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“What did that mean?” Shen Miao questioned.

Xie Jing Xing would not say such words for no reason so there were other meaning behind these words.

Xie Jing Xing’s eyebrows raised as he looked at her, “Shen Yuan is Prince Ding’s people.”

Shen Miao’s heart was slightly surprise but she did not speak.

“Not possible!” Shen Miao cried out involuntarily.

Xie Jing Xing’s gaze was fixed on her as if it was looking through Shen Miao as he asked, “Why?”

Shen Miao’s palm got slightly wet and her heart was in a moment of chaos. The real start of Shen family’s misfortune was not within these two years. The Imperial family would also delay in dealing with the Shen family as there was no one to take over at the moment. Shen Yuan worked for Prince Ding and both of them were people who was very cautious and would not take action if they were not very confident. Just like in the last lifetime, it was only at the end she then knew that the Second and Third household had a part in it and Shen Yuan definitely brought out the evidence of rebellion at the end.

But what was the time now? It was far too early from when the Imperial family would want to deal with Shen Xin so why did Shen Yuan choose to take action at this timing? Currently the evidence would not be complete so why Fu Xiu Yi choose to take action now?

How could it be changed to this?

Her expressions kept changing and when she looked up it met with Xie Jing Xing’s thoughtful gaze. Shen Miao’s heart quivered, Xie Jing Xing has a nimble mind and one fear that he was able to sense something out from her expressions. Thinking of this, she masked a laugh, “Shen Yuan is my Second Older Brother, why would he harm my Father?”

Hearing that, Xie Jing Xing actually laughed in a profound way and said, “Shen Miao, are you treating me as a fool?”

“Since Little Marquis tell me these things,” Shen Miao said seriously, “Then how would His Highness Prince Ding deal with my Father?”

Xie Jing Xing shook his head.

Shen Miao originally did not hold too much hope as even if Xie Jing Xing knew, there was no reason for him to tell her the truth. The Xie family was wading in the game of Ming Qi and if they were to anyhow help other, one feared that trouble would come knocking. Even if she and Xie Jing Xing’s positions were to be exchanged, she would not even give a reminder.

It’s just that… Shen Miao looked at Xie Jing Xing’s official robes and asked puzzled, “What are you doing in the Palace?”

She asked casually but did not know that this made the confident Xie Jing Xing paused. But it was only for a short moment before Xie Jing Xing said lazily, “Enter to Palace to request for commander.”

“Request for commander?” Shen Miao froze for a moment before asking unconsciously, “Request for commander for whom?”

Xie Jing Xing smiled but did not respond. Shen Miao suddenly look at him, “You… request for commander yourself? Northern Jiang… Xiong Nu?”

This time Xie Jing Xing was surprised, “How did you know?” The matter of the Northern Jiang was a secret matter and it was a top secret that before the Imperial edict was issued, Shen Xin would not even know of it, much less Shen Miao. Xie Jing Xing all the while was curious about how Shen Miao gets her information and felt even more surprise that she knew about the matters in the Palace.

Shen Miao looked at him blanking but there was a storm surging in her heart.

The Northern Jiang territory was a place where the Xiong Nu never retreat. Even though the terrain was complicated at the Northern Jiang, these years Emperor Wen Hui had been making a little noise and fighting little battles, unwilling to oppose headstrong. Afterwards the Xiong Nus got worst so Emperor Wen Hui send Xie Ding into battle. The Xie family army wwere brave but the entire army perished in the battlefield. On that year end, Xie Ding’s horse brought the corpse back which made the entire country mourn. On the second year when spring starts, Xie Jing Xing set off on an expedition on behalf of his father and the troops were defeated like a landslide and had a tragic ending of having thousands of arrows peirce his heart and he was skinned and hang up on the city tower.

Xie Jing Xing died when he was twenty-two and now he only just turned nineteen.

In a swift moment Shen Miao’s heart felt suffocated. It was not possible for the Emperor to deal with the Xiong Nus at this point of time and it was Xie Jing Xing who volunteered the commander position. Xie Ding most probably did not know of this matter and from the looks of Xie Jing Xing, he should have gotten the news.

Changed again! Changed again!

