The days seemed to be especially calm but whether there were some schemes lurking under the calmness, no one actually knew.
These days, in the residence of Prince Ding, everyone felt imperilled, especially the few valued aides under Fu Xiu Yi and things were done even more cautiously. It was not because of anything but a few days back Fu Xiu Yi sent his most valued Pei Lang to the prisons. No one was actually clear of the details but those who knew about it revealed slightly that it was because Pei Lang was a spy that Fu Xiu Yi's opponent had sent over.
Before this, no one could deny Pei Lang's talent and even though everyone was jealous of Fu Xiu Yi's treatment of him, Pei Lang had resolved a number of problems for Fu Xiu Yi in the past two years. Fu Xiu Yi just captured him like this and even if one had yet to verify it was true or not, just the night before the arrest, Pei Lang was even drinking tea and playing chess with Fu Xiu Yi with an appearance of a monarch and his subject in harmony.
If Fu Xiu Yi suddenly has some clues, he would definitely investigate if it was true or not, otherwise, he would be accusing unjustly of innocence and permanently damaging a confidant's heart. For Fu Xiu Yi to make such a decisive decision, it only showed that he had long been suspicious of Pei Lang and even with such doubts he could still put on such an appearance of closeness, this Prince Ding was not a simple person. Be it if it was killing the chicken to scare the monkeys or not, the aides were much more respectful when facing Fu Xiu Yi again.
However, Fu Xiu Yi's heart was not as soothing as what others had thought. He too had some doubts.
He had sent people to monitor the Princess Residence and finally learnt that Princess Rong Xin actually disguised herself and went to the residence of the Count of Pin Nan to look for Su Ming Feng. Even though one did not know what they were talking about or what Princess Rong Xin's purpose was, Fu Xiu Yi thought that there was something strange about it. Princess Rong Xin dwelled in deep seclusion and rarely came out that she even did not have close relations with Emperor Wen Hui. If there was, it would be having good relations with the late Princess Yu Qing in the early years. However, Princess Yu Qing had been dead for many years and it was Princess Yu Qing's son, Xie Jing Xing, who was close to Princess Rong Xin but Xie Jing Xing died two years back in the battlefield in Northern Jiang. There were no other relations between the residence of the Count of Pin Nan and Princess Rong Xin.
Fu Xiu Yi had racked his brains to think about the relationship between Princess Rong Xin and the residence of the Count of Pin Nan but it was a pity that there were no viable clues. Moreover, what made Fu Xiu Yi puzzled was why did Princess Rong Xin not look for the Count of Ping Nan, Su Yu, but instead looked for Su Ming Feng alone? Su Ming Feng had long been out of the officialdom and would not be of any help if it was for official matters and if it was for personal matters, how would Su Ming Feng know Princess Rong Xin privately? Just as Fu Xiu Yi was mumbling Su Ming Feng's name, he was suddenly startled.
Su Ming Feng was well known to many people in Ding capital city and it was not only because he was outstanding and talented or because just as he was about to enter officialdom he had a serious illness that there was no choice but to give up on the route of an official but because he was Xie Jing Xing's playmate since young. Many people were puzzled as Su Ming Feng was an upright youth so how would he always be mixed with Xie Jing Xing, who always trifled around without respect. Since the residence of the Marquis of Lin An and the residence of the Count of Pin Nan were long friends, there was nothing wrong with having good relations.
It was as if he had found a clue and Fu Xiu Yi's thoughts were finally broken through. Su Ming Feng was Xie Jing Xing's playmate and Princess Rong Xin was Xie Jing Xing's Yímǔ. If Princess Rong Xin looked for Su Ming Feng privately, it was most likely that they were discussing Xie Jing Xing.
But wasn't Xie Jing Xing dead? Then why would Princess Rong Xin suddenly enquire about a dead person? If it was the last time, everyone would not speak anything of Xie Jing Xing in front of Princess Rong Xin, fearing that it would touch on Princess Rong Xin's painful matter so why would Princess Rong Xin take the initiative to ask? Could it be that Xie Jing Xing was not dead? Fu Xiu Yi jumped in shock with his guess but he quickly denied it. He had personally read the secret report on Xie Jing Xing's death so it would not be wrong. Moreover, under the eyes of the public, how would one steal a rafter and replace it with a column? This was impossible.
