The previously noisy front hall instantly fell silent, with everyone’s gaze falling on the purple figure behind Luo Xuyan.

The young lady’s cloak had been removed, revealing her purple silk dress adorned with intricate green patterns that outlined her graceful figure. She held her chin slightly raised, her gaze level as if the many noble ladies present were beneath her notice. Her skin was so fair it appeared almost translucent, which made her delicate features even more striking. However, her bright black pupils were the most captivating part of her. Her eyes were round and clear, at first glance as pure as a newborn animal’s, yet they held a calmness that seemed to have witnessed decades. This interweaving of worldliness and innocence gave her a contradictory beauty.

She followed Luo Xuyan’s footsteps into the hall. Unlike Luo Xuyan’s somewhat brisk movements, the young lady kept her hands properly folded in front of her chest, yet it didn’t appear stiff. It was as if she had performed this gesture thousands of times until it became second nature, so that even when done casually, it was precise to the millimeter. Her long skirt hem floated gently with her steps, like an unfolding flower, though this flower bloomed with restraint rather than ostentation, just like her entire person. Her movements were entirely natural, yet each step was remarkably graceful, pleasing to the eye while exuding a subtle dignity. The ladies present all came from high-ranking families and had certainly experienced the strict teachings of etiquette governesses on palace rules and protocol. They prided themselves on doing quite well in this regard, but seeing this young lady, they couldn’t help but be surprised, for even if they tried, they absolutely could not walk with such beautiful steps.

Sometimes, form can be imitated, but spirit cannot. The purple-clad young lady’s expression was undisturbed, her demeanor composed, as if this path were merely her backyard. There was no nervousness, caution, impulsiveness, or timidity as she walked calmly, giving off an air of looking down upon all beings.

As if she were the true mistress of this palace.

When this thought flashed through their minds, the ladies couldn’t help but be greatly shocked, because this young lady was none other than that good-for-nothing Shen Miao!

At the testing grounds earlier, everyone had witnessed Shen Miao’s transformation, but after that, she and Shen Qing had both claimed illness and remained at home, not even attending the Guangwen Hall. Although she had defeated Cai Lin at the testing grounds, what she had displayed was merely fierceness and boldness. Etiquette and bearing could not be developed overnight. Shen Miao had suffered so many humiliations at the return banquets over the years that reversing this would not be an easy task. Who would have thought that seeing her today, she would seem like an entirely different person from before? Not only were her clothes and behavior flawless, but everyone vaguely felt that Shen Miao had outshone all the officials’ daughters in the hall!

Shen Miao followed behind Luo Xuyan, facing the various gazes of the crowd, but no one noticed the stiffness at the corners of her mouth.

After more than ten years, she had finally returned to this place—the cage where she had fought and struggled against fate in her previous life. She wanted to see if this place could still trap her in this lifetime!

Every brick and tile here was deeply etched in her heart; she could find her way even with her eyes closed. As for those complex palace rules and etiquette, doing them day after day had almost been engraved into her bones. In this hall, closing her eyes, she could almost see Princess Wanyu smiling and asking her for pastries, Fu Ming nodding and reciting national policies. Love and hate were equally weighted, bitterness and sweetness intermingled. Stepping into this place again, she felt a multitude of emotions, but what burned fiercely in her heart was the flame of revenge!

Xiao Li Zi stared blankly at the purple-clad young lady walking behind the spirited woman, utterly shocked. He had just heard from the palace maid in the garden that General Shen’s daughter was a crude good-for-nothing, but seeing her now, he discovered this was entirely untrue. This young lady exuded an innate nobility, as if even looking at her for too long would make one unable to bear her dignity. How could she be a good-for-nothing?

As he was thinking, he noticed the young lady’s gaze sweep over him, pausing slightly. Xiao Li Zi immediately became nervous, knowing he had never met the Shen family’s young miss before. Could this be what the palace elders called “eye fate”? Was the Shen family’s young miss going to favor him? Just as he was feeling both afraid and excited, he saw Shen Miao’s gaze immediately turn away, as if the earlier moment had been merely an accident. Xiao Li Zi suddenly felt disappointed, though he didn’t understand why he felt that attaching himself to this Shen family young miss would bring him great fortune. Now it seemed he had narrowly missed this opportunity.