It was obviously matters that would happen in a few years’ time but it was pulled in ahead of schedule. For Xie Jing Xing to go into battle now, could his ending be the same as the last lifetime?

As for the Xie family, Shen Miao wanted to leave them be till later to confirm the Imperial power. However no matter how much she change, would there be people who will still followed the original fated path? Would the handsome youth with red lips and white teeth in front still walked to the most terrible step?

Xie Jing Xing saw the different expressions on Shen Miao and did not felt strange. His eyes flashed slightly as he said, “You seemed to be very worried?”

Shen Miao at the moment did not a.n.a.lysed the meaning behind these slightly ridiculous words as her heart was in somewhat of a chaos. She looked at him, “You… Will be leading the Xie family army?”

“Pay more attention to Xie family army internally and also pay attention to the people by your side.” Shen Miao paused every other word that she spoke. In the beginning she spoke heavily but at the end, her expression gradually looked serious, “The sandy winds of the Northern Jiang are large and the armours are heavy but no matter what, one must not take off the heart protector.” In the previous lifetime Xie Jing Xing’s heart was pierce by thousands of arrow so perhaps it might be better that he wear the heart protector. The most important thing was that Shen Miao felt that Xie Jing Xing’s death was overly strange as how would an outstanding Vice General who had unsurpa.s.sed military tactics be defeated so miserably. Moreover after gradually understanding the overall picture and know that the Imperial family attacked the old aristocratic vessel families, the presence of the Imperial family’s people in the Xie family army. Moreover the tragedy of the Xie father and son might have some conspiracy to it.

Shen Miao wholehearted thought about the overall situation but did not know that with Xie Jing Xing and her current relations.h.i.+p, it did not reach to the level of friends.h.i.+p thus this kind of concern words was somewhat surprising.

Xie Jing Xing was also surprise at her and a smile suddenly form on his lips as he approached Shen Miao and slightly lowered his head. He was very close to Shen Miao as his pair of peach shaped eyes was filed with laughter as he said jokingly, “So concern of me?”

Shen Miao was absorbed with her own thoughts and did not realise that he had gotten so close. Before she even recovered back to her senses upon realization, she was dazed for a while. Every time when she was at a loss she would look pitiful.

Xie Jing Xing slightly paused and a kind of helpless feeling appeared in his heart. He was originally ruthless and only find that the Shen family was a chess piece on the board. He knew clearly that Shen Miao had deep thoughts and her actions were mysterious and was definitely not a harmless unmarried female like on the surface. But there were times when he felt that she was just a little girl who knew nothing and felt that it was a blus.h.i.+ng matter to bully a little girl.

This sudden thought was quickly thrown to the back of his head as Xie Jing Xing stepped back a little, “The influence of the Shen family army is too strong and it is not a good thing.”

Shen Miao replied, “Today it is my Mother who entered the Palace and the ones who summon for her are Consort Xu Xian and Consort Dong Shu.” When she spoke of Consort Xue Xian and Consort Dong Shu, her expression was not respectful, as if she was speaking about two ordinary people. Xie Jing Xing was also used to it.

He said, “Retreat.”

“Retreat?” Shen Miao asked.

Xie Jing Xing no longer speak. At the end he still gave Shen Miao a little prompt. If Shen Miao was intelligent, she would understand what he meant.

Shen Miao’s eyes drooped and she thought for a moment before speaking, “Many thanks.”

Xie Jing Xing waved his hands lazily as he thought of something. Shen Miao asked again, “The request for commander… When is the set off date?”

“Ten days later.”

“So fast?” Shen Miao exclaimed.

“Why?” Xie Jing Xing looked at her from the side and said with laugh, “Can’t bear?”

“Not so…” Shen Miao said deadpan, “As such… Then one will wish Little Marquis to win a victory on raising the flag and return in triumphant.”

“When one return and get bestowed with rewards,” Xie Jing Xing said without a care, “One will gift you with some small toy, for a good omen.”

Just as Shen Miao was about to speak, she however saw Xie Jing Xing press her waist down and said, “Someone is coming.” After which he smiled at Shen Miao, “Hope to see you again, Shen… Jiao Jiao.” With a turn he flew away from the window of the dwelling area.

