

Disasters warp human nature, and when positions are inherently opposed, sympathy is even less likely to be offered. In Shen Yue and Chen Ruoqiu’s view, Chang Zaiqing had brought this upon herself; in Shen Wan’s view, Chang Zaiqing had deceived him and deserved death. Shen Gui was no philanthropist, and Old Madam Shen would have liked to tear Chang Zaiqing to pieces.

The first half of Chang Zaiqing’s life had perhaps been smooth. Though the latter half hadn’t been as successful, she had believed that with her intelligence, if not soaring to the heights of becoming a phoenix, she could at least secure some wealth. She had been willing to fight and grab for wealth, disregarding conscience and face, but who could have known that the wealth she had plunged into would become her burial ground, and that the people she had endured and maneuvered among would be more terrifying than wolves and tigers?

At this moment, Chang Zaiqing suddenly found herself missing her incompetent, alcoholic husband back in Liuzhou, and her son, who silently chopped wood and fed chickens.

In her delirium, she murmured, “Huaisheng…”

Shen Yue frowned. “What is she muttering about?”

Chen Ruoqiu shook her head.

“Mother, why do you look so dispirited?” Shen Yue tightly held her hand. “Is this situation very serious? When can we leave?”

“It’s nothing, just a small matter. Once His Majesty clarifies everything, he will release us. Don’t worry. Rest a bit now, so you won’t be too tired later,” Chen Ruoqiu answered with a smile.

Reassured by Chen Ruoqiu’s promise, Shen Yue felt somewhat at ease. Feeling weary, she leaned against Chen Ruoqiu and closed her eyes peacefully.

Old Madam Shen, hearing Chen Ruoqiu’s words, gradually calmed down. Although she was still not entirely satisfied with Chen Ruoqiu, people always realize who’s better through comparison. With someone like Chang Zaiqing as a contrast, Old Madam Shen felt that Chen Ruoqiu wasn’t so bad after all. She also closed her eyes to rest.

No one paid attention to whether Chang Zaiqing on the ground was dead or alive.

Chen Ruoqiu glanced at Chang Zaiqing, laughed coldly, then seemed to think of something, and her gaze turned desperate.

She had lied to Shen Yue about whether there was a way out of this predicament. They probably wouldn’t make it out alive.

No one understood Shen Wan’s expressions better than Chen Ruoqiu. If there had been even a glimmer of hope, Shen Wan wouldn’t have reacted this way. He sat there coldly, somewhat numb, as if nothing mattered to him—not the Shen family becoming the laughingstock of the capital, not Old Madam Shen and Chang Zaiqing’s fight, not even Chang Zaiqing’s miscarriage. Shen Wan had lost all hope.

If even Shen Wan had despaired, Chen Ruoqiu had no reason to believe there was any other chance of survival.

Yet when she truly understood this outcome, Chen Ruoqiu found it more acceptable than she had anticipated. Perhaps it was because she had already seen the cold realities of human nature during the lawsuit between the Chen and Shen families, or because being divorced by Shen Wan had left her scarred. By now, Chen Ruoqiu was exhausted in body and mind, and with Chang Zaiqing meeting such a fate, she didn’t have much to care about.

After all, if they were to die, they would die together, wouldn’t they? In death, underground, they would be a family again, Chen Ruoqiu thought.

“Third Brother,” someone broke the silence—it was Shen Gui. He asked, “Have you ever felt that our Shen family in recent years seems to have been cursed? When Father was alive, we didn’t have so many troubles.”

Since discovering he was unable to have children, Shen Gui had been living in a daze every day. This rare moment of clarity, whether genuine or not, at least meant he was asking a serious question.

Shen Wan glanced at him, his tone unreadable, and said, “Was it when Father was around, or when Shen Xin was around?”

Shen Gui was at a loss for words. Indeed, saying it was during Old General Shen’s time wasn’t quite accurate. To be precise, the Shen family had started going downhill when the main branch split off. When Shen Xin had first returned to the capital two years ago, their official careers were already not going smoothly. But at that time, the Shen family hadn’t separated, and officials had to show some deference to them out of respect for Shen Xin. After Shen Xin left the capital, those people had no more scruples, and the Shen family’s fortunes declined day by day. Though he was reluctant to admit it, it was a fact that without Shen Xin, the Shen family was no different from any other ordinary official family in the capital, with nothing special about them.

But Shen Wan’s words carried a meaning beyond their surface.

Shen Gui hesitantly asked, “Are you saying someone has been calculating against our Shen family? That we’ve been schemed against this time as well?”

