Xie Jinghang wouldn't say something like this for no reason, there must be another meaning behind his words.

  Xie Jinghang raised an eyebrow and looked at him: "Shen Yuan is a person of Ding Wang."

  Shen Miao was slightly startled in her heart and didn't speak.

  "Before Shen Yuan's incident, I had a secret conversation with Ding Wang." Xie Jinghang said: "The Shen family is now in a state of fire and water, what else can they do besides dealing with your father?"

  "It's impossible!" Shen Miao cried out in surprise.

  Xie Jingxu's eyes probed her intensely, as if trying to see through Shen Miao entirely, and asked: "Why?"

  Shen's hands were slightly damp, and for a moment, her mind was in disarray. The Shen family's real troubles didn't start in the past two years. The imperial family would still delay taking action against them because they had no legitimate reason to do so at present. Shen Yu and Ding Wang were both cautious people who wouldn't act without being absolutely sure. For example, it wasn't until the end of her previous life that she discovered the second and third branches of the family were also involved, and as for Shen Yu, he would only produce evidence of treason at the very last moment.

  But what's going on now, isn't it too early for the royal family to deal with Shen Xin? How could Shen Guang take action at this time? The evidence at this time should not be complete, why did Fu Xiuyi choose to act now?

  How did it become like this?

  She looked uncertain, raised her head and met Xie Jingxuan's thoughtful gaze. Shen Miao's heart skipped a beat as she thought that Xie Jingxuan was quick-witted and might be able to guess something from her expression. Thinking of this, she covered up with a smile: "Shen Yu is my second brother, why would he want to harm my father?"

  Upon hearing this, Xie Jinghang burst out laughing. His laughter was full of meaning as he said, "Shen Miao, do you think I'm a fool?"

  "Since you've told me all this, Master Xie," Shen Miao said seriously, "how does the Crown Prince plan to deal with my father?"

  Xie Jinghang shook his head.

  Shen Miao didn't have much hope to begin with, and even if Xie Jingxuan knew, he wouldn't tell her for his own reasons. The Xie family was also in a precarious situation in the Ming Qi dynasty, and meddling would only bring trouble upon themselves. Even if Shen Miao were in Xie Jingxuan's position today, she probably wouldn't even bother to remind him.

  Just... Shen Miao looked at Xie Jingxuan's official uniform and asked in confusion: "What are you doing entering the palace?"

  She asked casually, but didn't know that her straightforward and majestic appearance made Xie Jinghang pause for a moment. However, it was only for a brief moment, and then Xie Jinghang lazily said: "Enter the palace to meet the commander."

  "Please invite General?" Shen Miao was taken aback and subconsciously asked: "For whom to invite General?"

  Xie Jingxing just smiled and didn't speak, Shen Miao suddenly looked at him: "You... volunteered to be the commander? Northern Border... Xiongnu?"

  "How did you know?" The matter of the Northern Frontier Xiongnu was a secret, and it was not necessarily known to Shen Xin before the imperial decree was issued, let alone Shen Miao. Xie Jinghang had always been curious about Shen Miao's sources of information, and now that he even knew about palace affairs, he felt even more surprised.

  Shen Miao stared at him blankly, but her heart was surging like a stormy sea.

  The land of Beijiang, the troubles of the Xiongnu have never retreated. However, the terrain of Beijiang is complex, and the people of Beijiang are fierce and brave. In previous years, Emperor Wenhui only skirmished with them, unwilling to confront them head-on. Later, the Xiongnu became more aggressive, and Emperor Wenhui sent out Xie Ding to lead a campaign. The Xie family's army was known for its bravery, but they were completely defeated on the battlefield. At the end of that year, Xie Ding died in battle, wrapped in his horse's hide, and the whole country mourned. The next spring, Xie Jingxian took his father's place to lead a campaign, but he suffered a crushing defeat, was pierced by ten thousand arrows, had his skin flayed and dried in the wind, and ended up hanging on the city wall in a tragic finale.

  Xie Jingxuan died at the age of 22, now he would be only 19 years old.

  Shen Miao's heart skipped a beat, the Emperor couldn't possibly deal with the Xiongnu at this time, and Xie Jingxing was volunteering to lead the troops. Xie Ding shouldn't know about this yet, but judging from Xie Jingxing's current expression, he must have already received the imperial edict.