But one was obviously following Princess Rong Xin to investigate Prince Rui so how would it suddenly be Su Ming Feng and even involved the dead Xie Jing Xing? If it was so, then the matter had become complicated but also more interesting.
Fu Xiu Yi stood up and thought for a while before instructing the people beside him, "To the underground prison."
There was an underground prison in the residence of Prince Ding that was built in the courtyard of the ancestral hall. The Imperial Ancestral Hall was not here, so the ancestral hall that was built in the Prince Ding Residence was just a place to pray to Buddha and implore for blessings. On the wall, a painting of an amiable looking Goddess of Mercy was hung and when one lifted the painting up, one would be able to see a little Laughing Buddha statue. Upon pressing the wooden fish at the foot of the Laughing Buddha, the stone wall would open up and following the route that the stone wall opened up, it would lead to the underground prison of the residence of Prince Ding.
This underground prison was the place where spies or Prince Ding's subordinates who had committed great wrongs. Normal death was not enough punishment for these people and there were endless kinds of torture, thus, it would be filled with a bloody scent when one enters. The stone walls were covered in thin leather-like things and if one took a closer look at it, one would see that it was the skin of someone who had died and was hung out to dry. It still had the extremely pained expression on it that would make one shudder with one look.
Outside, it was an ancestral hall imploring blessings but inside it was like the shady business of the devil. Under the eyes of the Goddess of Mercy, this was, however, like the eighteenth level of hell or even more terrifying than the eighteenth level of hell.
Fu Xiu Yi walked in with a leisurely look and his eyes were even filled with appreciation as his gaze landed on the human skin on the walls. The subordinate beside led the way inside and only stopped when he reached right to the end.
The person who was locked inside the cell was hanging from the beam and the entire body was soaked in blood. The robes were stained in fresh red colour and one could almost not see the original colour of it. Because the body was hanging, there would be blood dripping from time to time, forming a small pool of blood.
Fu Xiu Yi quietly looked at the person. That person seemed to have fainted thus he gave a look at the person beside and the person immediately brought a bucket of chilli water and poured it over the person.
That person quivered and one's body could not help but tremble. The pain seemed to be indescribable and it was like one was suffering great torture.
(Gōngzǐ / Xiānshēng are both Gentleman. It's just a difference between formality and degree.
Běnwǎng is used by princes that have been conferred with official status while Běndiàn is used by imperial princes that have not been conferred with official status.)
Fu Xiu Yi smiled and went forward, "Is Xiānshēng used to it?"
When the chilli water pierces the wounds, it had also cleaned up the blood traces on the prisoner's face and what revealed was a clear and prideful face. It was Pei Lang.
Pei Lang smiled gently and replied in a trembling voice, "Thanks to Diànxià's blessings, one lives rather well."
"One had long known that Xiānshēng is not an ordinary person but one did not expect that not only is one exceptionally talented, but the unflinching righteousness is also something that one admired. Else, how would the Shen family dispatch one over." Fu Xiu Yi sighed, "Everyone said that the army that Shen Xin raised are all heroes. Xiānshēng is a scholar but one's bones are also this hard. Běndiàn really wants to know how General Shen teaches others."
Pei Lang took a breath and smiled, "This one has no relationship with General Shen at all."
"It has already been a few days but Xiānshēng is still persistent." Fu Xiu Yi said, "Even though this unflinching righteousness is commendable, it is a headache as it made one prepare some unusual games to play with Xiānshēng."
Pei Lang only laughed and did not speak.
Fu Xiu Yi looked at him and his tone was very amiable, as if he still had some nostalgia, "As Běndiàn had a master-servant relationship, it was actually enjoyable. You have great talents and Běndiàn appreciated it. Běndiàn's heart is naturally soft and is also willing to give you a chance. After atoning for one's crime, it will be like nothing had happened and Běndiàn and you will be like in the past. Běndiàn will still call you Xiānshēng and you are still Běndiàn's most capable think tank." He leaned closer to Pei Lang and spoke with a somewhat coaxing and enticing tone, "As long as you tell Běndiàn what kind of secrets does the Shen family have and what is the purpose of sending you over to Běndiàn's side. Two sentences in exchange for an opportunity. How about it?"
