Edited by Tnyhy

Shen Miao was slightly startled and looked up towards Xie Jing Xing again. In the Ming Qi, there was no place that would put up a resistance to Xie Jing Xing, he was too familiar with everything. Naturally he was familiar as he grew up in the Ding capital, and knew every crook and cranny of it like the back of his hand. In addition, he also had the backing of the Feng Xian p.a.w.nshop, a station that buys and sells information. Perhaps Xie Jing Xing’s eyes and ears as compared to Fu Xiu Yi’s were not inferior in any way and even in excess.

He naturally was able to know what he wanted to know about.

“What does this have to do with you.” Shen Miao said in a bad tone, “Your Highness Prince Rui really have leisure time to worry about other people’s household matters.”

“Household matters.” Xie Jing Xing raised his brows, seemingly founding that the words were quite good, “You seem to be afraid of that surname Chang female.”

A trace of coldness flashed in Shen Miao’s eyes and she said, “Just a relative that seek shelter. What is there to be afraid of?”

“Not right.” Xie Jing Xing stroked his chin as he swept a look at her. He suddenly leaned over and carefully stared at Shen Miao’s eyes. He did not feel anything was wrong when he leaned so near and paused a moment before saying, “A female from the Liu province and you have never go to the Liu province, so why is it that you seem to understand her?”

Shen Miao suddenly looked up and stared straight into Xie Jing Xing’s eyes. That youth’s features were as always breathtaking but in those peach blossoms eyes, the sharpest blade was hidden in them, “It is the same for Princess Ming An too. You had never go to the Qin country, yet you had profound grievances with her.”

Shen Miao continued to keep her silence, clearly so close that there were some ambiguous position, but her gaze gradually got cold.

“You have been living in the Ding capital since young, and the further place that you went was the Xiao Chun City. In those two years in the Xiao Chun City, you have not stepped into any other place, so it is not possible for you to have been to the Liu province, and impossible to have met the Princess of the Qin country.” His voice floated in the night, bringing a light coldness of the early winter that could almost seep into a person’s heart.

“What do you want to say?” Shen Miao looked at him.

He spoke lowly, with an elegant and rich low voice that was sultry but made one’s heart palpitate. He said, “Are you Shen Miao?”

For a moment, goose b.u.mps rose on Shen Miao’s entire body. It seemed as if there was a fine cold wind that poured down from the top of her head and in a short moment, her entire body became icy cold. She had met a lot of people and relying on her experience of an Empress in her previous life, those people were just one mask after another. There were good and bad masks that one expected, but only when facing this seemingly cynical purple robe youth, she was a living person.

Because one did not know under that mask, what kind of face was it.

In the past lifetime, Shen Miao impression of Xie Jing Xing was a handsome youth who died before his prime and in this lifetime, knowing his unfathomable depths, she now felt more and more terrified. All the things she did made others suspicious, but Xie Jing Xing actually suspected if she was Shen Miao or not.

She was not Shen Miao. She was Empress Shen. Xie Jing Xing dared to think about it, and he was actually very close to the truth. This kind of discomfort that brought about when one’s secret was almost glimpsed, made Shen Miao to panic for a moment. But she did not do anything and just stared at Xie Jing Xing’s face before finally smiling lightly.

She often smiled with a dignified warmth, a gentle smile as if nothing mattered. When facing Xie Jing Xing, most of the time it was attacking by innuendo, a cold smile that her skin was smiling but her flesh was not. Her current smile now seemed to be a magnolia that bloomed at night, containing a touch of delicate fragrance that wafted over completely innocently.

But that smile was only for a short moment and very quickly her face became cold, “Under the Heavens, not everyone is like Your Highness Prince Rui.”

Xie Jing Xing’s playful smile slightly paused.

One was unaware if Shen Miao was Shen Miao or not, but Xie Jing Xing was after all no longer Xie Jing Xing. The Little Marquis of the residence of the Marquis of Lin An was now Prince Rui. Perhaps others felt it strange that this was the same person, after all Xie Jing Xing previously had no relations with the Great Liang.