  It's changed again! It's changed again!

  It was supposed to be a matter of several years, but it came out ahead of schedule. Xie Jing is going on an expedition at this time, won't the outcome be the same as in his previous life?

  For the Xie family, Shen Miao had originally wanted to keep them around for future use as a counterbalance against imperial power. However, no matter how she changed, some people's fates still followed their original trajectory. The young man in front of her with his red lips and white teeth, beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and elegant demeanor would ultimately take the worst step?

  Xie Jinghang saw that Shen Miao's expression was different and couldn't help but feel strange. His eyes flashed slightly, and he said, "You seem to be very worried?"

  At this moment, Shen Miao didn't have the heart to analyze the subtleties of his words, her mind was a bit confused, and she looked at him: "You... are leading the Xie family's army?"

  "Pay attention to the people around you, and also pay attention to those in the Shen family," Shen Miao said slowly, her tone a bit dry at first but gradually becoming more serious. "The wind and sand are strong in the north, and the armor of the soldiers is thick and heavy. No matter what, do not remove your protective mirror." Perhaps if Xie Jingxuan had worn a protective mirror in his past life, he would have been better off. More importantly, Shen Miao felt that Xie Jingxuan's death was too suspicious. As a general with exceptional tactics and strategic thinking, how could he have lost so miserably? Later on, as she gradually understood the underlying situation, she realized that the imperial family had been suppressing the Xie family all along, and it was possible that there were people from the palace within the Xie family's army. The tragic fate of the Xie father and son may not be without the involvement of sinister plots.

  Shen Miao was considering the overall situation, but she didn't know that with her and Xie Jingxuan's current relationship, they hadn't reached the point of being friends yet. Therefore, these words filled with concern seemed somewhat subtle.

  Xie Jinghang was also taken aback, but suddenly smiled and leaned in close to Shen Miao, his peach blossom eyes sparkling with amusement as he teased, "So concerned about me?"

  Shen Miao was lost in her own thoughts, unaware that he had already gotten so close. Suddenly, she realized it and hadn't yet recovered from her own speculation, for a moment appearing slightly dazed. Her eyes were clear and bright, and whenever she looked dazed, she seemed like a child, making people feel pity for her.

  Xie Jingxing paused slightly, a sense of helplessness rising in his heart. He was originally ruthless and cunning, and to the Shen family, he was just a pawn on the chessboard. He knew that Shen Miao's thoughts were deep and mysterious, her methods unpredictable, and she was far from being an innocent and harmless woman as she seemed on the surface. But sometimes, he felt that she was actually just a naive little girl who didn't understand anything. Bullying a little girl made him feel somewhat embarrassed.

  This was soon cast aside by him. Xie Jinghang retreated a little and said, "The Shen family's military power is too great, it's not a good thing."

  Shen Miao replied, "The one who entered the palace today is my mother. She was summoned by Xu Xianfei and Dong Shufei." When she mentioned Xu Xianfei and Dong Shufei, her expression didn't show any respect, as if she were talking about two very ordinary people. Xie Jingxing also found it normal.

  "He said: 'Withdraw.'"

  "Leave?" Shen Miao asked.

  Xie Jing stopped talking. He still gave Shen Miao a hint after all. If Shen Miao was clever, she would understand his meaning.

  Shen Miao lowered her eyelids, thought for a moment, and said: "Thank you."

  Xie Jinghang lazily waved his hand and didn't know what he was thinking. Shen Miao asked again: "When will the commander... set off?"

  "In ten days."

  "So soon?" Shen Miao exclaimed.

  "What's wrong?" Xie Jinghang turned his head to look at her, with a hint of a smile: "Can't bear to part with it?"

  "Not so......" Shen Miao's face was expressionless as she said: "In that case... I'll just offer my distant congratulations to Young Master Hou, wishing him victory and a triumphant return."

  "Turn back and get a reward," Xie Jingxing said casually: "I'll send you a little something later, as a lucky charm."

  Shen Miao was about to speak, but saw Xie Jingxing press down on his waist and said, "Someone is coming." He then smiled at Shen Miao: "We'll meet again, Shen... Jiaojiao." He turned around and flew out of the window of the Yiju room.