Before Xiao Li Zi could figure out where these inexplicable thoughts came from, a tall lady sitting at the front of the hall had already smiled and said, “Madam Shen, you’ve kept us waiting!”

Luo Xuyan frowned slightly, then also broke into a straightforward smile: “We were a bit delayed on the way.”

“The Fifth Miss is becoming more radiant every day,” the tall lady’s gaze fell on Shen Miao, saying half-truthfully, half-falsely, “She’s truly of marriageable age now. I remember when she was just a little thing.”

Hearing this, Luo Xuyan’s previously bright smile immediately darkened. Shen Miao’s engagement was completely baffling to Luo Xuyan—it had been agreed to by the Shen household behind her and Shen Xin’s backs, and she didn’t acknowledge it at all, nor was she afraid of offending the Wei family. In terms of family status, the Wei family wasn’t lacking, but they couldn’t compare to Shen Xin. At worst, they would offend the Wei family, but what could be more important than Shen Miao’s happiness? Besides, Madam Wei wasn’t present at the moment. Wanting to clarify these matters for Shen Miao, Luo Xuyan said, “What kind of talk is this? Our Jiaojiao has just come of age not long ago. There’s no need to marry her off so early. I want to keep Jiaojiao by my side for a few more days.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the ladies and young misses present were all stunned, because in the past few days, news of Shen Miao’s engagement had been spreading like wildfire. Later, at Old Madam Shen’s birthday banquet, the rest of the Shen family had almost implicitly acknowledged it. How was it that now, from Luo Xuyan’s perspective, the marriage seemed as if it would be called off?

The tall lady narrowed her eyes, seemingly detecting something amiss, her smile becoming increasingly meaningful. She said, “Oh? So Madam Shen wants to keep the Fifth Miss for a few more days? But a few days ago, wasn’t it said that the Fifth Miss was to be engaged?”

“Madam is truly joking,” Luo Xuyan said, not afraid of losing face, nor was she afraid of exposing the Shen family’s internal conflicts in front of everyone. With relatives like those in the Shen family, what was the point of maintaining appearances? She raised her eyebrows and said loudly, “How could a daughter be engaged without her parents knowing anything about it? My husband and I know nothing of what Madam speaks. Where does this talk of engagement come from?”

As soon as Luo Xuyan finished speaking, whispers immediately erupted around them. The tall lady hadn’t expected Luo Xuyan to speak so bluntly and was momentarily stunned.

Indeed, there could be no case where a daughter becomes engaged without her parents’ knowledge. If Luo Xuyan and Shen Xin didn’t know about Shen Miao’s engagement, there was only one explanation: the Shen family had kept it from them. As for why the Shen family would do this, there were numerous possible explanations.

Just as everyone was pondering this, Ren Wanyun, Chen Ruoqiu, and the others arrived.

Shen Gui and Shen Wan had naturally gone to the main hall where the men were gathered. Ren Wanyun brought Shen Qing, while Chen Ruoqiu and Shen Yue slowly approached.

This was Shen Qing’s first outing since she had taken to her bed. In recent days, she had become much more haggard and thin. At what should have been the best time of a young lady’s life, she already showed signs of aging and fatigue. To conceal her haggardness, she had applied very thick rouge and powder, and wore a red dress. Shen Qing had never been well-suited to such bright colors, and at a glance, it appeared quite mismatched and oddly inappropriate. Moreover, with the child in her womb, despite her efforts to conceal it, her steps inevitably appeared somewhat unsteady.

As for Shen Yue, she wore her customary flesh-pink, light smoke-colored brocade dress, moving with deliberate slowness and wearing light makeup, appearing to be a delicate and scholarly little beauty. In the past, she would certainly have attracted everyone’s attention, but today was different. With Shen Miao’s pearl-like presence before them, Shen Yue’s steps seemed somewhat clumsy, her movements stiff, her expression tense, and even her clasped hands too forceful. All in all, she could not compare with Shen Miao in any way. Realizing this, everyone’s expressions became somewhat strange. Since when had the Shen family’s most prominent Shen Yue been left so far behind by Shen Miao?

