The only time Shen Zhao had truly crossed paths with Xie Chenyu in her previous life was at the very end when, on the verge of death, she had been buried in the same coffin as him and entered into a ghost marriage, becoming husband and wife in death.
The agreement they once made was the sentence spoken by that headless corpse:
“I can help you be reborn, but you must help me…”
And now…
Xie Chenyu sat before the incense table in her chambers, speaking words that sounded strangely familiar.
At once, Shen Zhao recalled the final words she had heard before dying, and from that, she concluded…
Xie Chenyu had also been reborn.
And ever since her own rebirth, she had been waiting for him to come find her.
She wanted to know whether her rebirth was truly connected to him.
Shen Zhao immediately dismissed the two trusted maids behind her, closed the door, and walked toward Xie Chenyu.
She bowed slightly.
“Duke Jin.”
Xie Chenyu replied, “There is no one else here. You needn’t be so formal with me.”
His fingers lightly tapped the table, signaling for her to sit.
Shen Zhao sat across from him. Neither wished to waste time, so they went straight to the point.
“Miss Shen,” Xie Chenyu began, “I once dreamed that I entered into a ghost marriage with you.”
If Shen Zhao had truly returned through rebirth, she would immediately understand the meaning behind those words.
And after hearing him, Shen Zhao did not feel offended in the slightest. Instead, she answered calmly:
“My lord Duke, I too once had the same dream.”
“In your dream,” Xie Chenyu asked as he turned to look at her profile, “what did I look like?”
Shen Zhao lowered her eyes.
“Headless. Wearing cold, rigid armor. In the dream I was blind and couldn’t fully see your body. I only knew it was a headless corpse.”
Then she raised her eyes and looked back at him.
“But I heard the headless corpse speak.”
“I can help you be reborn, but you must help me,” Xie Chenyu said softly.
Their gazes met.
Steady yet carrying faint smiles.
Shen Zhao said, “How does the Duke wish for me to help you? Say the word. Even at the cost of my life, I will repay the grace of your giving me rebirth.”
Xie Chenyu replied, “The immortal who granted me this opportunity allowed only my rebirth, not the memories of my previous life. But if the chance at rebirth were given to another person, that person could carry the memories of past lives through reincarnation. Only by joining together with you can I change my fate.”
Shen Zhao looked slightly startled.
“If Your Grace has no memories of your previous life, then how do you know you were reborn?”
“Dreams,” Xie Chenyu answered. “The scenes of us sharing a coffin and my promise to grant you rebirth have repeated in my dreams for the past year. Later, I encountered an immortal and gleaned a trace of heavenly secrets from him. That is how I confirmed that Miss Shen was the destined person from my dreams. And during your coming-of-age ceremony, I became certain of one more thing.”
His eyes grew brighter.
“You are someone who returned through rebirth.”
In Xie Chenyu’s memories, Shen Zhao had always been proud and aloof, like an untouchable flower blooming atop snowy mountains.
Her eyes had contained only the Crown Prince, with no room for anyone else.
But the Shen Zhao at the coming-of-age ceremony had been completely different from the eldest miss he remembered.
The way she looked at Xiao Xuanzhou seemed as though she wanted to slice him apart alive.
The way she looked at her parents and brothers was as though she wanted to devour them whole.
Those eyes were wrong.
When Xie Chenyu had been younger, he had once seen Shen Zhao acting like an ordinary girl.
She used to cling to Xiao Xuanzhou’s side, constantly calling him “Crown Prince Brother, Crown Prince Brother.”
Wherever she went, the person she spoke of most was the Crown Prince.
For someone so deeply infatuated with him to suddenly look at him with such venomous hatred there could only be one explanation.
She was no longer the Shen Zhao who had once waited wholeheartedly to become Crown Princess.
And after finally receiving the answer she had sought from Xie Chenyu, Shen Zhao replied frankly:
“I understand now.”
“You know that both of us are people who returned through rebirth, but only I retained the memories of the previous life.”
“You wish to rely on my knowledge of the future to change the fate of both yourself and the Duke Jin Manor.”
Xie Chenyu did not deny it. He looked deeply at Shen Zhao.
“Miss Shen, you need only tell me the future course of the Duke Jin Manor. I will handle matters myself and won’t drag you into danger or place you in a difficult position. And once things succeed, I will guarantee you wealth and security for life.”
“No.”
Shen Zhao reached into the chess bowl beside her, took out a black chess piece, and rolled it between her fingers.
“I want to be the one controlling the board.”
Xie Chenyu narrowed his eyes slightly and silently watched her movements.
Watched as she…
Placed the chess piece in the center of the table.
“I want the Crown Prince, on the very day he receives the imperial marriage decree with Shen Qingrou, to immediately break one of his legs.”
“I want the world to know that the moment the Crown Princess changed, the Crown Prince’s misfortune began.”
