The Tyrant’s Drama Queen Empress

CHAPTER 60: Giving Them a Full Set of Falling-Off-Horses and Broken-Legs Service

　　The Shen Manor.

　　Shen Jinxiu was in his study, carefully reviewing a partial map of the Imperial Palace that Xue Yunshi had given him. This map had been drawn during the reign of the late Emperor. From the few hints Xue Yunshi had revealed, Shen Jinxiu understood that when the late Emperor was still a Prince, both the Court and the Palace were in chaos. This map came from that turbulent era, and Xue Yunshi had spent a long time tracking it down.

　　Of course, the map in Shen Jinxiu’s hands was not the entirety of what Xue Yunshi had found.

　　What Shen Jinxiu needed to do was memorize the entire layout. The last time at the polo match, the incident involving Xie Yuanxun’s “accident” on the field had only been a test by Xue Yunshi. Although it failed, it still gave them plenty of lessons.

　　Xue Yunshi handing over the map to Shen Jinxiu was also meant to help refine their plan for the upcoming Lunar New Year palace banquet, where they intended to launch their uprising and palace coup.

　　Thinking of Shen Ling in the Palace, Shen Jinxiu let out a disdainful, dismissive smile.

　　“Young Master, Scholar Liu has arrived. He is waiting for you in the front hall,” a servant reported from outside the study door.

　　Shen Jinxiu said, “I’ll go over now.”

　　He folded the map neatly, then ran his fingers beneath the desk. A hidden compartment the size of a palm slid open. Shen Jinxiu placed the map inside and closed it again without a trace.

　　In the front hall, Scholar Liu observed the quiet, well-mannered servants with a calm expression. Then, recalling the refined and luxurious architecture he had seen upon entering the Shen Manor, a hint of envy slipped into his eyes before he could suppress it.

　　He was a scholar from Bohai Prefecture. This trip to the Capital was for the imperial examination next February. If he passed, he would proceed to the palace examination in March. Scholar Liu was very confident in himself. After years of studying hard, he was certain he would eventually achieve success and fame.

　　His acquaintance with Shen Jinxiu had actually been an accident. He had paid for half a year’s stay at an inn, and most of his fellow lodgers spent their time traveling or indulging in leisure. Only he remained in his room studying diligently.

　　At one point, a heated discussion broke out in the inn over certain court policies issued by the Imperial Court. Influenced by the lively debate around him, Scholar Liu composed an impromptu “essay on current affairs.” It was highly praised by those present, and Shen Jinxiu happened to be there as well. With one party intentionally seeking connection and the other receptive to it, the two naturally became acquainted.

　　“Brother Liu, you’ve arrived.” Shen Jinxiu walked in with a smile to greet him.

　　“Brother Shen.”

　　Scholar Liu said urgently, “Can you tell me now who wrote that unfinished policy essay? I’m ashamed to admit it, but ever since I read it once, I haven’t been able to forget it. I can’t even sleep properly at night, always thinking about finishing the rest of it.”

　　Shen Jinxiu replied with a meaningful smile, “That essay was something I casually wrote in my spare time. It’s nothing particularly remarkable.”

　　Scholar Liu exclaimed, “Brother Shen, you are truly a man of great talent.”

　　Shen Jinxiu waved it off lightly. “I actually quite liked the ‘current affairs essay’ you wrote as well. Coincidentally, I’ve met some like-minded friends at Shanyahai Villa. Why don’t you come with me to take a look?”

　　Scholar Liu immediately said, “Alright, I’d be honored.”

　　In his mind, someone who could be called Shen Jinxiu’s like-minded companion must be equally outstanding in learning and talent.

　　So the two of them made the decision, and Shen Jinxiu led Scholar Liu out of the manor.

　　Once they reached the main gate of the Shen Manor, Scholar Liu saw a sedan chair parked ahead. “This is…”

　　In an instant, Shen Jinxiu already knew who was inside the ¹sedan chair. Apart from Shen Xi, who always insisted on following him out of the manor, there was no one else it could be. He smiled helplessly.

　　Hearing Scholar Liu’s confused tone, Shen Jinxiu gave a vague and simple reply. “That’s a female member of the household.” He did not specify who exactly it was.

