The days are getting colder and colder, the deep autumn season has passed, and it will soon be winter. This year's General's Mansion is also particularly deserted. Shen Miao is under house arrest in the Shen Mansion, Shen Qing is bedridden with illness, and every day only Shen Yue goes up and down the Guangwen Hall. Even on the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, only Chen Ruqiu took Shen Yue there, naturally making Shen Yue the center of attention again. However, these things have nothing to do with Shen Miao anymore.

  However, as time went on, Shen Qing's situation could no longer be delayed. Ren Yuanyun had Chen Daifu prepare some medicinal pills, which alleviated Shen Qing's morning sickness symptoms considerably; outsiders couldn't detect any issues, but if this continued, it would eventually become impossible to conceal the truth.

  "It can't go on like this," Ren Yuanyun frowned and pressed her forehead: "We have to think of a way to let Qing'er go out for a while." And bring Shen Qing back after the child is born, in order to avoid suspicion, it's also okay to say that Shen Qing has contracted an evil disease. When the storm passes, perhaps everything will be peaceful again.

  "But now that the girl has been sent away, she can't avoid suffering. Moreover, this back-and-forth journey will inevitably take some time, and the girl's youth will be delayed..."

  Ren Yuanyun furrowed her brow, no mistake, Shen Qing is now sixteen years old in virtual age, and another year will be seventeen. In the capital city, it's actually just right for a girl to get married at the age of 16 or 17. However, Shen Qing is an official's daughter, so she naturally has to choose a husband from a high-ranking family as well. If they wait another year, all the good noble sons might have been taken by others already.

  "The wall child needs to get through the year-end before rushing back, but now Qing'er's body can't be delayed." Ren Yuanyun's eyebrows flashed with a hint of anger.

  "Madam," Cai Ju, who had not spoken until now, suddenly spoke up: "I've heard that the wife of Wei Zhongshu, the Minister of Rites, has recently been in contact with the Third Madam through a matchmaker, and it seems she wants to come to our manor to propose a marriage between her son and Fifth Miss."

  "What a wonderful thing!" Ren Yuanyun gritted her teeth: "She's really lucky!" The position of Zhongshu Shilang was a fourth-grade official, and although it was beneath someone like Shen Xin, a first-grade military general, to come seeking marriage, Wei Jian, the eldest son of the Wei family, was a young man with exceptional talent and looks. Marrying a foolish woman from the capital city would at least make him a suitable match for Shen Miao in terms of talent. Moreover, Wei Jian had already entered officialdom at a young age, and it was likely that he would achieve great things in the future, making this marriage a stroke of good fortune for Shen Miao.

  "It's said that the Wei family deliberately wants to curry favor with the Shen family," Cai Ju said: "So they endured the pain of using their son to exchange for an opportunity to get along with the Shen family." The implication of Cai Ju's words was that Shen Miao was a very despicable person, and was not worthy of that young master Wei at all.

  "It's also considered good luck for her." Ren Yuanyun's face was somewhat gloomy. All these years, although Shen Xin's official power was great, there were almost no one who came to the Shen Mansion to propose marriage to Shen Miao. It wasn't because of anything else, but precisely because Shen Miao herself was too weak and foolish. With Shen Xin's achievements, Shen Miao's husband-to-be must be from a similar high-ranking family, but among these high-ranking families, it was really impossible to accept such a mistress who was almost the laughing stock of the entire capital.

  So whether it is Shen Xin's fame and fortune, or Shen Miao's, neither of them has anyone to rely on.

  Now the Wei family suddenly came to propose marriage, Cai Ju said it was because she wanted to attach herself, but thinking carefully, it was probably also because Shen Miao's performance on the examination field that day made everyone's ears and eyes shine, and her original foolish appearance had changed a bit, which made the Wei family also unable to help but take action.

  It was usual for Ren Yuanyun not to tolerate such a good marriage falling into Shen Miao's hands. Let alone now that Shen Qing is still in this state, she can't bear to see Shen Miao, the culprit, living a good life.

  "Don't worry, madam," Xianglan said: "Old Madam will definitely not agree with this marriage."

