As soon as the words fell, the teahouse fell into an eerie silence. A moment later, Gao Yang smiled and looked at Xie Jingxing: "I roughly know who it is. This little girl from the Shen family is quite formidable." Although his smile was warm, his tone revealed a few hints of sharpness.

  "It's actually quite strange," Ji Yu Shu shivered and scratched his head, "Just now when she came over, I took a close look at her, it didn't seem like it was her first time doing business with Bai Xiao Sheng. I asked Hong Ling, and she said she had never seen her before. Our line of work is already secretive, and among the officials in the capital city, except for those few families, no one else should know about it... so how did she find out?"

  "This girl is not simple," Gao Yang thought: "I originally thought that the Shen family in Beijing was just a brainless fat meat, and would be swallowed up sooner or later. Now it seems that it's deeper than I imagined." He glanced at Xie Jinghang and found that the latter was thinking with his head down, so he asked: "What do you think?"

  Xie Jinghang raised his head and looked at Ji Yushu: "Her condition, did you agree?"

  "This is a big deal, I have to discuss it with you all." Ji Yu Shu took a bite of his pastry: "However, I reckon that the Shen family is powerful and wealthy, and their military strength isn't weak either. If what that Shen girl said was true, then in the future when Xie San Ge plans something, it should be much simpler. After all, she doesn't know that our Shangxiang Pawnshop is actually San Ge's property on the down low."

  The snipe and the clam have a quarrel, and the fisherman gets the benefit. The little girl surnamed Shen probably didn't know about the promise she made, but in the end, it was Xie Jinghang who benefited from it. However, don't blame her, because even Hongling, who has been managing the Mengxian pawnshop for many years, doesn't understand the sinister relationship between them.

  "However... " Gao Yang said with a frown, "This gamble is too big. If the news she's going to create attracts the attention of the imperial family, we must be careful in our actions at present. If something goes wrong, it will not be worth it. As for having one more Shen family or one less Shen family, the original plan did not include the power of the Shen family, so there is no need to worry about that."

  "What you said makes sense too." Ji Yushu nodded and looked at Xie Jinghang: "But in the end, it's still up to Third Brother to make the decision."

  "Her terms, you agreed."

  Xie Jinghang had barely finished speaking when Gao Yang furrowed his brow and said, "Why such a hasty decision?"

  "Since the Shen family has become a variable, it's not necessarily that they won't have any use in the future. They can still be used to deal with certain people. As for the news she wants to spread, it's aimed at the Yuqin Wangfu." Xie Jinghang raised an eyebrow: "Just right, we don't even need to take action to clean up, and it saves us trouble."

  He said that, and several people suddenly remembered. Ji Yu Shu clapped his hands: "Right! I almost forgot, she was going to make a move against the Yu Qin Wang Fu, this is heading towards the Yu Qin Wang Fu, does the Yu Qin Wang Fu have a grudge against the Shen family?"

  Ji Yu Shu Fang returned to Jing City, and usually didn't pay attention to the romantic affairs between official family misses. These were still unclear, and there was something inexplicable about them.

  Gao Yang was well aware of the grudges between Shen Miao and Yu Pin Wang, and he couldn't help but feel a little wary. If it were an ordinary girl who encountered such things, she would be afraid of the power of Yu Pin Wang's mansion. But Shen Miao not only wasn't afraid, she was also waiting for an opportunity to counterattack. She was indeed clever, knowing that behind Yu Pin Wang's mansion was the imperial family's backing, so she first tried to drive a wedge between them and the imperial family. If the imperial family had any suspicions about Yu Pin Wang, then naturally, the protective charm of Yu Pin Wang's mansion would be useless.

  But what else can she do?

  "Got this deal." Xie Jinghang said: "Notify Chen family in Jiangnan as soon as possible."

  "Don't worry, I've already asked Hongliang to send a message to the side of Yu State. The Chen family's case has been delayed for three years, but I don't know whether the news about that Shen family girl is true or false. After all, when the Chen family tried every means and still had no news, how could it be known by a little girl now? If her news is fake, I estimate the Chen family won't let her off easy either." Ji Yushu said with his mouth full of pastries, speaking unclearly.