Shen Wan laughed strangely, though it wasn’t clear what he was laughing at.

“Could it be Shen Xin causing trouble behind the scenes?” Shen Gui had a sudden realization.

Chen Ruoqiu, who had been sitting quietly to the side, now spoke up. “That little bitch Shen Miao, born to Luo Xuehong, is quite uncanny. Haven’t you noticed? Anyone who gets involved with Shen Miao somehow ends up with a bad fate.”

Both Shen Wan and Shen Gui turned to look at Chen Ruoqiu. She seemed not to notice their gazes and continued, “First, it was Shen Qing and Shen Yuan from the second branch. Now it’s the third branch’s turn. Back then, even Second Sister-in-law didn’t fare well in her hands. Thinking carefully, if we were to pinpoint when the Shen family began to frequently encounter misfortune, it would be when her personality drastically changed.”

People are strange; their thoughts constantly shift. Previously, in Shen Wan and Shen Gui’s eyes, Shen Miao was at most a bit clever, but how could she possess such great capabilities? But now, reduced to such circumstances and listening to Chen Ruoqiu’s account, they found it quite plausible. Take Princess Mingan’s case, a few days ago—hadn’t she also died mysteriously after becoming enemies with Shen Miao? Even now, no one has discovered the reason.

Shen Wan said gravely, “She alone could not have achieved this extent without either guidance from someone skilled or finding a powerful backer.”

“It’s probably not that Shen Miao found a backer,” Shen Gui pondered. “It’s that the Shen family found a backer.” He seemed to think of something and slapped his knee. “Why didn’t Shen Xin just die on the battlefield? I’ve been wondering why things have been going so badly these many years—it turns out Shen Xin has been setting us up from behind!” He spoke righteously, without mentioning how many obstacles the Shen family had placed in Shen Xin’s path.

“Regardless, this situation has more or less to do with Shen Xin.” Chen Ruoqiu had calmed down now, and her words became increasingly pertinent. “Otherwise, it wouldn’t be that once trouble arose, the entire Shen household would be implicated except for their main branch, which remains unscathed.”

Everyone fell silent.

After a while, Shen Gui gritted his teeth and said, “If that’s the case, we should drag them down with us this time. Even if we can’t escape our fate, the main branch shouldn’t be allowed to prosper either.” He looked at Shen Wan. “Third Brother, let’s find a way to implicate Shen Xin.”

“No,” Shen Wan said calmly. “This matter has reached the stage of judgment. If we try to implicate Shen Xin now, anyone with eyes would see we’re framing him. The more we do this, the more the Emperor will believe the main branch is different from us—that we are traitors and they are loyal. We’d just be giving the main branch an advantage.”

Shen Gui angrily said, “So we just let him off?”

Shen Wan laughed coldly. “We’ve suffered such a great loss, and Father always favored Shen Xin. After fighting for so many years, I don’t believe we will still lose. Even if we can’t bring down Shen Xin, we must at least strip him of a layer of skin.”

“What does Third Brother mean?” Shen Gui was confused.

Shen Wan lowered his voice. “If the Emperor’s avenue is closed, there are always others. Guess, with this incident, who would be more infuriated than us?”

Chen Ruoqiu frowned. “Prince Ding?”

“Correct.” Shen Wan calmly glanced at Chen Ruoqiu. At this point, it was useless to blame Chen Ruoqiu for angrily presenting the incriminating evidence. Moreover, the root cause was Shen Wan divorcing Chen Ruoqiu for Chang Zaiqing. Looking at the bigger picture, perhaps someone had set a trap, calculating to catch all of them in it. What was the point in blaming anyone now? They were all simply disheartened and exhausted.

But a venomous snake, even on the brink of death, never forgets to strike one last bite. The Shen family members were such snakes.

Shen Wan said coldly, “Every move we make is being monitored by others. Among them are certainly Prince Ding’s people. Talking more about the Shen family’s main branch will surely raise Prince Ding’s suspicions.”

It seemed that Prince Ding, having previously wanted him to arrange a match between Shen Miao and Prince Zhou, already had some suspicions about Shen Miao. Now, with more mentions of the Shen family’s main branch, once Prince Ding thought the main branch had framed him, making Emperor Wenhui suspicious of him, he would likely want to eliminate the main branch immediately.

What kind of person was Prince Ding? Among the nine princes, he was the most secretive, even more of a smiling tiger than Prince Xuan. Being targeted by Prince Ding, Shen Wan believed, would make life very difficult for the Shen family’s main branch.