  In the General's Mansion, those who resent the Eldest Branch are led by Old Lady Shen. Unable to do anything about Shen Xin, Old Lady Shen can secretly manipulate Shen Miao's marriage in her hands. In the past, with Ren Yuanyun's help, Shen Miao's foolish reputation spread throughout Ming Qi. Now that Shen Miao has washed away this foolish title, there are people coming to propose marriage. With Old Lady Shen's cunning, she will surely think of ways to dispel their intentions.

  "With a life as worthless as hers, how could she possibly endure such good fortune? She's probably going to die in the house before she even gets married." Ruan Yun's words were also venomous. Looking at the tightly closed door of the inner room, Shen Qing had been resting in her room and didn't want to see anyone, a hint of resentment flashed through her mind: "And yet Father still hopes to marry Qing'er off to such a person!"

  Shen Gui still didn't know that Shen Qing was pregnant, and Ren Yuanyun wasn't planning to tell him. Shen Gui was such a heartless person, now that Shen Qing had lost her innocence, it was still tolerable, but if he found out that Shen Qing was pregnant, he would definitely force her to have an abortion without regard for her body.

  Although it was like this, Shen Gui was afraid of the east window incident and urged Ren Yuanyun to find a marriage for Shen Qing. As long as Shen Qing could be married off early, the other party would be a good family. After selecting and choosing, they finally chose the youngest son of the Ministry of Works, Huang Dexing.

  The Huang family, in fact, has a higher status than the Wei family, and their wealth and glory are countless. However, compared to the Wei family, the masters of the Huang family are not frugal, and Huang Dexing is even more fond of men, being a cut sleeve.

  Because of this, the Huang family didn't mind about choosing a daughter-in-law either. As long as the daughter-in-law had a gentle temperament and could turn a blind eye to Huang Dexing's debauchery, they didn't care about anything else.

  Shen Gui thought that since Shen Qing's body had already been tainted, it would be better for her to marry into the Huang family. Since Huang Dexing was not interested in women, he wouldn't touch Shen Qing, and naturally, this secret would also remain undiscovered. As long as Shen Qing could enjoy the glory and wealth of being a Huang family daughter-in-law, that would be enough. And he, by relying on his relationship with the Huang family through marriage, could also advance his official career to a higher level.

  Shen Gui thought it was a good idea, but Ren Yuanyun disagreed. Even if Shen Qing had been tainted, in Ren Yuanyun's heart, she still wanted to find another good marriage for Shen Qing. Marrying Huang Dexing would be like being a widow for life, and she definitely wouldn't use her own daughter as a bargaining chip for this marriage. Because of this matter, Shen Gui and Ren Yuanyun had been arguing for a long time, and the already chilly relationship between the couple became even more strained. Shen Gui rarely came to Caiyun Garden; instead, he spent his days lounging in his concubine's quarters.

  "It would be better if Fifth Miss and Eldest Miss swapped husbands." Cai Ju said indignantly.

  The speaker was unintentional, but the listener had a mind of his own. When Ruan Yun heard the words, her eyebrows jumped and she suddenly looked at Cai Ju: "What did you say?!"

  Cai Ju was startled and stuttered: "If the fifth young lady and the second young lady were to marry, it would be better if they swapped husbands."

  "You're absolutely right!" Ren Yuanyun suddenly stood up, a look of wild joy flashing across her face. She said: "Not bad, just swap the marriage between Qing'er and that little slut...". She muttered to herself: "It should have been my Qing'er all along, this time let that little slut reap what she sowed!" As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something: "Bring me my cloak, I'm going to Rong Jing Tang."

  "What is the lady doing at Rong Jing Hall?" Cai Ju and Xiang Lan were both confused by Ren Yuanyun's sudden action. But then they saw Ren Yuanyun smile slyly, saying: "Of course it's to let the old lady keep that good marriage for the Wei family."

  On a winter's day, the sunlight shone on the flowers and grass on the windowsill, as if it had also cast a layer of pale blue on them. However, that sunlight was thin and seemed like it would break at any moment. Shen Miao wore a brocade double-butterfly standing-water skirt, with a narrow-shouldered lotus-green purple-embroidered shirt on top. The deep purple made her already fair skin almost seem transparent, while her eyebrows and eyes seemed to be painted with ink, so clean they were. Even when she stood still in front of the window, an air of nobility faintly surrounded her.

