“This humble brother has set his heart on the Shen family’s young lady.”

“Whoosh!” The hall instantly erupted in commotion, with gazes turning toward the three legitimate daughters of the Shen family. Among the three Shen daughters, Shen Qing was already engaged, leaving only Shen Yue and Shen Miao. Shen Yue was gentle and charming, with a far-reaching reputation for her talents. Shen Miao had grown into a graceful young lady, her bearing attracting sideways glances. More importantly, Shen Miao had the powerful support of Shen Xin. Everyone could see clearly that the person the Prince of Yu was staring at was precisely Shen Miao.

In an instant, everyone’s gaze toward Shen Miao became extremely peculiar—some gloating, others sympathetic and pitying. The previous Princess of Yu had died under mysterious circumstances, and everyone knew there must have been something suspicious about it. As for what kind of demonic temperament the Prince of Yu had, everyone was well aware. Yet such a person was deeply protected by the royal family. On one side stood the mighty General, on the other the Emperor’s brother who had once saved his life—how should one choose?

Shen Xin’s expression darkened after the Prince of Yu finished speaking, blue veins even bulging on his forehead. The reputation of the mighty General was not in vain, and a fierce, vicious aura suddenly emerged, causing those around him to change their expressions.

A subject could be loyal, but if he couldn’t even protect his daughter, Shen Xin wouldn’t fear confronting the Prince of Yu, even at the cost of his life and merits.

Shen Qiu also tightened his lips, glaring fiercely at the Prince of Yu, as if ready to pounce on him if the Prince uttered Shen Xin’s name, fighting to the death.

As for Luo Xuean, she was already holding Shen Miao’s hand tightly. Her bright smile had disappeared, replaced by a deep, fierce expression, like a mother wolf protecting her cub, not yielding to the other’s pressure at all.

The Shen family’s reaction was observed by those around them, who couldn’t help but exclaim inwardly. With Emperor Wen Hui sitting on the high seat, the Shen family displaying such an attitude created a tense atmosphere. Emperor Wen Hui was suspicious by nature; wouldn’t the Shen family’s defiance of imperial authority worry him and leave a grudge in his heart?

Prince Ding’s eyes also flickered slightly, his gaze toward Shen Miao containing a trace of surprise.

“It seems this Fifth Miss Shen is truly General Shen’s precious treasure,” Su Mingfeng whispered to Xie Jingxing. “The Shen family is willing to go to such lengths for her.”

To confront the Prince of Yu was to make an enemy of the royal family. Regardless, the Shen family’s actions now clearly expressed an attitude of absolute defiance. Even if Emperor Wen Hui issued a decree, the Shen family would probably never easily agree.

Xie Jingxing smiled lazily, neither confirming nor denying.

In the corner, Pei Lang’s hand holding the teacup tightened slightly. What would that girl do—the one who could shoot an arrow at her classmate at the archery ground without blinking?

Emperor Wen Hui’s smile was somewhat inscrutable, his gaze toward the Shen family containing subtle gleams. He asked, “Which young lady of the Shen family has my brother set his heart on?”

Everyone was waiting for the Prince of Yu’s answer. A pleased smile appeared on Shen Qing’s face, but before it could spread wider, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. Unable to hold back, she let out an agonized cry and collapsed to the ground, clutching her stomach.

“What’s happening?”

“Qing’er!”

Shen Qing’s sudden action startled people. Ren Wanyun immediately embraced her. Shen Qing’s face rapidly turned pale. Shen Yue tugged at Chen Ruoqiu’s clothes, causing her heart to skip a beat. For some reason, she looked directly at Shen Miao.

She saw the purple-clad young lady sitting upright at the table, her expression not wavering in the slightest. Meeting Chen Ruoqiu’s gaze, she smiled slightly, then turned to look at Luo Xuean, asking with concern, “What’s wrong with elder sister? Could she have been poisoned?”

“Poisoned!” Once these words were spoken, chaos erupted around them.

Shen Miao persisted relentlessly, continuing to look at Luo Xuean and asking, “Could an assassin have infiltrated?”

