CHAPTER 18: The Fourth Miss cannot be controlled
1015 Words
Morning arrived beneath heavy snowfall.
The capital looked peaceful from afar.
White rooftops.
Frozen rivers.
Smoke rising softly from noble estates.
But beneath that calm beauty—
the imperial city had already begun shifting quietly because of one banquet.
Inside tea houses and noble residences, discussions spread endlessly.
“The Lord of Valin publicly praised her…”
“The Crown Prince protected her repeatedly…”
“Who exactly is this Fourth Miss?”
Rumors moved faster than winter wind.
And naturally—
those rumors reached every corner of the General’s Manor.
Including General Shen himself.
Inside the study, the General sat heavily behind a carved wooden desk while several intelligence reports lay open before him.
Every report mentioned Shen Yue.
Not Shen Lian.
Not Madam Zhao.
Shen Yue.
His expression remained increasingly complicated.
Because for the first time—
he realized he barely understood his own daughter.
A servant entered nervously.
“General, Madam requests your presence.”
General Shen frowned slightly.
“Let her enter.”
Moments later, Madam Zhao walked into the study calmly.
Elegant as always.
Yet hidden irritation lingered beneath her composed appearance.
“You’ve seen the rumors already.”
General Shen nodded once.
Madam Zhao sat slowly opposite him.
“We cannot allow this situation to continue.”
The General’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“What exactly are you implying?”
Madam Zhao lowered her voice.
“Shen Yue is becoming politically dangerous.”
There it was.
The true concern.
Not family reputation.
Not morality.
Politics.
“She now attracts attention from both the Crown Prince and Lord Valin.”
Madam Zhao’s expression darkened further.
“If conflict develops because of her…”
“The General’s Manor may become trapped between powerful factions.”
General Shen fell silent.
Because unfortunately—
she spoke truth.
The Crown Prince represented the empire’s future ruler.
Chu Wenzhe represented military power feared by the throne itself.
Getting caught between those two figures could destroy entire noble families.
Madam Zhao continued carefully:
“We should arrange Shen Yue’s marriage quickly.”
Ah.
Now General Shen understood fully.
A political disposal.
Marry Shen Yue away before she caused further trouble.
His expression remained thoughtful.
“To whom?”
Madam Zhao smiled faintly.
“There’s a wealthy merchant family in the southern provinces seeking noble connections.”
General Shen immediately frowned.
“A merchant?”
Even declining noble families rarely married daughters into merchant households.
The status difference was too humiliating.
But Madam Zhao remained calm.
“Fourth Miss already carries scandalous rumors.”
“Few noble families would accept her now anyway.”
Cold.
Cruel.
Efficient.
General Shen silently considered it.
Meanwhile—
outside the study doors—
Shen Yue stood quietly beneath falling snow.
Her expression remained calm.
Because unfortunately for Madam Zhao—
she heard everything.
Every single word.
The maid beside her looked horrified.
“Fourth Miss…”
Shen Yue simply smiled faintly.
So this was their newest solution.
Sell her far away before she became inconvenient politically.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The maid whispered anxiously:
“What should we do?”
Shen Yue’s eyes lifted toward the snowy courtyard calmly.
“Nothing yet.”
Panic solved nothing.
Understanding timing mattered more.
And right now—
the imperial palace remained focused on her already.
Madam Zhao moving too aggressively could backfire easily.
Still…
Shen Yue’s gaze cooled slightly.
She truly underestimated the cruelty inside ancient noble families sometimes.
The original Shen Yue never stood a chance here.
Suddenly—
another servant hurried into the courtyard.
“Fourth Miss!”
The young maid bowed quickly.
“A palace messenger arrived.”
Interesting.
Shen Yue immediately understood.
More trouble.
She calmly walked toward the front hall where an imperial eunuch already waited beside several guards.
The moment he saw her, he smiled respectfully.
“Fourth Miss Shen.”
Shen Yue bowed lightly.
“Greetings.”
The eunuch raised a sealed invitation carefully.
“His Highness the Crown Prince requests your attendance at tomorrow’s winter hunting event.”
Silence.
The surrounding servants immediately looked shocked.
Another invitation?
So soon?
The eunuch continued politely:
“Several noble families and military officials will attend.”
Military officials.
Interesting.
Shen Yue accepted the invitation calmly.
“This subject thanks His Highness.”
After the eunuch departed, the atmosphere inside the manor changed instantly again.
Servants whispered nervously.
The Crown Prince invited Shen Yue personally twice within days.
This was no longer ordinary interest.
Meanwhile, hidden behind nearby corridors—
Madam Zhao’s face darkened completely.
Their marriage plans just became significantly harder.
No merchant family would dare approach someone publicly favored by the Crown Prince.
Damn it.
Everything kept slipping beyond control.
Meanwhile—
far away inside the military residence—
Chu Wenzhe listened silently while a subordinate reported palace movements.
“The Crown Prince invited Fourth Miss Shen to tomorrow’s hunt.”
The room fell quiet afterward.
Several military advisors secretly exchanged nervous glances.
Because recently—
their Lord seemed unusually attentive regarding matters involving Shen Yue.
Strange.
Very strange.
Chu Wenzhe lowered his eyes toward a battlefield map spread across the table.
But strangely—
he wasn’t reading it.
Instead, he remembered Shen Yue’s expression beneath palace lantern light.
Calm despite pressure.
Sharp despite danger.
Like someone constantly calculating survival.
One advisor cautiously spoke:
“My Lord, should we also attend tomorrow’s hunt?”
Silence.
Then finally—
Chu Wenzhe answered calmly.
“Yes.”
The advisors immediately understood.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Meanwhile—
inside the Crown Prince’s residence—
Xu Yan stood beside open windows while snow drifted softly into the chamber.
A trusted advisor spoke carefully nearby.
“Your Highness continues drawing Fourth Miss Shen closer.”
Xu Yan smiled faintly.
“She’s useful.”
But internally—
he knew that wasn’t the entire truth anymore.
Useful people existed everywhere.
Interesting people did not.
His gaze drifted toward the falling snow thoughtfully.
Tomorrow’s hunt would reveal many things.
About Shen Yue.
About Chu Wenzhe.
Perhaps even about himself.
And somewhere within the quiet imperial capital—
three dangerous people slowly moved closer toward one another beneath gathering storms.
- Writer
