Chapter 332: Chapter 330 Shen Yinning Is Somewhat Guilty
The young girl had a sour expression on her face, clearly unwilling to spend money on unrelated people.
Shen Yinning, in a rather good mood, reached out and pinched her cheek. "Two hundred taels of patterned silver to save a youthful and beautiful maiden—what a bargain, no? Besides, it’s not like we’re short on money."
"Stop pinching my face. You’re not even close to her."
"Even if we’re not close, we’ve at least exchanged greetings. Wen Liluo, if anything ever happened to you, I’d be willing to spend money to save you too."
Wen Liluo hugged her golden abacus, her face still carrying traces of youthful innocence, and hesitantly glanced at Shen Yinning. "Then how much would you be willing to spend on me?"
Shen Yinning formed a big circle with her hands. "Twenty thousand taels, two hundred thousand taels, two million taels, twenty million taels... however much it takes."
She smiled brightly. Although she was joking, Wen Liluo felt she really would be willing to spend that much on her.
Wen Liluo pouted and muttered under her breath, "Hopeless do-gooder."
On the other side.
The soft sedan chair was carried into the Eastern Palace.
A young girl dressed in a Great Zhou ruqun, wearing a golden face curtain, covered her face as she quickly stepped into the sleeping quarters.
She hid behind the bed curtains, waiting for roughly a quarter of an hour before Lu Ying arrived.
Lu Ying, standing outside the curtains, addressed her coldly. "I originally didn’t plan to come in person, but since you’re someone Yan Zheming sent into the palace, I have a few things to make clear. I know what your master is up to, but I am not someone who kills indiscriminately. As long as you don’t pass messages for him or act as an internal informant, I won’t harm you. On the other hand, if you’re willing to share intelligence about Yan Country, I’ll reward you."
The girl behind the curtains remained silent, seemingly trembling as she clung to the bed drapes. Even the golden bell tied to the bed curtain jingled faintly.
Lu Ying frowned deeply.
First Shen Zhaozhao feeling sorry for Gan Tangwei and wanting her to become his concubine, and now Gan Tangwei trembling with fear like this.
What, in their eyes, did they see him as—a tenfold villain and insatiable lecher?
Lu Ying seriously began to doubt if something was amiss with his recent reputation.
He had no choice but to say, "Even if you’re unwilling to pass messages, I won’t harm you. There’s no need to be so afraid."
The girl still didn’t respond, her trembling seemingly growing even worse.
Lu Ying’s frown deepened.
After a moment’s pause, he stepped forward and lifted the bed curtains.
Eyes met.
Lu Ying enunciated each word clearly: "Lu Jiazhe?!"
Lu Jiazhe stared guiltily in silence for a moment before daintily raising a hand in an orchid gesture, pushing aside the golden face curtain to reveal a thoroughly fawning smile. "Royal brother~~"
Lu Ying: "..."
There was no need for harsh interrogation. Lu Jiazhe immediately dropped to his knees, clutching his brother’s robes, and obediently confessed everything.
With snot and tears streaming, he wailed, "Crown Prince, royal brother, your judgment is impeccable! Sister Shen was the true mastermind behind all this. I was just being used, boohoohooo! If I didn’t comply, she would... she would..."
"She would what?"
"She would scold me, wuuuuuuu!"
The boy prattled noisily, like beans being fried, making the veins on Lu Ying’s forehead pulse with agitation.
He disentangled himself from Lu Jiazhe’s grasp and turned on his heel to leave the sleeping quarters.
Shen Yinning had her own spies within the Eastern Palace, so news of Lu Ying leaving the palace and heading to the Shen Garden soon reached Cuicui via Yin Yang.
By now, Shen Yinning had already settled Gan Tangwei and returned to the Shen Garden. She was seated at a carved round table, preparing to have lunch.
When she heard Lu Ying had arrived abruptly, she asked curiously, "What’s he here for?"
"Can’t be anything good," Wei Yu analyzed. "Cuicui said he left from Miss Gan’s chambers looking very upset. I’m guessing... did he get offended by Miss Gan and come to vent to you? But the Crown Prince isn’t that type of person."