With this, not only the women but also the men, including several princes and Emperor Wen Hui, changed their expressions. At the court banquet, with all civil and military officials present, if an assassin had infiltrated, the royal family would be in danger. Immediately, the guards stationed outside all rushed in, hands on the swords at their waists, vigilantly watching the surroundings.

Between the potential infiltration of an assassin and Shen Qing writhing in pain on the ground, the Prince of Yu’s earlier words about which Shen family daughter he wanted to marry were suddenly disregarded. After all, compared to such rumors, one’s life was more important.

Su Mingfeng opened his mouth and, after a long moment, admiringly whispered, “Excellent strategy.”

With just one sentence, Shen Miao had shifted everyone’s focus. The current chaos and tension made the Prince of Yu look like a fool.

Xie Jingxing glanced at the “concerned” young lady and let out a light snort.

Shen Miao’s eyes flickered slightly. Having dealt with the Fu family for so many years, no one understood their suspicious nature better than she did. Shen Qing’s condition, with just a slight suggestion, was enough to turn Emperor Wen Hui, who had been the target of countless assassination attempts, into a frightened bird.

“Mother, we should find an Imperial Physician for elder sister,” Shen Miao said. “This cannot continue.”

Luo Xuean finally came to her senses. Looking at Ren Wanyun, she frowned. Shen Qing was in such pain, yet her mother, Ren Wanyun, hadn’t thought to find a doctor for her daughter. What kind of mother was she? Immediately, Luo Xuean bowed to Emperor Wen Hui and said, “This humble wife begs Your Majesty to summon an Imperial Physician to examine Qing’er and relieve her crisis.”

At these words, before Shen Qing could speak, Ren Wanyun shrieked, “No!”

All eyes fell on Ren Wanyun.

Having spoken out, Ren Wanyun realized her mistake. Meeting so many inquiring gazes, she forced a smile and gritted her teeth, saying, “This humble wife… means that how could we trouble the Imperial Physician… and spoil everyone’s mood. This humble wife will take Qing’er out…”

“What nonsense is this?” Luo Xuean said sternly. “Nothing is more important than life. Do you, as a mother, believe that Qing’er’s life is less important than the banquet’s atmosphere?”

People’s expressions were quite strange. As it appeared now, it was Ren Wanyun, the birth mother, who was unwilling to find a doctor, while Luo Xuean, the aunt, was concerned about Shen Qing’s life.

At the men’s seating area, Shen Gui stared at Ren Wanyun with a face as dark as water, inwardly cursing these troublesome mother and daughter for being associated with him. If this displeased Emperor Wen Hui, how would it affect his future career?

“Madam Shen is right,” the Empress spoke calmly. She glanced at Ren Wanyun. “The condition of the Shen family’s eldest daughter is urgent. The court banquet and such matters are not as important as life.”

Ren Wanyun was panic-stricken. If Shen Qing were examined by a doctor, wouldn’t the matter of the child in her womb be exposed? She said, “Your Majesty, it’s still…”

“I’m fine…” Shen Qing’s forehead was beaded with large drops of sweat, her face as pale as paper, clearly in extraordinary pain. Clutching her stomach, she could barely speak, but she also knew that an Imperial Physician must not come. She forcibly suppressed her pain and said.

“Elder sister, this concerns not only your safety but also the safety of everyone present in the hall. If you were indeed poisoned, it means an assassin has infiltrated, and everyone is in danger. Even if you don’t think of yourself, shouldn’t you think of His Majesty?” Shen Miao’s calm voice rang out.

As she finished speaking, Emperor Wen Hui’s gaze became somewhat solemn.

Shen Qing was almost infuriated to the point of spitting blood by Shen Miao’s words. With one sentence, she had involved the Emperor. What could Shen Qing say? Would she dare not consider the Emperor’s welfare?

Several princes of the Fu family also understood Shen Miao’s intention. Prince Li paused, then said, “This Shen family girl has quite a sharp tongue!”

“Come,” without any hesitation, Emperor Wen Hui commanded, “go invite the Imperial Physician. Since the Shen family’s daughter has had an incident in the palace, naturally, we must investigate it thoroughly!”