  This person walked in through the window as if it were their own front door. Shen Miao was still stunned, and before she knew it, the door had been pushed open and Tong Yao walked in. Seeing Shen Miao standing in the middle of the room, she asked somewhat curiously: "Miss Shen, why aren't you sitting down?"

  Shen Miao came back to her senses, smiled slightly, and got up to sit down on one side. However, in her heart, she was still thinking about what Xie Jingxing had just said.

  Xie Jingxing's order to set out was ten days later, and ten days later... isn't that exactly the same as three years later? Three years ago, at this time, Xie Jingxing also set out, and then the two fathers and sons of the Xie family would forever end in the history books of Ming Qi.

  The Xie family has gone to an inevitable end, just like in their past life... What about the Shen family? How will they fare? Xie Jinghang gave her a hint before he left, but it wasn't the outcome she wanted to see. Retreating like this would indeed save her life, but that's all it would do - just save her life. Without the protection of power and influence, peaceful days became a luxury. The path of her past life made Shen Miao clearly understand one thing: only by standing in a position higher than her enemies could she truly control her own destiny.

  However, Xie Jing's method is more than enough for defense, but insufficient for offense.

  What method should be used to crack it?

  For the next few hours, Shen Miao was deep in thought. The pastries on the table didn't move, and she didn't take a sip of tea. She didn't even bother to look at those books. This made Tong Yao frequently glance at her, wondering how Shen Miao, a young girl, could sit for an entire afternoon with such a solemn expression, something that even the palace's slow-tempered consorts couldn't do.

  It wasn't until a small eunuch came to summon someone that Tong Yao, the female official, took Shen Miao out. Luo Xueyan was waiting for her at the gate and when she saw Shen Miao, she forced a smile and pulled Shen Miao out of the palace and back to their residence.

  Although Luo Xueyan tried to appear nonchalant, Shen Miao was no ordinary person and had long learned to discern the subtleties of speech and expression in the palace. She saw right through Luo Xueyan's anxiety and asked, "Your Majesty, what did they say to you?"

  Lu Xueyan smiled and said: "Nothing much, just some things about living in Xiaochun City. Probably haven't been to the northwest, want to experience it."

  "Is it really like that? But if so, why would he deliberately call the empress into the palace and talk to her for such a long time? It's quite strange."

  Lu Xueyan stroked Shen Miao's head: "What's so strange about this? The ladies in the palace can't go out and about, probably because they're feeling a bit stifled. If Mother tells them some stories about far-off places to lift their spirits, they'll be delighted." Despite saying this, Lu Xueyan still had some worries. Although she didn't participate in court affairs, it didn't mean she was completely unaware of the dangers within the court. Today, she was also being extremely cautious in her responses, but precisely because she and the two consorts were discussing everyday life, it made her even more perplexed.

  The people in the palace are all clever, but today's conversation didn't mention anything about military affairs, not even the Shen family army. Instead, they only talked about the common people of Xiao Chun City, which left Luo Xueyan puzzled.

  People who have been in combat have a kind of intuition about danger. Although she felt that the danger was approaching, she didn't know where the problem lay, and Luo Xueyan felt somewhat stifled.

  But she was afraid of frightening Shen Miao, so she didn't plan to tell Shen Miao about these things. Shen Miao also stopped asking her, and when they returned to the mansion, the sky was already approaching dusk. Shen Qiu and Shen Xin had been waiting at the gate, and upon seeing the two return, they both let out a sigh of relief.

  After dinner, Luo Xueyan reminded Shen Miao to rest early and took Shen Qiu and Shen Xin back to the house to discuss today's palace visit. Shen Miao didn't follow them, she had already learned many things from Luo Xueyan's mouth, now what she couldn't understand was what Shen Guang had given to Fu Xiuyi.

  The oil lamp shone brightly in front of Shen Miao, who sat at the table deep in thought. Jing Rui and Gu Yu were careful not to disturb her. Outside the window, a gentle rain began to fall, the first since the New Year's festival, heralding the arrival of spring.

  Spring is about to be born, all things are revived, it's clearly a new hope, but how can we walk out of the heavy snow and ice, and find a way that is bright and beautiful?

  Shen Miao closed her eyes.

  This night, there is also someone wearing brocade and walking at night.

  Xie Jing was passing by the courtyard when he happened to meet Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao, who stopped in their tracks as soon as they saw him. They bowed respectfully and greeted him, saying: "Big brother."