　　Scholar Liu simply assumed it must be one of Shen Jinxiu’s favored concubines.

　　Since Scholar Liu could not ride a horse, Shen Jinxiu arranged for him to take a sedan chair instead. After seeing him off, Shen Jinxiu walked over to the sedan chair where Shen Xi was seated, lifted the curtain, and said, “Honestly, wouldn’t it be better for you to stay at home? Why insist on running around with me outside? The weather is so cold now, you might catch a chill.”   

　　Shen Xi smiled softly. “No, I won’t be. I’m wearing thick clothes, and there’s even a hand warmer prepared by the maid inside the sedan chair. I just want to follow you. I don’t want to be separated from you.”

　　Hearing Shen Xi’s last words, Shen Jinxiu’s breath hitched. He stared at her deeply, and if the place weren’t inappropriate, he would have pulled her straight into his arms.

　　Shen Xi lowered her head. Even without meeting his eyes, she could still feel that burning gaze of his resting on her.

　　A satisfied smile curled at her lips.

　　Shen Jinxiu got on his horse and led the group toward Xue Yunshi’s Shanyahai Villa.

　　When they arrived, Shen Jinxiu intended to take Scholar Liu to meet Xue Yunshi and introduce him. After all, Scholar Liu was genuinely talented. However, bringing Shen Xi along was inconvenient. Seeing his dilemma, the villa’s steward kindly mentioned that there was a poetry gathering in the inner courtyard attended by the female guests. So Shen Jinxiu arranged for Shen Xi to go there with the maid instead.

　　Shen Jinxiu said, “No one inside will bully you. If anyone does, just tell me. The only person there with higher status than you is the Marquis’s cousin. You can also take the chance to meet and get to know more people.”

　　Shen Xi said, “Mm, I will.” She lifted a handkerchief to cover part of her face, her eyes shining. “As long as I think of you being there, I’m not afraid of anything.”

　　Shen Jinxiu’s expression showed clear satisfaction as he met her admiring gaze.

　　After Shen Jinxiu left, Shen Xi immediately dropped the soft, ambiguous charm she had shown while speaking to him and returned to her usual composed, distant elegance.

　　Most of the women at the poetry gathering came from relatively low-status backgrounds. Of course, “low” was only in comparison from Shen Xi’s perspective as the daughter of the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

　　The only one with genuinely high status among them was Xue Mi’er.

　　However, Shen Xi did not get along with Xue Mi’er, so she did not make any effort to speak to her.

　　In the past, Shen Xi had offended Xue Mi’er while trying to maintain the appearance of a close mother-daughter bond with Madam Jiang. On top of that, Xue Mi’er never bothered to hide the dislike in her eyes whenever she saw her. Shen Xi would have to be insane to approach her. That said, if she ever had the chance to step on Xue Mi’er and drag her down, she would not mind at all.

　　Xue Mi'er also spotted Shen Xi. Just as Shen Xi had no desire to approach her, Xue Mi'er had no intention of interacting with Shen Xi either.

　　Especially after meeting Shen Ling, Xue Mi'er’s opinion of Shen Xi only got worse. Hypocritical, cunning, selfish, shameless, filthy, disgusting… anyway, nothing about her sat right with her.

　　Xue Mi'er let out a cold snort. “If I had known she would be here, I wouldn’t have come today.”

　　After finally waiting for the poetry gathering to end, she let out a long breath of relief. If she had to stay around Shen Xi any longer, she would’ve left ages ago. However, the organizer of the event was a young lady she had only recently met. She seemed decent enough, and Xue Mi'er had only formed a temporary, fleeting friendship with her. Because of that, she couldn’t bring herself to ruin the arrangements for the poetry gathering, and could only endure it.

　　But when she saw that “temporary friend” chatting and laughing with Shen Xi by the garden corridor, their conversation light and harmonious, Xue Mi'er immediately felt her entire mood collapse.

　　Even though it was just a fleeting friendship, she never expected to lose a “friend” this quickly.

　　After all, someone who could get along well with Shen Xi could hardly be a good person in Xue Mi'er’s eyes.

　　As expected, the young lady’s expression turned slightly distant the moment she saw Xue Mi'er. Xue Mi'er: “……”

　　When the corridor was left with only Xue Mi'er and Shen Xi, Xue Mi'er smiled faintly, almost mockingly. “Miss Shen, your charm really is as impressive as ever. In such a short time, you’ve already managed to win over another admirer.”