  "She's come to sell information, so it must be true." Xie Jinghang furrowed his brow: "But there are still some inconsistencies in this matter."

  "Are you an idiot?" Gao Yang looked at Ji Yu Shu's wolfish appearance and couldn't help but shake his head, saying: "Could it be that as the boss of a second-hand shop, you've never had a full meal?"

  "Hmm," Ji Yu Shu stretched out a finger and shook it: "The pastries from other places can't compare to the ones made by Third Brother's chef. Last time I brought some of Third Brother's chef-made pastries to Yu Ru, Yu Ru actually smiled at me, you see," he picked up a piece of pastry and waved it in front of Gao Yang: "There must be some differences."

  Gao Yang was too lazy to mention him, but suddenly saw Ji Yu's book and his face suddenly solidified. He thought of something and took out a silver ticket from his pocket: "As it turns out, that Shen family girl finally gave me 1,000 taels of silver to buy some information."

  "What news?" Xie Jinghang and Gao Yang looked at him simultaneously.

  "He said he was looking for a girl named Liu Yue, saying that... roughly speaking, she was a courtesan from the brothel in this very capital city, and I had to find her." He curiously asked: "What does he want with a courtesan? Is he also like me, fond of beautiful women?"

  Gao Yang and Xie Jingxing exchanged a glance, the former looked puzzled, while the latter just slightly shook his head.

  When Hong Liang sent her out, Mo Qing and several others let out a sigh of relief when they saw that she was safe and sound. Shen Miao had been inside for too long, if she had stayed for another moment, the few people would have rushed in to rescue her. Before leaving, Shen Qiu repeatedly warned them, now that Shen Miao has gotten into trouble, they must be careful on the road, if they really lose Shen Miao, Shen Qiu will not let them off easy when he returns.

  Hong Liang politely said to Shen Miao with a smile: "Miss Shen can come again in ten days."

  "Thank you, Hong." Shen Miao also replied softly.

  It was the young man in casual clothes at the door, who seemed to see Honglian being so respectful to someone for the first time, and couldn't help but take a few more glances at Shen Miao.

  After Shen Miao and her entourage got on the horse carriage and left, Xiao Guan couldn't help but ask Hong Ling: "Manager, what's the background of that young lady?"

  "Go and do your thing well." Hong Liang gently patted his head, thought for a moment, and said: "Next time you see Miss Shen, be sweeter with your words, she's not a simple person."

  The young man responded busily, and Hong Liang watched as the carriage disappeared into the distance, letting out a sigh in his heart. The capital city indeed produced many talented individuals, now even a little girl could so calmly and quietly plot great things, compared to their own master, it seemed not much worse either.

  On the carriage, Shen Miao was deep in thought, and didn't know what she was thinking about. Jing Ruo and Gu Yu were afraid of disturbing her thoughts, so they didn't speak. Actually, they also didn't know what business Shen Miao came to do today. Although it was a pawnshop, they also didn't know what kind of things were being pawned. However, the two maids wouldn't say anything about the things Shen Miao didn't mention.

  But as they passed by a place, Gu Yu smiled and said: "The front is Guangfu Temple, it's been a long time since I went out, let me go buy some pastries from Guangfu Temple."

  The pastries at Guangfu Zhai are always in high demand. It's not yet peak hour, so it won't hurt to buy some. Although Shen Miao doesn't particularly like eating them, Luo Xueyan and Shen Qiu do. Shen Miao nodded: "You go ahead."

  Gu Yu jumped down from the horse carriage and went to Guangfu Temple first.

  Several people surrounded the horse-drawn carriage, and several tall and sturdy men with striking appearances made passersby take a second glance. Shen Miao lifted the curtain to get some fresh air, but her gaze was caught by someone.

  That person also came out of Guangfu Building, holding a bag of pastries in his hand. His eyes coincidentally met Shen Miao's in mid-air and he couldn't help but pause for a moment.

  It's Pei Lang.

  Shen Miao hadn't been to Guangwen Hall for a long time. She didn't want to gain fame as a talented woman, nor did she want to take the exam to obtain an official title. These days were busy with her own affairs, and she had almost forgotten about this matter. Looking at Pei Lang, she suddenly smiled and nodded at him in the carriage.

