The night color gradually darkened, and the winter nights were exceptionally cold. If you walked outside, the north wind seemed to blow into the gaps between people's bones, making every move painful.

  In the gloomy prison, at the small window, the strong wind blew in, making the people inside even more huddled together. She wrapped the worn-out quilt with strips of torn fabric tightly around her body, only exposing a head. With great effort, she got up and tried to close the window that was blowing wind inward.

  However, no matter how hard she tried to tiptoe, she still couldn't reach it. After a moment, she gave up on the idea, afraid that using too much strength would only make herself even weaker.

  The prison guards who came to patrol saw this scene, but just laughed and watched without coming forward to help. People who have been in such a gloomy place for a long time will more or less be distorted, and it seems that watching the prisoners suffer has become a kind of fun, at least for now.

  Shen Qing glanced at the prison guard, quickly lowering her head to cover up the hint of hatred in her eyes. Having been here for several days, she had already endured all the hardships that were meant for her, and it was unclear whether Shen Yuan and Shen Gui had not bribed the guards or what. The prison guards treated her no differently from others, also watching her suffer and mocking her. If there was any intentional care for her, it was probably because she hadn't been ruined by the guards like other female prisoners who came in. However, this might not be due to the credit of Shen's family members, after all, she still had Prince Yu's flesh and blood in her belly, no matter how glorious or not, she had a bit of royal blood.

  Shen Qing gently stroked her small abdomen, now the only thing she could rely on. For some reason, the words Shen Miao had spoken to her that afternoon had instilled in her a deep-seated and extreme fear. This was something she had never experienced before, not even when she was first taken to prison, because she knew that someone would always come to rescue her, and her loved ones would not let her suffer in vain.

  But Shen Miao analyzed it word by word, shattering her hopes one by one, making Shen Qing see how unreliable what she was relying on was. It also made Shen Qing doubt whether she could escape unscathed this time.

  The jailer glanced at her and was about to leave when Shen Qing suddenly spoke up: "Big Brother."

  The other party stopped and walked in front of her, about to be unbearable due to the strange smell on Shen Qing's body, waved his hand in disgust and said, "What's going on?"

  "Has my family come to see me in the past few days, or have they sent any messages for me?" She suppressed her anger, a small prison guard dared to look at her with such disdainful eyes, if it were before, they would probably be eager to please her. These sycophants!

  The jailer laughed and said, "What are you thinking, Miss Shen? The case hasn't been cleared up yet, who dares to come see you. Besides, your family members, except for that younger sister of yours, haven't even asked about your news." The jailer's tone was somewhat mocking when he said this. After all, Shen Qing had gotten herself into such a situation, and even if she were to clear her name in the future, there would still be plenty of rumors and gossip, and the Shen family would also fall into such a predicament, making it difficult for them to live their lives. It seemed that the Shen family was also planning to abandon this daughter of theirs. Thinking about this, the jailer's attitude towards Shen Qing became even more unfriendly.

  Shen Qing's heart was unclear whether it was disappointment or relief, and after hesitating for a moment, she looked at the prison guard and said: "Big brother, if my own brother came to see me... you'd say I'm preoccupied with thoughts and don't want to meet anyone, and not let him come see me, okay?" As she spoke, she slipped off a bracelet from her wrist and handed it through the iron bars.

  When in prison, all the jewelry on her body was taken away. This bangle was worn by Ren Yuanyun on her wedding day and was very precious. Shen Qing had a private heart and didn't take it out until today, when she was forced to send the bangle out.

  The jailer saw the handcuffs, his eyes lit up, and he snatched them away. He examined them carefully by the light of the lamp, and seeing that they were of good quality, he smiled slightly and said: "Since you say so, I'll help you out a bit. But it's a good thing your brother came to see you; why are you pushing him away?"

  Shen Qing forced a smile and said: "Because of my reason, the mansion has caused trouble, I really can't bear it, I have no face to see them."