　　Shen Xi replied calmly, “Miss Xue, you’re joking.”

　　Xue Mi'er scoffed. “Act all you want. Keep pretending. Maybe others don’t know your true nature, but I do. Aren’t you just good at seducing people? Your background isn’t anything special, but your skills in this are impressive. Do you really think putting on that gentle, refined act in front of others will fool me the same way you fool those men, or even Shen Jinxiu? I’m telling you, that’s impossible.”

　　Shen Xi pressed her lips together slightly. What she hated most was hearing people bring up her background. She loathed the country-born, peasant blood that ran in her veins.

　　Her eyes turned dark and cold as she stared at Xue Mi'er, making Xue Mi'er flinch in surprise.

　　Xue Mi'er tried to sound fierce, though her confidence was clearly shaky. “What, do you think you can hit me? Then you just…” Come hit me then.

　　No, no. She quickly shook her head. She couldn’t say that. If Shen Xi actually did hit her, she would be the one at a loss. Anyone who heard it would only say she had it coming. She wasn’t going to do something that stupid.

　　Xue Mi'er changed her words at the last second. “Then you can just keep thinking about it. Hmph!”

　　Suddenly, Shen Xi blinked.

　　In the next moment, she stepped forward sharply, closing the distance between them. Xue Mi'er thought Shen Xi was really about to make a move and instinctively raised her hand to block.

　　But before she could even touch her, Shen Xi fell straight to the ground first.

　　Xue Mi'er: “???”

　　Her head was full of question marks. She had no idea what kind of act Shen Xi was pulling.

　　“Xi’er!”

　　Shen Jinxiu’s voice came from behind Xue Mi'er. He rushed over quickly and helped Shen Xi up from the ground.

　　Xue Yunshi also walked over. His expression was clearly disapproving as he looked at Xue Mi'er. “Is this how you secretly bully Miss Shen? You’re completely unreasonable and arrogant!”    

　　Xue Mi'er: “……”

　　“Cousin, I didn’t touch her. It was her…”

　　Shen Xi’s face had gone pale, her voice soft and pitiful, enough to make anyone’s heart soften. “Marquis, please don’t blame Miss Xue. I fell on my own. It has nothing to do with her.”

　　Xue Mi'er quickly added, “Exactly, she fell by herself!”

　　She thought that once she explained it like that, the situation would be over. Unexpectedly, Shen Jinxiu and Xue Yunshi only looked even angrier after hearing it.

　　Shen Jinxiu said coldly, “Miss Xue, are you trying to take me for a fool?”

　　Xue Mi'er: “……”

　　Uh, aren’t you one already?

　　Shen Jinxiu continued, “I saw very clearly when you pushed Xi’er just now. Not only me, but Marquis saw it too. If one person could be mistaken, are you saying both of us saw wrong? If you’re going to lie, at least come up with a better one.”

　　Shen Xi leaned against Shen Jinxiu’s chest, letting out a soft sob as tears slid down her cheeks. She tugged lightly at his sleeve. “It’s alright, Jinxiu. Your relationship with Marquis matters more. Don’t ruin your friendship just because of me.”

　　Shen Jinxiu’s heart only ached more at her considerate words.

　　Xue Yunshi, standing nearby, added, “Miss Shen, Mi'er has been spoiled by my mother and the others. She has always acted on impulse, only doing what pleases her in the moment without considering others. I will speak to my mother and have her properly discipline her.”    

　　Xue Mi'er: “!!!”

　　She cried out in disbelief. “Cousin! If Shen Jinxiu is blind, are you blind too?!”

　　Xue Yunshi frowned, his tone turning stern. “How rude. Even now, you’re still spouting nonsense. Apologize to Miss Shen immediately.”

　　Shen Jinxiu said nothing, his face dark and unreadable, clearly agreeing with Xue Yunshi’s decision.

　　Seeing Shen Xi crying softly while the corner of her lips curved ever so slightly in satisfaction, Xue Mi'er felt like she was about to explode on the spot.

　　“Want me to apologize to her? In your dreams!”