Shen Yue was too young to notice, but Chen Ruoqiu could sensitively detect the difference in the ladies’ gazes. In the past, the gazes that fell on her and her daughter would surely have been full of jealousy, admiration, or praise, but today, they seemed to contain more criticism. Chen Ruoqiu’s brow twitched. Etiquette and deportment had always been the part she was most proud of, and she had been extremely strict with Shen Yue in these matters. She was confident that no noble lady in the capital surpassed her daughter, but judging from these people’s expressions, who had done better just now?

She certainly didn’t know that the person who had outperformed Shen Yue was right before her eyes.

Shen Miao sat next to Luo Xuyan on one side. Although Luo Xuyan was also one of the main characters at this return banquet, she seemed to have been isolated. Indeed, among the noble families of the capital, there had always been their circle. Men were still fine, talking about achievements and careers, crossing paths in official positions—even if they disliked each other internally, they still had to maintain appearances. Women were different. Noble ladies of the capital were mostly proud and arrogant; for instance, legitimate daughters were unwilling to associate with daughters of concubines, and those born and raised in the capital looked down on outsiders.

Luo Xuyan was one such outsider.

If she had come from the wealthy regions of Jiangnan, it might have been acceptable, but Luo Xuyan came from the cold, harsh northwest. When she first married into the capital, Luo Xuyan couldn’t even speak the official language, and her accent had been secretly mocked by these ladies for a long time. They mocked the great desert of the northwest for its severe sandstorms that made women’s skin rough, for its bandits that made people fear robbery when traveling, and for its scarce resources that made good silk rare throughout the year. This certainly contained exaggerations, but the targeting of Luo Xuyan was very real.

Moreover, Luo Xuyan was the first female military general in the capital to go to the battlefield herself.

When faced with something they cannot achieve, especially if it’s rare, people often exclude and oppose it. This applies not just to women, but to men as well. Thus, Luo Xuyan was excluded from the circle of noble ladies in the capital. Additionally, Shen Miao had previously been an undeniable good-for-nothing, making this mother-daughter pair the object of these ladies’ private mockery.

White Madam, Bai Wei’s mother, invited Chen Ruoqiu to sit beside her. She and Chen Ruoqiu were close friends, so naturally, she wanted to sit with Chen Ruoqiu. Bai Wei also pulled Shen Yue to her side. Ren Wanyun walked over to sit with Madam Yi, and Yi Peilan looked at Shen Qing and complained, “You haven’t appeared for so long, I heard you were ill. Oh, you do look thinner, but why is your face a bit swollen?”

Shen Qing hurriedly lowered her head and vaguely said, “Perhaps it’s from lying in bed too long.” Ren Wanyun had brewed many pregnancy-stabilizing medicines for her. Although Shen Qing also hated the child in her belly, she feared even more that if she miscarried, she would never be able to become a mother. Therefore, she had to grit her teeth and drink them. Since she needed to maintain the pregnancy, various tonics were necessary, and naturally, she would gain some weight. Although her figure didn’t show yet, she had already begun to swell slightly.

Yi Peilan didn’t suspect anything and merely patted Shen Qing’s hand, saying, “You must take good care of yourself. You’re about to be engaged, don’t ruin your health.”

Shen Qing’s body trembled, and she lowered her head without speaking. She knew Ren Wanyun had told her about the engagement with the Huang family, and that Huang Dexing was considered a talented young man, but for some reason, she felt extremely resistant to this marriage. It was as if she instinctively sensed some unknown danger lurking beneath this seemingly brilliant match.

Yi Peilan’s voice wasn’t soft, and it happened to be overheard by Madam Huang, who was sitting nearby. Hearing this, Madam Huang looked at Shen Qing critically. Regarding this marriage, she was merely seeking a nominal wife for her son. Shen Qing was worthy enough of her son, but today’s sickly appearance… she hoped she wasn’t a weakling; after all, she still needed to provide heirs for the Huang family. Once she gave birth to a son, she could do whatever she wanted.

Meanwhile, Madam Bai was whispering to Chen Ruoqiu: “Ruoqiu, I think that Fifth Miss of your family is no ordinary girl.”

“Oh?” Chen Ruoqiu asked curiously, “Why do you say that?”

