The Obsessive Crown Prince Can't Let Me Go
Chapter 183 - 181 Kneel Down

Chapter 183: Chapter 181 Kneel Down

Lu Ying arrived at the Gao Family residence, only for Nanny Chen to inform him that Shen Yinning had been taken away by the carriage of the Su Prince Mansion.

He rushed to the Su Prince Mansion but did not see Shen Yinning. Instead, he found Lu Jiazhe, surrounded by a few young pages, happily kicking a football in the snow.

He caught the football inadvertently kicked toward him by one of the pages. "Lu Jiazhe."

Lu Jiazhe nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard that voice!

Glancing at the football in Lu Ying’s hand, he dared not ask for its return. Awkwardly, he said, "Royal brother, why aren’t you keeping vigil in the Eastern Palace? What brings you out of the palace to look for your younger brother?"

"Where is Shen Yinning?"

Lu Jiazhe nervously rubbed the tip of his nose. "I invited Sister Shen to spend New Year’s Eve at the Su Prince Mansion. Later, she mentioned she had something urgent and left early to return to the Gao Family residence. Didn’t royal brother run into her on the way back?"

Lu Ying’s tone dropped a few degrees colder, carrying a menacing air. "Lu Jiazhe."

Lu Jiazhe’s legs felt like jelly.

What would happen if Lu Ying found out that he had arranged for Sister Shen to meet with Lu Shiyan in private? Surely, he would break his legs!

He took a wary glance toward the direction of the Warm Pavilion, then braced himself and mumbled, "I really don’t know where Sister Shen is. If she didn’t return to the Gao Family, perhaps she went to the Hot Spring Villa outside the city, or maybe she’s spending New Year’s Eve with Old Master Yu..."

Before his words were finished, Lu Ying had already taken off.

And his direction? Straight toward the Warm Pavilion!

Lu Jiazhe felt as though the sky was falling. He quickly shuffled after him. "Royal brother, where are you going?! Wait for me, royal brother! Let’s play football together instead! Royal brother!!"

Warm Pavilion.

Lu Shiyan studied Shen Yinning’s features intently. "I just returned to the Capital from Jiangnan. We haven’t seen each other in four years. How has Zhaozhao been?"

Shen Yinning gave a respectful bow. "Thanks to your Highness’s blessings, all is well with this humble woman."

Hearing her refer to herself as "this humble woman," a flash of hostility flickered through Lu Shiyan’s eyes.

He had already learned about the events of the past few years and knew she had married an unremarkable minor official.

Suppressing the anger rising within him, he said coldly, "And he allowed you to marry someone! Despite being the Crown Prince, is that all he could do for you? Just marry you off without another means to bring you back to the Capital?!"

Shen Yinning made no comment.

As long as she could return to the Capital, she was already content.

Remembering something, she earnestly said, "I must first congratulate your Highness on your recent marriage to the Princess."

"An imperial decree from the Emperor—I had no choice but to marry," Lu Shiyan dismissed the topic lightly, redirecting the conversation back to Shen Yinning. "I know Zhaozhao returned to the Capital to seek vengeance for your father, brothers, and mother. Your decision to submit to Lu Ying was to leverage his power. But, Zhaozhao, have you thought about this? Shen Yunxi is Lu Ying’s Crown Princess Consort, and Shen Yan is his father-in-law. When the time comes for the blade to reveal itself, will he permit you to seek revenge against his wife and the Yue Family?"

Shen Yinning had considered this.

She had succeeded in framing Shen Xinglei because his actions were malicious, fundamentally opposing Lu Ying’s principles.

But Shen Xinghan?

Shen Yan?

After being in the Capital for so long, she had yet to find any incriminating evidence against them.

And as for Shen Yunxi—she was the woman Lu Ying loved dearly and respected as his Crown Princess Consort.

There was no way he would ever allow her to target Shen Yunxi.

After a moment’s silence, she said, "Prince Wu, you make it sound so easy. But submitting to Lu Ying was the only path available to me."

"No, you still have another, better option—come with me back to Jiangnan. Though Lu Ying is currently the Crown Prince, the final victor has yet to be decided. If it’s my younger brother, Lu Zhengliu, who ascends the throne, Lu Ying will be left powerless and unable to protect Shen Yan and Shen Yunxi’s family. By then, you may deal with them as you wish. Zhaozhao, in truth, you and Lu Ying are ill-suited; you and I, however, are kindred spirits."