Even if they couldn’t change the inevitable outcome, they would plant a poisonous tumor in the Shen family’s main branch. There would come a day when it would sprout.

He muttered softly, in a voice only he could hear, “I’ll wait for you on the road to the Yellow Springs, Big Brother.”

The case against Shen Wan in the capital was concluded very quickly, to the puzzlement of the citizens when they heard the news.

The former glorious general’s Shen family had their property confiscated, servants exiled, and masters all executed.

Mingqi hadn’t seen such a major case for a long time, and this case didn’t appear to merit such severe punishment. The authorities seemed to be deliberately keeping it secret; even now, the stated charge was merely “failure in duty, causing great calamity.”

What exactly that “great calamity” was, no one knew.

Such is the fate of subjects—when the ruler wants a subject dead, the subject must die. Sometimes Emperor Wenhui didn’t even bother to come up with a reason to execute a court official. Especially for people like the Shen family, where only Shen Wan and Shen Gui held official positions, and these two had gradually declined in their careers, there wasn’t even anyone to speak up for them. Of course, there also seemed to be an invisible hand pushing things forward. In any case, everything happened so quickly that it was beyond expectation.

On the day of the execution, Shen Miao intended to watch.

Luo Tan looked at Shen Miao in surprise and asked, “Little Cousin, what are you going to watch? Such a bloody scene, with heads rolling—you’ll have nightmares. You shouldn’t go.”

Shen Xin and Luo Xuehong weren’t going to watch; they had military duties. But even if they didn’t, they wouldn’t have gone. Luo Xuehong had no feelings for the Shen family, and though Shen Xin perhaps did, those complex emotions had been eroded by the things the Shen family had done over the years. It was better not to meet than to meet, and he wouldn’t deliberately seek discomfort.

Shen Miao said, “I want to go watch. I’ve never seen a beheading before.”

Luo Tan was speechless. She said anxiously, “What’s there to see in a beheading?” Inwardly, she worried for Shen Miao. Girls were always softhearted. Although none of the Shen family were good people, Shen Miao had still lived with them for many years and would inevitably feel some grief. Going now would only bring her sadness.

“I’ll accompany Sister,” Shen Qiu said. He knew Shen Miao’s stubborn nature; if they didn’t let her go, she would likely sneak out on her own, causing more trouble. He wasn’t afraid, and with guards around, he could protect Shen Miao.

“I’ll go too,” Luo Ling said with a smile. “I haven’t seen a beheading either.”

“What nonsense are you saying, Cousin?” Luo Tan glanced at Luo Ling. “When we were in the northwest, we saw plenty of people executed under military law. You’ve seen so many beheadings you’re tired of them, yet you claim it’s your first time?”

Unexpected to have his cousin expose him like this, Luo Ling’s smile became somewhat stiff. Shen Qiu, hearing this, gave Luo Ling a meaningful look that made him uneasy, before saying, “Then let’s go together.”

Seeing everyone going, Luo Tan stamped her foot, gritted her teeth, and said, “Then I’ll go too. I don’t want to be the only one left at home. Little Cousin, you must cover my eyes when the time comes.”

By the time they arrived at the execution ground, the crowd of onlookers had surrounded the execution platform in layers, making it impossible for water to seep through. Since Shen Qiu’s group was accompanied by guards, the commoners voluntarily made way for them. Some in the crowd recognized Shen Qiu and began whispering and pointing at the siblings, Shen Qiu and Shen Miao.

Everyone knew the main branch of the Shen family was at odds with the second and third branches, but they hadn’t expected that with the second and third branches being executed, the siblings from the main branch would come to watch. Some said the main branch had benefited from misfortune, having been forced out of the family registry years ago by the second and third branches, thus escaping this calamity. Others said Shen Xin’s siblings were too cold-blooded, watching their family members be executed without showing any emotion.

On the execution platform, Shen Wan and his group knelt with chains around their necks, wearing dirty prison clothes, disheveled and filthy, no longer resembling their formerly wealthy and imposing selves. Shen Yue and Old Madam Shen had their mouths gagged with rags, and Shen Yue could be seen desperately shaking her head, her eyes showing terror. Shen Yue and Old Madam Shen had always been terrified of death. Perhaps even now, they couldn’t accept this reality, still hoping for some room for reprieve.

The corners of Shen Miao’s lips turned up slightly.

Her gaze swept over the people on the platform one by one.

Shen Wan, Chen Ruoqiu, Shen Gui, Shen Yue, Old Madam Shen… It was said that Chang Zaiqing had miscarried in prison. By the time the jailers discovered her the next day and carried her out, her body had already stiffened. She had bled to death—at least she wouldn’t have to watch her head being chopped off in front of everyone and had kept her corpse intact. But what was the use of that? Her life was gone, and the entire capital knew of her abandonment of her husband and son.