  Pei Lang was taken aback for a moment, as Shen Miao was actually his student. Ming Qi still attached great importance to the virtues of respecting one's teacher and the Tao, and Xie Jingxing's behavior didn't count, but all students should be polite to their teachers. However, Shen Miao's nod just now gave Pei Lang a false impression, as if he still had to look up to Shen Miao, and Shen Miao was still superior to him.

  Before he could react, Shen Miao had already dropped the curtain. Mo Xuan and several others on the carriage noticed his gaze and were watching him with some vigilance.

  Pei Langdun was taken aback, such an impolite move, someone as proud as him should have been angry. But for some reason, except for feeling a little frustrated in his heart, he couldn't muster up any other emotions. Perhaps it was Shen Miao's strong performance these days that made him feel that if Shen Miao had obediently tried to impress him like those students, he would have been unaccustomed to it.

  Shaking his head, Pei Lang had no choice but to leave.

  Feeling the gaze outside the carriage disappear, Shen Miao lowered her eyes and looked at her sleeve. Her feelings towards Pei Lang were complicated; she was angry with him for being indifferent to Fu Xiuyi's treatment of Wan Yu and Fu Ming, but she also knew that he was just doing what he thought a loyal subject should do. The grudges of their past lives had been resolved, and since there was still use for Pei Lang in this life, she shouldn't be entangled in this matter; it was just that her heart felt somewhat uncomfortable.

  While thinking about it, Gu Yu had already bought some snacks and returned.

  Upon returning to the Shen residence, it was still not late, and Shen Qiu also lived in the west wing. Shen Miao planned to send some snacks to Shen Qiu. Just as she walked into the main hall, she happened to meet Ren Yuanyun supporting Shen Qing walking out. Ren Yuanyun's gaze at Shen Miao seemed to be filled with knives, and Shen Qing's eyes were even more venomous. Even Gu Yu and Jing Zhen couldn't help but shiver, and they both protected Shen Miao behind them.

  "Wu Jie these days has not gone to pay respects to the old lady." Ren Yuanyun, however, brought up another topic: "Could it be that you plan on being an unfilial child?"

  Shen Miao glanced at her, Ren Yuanyun was like a mad dog now, biting whoever she could, while being wary of Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan, yet unwilling to let Shen Qing suffer in vain, so she could only make some small moves that were neither here nor there.

  But Shen Miao wasn't afraid of her reputation, she smiled slightly and looked at Shen Qing: "Second Aunt still has the energy to care about my affairs, isn't she afraid that Eldest Sister will be heartbroken? The Empress's arranged marriage is quite sudden, next month I'll be entering the Wang Fu, Second Aunt should also teach Eldest Sister some things, after all, it's not just any ordinary household, but a Prince's residence."

  Having said that, he turned around and left with Yu Ruo without looking back.

  Ren Yuanyun's whole body trembled with anger, and these days, the more she got angry, the more she felt her mind was in a mess. She didn't even have time to care about Shen Gui's increasing favoritism towards Wan Jieyu. Wan Jieyu's daughter, Shen Dongling, had also changed from her usual weak and dependent image, often making food for Shen Gui, and with Shen Qing as a foil, she seemed more and more clever. Along with Wan Jieyu, they had Shen Gui wrapped around their fingers, while Ren Yuanyun and Shen Qing were getting worse and worse by the day.

  And all of this is because of Shen Miao's actions. Otherwise, with Ren Yuanyun's methods, the Wan Niang who was once put down by her would not have been so arrogant today.

  "Girl," Shen Qing pulled her hand, these days she had been treated coldly, her former arrogant and frivolous personality had become much more subdued, the resentment in her eyes did not decrease, grinding her teeth: "Don't worry, bear with it for a while, once I enter the Prince's mansion, even if it means risking my life, I will make sure that Prince Yu takes action against Shen Miao, I definitely won't let her have an easy time."

  Since Shen Qing is already pregnant, the Empress's arranged marriage has been set for next month, lest it be delayed and become difficult to control. With such a short notice, and it being an imperial decree, Ren Yuanyun truly had no way out, and could only watch helplessly as Shen Qing jumped into the fire pit.