“Elder sister, don’t move rashly,” Shen Miao spoke calmly. “The culprit might be mingling in the crowd right now. After the Imperial Physician arrives, he will check your pulse right here. Otherwise, disturbing your blood flow might cause problems.”

Before Ren Wanyun could speak, Emperor Wen Hui nodded and said, “Correct.”

With one sentence, all possibilities were sealed off.

Having the Imperial Physician examine Shen Qing in public meant that her pregnancy would be exposed in front of all civil and military officials. At the thought of this, Ren Wanyun’s body began to tremble uncontrollably, and her fear finally spread to Shen Qing as well.

While enduring the severe pain, Shen Qing’s heart was filled with even more terror. “Mother, don’t…”

But what could Ren Wanyun do? Emperor Wen Hui had already spoken; she couldn’t possibly disobey. She was just a woman; in the inner courtyard, she could be domineering, but in front of the Emperor, Empress, and officials, Ren Wanyun was at a loss. She looked up toward Shen Gui, hoping he would help her, but Shen Gui’s eyes were full of blame and anger.

At that moment, Ren Wanyun’s hands and feet turned ice-cold, a deep despair surging in her heart. She couldn’t even comfort Shen Qing in her arms, just collapsing limply on the ground.

“What’s wrong with your aunt?” Feng Anning whispered to Shen Miao. “She looks so frightened.”

Shen Miao just smiled. Luo Xuean also frowned; Ren Wanyun’s abnormal behavior puzzled her. Unable to figure it out, she looked at Chen Ruoqiu and Shen Yue.

Shen Yue was frightened by Shen Qing’s condition and clutched Chen Ruoqiu’s clothes in panic. Chen Ruoqiu was staring motionlessly at Ren Wanyun. Having been sisters-in-law with Ren Wanyun for so many years, Chen Ruoqiu naturally knew that her second sister-in-law was always adept at handling various situations. Her loss of composure today could only be for one reason: she had brought this trouble upon herself.

Shen Yue whispered, “Could elder sister have been poisoned? Mother, is it possible that the fifth sister…”

“Yue’er!” Chen Ruoqiu severely stopped her, involuntarily glancing at Shen Miao. Separated by several people, she couldn’t see Shen Miao’s gaze, but seeing the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, Chen Ruoqiu couldn’t help but feel alarmed. She instinctively felt that today’s events must be connected to Shen Miao, but would Shen Miao be bold enough to poison someone in the palace? Regardless, Shen Qing’s reputation would not be salvageable today.

The Prince of Yu’s face also darkened at the sudden turn of events. Though he acted capriciously, he could still distinguish priorities. This was certainly not the right time to bring up his earlier matter. A mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Shen Miao had escaped his clutches today, but whether or not she had poisoned Shen Qing, she was too naive to think she could hold him off this way. After this, he could still bring up the matter with Emperor Wen Hui. Some things cannot be avoided.

The Imperial Physician quickly arrived, and unexpectedly, while most palace physicians were elderly, having entered the Imperial Medical Academy due to their rich experience, this physician appeared to be only in his early twenties. He was quite handsome, catching the eyes of several officials’ daughters.

When Shen Miao caught sight of this physician, her heart skipped a beat, and she carefully observed him. The young physician carried a medical box, bowed to the imperial couple, then walked to Ren Wanyun’s side. As Ren Wanyun tried to block him, the physician said, “Please step aside, madam, so I can check Miss Shen’s pulse.” His voice was also quite pleasant, making one feel comfortable.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, with the piercing gazes of the imperial couple above, Ren Wanyun, no matter how reluctant, dared not resist. Shen Qing had already fainted from the pain. Ren Wanyun stepped back, watching helplessly as the physician placed two fingers on Shen Qing’s wrist.

As Shen Miao was staring at the physician, Feng Anning’s teasing voice suddenly came from beside her. “You haven’t fallen for that physician, too, have you? If you have, your taste isn’t bad.”

Shen Miao was slightly startled and asked, “You know him?”

