The Rebirth of the Vengeful Empress from a Military Family

Chapter III: Goading

Volume I: The Spring Breeze is Only a Stranger

Chapter III: Goading (挑拨)

"Young Miss, Second Young Miss has come to meet you."

Concern riddle Jing Zhe's expression. "The Second Young Miss came at such an unfortunate time. Young Miss is ill and this servant fears that the Young Lady's fever may be contagious."

Gu Yu pulls Jing Zhe by the arm, but her face held the same concern.

Shen Miao sighs in her heart as she recognizes the worry in their eyes.

Her four first-ranked maids had been personally chosen and instructed by her parents. Thus, all of them had been faithful and quick-thinking. Shen Miao had been too blind and naïve to realize the Shen Residence's situation and see the Second and Third Households' hidden intentions, but her maids discovered all of it.

Before any more words could be fall, a girl enters. Clad in a pale pink robe adorned with patterns of daisies and a pleated skirt, this girl looks a little over fifteen or sixteen. She wears her hair in a fringed bun. She has fair skin and an exquisitely graceful pair of brows and eyes. She exudes the heavy of aura of a dignified, well-educated young lady who obeyed the rules of good conduct.

When her gaze lands upon Shen Miao, she hastens her approach towards the bed and anxiously inquires, "Fifth Younger Sister, are you feeling better now? I was worried for so long after I heard that you had fallen into the pond, but I didn't dare to disturb you after the Yu Jiao Courtyard's people told me that you needed to rest. I only dared to visit after I heard that you've woken up today."

Shen Miao stares at the girl in front of her: Shen Yue of the Shen's Family's Third Household.

The Shen family had three Di daughters. Shen Qing, placid and benevolent, Shen Yue, renowned for her talents; only Shen Miao possessed an intolerable disposition and no talent. Strangers might often praise her for being "silent and virtuous", but in reality, they knew that their own words held no merit and that Shen Miao is unfit to be shown in public.

[T/N: Di refers to the main wife (aka the Di wife) and her children (aka Di sons and daughters). On the other hand, Shu refers to secondary wives (侧妃 - cefei), concubines, and those women's children (aka Shu sons and daughters). Some translate Di and Shu as 'legitimate' and 'illegitimate' respectively, but that's not exactly true because Shu children, technically speaking, are also legitimate children of the family, as their mothers had married in. Illegitimate children are those born from women who have not married into the family, such as children born from prostitutes who have not been taken in as concubines. Although they will also be considered Shu children, their status will be lower than the Shu children born from legitimate concubines.

To avoid any confusion in the future, Shen Miao's uncles are Di sons as their mother, the Old Madame, was not Old General Shen's secondary wife or cefei, but rather his second main or Di wife.]

Back then, before Shen Miao's marriage, she had been closest to Shen Yue, who had been mild-tempered and possessed a mind that repeatedly conjured multiple ideas for Shen Miao. The trouble sprouted from the fact that, in her previous lifetime, Shen Miao failed to distinguish good and bad intentions from one another. Therefore, she blindly felt gratitude for her older Tang sister's diligence and assistance.

The reason behind Shen Yue's arrival is most probably her desire to plead in behalf of Shen Qing.

Predictably, the words that leave Shen Yue's mouth are: "Fifth Younger Sister, First Older Sister tumbled and therefore made a blunder. Seeing that this matter has become this big, this Sister hopes that Fifth Younger Sister would find it in her heart to forgive First Older Sister this time. First Older Sister had been incredibly contrite ever since she heard that Fifth Younger Sister became ill. Since Fifth Younger Sister's fever has assuaged, why not be lenient on First Older Sister just this once? She didn't intend for you to shame yourself in front of His Imperial Highness Prince Ding."