The east wing of the General's mansion was naturally bustling with activity, with guests coming and going, some offering congratulations and others presenting gifts, creating a lively atmosphere even before the banquet had begun.

  Mrs. Shen always put on a pretentious air in front of outsiders, and whenever a young lady came forward to wish her a happy birthday, she would casually give out some valuable gifts as a token of appreciation. Seeing this scene, the smiles on those ladies' faces became even more genuine, but it made Ren Yuanyun secretly grit her teeth.

  The money in the Gongzhong was managed by Ren Yuanyun, who had to deal with the affairs of the three houses on a daily basis. The more extravagantly the old lady spent, the less she could embezzle for herself. Moreover, Shen Gui had to grease palms in official circles every day, so it seemed that in the days to come, money would be tight again.

  This side is bustling, but the other side is not. The ancestral hall in the southwest corner of the Shen Mansion is now deserted, and there are even some guards standing outside the courtyard gate. An ancestral hall would not normally have such a formation. The reason for this is that these people are responsible for keeping an eye on Shen Miao, to prevent her from escaping from within.

  The ancestral hall was originally in a cold and gloomy place, where the sun had not been seen for years. On this winter day, as soon as I stepped inside, I felt the chill of the wind piercing to the bone. A faint scent of incense wafted through the air, and the incense burner in front of the ancestral tablet was still emitting a wisp of smoke, which seemed to give the cold, icy spirit tablets a hint of ethereal mystery.

  "Miss," Gu Yu rubbed his hands together: "Today is the old lady's birthday, but they deliberately locked you up here, it's really too bullying!"

  Not to mention inviting Shen Miao out, even a simple greeting was absent. They were treating Shen Miao as if she were an errant servant who had committed a fault.

  "What's the hurry." Shen Miao stood in front of the window, outside which were trees with withered leaves, and in winter, the bare branches looked especially desolate.

  "How can Miss not be anxious?" Gu Yu finally couldn't help but say after holding back for so many days: "They're keeping Miss locked up here, it's clearly to force her into marriage. By the time Master and Madam return, Miss will already have been married off to the Huang family. Even if Master and Madam would protect Miss, Miss's whole life would still be ruined!"

  The charcoal brazier had been placed on the ground, and in the cold temple, only it could give off some warm air. A small bed was set up in the inner room, Shen Miao shook her head: "Take the few quilts from this house to dry outside for an hour."

  "Girl!" Gu Yu stomped his foot, somewhat anxious about Shen Miao's nonchalant attitude. But after being swept by Shen Miao's gaze, he couldn't say another word and could only hold back his anger and frustration as he carried the bedding out of the house to dry it outside as Shen Miao had said.

  "Today is a rare good weather." Shen Miao looked out the window, the sunlight couldn't shine into the ancestral hall, it could only shine in the courtyard. And she couldn't leave the courtyard of the ancestral hall, nor was she willing to walk out of the ancestral hall.

  "The young lady said," Jingzhen finally stopped fiddling with the charcoal in the basin: "Will Master and Mistress really return today?"

  Shen Miao told Jing Xuan not to worry, as everything would be fine because Shen Xin and his wife would return to Dingjing City on the day of Old Lady Shen's birthday. Although this was an absurd claim, as there had been no messenger sent to inform Shen Xin that he would be returning to the capital today, which was still some days away from the New Year. Shen Miao had been confined in the ancestral hall every day, so where did she get such news from? However, facing Shen Miao, Jing Xuan's doubts could not be expressed. She discovered a new demeanor on her own daughter that she had never seen before. One of them was that what she said always made people believe without any conditions.

  Shen Miao said: "Wait a moment, you think of a way to entangle the guards outside and keep them away from this courtyard. They won't leave directly, but it's better if they're farther away."

  "Nü bi shěng dé." Jīng zhān said. Although she didn't know why Shen Miao wanted to do this, in the past few days, they had been staying together with Shen Miao in the ancestral hall. She found that Shen Miao was not flustered by the scene before her. A person who is not flustered in a bad situation is either stupid and unaware or has already thought of a way to deal with it. And Shen Miao, Jing Zhan didn't think she was stupid. So even though she was worried like Gu Yu, Jing Zhan unconditionally trusted that Shen Miao could handle the current situation.

