The Obsessive Crown Prince Can't Let Me Go
Chapter 173 - 171: Whom Does the Lady Conceal in Her Heart, Does Your Highness Not Know?

Chapter 173: Chapter 171: Whom Does the Lady Conceal in Her Heart, Does Your Highness Not Know?

Lu Ying said, "Regarding this matter, you’re asking the wrong person. Father doesn’t like me and won’t fulfill my wishes."

"Your Highness..." Shen Yinning stood on her tiptoes, leaning close to his ear. "Prime Minister Shangguan will personally recommend Cui Ji as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. When the time comes, Your Highness only needs to object to it vehemently. The more you oppose him, the more His Majesty will insist on appointing Master Cui as the Vice Minister..."

The candlelight flickered softly.

Lu Ying’s deep gaze was fixed firmly on Shen Yinning.

What a shame this vixen is a woman.

Otherwise, the Shen Family may not have lost to Shen Yan.

At midnight, the heavy curtains of the bed hung low, and a sound of satiated sighing was heard.

"Shen Zhaozhao..." Lu Ying, his robust upper body bare, caressed the tender figure of the young maiden. "Many scholars from humble households dedicate their lives but never achieve the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. This time, I’ll grant him that as a favor. Going forward, you are to sever ties with him completely."

Shen Yinning, her body weakened and sore, lay propped in his arms, gasping softly.

Beneath the brocade quilt, her slender, fair legs were still hooked around his waist.

Lowering her eyelashes, she quietly thought: A position like Vice Minister is trivial—in the future, she would aid Cui Ji in reaching even greater heights.

Assistant Minister, Chief of Staff, Grand Secretary...

She wanted Cui Ji to ascend step by step to a position of unparalleled power, second only to the Emperor himself. She wanted Cui Ji to be her weapon.

To ensure Lu Ying could no longer bully her so casually.

Running her fingers through sweat-dampened locks near her temples, she rasped softly, "Does Your Highness not know who resides in this heart of mine? Cui Ji and I are nothing more than acquaintances, fleeting friends. Even if you tried to force me to fall for him, I wouldn’t even give him a second glance."

"Besides—"

Suddenly, like a fox, she sat upright. Her jade-like hands overlapped and rested on Lu Ying’s right shoulder.

Tilting her head, she planted a kiss on the corner of Lu Ying’s lips. When she blinked, the ends of her lashes were long and thick, like tiny fans teasing his heart.

She stared directly into Lu Ying’s eyes, "Besides, this body of mine has been personally trained by Your Highness. After consuming so many palace-secret medicines, even my constitution has transformed... For the rest of my life, I am tied to Your Highness."

Her youthful body was delicate and frail.

Despite never having borne children, she was as lush and full as a budding flower in bloom.

Truly a beauty as if molded from water.

Lu Ying’s desires had always been boundless, and his methods varied wildly. Were it any ordinary woman, she would have long been unable to endure his appetite. Yet Shen Yinning, owing to the excessive consumption of secret medicines, was always able to accommodate his unruliness.

Lu Ying encircled her slender waist, his gaze dark and simmering with desire.

He lifted her snow-white, tender chin and leaned in to kiss her lips. His voice was low and hoarse, "Unable to leave me—that’s best. If I were to learn you intended to escape, I’d break your legs. Then, I’d have you take those secret medicines for another year, ensuring you’d never leave a man’s side again."

Skin-to-skin, the heat radiated like water.

Though it was a snowy night, as the two wrestled, their bodies were slick with clammy sweat, filling the sealed bedchamber with a tantalizing, seductive sweetness.

Lu Ying’s intentions were cruel; he wanted to utterly conquer this vixen who constantly tormented him.

Until the end of time.

...

Two days later.

Today was Shen Xinglei’s day of exile to the border.

Shen Yinning stood atop the city wall, watching the prison carriage slowly fade into the distance.

The cold wind howled, whipping against her face.

Yet she seemed impervious to the chill. Her delicate, pale complexion even carried a peculiar flush of excitement, and her snow-brushed earlobes had been thoroughly turned crimson by the cold.

She thought gleefully: So this is what it feels like to witness the exile of someone despised.

Perhaps back then, when Shen Yunxi and their lot stood on the city wall, watching as she was sent to Gan State, they felt the same kind of exhilaration?

The difference was, then, they had failed to cut her life short entirely, leaving her a thread of survival.