Pei Lang coughed twice and coughed out two lumps of blood before smiling with great difficulty, "Many thanks for Diànxià's great fondness but this official has nothing to do with the Shen family and cannot answer Diànxià's question. Most probably, it is God that did not give this official an opportunity. What a pity."
Fu Xiu Yi looked at him expressionlessly. After a long while, he then smiled lightly and patted his hands to brush away the blood traces on his body, "Xiānshēng's bones are hard and Běndiàn respects it a lot and am also very curious, wondering till when Xiānshēng's bones would be hard till." He waved at the people by his side, "This thing does not enter Xiānshēng's eyes and cannot be used fully. Change to a better one."
Afterwards, he stepped back and was about to leave before he suddenly thought of something, "Even though Xiānshēng did not speak about it, Běndiàn will still be able to discover the secrets of the Shen family. However, Běndiàn wants to ask Xiānshēng. One heard that the Shen family values relations and righteousness and for Xiānshēng to offer one's life in sacrifice for one's master, one does not know if General Shen would send someone to save Xiānshēng from the fire pits?"
He left with the guards."
After Fu Xiu Yi left, Pei Lang vomited a large mouthful of blood. This seemingly gentle and the very most scheming Prince actually had such a vicious and violent side. The question that Fu Xiu Yi asked Pei Lang made him smile bitter uncontrollably.
It was not false that the Shen family people valued relations and righteousness but the person he was working for was Shen Miao. Shen Miao valued relations and righteousness but it was towards the Shen family. Other than her family and friends, one feared that everyone else was not in one bit important to Shen Miao. As to saving him, like what Fu Xiu Yi said, Pei Lang thought that it would not happen. Not mentioning that Shen Miao did not have this ability to fish a person out of the residence of Prince Ding, much less from the most secretive underground prison. At the beginning when Shen Miao wanted him to be a hidden chess piece by Fu Xiu Yi, he had expected such a day to come. Shen Miao knew that once Fu Xiu Yi discovered it, Pei Lang's ending would be very miserable but she still did it.
Despite logical reasoning that Shen Miao would not come and save him, Pei Lang had a small faint trace of expectation in his heart. He did not know what kind of feeling he had for Shen Miao. In the beginning, when Shen Miao used Liu Ying to threaten him, he felt some disgust in his heart as he hated the feeling of being not in control and threatened. Afterwards, one did not know why but he actually thought of himself as Shen Miao's people. He would worry for Shen Miao and did his best to be a chess piece. Pei Lang was unable to understand his actions. He was thinking that most likely he had owed Shen Miao something in his past life and thus, in this lifetime, he would spin as she wishes and even his life was changed. The guard that was responsible to torture him came over and Pei Lang threw away the thoughts in his mind and started another round of torture.
What he did not know was that in the residence of Prince Rui, Huo Long and Ye Ying was sitting at the tree eating melon seeds. Ye Ying asked, "Ji Lǎobǎn and Gao Gōngzǐ are still not let out till now. How long are they guarding the tower prison for?"
(HidAnas: Lǎobǎn - Boss)
Huo Long spit out a mouthful of melon seed shells, "I guess that Zhǔzi had forgotten about the matter. These days, Zhǔzi had been running outside so how would he have the heart to worry about others? One heard that there was a letter from the Palace of Great Liang so probably Zhǔzi wants to finish these matter and return to the Palace."
"It is correct to say as such but if Ji Lǎobǎn keeps on staying in the Tower Prison, then would the information from Feng Xian Pawnshop delay matters?"
Huo Long rolled his eyes at Ye Ying, "Feng Xian Pawnshop is to earn money and naturally there would be people from Mo Yu Army that will be reporting intelligence to Zhǔzi so how would matters be delayed?"
When Ye Ying heard it, she felt that her companion made sense, "It is also true. Why bother with so many matters?"
There were some things in the world that were a freak combination of factors, some things only needed a little change in order for the entire trajectory of things to change.
In the study of Feng Xian Pawnshop, there were stacks of thick letters on the table and it was covered with dust as there was no one tidying up. On the bottom of the stack, there was a letter with three words written on it.
Residence of Prince Ding.