  Shen Miao noticed her gaze and let out a faint sigh in her heart.

  Among her four maidservants, Guyu was the most intelligent, Bailu was the most steady, Shuangjiang was the most loyal, and Jingzhe was the boldest.

  At first, in order to help Fu Xiuyi win over the powerful minister, Jing Zhen used her beauty to become the minister's concubine. The minister was infatuated with her beauty, and Jing Zhen also had her own ways. Although she was eventually beaten to death by the minister's wife, before dying, she managed to reveal the minister's secrets, allowing Fu Xiuyi to successfully win him over.

  As a maid, she has such audacity. Jing Zhen is an unconventional girl. So this matter, Guyu Bailu and Shuangjiang are not suitable, only Jingzhen can be slightly better, but whether Jingzhen will continue to help after knowing what she wants to do, Shen Miao also doesn't know.

  After all, what she wanted to do was really too shocking and unconventional.

  "Actually," Jing Zhen endured for a moment before speaking softly: "If the young lady wants, it's not impossible for Mo Qing to think of a way to take her out."

  Mo Ke's skills were above those of the guards at the General's manor. Although it was said that two fists can't defeat four hands, grabbing an opportunity to bring someone and escape wasn't impossible either.

  "What then?" Shen Miao retorted, "Is it just a matter of escaping and everything will be peaceful? The four of you have sold your bodies to the old lady, if I leave, what can you do?"

  Jing Zhen suddenly knelt down on the ground and said, "I know that Miss is willing to stay here for our sake, but if Miss suffers because of us, I will truly be unable to escape blame. In the beginning, Master and Madam chose us four to serve by Miss's side, it was to have us take care of Miss, how can we let Master and Miss turn around and take care of us instead?"

  Shen Miao's eyes flashed with a hint of emotion, and Shen Xin was indeed good at choosing people. These four maidservants had never abandoned her even in her most difficult times. However, people are not goods, and things in this world are just that simple - kindness is repaid with kindness, grudges are avenged, and to win people's hearts, one cannot abandon even the maidservants by their side.

  "Don't worry," Shen Miao said: "You and I will not have any trouble. Today is the old lady's birthday, I heard that my second sister painted a Guanyin picture for her grandmother. Since they all forgot me here, I couldn't just ignore it." She smiled slightly: "I also have a big gift to give to the old lady, but I don't know if she has the good fortune to enjoy it."

  Several dozen miles outside the capital city, horses are drinking water by the frozen creek at this moment. The withered grassland looks somewhat yellow and weak, and soldiers are resting here for a while.

  Sitting at the far end of a group of soldiers was a middle-aged man, his skin had a dark bronze color, probably due to being exposed to the sun and rain on the battlefield, yet he looked powerful. His body was like a small mountain, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a beard that reached his chest, giving off an air of grandeur at first glance.

  The woman sitting beside him was stroking the horse's head, which was bent down to gnaw at the grass roots. The woman was also middle-aged, wearing a short green jacket with gold embroidery and a pair of embroidered trousers, her hair tied up in a simple bun, a pair of bright eyes that were very spirited, born with a delicate face, but what attracted people was her elegant and refreshing temperament, on her wrist was a pair of silver bangles, which made a tinkling sound when she stroked the horse.

  "Madam, it's about an hour before we arrive at the capital." The middle-aged man smiled and said: "Having been in the northwest for so long, returning to the capital is a sweet feeling."

  "What's wrong with the northwest?" The woman glared at him with her beautiful eyes, asking somewhat saucily: "I grew up in this cold and bitter land of the northwest. If you like sweetness, why did you come to marry me?"

  The man hastily apologized with a bitter face: "Madam is right, this sweet and silky capital city is not suitable for us rough old men. The northwest is better, in winter we can go deep into the mountains to hunt, silver foxes running everywhere, and after hunting, we can make a cloak for madam."

  The woman heard this and raised the corner of her mouth, laughing and scolding: "When meeting an official, speak official language!"

  These two are none other than General Shen Xin and his wife, Luo Xueyan. They rushed back today to attend the birthday celebration of Old Lady Shen. Before this, they had not informed anyone in the capital about their return, because they had obtained the enemy's letter of surrender ahead of time, and their early triumphant return was likely also intended to give the people of the capital a surprise.