  The prison guard nodded, but his eyes were somewhat disdainful. If she was really that proud of a woman, how could she have committed adultery behind her family's back and become pregnant before marriage? Now saying something about being ashamed and having no face to see people is indeed a bit pretentious. However, since it's not his place to be harsh, the prison guard didn't refuse and agreed to the matter before leaving.

  After the prison guard walked away, Shen Qing finally squatted down, helplessly hugging her shoulders and burying her head in her knees. Nowadays she often makes this gesture, because she doesn't know whether what she's doing is right or wrong, nor does she know where the road ahead lies, so she can only avoid looking and thinking, as if when she opens her eyes again, she'll be able to return to being the carefree and elegant young mistress of the Shen household.

  She slept in a daze for who knows how long, until the sound of someone knocking on the iron railing reached her ears, and she vaguely lifted her head.

  In the flickering candlelight, a familiar face was reflected back at her. If it were in the past, seeing this face would have made her overjoyed, but after Shen Miao's words, looking at this face again, Shen Qing was so frightened that she fell to the ground, staring wildly at the person in front of her.

  "Is your sister doing well?"

  "Second Brother, how did you come?" Shen Qing asked, her body quietly taking a step back.

  Shen Yu saw her movements, slightly furrowed his brow, but didn't say anything, and took out a key from his sleeve to unlock the prison door. Shen Qing was taken aback at first, then showed joy on his face, and immediately stood up: "Second brother, are you here to rescue me?"

  Shen Yuan shook his head: "It's still impossible to rescue you for the time being." He took out a package of snacks from his pocket and handed it to Shen Qing: "Come and take a look at you, bring some food for you."

  Shen Qing felt a little disappointed, Shen Yuan had already walked in, seemingly feeling that the prison was indeed a bit dirty and polluted, showing a few hints of disgust on his face. Shen Qing saw it in her eyes and felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She subconsciously took over the oil paper package from Shen Yuan's hand and opened it, inside the oil paper package, the pastries were fragrant and still had hot air, they were chestnut cakes, which was what she used to love eating the most.

  "These days you've been suffering," Shen Yuan said with rare gentleness: "I know this is your favorite dish, I brought it to help alleviate your hunger."

  Shen Qing's nose turned sour, and she almost shed tears. These days in prison, she had been eating spoiled food that was not enough to fill her belly, living in constant fear and anxiety. Now, suddenly seeing the things she loved from the past, with Shen Yuan also by her side, all the grievances in her heart poured out.

  "Don't cry, finish eating and wait a few more days, I'll rescue you then." Shen Yuan said gently.

  Shen Qing somewhat flusteredly took out a piece of cake and was about to put it in his mouth, when he caught sight of Shen Yuan's gentle smile. His hand suddenly trembled, as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head. For some reason, Shen Miao's words from that afternoon echoed in his ears once again.

  "He could have had a great future ahead of him, but because of your constant troubles, do you really think he'd want to come and rescue you?"

  The pastry was right in front of him, but somehow Shen Qing just couldn't bring himself to take a bite.

  The relationship between people is precious because of trust. If it were in the past, Shen Qing would have chosen to trust Shen Yuan without hesitation. However, since the Yu Qin Wang incident, Shen Qing has also witnessed the ruthlessness of the Shen family members. Would this second brother really be willing to give up his promising career for her and take such a huge risk to rescue her? If it were Shen Qing herself, she might have hesitated too. Suddenly, Shen Qing remembered the jade bangle used to bribe the prison guard earlier, which was meant to stop Shen Yuan if he came to visit. But now that Shen Yuan has appeared, what's going on? Did the prison guard take her things but didn't do his job, or did Shen Yuan use another method to get in?

  At this moment, Shen Qing suddenly discovered that there was not a single prison guard patrolling the prison. The cell where she was being held had no other prisoners inside, which meant that at this moment, only she and Shen Yuan were present. Originally the closest of siblings, yet it made her feel a chill run down her spine instantly.