“The Fifth Miss must have someone instructing her. When she came in just now, all the ladies saw it—her deportment and etiquette were even more proper than in the palace. Let me say something you might not like to hear: I’m afraid even Yue’er falls short in comparison.”

Chen Ruoqiu was stunned and said, “What are you saying? Everyone knows the Fifth Miss understands etiquette least of all.”

Bai Wei was Chen Ruoqiu’s close friend and also came from a scholarly family, naturally having high standards for etiquette. For her to speak so highly of Shen Miao today made Chen Ruoqiu feel incredulous. Even as she found it absurd, she couldn’t help but look towards where Luo Xuyan was sitting.

Luo Xuyan had been isolated, sitting alone to one side, with Shen Miao next to her. Luo Xuyan, being older and more experienced, wouldn’t show the slightest emotion even if no one spoke to her. She simply maintained the commanding presence she had on the battlefield, where she remained unshaken even when mountains collapsed before her. But Shen Miao, a young girl, sat upright with a straight back. When others didn’t speak to her, it didn’t seem like they were deliberately cold-shouldering her, but rather as if they didn’t dare to speak to her.

Chen Ruoqiu’s fingertips trembled slightly.

While the women were lost in their own thoughts, in the main hall, a single sentence from Shen Xin had caused a huge stir.

“General Shen, do you truly mean this?” asked Emperor Wenhui.

Emperor Wenhui was nearly sixty but showed no signs of aging. A smile hung on his face, but his eyes were sharp and shrewd, revealing traces of the keen edge from his youth. Now he looked at Shen Xin below and asked in a deep voice.

Earlier, in front of all the officials, Emperor Wenhui had commended Shen Xin, but Shen Xin had requested a favor, asking the Emperor to allow him to stay in the capital for an additional half year to accompany his wife and daughter.

For all these years, the Mighty General Shen Xin had fought bravely on the battlefield, invincible in battle, but had never made such a request. This immediately provoked deep thought, and the officials’ expressions changed. At this critical moment, Shen Xin wanting to stay in the capital for half a year—was it really just to accompany his family?

Emperor Wenhui sized up Shen Xin. He wasn’t even dead yet, and the struggle for succession among his sons was already raging. Now the situation was changing constantly, and the involvement of any faction would alter the entire landscape. In recent days, rumors of Shen Xin’s daughter Shen Miao being infatuated with the Ding Wang had spread widely. Emperor Wenhui had considered what would happen if this fat piece of meat—the Shen family—fell into Fu Xiuyi’s hands, but then suddenly there was no more news. Now Shen Xin had suddenly made this request; could he have other plans?

He carefully examined the man below. Shen Xin had dark skin, a determined gaze, and stood straight as a small mountain. Looking at Emperor Wenhui, he was respectful in his movements—a loyal and brave iron man. But an emperor’s control over his officials never depended on appearances, but on value. For Emperor Wenhui, anyone who threatened his throne, no matter how great their merit, had to be eliminated cleanly and decisively.

After a moment, Emperor Wenhui laughed heartily, “All these years, General Shen has guarded the northwest, and now you’ve defeated the enemy. I am deeply pleased. Having such a great general is Ming Qi’s blessing. I grant General Shen’s request!”

Shen Xin immediately expressed his gratitude: “Thank you, Your Majesty!”

This action caused others in the hall to turn and look. After granting the request, Emperor Wenhui walked out of the main hall, leaving behind a crowd of people. Shen Xin’s actions had been unexpected, and the first to speak was the Marquis of Lin’an, Xie Ding. This man, who had dealt with the Shen family for a lifetime, was puzzled by Shen Xin’s behavior and mockingly said, “Could it be that General Shen has grown afraid of fighting and wants to stay in the capital for half a year to enjoy himself?”

Hearing this, Shen Xin was not angry at all, but smiled, showing a set of white teeth, and said, “Is the Marquis jealous of this general? Well, it’s understandable, since the Marquis has no wife or daughter…”

“You!” Xie Ding’s face turned ashen. While Shen Xin appeared to be a rough man without much cunning, his words were the most venomous. The death of Princess Yuqing and Xie Jingxing treating him like a stranger were already Xie Ding’s weak points, and now Shen Xin had mercilessly twisted the knife. Xie Ding truly wished he could skewer Shen Xin with a spear.