  To these two, Xie Jinghang had always been ignoring them. Today was no exception. Just as he was about to leave, he was stopped by Xie Changchao, who said with a hint of pride: "It's been a long time since I've seen my big brother. I don't know what you're busy with these days. The other day when we went hunting, I wanted to invite you to come along, but Father asked us to follow him to Liu Daren's official banquet, so unfortunately, we didn't get to go together."

  Xie Ding has been taking Xie Changwu and Xie Changzhao to banquets hosted by colleagues these days, because everyone knows that Xie Ding is going to bring his two sons into officialdom.

  It turns out that Xie Changwu and Xie Changzhao are illegitimate sons, and their talents are not as good as those of Xie Jinghang. If it weren't for the fact that Xie Jinghang himself was indifferent to worldly affairs and refused to take office, everyone would know that it wouldn't be their turn. But how could Xie Jinghang repair his relationship with his father after years of conflict with Princess Yuqing and Xie Ding?

  Xie Changwu was more modest than Xie Changchao, but his eyes still couldn't hide his self-satisfaction. He said: "When will big brother also follow me to go together? Big brother is both civil and martial, he must have won the favor of the nobles, and it's easier to enter officialdom."

  Xie Changchao and Xie Changwu understood Xie Jinghang's temperament, knowing that he was born arrogant. The more they said so, the less likely it was for him to enter officialdom. In terms of gaining Xie Ding's favor, they were destined to be inferior to Xie Jinghang. Even in terms of literary and military strategy, as well as appearance, they were far inferior to Xie Jinghang. Now that they finally had something that could surpass Xie Jinghang, they naturally wanted to flaunt it proudly.

  Xie Jinghang heard this and looked at them with a hint of a smile, suddenly asking: "Very pleased?"

  Xie Changchao and Xie Changwu were stunned, but Xie Jingxing had already taken a step back. The disdain in the corner of his eye, however, was unmistakably caught by the two men.

  Watching Xie Jing's distant figure, Xie Changchao said resentfully: "What kind of thing is this, thinking he's someone!"

  Xie Changwu's expression turned venomous: "One day, I will trample him underfoot!"

  Xie Jinghang returned to the house, and there were already two people waiting inside. One was a middle-aged man with a full beard, and the other was a young man with a dignified appearance.

  That bearded middle-aged man asked: "Master, are you really going to..."

  Xie Jinghang sat down at the table and waved his hand.

  "Xie Changchao and Xie Changwu..." The younger one said: "Do you want to...". The words trailed off, revealing a hint of murderous intent.

  "No need. Now let's get to work, no more nonsense." Xie Jingxing cut him off: "Without me, Xie Changwu and Xie Changchao wouldn't dare do anything to Xie Ding. As for Fang Shi..." He sneered: "Leave her be."

  The two of them nodded in agreement. Xie Jingxuan pulled out a folded letter from his sleeve, which was the draft of the petition to the commander that he had presented today.

  He still has to take this step after all.

  The first ray of sunlight passed through the carved window and shone on the table, Shen Miao sat in front of the table, motionless.

  Jing Zhen carried a silver basin in and as soon as she entered, she was startled and said: "Miss, why did you get up so early today?"

  Shen Miao didn't say a word, and Jing Xiu hastily walked over. The oil lamp on the table had already burned out. On Shen Miao's pale face, there was a faint dark circles under her eyes. Jing Xiu was taken aback for a moment before exclaiming: "Miss, you didn't sleep all night, did you?"

  Shen Miao shook her head and pressed her temples wearily.

  She sat here for a whole night.

  Xie Jinghang's hint left her puzzled and perplexed, not knowing what Shen Yuan had handed over to Fu Xiuyi, only knowing that it was definitely unfavorable news for the Shen family. And a single word "retreat" was also a move she didn't want the Shen family to make. How should she break through this predicament?

  "Miss, no matter how worried you are, don't torture your body like this. The old master and mistress will be heartbroken if they see you like this. Why don't you eat something first and rest for a while? Your complexion doesn't look good at all. If you collapse first, what can we do?"

  Shen Miao felt a bit peckish and had been thinking about it all night, her head was spinning, so she said: "Bring me some congee, I'll eat and take a nap, don't mention this to anyone else."