“You really do not like to be at even a little disadvantage at all.” Xie Jing Xing stood up and his eyes converged before saying with a smile but not a smile, “Ought to be Shen Miao.” He seemed to be lamenting to himself yet also seemed to be talking to Shen Miao, “So many secrets, really expend a great deal of effort just to inquire.”

“Why does Prince Rui not let go of me?” Shen Miao looked at him, “Regardless of whether I have secrets or not, it does not matter to Prince Rui at all.”

“As luck would have it, I am interested in your secret.” Xie Jing Xing leisurely said, “Moreover after thinking, it seemed that in the Ming Qi there seem is only you that is trustable.”

Shen Miao did not get angry but instead laughed, “Prince Rui had forgotten that there is still Su Ming Feng and Princess Rong Xin.”

Xie Jing Xing smiled gently, “No one told you before that one should not mention about the past?”

One did not know why but under the lamplight, even though the smug smile on his lips was still elegant and flirtatious, there seemed to be some loneliness.

Shen Miao said expressionlessly, “I only request Prince Rui not to intervene in this matter.”

“It seems that everything has be thought out.” Xie Jing Xing raised his brows, “Really amazing.”

Shen Miao’s eyes hanged down and heard Xie Jing Xing speaking again, “The Princess of the Qin country would not leave the matter at that.”

“I am also aware of it without the reminder.” Shen Miao fiercely glared at him, “One still have to thank Prince Rui for lending a helping hand today.”

With Princess Ming An’s jealous character and her seemingly obsession with Xie Jing Xing, seeing Xie Jing Xing helping Shen Miao, she would be bound to vent her anger out on Shen Miao.

“She is not your adversary.” Xie Jing Xing naturally reached his hand to rub Shen Miao’s head, but was fling away by Shen Miao and looked pitifully at his fingers.

Shen Miao did not want to speak. Princess Ming An did not have any brains so she was not worried at all, so the most important was still HuangFu Hao. In fact this time HuangFu Hao and Princess Ming An why they came over from the Qin country, was for the matter on the alliance with the Ming Qi. The Ming Qi was in a rush to have good relations with the Qin country, because the Great Liang was eyeing covetously like a tiger watching its prey.

No matter what, one must not let Fu Xiu Yi and HuangFu Hao mix together. Naturally one had to spend all efforts to undermine the tacit understanding of two countries’ alliance. Shen Miao’s gaze fell involuntarily on Xie Jing Xing. In this game of chess that encompa.s.ses the entire land under the Heavens, she did not know what kind of game the Great Liang was taking.

She died too early in her previous life, thus she did not know what happened at the end. What kind of scenario would Xie Jing Xing be in? He most likely would not die in combat, but like a cicada that shed its carapace he returned to the Great Liang to be his Prince Rui.

Xie Jing Xing noticed her gaze and laughed, “What are you doubting again?”

Shen Miao watched him firmly, “When does Prince Rui intend to return to the Great Liang?”

“Cannot bear?” Xie Jing Xing smiled and glanced at her before looking out the window. “Do not worry. For the time being one will not leave yet.” He said, “The play between HuangFu Hao and Prince Ding, this Prince also wish to watch it to the end.”

Shen Miao’s heart moved as Xie Jing Xing said, “Do not you also want to watch?”

“One do not understand the meaning of Prince Rui’s words.” Shen Miao spoke one thing but meant another.

Xie Jing Xing bent down to pick the black cloak on the floor. The cloak was soaked with the water from the pond and was thrown casually into a ball. For a moment his face stiffened but still casually spoke, “Shen Miao, you and me are the same type of people.”

“Your Highness is the descendants of aristocrats. This official’s daughter is like dust, unworthy to be of par.”

“Unduly humble.” The lips of the purple robed youth hooked up, “You are the same as this Prince, born to be above all.”

Until there was no longer that person figure in the room and the candlelight seemed to have gradually gone down, Shen Miao sat still in front of the table, as her state of mind due to the words that Xie Jing Xing said before he left, took a long time to calm down.

The same as this Prince, born to be above all.

Could it be that Xie Jing Xing had discovered any inkling of it? But this was not possible. She once again thought carefully through all the encounters she had with Xie Jing Xing in her previous life, and there was no intersection at all, not even a word was said. Shen Miao keep thinking over and over, when she suddenly found out that she had wasted too much time on this matter. Thinking of how Xie Jing Xing unfathomably disrupted her life, anger rose in her heart.