This time, she was determined to leave nothing undone.

As she left the city wall, Shen Yinning gave instructions to Wei Yu, "Have the kitchen prepare two extra dishes tonight, and heat up a fine pot of wine."

Wei Yu responded with an eager affirmation. As she reached out to help Shen Yinning onto the footrest of the carriage, a thin voice called from behind, "Cousin Shen."

Shen Yinning turned, a faint smile on her lips. "Little sister-in-law? Are you here to see Second Cousin off for the last time?"

Sun Miaoniang cradled her child, Fan Ge’er, her eyes swollen red from crying. "Why did you harm Shen Lang?!"

That night at the Shen Guogong Mansion, she had heard Shen Yinning say:

—Rest assured, tonight His Majesty will not only hold him accountable for drunkenly assaulting royalty but will also investigate other, graver offenses.

Thus, that night, before Cui Ji exposed Shen Lang’s village massacre, Shen Yinning had already known about it!

It was even highly possible that she was the one who ordered Cui Ji to do so!

Unable to hold back, Sun Miaoniang grabbed the corner of Shen Yinning’s sleeve, "You’re family! Even if his father once revealed your father’s treason, those are matters of the past. Can’t you let go of your hatred and show mercy? How can you be so cruel?! How can you just watch as Fan Ge’er is separated from his father by flesh and blood?!"

Wei Yu impatiently pushed her away. "Stop clutching at her like this. Stay away from my mistress!"

Sun Miaoniang wept bitterly. "How could the world produce such a cruel-hearted woman? Do you deserve to be called Shen Lang’s sister? Do you deserve to be Fan Ge’er’s aunt? I’m telling you now, once Fan Ge’er grows up, he will never acknowledge you as his aunt! And when Fan Ge’er earns merit and becomes a Great General, he won’t support you in any way! Don’t even think about leeching off him!"

Wei Yu rolled her eyes nearly into her skull.

She really couldn’t understand where Sun Miaoniang got the nerve to say such things to her mistress.

Her mistress had high-reaching allies—why would she ever need a nephew?!

Seeing Sun Miaoniang escalating the confrontation, Shen Yinning replied with a smile, "If I were you, I’d be grateful right now."

"Grateful for what?!"

"If Shen Xinglei were fine, then he and Lu Qianqian would remain husband and wife. In the future, they’d likely produce legitimate heirs—perhaps multiple. At that point, your son would always be crushed under their children’s feet. Now that Shen Xinglei is exiled, your Fan Ge’er becomes his sole surviving child. Considering Mrs. Qin’s favoritism toward Shen Xinglei, do you think she’ll cherish your Fan Ge’er even more?"

Sun Miaoniang froze.

These words...

They seemed to carry some truth.

Men were inconsequential; what mattered was wealth and status.

If her son’s position could elevate hers, why continue caring about the man?

With Shen Xinglei here, other women would bear children to compete with her son for resources and connections. With Shen Xinglei gone, her Fan Ge’er was now the sole heir of Shen’s second branch...

"Little sister-in-law, a mother benefits from her child’s standing. Your good days are yet to come."

Shen Yinning stepped onto her carriage with a smile.

After the carriage departed, a slender and refined figure emerged from behind Sun Miaoniang.

Shen Xinghan coldly asked, "Did you get any information?"

Sun Miaoniang turned back, nervously replying, "Cousin Shen was here to bid Shen Lang farewell. She didn’t appear resentful towards our family. She spoke of being married now, having let go of past grievances, and just hoped to live peacefully with her husband and bear a healthy son."

Shen Xinghan furrowed his brows tightly.

Such words didn’t sound like something Shen Yinning would say.

He strongly suspected that his second brother’s predicament was tied to Shen Yinning, yet why couldn’t he find any evidence?

That night.

As the Year-end drew near, snowstorms continued relentlessly.

Lu Ying returned from the palace, only to see Shen Yinning sitting barefoot by the window, softly humming a nursery rhyme. Her slender fingers were combing through her voluminous, dark hair. The dark-purple silk nightdress with offset collars accentuated her coldly pale and exquisitely smooth skin. The tailored waist design made her slim frame look impossibly delicate.

He approached, pulling her into his embrace. "Are you sitting here waiting for someone?"

Shen Yinning gazed out at the layers of ghostlike shadows formed by the snow. Her red lips curved into a peculiar smile: "I’m waiting for someone."