  Bai Lu and Shuang Jiang were almost stunned, they were the maids who had been serving Shen Miao since childhood. Seeing Shen Miao's face for so many years, they didn't know why, but every time they saw Shen Miao now, they would feel a sense of unfamiliarity. That faint elegance appeared on this originally childish girl, and as a result, her gentle nature turned into majesty, and her tender appearance turned into sternness.

  "The young lady seems to like wearing lotus green clothes." Bai Lu said, "Although it looks good on her, but at this age, don't girls usually like bright colors like pink and blue?"

  Lotus green is valuable for its solemnity, but the young ladies in the boudoir, except for the princesses and noblewomen in the palace, rarely wear this color. Firstly, it's easy to look old-fashioned, secondly, it's hard to control this color, and if you're not careful, you'll become a child who sneaks out wearing an adult's clothes.

  Although Shen Miao had a delicate and tender face, she somehow managed to convey the aura of a palace mistress through her attire, which left the maids bewildered.

  Although the frost and dew lowered their voices, they were still heard by Shen Miao. She smiled slightly, why she liked to wear lotus green, probably because this color could remind her at all times to be calm, profound, and never soft-hearted.

  In her previous life in the palace, she wore imperial queen's court attire every day. The dazzling golden color could intimidate those concubines with ulterior motives in the palace. With the airs of an empress, people dared not to cross her, but that kind of color actually didn't suit her.

  She married Fu Xiuyi at a young age and experienced many things that others of her age could not experience. Because of this, her naive and almost foolish temperament was finally ground into a stagnant pool of water without any waves. Later, she competed with Mrs. Mian for favor in the harem to protect Fu Sheng and Wanyu, wanting to keep the bright yellow imperial queen's attire, but ultimately nothing remained.

  Evil purple steals red, meaning the following offense above, plotting to usurp power. This life often carries a purple robe, which means that one day, she will seize the power that the Ming Qi imperial family has been thinking about, and trample those bandits and thieves under her feet.

  However... Shen Miao suddenly remembered another handsome young man who always wore purple clothes.

  The evil purple usurps the vermilion, and the lower ones are in chaos above. But I don't know if Xie's family's mysterious and unpredictable eldest son also has a plan to seize power and usurp the throne?

  "Miss, it's not good!" Just as she was pondering, a flustered and hurried maid ran back from outside and said: "Miss, Mo Jing just received news from Chun Tao that the Imperial Secretary Wei's family has come to propose marriage, and Old Lady Shen has accepted their betrothal gift."

  Frost lowered her eyebrows and asked: "Who is it that the Wei family is so hastily proposing marriage with?"

  "Yes, yes, miss." Suddenly stamping her foot: "The situation with the Wei family is still unclear, how could the old madam not ask for your opinion and just accept the engagement letter? The master and mistress don't even know about it, this is clearly a forced sale."

  Jing Zhen looked down on Shen Lao Furen from the start, and naturally knew that Shen Lao Furen would inevitably make things difficult for Shen Miao. If the Wei family were really a good family, why would Shen Lao Furen so easily let Shen Miao have an easy time?

  "Miss, what can be done? Now we must hurry and write a letter to the old master." Bai Lu also showed a worried expression.

  The maids in the house were all busy and flustered, but Shen Miao was silent. A moment later, she smiled softly under the surprised gaze of the maids, saying: "This is indeed strange, although the Zhongshu Shilang's family is a fourth-grade official, they are better off than the Wei family, and the eldest son of the Wei family, Wei Qian, is also a talented person. Such a good thing has fallen to me, making me feel honored and surprised."

  "Miss?" Bai Lu was taken aback: "Did Miss say that the Wei family is not bad?"

  "It's not just that," Shen Miao said calmly: "I'm afraid Father has returned and learned about this engagement, and there's no reason for him to refuse. Wei Qian is indeed a good match for an official's daughter, a suitable husband to entrust one's life to."

  "How did you know?" Jing Zhen was puzzled. Shen Miao Cheng was always in the mansion, even if he went out, it was only to Guangwen Hall. As for the family situation of a certain official and the temperament of his son, there was no way he could have known, yet he spoke as if he were very familiar with it, leaving Jing Zhen bewildered.

  For Shen Miao in the boudoir, which young master is a good person, she naturally doesn't know. But as Empress Shen, which official's son has talent and virtue, it is clear that she knows. Wei Qian is indeed a good talent, and his temperament is also decent. That's why when the Wei family came to propose marriage, Old Lady Shen agreed to this marriage, Shen Miao would never believe it no matter what.