  "We've never once celebrated Mother's birthday." Luo Xueyan said: "In the past, we would always return from the New Year's festivities and give the Emperor's rewards to Mother as a birthday gift. Today, I rushed back home and didn't even know if that fox-fur cloak could meet Old Lady's expectations."

  "How can it not be in the eyes of the old lady?" Shen Xin immediately retorted, "That's a good thing, even on the battlefield, it's a treasure. With it, you're invincible, and I guarded that fire mouse on the mountain for seven days and seven nights just to hunt it down. If you hadn't insisted on giving it to your mother, I would have... given it to you." As Shen Xin spoke, his voice gradually lowered, clearly, this was a bit of a rebellious statement, but people's hearts aren't balanced scales, they all have biased parts. Although Shen Lao Fu treated Shen Xin well, she wasn't his biological mother after all, and blood ties can't be faked. Naturally, Shen Xin still cared more about his own wife. Moreover, Luo Xueyan had been following him on the battlefield every day, so this fire mouse fur cloak was much more useful to her than to Shen Lao Fu. If Luo Xueyan hadn't insisted on giving it to Shen Lao Fu, Shen Xin would have made a cloak for Luo Xueyan first.

  "You understand what," Luo Xueyan glared at him: "You've missed your old mother's birthday year after year, and even if you gave all the rewards from His Majesty to your mother when you returned home for the New Year, who would really know? Last time we returned to Beijing, I heard that there were still people in the capital saying that you deliberately didn't treat your stepmother well. What I'm doing is all for you, isn't it? If you're not worried about this reputation, Jiao Jiao can't be saddled with an unfilial father."

  As soon as this was said, Shen Xin also fell silent for a while. Indeed, although Dingjing City was not as harsh as the northwest and did not have the enemy's swords and guns, it was not truly peaceful either. The couple was not in Dingjing, and rumors were flying everywhere, which was really infuriating.

  Luoxueyan said, "You know I don't understand the twists and turns of the mansion's rules. Our Lu family doesn't have so many rules. I can only use the simplest method. This fire mouse fur cloak is precious. If it gets Old Lady's favor, Old Lady will be happy, everyone will see it, and the rumors will naturally dissipate."

  After a while, Shen Xin said: "It's still Mrs. thought of it."

  "I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for Jiao Jiao." Luo Xueyan hummed and her expression suddenly turned somewhat melancholic: "You and I, as a couple, have been away from the capital for many years. Although the northwest is too dangerous, Jiao Jiao is still young and can't be taken there. But all these years, we haven't personally taught or accompanied her, it's our fault."

  Shen Xin heard this and also let out a sigh, lowering his head as a hint of pain flashed across his eyes.

  There are no parents who do not love their children, and there is no parent who does not care about their child's well-being. Alas, he and Luo Xueyan were destined to be enemies on the battlefield, while Shen Miao could not accompany them. The two armies clashed, with cunning and deception rampant, and it was not uncommon for people to take hostages and kill each other's loved ones. They could only bear the pain of being separated from their daughter, at least in Dingjing City, where Shen Miao's safety did not need to be worried about.

  Lu Xueyan seemed to be getting more and more heartbroken, continuing: "I often think about whether it's really safe for Jiao Jiao to stay in the capital. Without her parents by her side, is she really happy? Every year during the New Year's reunion, she always treats us coldly, but when we get to the bottom of it, it's all our fault. So no matter what she does, we can't blame her."

  Shen Miao and Shen Xin, the couple, were not close to her, nor was Shen Qiu. The so-called relatives had not accompanied her since childhood. She was close to Ren Yuanyun Chen Ruoqiu, even Shen Lao Furen, because these people were with her day and night, which was what she considered "relatives" in her eyes. As for Shen Xin couple's attitude towards their daughter, they were extremely doting, no matter how famous Shen Miao's foolishness was in the capital, they had never scolded their daughter, because all of this was the result of their own doing.

  Shen Xin patted Luo Xueyan's shoulder: "One day, Jiao will understand our difficulties."

  "Will she really understand?" Luo Xueyan sighed: "Sometimes, I even wonder who made Jiao Jiao so unruly now, Shen Fu..." She suddenly stopped talking and looked at Shen Xin with some regret.