Xiao Xuanzhou wanted to clear the name of the woman he loved so why should Shen Zhao alone bear the stain of being called a fake Phoenix Star and a reincarnated evil spirit?
He could not expect to gain everything without paying any price.
Just then, Cui Xuenian’s voice sounded from outside the room.
“Where is Eldest Miss?”
The conversation between Shen Zhao and Xie Chenyu was interrupted.
Xie Chenyu immediately rose.
“I’ll hide first.”
“No need,” Shen Zhao said. “After my coming-of-age ceremony, two major events will happen to the Duke Jin Manor one joyful and one disastrous.”
Xie Chenyu paused halfway through standing, waiting for her to continue.
“The good news is that the merchant fleet Old Madam Xie sent to the Western Seas will return to the capital within these days.”
“That fleet will bring back many rare and valuable treasures from overseas, most of which will be presented to the Emperor.”
“Because of this, His Majesty will even consider granting Your Grace the title of a hereditary king.”
“Was I eventually granted the title?” Xie Chenyu asked.
Emperor Emperor Jingle had always treated him well. His father had died on the battlefield, while his mother’s illness prevented her from properly raising him.
Emperor Jingle had pitied Xie Chenyu since childhood. He brought him into the palace to be raised alongside the princes, letting him eat and live with them, and even personally teaching him horseback riding and archery.
The Emperor had once said that if Xie Chenyu achieved one more great military merit, he would be granted the title of king.
At the time, Xie Chenyu had not cared much about it.
But now, after glimpsing through mysterious signs that the Xie family was destined for ruin, he had no choice but to fight for that future.
Shen Zhao spoke concisely:
“You will be recommended by the Crown Prince to lead troops to Yanqing in the northwest to suppress the horse bandits plaguing the Jin merchants’ trade route.”
“The men you bring including yourself will be secretly poisoned by my eldest brother. Eighty percent of your forces will die or be injured.”
“While you are unconscious, my eldest brother will accuse you of command failures, causing you to lose the chance of being granted a royal title and nearly be stripped of your noble rank.”
“His Majesty, seeing that you are already gravely wounded and have long rendered countless military merits, will refuse to believe the accusations of the Crown Prince’s faction and will preserve your title.”
“But because of this, you will be left crippled in one leg and blind in your left eye.”
Shen Zhao had only learned about the Crown Prince and her father and brothers persecuting Xie Chenyu after he died in battle at Beiliang Pass and his coffin was returned to Yanjing.
Back then, she had even quarreled with the Crown Prince over the matter.
Thinking back on it now, even the fact that Xiao Xuanzhou had forced her into a ghost marriage with Xie Chenyu before her death had traces to follow.
Xiao Xuanzhou was narrow-minded and vicious by nature how could he tolerate his fiancée speaking up for another man?
The knocking outside the door became increasingly forceful.
Her eldest brother, Shen Rong, unable to force the door open, shouted loudly:
“Zhaozhao, what are you doing in there?”
Only then did Shen Zhao slowly rise to her feet. In a lowered voice, she said to Xie Chenyu:
“Misfortune and blessing come together. But Your Grace can turn the joyful event into an even greater blessing for yourself and for me.”
Xie Chenyu immediately understood what she meant.
On the very day the imperial marriage decree arrived and the Crown Prince was injured, the merchant fleet the Xie family had sent across the Western Seas three years earlier would also return to the capital.
That would be a joyous occasion for the Duke Jin Manor and a blessing for Great Yan itself.
The door finally opened.
The people outside poured in one after another.
The first to enter was Cui Xuenian, followed by Shen Zhao’s eldest brother Shen Rong, then her father Shen Huaiming, and then…
The Crown Prince Xiao Xuanzhou together with Shen Qingrou.
Lastly came Shen Zhao’s other two brothers.
The moment they saw Xie Chenyu inside the room, all of their expressions darkened.
Xiao Xuanzhou looked utterly disbelieving.
“Duke Jin, why are you in Shen Zhao’s chambers?”
Though he had chosen Shen Qingrou, in Xiao Xuanzhou’s mind, Shen Zhao had always been a delicate vine incapable of leaving him. How could she possibly allow another man into her private room?
Then he turned toward Shen Zhao.
“Shen Zhao, you actually allowed an unrelated man”
“Your Highness.”
Shen Zhao interrupted him directly and answered openly without the slightest embarrassment:
“The Duke came to discuss our engagement and ask what styles of ceremonial robes and jewelry I prefer.”
The words Xiao Xuanzhou had been about to say lodged in his throat and were forcibly swallowed back down.
Shen Zhao’s response was clearly telling him that she and Xie Chenyu had already become a pair because of his own decree.
Xiao Xuanzhou’s expression turned cold.
“So you’re already that eager to marry into the Duke Jin Manor?”