  Just then, a servant girl rushed in from outside, looking somewhat surprised and uncertain, saying: "Miss, Joy from Rong Jing Tang has come to pass on Old Madame's message, asking you to hurry over to Rong Jing Tang."

  "Action is indeed swift." Shen Miao's eyes sparkled as she smiled: "Then let's go take a look."

  Rong Jing Tang Zhong

  Shen Yuanbai leaned on the side of Old Lady Shen, and these days Ren Yuanyun was busy taking care of Shen Qing, so she simply left Shen Yuanbai in Rongjing Hall. Old Lady Shen had always doted on this grandson, and naturally spoiled him to no end. This also made her treat Ren Yuanyun with a much more pleasant expression.

  Chen Ruoqiu and Shen Yue were not present. Since Ren Yuanyun took care of Shen Qing in the mansion, Chen Ruoqiu temporarily took over the power of the housekeeper. Naturally, the task of representing the Shen family and the ladies to socialize also fell on her shoulders. Such a good opportunity, Chen Ruoqiu would not let go, every day she brought Shen Yue out to socialize, also thinking about letting Shen Yue show her face in front of the noble ladies, so that in the future Shen Yue's marriage would be more advantageous.

  Ren Yuanyun stood in the lower part of the hall, her eyes deep and lost in thought.

  Shen Miao was brought by Xi Er, Shen's old madam's maid, to Rong Jing Tang and greeted the old madam.

  These days, she was confined to her quarters, every day copying Buddhist scriptures and kowtowing in the Shen family ancestral hall. Old Mrs. Shen probably didn't want to see her either, nor did she allow her to come here to pay respects. The last time she saw Old Mrs. Shen was before her confinement.

  "Wu Yaotou, have you been copying scriptures in the ancestral hall recently? Has your heart become calm?" asked Old Lady Shen.

  As soon as she heard the old lady's gentle words, Shen Miao almost burst out laughing. If it was said that the Shen family did not respect the elderly, then Old Lady Shen would be the first to be blamed. At this time, she still said some peaceful and not-so-peaceful words. She smiled slightly: "As you wish, Grandmother."

  "That's good," said Old Lady Shen with a deliberate cough, and Fu'er hastily handed her a cup of hot tea. She lifted the lid and took a sip before looking at Shen Miao and saying: "About what happened the other day, although it wasn't your fault, it was because of you that it started. Moreover, your temper is too stubborn, so I punished you by making you copy scriptures in isolation. Do you resent me in your heart?"

  "Shen Miao didn't dare."

  "I know you're a sensible girl." Old Lady Shen looked at her with satisfaction: "You're so sensible, and you're also a daughter of the Shen family, I will naturally dote on you. Seeing that you've also reached the age to get married, today the Minister of Rites Wei's family came to propose a marriage for their eldest son, and they asked for you, don't you think it's not bad?"

  If it weren't for the timing, Shen Miao would have burst out laughing. Someone like Old Lady Shen probably only had such experiences in her lifetime in that kind of place. Which family's elder would so brazenly ask their granddaughter "Do you still think it's okay?" and who knows what Old Lady Shen was thinking.

  "'Parents' orders and matchmakers' words,'" Shen Miao said with a smile: "As for the daughter's marriage, of course, her parents will take care of it."

  "Ah, you little girl!" Old Lady Shen was about to get angry after being met with a soft response, but she heard a gentle cough from the side and was reminded by Ren Yuanyun. She calmed down and changed her expression to one of calmness and composure, saying: "You little girl, are really too willful. In the past, you had a crush... that's fine. But now, looking at how you've been these days, it seems like you've sobered up quite a bit, I suppose you know your place now. The Zhongshu Shilang family is considered to be of equal social status with us, and the young master of the Wei family, Wei Qian, is also a talented and handsome young man who excels in both literature and martial arts. This marriage proposal is something that even your father wouldn't say no to. You've grown up so big, and this is the first time someone from such a good family has come to propose, if you don't seize this opportunity well, then Young Master Wei will become someone else's husband."