  Shen Xin naturally understood her unspoken meaning, and his expression also changed slightly. After a moment, he sighed, grasped his wife's hand and said: "Madam is worrying too much. Mother and younger sister will teach Jiao Jiao well, if not, Jiao Jiao wouldn't be so close to them."

  Shen Miao's attitude towards the two aunts was really good, making people jealous. As a result, some ideas seemed out of place.

  "It's just me thinking too much." said Luo Xueyan. She was the treasured eldest daughter of the Northwest Luo family, a martial general's household, although she was only a third-rank military officer, her family members were all iron-blooded men. Luo Xueyan was the youngest sister, with three older brothers above her, so from birth, there were only parents and brothers in the house, no such dirty things, seeing high-ranking families' private matters less often, she didn't know the danger within.

  It seems that if he knew, he would rather let Shen Miao take risks and stay by his side than leave Shen Miao alone in the terrifying Shen Manor.

  Just then, he heard someone behind him call out: "Dad, Mom."

  Shen Xin's face sank, and he said angrily: "When there are outsiders around, call me..."

  "General Shen!" the newcomer hastily said.

  "Mind your own business," Luo Xueyan gave Shen Xin a cold glance: "Stop pretending."

  The newcomer was a young man in his early twenties, with a decent appearance and wheat-colored skin. When he smiled, two dimples appeared, adding to his rare childlike air. This young man looked quite similar to Luo Xueyan, and was actually Shen Xin's legitimate son, Shen Qiu.

  Shen Qiu is twenty-two years old this year. As early as when he was ten, Shen Xin took him to the battlefield for training, saying that a strict teacher produces excellent students. Shen Qiu is indeed brave and fierce, and over the years, he has earned merits several times, and now he is a fourth-rank young general.

  "Dad, Mom, you've sent your longevity gifts, what should I send now?" Shen Qiu scratched his head, feeling a bit bewildered.

  "This little rascal, what gift are you sending? What's the point of asking us? A real man should be able to make up his own mind on such a small matter. How can he even go to the battlefield!" Shen Xin seized the opportunity to scold his son.

  "It's been ages since I last attended a grandmother's birthday." Shen Qiu said awkwardly, "I don't know what to give as a gift either. Can't very well report the number of enemy troops killed as an achievement. Birthdays are inauspicious days after all."

  Luoxueyan was amused by Shenqiu's words: "No need, previously Your Majesty had rewarded you with a piece of heavenly silk brocade. You can give that to Old Lady. I heard that now in the capital city, this heavenly silk is extremely scarce, even the palace ladies don't have it. If Old Lady can get one piece, she will naturally be delighted."

  "That's supposed to be a gift for my sister!" Shen Qiu hastily said.

  "Never mind." Shen Xin waved his hand: "Have you ever seen your sister like that kind of brocade?"

  Even if Shen Xin didn't know the mundane things about women, he still knew that his daughter didn't like those elegant fabrics and instead liked to wear gold and silver, the more common the better. Although it was a bit distressing, he could only let Shen Miao be happy. The heavenly silk brocade may be beautiful, but it's unlikely that Shen Miao would appreciate it.

  Shen Qiu listened and thought his father was right, so he hung his head and squatted down, saying in a low voice: "This time I came back in a hurry, but I didn't bring any gifts for my sister. Thinking about it now, I feel guilty."

  In the past, Shen Qiu and Shen Miao had a good relationship, the siblings supported each other and lived a fulfilling life. However, after Shen Qiu followed Shen Xin to war every year, he only saw Shen Miao once a year, and Shen Miao's temperament worsened with each passing year, until the siblings barely spoke to each other. No matter how hard Shen Qiu tried to get close to his sister, Shen Miao remained indifferent towards him.

  Shen Qiu didn't know the reason, but Shen Miao did. It was actually Shen Yue and Shen Qing, as well as Gui's nanny, who were reminding Shen Xin couple in a roundabout way that they only brought Shen Qiu with them, clearly favoring sons over daughters. Sons could carry on the family line, so they were valued more, while daughters weren't as important. Shen Miao was young and easily influenced by what people said, and seeing her brother like this made her think he had stolen all their parents' love, which was hateful. That's why she didn't want to get close to him.

