The letter rubbed gently between Shen Yuewei's fingers. As she looked at the undisguised praise for her second brother, Shen Wenbai, a meaningful smile slowly crept onto her lips.

Lin Wanqing, the younger sister of Crown Prince Xiao Chengjing's close friend, is the apple of the eye of Minister Lin of the Ministry of Personnel. She is both beautiful and talented, with extremely high standards, and has always looked down on the纨绔子弟 (spoiled brats) in the capital.

Her praise and admiration for her second brother, Shen Wenbai, was almost too obvious in her letter.

"Could it be... that she's taken a liking to my second brother?" Shen Yuewei muttered to herself, her smile deepening. If that were true, it would be an unexpected delight.

In her past life, her second brother was implicated because of her, and his unfulfilled ambitions and business acumen were buried. In this life, he not only entered the business world at a young age, but also became incredibly successful, perhaps even attracting the favor of a refined lady like Lin Qingwan. It seems that fate is indeed quietly turning around.

She put down the letter and sipped the bird's nest soup. The slight ripples in her heart caused by Lin Wanqing's frequent mentions of the Crown Princess (albeit indirectly) were quickly dispelled by the warmth brought by her second brother's good news.

This secluded courtyard was the work of the second brother, Shen Wenbai. Located in a quiet spot amidst the bustling city, it appears to be an ordinary wealthy household, but in reality, it is heavily guarded.

In the courtyard, there was Zhang Mama, an experienced midwife whom the second brother had hired at great expense from the north. At this moment, she was simmering a medicinal chicken soup for Shen Yuewei in the small kitchen, filling the air with its aroma. There was also Chen Sao, a quiet but highly skilled cook from Jiangnan, who prepared a variety of meals every day to suit Shen Yuewei's taste and the needs of her pregnancy. Her three meals a day were never the same, and her dishes were so exquisite that they were comparable to those served in the imperial palace.

The front yard facing the street was the silk shop "Jinwei Ji" that her second brother had set up for her.

The storefront wasn't large, but it was tastefully decorated. The shopkeeper, Uncle Wang, had been the Shen family's steward for decades; he was loyal, reliable, and managed the shop with great efficiency.

The shop mainly sells high-end silks from Suzhou, Hangzhou, and the surrounding areas, and also deals in some rare materials that her second brother obtained from the capital or other channels. The business isn't particularly lucrative, but it's enough to support Shen Yuewei's comfortable yet low-key life in this area, while also providing excellent cover—a pregnant woman running a silk business in Jiangnan is perfectly ordinary.

Shen Yuewei put down the empty bowl, stroked her swollen belly, and felt the strong movements of the little life inside.

Far from the turmoil of the capital and out of the Crown Prince's sight (she deliberately obscured her exact whereabouts, only letting Lin Wanqing know she was in Jiangnan), she had loyal maids, experienced midwives, excellent cooks, and well-run shops as cover and support, and good news of her brothers' thriving success was also coming her way...

This sense of grounded security is something I never truly experienced in my previous life as the Crown Princess.

Even though the road ahead is still shrouded in gloom—the storms in the Jiangnan officialdom, the investigation of the Crown Prince, the future of her child, the undercurrents in the capital—at this moment, under the warm spring sun, listening to the gentle conversations of customers selecting fabrics in the front yard, and smelling the aroma of food wafting from the kitchen, Shen Yuewei felt an unprecedented peace and contentment.

She picked up a half-finished baby bib from her sewing basket; the stitches were finely embroidered with an adorable koi fish. A smile played on her lips, her eyes gentle yet firm.

She must safeguard this hard-won peace. The chessboard in the capital is in motion, and the winds of change are surging in Jiangnan, while she, in this small world, steadily takes root, grows, and waits.