  "Why aren't you eating?" Shen Yuan asked him.

  Chen Qing forced a smile and said: "I... I'm reluctant to part with it, let's save it for later."

  "It's no good if it gets cold." Shen Yuan smiled and said: "I'll send some more over in a few days."

  "No...," Shen Qing declined: "I, I don't want to eat now."

  "Weren't you just very hungry?" Shen Yuan looked at her: "How come you suddenly don't want to eat again."

  Chen Qing waved her hand in a flustered manner: "I just don't want to eat it, I suddenly feel a bit uncomfortable, probably because of my pregnancy, and eating has been a bit strange lately." She wrapped the pastry up again with paper and put it aside, saying: "Later when I'm feeling better, I'll definitely finish it off."

  He silently watched her movements, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of light and darkness. Finally, he chuckled and said, "Sister has become smarter after staying in prison for a few days." His voice no longer had the gentleness from before, but instead had an inexplicable cruelty. Shen Yuan said, "It seems you already know, what a pity. Originally, I wanted to make it easier for sister to leave."

  Shen Qing's body suddenly started shaking, she looked at Shen Yuan: "Second brother, what do you mean by this?"

  "Sister, you're so defensive against me, I thought you already understood my intention. If you don't want to eat that pastry, then forget it, although it's a waste of brother's effort, but considering you're pregnant now, second brother won't hold it against you."

  Shen Yuan's words were calm, matching his slightly refined face, but they had a terrifying power. Shen Qing suddenly realized something and shook her head frantically, about to scream loudly, but unfortunately, she was choked before she could make a sound.

  Ordinary days looking at the gentle and elegant person, unexpectedly has such great strength, what's even more frightening is that his underling is his own younger sister, yet there is not a hint of hesitation or pity, as if she were just looking at a passerby.

  Shen Qing's eyes widened in shock, staring fixedly at the person in front of her. Shen Yuan, however, smiled softly and said, "Sister, don't blame Second Brother for being heartless. Now that you've caused such a big trouble, if we're not careful, it will implicate the entire Shen family. Must we let Father, Mother, and Yuan Bai die for the sake of one person? Sister, one can't be too selfish."

  Shen Qing struggled with all her might, but she was a woman after all, and a pregnant one at that. Moreover, these days of torture had left her on the verge of collapse, how could she possibly match the strength of a man in his prime? All she could do was struggle futilely, kicking out with her legs, sending the straw on the ground flying everywhere.

  "I know you're not willing to give up, little sister." Shen Yuan said in a soft voice: "You had nothing to do with this matter originally, but now you have to pay with your life. I am your second brother, and I will definitely avenge you. Second brother promises you, the main house of the Shen family, as well as Shen Miao, their final outcome will be thousands and tens of thousands of times more miserable than yours. So don't blame me, little sister, only when you're dead can the second house avoid being implicated, and I can have a successful career to help you take revenge, do you understand?"

  Shen Qing's body gradually softened, his eyes also began to lose their luster, like a fish on the verge of death, slowly drying up on the dry shore.

  Shen Yuan's hand loosened, and the body under his hand fell to the ground with a "thud". In just a short moment, Shen Qing went from being full of life to completely silent, and his life was handed over in prison.

  Shen Yan's eyes were dim as he looked at Shen Qing's corpse. After a moment, he used the tip of his needle to prick Shen Qing's fingertips, and then grasped Shen Qing's hand to write a line of blood characters on the stone wall of the prison cell. Next, he pulled out Shen Qing's waistband and tied a knot on the railing, putting Shen Qing's head through it.

  After everything was done, he stood up and picked up the oil paper package that Shen Qing had put on the ground, and finally took a look at the figure swaying slightly on the iron railing.

  "Sister, you won't die in vain, Second Brother will definitely avenge you." He said softly.

