When Shen Qingli returned and reunited with Shen Qingyao and Lu Zhao, she keenly sensed that something was amiss.
Her little sister’s face alternated between red and pale, and Lu Zhao seemed to be smiling with an ambiguous meaning. Shen Qingli squinted her eyes and scrutinized Lu Zhao for a while, wondering if he took advantage of her absence to bully Yaoyao.
Shen Qingyao felt uneasy under her elder sister’s scrutinizing gaze, as if she was being caught doing something wrong.
Fortunately, at this moment, Cui Qiao arrived as if descended from the heavens, saying that Mother Shen was looking for her. She seized the opportunity and hastily excused herself, following Cui Qiao, leaving Lu Zhao and Shen Qingli staring at each other.
“What did you do to our Yaoyao? Look at how frightened she is!” Shen Qingli immediately questioned Lu Zhao as soon as Shen Qingyao left.
Lu Zhao wiped away the smile from his face, replacing it with a mocking expression, and calmly said, “You’re meddling too much.”
This infuriated Shen Qingli even more, and she retorted, “She’s my own sister! Shouldn’t I care about her?”
Shen Qinglu gritted her teeth, thinking that she wouldn’t have let her sister marry him if it weren’t for Yaoyao’s affection for him.
Lu Zhao smirked and says, “Sure, you can.”
“…You’re shameless!” Shen Qingli muttered under her breath and turned around to leave.
But unexpectedly, she heard him say from behind, “Xiao Mu is coming back, you know.”
Her steps halted for a moment, and Shen Qingli turned back, murmuring a low acknowledgment. If Shen Qingyao were still here, she would surely be astonished : “Xiao Mu! Isn’t that the name of the original male lead?“
Lu Zhao brushed non-existent dust off his sleeves, looking up at Shen Qingli. “What are you planning to do?” After all, they were now considered a family, and he didn’t mind helping her a bit.
Shen Qingli’s facial expressions change constantly. After a long silence, she asserted, “I have my own way.” Implicitly, she was saying she didn’t need him to worry. Shen Qingli looks resolute, radiating a sense of impending success.
Lu Zhao remains noncommittal, muttering an indifferent “Hmm” before walking away without looking back.
A few days later, the imperial decree from Empress Dowager arrives. Shen Qingli fails to secure the marriage contract and has no choice but to enter the palace according to the decree. Shen Qingyao heard that on the day Shen Qingli goes into the palace, Mother Shen was in tears, but Shen Qingli herself seemed indifferent. Unfortunately, Shen Qingyao didn’t witness these events as she fell ill again.
This time it’s just a slight cold, but in this era with limited medical technology, it becomes quite serious on her delicate porcelain-like body. Trapped in her room without her Elder Sister’s frequent visits, Shen Qingyao can do little beyond sleeping, taking medicine, and feeling bored.
She was lying lethargically on the table, and chatted with the system to relieve boredom.
“Elder Sister has been in the palace for several days! Do you think she will really be married to the Fifth Prince?” Shen Qingyao can’t help but worry. There are so many people wanting to marry her Elder Sister, and the male lead is currently not in favor. How can he compete with others?
[What nonsense are you talking about, Host! Who dares to compete with the male lead?] The system has a different perspective. After all, the male lead, Xiao Mu, has a notorious reputation, so it doesn’t matter even if he’s a prince who’s not favored.
Shen Qingyao slumped like a salted fish, with vacant eyes, and started recalling the kind of person the male lead in the original plot was.
Rumors had it that Xiao Mu’s mother was a beauty presented by a foreign country to the current Emperor. Despite her low status, she was lucky enough to be favored by the Emperor once and conceived Xiao Mu. Unfortunately, being alone in a foreign land, she had no support, and shortly after giving birth to Xiao Mu, she was killed by someone. With half of his blood being of foreign origin, Xiao Mu was completely ignored by the emperor. After his mother’s death, he grew up alone in the deserted palace, enduring humiliation and developing a sinister and melancholic character. When Xiao Mu finally grew up a bit, the Emperor remembered him and promptly conferred a title upon him then threw him to the border. From then on, he was never mentioned again.
