CHAPTER 126: CHAPTER 124: THE MINISTER’S WIFE REFUSES TO BE EXAMINED

However, he absolutely could not admit it.

Otherwise, he would bring harm to the Shen Madam.

He could only bury his feelings deep within his heart, until one day he grew strong enough to wrest her away from the Crown Prince.

Cui Ji glanced at Shen Yinning and suppressed the surging emotions crashing through his chest. Yet, his face remained utterly composed: "This humble servant swears, this humble servant harbors only respect and no romantic affection whatsoever for Shen Madam."

Shen Yinning did not look at him. Instead, she quietly winked playfully at Lu Ying, as if to pledge her loyalty and say, "You see, I have absolutely nothing to do with this man named Cui Ji."

Cui Ji’s hands, hidden within his sleeves, abruptly clenched tightly. The bitterness of unrequited love weighed heavily on his heart.

Shen Yunxi gritted her teeth in hatred: "Still unrepentant until the coffin lies shut!"

She was now the Crown Princess Consort and had gone so far as to threaten Cui Ji politically, yet he still sided with Shen Yinning!

She turned to Gao Zheng out of frustration: "I have heard that Shen Yinning was married to you during her exile to Gan State. Gao Zheng, I ask you, did she and Cui Ji have any contact in those three years? Do not be afraid—if you feel aggrieved, I shall ensure justice for you!"

Gao Zheng kept his head bowed, his face full of embarrassment.

Since the banquet concluded last night, Shen Yinning had not returned home.

He didn’t even need to think to know that she must have gone again to Shen Garden to rendezvous with the Crown Prince.

Now the Crown Prince’s affair was still being kept secret, and yet here appeared Cui Ji.

He had no idea how many other men Shen Yinning had seduced behind his back as her husband!

When she returned home, he swore he would teach her a proper lesson!

Despite his mounting discontent with Shen Yinning, he dared not act rashly in Lu Ying’s presence, so he respectfully replied: "Reporting to Your Highness, although this humble servant married Shen Madam, our marital relations are strained, and thus, we have not consummated the marriage over the past three years, nor maintained any communication in daily life. As for who Shen Madam may interact with privately, this humble servant truly does not know."

At those words, the guests erupted in astonishment.

Three years of marriage between Gao Zheng and Shen Yinning, yet he had never so much as touched her!

Faced with such a stunningly beautiful woman and abstaining, could Gao Zheng actually be a saint?!

"It is true what Gao Zheng says," Yin Shanshan interjected, stealing the words. "I can vouch for him—Gao Zheng absolutely has not touched Shen Yinning, because Gao Zheng promised me that we would be ’one couple for all eternity, a pair devoted for life.’ Over these three years, he has always rested in my chambers! To think, older sister truly is pitiful, never having experienced her husband’s love. If my sister sought Cui Ji to alleviate her loneliness in the dead of night, it wouldn’t be entirely implausible."

Lu Qianqian sneered: "In that case, then Shen Yinning and Cui Ji’s illicit affair seems quite plausible."

"What a shameless pair of adulterers!" Shen Yunxi wielded her authority as Crown Princess Consort, her tone commanding. "Guards, seize them both immediately! Send them to the Heavenly Prison for signatures and confessions! Cui Ji’s punishment shall be decided by the emperor, and as for Shen Madam... Shen Madam may be my cousin, but as Crown Princess Consort, I will neither shield her nor act unjustly. Since she loves men so much, send her to the Music Bureau to become a courtesan!"

Seeing Shen Xinglei lead the guards to apprehend them, Shen Yinning gently said, "Hold."

Shen Yunxi sneered: "Your father and brothers rebelled against the throne, you engage in illicit trysts, your entire family has disgraced the Shen name! Shen Yinning, what else could you possibly have to say?!"

"Even when interrogating criminals, isn’t it proper to allow them to plead and explain their case?" Shen Yinning sat with grace and poise, appearing more dignified and calm than Shen Yunxi herself. "Yin Shanshan’s testimony is nothing but supposition, and Madam Zhang holds a personal hatred against this humble servant—her testimony cannot be trusted. Your Highness, this humble servant believes that, as of now, none of this sufficiently proves any improper relations between myself and Cui Ji."

Shen Yunxi bit her lip.

