The night was deep. In the Bibo Courtyard, the bedroom candlelight flickered dimly.
Cui Xuenian lay half-reclined on the bed, tossing and turning as she sank into a nightmare.
A faint creak sounded as the door opened, and a chill seeped inside.
A red shoe stepped over the threshold first.
Then, a figure in a moon-white ruqun appeared at the doorway.
Her skirt was stained with mud, as if she had crawled up from beneath the earth.
Cui Xuenian forced her eyelids open, and her eyes suddenly widened.
The woman before her looked six parts like her pale-faced, but her lips were curled into a smile.
A numb, crawling fear spread across Cui Xuenian’s scalp. She tried to scream, but no sound came out.
Terror engulfed her whole body.
Inside, she struggled and screamed endlessly: Help… someone help…
Ghost… there’s a ghost… a ghost…
“Ah ”
“Madam! Madam!”
Madam Yao rushed in and woke Cui Xuenian.
Cui Xuenian shot upright in bed, staring fixedly at the spot where the woman had stood.
She clutched the quilt tightly, trembling uncontrollably.
Madam Yao quickly lit the lamps and returned to her side.
“Madam, did you have a nightmare?”
Cui Xuenian did not deny it; in fact, she was visibly agitated.
“Nanny… I saw her.”
Her voice was low and strained, filled with fear.
“She walked in through that door, covered in mud from head to toe, standing right in front of me, calling me…”
Before she could say the last two words, Madam Yao immediately covered her mouth.
“Shh.” She quickly tried to calm her. “Madam, it was just a nightmare. You are the legitimate eldest daughter of the Cui family.”
Cui Xuenian shuddered violently and finally came fully awake.
She looked around the room again there was no trace of that “woman” anywhere.
The patterned carpet was spotless, with not a single muddy footprint.
This confirmed Madam Yao’s words.
It had only been a nightmare.
“Yes… she’s long dead. How could she come back? Even if she turned into a ghost, I wouldn’t fear her.”
“I didn’t kill her. If she wants revenge, she should go after those bandits who harmed her.”
“I married into the Shen family in her place I solved a huge problem for the Cui family.”
“If she really became a ghost, she should be grateful to me for preserving the Cui family’s century-long legacy.”
“Otherwise…”
“The Cui family would have already fallen.”
The more Cui Xuenian spoke, the more justified she felt, as if there truly was another “presence” in the room.
Seeing her rambling, Madam Yao glanced at the incense burner nearby.
The incense inside had already gone out; only lingering warmth remained.
Her hand supporting Cui Xuenian trembled slightly.
Since returning from Ziyun Temple, she had been serving outside the room the whole time.
Thinking of Shen Zhao’s instructions, she bit her lip and said, “Perhaps Madam has been too worried about the Eldest Miss lately, which is why you had this nightmare.”
Cui Xuenian gradually calmed down, but her eyes turned venomous.
“I poured fifteen years of effort into raising her.”
“In the end, she’s the one who brings misfortune upon me, her own mother.”
“Why doesn’t she go harm someone else instead? If she could bring disaster upon Xie Chenyu and kill him, that would count as a contribution to the Shen family.”
Madam Yao opened her mouth slightly, hesitated for a moment, then said carefully, “When this servant returned to the city, I saw Old Madam Xie leaving the city before dawn. I asked around, and she said she was going to Ziyun Temple to accompany the Eldest Miss.”
The malice in Cui Xuenian’s eyes deepened.
“Then let her go. Go tell Old Madam Xie later if anything happens to her because of that ‘misfortune,’ don’t blame it on the Shen family.”
Madam Yao’s hands trembled even more, but she still forced herself to answer, “Yes.”
Red Branch entered and said, “Madam, the eldest young master is about to depart.”
Cui Xuenian restrained the coldness on her face and said, “Send the protective talisman I asked for at the temple to the Second Miss’s room.”
“Have her personally tie it for the eldest young master.”
“Let her bring him some of her good fortune so he will return safely victorious.”
At this moment, Shen Zhao also had a protective talisman in front of her.
She had not requested it.
It was given by Old Madam Xie, who asked her to personally help Xie Chenyu tie it.
Shen Zhao looked at the familiar talisman in silence.
