The royal family had the most power. But what was more powerful than them were the people.
The royal family of Ming Qi had done many dirty things in the dark, but they still pretended to be concerned about the country. They enjoyed the offerings and protection of the big families with a clear conscience, but in the end, they wanted to get rid of the big families when they became a threat.
Shen Miao’s words made everyone fall silent.
The girls thought about their ancestors who sacrificed their lives for the nation. The boys were at the age where they were hot-blooded. They naturally admired heroes who fought bravely on the battlefield.
But some people were not so happy.
The three princes of Ming Qi frowned at the same time. Others didn’t know, but they knew what the royal family was up to now. The Shen family was too powerful, and sooner or later, they would be eliminated by the emperor with another excuse. However, the Shen family had a good reputation among the people for so many years, and it wouldn’t be easy to get rid of them. Shen Miao looked like she was mourning the soldiers, but in fact, she was praising them for their contributions and putting them in a respectful position so that the royal family couldn’t do anything to harm the soldiers and generals.
Did she do it on purpose?
Everyone looked up at the stage. After the girl finished speaking, she fell silent. Her robe was slightly loose, fluttering in the cold wind, making her look even more delicate.
Prince Yu followed the purple-clothed girl with his eyes. After a while, he suddenly smiled meaningfully. “This Miss Shen is very interesting.”
For some reason, when Prince Yu said that, Pei Lang and Fu Xiuyi frowned at the same time and had a bad feeling.
When Prince Zhou heard that, he asked meaningfully, “Uncle, do you like her? I heard she is stupid and ignorant, but that’s not necessarily the case. She’s sharp-tongued and pretty. If she becomes…” He smiled evilly. “It will be very interesting.”
Prince Yu was already in his forties. He was cruel and fierce, causing many women to die. If Shen Miao fell into his hands, she would probably die soon.
However, Prince Jing thought further than his brother. Although the royal family wanted to suppress the Shen family, the Shen family had military power. No matter which prince obtained the help of the Shen family in private, he would gain a lot of power. However, Prince Yu no longer had the right to compete for the throne. If Shen Miao married him, it was equivalent to placing the military power in the royal family. That way, none of the princes could use the Shen family to compete for the throne.
At the thought of this, Prince Jing, Fu Xiuyuan, nodded and said, “Miss Shen is indeed smart. I think she suits Uncle very well.”
Pei Lang looked worriedly at Shen Miao, who was walking down the stage. Her footsteps were steady and her expression was calm. She probably did not know that her fate was already in the hands of this group of royal princes. He sighed in his heart. However, he was just a small scholar and could not change anything. He could only feel sorry for Shen Miao.
Prince Yu waved his hand impatiently, not looking very happy. The smile on his lips was indeed a little sinister. “Nephews, I don’t know what you are up to, but the Shen family is too big for me.” His gaze landed on his broken leg. “However, Miss Shen is interesting. It’s not a bad idea to have some fun with her.”
Su Mingfeng glanced over. He was not close to Fu Xiuyi and the others, so he only focused on the stage. However, he was a little angry. If she was targeted by Prince Yu, she would probably die. If Shen Xin was in the capital, it would be fine. Unfortunately, Shen Xin was away at the border most of the time. Without his father and brother protecting her, how could a little girl fight against these wolves?
As if he had expected Shen Miao’s tragic ending, Su Mingfeng sighed and brought Su Minglang to his father.
Shen Miao didn’t know about the conversation in the male section. Jingzhe was very happy for Shen Miao, while Shen Yue left her seat in a huff.
After the women’s test, it was time for the men’s test. The girls who had already been tested left their seats to rest. Feng Anning followed beside Shen Miao, saying in awe, “What you say just now was really impressive.”
Shen Miao replied indifferently, “You’re not bad either.”
Thinking that she had gotten first place in the Guqin category, Feng Anning smiled and said, “I’ll go get something from the carriage. Wait for me here.”
After Feng Anning left, Shen Miao walked to the plum forest in Yanbei Hall to wait for her. The plum hadn’t blossomed yet, but the trees were lush.
Gu Yu walked out. She looked around and whispered, “Miss, it’s already been sent to the young master of the Shi family.”
“Very good,” Shen Miao said.
Gu Yu was still a little confused, not understanding why her miss would do that. After all, it was impossible for her Miss to know the young master of the Shi family.
At this moment, they heard a chuckle above their heads. The three of them looked up and saw someone in purple jumping down from the branches. In the blink of an eye, he landed in front of them.
The young man in purple was so handsome that he did not look like a mortal. He crossed his arms and leaned lazily against the tree trunk with a faint smile on his lips. His eyes were as deep as the winter night in the capital, cold.
It was Xie Jingxing.