  "Alright." Shen Xin patted the dust off his body, stood up: "Tell those brothers to get up, continue on our way, one hour later, we must return to Dingjing City!"

  Time flies, and the Shens' birthday banquet is about to begin. All the ladies have taken their seats, with over ten tables filled, a testament to Madame Shen's prestige. The wives of officials from the capital who possess some social standing have all arrived. Of course, everyone has come not to pay respects to Madame Shen but to curry favor with the Shens and Shen Xin. Nonetheless, the birthday banquet is lively and bustling, just like in previous years.

  Shen Yue wore a hundred-pleated moon-white skirt, the color of which set off her gentle and quiet demeanor to perfection. Born with a delicate and lovely appearance, she had made an extra effort to dress up today, naturally giving off an air of "our family has a daughter who has just come of age". Now that Shen Qing and Shen Miao were both married, the ladies present couldn't help but have their own thoughts as they looked at Shen Yue, naturally thinking that if they could marry this second young lady from the third house of the Shen family into their household, how much benefit would they gain.

  After the men presented their gifts, they went to the other side, accompanied by Shen Gui and Shen Wan, two brothers. Shen Gui and Shen Wan naturally would not give up this opportunity to win people's hearts, chatting and laughing, making a lively scene.

  Mr. Su held his wine cup, but he was a bit of a headache. His family had a good relationship with the Lin'an Hou Mansion, and the Shen and Xie families had always been at odds, yet the Shen family had sent him an invitation. Mr. Su was a kind old man, and since they had come to invite him, he couldn't just refuse, so he had to grit his teeth and attend. In his heart, however, he envied his eldest son who was "bedridden with illness", at least he didn't have to watch this group of cunning old men making toasts and probing each other.

  "Dad." Su Minglang blinked, today he was also dressed up by his mother, even so, he looked like a properly dressed dumpling. He pulled on Old Man Su's sleeve: "I want to go out and take a walk."

  "Don't run around everywhere." Mr. Su warned. Although the eldest son did not participate, the younger son who was usually uninterested in these things was making a fuss and wanting to join in, but Mr. Su didn't know why. However, Su Minglang made a big fuss, and Mrs. Su agreed, so Mr. Su had no choice but to bring this little troublemaker along.

  Su Minglang put down his hands dejectedly, he heard that this was the birthday banquet of Old Lady Shen, which was also the grandmother's birthday banquet of Shen Miao. Thinking that he hadn't seen Shen Miao for so long in Guangwen Hall, he was very concerned. Originally wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to see Shen Miao, who would have thought that Shen Miao didn't show up today at all. Hearing people say that Shen Miao had a rash and couldn't meet anyone, Su Minglang still felt itchy in his heart, wanting to see Shen Miao. He had very few friends, others were disgusted by his foolishness, only Shen Miao treated him with tenderness, in his heart, Shen Miao was already his only friend.

  Outside the women's quarters, Mrs. Jiang smiled and shouted: "Speaking of which, Mrs. Huang and Mrs. Wei, shouldn't you also deliberately toast a cup of wine to Old Lady, after all..."

  After all, they will be relatives by marriage in the future.

  The words were not spoken, but the ladies at the banquet all understood. Madame Huang was a refined and dignified noblewoman, who only smiled when she heard the words, unable to express her feelings. Probably also understanding the situation, this marriage was just a mutually beneficial arrangement, not a good match. If the Shen family really cared about their daughter, as they seemed to on the surface, they would not have agreed to this marriage. The so-called "clear wind and bright moon" was just a superficial show. Therefore, her gaze was somewhat mocking.

  It's just that Mrs. Wei seems a bit uncomfortable. The Shen family is indeed of good social standing, and marrying into the Shen family would be considered a good match. However, in the past, Shen Miao was too foolish and stupid, and it's really unbearable for her to be the mistress of the house. Only after hearing that she had passed the imperial examination did they hear from all sides that Shen Miao now seems to have opened up and become much more stable in temperament. This is why they came to propose a marriage for their son.

  But who knew that Shen Miao was not seen today, and it was heard that Shen Miao had broken out in a rash. Wei Furen became somewhat worried, if she had contracted an evil disease, wouldn't it ruin her son's life? Thinking of these things, her face again revealed some unwilling expressions.