  Although Mrs. Shen was not good at being an elder, her matchmaking skills were quite good. Probably because she came from a family of singers, she knew that young girls generally loved handsome men, so she made Wei Qian out to be the ideal man in everyone's heart. Although Shen Miao knew that Mrs. Shen had not lied, Wei Qian was indeed a good person.

  Despite that, Shen Miao remained unmoved and calmly said: "Young Master Wei is indeed not bad, but it's really not what I want. Let's just forget it, Grandma. My marriage will naturally be decided by Father and Mother."

  "Ah!" Thrice rebuffed, Old Lady Shen, who was never known for her patience, finally burst out in anger: "Are you implying that I, your grandmother, am interfering too much in your personal affairs?"

  "My granddaughter didn't say that." The implication being that it was you who said it yourself.

  Mrs. Shen was furious, almost to the point of madness. Now, her spoiled granddaughter, Shen Miao, had become so arrogant that she couldn't move without being pricked by thorns all over her body, making people feel suffocated and painful in their hearts. Mrs. Shen resented the eldest branch of the family but also feared Shen Xin, so for many years, although she was angry in her heart, she could only pretend to be calm and not get close to Shen Miao, putting on a serious yet fair grandmotherly demeanor. She couldn't beat Shen Miao because that would be discovered by Shen Xin, so at most, she would scold her a few times. That's why she had been watching with cold eyes as Ren Yuanyun and Chen Ruqiu ruined Shen Miao, killing her with flattery. Although many people said so, it was rare for someone to actually discover the truth.

  The result is unknown, one day, the spoiled Shen Miao suddenly became clever, not only clever, but also became salty and unrefined. She angrily said: "Do you still have any respect for hierarchy and etiquette?"

  Shen Miao found it boring. With Shen Lao's patience and composure, she would not last two days in the harem. In her past life, she had seen too many formidable women, and Shen Lao was so shallow and ignorant of the world that she didn't even want to bother with her.

  "Let me ask you again," said Old Lady Shen, still remembering the purpose of today's gathering, looking at Shen Miao with a solemn expression: "What do you intend to do about this marriage?"

  "I disagree." Shen Miao replied.

  "Good, good, good." After saying three "good"s in a row, Fu'er and Xi'er hurried forward to comfort Shen Lao Furen's heart, lest she faint from anger. Shen Lao Furen was furious but suddenly burst out laughing: "Since that's the case, it seems you're not truly remorseful. From today on, you'll move out of your courtyard and live in the Shen family ancestral hall, reciting scriptures every day. Let's see if your stubborn nature can be ground down!"

  Living in the ancestral hall, every day facing the ancestral tablets, a delicate little girl, it's likely that she would be scared out of her wits. Moreover, the ancestral hall is located in a cold and damp place, after staying for a few days, who knows what kind of illness she might contract. Old Lady Shen was also speaking out of anger, after finishing her words, a hint of satisfaction flashed across her eyes as she looked at Shen Miao, seemingly waiting for Shen Miao to beg for mercy.

  Ke Shen Miao's eyebrows didn't even wrinkle as she said, "Yes, I'll go back and pack my things right away and hurry over."

  A few words floated lightly, and they almost made Old Lady Shen choke back her breath.

  After Shen Miao finished speaking, she really bid farewell to Old Madame Shen and left directly.

  "This wicked girl! No respect for the law!" Old Lady Shen was furious, and because of her humble origins, she couldn't say anything elegant, so in her frustration, she cursed: "You little slut! You're a true descendant of that old slut!"

  She said "old cheap person", naturally is Shen Xin's mother, Shen Miao's grandmother.

  Ren Yuanyun raised her head and looked out the door with a gloomy gaze, but Shen Miao's figure was already gone.

  "Didn't you say she would definitely agree to this?" Old Lady Shen turned her spearhead at Ren Yuanyun: "What kind of agreement is that? What's next?"

  It's not just Mrs. Shen who doesn't understand, but also Ren Yuanyun is very curious. With Wei Qian's conditions, even Shen Qing might find it hard to remain unmoved, yet Shen Miao would reject him outright without any hesitation. She thought for a moment and said, "She must still be pining for Ding Wang, pretending not to care on the surface but actually still holding onto hope. Otherwise, she wouldn't have rejected such a good match outright." Not even her own daughter showed such shyness when hearing about her own marriage.