  "Don't be afraid, Qing'er," said Ren Yuanyun: "Your brother will be back soon, and Yuan will definitely think of a way to make that little villain lose face. Shen Yuan will also hurry back to attend Shen Qing's wedding, Ren Yuanyun's eyes flashed, now she is isolated and helpless, if not for Shen Yuanbai still flattering the old lady according to her words, I'm afraid the old woman wouldn't help him either."

  Shen Miao returned to the West Garden, only to find Shen Qiu waiting for her in the courtyard. Seeing that she was back, Shen Qiu finally let out a sigh of relief and looked her up and down before saying, "What took you so long? I thought something had happened."

  "The emperor's feet are under the bright daylight, whoever makes a move is stupid." Shen Miao handed him the pastry: "Bought it on my way back, for you."

  Shen Qiu was taken aback and somewhat moved as he accepted it. This time, Shen Miao's change in attitude towards him surprised him even more.

  "Where are Father and Mother?" Shen Miao asked.

  "Just returned to Beijing, colleagues entertained. Shen Qiu looked around and said: "Sister, you are not here today, these days father and two uncles had some conflicts, Lao Tai Tai also scolded father severely."

  "Did Dad and Second Uncle Third Uncle have a conflict?"

  Shen Qiu looked at Shen Miao's expression, thought for a moment, and then said: "Sister, you also know that because of the ancestral hall incident, Father and Mother are not very satisfied with Second Uncle and Third Uncle. Naturally, they don't pay much attention to them. Old Madam was probably anxious and scolded Father." When he said this, Shen Qiu's face couldn't help but reveal a look of discontent: "Old Madam's heart is also too biased, what did Father do wrong? Second Uncle and Third Uncle didn't take good care of you in the mansion, I'm angry about it, let alone Father."

  Shen Qiu did not call her "grandmother" but rather "old lady", apparently having some reservations about Old Lady Shen as well.

  After saying this, Shen Qiu couldn't help but take another look at Shen Miao's expression. Shen Miao had been raised by Old Lady Shen all these years, and every time she came back in the past, she would also show great respect to Old Lady Shen. Shen Qiu had spoken impulsively, and now he was a little uncertain whether Shen Miao would feel resentful or not.

  "There's a distinction between intimacy and estrangement; after all, it wasn't one's own blood that was shed." Shen Miao said indifferently: "Naturally, there will be some bias."

  "Ha," Shen Qiu seemed pleased to have found an ally for himself: "That's right, Father has been showing her respect all these years because of Grandfather, and it's really enough already... yet she dares to scold Father for being unfilial..."

  "It's not just because of Second Uncle and Third Uncle," Shen Miao said, "I'm afraid it also has something to do with Father not handing over the silver that the Emperor rewarded him with this time." Old Lady Shen loved money like her life, and this time Shen Xin was so angry in his heart that he kept the reward for himself. Moreover, Shen Miao didn't mention wanting to send the silver over, so after a long time, Old Lady Shen naturally couldn't sit still and came to pick a fight with a thick face.

  "It's really...". Shen Qiu seemed to want to say something, but felt it wasn't good to say in front of his sister, so he endured and said: "What does it matter? It's father's thing, he can give it to whoever he wants!"

  "That's right, so let her scold if she wants to. As long as we can save face and ignore her, she won't be able to make a big deal out of it. It's just that Father is too straightforward by nature, there are some things that need to be endured for the sake of appearances. When the time comes, there will naturally be opportunities to vent."

  Shen Qiu felt that Shen Miao's words were somewhat strange, yet somehow they had a hint of truth to them. He smiled and said: "It's been a year since we last met, and little sister's personality has become much more forceful."

  Shen Miao didn't respond, seeing Shen Qiu had already opened the package and picked up a piece of pastry the size of his head, tossing it into his mouth. He chewed for a few moments before saying, "The pastries from the capital city are indeed delicious. We're in the northwest desert, where can we find such delicate things?"

  Shen Miao watched him quietly as he ate, and after a moment, she softly opened her mouth to ask: "Big brother, what do you think of Zhong Yi?"

