Chapter 565 Alliance (6)

"She came here two years ago, and Aunt Xi, who was with the princess at the time, even sent her back to the mansion. Her last name is Chen."

The maidservant at the outermost corner who was constantly trying to recall someone's name suddenly had a flash of inspiration and slapped her head and said, "I remembered the name of that girl. Isn't that girl the legitimate daughter of the mighty general, Shen Miao?"

Everyone suddenly realized what was going on, and then their eyes became filled with excitement.

They naturally recognized Shen Miao. She had recently caused a great uproar in Dingjing. She had been missing for three days, and Shen Xin had even offered ten thousand taels of gold to save her. Everyone speculated that Shen Miao must have met with an accident. They had never imagined that this current focus of discussion would appear in the Princess's Mansion?

What was Shen Miao doing in the Princess's residence?

…

Shen Miao sat in the main hall as maids came over to serve her tea and snacks. However, she could still sense some subtle gazes scrutinizing her. Shen Miao accepted it calmly. If anyone recognized her, they would naturally wonder why she was in the princess's residence.

But there was no other way. Just as Xie Jingxing had said, she couldn't stop the rumors from spreading if she returned home alone. She had to find someone powerful and credible to prove her case. Princess Rongxin had proved it for her once during the last Lantern Festival, and she needed her help again this time.

There was no way around it. Princess Rongxin was upright and fair, and everyone knew that she was even slightly inhumane. If it came from Princess Rongxin's mouth, no one would doubt it.

After a while, footsteps were heard behind her. Shen Miao turned around and saw Princess Rongxin, supported by a female official, walking slowly towards her.

Shen Miao couldn’t help but be startled.

The visitor was wearing a long, autumn-colored, thin silk robe and a cloak. She had probably applied makeup, but she couldn't hide her age and haggardness. The last time Shen Miao saw Princess Rong Xin, two years ago, she was still a woman with a lot of energy and spirit. Now, it was as if her soul had been drained away overnight, which made people feel a little sad.

Even in her previous life, when Shen Miao was at the end, Princess Rong Xin had already grown old, but she didn't look as haggard as she did now. Shen Miao knew exactly why all this was happening. It seemed the news of Xie Jingxing's death had dealt a heavy blow to Princess Rong Xin, and she had become so haggard in just two years.

She stood up and saluted Princess Rongxin.

When Princess Rongxin saw her, she revealed a look of nostalgia, with a hint of smile on her lips: "I haven't seen you for two years. General Shen left in a hurry, and I didn't have time to send you a farewell gift. When you returned to the capital, I caught a cold and didn't go to the tribute banquet. I haven't had the chance to see you." She sat down at the table and motioned Shen Miao to sit down as well.

Shen Miao nodded slightly: "It is the minister who should come to visit."

"I knew you were good-looking before," Princess Rongxin looked at her with a smile, "Seeing you now, it seems my dream has come true. You have been a beauty since childhood, and now you are even more outstanding. If my nephew were still alive..." Her voice gradually lowered, and a trace of pain flashed in her eyes, but she could not continue.

Shen Miao didn’t know what to say.

Princess Rongxin, however, began to laugh again. She said, "I always say these things that make people unhappy. I always tell myself not to think about them, but in the end, I always think about them. I made you unhappy with me, and you... are sad too. I was so busy being sad that I didn't think about how you felt. It's really my fault."

Princess Rongxin was such a tough person, yet she would actually apologize to someone. Shen Miao was a little surprised, but more of a sympathetic one. Xie Jingxing's identity could not be explained to Princess Rongxin, but from Princess Rongxin's perspective, the pain she felt in her heart could be imagined, as her nephew, who had been with her for many years, died in such a tragic way on the battlefield.

Princess Rongxin smiled and said, "I've heard everything about you. Don't worry. I helped you two years ago, and I'll help you this time, too."

Shen Miao only said that she was kidnapped by criminals, but because she was competing with Lin'an Marquis Mansion, she was rescued by Xie Jingxing's former personal guard. Because Xie Jingxing's guard had seen Shen Miao before, he lent a hand. However, returning to the Shen family rashly would probably cause rumors, and Princess Rongxin had to intervene.

As long as Xie Jingxing was mentioned, Princess Rongxin would always become extra tolerant. Furthermore, the so-called Xie Jingxing's former secret guard actually had a token given by Xie Jingxing. After Princess Rongxin saw it with her own eyes, she no longer had any doubts. Furthermore, she already had a good impression of Shen Miao, so she naturally agreed to this favor without hesitation.

“This humble servant thanks Her Royal Highness the Princess.” Shen Miao said, “This humble servant feels really guilty for always bothering Her Royal Highness the Princess.”

"What kind of trouble is this?" Princess Rongxin said with a wry smile, "When Jingxing was here, whenever he made a mistake, he always liked to sneak into the princess's mansion. Every time he caused trouble, it was as big as the sky, and he never showed any remorse. I originally thought that I would treat it as a good deed, and when I got old, I would cause trouble for him. Who knew..." Princess Rongxin's smile was a little ugly: "Now I want him to cause trouble for me again, but I can't wait any longer."