This person used the windows like it was walking through his own residence door. Shen Miao was still startled when the doors were pushed open and Tong Yao entered. Seeing that Shen Miao was standing in the middle of the room, she asked curiously, “Why is Young Lady Shen not sitting?”

Shen Miao recovered to her senses and smile before walking to the side to sit. But in her heart, she was thinking of what Xie Jing Xing had said.

Xie Jing Xing request for commander and was to set off in ten days’ time. In ten days… Wasn"t it exactly the same as three years later? In three years, it was also at this time that Xie Jing Xing set off for the expedition and afterwards the Xie father and son were forever recorded in the Ming Qi history books.

The Xie family has headed towards the inevitable ending like the last lifetime… How about the Shen family? How would the Shen family be? Xie Jing Xing gave her a prompt before leaving but that was not the outcome she wanted to see. To retreat like this, although lives were saved but this was just a lifesaving method. Without power to protect, days of peace became a luxury. The road of the previous lifetime made Shen Miao understand this point. Only by standing in a position higher than the enemy can one really control the fate.

However Xie Jing Xing method strongly defend one’s position but did not have enough offence.

What methods can be used to break out of this difficult situation?

In the next s.h.i.+chens (1 s.h.i.+chen = 2 hours), Shen Miao kept on thining about this problem. She did not touch any of the snacks on the table and did not take even a sip of tea, much less look at any of the novels. That provoked Female Official Tong Yao to look at her frequently and wonder how was it possible for her to sit the entire afternoon with such maturity that even all the good tempered concubines would not have such patience.

One did not know how long one had waited till an eunuch came to invite them out. The Female Official Tong Yao then brought Shen Miao out as Luo Xue Yan was at the doors waiting for her. Upon seeing Shen Miao, she forced a smile out and pulled her out of the Palace and headed back to the residence.

Even though Luo Xue Yang did her best to show as if nothing had happen, what kind of person Shen Miao was? She could already observe other’s words and gestures long in the Inner Palace and saw the worries in Luo Xue Yan’s heart. She said, “Mother, what did they spoke to you about?”

Luo Xue Yan smiled, “Nothing really, just some matters about Xiao Chun city lifestyle. Most likely because one had not been to the Northwestern region and wanted to know about it.”

Shen Miao asked, “Really only this? If so, then it is really too strange to deliberately call Mother to the Palace to talk for that long.”

Luo Xue Yan stroke Shen Miao’s head, “What is so strange about it. The ladies in the Palace cannot move around and most likely the days are pa.s.sed boringly. Mother talked to them about outside matters to chase boredom away so they will be a little happy.” Even saying that Luo Xue Yan could not help but be somewhat worried. Even though she was not involved in matters of court but it did not meant that she knew nothing about the dangers in court. Today she was meticulous and cautious and it was precisely because the two Consorts talked about the lifestyle which made her puzzled.

There were no fools in the Palace and everyone was very smart. But today’s conversation did not touch on military matters and even the Shen family army was not mentioned. Instead the conversation was about the commoners in Xiao Chun city which made Luo Xue Yan puzzled.

People who were in battle had an intuitive sense of danger. She obviously felt danger approaching but did not know where the problem was and that made Luo Xue Yan fretful.

But she was afraid of scaring Shen Miao and did not intend to tell Shen Miao these things. Shen Miao did not ask her again and when they returned to the residence, the skies were nearing evening. Shen Qiu and Shen Xin had been waiting at the residence’s doors and only sighed in relief upon seeing both of their return.

After finis.h.i.+ng dinner, Luo Xue Yan instructed Shen Miao to rest early and pulled Shen Qiu and Shen Xin back to the room to discuss about the matter of entering the Palace. Shen Miao did not follow as she had learn a lot of things from Luo Xue Yan but the thing that she did not understand was what was it that Shen Yuan gave to Fu Xiu Yi.

The oil lamp brightly shone into one’s eyes as Shen Miao sat in front of the table pondering while Jing Zhe and Gu Yu were careful not to disturb. A light drizzle started falling outside the window. This was the first drizzle since the end of the year and it signified that Spring was coming.

The beginning of Spring will be here and everything would recover. It was clearly the beginning of a new how but how to create a route among the heavy snow that allows the willow trees to provide shade and flowers to show the light?

Shen Miao closed her eyes.

At that night, there was someone walking with Tie Yi.