  "Loyalty?" Shen Qiu said without lifting his head, "Of course it's loyalty to the monarch and the country, shedding blood to kill external enemies, spreading prestige throughout the world, being a pillar of the state." He paused and asked Shen Miao, "Why are you asking this, little sister?"

  "It's nothing." Shen Miao shook her head and said softly, "You eat." However, a hint of desolation flashed deep within her eyes.

  The first snowfall, the capital city had a night of snow, when the sunlight came, the ice crystals that had frozen on the eaves overnight were shining brightly. It was really beautiful. On the streets, there were mischievous children, squatting down to grab a handful of snow, rolling it into a snowball, and throwing it at each other in play. As the year-end approached, the capital city became increasingly lively, as if all the hard work throughout the year had come to fruition.

  Outside the entrance of Xian's pawnshop, a row of red lanterns hung neatly and uniformly. However, these were no ordinary red lanterns - it seemed that some kind of golden thread had been mixed into the material used to make them, and even in the daylight, they shone with a dazzling light. The pendants hanging from the bottom of the lanterns were also made of bright, sparkling crystal beads, which sparkled and shone like ice crystals. This was clearly the style of someone who was wealthy and extravagant - there must be guards stationed outside to protect them, otherwise people would probably come in droves just to steal the lanterns.

  The young shop assistant in a simple robe smiled and welcomed the customer. People rarely came to do business at Rongxian Pawnshop, and the assistants were usually lazy, but today they were unusually spirited, as if they were certain that customers would come.

  Behind the long corridor of Xian's pawnshop, in another world, on the first floor of Lin'an Hou, in the tea room, a woman in red smiled charmingly, personally holding a tray of pastries and bringing them in, saying: "The chef made some pastries, you all try some first." Then she retreated with a gentle smile.

  In the teahouse, three people sat, one wearing a light green changshan, with a warm and friendly smile. The two opposite him, about twenty years old, looked surprisingly similar, obviously a pair of brothers. Both had thick eyebrows and big eyes, with swords at their waists, giving off a strong martial arts aura.

  At this moment, the older of the two brothers said: "Seasonal boss, isn't that person who bought the news deceiving us two brothers? Why hasn't he appeared yet?"

  "Brother Chen, no need to be anxious," Ji Yu said with a smile. "That day, I only agreed to meet her today, but didn't specify the time. Anyway, it's still daytime, and it won't be too late. Please bear with me for a bit." After saying that, he silently cursed the two people in front of him, who were trying to do business at such an early hour when the sky had just brightened up. If not for the face of the Chen family from Jiangnan, he would have directly sent them packing.

  "Frankly," said Chen Dashao, Chen Yueshan: "My brother and I received the news, originally we should have arrived in Dingjing in half a month, but we rushed to get here as soon as possible, several horses died on the way. It's all because we heard about the two sisters. Seasonal boss also knows that over the past three years, we've spent a lot of effort trying to find our sisters, but there was no news at all. Now that we finally have some leads, it's only natural that we're a bit anxious. I hope Seasonal boss won't laugh at us." Chen Dashao is quite eloquent, probably because he noticed that Seasonal Yushu was slightly displeased with their early arrival, so he half-explained and half-apologized.

  Ji Yu's heart felt a bit more at ease, and his smile became more sincere as he said: "In the past few years, I've also been keeping an eye on things for you all. Now that there's some progress, I'm also feeling quite relieved."

  "It doesn't matter if we wait for him here," said Chen Ershao, Chen Yuehai, who was younger and more vigorous in his speech: "As long as the news is true, waiting for half a month is no big deal. But if it's false... toying with our Jiangnan Chen family like this, don't blame us brothers for being impolite."

  Ji Yu's calm heart suddenly became displeased again. The Chen brothers' arrogance was none of his business, but doing so on his turf was really annoying. With an unchanged smile, his tone turned slightly cold: "My Xian Pawnshop only handles buying and selling information. If the deal is successful, it's a matter of exchanging silver; if not, we part ways. I don't care what Brother Chen wants to do, but my Xian Pawnshop is a clean and honest place that can't afford trouble."