  "What's going on now?" Old Mrs. Shen said irritably: "She won't loosen her mouth, how can we write a letter to Shen Xin?"

  The original plan was to coax Shen Miao into revealing her feelings for someone in a letter to Shen Xin. Before Shen Xin returned to the capital, they would finalize the marriage arrangements and swap the brides, with Shen Miao taking Shen Qing's place. Then, all the mistakes would be blamed on Shen Miao alone. Once a woman is married, she loses her temper, and Shen Miao would be too afraid to speak out of turn. Shen Xin would never know that Shen Miao and Shen Qing had switched places and would think that Shen Miao loved the young master of the Huang family. Huang Dexing was a good man with a reputation for being a ladies' man, but only those close to the Huang family knew about it. To outsiders, Huang Dexing seemed like a decent husband.

  Now Shen Miao herself has shown her dissatisfaction with the marriage of the Wei family, let alone writing a letter to Shen Xin. Since Shen Miao does not agree, many plans will not work out and there will be more trouble for nothing.

  "Since she won't eat the soft one, let's use the hard one." Ren Yuanyun said viciously: "Mother didn't lock her in the ancestral hall, did she? Whatever we say about what happened outside is up to us. In short, we must quickly settle this marriage and get married as soon as possible, and replace Qing'er with her." Otherwise, even if they could deceive Shen Qing on their wedding night, they wouldn't be able to deceive her belly. Take advantage of the fact that Shen Qing doesn't suspect anything now and hurry up and finish things.

  Madam Shen glanced at Ren Yuanyun, but didn't say a word. Although she also wanted the eldest branch to fall on hard times, if it really came down to it and Shen Xin found out, involving her, she would be in trouble too.

  Ren Yuanyun knew at a glance what Old Lady Shen was thinking, and she gritted her teeth: "Mother, rest assured, I will take care of it afterwards. In any case, it won't be traced back to you."

  Since things have been said to this extent, Old Lady Shen also didn't hold back. She said: "Then go ahead and do what you said."

  On the hundred-flower building, silk and bamboo entwined, a high platform and a cool pavilion, a handsome young man in purple clothes sprawled at will, as if he was a faint light gauze on the ninth heaven. His eyelashes grew extremely long, and his peach blossom eyes were extremely beautiful, but when he looked at people, there was a hint of coldness and cruelty that seemed to be there or not.

  "A cough", a light cough broke the silence in the pavilion, the young master in fine clothes held his folded fan across his chest and made an apologetic gesture: "Sorry, I'm late."

  "You're late too, how refreshing." The purple-robed youth glanced at him.

  Su Ming Feng touched his own nose, this good friend hated most was not punctual, fortunately he had a deep friendship with himself, if it were someone else, Xie Jing Hang would have probably left early, and wouldn't have waited for even half an incense stick.

  "It's really unusual for Wei Qian today," Su Mingfen sighed with a bitter smile: "The young master of the Zhongshu Shilang family, you also know him. He's quite pitiful, he already has a crush on a girl, but his family proposed another miss to him, and the other side even received his horoscope, I'm afraid this engagement will soon be settled. Wei Qian was unhappy in his heart, so he pulled me to drink wine, however," Su Mingfen pointed at himself: "I now have a 'serious illness', can't drink wine, could only persuade him for half an hour."

  "Boring." Xie Jinghang said coldly. Obviously, Su Mingfen had spent so long doing something so boring, which made him late and very displeased.

  Su Mingfen felt helpless, Xie Jinghang looked like a carefree person with a smile on his face, but in reality he was very vengeful and picky. These days, he didn't know what was wrong, his expression was also so dull. As long as Xie Jinghang looked at people with such calmness, Su Mingfen felt goosebumps all over her body.

  "Actually, Wei Qian was also quite unlucky. The wife his family chose for him wasn't a good person, and she happened to be a silly woman. Previously, she had been chasing after Ding Wang's concubine, Ming Qi, and everyone knew about it. Wei Qian marrying her was naturally out of helplessness." He quickly found a conversation topic in the hopes of piquing Xie Jinghang's interest: "You should know who she is by now, right? Shen Xin's eldest daughter, Shen Miao. Being able to marry Wei Qian could be considered good luck."

  "You said," Xie Jingxing suddenly spoke up and slowly asked back: "Shen Miao?"