Shen Yinning’s quick tongue made it impossible for her to win the verbal duel—black could be spun into white, and she could never outmaneuver her!

Faced with a stalemate, Yin Shanshan’s eyes sparkled with an idea. She suddenly offered Shen Yunxi a respectful bow: "Your Highness, I have a method to immediately ascertain whether Shen Madam and Lord Cui have any illicit entanglements!"

"Speak."

Yin Shanshan crisply declared: "As everyone knows, Gao Zheng has never touched Shen Yinning, so Shen Yinning should theoretically still be untouched. Your Highness simply needs to send two madams to inspect Shen Madam’s virginity. If she no longer possesses it, then it would naturally prove her illicit relations with Cui Ji!"

Excitement lit Shen Yunxi’s eyes.

Shen Yinning’s purity was long gone.

Three years ago, she had specifically ordered the prison guards to "take good care" of her.

Even if Shen Yinning hadn’t been intimate with Cui Ji, the inspection would still burden her with the stain of adultery today!

And it would show the Crown Prince how disgraceful his once childhood sweetheart had become!

She smugly turned her gaze to Shen Yinning: "Shen Madam, do you dare undergo inspection?"

All eyes converged on Shen Yinning.

Shen Yinning seemed troubled, her cheeks flushed as she lightly bit her nails.

In Shen Yunxi’s eyes, this was an obvious sign of guilt and anxiety.

She raised her voice: "Shen Madam, I am addressing you!"

Shen Yinning lifted her slender lashes and replied: "Your Highness, this humble servant refuses inspection."

"Whether or not you undergo inspection is not for you to decide!" Lu Qianqian gloated. "Guards, take Shen Madam downstairs and conduct a thorough and clear inspection!"

Two burly matron guards immediately stepped forward and seized Shen Yinning without preamble.

"No..." Shen Yinning whimpered tearfully, her demeanor delicate yet defiant. "This humble servant refuses inspection! I would rather die than undergo inspection!"

"Your refusal proves your guilt and confirms your illicit relations with Cui Ji!" Shen Yunxi haughtily tilted her chin upward, as though she’d cornered Shen Yinning entirely. "Shen Madam, I give you two options: First, undergo inspection immediately. Second, confess your adultery with Cui Ji and willingly become a courtesan at the Music Bureau!"

Shen Yinning hesitated, biting her soft lip, her phoenix-like eyes brimming with emotion. Slowly, she cast a longing glance toward Lu Ying.

Suddenly, she broke free from the matrons’ grasp and fell to her knees, her face adorned with tear-drenched sorrow: "Your Highness, please do not continue to press me! This humble servant confesses—this humble servant is no longer pure. But this humble servant’s chastity was not given to Lord Cui, and there is absolutely no inappropriate relationship between us! Before being exiled to Gan State, I had already lost my chastity. As for the identity of the man in question, please forgive this humble servant for being unable to disclose it!"

These words only solidified Shen Yunxi’s suspicions.

She was convinced that Shen Yinning had been violated by the prison guards, hence her refusal to allow an inspection and her shame in revealing the truth!

Excitement stirred within her heart.

She longed to tear apart Shen Yinning’s facade, exposing the indecency beneath that beautiful exterior!

She wanted the Crown Prince to see that his former betrothed had already become a "shared treasure beneath hundreds, a worn shoe passed through thousands."

She declared: "Your concealment proves you have something to hide! Shen Madam, I command you to recount what truly transpired. If someone coerced or defiled you in the past, speak openly—this Crown Princess Consort will ensure justice for you."

"No..." Shen Yinning’s tearful gaze flickered toward Lu Ying, clouded with complexity. "The man’s identity is extraordinary. To reveal it would tarnish his honor, so I will never betray him. What happened back then was entirely voluntary on my part. Even if I must face punishment today, I have no regrets!"

Her resolute demeanor exuded the willingness to sacrifice everything for Lu Ying.

Lu Ying fiddled idly with the Moyu Ring.

He saw through Shen Zhaozhao’s scheme instantly.

The cunning little fox was deliberately acting to convey her unwavering devotion, hoping to evoke his pity.

Her acting skills were unmatched, her designs meticulous. If it were another man, he would have long been ensnared by her charms.