CHAPTER 129: CHAPTER 127: ARE YOU QUESTIONING ME?

Lu Ying stood with his hands behind his back, gazing coldly at her.

Shen Yunxi felt uncomfortable under his gaze. She raised a hand to touch her cheek and softly asked, "Your Highness, why do you keep staring at me?"

"Three years ago, when Shen Yinning was imprisoned, you bribed the prison guards to humiliate her, didn’t you?"

Shen Yunxi was startled, an undeniable flicker of guilt flashing across her face. "Your... Your Highness, I didn’t! Shen Yinning is my cousin sister. How could I possibly hit her when she’s down and intentionally harm her? Back when my elder sister was arrested, I even went to visit her once out of concern! I was worried about her living conditions in the Heavenly Prison and personally delivered food and clothes to her!"

Lu Ying couldn’t even be bothered to argue with her.

When Shen Yinning was jailed back then, he had people keeping an eye on everything.

Whatever Shen Yunxi and Lu Qianqian schemed in the dark, he knew it all perfectly well.

Although he despised Shen Yinning for betraying him, she had been his fiancée for so many years. To stand by idly and watch her be humiliated by the prison guards—no man with any shred of integrity would bear such a thing.

Thus, he had secretly instructed someone to warn the prison guards.

During that one month Shen Yinning spent in the Heavenly Prison, she had not suffered any serious mistreatment.

He said, "You are the Crown Princess Consort, the future Queen. The union between you and me concerns the stability of the realm. Shen Yinning has no bearing on your status. As for what you’ve done in the past, I have no desire to pursue it. But moving forward, refrain from using such tactics. Otherwise, you will bring disgrace upon yourself and lose all dignity."

Shen Yunxi’s cheeks burned with shame.

What did His Highness mean by such words?

As the dignified Crown Princess Consort, she merely punished the wife of a minor official. What did she do wrong?

Feeling wronged, she said, "Shen Yinning had an illicit affair with Cui Ji—this was personally overheard by Madam Zhang. As the Crown Princess Consort, how could I tolerate such shameless and sordid behavior under my watch? I know my elder sister was once Your Highness’s childhood sweethearts and fiancée. Naturally, your bond with her goes beyond what I could compare to. But I am the Crown Princess Consort whom Your Highness married in a proper ceremony. Today, you publicly acknowledged having been husband and wife with her. Have you ever considered how this is a slap in my face?! How will those guests view me now?"

"Are you questioning me?"

The man’s brow furrowed, and the commanding aura of an authoritative figure burst forth in an instant.

The unseen pressure weighed on Shen Yunxi’s shoulders as if transforming into a thousand-pound boulder, rendering her breathless.

She instinctively dropped to her knees, her face pale as paper. "Your Highness... Your Highness, I misspoke!"

Lu Ying left with a frosty expression, sweeping his sleeve as he departed.

"Your Highness!"

Shen Yunxi awkwardly fell to the ground, helplessly watching his figure grow distant. Subconsciously, she crawled forward a couple of steps, trying to catch hold of his robes, but her reach grabbed nothing but empty air.

A tall, gentle figure appeared behind her.

Shen Xinghan helped Shen Yunxi to her feet. "Sister, you only remember that he is your husband, but not that he is also the Crown Prince, the future Emperor."

"So what?!" Shen Yunxi cried, shaking off his hand. "I am his lawful wife, wed to him in a ceremonial marriage!"

"In this union, you are sovereign and subject first, husband and wife second." Shen Xinghan emphasized, "Even ordinary aristocratic marriages rarely dare to dream of love and deep affection between couples. For you, marrying into the Eastern Palace, you should be even less attached to such notions of romance and domestic bliss. Father supported you to ascend to the position of Crown Princess Consort to strengthen our family, not for you to indulge in love and sentimentality all day long!"

Shen Yunxi’s eyes gleamed fiercely. "I love His Highness deeply. I simply cannot tolerate his closeness to other women! Even a lowly woman like Yin Shanshan dares to demand ’a lifetime with just one person.’ As the dignified Crown Princess Consort, why should I not be able to demand the same?!"

Disappointment clouded Shen Xinghan’s eyes.

At that moment, he even wished Shen Yinning were his real sister.