  These expressions fell into Chen Ruoqiu's eyes, and Chen Ruoqiu sneered a few times in her heart. She wasn't stupid, how could she not see that Ren Yuanyun was playing the idea of sisters getting married easily? Shen Lao Furen and Ren Yuanyun were hiding from others, but they couldn't hide it from Chen Ruoqiu. However, for her, this was even a good thing, Ren Yuanyun was worried and confused, but didn't know that after Shen Xin came back, he would be furious. At that time, the first and second rooms would compete with each other, hurting their own vitality, and her Yue'er could emerge from the crowd.

  Ren Yuanyun smiled and stood up, saying: "In that case, I should also toast both madams first."

  The crowd's laughter grew louder, and Feng Anning furrowed her brow, looking somewhat displeased.

  In the ancestral hall on the other end, all the maids were dismissed. Shen Miao knelt in front of the memorial tablet in the hall, looking at the hourglass in her hand, the sand was almost gone, and the time she had arranged was almost up.

  She inserted the three incense sticks in her hand into the incense burner and bowed slightly.

  But just then, I heard a faint sound.

  The few years in the state of Qin had cultivated her habit of being extremely vigilant at all times, Shen Miao suddenly stood up and said, "Who?"

  "The little girl seems to be quite perceptive." A familiar voice sounded, and Shen Miao turned her head to see the purple-clothed youth leaning against the window frame, looking at her with a hint of a smile. When he saw her gaze turn towards him, he sprang into action, jumping into the temple hall.

  No matter how calm Shen Miao was, she couldn't help but feel a little shocked. Xie Jingxuan actually dared to wander around in broad daylight at someone else's house, he naturally wouldn't have been invited over, the relationship between the Shen and Xie families was as thin as ice, unless Shen Gui and Shen Wan had gone mad.

  Now there are guards outside the temple, how did he get in? Shen Miao couldn't help but ask the question that had been on her mind.

  "The guards of Shen's mansion are really not reliable." Xie Jing said: "I've come this way."

  "Shen Miao frowned: 'What are you doing here?'"

  Xie Jingxing just smiled and didn't respond to her, but in the house, he seemed to be searching for something. However, after a short while, he finished his search, but the result was clearly not what he had hoped for, as he hadn't found anything.

  Shen Miao stared at his every move, and doubts also arose in her heart. Xie Jingxuan's behavior seemed like he was looking for something in the Shen manor. But what could be so valuable in the General's Manor that would make him take such a great risk to search for it personally? Was there something she didn't know about?

  "What are you looking for? Speak out, I can help you find it." Shen Miao said.

  Xie Jing paused, turned his head and looked at her with a probing gaze, saying with interest: "Shen family girl, I know that among the Shen family members, you are the smartest. However, it's still not good to set your sights on me."

  "So you come to my house in broad daylight to steal things, is that not aiming at the Shen family's head?" Shen Miao remained unmoved. But she was somewhat annoyed by Xie Jingxuan's watertight defense, she yielded, but only wanted to know what it was after all. As a result, this person was so vigilant, and didn't give her any opportunity at all.

  "Steal?" Xie Jinghang seemed to have heard something amusing, his beautiful peach blossom eyes suddenly bursting with a dangerous glow: "That's just the thing that belongs to Ben Hou, it can only be considered as... taking."

  Shen Miao's heart skipped a beat as if she had grasped something, but that fleeting thought vanished too quickly for her to catch.

  "However," Xie Jinghang glanced at the ancestral hall: "There are so many people guarding this place, I thought they were protecting something, but it turns out they're watching you." He looked at Shen Miao and said with his arms crossed: "What did you do wrong that so many people are keeping an eye on you? This ancestral hall isn't a place for some young lady to live in."

  "What does it have to do with you?" Shen Miao gazed at the hourglass, the last grain of sand had already flowed from top to bottom, time was almost up. But Xie Jingyi still hadn't left. Her patience was exhausted, so she said: "Since Young Master Hou hasn't found 'your thing', then please leave, the ancestors of the Shen family do not wish to see the heroic bearing of a rascal like you."

  She spoke sarcastically, probably because Xie Jingxuan had grown so big that no one dared to speak to him like this, and it was still a little girl. However, he didn't get angry, but teased: "Indeed, the ancestors of the Shen family did not want to see Ben Hou, but they were willing to see their own descendants being forced to marry, which is also lively."

