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Chapter 42: Chapter 42 Lu Ying knows about her and Cui Ji watching the lanterns together
Shen Yinning raised her phoenix eyes slightly: "Minister Gao, do you need me to help you recall the agreement we made before our marriage back then?"
Gao Zheng’s face turned alternately green and white.
Of course, he hadn’t forgotten their agreement to fake a marriage in exchange for his future success!
He had always remembered that they were only pretending to be husband and wife.
But after three years of living together, he had long since come to regard Shen Yinning as his own personal possession.
To think of his woman serving another man—it felt as disgusting as swallowing a fly!
"Unable to defy the Crown Prince, yet flaunting your authority before me." Shen Yinning sneered, "Gao Zheng, you’re nothing more than this."
She shook her round fan and left without hesitation.
Gao Zheng slumped despondently against the corridor column.
Yes, it was true that he didn’t dare challenge the Crown Prince.
But Shen Yinning was nevertheless his wife—how could she possibly look at him with the eyes one would reserve for a useless piece of garbage?
She was clearly a well-educated daughter of the Duke Mansion; had she forgotten the principles of obedience—to follow the father at home, and the husband after marriage?
"Zheng-lang!" Yin Shanshan suddenly appeared. "What’s wrong?"
Gao Zheng leaned weakly against her: "Shanshan, am I useless?"
"How could that be?!" Yin Shanshan’s eyes widened. "Zheng-lang, you’re the budding root of a Prime Minister, and with my elder brother speaking highly of you in front of the Crown Prince, you’re sure to ascend to great heights and become the Grand Secretary in the future!"
Gao Zheng felt comforted by her words, and his mood finally lightened a little.
Yet Shen Yinning’s disdain had humiliated him, and he could not swallow the insult.
If Shen Yinning and the Crown Prince’s affair were to be discovered by the Crown Princess Consort, what would happen?
If it became known, wouldn’t she be prevented from further entanglements with the Crown Prince?
By then, the only man Shen Yinning could turn to would be him, and he could then do anything he wanted with her.
A daring plan suddenly emerged in Gao Zheng’s mind.
On the day of the autumn hunting trip, countless tents were set up at the foot of the royal hunting grounds.
At dusk, Lu Jiazhe took advantage of everyone gathering around the bonfire, laughing and playing, to sneak over with Cui Ji to visit Shen Yinning.
"Sister Shen, hurry and try this fresh roasted venison!" Lu Jiazhe presented a steaming plate of venison as if it were a treasure. "I roasted it myself!"
Before Shen Yinning even had the chance to taste it, Haitang hurried over and whispered a few words in her ear.
The Crown Prince had summoned her.
With a calm expression, Shen Yinning rose to bid farewell to Lu Jiazhe and Cui Ji.
Lu Jiazhe was well aware of her situation with Lu Ying.
His voice was filled with melancholy: "My cousin is inherently cold and domineering. She’ll probably torment Sister Shen again tonight. I truly don’t understand what sins Sister Shen committed—back then, when Uncle Shen’s entire family was imprisoned, she begged him at the Eastern Palace, and he wouldn’t even lift a hand to help. Now, though, he relentlessly demands her..."
Cui Ji pursed his thin lips.
Lu Jiazhe suddenly glared at him: "Cui Ji, Sister Shen saved your life. You must strive to rise above this situation. Only by reaching a high position can you protect Sister Shen from my cousin in the future!"
Cui Ji’s face remained impassive, but he responded with a low "yes."
Shen Yinning was escorted by a palace attendant into Lu Ying’s large tent, only to find that he was not alone—his trusted aide, Xue Ling, was also present, and the two appeared to be discussing court matters.
Just as she was about to withdraw, she heard Lu Ying say, "Come here."
Shen Yinning obediently knelt beside him and sneaked a glance across the low table. Upon seeing the girl kneeling behind Xue Ling, she froze.
Lu Ying’s voice was calm: "Haven’t you greeted Lord Xue yet?"
Suppressing her shock, Shen Yinning stood up and offered a bow: "Greetings to Lord Xue, and greetings to..."
She didn’t know how to address the girl.
Xue Ling’s smile was wicked and poisonous: "What’s the matter, Miss Shen, don’t you recognize Mianmian anymore?"
Shen Yinning clenched her hands tightly.
Of course, she recognized Xue Mianmian!
The legitimate eldest daughter of the Xue family, the Bright Pearl of Xue Imperial Tutor!
But three years ago, a scandal erupted within the Xue family—the son born to Madam Xue was switched with a daughter due to the jealousy of a concubine, who arranged for the son to be swapped with the newborn daughter of a servant.
The real Xue family heir became a lowly servant, living a life of servitude and misery, while the servant’s daughter was raised in luxury, becoming the pampered young lady of the Xue family!
After the truth came to light, Xue Imperial Tutor and Madam Xue claimed their rightful son, Xue Ling. As for the awkwardly positioned Xue Mianmian, some said she had been sent to a countryside estate, while others claimed she had been married off far away.
Shen Yinning had been very close to Xue Mianmian.
When she heard of Xue Mianmian’s plight, she immediately sent people to investigate, only to discover that Xue Mianmian had vanished on a rainy night. Even Xue Chief of Staff and Madam Xue had no idea where she had gone.
She never expected that all these years, Xue Mianmian had been in Xue Ling’s grasp!
Xue Mianmian looked at Shen Yinning in disbelief.
She had thought Shen Yinning was exiled to Gan State and would never return to the Capital, but she didn’t expect her to become someone in the Crown Prince’s orbit!
Back in their girlhood days, she distinctly remembered Shen Yinning saying that she didn’t like the Crown Prince.
It seemed her involvement with the Crown Prince must have been forced by circumstances.
Their gazes met, full of unspoken words, yet neither dared to speak because of Lu Ying and Xue Ling’s presence.
Shen Yinning’s heart trembled as she glared at Xue Ling: "Lord Xue, hiding Mianmian like this is nothing short of deception!"
Xue Ling’s smile turned chilling in an instant.
Xue Mianmian shuddered and quickly waved her small hand at Shen Yinning: "Zhaozhao, I’m alright..."
"Zhaozhao" was the courtesy name Shen Yinning had adopted while reading alongside her teacher in childhood. Whenever she wrote essays, she signed them with "Shen Zhaozhao."
Hearing this name again after three years, Shen Yinning was momentarily stunned.
Her eyes reddened slightly: "How can you say you’re alright? Look at how you are now—are you afraid of him?!"
Xue Mianmian’s long, curled eyelashes drooped. Though she remained silent, her trembling form betrayed her inner fear of Xue Ling, as though she had endured unspeakable horrors during the past three years by his side.
Xue Ling’s gaze turned venomous as he stared at Shen Yinning, like a serpent sizing up its prey: "It’s been years, and Miss Shen’s temper hasn’t changed a bit—still as irritating as before, making one want to utterly destroy her."
His eyes were colder than winter’s frost, carrying the icy malice of hell itself, making one’s heart shiver.
Lu Ying pulled Shen Yinning behind him: "Xue Ling, she belongs to me."
Xue Ling’s laugh was sinister and bitter, his hoarse voice laced with mockery: "Miss Shen belongs to His Highness? Funny, then how is it that I saw her on the night of the Qixi Festival, boating and enjoying lanterns with Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Cui Ji?"