At least Shen Yinning would not be foolish enough to harbor delusions of a lifetime of exclusivity with the Crown Prince.

Fuming with indignation, Shen Yunxi stormed back to the Warm Pavilion and immediately slapped Madam Zhang.

Madam Zhang was stunned by the blow. "Your Highness?"

"Useless fool!" Shen Yunxi cursed angrily. "If not for you accusing Cui Ji of having an illicit liaison with Shen Yinning, I wouldn’t have lost such face today! Now everyone knows about the Crown Prince and that wretched Shen Yinning having been husband and wife. How will they see me now?! I’ve spent years outdoing Shen Yinning, scheming and struggling to marry the Crown Prince just to trample her beneath my feet. But today, it’s all for naught! Now everyone will know he once favored her, that their childhood bond was intimate! I have become a laughingstock!"

Her grievances surged, and she began to sob uncontrollably.

The thought of Lu Ying and Shen Yinning sharing such intimate moments filled her heart with a burning jealousy, making her desire to tear apart Shen Yinning’s beautiful face.

"It’s all your fault, you old hag!"

Through teary eyes, she glared at Madam Zhang and couldn’t resist slapping her again.

Madam Zhang’s cheek burned with pain. Her ears buzzed from the strike, and it felt as if one of her teeth had been loosened.

She clutched her throbbing cheek and cautiously attempted to placate her. "Your Highness, this old servant clearly overheard in the Imperial Prison that Shen Yinning and Cui Ji were indeed entangled, and that she had even become someone else’s Forbidden Fruit. This old servant suspects that the Crown Prince might not necessarily be speaking the truth. Perhaps, out of old affections, he was merely trying to shield Miss Yinning."

Shen Yunxi stopped crying, hesitantly looking at her. "You’re saying Shen Yinning and the Crown Prince... are innocent?"

"Whether innocent or not remains to be seen, but Shen Yinning and Cui Ji are undoubtedly not innocent!" Madam Zhang vowed. "This old servant believes that since Miss Yinning and His Highness share deep bonds from the past, Your Highness’s threats to send her to the Music Bureau might appear overly harsh, damaging the Crown Prince’s reputation. That’s why he had no choice but to defend her."

Shen Yunxi bit her lip.

Indeed, His Highness often accused her of being harsh and jealous, lacking the benevolence worthy of a future Queen.

Choking back sobs, she said, "I know that His Highness admires women who are kind, generous, and virtuous at heart. But how can I, loving him as I do, possibly tolerate the presence of other women near him?"

Madam Zhang urged gently, "If the Crown Prince and the Empress Dowager can tolerate Shen Yinning, then Your Highness must also—"

"Mammy, I cannot tolerate her!"

"This old servant understands Your Highness’s intent to deal with Shen Yinning, but on the surface, Your Highness must remain composed. Since she’s still staying in the Duke Mansion, why not let her remain for just one more day? Coincidentally, Cousin Qin Lunan is also staying in the mansion. Whatever happens between the two of them late at night, well, that has nothing to do with Your Highness..."

Shen Yunxi immediately caught her meaning—

Use Qin Lunan to destroy Shen Yinning.

That way, even if the Crown Prince investigated, it would not lead back to her.

With a plan in mind to handle Shen Yinning, Shen Yunxi finally felt relieved. She looked at Madam Zhang’s swollen face and said, "It was wrong of me earlier. Did I hurt you?"

Madam Zhang, overwhelmed with gratitude, replied, "Your Highness was just angry earlier. It’s entirely understandable for you to strike this old servant. I have long regarded Your Highness as my own daughter. No matter how many slaps I endure, it’s worth it! As long as Your Highness doesn’t treat me as an outsider, this old servant is grateful!"

Shen Yunxi smiled faintly, but her heart was filled with disdain.

Bah!

Who would want to be this old hag’s daughter?

As someone of noble birth, how dare this decrepit servant hope to latch onto her like family!

She turned to Lianxin and asked, "Have all the guests been seen off? What about Qianqian and my second brother?"

Lianxin replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, all the guests have left. As for the Third Princess and the Second Young Master, they seem to have gone to find Shen Yinning, saying there is something urgent they need to ask her."