Chapter 131: Imprisonment (6)
"What are you saying?" Shen Miao said calmly, "Ren Wanyun's men are guarding the West Courtyard now. Not even a fly can get out. If I escape, what will happen to the remaining people in the courtyard? Although I am not a kind person, some of them were specially left to me by my parents. Believe it or not, as soon as I leave, Ren Wanyun will immediately kill everyone in the courtyard to silence them."
Jingzhe and Guyu were stunned.
"Besides, you think it's that easy to pass on a message? There are people guarding this place all day and all night. They want to lock me up anyway. Do you think they'll leave me any loopholes to exploit? You really underestimate me, your Second Aunt."
Shen Miao didn't think Ren Wanyun's intelligence was anything to be feared, but in this world, a mother is a strong woman. For Shen Qing's happiness, Ren Wanyun would naturally do her utmost to complete this matter. The stakes were high for Ren Wanyun. After all, the marriage exchange was something she hadn't discussed with Shen Gui; it was her own idea. If it succeeded, everyone would be happy. If it failed, Ren Wanyun would likely have no place in the Second House.
"But young lady, are we just going to let this go?" Jingzhe said anxiously, "I'll never let you marry that gay man even if I die!"
“Can you guys figure out the chess game?” Shen Miao said nothing, just pointed at the chessboard on the table.
On the chessboard, the white and black pieces are arranged in two rows, clearly separated, which is a bit strange.
"Your servant, I don't know chess, and I don't understand how this is played." After a while, Guyu answered cautiously.
"What did you see?" Shen Miao asked.
Jingzhe bravely answered: "The white and the black, when placed together, are very distinct."
"That's right." A glint flashed in Shen Miao's eyes: "This chess move is all about putting all the chips on the table. You know my chess pieces, and I know your chess pieces. In the end, the winner will depend on each person's ability."
Jingzhe and Guyu looked at each other, not quite understanding what Shen Miao meant.
"Ren Wanyun thought she knew all my chess pieces, but that's not the case." She took out another black piece from behind her and placed it next to the white piece. "I still have one last move."
"The old lady's birthday is next month, right?" she asked suddenly.
"That's right," Jingzhe replied, "I heard from Chuntao that the Second Madam wants to announce the girl's marriage at the Old Madam's birthday banquet."
“We all have to do it before father returns to Beijing.” Shen Miao smiled slightly.
"Yes, there are still a few months before the end of the year, I'm afraid it's too late." Guyu was worried.
"Really?"
Shen Xin's return to the capital should indeed have been around the end of the year. Unfortunately, in the 68th year of Ming Qi, Shen Xin's victory over the enemy in the northwest had caused them to flee in panic and surrender prematurely. The Shen family army, carrying the surrender letter, returned to Dingjing several months early.
It was a coincidence, or perhaps it was to show his filial piety, that Chen Xin was never in the capital on Madam Shen's birthday. This happened so often that some people started to say that Chen Xin was unfilial. So, in the sixty-eighth year of Ming Qi, on Madam Shen's seventieth birthday, Chen Xin returned to the capital early.
That day, Shen Xin suddenly returned home. Old Madam Shen was hosting a banquet for guests, but Shen Miao was not present. Why? Because she was hiding in Prince Ding's residence. Shen Xin had wanted to return home to enjoy family happiness, but when he learned that his daughter had disregarded etiquette, he turned around and went to Prince Ding's residence to demand her. However, because of Fu Xiuyi's hypocritical warmth, she ignored Shen Xin's words and even threatened to die to force him to marry Prince Ding.
Thinking about it now, it was all an injustice. Shen Xin rushed back exhausted, only to see such an unfilial daughter, thus dragging the Shen family into the abyss, with no way back.
This life is different from the past. She did not flee the Shen family because of Prince Yu, nor did she continue to be obsessed with Fu Xiuyi's appearance. If Shen Xin came back and saw a different daughter, would she be able to atone for some of the sins of her past life?
“Father has always respected the old lady.” Shen Miao said calmly.
"Yes." Jingzhe replied.
Madam Shen was a singer by birth and a skilled actress. She had portrayed the loving mother so flawlessly that when the old general was alive, she was impeccable. The general was a man of deep affection, and Chen Xin was grateful for the kindness he had received in his early years. He had never imagined the vicious heart beneath the old woman's veneer.
“Second Aunt has gotten me lucky this time,” Shen Miao said with a smile, her eyes bright and startling. “That’s perfect, let’s tear it all apart for everyone in the world to see.”
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