But Xiao Mu was a person who was not resigned to his fate. After arriving at the border, he did not give up on himself. Instead, he quietly infiltrated the military, using this opportunity to train and hone himself, step by step accumulating military achievements to climb up. It wasn’t until two years ago that Xiao Mu led two hundred thousand troops to repel the seven hundred thousand invading army from Beirong country. This battle brought him fame, and people in the Imperial Capital suddenly realized that the Fifth Prince Xiao Mu was no longer the lonely and helpless youth from the past who could be bullied by anyone.
After the victorious battle, the current Emperor was greatly pleased, rewarding Xiao Mu with many things. However, there was no mention of letting Xiao Mu return to the capital. The ministers understood the Emperor’s disapproval of this impure-blooded son, so they no longer paid much attention to Xiao Mu. It wasn’t until later, when Xiao Mu once again achieved military merit, and the news of him slaughtering three cities of Beirong was spread.
Slaughtering a city is always a harmful act, and Xiao Mu’s reputation of bloodlust and cruelty spread far and wide. In the capital, the nobles, in addition to looking down on Xiao Mu, also developed a layer of fear towards him.
Having not returned to the capital in nearly a decade, Xiao Mu suddenly returned this year…
This is also one of the reasons why Mother Shen is particularly unwilling to let Shen Qingli enter the palace. If Shen Qingli is really unlucky enough to be assigned to Xiao Mu, then Shen Qingli’s life is considered over!
Thinking of this, Shen Qingyao couldn’t help but sigh.
The system asked her, [Host, why did you suddenly sigh? Is there something wrong with what your mother is worried about?]
After all, Mother Shen doesn’t know that Xiao Mu is the male lead, so it’s normal for her to worry.
Shen Qingyao shook her head, pretending to be profound, “Too small-minded. Xiao Mu was able to climb to the position of general in just a few years, commanding thousands of troops, proving his remarkable abilities! What does it matter whether he is favored or not? Having military power is the real dominance! Elder Sister should marry him! Conquer him! Then spend his money! Leverage his power! How wonderful…
“She was really too good for the second male lead…”
As Shen Qingyao was talking, she yawned. Just as she was about to fall asleep, there was suddenly some commotion outside, people coming and going, as if something big had happened.
She propped up her chin and called out, “Cui Qiao, what’s going on outside?”
Cui Qiao ran in, still catching her breath, and said urgently, “Miss! Eldest Miss has returned!”
“What? Elder Sister is back?” Shen Qingyao suddenly became alert, she stood up in a snap, her eyes sparkling.
Cui Qiao added, “And… also, there is an eunuch from the palace delivering an imperial decree! It’s a royal decree for marriage! Everyone is busy going out to receive the decree… Hey, Miss, where are you going?” She said halfway, but saw Shen Qingyao already running out, so she hurriedly went back into the room, grabbed a cloak, and chased after Shen Qingyao. “Miss, wait for me!”
When Cui Qiao caught up to Shen Qingyao, she coincidentally saw the eunuch delivering the decree entering. Father Shen had not yet returned home, and when Mother Shen saw Shen Qingyao coming, Mother Shen was somewhat puzzled. However, there was no time to say anything. Mother Shen quickly pulled Shen Qingyao outside to receive the decree.
After watching TV dramas for so many years, Shen Qingyao finally witnessed the announcement of a royal decree live. It felt novel, and when the eunuch delivering the decree left, she turned her head to see Mother Shen looking pale. Shen Qingyao opened her mouth, and without asking, she already knew the reason.
“Mother… Is Mother unhappy that Elder Sister has been betrothed?” Shen Qingyao, being a sickly child who shouldn’t have known about the rumors outside, could only ask, pretending not to know.
Mother Shen held the imperial decree in her hand, turned to smile at her daughter, but couldn’t force a smile.