“Eh?” Feng Anning exclaimed in surprise. “This is the first time you’ve shown interest in something I’ve mentioned. Fine, I’ll be generous and tell you. This physician is a new doctor in the Imperial Medical Academy, and his medical skills are extraordinary. He even cured Noble Consort De’s persistent heart ailment. His Majesty values him highly and made an exception to let him enter the Imperial Medical Academy. He’s now the youngest official there, and he’s very good-looking, so many young ladies like him.”

Shen Miao asked, “You like him too?”

“How could I possibly like him?” Feng Anning lifted her chin. “Although he is skilled in medicine and handsome, he’s at most just an Imperial Physician, with no family support behind him, alone in the world. How could such a person match my family’s status? Even for you, though you might admire him, if you’re thinking of a match, he’s still lacking.” Feng Anning had always been pampered by her family and firmly believed her future husband would be a remarkable figure. A mere Imperial Physician was not even on her radar.

“What is his name?” Shen Miao asked.

“You haven’t fallen for him, have you?” Feng Anning looked at Shen Miao suspiciously before answering, “His name is Gao Yang, but in the official families of the capital, there’s no household with the surname Gao.” This meant that Gao Yang was not from a distinguished family.

Shen Miao watched the young physician, even ignoring Shen Qing and Ren Wanyun. Her heart stirred because she discovered that this Gao Yang gave her a sense of familiarity, as if she had met him somewhere before. But in her previous life, she had never encountered anyone named Gao Yang in the Imperial Medical Academy.

If not in the Imperial Medical Academy, then where had she seen him?

While she pondered, Gao Yang had finished his examination. As he turned around, he met Shen Miao’s appraising gaze, and he too was slightly startled, though he quickly regained his composure and bowed to Ren Wanyun.

“Imperial Physician Gao,” the Empress asked, “has the Shen family’s daughter been poisoned?”

Gao Yang looked at the unconscious Shen Qing, then at the pale-faced Ren Wanyun. He bowed and said, “In response to Your Majesty, the Shen family’s daughter has not been poisoned. She merely drank lotus leaf tea.” After a pause, he added, “The lotus leaf tea she drank contained no poison, and Miss Shen has not been poisoned.”

“Oh?” Emperor Wen Hui looked at Shen Qing. “If she hasn’t been poisoned, why is she in such a state?”

“In response to Your Majesty,” Gao Yang sighed, “lotus leaf tea is cold. Ordinary people can drink it without issue, but for those who are pregnant, it can disturb the fetus… The Shen family’s daughter is pregnant.”

“The Shen family’s daughter is pregnant.”

Once these words were spoken, the surroundings immediately erupted in commotion. Shen Gui opened his mouth, his face instantly turning purple-red. He sharply looked at Ren Wanyun, who had collapsed limply on the ground.

“Well done!” The one who spoke was Madam Wei. She stood up abruptly, not even considering the setting, and pointed at Ren Wanyun, cursing, “You arranged an engagement with my Wei family, yet you intended for us to marry a defiled woman and raise someone else’s child. Ren Wanyun, have you no shame!”

The surrounding crowd became even more chaotic due to Madam Wei’s words. Shen Qing’s engagement to the Wei family had been widely discussed recently, yet today she was diagnosed as pregnant in front of all civil and military officials. What logic was this? A young unmarried lady was pregnant—this was illicit sexual relations! And she still intended to marry into the Wei family with such a condition? Throughout history, this would be considered a great scandal in the Ming Qi.

Ren Wanyun still didn’t move, her entire body seeming to have lost all strength. She merely crawled to Shen Qing’s side and held her in her arms.

“Madam Shen, I also want to know what this is about,” the Empress said coldly from her high seat.

Although Ming Qi was considered open-minded about matters between men and women, premarital pregnancy and illicit relations were affairs that brought shame to the family. Once discovered, it was punishable by drowning. The Shen family was a major official family in the Ming Qi. Although Shen Gui’s position was not as high as Shen Xin’s, it was still substantial. The higher Shen Qing’s status, the more detrimental the impact of this incident. The Empress, who managed the six palaces, particularly despised such filthy matters. The coldness in her voice was evident to all.

