"Miss, the Second Young Lady is here to see you."
Jingzhe's face showed worry. "Why come at this time? Miss, you haven't recovered yet, and you might catch a cold."
Guyu nudged Jingzhe's arm, her expression equally concerned.
Shen Miao saw this and breathed a sigh of relief.
The four maids around her were all handpicked and trained by Shen Xin and Madam Shen. They were loyal and clever. She had been too young to see what was going on in the Shen family, or the hidden intentions of the second and third branches, but the maids could see the clues.
Before she could say anything, she saw a young girl walking in. She looked to be no more than fifteen or sixteen years old. She wore a light pink chrysanthemum-patterned top, a moon-white pleated Ruyi skirt, and had her hair styled in a tasseled bun. She had a fair complexion, elegant features, and a strong scholarly air, appearing decent and dignified. Upon seeing Shen Miao, she hurried to the bedside and asked worriedly, "Fifth Sister, are you feeling better? I've been worried for a long time since I learned you fell into the water, but the people at Yujiao Garden said you needed to rest, so I didn't dare disturb you. I only came here today after hearing you'd woken up."
Shen Miao looked at the girl before her. This was Shen Yue, the legitimate daughter of the third branch of the Shen family. Of the three legitimate daughters of the Shen family, Shen Qing was cheerful and generous, and Shen Yue was renowned for her talent. However, Shen Miao was the only one with a dull personality, timid and untalented. While others praised her as "chaste, quiet and virtuous," they knew she had no strengths and was the most unpresentable daughter of the Shen family.
In her previous life, before she married, Shen Miao had had the best relationship with Shen Yue. Shen Yue was gentle and considerate, often offering advice to Shen Miao. However, Shen Miao couldn't discern whether these ideas were good or bad, and was simply grateful for her cousin's dedicated help.
This time, Shen Yue had come to plead for Shen Qing.
As expected, Shen Yue opened her mouth immediately. "Fifth Sister, I also made a mistake that day. Now that things have come to this, I hope you can forgive her for once. I heard that you had a fever, and I blame myself deeply. After you recover, can you please forgive her this time? She didn't mean to embarrass you in front of His Highness Prince Ding."
It would have been fine if she hadn't said that, but she had to mention Prince Ding in front of Shen Miao. Everyone knew that Prince Ding was Shen Miao's beloved, and Shen Miao was a person who could endure grievances, but when it came to Prince Ding, she would not give in even a little. If she hadn't mentioned Prince Ding, Shen Miao might have let it go. But Shen Yue deliberately brought up Prince Ding this time—wasn't she trying to provoke a quarrel between her and Shen Qing?
It was the same thing in her previous life. Shortly after she woke up, Shen Yue rushed to "plead" for Shen Qing, a plea that infuriated Shen Miao. The usually submissive person, for the sake of her beloved, accused Shen Qing of pushing her into the water in front of the old lady. Shen Qing denied it, and those around her also claimed they hadn't seen her push Shen Miao. The old lady, always partial to the second and third branches, naturally took the opportunity to lecture her, saying, "You're so young, you don't know how to respect yourself, yet you dare to slander your eldest sister," and punished her with house arrest.
Later, the story spread to the Imperial College, where Shen Miao became a laughingstock among her peers. In shame and anger, she stopped attending. And then... she gradually faded from the circle of noble ladies in the capital.
Now thinking back, she had always been confined to the world created for her by the people in the General's Mansion. She believed herself to be virtuous, but outsiders saw her as cowardly and ignorant. She believed her love for Prince Ding was brave and straightforward, but they labeled her shameless.
These deliberate indoctrinations shaped her early impression. Although she later successfully married Fu Xiuyi, she was still considered unpresentable. Even when compared to Madam Mei, the world only described her as foolish and ignorant.
What a foolish past!
Shen Yue patted Shen Miao's shoulder anxiously, a faint smile playing on her lips.
She knew that with Shen Miao's temperament, the mere mention of Fu Xiuyi would send her into a rage. But after waiting for a long time with no reaction, Shen Yue looked over suspiciously, only to see the girl in front of her smiling at her.
Her face was still pale, her lips dry, but her dark eyes, as bright as grapes, were still beautiful.
Shen Miao's eyes were the most beautiful—large, almond-shaped, ignorant, as timid as a newborn puppy. But usually, her expression was dull, which betrayed their spirit.
Now, those almond-shaped eyes were still round, but the look in them was completely different. There was a coldness, a lack of emotion—not dullness, but more like a condescending gaze.
Shen Yue shuddered, and for some reason, an inexplicable trepidation rose within her. It was as if she wasn't facing a clueless fool, but someone in a high position.
Why did she feel this way?
She naturally didn't know that the Shen Miao before her was no longer the same Shen Miao. The Shen Miao before her was the Shen Miao who had experienced the struggle for the throne, war, vying for favor, the loss of her son, and the extinction of her clan.
She was the Empress Shen of Mingqi, who had once ruled the harem and held supreme power over all six palaces.
She was stunned for a long moment until the girl before her rubbed her forehead and said softly, "Second Sister, you're too serious. This matter has nothing to do with Eldest Sister. I fell down on my own."
"Fifth Sister..." Shen Yue hadn't expected Shen Miao to say that. After a moment's pause, she reacted and shook her head. "Fifth Sister, don't be too hard on yourself."
"How could I be too hard on myself?" Shen Miao interrupted her with a smile. "It's just a small matter. I'm still a little dizzy and want to rest for a while. If there's anything, let's talk to Grandmother tomorrow."
Having said that, Shen Yue didn't know what to say. Although she was surprised that Shen Miao wasn't very warm to her today, she attributed it to Shen Miao's disgrace in front of Fu Xiuyi, which had caused her to be unhappy. After a few more words, Shen Yue finally left.
After Shen Yue left, Guyu said, "Our young lady was pushed into the water and nearly died, yet she's here to plead for the eldest young lady. You can plead for her, but it doesn't sound like that." Guyu was implicitly reminding Shen Miao that Shen Yue had ulterior motives.
"While the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. She probably wants to be the 'fisherman,'" Shen Miao said flatly.
Guyu was surprised that Shen Miao could finally see Shen Yue's true face, but was also a little confused about what Shen Miao meant. Looking up, she saw her young lady's charming face turned cold, and felt an inexplicable sense of awe.
Shen Miao stared at her fingertips.
Why had Shen Qing pushed her into the water? It was because she had said, "When Father returns triumphantly at the end of the year, I'll ask him to arrange my marriage to His Royal Highness Prince Ding."
She said it innocently, and since they were family, she felt no scruples. Shen Xin was a high-ranking general in the court, so it wasn't impossible for him to arrange such a marriage.
Why did Shen Yue try to sow discord between her and Shen Qing?
Naturally, it was because Shen Yue also had a crush on Prince Ding.
In her previous life, near death, Shen Yue and Shen Qing revealed their long-held admiration for Fu Xiuyi. Thinking back now, the first signs of this were already apparent then.
Since both sisters were so deeply in love with Fu Xiuyi, wouldn't it be a shame to deny them their wish in this life?
She would definitely make their wish come true. The blood debt owed to the entire Shen family by the second and third branches in their previous lives must be repaid from now on.
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