The third princess’s reign lasted less than a year when the barbarians/hun invaded. Her ascension to the throne was already precarious, and with limited military forces, she was unwilling to risk too many soldiers to resist the barbarians, fearing for both her throne and her life.

The barbarians were fierce and numerous, forcing the imperial forces to retreat step by step, losing several cities in the process. Many civilians were displaced to avoid the barbarians, especially those from cities conquered by them, who were enslaved and subjected to suffering and hardship.

The common people didn’t consider the Empress’s difficulties; they only saw the defeats suffered by the imperial troops. Rumors circulated, accusing the third princess of colluding with the barbarians to seize the throne and then betraying her allies, leading to the barbarian invasion.

However, the previous princess, not the current one, was accused of colluding with the barbarians. But who cared about the truth of these rumors? All errors were attributed to the current ruler’s illegitimacy.

Public resentment grew, and the current Empress became the target of criticism. Even within the supposedly safest palace walls, the third princess faced several assassination attempts and narrowly escaped death once.

The palace was filled with anxiety, and the ministers suffered as well. The erratic Empress ignored good advice, suspected everyone, and punished loyal ministers who dared to criticize. Many elderly scholars couldn’t withstand the torment, and some died from beatings or illness.

Before her ascension, the third princess was humble and sought wise counsel, but her despotic nature after ascending to the throne surprised everyone. Shen Meng, who had experienced her ruthlessness in a past life and saw through her facade early on, resigned before things escalated, knowing exactly what kind of person the third princess was.

In the previous life, she actively served as an advisor to the third princess, knowing too many of her secrets. Naturally, the princess wouldn’t easily let her go. In this life, she deliberately kept her distance from the third princess, so the princess wouldn’t regard her as important.

She didn’t hold any particularly important position, and with Liang Jue, her mother who served as a high-ranking official, advocating for her in court, Shen Meng’s departure was relatively easy.

Before leaving the capital, she reminded Liang Rong, “The capital will face turbulent times in the near future. If you want to live peacefully, it’s better to return home early.”

Liang Rong glanced at her, “Even if the court is in chaos, I can’t easily leave.”

For the Liang family, stability was secondary to holding high positions in the court.

Despite the risks, they were willing to endure. Shen Meng didn’t elaborate on the specific dangers, as her rebirth was a secret. Even to Liang Jue, she wouldn’t reveal it, let alone anyone else.

After thanking them, Shen Meng packed up her valuables and prepared to leave the capital with Liang Jue and their newborn daughter. She named her daughter Ping An, which sounded ordinary but carried the hope for a peaceful life.

However, little did they know, in the turbulent times ahead, peace would become a great expectation.

Shen Meng settled with her family in a tranquil town in Jiangnan, where she bought a large mansion and some fertile land. Leveraging her reputation, she also opened a private school to teach the children of the town, leading a peaceful and serene life.

If Shen Meng had already held a high position and retired due to imperial suspicion, then Liang Jue wouldn’t have found it surprising. But given Shen Meng’s young age, still in her twenties, her peaceful demeanor puzzled Liang Jue. He knew his wife well; Shen Meng was definitely not a woman without ambition.

Yet, the peaceful life was what they both desired, so Liang Jue refrained from asking. He feared that if he did, this tranquility might disappear. Instead, he pretended to know nothing and focused on raising their daughter with Shen Meng.

When Shen Ping An turned two years old, Shen Meng and Liang Jue received unexpected visitors—representatives of a local warlord seeking Shen Meng’s service as their strategist. These visitors had heard of a formidable scholar in the town and wanted to recruit her to advise their army.

Compared to the cunning courtiers who played politics, these military women were straightforward, lacked manners, and were quite rough.

However, at Shen Meng’s suggestion, Liang Jue, as the head of the household, gave them the utmost courtesy. He could sense that Shen Meng had anticipated their arrival, showing little reluctance and readily agreeing to their request.

Before leaving, Shen Meng sought Liang Jue’s opinion, “Life in the military is tough. If you don’t want to go, you can stay here, and I’ll come back for you, or you can go to the capital to find your mother and elder sister.”

For women aspiring to make a difference in the military, men and children could be burdens, as soldiers weren’t usually allowed to bring their families along. However, Shen Meng was going as a strategist, and their hosts would likely agree to such a request.

Liang Jue didn’t hesitate for long and repeated what he had said two years earlier, “Wherever you are, my wife, that’s where I and Ping An will be.”