Shen Yinning’s gaze turned icy. "Prince Wu, you’ve already married the Princess. Are you suggesting I become your concubine? Or, like Lu Ying, hide in the shadows as your forbidden fruit?"

"Zhaozhao—"

"Prince Wu, such words, I advise you not to speak of them again."

The Warm Pavilion fell into silence.

Their reunion on New Year’s Eve could hardly be called cordial.

After who knows how long, Lu Shiyan took a deep breath and asked, "Zhaozhao, have you fallen in love with Lu Ying?"

"I have never loved anyone."

"When your family was executed, he stood by and did nothing for his own benefit. Even after the death of your father and brothers, he chose to marry Shen Yunxi for the sake of the Northwest’s military power. Zhaozhao, if you love Lu Ying, it’s the same as betraying your father and brothers."

"I’ve said it before—I do not love him."

Lu Shiyan pressed on. "Then what is it you feel for him?"

"Utilization."

"Only utilization?"

"Only utilization."

She spoke each word clearly, as if reiterating an answer, or perhaps reminding herself.

The sound of a beaded curtain echoed.

Lu Jiazhe cleared his throat nervously.

Shen Yinning snapped back to reality. Turning toward the noise, she saw Lu Ying, cloaked in a black crane-patterned cape, quietly standing in the shadows of the Warm Pavilion. This man, so impossibly handsome and dignified, seemed at that moment to meld into the darkness, his gaze harboring an unfathomable depth of gloom.

How long had he been standing there?

How much had he heard...

Lu Ying’s gaze bypassed her, landing on Lu Shiyan. "Second Brother returns to the Capital early yet neglects to enter the palace and pay respects to Father?"

Lu Shiyan replied indifferently, "Fatigued from travel, I stopped here at Ah Ze’s to rest a while."

"Really? Second Brother had no time to enter the palace but found time to chat with Shen Yinning? Shen Yinning is now a married woman, and you have a Princess as your wife. For a man and a woman to be alone together, would this not ruin your reputations if the rumors spread?"

"Zhaozhao and I grew up together. There’s nothing to worry about. But you, Crown Prince Lu Ying, known for your upright and solemn reputation—what, then, is your relationship with Zhaozhao now? To take the wife of your subject, are you not afraid of public censure?"

"Whether it was I who took a subject’s wife, or Shen Yinning who offered herself willingly, Second Brother may as well ask her directly."

The atmosphere in the Warm Pavilion grew tense, an invisible pressure creeping into the space.

Though the underground furnace provided warmth, icy tendrils seemed to seep into the very bones of those present.

Lu Jiazhe involuntarily took two steps back, bitterly regretting his decision to help Lu Shiyan arrange this meeting with Shen Yinning.

After a long stretch of silence, Lu Ying finally said, "Shen Yinning, come here."

Shen Yinning lowered her lashes. After a pause, she eventually stepped toward him.

Lu Ying took her hand and left the Warm Pavilion without a word.

Back at Shen Garden, he finally spoke. "Kneel."

Shen Yinning pursed her lips and, with head lowered, sank to her knees onto the brocade carpet.

Lu Ying sat on the edge of the bed.

He gazed at this excessively beautiful woman, his chest aflame, as if a swarm of poisonous insects gnawed at his heart. Pain, bitterness, hatred—all fused into a complex emotion that threatened to obliterate his reason.

After a long moment, he rasped out, "Don’t you have anything to explain?"

Shen Yinning remained silent, her head bowed.

Not only did she have no inclination to explain, she even began contemplating the feasibility of Lu Shiyan’s proposal.

The transfer of imperial power always accompanied shifts in the authority of court officials.

If Lu Ying were to lose to Lu Zhengliu, and she aligned herself with Lu Zhengliu, supported by Lu Shiyan, wouldn’t that save her the trouble of scheming? She could completely destroy Shen Yan’s family with ease.

The question was—how strong were Lu Zhengliu’s chances of victory...

While she calculated the odds of Lu Zhengliu’s success, Lu Ying’s voice rumbled, "Shen Yinning, did you hear me?"