There were some movements in the residence of Prince Ding, much less the residence of the Crown Prince. Emperor Wen Hui had the heart to give the Crown Prince a favour and let the Crown Prince and Huangfu Hao have good relations, thus, Huangfu Hao strut proudly into the residence of the Crown Prince, instead of secretly fearing that others would know.
It was just that what was discussed in the residence of the Crown Prince was not something that Emperor Wen Hui was able to manage.
(HidAnas: The conversation between Ming Qi and Qin's Crown Princes are really funny! You wanna know why? Author-san used 本宫 Běngōng instead of 本網 Běnwǎng! Hahahaha Běngōng is used for the females while the latter is for males… I am not sure what happened… but now I'm thinking if author-san is also using a group of ghost-writers to help him with his work not that I find anything wrong with this… but shouldn't the editor rectify this???)
The Crown Prince poured some wine for Huangfu Hao and smiled, "How does HuangFu Xiōng find the words that Běnwǎng just spoke?"
Huangfu Hao smiled and did not agree or disagree with it, "You really calculate it very well and let Běnwǎng be the bad person in it and leave a good name for oneself and even carry a beauty back."
The Crown Prince was not annoyed as he also smiled, "A gentleman is always ready to help others attain their aims. Běnwǎng is happy to see Shen Wǔ xiǎojiě becoming your Qin country's Tàizǐ Fēi but everyone knows that it is impossible." The Emperor of Qin was not magnanimous enough to let another country's official's daughter be married to his Crown Prince. The Crown Prince Consort title not only represented a female but also represented the power of the female's family and it would be best if it could help the Crown Prince. Shen Miao, as a person from Ming Qi, would not be able to help Huangfu Hao and needless to say, Shen Xin would not be willing to watch on as his daughter married to Qin country.
Huangfu Hao shook his head, "What is the rush? Běnwǎng did not say that one would snatch another's preference but…" He looked towards the Crown Prince, "Běnwǎng is not one who like to do good deeds, moreover it is using one's name to do good deeds and in the future when General Shen hates Běnwǎng, it would be difficult for Běnwǎng."
The Crown Prince smiled when he heard it. This Huangfu Hao was also a person who understood things so he realised the interests in the matter. Reputation in Ming Qi was something that was useless and moreover, it was not a big thing for Shen Miao to marry over. It was just a sentence that could let Emperor Wen Hui and the Crown Prince feel that they owed Huangfu Hao, so what was there against it? Of course, how would this good turn be exchanged for? Emperor Wen Hui had no knowledge of it and this matter was solely the Crown Prince's idea so one had to see how important this marriage was in the heart of the Crown Prince.
"What kind of difficulty does Huangfu Xiōng have?" The Crown Prince asked in smiles.
"It is not a big matter, it would only make you laugh." Huangfu Hao sighed and gave a worrying look, "Even though I am the Crown Prince of Qin country but every family has its fair share of problems, much less Běnwǎng. Fù Huáng treats Běnwǎng extremely well but the few Xiōngdì of Běnwǎng has are not to be spared of worrying. If there was a day where these Xiōngdì fight with Běnwǎng…" He looked at the Crown Prince meaningfully, "At that time, one hoped that one would be able to be a powerful force of Běnwǎng."
The Crown Prince was first startled before he started scolding Huangfu Hao in his heart. Fighting for the heir apparent was something that every country would have, especially in a country where there were a number of Princes. However, what Huangfu Hao proposed was that if one day in Huangfu Hao's fight for the heir apparent in Qin's Imperial family, the Crown Prince must help him. How could a Crown Prince of Ming Qi help the Crown Prince of Qin country? It was to lend him military power.
Huangfu Hao indeed calculated it well.
Huangfu Hao saw his hesitation and smiled, "What are you hesitating about? Isn't the matter that Běnwǎng is helping you on just the same?"
The Crown Prince looked at Huangfu Hao without speaking. If it was successful this time and Shen Miao was married to him, then the Shen family would be tied to his Crown Prince Residence. With the Shen family's helping hand, the power of the Crown Prince would only increase greatly and it would become an important role in the battle of the heir apparent. Currently, Huangfu Hao helping him with it, wasn't it also helping him in the fight for the heir apparent?
Like this, the conditions that Huangfu Hao set became not so unacceptable. After all, he would have more to gain in this matter.