  In the capital city this winter, it seems to be a true autumn of many events. The case of the extermination of the Yuqin royal family has caused everyone to know about it. Although the common people are secretly clapping their hands in joy, they also understand the danger involved. And that only surviving new bride, Miss Shen, was thrown into prison due to her intricate relationship with this case, and many people are craning their necks wanting to hear the outcome.

  As a result, on this day, news suddenly spread outside that the eldest daughter of the Shen family had hanged herself with her own waistband in prison. Before she died, she left behind a bloody book, saying that she was indeed unrelated to this matter, and since her husband's family was all dead, she did not want to live on in the world, and could only use death to make her will clear.

  People are strange, always more tolerant of the dead. If previously Shen Qing was called a slut and a loose woman for getting pregnant before marriage and marrying Yu Qin Wang, now that she's dead, it has brought about many sighs of admiration. All praise her for having integrity and dignity, but being wronged by Yu Qin Wang all her life.

  The previous rumors seemed to have collapsed overnight. Thinking about it, if a pregnant woman could die for her faith, she must have been wronged greatly. Moreover, those rumors were baseless in the first place. Shen Qing and Yu Qin Wang had no grudges against each other, and even after Yu Qin Wang's death, Shen Qing would still be loyal to him, so there was no need for her to do anything drastic.

  It seems that with Shen Qing's death, the Shen family and Shen Qing's suspicions were cleared. Even Emperor Wen of the Tang Dynasty didn't say anything, but still couldn't find out who the murderer was, and the case would likely become a cold case.

  In the Shen Mansion, everything seemed just as it had been before.

  Shen Qing has already married into the Yuqin Wangfu, and her body will also be buried with Prince Yuqin as the Princess of Yuqin. Old Lady Shen is slightly comforted by this, whether dead or alive, the Shen family has finally produced a princess, at least the title is not bad.

  Shen Wan and Chen Ruoqiu were indeed very sad, Shen Yue cried uncontrollably. However, despite their sadness, they had not even visited Shen Qing in prison before, so it was unclear whether they were pretending or sincere.

  In comparison, Shen Gui, as a father, seemed much more indifferent. He went about his daily routine with no signs of grief on his face, and occasionally, when he glanced over, there was even a fleeting glimpse of relief in his eyes. Perhaps for Shen Gui, Shen Qing's death had eliminated many troubles, bringing him joy in his heart. As for Shen Keng, the burden of the entire Shen family now rested on his shoulders. He spent every day running around outside and was hardly ever seen at home, with no one knowing what his situation was like.

  If there's one person who felt the most regretful, it would be Ren Yuanyun. After learning about Shen Qing's death in prison, she fainted on the spot. When she woke up, she was a bit disoriented and grabbed Xianglan's hand, saying she wanted to go see Shen Qing off at the gate. It's clear that this incident had a huge impact on Ren Yuanyun, and in her confused state, she couldn't possibly take charge of the second household. Shen Gui let Wan Niangniang temporarily handle the affairs of the second household, and the people in Caiyun Garden were all secretly whispering among themselves, fearing that Shen's second household would be taken over by Wan Niangniang, and even Shen Dongqiang, who had been weak and bedridden for years, might make a comeback. Fortunately, Old Lady Shen was fond of Shen Yuanbai and didn't let Wan Niangniang take care of her own grandson, instead bringing him to Rongjing Hall to raise him herself.

  The messy affairs of the second and third houses had nothing to do with the first house. Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan, who had returned this time, already had some complaints about the people in the other two houses, so they wouldn't go out of their way to help. Every day, they would practice sword fighting in the mansion or go out to visit old friends, living a carefree life. Shen Qiu was also gradually introduced to officials by Shen Xin. As Shen Qiu's military achievements grew more impressive, one day, Shen Xin's position would be taken over by Shen Qiu.

  But Shen Miao went back to Guangwen Hall again after resting for a while.

  As the year-end approached, Mr. Guang Wenhall's lessons also relaxed a lot, and the teachers knew that at this time, students were all out of their minds to study, so they also took advantage of it. Shen Miao didn't go for many days, but her homework wasn't too far behind. On the contrary, those students saw her coming and discussed it in an uproar.