　　To her, both her cousin and Shen Jinxiu were idiots. Especially her cousin, he couldn’t even compare to Shen Ling.

　　Xue Mi'er lifted her skirt and stormed out of the villa in anger.

　　After she left, Xue Yunshi intended to apologize to Shen Xi on her behalf, but Shen Xi simply shook her head and graciously said she didn’t mind. Shen Jinxiu also showed no intention of pursuing the matter further. Seeing this, Xue Yunshi could not help but sigh inwardly. Both Shen Jinxiu and Shen Xi were truly decent, reasonable people.

　　On the way back, Xue Yunshi and Shen Jinxiu rode on horseback. Behind them, the servants somehow ended up competing over whose riding skills were better.

　　Shen Jinxiu’s attendant was the loudest of them all, praising his master without pause, insisting that Shen Jinxiu’s horsemanship was unmatched. He even proudly claimed that throughout the entire Da Liang, no one rode better than Shen Jinxiu.

　　Shen Jinxiu felt secretly pleased, though his expression remained modest. “Marquis, it’s just the servants exaggerating.”

　　Xue Yunshi raised an eyebrow. “Whether it’s flattery or not, we’ll know once we try.”

　　As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked the reins and rode off at speed. Shen Jinxiu immediately followed.

　　Pedestrians on the street hurriedly scattered out of the way. When they passed an alley, a child suddenly darted out from it, running straight into the path of their horses.

　　Both horses were startled. They reared up violently, throwing both riders to the ground.

　　Xue Yunshi and Shen Jinxiu fell from their horses at the same time.

　　In the next moment, the horse Xue Yunshi had been riding turned and stamped down toward the two men on the ground. Shen Jinxiu instinctively rolled aside twice to dodge, and the hoof came crashing down onto Xue Yunshi instead.

　　“Ah!” Xue Yunshi cried out in pain. His leg was trampled several times by the horse.    

　　He even heard the sickening “crack” of bones breaking.

　　Shen Jinxiu sucked in a sharp breath in terror. He saw that the bones in Xue Yunshi’s leg were visibly protruding at a shocking angle.

　　“Quick! Kill the horse! Hurry and get Marquis out!”

　　After Xue Yunshi was finally pulled out, he had already lost consciousness. Suppressing the unease in his chest, Shen Jinxiu personally escorted the gravely injured, unconscious man back to the Princess’s Manor.

　　Before leaving, Shen Jinxiu suddenly thought of the child. He immediately ordered Xue Yunshi’s subordinates, “Catch that child! Do not let him leave until Marquis wakes up.”

　　“Yes.” The subordinate looked around in confusion. “Where is the child?”

　　How… how was he gone?    

　　......

　　Meanwhile, on the other side.

　　The child who had startled the horses quietly and inconspicuously slipped away from the scene. In just a few seconds, his small figure shifted into that of an adult. Or rather, he had always been an adult, only using a bone-shrinking technique to disguise himself as a child.

　　He returned to the Shadow Guard’s stronghold to report back. He was one of the Shadow Guards.

　　“Sir, the task has been completed.”

　　The Shadow Guard leader nodded slightly. “Mm. Return to the Palace.”

________________

T/N: ¹Sedan chair or carriage?

My modern brain really can’t process this 😭 Why are they traveling such a distance using a sedan chair??

Okay, but the confusion is valid. Modern brain vs ancient transportation is a real struggle.

Short answer: “Sedan chair” is correct here.

Long answer (keeping it simple):

In historical Chinese settings:

轿子 = sedan chair → carried by people

马车 = carriage → pulled by horses

In that scene:

🍀 Scholar Liu and Shen Xi can’t ride a horse, so they let him/her take a sedan chair.

🍀 So yes, this is specifically a sedan chair, not a carriage.

🍀 And yeah… it feels weird. Like, why travel so far like that??

But back then:

🍀 Scholars and nobles often used sedan chairs

🍀 Slower, but more stable and comfortable

🍀 Also a bit of a status symbol

Meanwhile:

🍀 Riding a horse = faster, but rougher, more “martial” vibe

🍀 Sedan chair = elegant, safe, zero effort, “I don’t sweat” energy

So the translation “sedan chair” is correct ✔️

Even if our modern brains are screaming “this is so inefficient” 😂

 

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