  Chen Yue Shan paused, glaring fiercely at his own younger brother. He naturally knew that the seemingly kind and harmless young man in front of him was actually extremely cunning and would not be as simple as he appeared at this moment.

  Chen Yuehai saw his brother's expression and knew he had misspoken. For a moment, he didn't continue. The atmosphere fell silent.

  After a while, there were footsteps at the door. It was Hong Liang who came forward with a smile and lifted the beaded curtain to say to Qi Yu Shu: "Boss, the guest has arrived."

  The two brothers of the Chen family subconsciously looked towards the door, and a purple-clothed girl walked out from behind Hong Liang. The girl was delicate and lovely in appearance, looking to be around 13 or 14 years old, but for some reason, her eyebrows and eyes were as calm as still water, yet seemed much older than that, leaving people somewhat bewildered.

  She lifted the curtain and sat down on the empty chair, nodding at Ji Yu: "Manager Ji."

  "This... young lady," Chen Yue-shan asked with difficulty, "is she the one who sells information?"

  Hong Liang smiled and retreated, leaving only Chen brothers, Shen Miao and Ji Yu Shu in the tea room. Shen Miao said: "Not bad."

  Chen Yuehai's expression changed, and he sneered: "Miss, you were only so old three years ago. Are you intentionally teasing us two?"

  "There are many ways to get the news, maybe I didn't see it with my own eyes, and maybe I also didn't know about it three years ago. In business, results matter, and besides, a small family like Chen's isn't worth playing around with."

  With a "pfft" sound, Ji Yu Shu couldn't help but burst out laughing. Fang Yi smiled and saw Chen Yue Hai's ugly expression, so he quickly became serious again and said: "Miss Shen is right, when it comes to doing business, what matters most is the result, as for the process, it's not that important."

  "Is that so?" Chen Yuehai looked at Shen Miao, his tone neither hot nor cold: "I don't know about this Miss Shen, can you guarantee that the information is true? In business, results are what matter, so if the result is true, my brother and I will naturally reward you handsomely. But if it's not... do you know the consequences?" By the end, Chen Yuehai's tone suddenly turned ominous.

  Everyone in the Jianghu world has a bit of ferocity, and that instant burst of ferocity is enough to intimidate ordinary people, at least intimidating a little girl.

  But in the silence, Shen Miao stared at him without blinking, her expression not fluctuating in the slightest. Her calm demeanor made Chen Yuehai seem like an unreasonable troublemaker.

  Ji Yu Xiang wanted to laugh, but couldn't, so she just held it in. Chen Yue Shan, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke up: "Miss Shen, my younger brother is a bit rash, I apologize on his behalf. We two are sincere and genuine in our intention to buy this information. If your news is true, we will definitely reward you with ten thousand gold."

  "It's not necessary to spend a lot of money," Shen Miao said: "Just take a look and give some, it's just that the Chen family in Jiangnan has many roads and is wide, I just want to make a good relationship, who knows if there will be difficulties in the future, and need the help of the Chen family, I hope you two can take care of this news and give me some consideration."

  She faced two men who were much older and more experienced than her, speaking without falling behind, with reason and logic, and a bit of heroic spirit, making Chen Yue Shan look at her with admiration. However, he didn't know that Ji Yu Shu had already secretly scolded Shen Miao for being cunning, wanting to sell the news for silver, which would all go to the Xun Xian pawnshop, but Shen Miao voluntarily said to give less silver, wasn't she just finding another way to make the Xun Xian pawnshop earn less?

  "Tell me about that news then." Chen Yuehai was somewhat anxious after all.

  Shen Miao glanced at him and said, "The Chen sisters were originally kidnapped when they disappeared in Jiangnan's Yu State. The mastermind behind the kidnapping of the two sisters was none other than the current Emperor's own brother, Prince Yu."

  As soon as this was said, the three people in the teahouse fell silent. In another secret room tightly adjacent to the teahouse, the two people inside were also stunned. The young man in white even shouted out loud: "Prince Yu?"

  The young man in purple clothes rubbed the jade bowl in his hand, suddenly raised the corner of his mouth and smiled, and said slowly: "Interesting."