  The news of Shen Qing's affair had been circulating widely, but no one had ever heard any comments from the Shen family about it. After the incident at the Yu Qin Wang Fu, Shen Yue was ordered by Chen Ruoqiu to stay in the mansion and not attend school, so as to avoid making any mistakes. Therefore, when Shen Miao arrived, everyone suddenly had the urge to ask questions.

  Yi Peilan said: "Oh, Shen Miao, you actually came? Why aren't you wearing mourning clothes?" She deliberately spoke loudly: "Well, it's no wonder, after all, Shen Qing and your sister had a lot of friction back then. I'm afraid you didn't have an easy time either."

  Yi Peilan and Shen Qing had always been good friends, and she wanted to speak up for Shen Qing, so the words that came out of her mouth were naturally filled with malice. Everyone looked towards the entrance, and saw Shen Miao wearing a deep purple long dress, with only simple jade bangles as accessories, looking somewhat cold and plain. In fact, this attire was not excessive, but compared to Shen Yue's white long dress and the small white flowers on her head, which gave off an elegant and refined demeanor, it seemed slightly inferior.

  "The rules of mourning are clear, in the event of a death in the family, only elders who have passed away wear white clothes, others can wear subdued colors. Miss Yi doesn't know how to calculate seniority, my elder sister is indeed my sister but not my elder." Shen Miao replied without turning her head and walked over to sit down at her own position.

  Feng Anning looked at her, also seeming very excited, as if he had a lot of questions to ask her. Yi Peilan was suddenly enraged by Shen Miao's words and said: "Shen Miao, don't pretend to be a good person! It was you and Shen Qing who didn't get along in the first place. Now that Shen Qing is in trouble, you're secretly rejoicing in your heart, aren't you? Otherwise, why would Shen Qing go to jail and your father and mother, as Shen Qing's uncle and aunt, not lift a finger to help?"

  As soon as this was said, everyone's eyes turned to Shen Miao again, as if waiting for her to answer this thorny question. Indeed, when Shen Qing was imprisoned, Shen Xin did not lend a helping hand. Otherwise, with Shen Xin's military achievements, he could still speak up in front of the emperor and at least help Shen Qing gain some time, so that Shen Qing would not feel hopeless and helpless in prison, leading to his hanging himself.

  Shen Miao's eyes suddenly turned cold, and she glared at Yi Peilan. Yi Peilan felt a chill run down her spine as Shen Miao gazed at her, and before she could even speak, Shen Miao's voice laced with sarcasm rang out: "Miss Yi is so close to my elder sister that it's almost like they're sworn sisters. I suppose you must be here to stand up for my elder sister? However, back then when my second aunt wanted to rescue my elder sister and came to the Yi residence to plead with Mrs. Yi, hoping she could persuade Mr. Yi to lend a hand, I recall that Mrs. Yi claimed illness and refused to see her."

  Yi Peilan was taken aback, and her face immediately turned bright red. The surrounding students looked at her with a hint of deep meaning in their eyes. She stuttered: "T-that's because my mother is indeed ill!"

  "Since Mrs. Yi can pretend to be ill at this critical moment, why can't my parents do the same?" Shen Miao didn't care, her words didn't contain a single swear word, but they severely humiliated Yi Peilan. Shen Miao continued: "If Mrs. Yi can't do something, why does Miss Yi demand that my parents do it? My elder sister is in prison, and even our second uncle and second brother, who are her closest relatives, are powerless to help her. Do you think it's easy to rescue her? Miss Yi, people only have two lips, it's easy to say but hard to do. Don't impose on others what you yourself can't do. If you want to lecture and blame others again next time, please make sure you've done it yourself first!"

  As soon as Pei Lang entered the hall, he heard Shen Miao's words that were both sarcastic and humiliating. He looked around the hall and saw Shen Miao standing upright, her words clear and calm, yet they had humiliated Yi Peilan and the entire Yi household. Yi Peilan was left speechless, biting her lower lip and staring at Shen Miao with a death glare.