“Little Cousin, what are you thinking about?” Luo Tan asked softly.

“Thinking about some past events,” Shen Miao replied gently.

She thought back to the time in the harem when she contended with Madam Mei for power. It was the people standing on the platform who had mercilessly stabbed the main branch in the back. They had caused the deaths of Shen Qiu and Luo Xuehong, leaving Shen Xin haggard, and made Princess Wanyu and Fu Ming without a strong maternal family for support, forcing them to be sacrificed in the imperial golden hall. Despite having the most legitimate bloodline, they had lived like lowly concubine-born children. And all of this was because of the people before her eyes.

Shen Yue had said, “Fifth Sister, we are not family.”

Not family, but enemies. At least from now on, with the death of these people on the platform, her relationship with those wolves and tigers of the Shen family would truly be severed completely.

Shen Yue frantically looked around on the platform and suddenly turned in Shen Miao’s direction. Upon seeing Shen Miao, her gaze instantly erupted with intense hatred. If not for the chains on her body and the guards holding her, Shen Yue would likely have leaped over the crowd to scratch Shen Miao’s face.

Shen Miao, across the crowd, smiled slightly at her. She didn’t care if Shen Yue could see clearly, but she raised her chin slightly, looking at her with a critical and condescending gaze, as if looking at a dog.

Shen Yue was provoked by Shen Miao’s gaze and began to scream even more frantically. The official holding her got impatient and kicked her. Shen Yue seemed to be hurt by the kick and fell silent for a moment. But then she looked in another direction, her expression extremely angry.

Shen Miao followed her gaze and saw a familiar figure not far from herself—a young woman in rich and gorgeous attire, her eyebrows and eyes slightly lowered, a pointed chin, and large eyes. Who else could it be but Shen Dongling?

Shen Dongling also saw Shen Miao and smiled gently, actually walking toward her. When she got close, she curtsied to Shen Miao and said softly, “Fifth Sister.” Then she looked at Shen Qiu and said, “Big Brother.”

Shen Qiu nodded indifferently. Shen Miao, however, carefully examined Shen Dongling.

Shen Dongling was naturally beautiful, taking after Concubine Wan’s features, part coquettish and part charming—a look rarely seen in main wives. Most with such appearances became concubines. Men married wives for virtue but took concubines for their thousand charms and hundred allures. Before, in the Shen household, Shen Dongling had always kept her head down, yielding in everything, her beauty hidden beneath dull and oversized clothes. Now, perhaps because she was well cared for, her face was tender enough to pinch water from, her gaze was moist and enchanting, and her bright clothes revealed a slender figure—a truly captivating beauty.

Looking at the attendants beside her, it seemed Wang Bi treated her well. Otherwise, he wouldn’t allow a married woman to appear so freely in public.

Since Shen Dongling had rarely left her courtyard in the Shen household, let alone gone outside, none of the commoners around recognized her. Luo Tan looked at Shen Dongling with some curiosity. Shen Dongling looked at Shen Miao and said with a smile, “I didn’t expect to meet Fifth Sister here. It’s truly fate.”

Shen Miao smiled slightly.

Shen Dongling’s attitude was very natural, her expression showing not a trace of sorrow. It was said that Concubine Wan had also been taken out and her indentured contract bought by the Wang family. But Shen Gui on the platform was Shen Dongling’s father, yet she showed not a hint of emotion. Her conversation with Shen Miao was as casual as if they were at a flower-viewing banquet. Looking carefully, she even seemed somewhat joyful.

“I came to find satisfaction,” Shen Miao looked at Shen Dongling. “What did Third Sister come for?”

Hearing this, Shen Dongling unhurriedly covered her mouth and smiled. Completely different from before, her every movement now was full of charm, reminiscent of a younger Concubine Wan, with none of her former timidity.

She said, “I wouldn’t dare say I’m seeking satisfaction like Fifth Sister.” Shen Dongling looked at the platform. “I merely heard about this interesting event in the capital and came to watch for amusement, to find some joy.”

Just as she finished speaking, they heard the execution official throw down a token from the platform and announce in a long voice, “The time has come. Execute!”

Several streams of blood erupted simultaneously.

Shen Dongling covered her mouth with a handkerchief, her eyes wide, looking rather regretful as she said softly, “How pitiful.”

“Yes,” Shen Miao calmly opened her mouth. “How pitiful indeed.”