Cui Xuenian also liked to go to Ziyun Temple to ask for such talismans for her father and brothers.
In her previous life, all the talismans she obtained had to pass through Shen Zhao’s hands before being given to them.
She had once been confused, until Cui Xuenian told her:
“You are the Phoenix Star of Great Yan, a bearer of great fortune. When you pass it to your father and brothers, it brings them blessings they will be protected by that luck and everything will go smoothly.”
From then on, she would take the talismans from Cui Xuenian herself and personally help her father and brothers wear them.
And indeed, everything they planned went smoothly, bringing them promotions and success.
But as Shen Qingrou appeared, things gradually changed.
Shen Zhao had not taken it seriously in her previous life.
Now, thinking back, the Imperial Preceptor Lianping likely told the Crown Prince and the Shen family behind her back…
Everyone had been mistaken.
The true Phoenix Star was Shen Qingrou, not her.
Now hearing Old Madam Xie asking her to tie the talisman for Xie Chenyu, Shen Zhao frowned slightly.
She asked, “Old Madam, Imperial Preceptor Lianping said I am a disaster star. Aren’t you afraid that this talisman will not protect the Duke Jin, and instead”
She did not finish the inauspicious words.
Old Madam Xie, however, said, “I can tell fortune from misfortune. My Xie family’s merchant ships were able to return to Great Yan thanks to you.”
She took Shen Zhao’s hand and placed the protective talisman into her palm, gently patting it twice.
At this moment, Feng Chun hurried into Yuqing Courtyard and reported, “Old Madam, Eldest Miss Shen, the army heading to Yanqing has arrived at Ziyun Temple. The Great General is about to depart.”
“Quickly, help tie this protective talisman for Chenyu,” Old Madam Xie said.
Shen Zhao nodded and lightly touched the talisman in her hand, discovering that it was not made by Daoist Master Tianji of Ziyun Temple.
She put the talisman away and accompanied Old Madam Xie to see Xie Chenyu off.
But before she could even step out of the gates of Ziyun Temple, Shen Rong who was seated on horseback ahead spoke sharply:
“Zhao Zhao, you carry baleful energy. You are not allowed to approach our military ranks.”
Shen Zhao paused.
She looked toward Shen Rong, who stood behind Xie Chenyu, and immediately noticed the yellow talisman hanging around his neck.
Coincidentally,
Shen Rong also saw the protective talisman in Shen Zhao’s hand.
His brows furrowed even deeper.
“In the future, you need not seek protective talismans for me anymore. The Imperial Preceptor said that any talisman touched by you brings disaster.”
Shen Zhao lowered her gaze to the talisman in her hand, then let out a cold laugh.
“Brother, you misunderstand. This talisman was not requested for you.”
“Then who is it for?”
Shen Zhao looked at Xie Chenyu.
He wore black armor, a dark jade belt, and rode a black steed upright and commanding.
Xie Chenyu dismounted and walked straight toward Shen Zhao.
Only then did Shen Rong realize that the talisman in her hand was meant for Xie Chenyu.
His expression darkened instantly.
Something he had rejected she was giving to someone else.
However…
Shen Rong did not stop her as she fastened the talisman onto Xie Chenyu’s belt.
He merely glanced at it briefly and said, “Zhaozhao, while I am away from the capital, I hope you behave yourself. When I return victorious, I will ask the Crown Prince to grant you a peaceful life so long as you do not cause trouble.”
With that, he glanced at the plaque of Ziyun Temple.
This place would become her future place of cultivation and restraint.
But Shen Zhao did not even look at him.
She calmly finished tying the talisman together with Xie Chenyu’s dark jade ornament.
After it was done, Xie Chenyu also said to her, “When I return, I will request an auspicious date from His Majesty and marry you.”
Shen Zhao smiled softly her smile was sweet, at least in Shen Rong’s eyes.
She replied, “Then I will wait for you at Ziyun Temple. May the heavens bless your safety and your triumphant return.”
Xie Chenyu responded solemnly, “Mm. Rest assured, I will come back.”
Shen Rong let out a faint scoff upon hearing their exchange.
He turned his face away and smiled.
A laugh at them both one delusional, and one already standing at death’s door.