Leaving "Gan Tangwei’s" chambers, looking visibly upset...
Shen Yinning guiltily rubbed the tip of her nose.
Lu Ying had likely uncovered her trick of swapping the real Gan Tangwei with someone else.
She set down her chopsticks and stood. "Fine, I’ll go hide somewhere first. If he asks where I went, tell him I’ve returned to Gan State!"
Gathering up her elaborate, wide embroidered skirt, she dashed away through the winding corridors.
She had just left when Lu Ying entered.
Lu Ying glared down at the still-warm, delicately plated dishes on the table, his sharp eyes exuding a cold, dark intensity. "Where is she?"
Wei Yu silently marveled at her mistress’s uncanny ability to anticipate things, correctly predicting that the Crown Prince had come to confront her.
She replied, "Mistress said she’s gone back to Gan State."
Lu Ying was speechless.
This fox spirit didn’t even bother giving a proper excuse to avoid him—the reason for her absence was so blatantly perfunctory!
Gui Quan noticed something was off in Lu Ying’s expression. Coughing lightly, he frantically signaled Wei Yu with his eyes. "Wei Yu, if you value your neck staying attached, you better spill where Princess Zhaoning has gone!"
Wei Yu sniffled, not daring to cover for Shen Yinning any longer, and quietly divulged her whereabouts.
Lu Ying followed the corridors on her trail, crossing two courtyards before catching sight of a figure in lotus-purple robes struggling to climb the wall.
It was early summer. The garden was lush and green, dappled with soft sunlight, and by the courtyard wall stood a chaenomeles tree in full bloom, its beauty serene and radiant.
Shen Yinning was perched atop the wall. Her thick, wavy hair was roughly pinned into a half-up bun with a silver tassel hairpin. She wore a moon-white brocade wide-sleeved upper garment, her thin waist ornamented with a loosely gathered lotus-purple embroidered skirt. The intricate floral shadows dappled across her robe, seeming almost alive in the sunlight.
Noticing that he was closing in, she instinctively turned back to look at him.
Her face was as fresh and radiant as a lotus blossom, like the moon riding high against a backdrop of dark clouds.
But her expression was akin to seeing a ghost. Forgetting her fear of heights entirely, she leapt down from the wall in a hurry!
Without hesitation, Lu Ying gave chase.
With his qinggong skills, he effortlessly vaulted over the wall, only to be met with a scene that further stoked his anger—
Trapped with nowhere left to run, this fox spirit had climbed up a tree!
He stood at the base of the tree, suppressing his fury. "Shen Yinning!"
Shen Yinning raised an eyebrow.
This dog of a man hadn’t spoken to her for days, acting like he wanted nothing to do with her. Yet now, on his rare visit to the Shen Garden, the first thing out of his mouth was calling her by her full name. He always liked addressing her that way when he was mad.
Knowing she was the one at fault, Shen Yinning couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty.
So she awkwardly greeted him. "This humble wife greets the Crown Prince. The air is particularly fresh up in the tree, so I wanted to enjoy it here a little longer. If Your Highness doesn’t mind, please, go ahead and return to the palace."
Lu Ying took a deep breath, tamping down his anger.
In all his years, he’d never seen anyone delivering proper greetings while perched in a tree!
The noble houses of the Capital often praised Shen Zhaozhao as the epitome of decorum and etiquette—the role model for women across the land. To this day, he failed to see how that reputation was earned!
The fox spirit had swapped out his concubine, yet still managed to maintain such a collected facade!
His voice dropped: "Get down."
"Come up here if you’ve got the skill."
"I’m ordering you to come down."
"If you’re so capable, climb up yourself!"
Seeing Shen Yinning clutching the tree trunk for dear life, stubbornly refusing to descend, Lu Ying felt his head throb with exasperation. He hiked up his robes and climbed up after her.
Grabbing her ear and wrapping an arm around her waist, he effortlessly pulled her down from the tree.
Releasing her, he commanded coldly, "Kneel properly."
Shen Yinning sniffled and reluctantly kneeled.
The lotus-purple, twelve-layered brocade skirt spilled around her like a freshly blooming flower.