  What's wrong is what's wrong, don't impose on others what you yourself don't want. Yi Fu himself is a master of trimming his sails to the wind, yet he stands at the moral high ground and accuses others - it's really laughable.

  "Shen Miao!" The more she felt annoyed, the more Yi Pei Lan wanted to rush up and fight with Shen Miao, but just then, a light cough was heard, and Pei Cang walked in from outside.

  When they saw the master, everyone immediately fell silent. Yi Peilan's anger had not dissipated yet, and all she heard was Pei Ceng saying calmly: "One must not quarrel in the school." After finishing speaking, he gave a warning glance to Yi Peilan.

  Everyone knows that in Guangwen Hall, Pei Lang is only a scholar, but he has a gentle temperament and is respected by everyone. Even Yi Peilan, who is arrogant and domineering, does not dare to raise her voice against him. Shen Miao sat down in her seat, and Feng Anning nudged her arm, saying in a low voice: "Mr. Pei is helping you out of this situation, Yi Peilan has gone too far, even Mr. Pei can't stand it."

  Shen Miao raised her eyes, directly meeting Pei Lang's gaze, and in her warm expression, there was an added hint of inquiry, as if she wanted to see clearly what he was thinking.

  She met Pei Lang's gaze with a barely perceptible curve of her lips and smiled slowly.

  Pei Lang was taken aback for a moment, the girl originally had a clear and elegant appearance, with a cold and dignified demeanor. However, the smile from just now seemed to have a hint of allure that only mature women possess, containing a thread of subtle temptation that made one want to explore the secrets within.

  But at that moment, Shen Miao lowered her head, and the fleeting smile that had just appeared seemed like an illusion.

  All sorts of rumors and gossip about Jing City, big or small, naturally spread to the Meng Xian pawnshop.

  Ji Yu Shu buried his head, calculating with an abacus, and said to the two people in front of him: "This deal with the Chen family in Jiangnan is really a good bargain. With such a large sum of silver, this pawnshop won't need to open for three years."

  "You've eaten all that silver and didn't leave any for Miss Shen Wu?" Gao Yang said with a playful smile, "After all, she's the one who sells information."

  "She herself said that the silver belongs to me, and I took a huge risk to create a message for her. If not, would the Yuqin Wangfu matter have been handled so cleanly without any aftermath? He said: "Besides, if he hadn't told Chen Yue Shan not to want silver, after this deal was done, I wouldn't have opened it for 30 years. Thanks to her, I lost so much, if not because she's a woman, I would make her look good!"

  "If you really make her happy, I'll send you a coffin." Gao Yang gently shook his fan and smiled elegantly, but the words he spoke made people's teeth ache: "Prince Yu wanted to harm her, but in the end she destroyed his entire family. Her own sisters plotted against her, and she took one of their lives. A girl as ruthless and cunning as this, I bet you won't last three moves in her hands."

  "You'd better not come." Ji Yu Shu was dissatisfied: "Am I, a young master, so weak? Besides, no matter how formidable she is, she's still a woman. Women always have weaknesses." Ji Yu Shu glanced at Xie Jing Xing who was drinking tea indifferently on the side and said: "Let me put it this way, if one day Shen Wu Miss falls in love with our Third Master Xie, she'll definitely be infatuated and coquettish. Even if she's as tough as steel, she won't be able to withstand Third Master's gentle words. At that time, even if Third Master points a sword at her, I'm sure she won't frown."

  "Heh," Gao Yang looked at him coldly: "By that time, she will have already chopped Xie San into eight pieces and turned them into dog food."

  "Thank you, Third Brother, Gao Yang scolded you as a dog." Ji Yu Shu immediately reported.

  Xie Jinghang played with the hairpin in his hand, gave them a white eye, and there was a rare seriousness on his face.

  "They have arrived."