The Crown Prince's heart firmed up, "Alright. Since Huangfu Xiōng draws a sword and renders help this time, in the future, Běnwǎng would definitely not stand by and watch."
Huangfu Hao only laughed then and after drinking a few more rounds with the Crown Prince, he said, "You really want to marry Shen Miao?" He looked at the suspicious expression of the Crown Prince and explained, "During the tribute banquet, Běnwǎng had seen that Shen Miao did not have a soft temperament. One feared that she had a very strong character instead. Are you so confident in taming her?"
"What is there to consider?" The Crown Prince waved his hands unconcernedly, "No matter how strong one's temper is, she is still a female. As long as one is a female and married to another, that tempered would be put away. One will not hide it from you but in the beginning, Tàizǐ Fēi also had a strong character when entering the Eastern Palace but now still subservient to one's every wish. For females, as long as one spares some effort to coax, in the end, they would be meek, just like cats."
When Huangfu Hao heard it, he no longer said anything but snorted somewhat disdainfully in his heart. Princess Ming An's death till now was still a mystery but Huangfu Hao always felt that the matter was related to Shen Miao. Afterwards, one did not know how the matter between him and Fu Xiu Yi was used and now Fu Xiu Yi had to deliberately keep a distance from him. The Shen family was not ordinary so there must be people behind Shen Miao who was guiding. Even though the Crown Prince's power was not weak, he might not necessarily be able to win when encountering Shen Miao.
However, these were irrelevant to Huangfu Hao. He was only happy to watch the play, thus, after a few more laughs, he picked up the wine cup to drink with the Crown Prince.
At the other end, in the residence of the Minister of Land, Shen Miao had actually replied to the invitation.
It only said that Shen Miao had agreed to Shen Dong Ling's invitation to appreciate incense but she would also be bringing Luo Tan, the Biao Young Lady of the Luo family, along.
Wang Bi was happy when he saw Shen Miao's reply and said to Shen Dong Ling, "Didn't you say that you Jiěmèi did not have much relation? One did not expect that she would actually agree to it."
Shen Dong Ling was also somewhat surprised but she said with a smile on her face, "It seems that you have not seen for quite some time. Now there are only two of us Jiěmèi left from the residence." She took the reply from Wang Bi's hands before taking a closer look.
In all fairness, Shen Dong Ling did not expect that Shen Miao would reply to the invitation and even agreed to come over to appreciate incense. Shen Dong Ling understood Shen Miao that it was impossible for Shen Miao to come due to her cautiousness. It was not very important for Shen Miao to come over to carry out the plans and she wrote the invitation to Shen Miao so as to prove it to Wang Bi that she had done her best for him and hoped that Wang Bi would think of her good points in the future.
But who knew that Shen Miao actually agreed to it.
Shen Dong Ling's thoughts turned. The reason Shen Miao brought Luo Tan was most probably because Luo Tan knew martial arts and would rest assured with someone accompanying. Moreover, Shen Miao would definitely bring lots of guards around to safeguard Shen Miao's safety. Since Shen Miao dared to come over, she must have made absolutely safe precautions.
However, Shen Dong Ling did not care about it at all because her purpose was not to scheme Shen Miao. Shen Dong Ling pushed Wang Bi, "Fūjūn, since Wǔ mèimèi agreed to come over, it would be easier for an excuse in the future. By calling Tàizǐ Diànxià and Huangfu Hao over, in the future, one could say that Huangfu Hao saw Wǔ mèimèi during the appreciation of incense and fell for her beauty. Matters that came afterwards would be done much smoother."
"You females do think more thoughtfully." Wang Bi smiled and hugged Shen Dong Ling's shoulder, "With such a Qī, what more can this Fū ask for?" (Qī - Wife, Fū - Husband)
Shen Dong Ling smiled at his teasing but her heart felt a different thing.
Shen Miao had always been good at scheming others and Shen Dong Ling had seen the entire fight between Ren Wan Yun and Shen Miao. At the end of the Shen family, the Eldest Household was preserved and if one were to say who was powerful, it was Shen Miao and Shen Dong Ling.
Shen Dong Ling also wanted to see between her and Shen Miao, who was more powerful. To calculate Shen Miao into her schemes was, after all, much more interesting than scheming Shen Yue.