  Jīng zhān let out a cry of "Ah!", turned around and quickly ran out, presumably to the kitchen to bring Shen Miao her breakfast. Shen Miao got up, wanting to wash her face with hot water, but had only washed half when she suddenly heard footsteps outside the door, and Jīng zhān rushed back in again.

  "How did you get here so quickly?" Shen Miao was somewhat surprised. From the small kitchen to here, there is still a distance, even if she had run over in surprise, it would have taken her a moment.

  "Miss, something's wrong." Jing Zhen said in a somewhat panicked tone: "Someone from the palace has arrived and is summoning Master and Mistress as well as Young Master to enter the palace immediately!"

  The handkerchief in Shen Miao's hand fell into the water basin with a "plop". She calmed herself and said, "I'll go take a look."

  In the temple, a eunuch from the palace brought an imperial edict and was speaking with Shen Xin. These people usually showed deference to the powerful general, but today they seemed somewhat ambiguous in their attitude. Sometimes one can tell the master's attitude from that of the messenger, and it was clear that this trip to the palace was not for anything good.

  When Shen Miao came out, not only were Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan in the courtyard, but also Shen Qiu. People from other rooms also came out. Even Old Madam Shen brought Shen Yuanbai out. However, looking at this scene, instead of being concerned, Old Madam Shen was cold-eyed, seemingly afraid of getting burned by the fire, with an evasive expression.

  It was Shen Wan who asked the eunuch, "May I ask what His Majesty has summoned Big Brother to the palace for?"

  That eunuch, however, was gazing upwards: "We are merely following Your Majesty's edict; as for what Your Majesty means, we do not know. Sir, please hurry and follow me into the palace." He urged Shen Xin to hasten his steps.

  Shen Qiu saw Shen Miao walking over, feeling a bit nervous, and hastily pulled her hand, saying: "Sister, how did you come here?" Seeing Shen Miao looking in this direction, he quickly comforted her again: "Sister, don't worry, the Emperor just summoned us to discuss some military matters, we'll be back soon. When we get back, big brother will take you to eat sugar gourd."

  He was afraid of scaring Shen Miao, but he didn't know that in Shen Miao's eyes, this appearance made him even more suspicious. He summoned Shen Xin, Luo Xueyan and Shen Qiu to the palace together, although she wasn't brought along, but thinking carefully, the people who were brought were all leading figures of the Shen family army, so this matter must be related to the Shen family army. Now that the military power was already a hot potato for the Shen family, once it involved military power, everything had to be handled with care.

  At this time, Shen Miao appeared to be afraid and not only couldn't help, but would also add more burden to Luo Xueyan and the others. Therefore, Shen Miao smiled and said: "Is that so? Brother wants to keep his promise."

  Seeing Shen Miao like this, Shen Qiu finally let out a sigh of relief. Shen Qiu knew that Shen Miao was clever, but he didn't think that Shen Miao would get entangled with the affairs of the imperial court. Moreover, the matters of the imperial court were never just about one person's worth, and it often resulted in deaths and injuries, implicating countless people, so how could it be easily explained?

  Luo Xueyan and Shen Xin also comforted Shen Miao: "Jiaojiao will stay in the house, don't go anywhere, wait for father and mother to come back, we'll make new clothes for Jiaojiao together."

  Shen Miao nodded in response. She stared wide-eyed as the eunuch led Shen Xin and his entourage out of the mansion.

  Chen Ruoqiu pulled Shen Wan's hand and anxiously asked, "Why did the Emperor suddenly summon Big Brother and Sister-in-law to the palace? Has something happened?"

  Shen Wan shook his head, and Shen Gui said, "Big brother has always been too prominent, and in the court, he doesn't know how to get along with people. If something really happens, there won't even be anyone to speak up for him." This remark had some meaning to it, implying that if Shen Xin were to really get into trouble, Shen Gui and Shen Wan would not lift a finger to help him.

  Shen Miao sneered inwardly. All she heard was Shen Yue saying timidly, "If something big happens to Eldest Uncle, it must be a huge matter, right? If they take them all away, will we get implicated too?"

  "How could it implicate Yue'er?" Shen Gui smiled and said: "If it implicates Yue'er, the one who should be held responsible first is Xiao Wu."