Fu Xiuyi looked at Shen Xin, his expression quite interesting. The Shen family had repeatedly surprised him. Previously, Shen Miao had been infatuated with him, and though he found it extremely annoying, he thought the Shen family could be used. Later, Shen Miao had publicly clarified that she had no such intentions, causing Fu Xiuyi to be mocked by the Zhou Wang and Jing Wang. Now Shen Xin had proposed staying in the capital for half a year, which was even more bewildering. Fu Xiuyi had a strange feeling that the Shen family, which had seemed the easiest to handle, had suddenly become an unpredictable stone that might create countless variables in the future, affecting the entire situation…

Shen Xin’s unconventional move left the officials somewhat confused, but the commendations he received today were truly enviable. The others came forward to congratulate and chat, whether sincerely or falsely. As Shen Xin told them about interesting stories from the northwest, he failed to notice a gloomy gaze behind him.

That gaze fixed on Shen Xin, like a poisonous snake coiled in the grass, waiting for the moment to strike and bite its prey to death. The person looking at Shen Xin had one empty sleeve and played with a thumb ring in his hand. It was none other than the Yu Prince.

While the atmosphere was lively there, outside, Shen Qiu had cornered Wei Qian in the corridor.

Wei Qian was quite handsome, with a modest appearance, but compared to the healthy and energetic Shen Qiu, he seemed too frail. He looked at Shen Qiu and frowned, asking, “Why has the young Deputy General stopped me? What can I do for you?”

Shen Qiu looked Wei Qian up and down. He had an open and friendly nature, and had he met Wei Qian before, he might have befriended him. But ever since hearing Shen Miao say that Wei Qian already had someone in his heart, looking at this person made him angry. In Shen Qiu’s view, his sister was wonderful in countless ways, and it should be others who weren’t good enough for her—how could she be rejected?

“Are you Wei Qian?” With this in mind, Shen Qiu’s tone wasn’t very pleasant.

Wei Qian was startled, sensing the unfriendliness of the visitor, and said, “Yes, I am.”

“I don’t have much to say,” Shen Qiu patted Wei Qian’s shoulder and said, “I just want to tell you that rumors were saying my sister was engaged to your Wei family. Since it’s just a rumor, my Shen family hasn’t taken it to heart, and your Wei family shouldn’t take it to heart either.” Shen Qiu stepped back and continued, seemingly casual but with a chilly tone, “The husband my sister chooses naturally must first pass my inspection!” Having said this, without even looking at Wei Qian’s expression, he turned and strode away.

Wei Qian stood alone, dumbfounded. Shen Qiu’s words meant to draw a clear line between him and the Wei family. But… although he did have someone in his heart, even if Shen Qiu wanted to stand up for his sister, did he have to make it sound as if Wei Qian were a completely worthless fool? The Shen family’s protectiveness was too fierce. Besides, he hadn’t even had a chance to speak about this engagement!

Outside the corridor, Gao Yang watched the dazed Wei Qian with great amusement, shaking his head and saying, “The Shen family is truly too domineering, so arrogant, not even taking the Wei family seriously.”

“Had enough?” The purple-clad youth beside him showed impatience in his features, his tone not particularly pleasant. “Are you finished?”

“Wei Qian is your man,” said Gao Yang. “He’s being bullied like this, and you won’t stand up for him?”

“If you like, you go,” Xie Jingxing glanced at him.

“I wouldn’t dare,” Gao Yang said, watching the scene like a spectator. “That Shen girl has so many people protecting her—one wrong move, and trouble comes knocking. However,” his smile was gentle, but his tone somewhat gloating, “the Yu Prince is present today, and I’m afraid things won’t end well. I’ve heard that the Yu Prince plans to take a princess consort. Guess which young lady from the Shen family he wants to marry?”

“I guess he won’t succeed,” Xie Jingxing raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling ahead.

In the garden, a familiar figure ran forward, said something to a young eunuch on the other side, and placed a sachet in the young eunuch’s hand.

That figure was Shen Miao’s maid, Jingzhe.