Shen Miao, who was being 'schemed' by Shen Dong Ling, was playing chess with Xie Jing Xing in her room.
Xie Jing Xing had a good set of chess skills as he stood firm and fought steadily with Shen Miao. Each step and move were different. Xie Jing Xing seemed to have long seen with a glance the plans for the pieces that she places and knew where she would move next, then Xie Jing Xing would block in the corresponding places. After playing for most of a shichen (1 shichen = 2 hours), Xie Jing Xing had won a number of pieces against her but the battle was in a stalemate and it was difficult to tear it apart.
In the past life, Shen Miao practised diligently on her chess skills in order to have conversations with Fu Xiu Yi, thus, not mentioning she was the first, she could at least be a difficult-to-beat adversary. However, Xie Jing Xing's moves could fight hand-to-hand and were like a nemesis. Since successfully learning chess, it was the first time Shen Miao wanted to withdraw a chess move.
Seeing that Xie Jing Xing eat up a few of her chess pieces again, Shen Miao said, "Tired already. Don't want to play."
"Don't want to play or cannot play." Xie Jing Xing said, "Beg me and I will teach you."
Shen Miao wanted to laugh in anger with his words. He came over in the middle of the night to look for someone to play chess with him and Shen Miao had a good temper as others would have chased Xie Jing Xing out. She said, "Thank you. I don't need it." She did not plan to be a Grandmaster of chess so what was the purpose of learning it. However, it was a surprise for her in finding out that Xie Jing Xing had such a high level of chess. Other than hearing that Xie Jing Xing was exceptional in the battlefield, one had not heard of other areas where he was particularly good at. However, after some thinking about it, this person played the world in the palms of his hands so what did such small pieces of chess matter.
She asked, "Your people are all arranged for the matter two days later?"
Two days later it would be the day of the incense appreciation and it was the first time she and Xie Jing Xing schemed others together. Once they schemed, it was for two Crown Princes. If this was spoken, it would make others feel somewhat cold. However, Shen Miao did not think anything of it as she had experiences with a Crown Prince. To her, the position of a Crown Prince was not a position that was too high to be implicated. Xie Jing Xing also thought so since his own Older Brother was the Emperor and the Crown Prince would be his nephew.
So it seems that it was very suitable for her and Xie Jing Xing to scheme against the two Crown Princes.
"Rest assured. There is no danger of anything going wrong." Xie Jing Xing said, "Your horse carriage is also arranged. You really want to go?" He frowned, "It is possible for you not to go."
"Why not?" Shen Miao said, "Even if I go or not, it does not matter to me. However, I wished that they could do it with a little more grandeur." Shen Miao gently smiled, "If I were to do it, I would make the scene more realistic but at the end would only discover that everything is wrong. Isn't it more interesting?"
Xie Jing Xing said with a smile but not a smile, "So vicious."
"Is it vicious?" Shen Miao asked.
"Vicious." He nodded his head and his eyes were shining like clear water and his thin lips hooked up, "But I like it."
Shen Miao, "…"
Ever since that night, Xie Jing Xing's words had become even more frivolous but it was only with words as his behaviour was still very respectful with her. Suddenly, someone had squeezed into her life and that made Shen Miao unable to get used to it. However, she had to admit that with Xie Jing Xing's presence, a lot of things had become much easier. Apparently, things that she would need to be troubled with to accomplish would be resolved easily by Xie Jing Xing.
However, if one were to continue to rely on it, it would still make one feel uneasy. Shen Miao had not yet learnt how to trust another, much less trust a male. She had the courage and schemes for everything like usual but in the matters of romances between male and female, due to the heavy injuries she had sustained before, she was still as clumsy as a child when it happened again. Even if there was someone teaching gently, she was still slow and stupid.
Xie Jing Xing stared at her heedlessly and one did not know what she was thinking about. The chess pieces were just beside her hands as the young female sat gently and in a dignified pose. The lantern light that shone on her made her look soft and graceful, like a lotus that just bloomed.
And his face was handsomely beautiful with dark pupils that were as deep as the night. It was like it was looking at the other party thoughtfully for a while before he suddenly smiled.
"When this matter is resolved, I will marry you, Shen Jiao Jiao."