Ren Wanyun only felt a bitterness at the corner of her mouth, unable to utter a word. What could she say? Say that Shen Qing had not engaged in illicit relations but was raped? But either way, the loss of chastity was a fact. As for the Prince of Yu, she couldn’t speak a single word about him. The Prince was meticulous in his retribution; if she accused him, they would face dire consequences.

“If Madam Shen won’t speak, then let Miss Shen speak,” the Empress’s gaze suddenly turned sharp. She instructed the palace maids beside her, “Go wake up Miss Shen. I have questions for her.”

Ren Wanyun was startled, but the Empress’s maids had already stepped forward. They moved so quickly that Ren Wanyun couldn’t even stop them. The two maids roughly woke Shen Qing. As soon as Shen Qing awoke, still experiencing abdominal pain, she heard the Empress’s cold question from the high seat: “Shen Qing, I ask you, who is the father of the child in your womb?”

Upon hearing this, Shen Qing’s body froze. She looked helplessly toward Ren Wanyun. In her urgency, Ren Wanyun could only shake her head slightly at Shen Qing, instructing her not to speak carelessly. As for the future, Ren Wanyun would find a way to rescue her.

Seeing Ren Wanyun shake her head, Shen Qing didn’t understand her meaning but dared not speak recklessly. She stammered, “This humble daughter… this humble daughter…” unable to say more.

Shen Miao sighed softly and said, “Elder sister, you should reveal it. Having committed a serious crime, since the outcome is the same, you shouldn’t bear this burden of life alone.”

Ren Wanyun glared fiercely at Shen Miao, wishing she could tear her mouth apart.

Shen Qing’s body trembled, her eyes filled with terror. The implication in Shen Miao’s words was that she was doomed to die. Between life and death, Shen Qing couldn’t care about anything else. She suddenly cried out loudly, “No… no… my child is the Prince’s! The child in my womb is the Prince’s flesh and blood!”

Today was truly one wave after another. What had started as a good court banquet had now dragged up so many issues. The Prince of Yu… everyone looked toward the Prince of Yu. He narrowed his eyes, his expression toward Shen Qing extremely grim.

“Qing’er, don’t talk nonsense!” Ren Wanyun rushed over and covered Shen Qing’s mouth, but spoken words were like spilled water—impossible to retrieve.

Shen Qing stared wide-eyed at the Prince of Yu. Her thinking was simple: since she had engaged in illicit relations and was pregnant before marriage, death was inevitable. But if the child in her belly was the Prince of Yu’s offspring, it would be connected to the royal bloodline. This would give her a lifeline. No matter what, the Emperor wouldn’t order the execution of his nephew!

Shen Miao looked at Shen Qing, somewhat amused in her heart. She could roughly guess what Shen Qing was thinking, but Shen Qing had forgotten that there was a practice called—keeping the child, discarding the mother. In the imperial harem, this technique was used extensively. Did Shen Qing think that with just that bit of flesh and blood, she could live peacefully? It would only make her die faster.

The expressions of the imperial couple were unpredictable. If the Prince of Yu was involved at this point, the matter would indeed become more complicated.

In the men’s seating area, Shen Qiu and Shen Xin exchanged glances. Shen Xin was relatively composed, merely surprised by this revelation. Shen Qiu, however, clenched his fists in secret. Previously, Shen Miao hadn’t dared to tell him who had violated Shen Qing, but now everything was clear. No wonder Shen Miao wouldn’t say—it was the Prince of Yu. Thinking that if Shen Miao hadn’t been fortunate, it would be his sister in Shen Qing’s position now, Shen Qiu felt a surge of anger.

The Prince of Yu neither confirmed nor denied, which essentially confirmed it. Everyone looked at Shen Qing with sympathy and pity. The Prince of Yu was known for secretly abducting young women using various methods, not even sparing officials’ daughters. The unfortunate one this time happened to be Shen Qing.