Shen Qingyao only heard a long sigh from her mother, “Why… why does it have to be the Fifth Prince? My Ah Li is so unlucky…”
Shen Qingyao rushed over to support her mother. She couldn’t reveal too much, so she could only comfort, “Is there anything wrong with the Fifth Prince? Mother, there’s no need to worry too much. Even if there are rumors outside, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re true. Perhaps it’s not as bad as it seems?”
However, Mother Shen shook her head, looking at her naive and innocent daughter. In her heart, she couldn’t help but think, “If only Yaoyao didn’t like Lu Zhao…”
But in an instant, she suppressed this absurd thought. Children have their own destinies, but she couldn’t help but worry, “Yaoyao, you don’t understand…”
Shen Qingyao : …I really do understand. He’s the male lead! The male lead!
“Mother, although I don’t know how the Fifth Prince is portrayed outside, I read the official reports regularly. I know he’s a great general who defends the borders and protects the country. Even if there are bad rumors, how bad can he really be? Mother, don’t be too sad.”
This was true; even if everyone talked about him being cruel and bloodthirsty, Xiao Mu’s merits were undeniable.
Shen Qingli stepped into the house slowly. Just as she entered, she heard Shen Qingyao’s words. She couldn’t help but pause, and after listening, she couldn’t help but lower her head and smile. Everyone thought Yaoyao was naive and ignorant, but in the entire Shen family, only Yaoyao understood.
So Shen Qingli spoke up, “Yaoyao is right. The Fifth Prince defends the border for the country, works for the stability of the people, is upright and morally clean. I am very satisfied with such a person. Mother, there’s no need to worry. I don’t believe those rumors, and I’m not afraid of Xiao Mu.”
Shen Qingyao turned around and saw that her Elder Sister’s eyes were gentler and more determined than usual. It cast a soft filter over Shen Qingli’s entire being, leaving Shen Qingyao almost speechless.
Is this the female lead? Wow—
Shen Qingli walked over quickly, holding Shen Qingyao’s hand with one hand and supporting Mother Shen with the other, “Mother, I am truly satisfied.”
“You… you are…”
After all, it was her own daughter. When Mother Shen saw Shen Qingli’s appearance, she seemed to understand something in an instant. No wonder Shen Qingli had repeatedly emphasized that she didn’t like Lu Zhao; it turned out she had someone she truly liked.
Shen Qingli seemed to know what her mother was going to ask. She nodded gently and, while the hand holding Shen Qingyao’s hand exerted a bit of force, as she was nervous.
Mother Shen fell silent for a long time. However, the matter was already settled, and no amount of words would change it. “You have your own thoughts, and I can’t control you anymore…”
That’s it. She looked at Shen Qingli with affection, then claimed she had a headache and went back inside to rest.
Shen Qingyao looked curiously. She didn’t understand what kind of puzzle was being played here. Just as she was puzzled, she met Shen Qingli’s eyes. Her Elder Sister smiled gently at her, “Yaoyao, come, I received many rewards when I entered the palace this time. Take a look, and if there’s anything you like, it’s all yours!”
Shen Qingyao became even more puzzled. Why did it feel like her Elder Sister, who had just returned from the palace, was even more doting? Suddenly, she was curious about what had happened to her Elder Sister in the palace these days…
Until late at night, Shen Qingyao lay on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Her mind was filled with the task, the original plot, and Lu Zhao… In short, she couldn’t calm down.
Suddenly, she sat up straight. After sitting on the bed for a while, she suddenly wanted to talk to someone.
After a moment, a slender figure sneaked out, avoiding the night watchman, and quietly passed by Cui Qiao. Following her memory, she headed towards Shen Qingli’s courtyard.
Not knowing if it was because she had guilty conscience, she always felt like someone was following her. Shen Qingyao shook, tightened her cloak, and quickened her pace.
Finally arriving at Shen Qingli’s courtyard with great difficulty, she was about to call out “Elder Sister,” but before she could, she heard someone talking inside. It wasn’t her Elder Sister’s voice; it was a… male voice???!!!
Shen Qingyao froze in place, afraid to move. She inexplicably had a premonition that she seemed to have discovered a big secret…