But at the other end in Prince Rui"s residence, Xie Jing Xing returned to a room. This room was for sleeping and was almost an exquisite sleeping chambers. He threw the cloak in his hands casually and wiped his hands with a silk cloth. A ball of white thing pounced out from a corner and kept tugging and biting that black cloak, letting its head loose on the thing.

Xie Jing Xing watched coldly at that furball playing with the cloak, before picking it up from the floor.

“What kind of conduct is this?” His face was filled with dislike.

The white tiger cub sneezed and its claws clasped onto Xie Jing Xing collar, before Xie Jing Xing threw it to the nest by the corner of the bed expressionlessly.

“Tie Yi.” Xie Jing Xing said.

A black figure swept in from outside, “What orders does Master have?”

Xie Jing Xing pointed at the cloak on the floor. The corner of Tie Yi’s mouth pursed. That was a cloak made from black lion fur that was hard to acquire even with thousand taels of gold. There was only one piece of black lion fur cloak in the Great Liang’s treasure store and to be defiled like this, Tie Yi thought that even Emperor Yong Le would also have tears of sympathy.

“Take it and throw it away.” Xie Jing Xing started to undress.

Tie Yi numbly picked up that piece of cloak and complied. Everyone knew that Prince Rui had an excessive fondness for cleanliness that ordinary people did not have. This cloak was already ravaged beyond help, so Xie Jing Xing would also not want it anymore. Moreover no one dare to secretly keep the things that Prince Rui wore before, so Tie Yi seemed to be looking at taels flowing away.

Just as he reached the door, he heard Xie Jing Xing said, “Wait.”

Tie Yi looked back. Xie Jing Xing hesitated for a moment before frowning, “Never mind, wash it and keep it.”

Tie Yi was surprised for a moment before nodding in delight, and flew out of the door while holding the cloak. His face was filled with gratification. It is good that Master finally understood not to be extravagant. This was the best, then one can hold up the entire future of the Great Liang.

The Ding capital ushered in the first snow of this winter.

The snowflakes rustled as they covered everything, the snow white colour was truly adorable. Upon entering winter, the females on the streets had begun to wear a different variety of embroidered coat robes and wear now a variety of velvet cloaks, which was extremely elegant. In such a snowy day like this, as one hold an umbrella in one hand and walk in solitude, one would find it very tasteful.

In the Western courtyard of the Shen residence, there was someone standing in front of the courtyard watching the snow flying around.

“Young Lady Qing do not go in and sit? In such a weather outside, do be careful not to catch a cold. The Ding capital is not as warm as the Liu province. The wind in the winter here is very cold.” Someone said with a smile. Dressed in a goose egg yellow wide-sleeved top and a light red ruyi skirt with hundreds of birds, it was elegant and supple including leaving a Chao Yue bun. If one were to look from afar, one would thought that it was some family young lady. This person was Chen Rou Qiu.

The person standing at the side of the courtyard turned over. The simple snow green-blue long dress was worn very elegantly and moving. Chang Zai Qing smiled, “There is little snow in the Liu province. In an entire winter, there would only snow a few rare times. The snow that falls in the Ding capital is truly lovely. One want to take a good look.”

Chen Rou Qiu smiled, “Appreciating the snow and discussing about wine is an elegant matter. Young Lady Qing is indeed tasteful.” She said, “In the future, if Young Lady Qing keep staying in the Ding capital, after seeing it a few times, this would no longer be viewed it as uncommon. It comes down every year, making it so very cold.”

Chang Zai Qing merely smiled and did not speak. Both of them were gentle and refined, seemingly like daughters from a respectable, cultured and scholarly family. Each move and action warmed the heart and delighted the eyes, it was as if they were a pair of sisters. Chen Rou Qiu pulled Chang Zai Qing’s hands, “No matter how much Young Lady Qing likes this snow, one must not stay in this courtyard for too long else cold air will enter the body. There is a brazier in the room, it is better to go to the room for a sit.”

Chang Zai Qing also did not decline, thus the both of them entered the room hand in hand. After entering the room, the maid send in hot tea for the two of them.