Amid silence, Shen Miao’s voice gently sounded. She said, “No wonder the Prince earlier proposed to marry a Shen family daughter. It turns out he wanted to give his elder sister a proper status.”

These words, though light, made everyone present suddenly understand. So that’s how it was. Earlier, when the Prince of Yu said he wanted to take a consort and had set his heart on a Shen family daughter, it was Shen Qing—see, they already had a child. With this, the gazes toward Shen Qing changed again. Now it seemed less like the Prince of Yu had forced her, and more like Shen Qing had willingly wanted to become the Princess.

“This Fifth Miss Shen is formidable,” Su Mingfeng exclaimed in surprise. “Her skill at turning black into white is extremely high.”

Most people were led by the nose, but that didn’t mean everyone was. Clear-headed individuals still deeply remembered that when the Prince of Yu said he wanted to marry a Shen family daughter, he had been looking at Shen Miao.

Xie Jingxing folded his arms, looking at the purple-clad young lady opposite with a half-smile. Somehow, all the people at the court banquet had already been led by the nose by Shen Miao. The development to this point was all within her calculations. And this wasn’t without risk—she was brave enough to gamble, precise in her actions, incorporating everyone’s reactions into her plan, making an excellent move.

Since this was the case, he didn’t mind pushing things along. Immediately, Xie Jingxing said, “Affectionate and righteous, excellent.”

The Emperor’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. It was known that although the Prince of Yu had been mischievous in the past, he would not bring such matters to the public. No matter what happened in private, there were always ways to resolve it. But now that it was in the public eye, should he punish his brother? It might cause resentment in the Prince of Yu. To let it pass would seem like the Emperor was covering for him, setting a bad example and failing to intimidate the officials. Shen Miao and Xie Jingxing’s words, however, had offered a good solution. If it were said to be something that happened with mutual affection between the two, then it would be somewhat acceptable. He glanced at the Empress, who understood his meaning and said, “So the lady my brother-in-law mentioned earlier was the Shen family’s daughter. However, you two have been too reckless. Having caused such a big scandal, what should be done now?”

Shen Qing’s heart relaxed greatly. Ignoring the pain in her abdomen, she half-crawled to kneel on the ground, kowtowing and pleading, “It’s all this humble daughter’s fault, but this humble daughter cannot bear to part with the child in her womb. I beg Your Majesties to spare this humble daughter for the sake of the child.”

There were hisses of derision. This time, Shen Qing had utterly lost all dignity, throwing away both her inner and outer face. The Empress also looked at her with disgust but said lightly, “The guilt cannot be escaped, but since today is the court banquet, we only discuss joyful matters. My brother-in-law has been a widower for so many years. I’ll do a good deed today. I’ll grant you two a marriage—it’s indeed a good match.”

Shen Qing had been spared her life and quickly said with joy, “Thank you, Your Majesties, for your blessing.” Little did she know how shameful her actions appeared in others’ eyes. Previously, Shen Qing had said Shen Miao was not presentable, but now, Shen Qing herself had become the most disgraceful legitimate daughter of the Shen family.

The Prince of Yu looked sinisterly at Shen Qing, then shifted his gaze to Shen Miao. From the high seat, the Emperor stared warningly at him, so the Prince of Yu could only bow and slowly say, “Thank you, Imperial Brother and Sister-in-law, for your blessing.”

But the coldness in his voice was known only to himself.

Shen Miao’s lips curved upward, fearlessly meeting the Prince of Yu’s gaze. In her clear eyes, there were specks of joyful expression, but hidden in the joy was a trace of fierceness, as ferocious as a behemoth.

Today was just the appetizer; the real treat for the Prince of Yu’s manor was yet to come. Clearing away the Prince of Yu’s well-laid plans in front of him, the Prince must now be filled with rage.

When people are extremely angry, they are most prone to making mistakes. These small errors, like misplaced pieces on a chessboard, could be exploited. With a successful attack, one could eliminate pawns, capture rooks, and soon checkmate.

She tilted her head, her eyes unusually bright, but the smile at the corner of her lips, upon closer inspection, had a sort of chilling terror.

It has begun, Prince of Yu.