Chapter 15: Su Ming Feng
No matter what the East courtyard did, Shen Miao still deliberately alienated people from both Second and Third Household. She no longer stuck herself to Shen Yue and Shen Qing anymore. At first, everyone in Shen residence thought that she was only throwing a childish tantrum about the matter of falling into the water but Shen Miao started to conduct matters with her own thinking, thus everyone felt that there was something not right.
Gui Momo persuaded Shen Miao like per usual not to be angry with the East courtyard and occasionally also mentioned about Prince Ding being a peerless man in Ming Qi. But Shen Miao seems to be unshakeable as every time Gui Momo mentioned of that person, she would berate her furiously which gave Gui Momo a headache. However the West courtyard was filled with crafty servants from the Second and Third Household and Gu Yu and the rest thought that since Shen Miao’s temper had change, she would rearrange the matters in the inner courtyard. Who knew that Shen Miao actually ignore it.
Naturally, Shen Miao has her own plans.
These past few days, she had been going to Guang Wen Tang more diligently. Even though everyone view her like she was at the bottom, she was not angry and only did her things well. The more she was that magnanimous, the more others would feel bored and thus she was about to have some days of peace.
Today after literary classes had ended, Shen Miao a little constriction in her chest and thus headed to the garden in Guang Wen Tang for a casual walk.
Although Guang Wen Tang was an academy, it covers quite a vast area. As there were three different grades, level one, two and three, Shen Miao was in level two because of her age but unknowingly went to the area of level one.
In an coincidence, she saw a little child sitting on the steps wiping away his tears.
This child looked around the age of twelve and was fair and plump. Perhaps his body was too bloated, one would think he was a rounded ball at first glance. He was clad in a silver lined blue robes, a pair of small boots and a collar round his neck. Just like a doll out from a new year painting.
Shen Miao was slightly stunned and she walked over to say softly, “Why are you crying?”
That doll did not think that someone would come over suddenly and was so surprised that he rolled down the steps with a ‘pu tong’. He did not cry but sat up and looked at Shen Miao blankly.
He was naturally fair and plump, with a pair of sparkling eyes, with a small crease on his head and there were still tears on his face, making him charmingly naive. Shen Miao could not help but burst out a laugh.
That child said in a childlike manner, “Older sister.”
Shen Miao’s heart almost melted when this child called her. She gave birth to Wan Yu and Fu Ming in her past lifetime but she was already in the Qin country as a hostage before Wan Yu and Fu Ming was five. When she returned, both children had already learn the etiquette and obediently called her ‘Imperial Mother’. Shen Miao herself did not know how her two children were like before the age of five. Seeing that even this child was older, he seems ignorant of the world and reminded her of Wan Yu and Fu Ming.
Shen Miao slightly bend down and pat his head, “What are you crying for?”
“The teacher asked me a question and I could not answer so I was hit on my palm.” The child took his hands out, revealing red palms as he said in grievance, “It is very painful.”
Shen Miao wanted to tease him so she continued asking, “What question did the teacher ask?”
“The teacher want me to write the words ‘the fox grieves when the rabbit dies’ but I am unable to do it.” The child cried.
If one was at an age for level one in the academy and not know to write from memory, it would be somewhat unjustifiable. Disregarding Shen Miao herself, such a child in Ming Qi at this age would have started to learn to deal with the political affairs at court, even it was only pretending to contact, more or less many could cope with it. Even though the youths in the Imperial family would mature faster, the children studying in Guang Wen Tang were all from aristocratic families and would not matured that slowly.
That child seemed to have not complained enough and continued to chirp, “If I was to return and father was to come into knowledge about it, he would severely punish me. What meaning is there for me to live, it would be better to just die.”
Shen Miao was a little shock with the tone of the child’s voice and also find it funny. Thinking of which family this lively treasure came from and also where this child learn such a dramatic statement from, she asked, “Which family are you from?”
That child looked at Shen Miao. Currently Shen Miao just passed fourteen years of age and combine with her childlike look, she looked as old as this child. But for some unknown reason, there was an indescribable air around her, as though as she had seen great winds and high waves and could calm people down. Even this child also involuntary quieten down and told her his own background.
“I am the Second Young Master of the Ping Nan Bo’s family in the capital, Su Ming Lang. My father is Ping Nan Bo, Su Yu and my eldest brother is Ping Nan Bo’s heir, Su Ming Feng.”
He actually came clean about it and clarified his own family background clearly.
Shen Miao was surprised for a moment, the Su family? Ping Nan Bo?
No matter if it was her past life or this life, the Su family and the Shen family had no association as they had opposing political views. The Su family had a good relationship with the Xie family. Ping Nan Bo, Su Wu and Marquis of Lin An, Xie Ding were very good brothers and Su Ming Feng and Xie Jing Xing were friends that played together since childhood. To what extent their relationship were? When Su Ming Feng died, only Xie Jing Xing dare to collect his corpse.
Yes. Su Ming Feng died. Or it can be said that the entire Su family perished. The late Emperor dug out evidences of the Su family involvement in a conspiracy to sell military horses. As for the matter on military horses, once they were involved, there was no room for any leeway at all.
The Imperial edict came suddenly and swiftly. They were not even trial and the army directly confiscated their possession and executed them on the spot. In the middle of the day the entire Su family blood flowed from the East to the West of the Ding capital.
By the time Xie Jing Xing knew about it, it was too late as there was no survivors of the Su families. Those who had a good relationship with them did not appear at all and it was Xie Jing Qing who personally collect the corpse of the Su family members before going to the late Emperor to plead guilty of his offences and requested burial for them with regards to the meritorious services that the Su family once done for Ming Qi.
The late Emperor allowed it, thus the funeral for the Su family was single-handedly organised by the Xie family. Shen Miao remembered very clearly that when Shen Xin knew the matter upon his return at the end of the year, he sighed for a period of time.
The Su family demise would be around two months later. It would be soon that this innocent and ignorant child would also die from that cold Imperial Edict.
Her expression suddenly became a little cold and her eyes were faintly glowing.
The child could not help but shrink back a little. When Shen Miao look back at the child, her tone was just as gentle as before, “Su Ming Feng? Was he the heir of the Su family that completed a great meritorious service recently and managed the military horses excellently?”
“Yes!” The child held his head up and replied, “Dad said that His Majesty would definitely reward Eldest Brother with a rank this time.”
Shen Miao smiled as she bend over slightly and leaned against the child to softly say, “You said that if your father know that you are unable to answer the teacher’s question, you would be punished. I have a method that would make him not punish you.”
“What is it?” The child blinked as he asked.
“You have to promise me that you cannot tell them that it was I who told you, then I will speak.”
“Alright.” The child thought for a long while before nodding.