  Shen Gui's words were venomous. After losing his sons one after another, Shen Gui's career was greatly hindered. He had always been jealous of Shen Xin's higher official rank and greater prestige. Now that he saw Shen Xin in trouble, he was overjoyed and even hoped that Shen Xin would be completely ruined, so that there would no longer be any obstacles in his way.

  Shen Yue's eyes flashed with a hint of schadenfreude as she looked at Shen Miao with sympathy: "Isn't Fifth Sister quite pitiful?"

  Shen Miao didn't get angry, instead she smiled faintly and said: "Even the lowest-ranking people in the palace don't know Your Majesty's intentions, but it seems that both of you uncles have already grasped Your Majesty's mind." She looked at Shen Gui: "Since Second Uncle is so good at guessing, I suppose when this matter reaches Your Majesty's ears, Your Majesty will appreciate Second Uncle's ability to understand people's hearts. It's rare to have such a minister who can read minds, almost comparable to the great Wei of the previous dynasty."

  As soon as this was said, Shen Wan and Shen Gui both changed color slightly. What the emperor hated most was his subjects making wild guesses about his intentions. Wasn't Shen Miao's words just a veiled way of saying that Shen Gui and Shen Wan had grasped Emperor Wen Hui's thoughts clearly? What were they planning? She even used the former dynasty's Wei Gonggong as an analogy, the former dynasty's Wei Gonggong was the emperor's confidant, often the emperor would give a slight glance, and he would know what the emperor wanted to do. At a time when the emperor's position was unstable, he had joined forces with Wei Gonggong to control many opposing ministers, but in the end, when the emperor had a firm grasp on power, he gave Wei Gonggong an order to kill himself.

  No monarch likes a minister whose thoughts can be read like an open book. If they are too clear, there will be no awe; without awe, perhaps one day the knife will be placed on one's own neck.

  This is the imperial family, where suspicion runs deepest. One sentence can decide life and death.

  Shen Miao's words made Shen Gui and Shen Wan change color, but they didn't dare to speak out against her, fearing that if the words got out and were heard by Emperor Wen Hui, they would bring great trouble upon themselves. The two of them were secretly shocked, not knowing where Shen Miao had learned such skills, as she was able to put such a large hat on someone with just one sentence.

  In the past, it was a trick often used by Mrs. Mu. At this moment, Shen Miao was also forced by Shen Gui's unbridled mouth, and she didn't really want to argue with them here. The top priority was still to think about how to solve this matter properly.

  The old lady Shen had seen enough of the play and did not want her son to be at a disadvantage, so she coldly snorted: "He's only good at causing trouble for the Shen family!" She was still thinking about Shen Xin wanting to divide the family property, but now that this had happened, the division would have to be postponed. The old lady Shen even thought that if something were to happen to Shen Xin, it wouldn't affect them, and only the eldest branch of the family would suffer a loss; in that case, all their wealth would fall into her hands! As she thought about this, a greedy glint appeared in her eyes.

  Shen Miao was extremely disgusted in her heart, this house full of people had fully acted out what is called "adding fuel to the fire", among the base and despicable people in the world, the Shen family must be at the top.

  Wan Yiniang pulled Shen Dongling's hand and hid behind, in such a situation she didn't dare to say anything. Ren Yuanyun had woken up, but didn't come out of Caiyun Garden, so she hadn't appeared today. Shen Dongling whispered: "But will something happen to Eldest Uncle? He hasn't been in Dingjing City for many years, could it be because he won a battle before and there will be other rewards?" Shen Dongling's words were probably meant to ease the atmosphere, but Shen Yue was somewhat displeased with her saying this, and Shen Lao Furen also showed disapproval on her face. Only Shen Miao seemed slightly stunned.

  Why have you been away from the capital for so many years?

  Yes, General Shen and his wife, as well as Shen Qiu, have been fighting in the harsh northwest all year round. They just returned to Dingjing, so it's impossible for them to be accused of a crime using their stay in Dingjing City as an excuse. And yesterday, both Empress Xu and Empress Dong asked about the date of the Small Spring Festival. For no reason at all, they asked about the date of the Small Spring Festival. Shen Miao didn't believe it - those delicate women in the palace, really interested in the distant northwest?

  There must be some connection between them. If it's not in Beijing, what crime would it be?