  "Are you unwilling to marry Wei Qian?" he asked.

  "What if I am willing? What if I am not?" Shen Miao retorted.

  "Wei Qian can be a good person, but you're not a virtuous wife. You've picked him up, and yet you don't recognize his goodness. I'm seeing this kind of person for the first time." He narrowed his eyes, and the evil smile at the corner of his lips was so handsome that it made people dizzy. He said lightly: "You wouldn't be having a crush on me, Ben Hou, so you're not willing to marry Wei Qian?"

  Shen Miao was almost amused to death, she turned her head and stared at Xie Jingxing: "If you think so, I have nothing to say, just advise the young master a sentence, some things, don't get involved, otherwise, when it's time to regret, it will be too late."

  Her complexion was somewhat pale, probably due to the poor food and sleep in the temple these days, which made her look thinner, but the outline of the girl became more distinct, her chin became pointed, a pair of eyes that seemed to speak, crystal clear, yet Xie Jinghang saw fire burning.

  "Miss!" Jing Xuan rushed in, and when she saw Xie Jing Xing, she was also startled. She immediately hid Shen Miao behind her and pointed at Xie Jing Xing, saying: "You...you...how did you get in?"

  Xie Jinghang shrugged and did not respond.

  "When he's not around, it doesn't matter." Shen Miao lazily ignored him and asked Jing Zhen: "How was your night?"

  I let the silver ginkgo in the yard go buy wine and dishes, saying that it was sent by the head of the longevity banquet. They were eating happily at this moment, but also a bit lazy. But leaving is impossible." Jing Xuan still had some fear of Xie Jinghang, and while speaking, he looked at Xie Jinghang's face.

  "Alright." Shen Miao looked at Jing Xiu with a surprised expression: "Jing Xiu, can I trust you?"

  Startled by these words, she immediately forgot to worry about Xie Jingying and bowed her head, saying: "I am deeply loyal to my mistress, whatever my mistress orders me to do, I will not refuse even if it means death."

  "Listen, whether it's you or Gu Yu, or Bai Lu Xian, don't come in no matter what happens later. Don't look for me, and don't stop me." She handed the hourglass to Jing Zhen: "When this sand flows to here—" she pointed at a small mark on the glass: "you go out and call people, take advantage of the chaos to rush out, and directly rush to the birthday banquet in the East Wing. In front of all the guests, loudly call for help. I think you're clever and brave, no matter what I don't instruct, you'll know how to do your best."

  "This......" Jing Zhen was somewhat bewildered, not understanding what Shen Miao meant by these words. But when she saw Shen Miao's expression, all her doubts were swallowed back down, and she solemnly replied to Shen Miao: "This servant understands."

  "Alright, now get out." Shen Miao's expression turned serious as she ordered: "Remember, no matter what you see or what happens, do not come in."

  Jing Zhen clenched his teeth, glanced at Xie Jinghang, then looked at Shen Miao again before nodding and turning to leave the ancestral hall.

  After the surprise attack, Xie Jinghang looked at Shen Miao with a lazy expression and said: "So mysterious, what do you want to do?"

  "What do I want to do?" Shen Miao stared at him. Xie Jing's posture was relaxed, but his beautiful peach blossom eyes were sharp as a knife. Being looked at by those eyes, it seemed that all the thoughts in her heart had nowhere to hide.

  "If Young Master Xiao doesn't want to be dragged down by me, then leave first." She said coldly.

  "There's no one in this world who can drag me down." He spoke with arrogance, yet somehow it seemed like he could really do it.

  "Since you want to follow me to the grave, I have nothing more to say." Shen Miao turned around.

  Xie Jinghang furrowed his brow, and before he could understand the meaning of Shen Miao's words, he saw Shen Miao suddenly walk to the ancestral hall, stop in front of the ancestral tablets of the Shen family, and the next moment, even he was stunned and stood still on the spot.

  Shen Miao suddenly picked up those neatly arranged wooden plaques, and without saying a word, she hugged them and threw them into the charcoal fire basin on the ground. Wood is easy to ignite, and in an instant, the flames that had been burning somewhat feebly "roared" and surged high, engulfing the wooden spirit plaques, with the names on top