Chapter 345: Chapter 343: The Crown Prince Bullies Me!
Lu Zhengliu furrowed his brows tightly, "You’re going to enter the game yourself?"
"Yes."
Lu Zhengliu’s expression was complex.
Over the years, he had seen many extraordinarily talented young women, but he had never met anyone as daring and bold as Shen Yinning.
Indeed, she and her brother were completely different in temperament, no wonder they didn’t end up together.
He said, "Aren’t you afraid he’ll be angry if you betray him?"
Shen Yinning gave a slight smile, "Even if I don’t betray him, he doesn’t intend to give me the status I want. In that case, why can’t the person without status be him? Is it that only you men are allowed to forcefully take from women, but women are not allowed to seize men in return? I’ve gone through great ups and downs, seen human warmth and coldness, and I don’t care about any bullshit rules or societal prejudices. I only know that everything I want is obtained by grabbing it, whether it’s wealth, status, or the man I fancy."
The young woman sat upright, with strands of tea mist rising from the teacup beside her.
In the dim light of the lantern, she smiled, beautiful and radiant like the Nine-tailed Fox in mythical tales.
Shen Family’s eldest daughter, who lost the protection of her family, was ambitious yet full of vitality.
Lu Zhengliu suddenly understood why his brother liked her so much.
There is no shortage of beauties in the world, but one who is beautiful yet interesting and resilient is truly one in a million.
Lu Zhengliu said earnestly, "I am willing to cooperate with you."
The next day.
The death of Yan Zheming caused an uproar in the Capital.
The emperor and ministers were shocked, some sent people to investigate the cause of death, while others, trembling with fear, didn’t know how to explain to Yan Country, fearing that mishandling the situation might lead to war.
Shen Yinning entered the palace to pay respects to Empress Dowager Li, and took the opportunity to visit the Imperial Garden under the guise of admiring lotuses, secretly sending Haitang to invite Lu Ying over.
Lu Ying stepped into the waterside lodge, the carved screen door closed from the outside.
Shen Yinning hugged him from behind, "Lu Ying, I’ve missed you..."
The girl was warm and soft.
The scent of powder mingled with the fresh fragrance of lotuses, making the entire lodge smell rich and refreshing.
Lu Ying’s heart softened, he sat down and held her in his arms, "I thought you were angry."
Shen Yinning sat on his lap, pinching his cheeks coquettishly, "Why should I be angry?"
Lu Ying remained silent.
Why indeed, wasn’t it all because she asked him to divorce Shen Yunxi and he refused?
The little girl was so furious the previous night, she bit his shoulder with such force that it left two bloody teeth marks, and only because he was strong and robust, he wasn’t bitten through to the bone.
"Lu Ying, I want to discuss something with you..." Shen Yinning affectionately kissed his lips, "Since Shen Yunxi has been deposed, can I secretly kill her?"
Lu Ying held her wrist, "What do you think?"
Shen Yinning sneered dismissively, then raised a smile as if expecting a good show, "The position of Crown Princess Consort is vacant, and the aristocratic families in the Capital are starting to stir, all wanting their Bright Pearl to sit in that position. Lu Ying, who will your next Crown Princess Consort be?"
The girl’s wrist was as fair as frost and snow, wearing two golden bracelets with entwined floral patterns.
Lu Ying held them in his palm, feeling as fragile as a flower stem, as if it would break with a twist.
He didn’t answer.
But Shen Yinning knew his answer.
No matter who it was, it couldn’t be her anymore.
She was now a married woman, still bearing the name of a convicted traitor’s daughter, and in Lu Ying’s heart, she was a venomous, ruthless, and selfish figure. It didn’t take much thought to know she could never become the next Empress of Great Zhou.
She nonchalantly curled her red lips, tilting her head to kiss Lu Ying’s Adam’s apple.
Lu Ying tilted his head back, the tips of his ears turning an unnatural flush of red, his voice low and restrained, "Shen Zhaozhao, this is the Imperial Palace..."
"Are you afraid?" Shen Yinning playfully nibbled on Lu Ying’s lips, "With Shen Yunxi deposed, what are you afraid of? She’s confined in the Eastern Palace and can’t protect herself, are you afraid she’ll catch us in the act? You dare to kill the Crown Prince of Yan Country, but not dare to make love with me?"
Lu Ying’s thin muscles tensed up.
He wasn’t afraid of Shen Yunxi.
He just felt that being so openly in the Imperial Garden wasn’t proper or lawful.
Yet on second thought, when had he ever adhered to propriety and law with Shen Zhaozhao?
His calloused hand pressed firmly against the small of the young woman’s back, switching roles, he forcefully deepened the kiss.
With the girl’s muffled hum, Lu Ying carried her onto the bamboo couch.
In early summer weather, the girl was only wearing a thin, light cyan gauze skirt, falling like a lotus petal, exposing snow-white skin as soft as silk, the golden hairpin fell, her raven-black hair outlined her graceful figure, falling upon Lu Ying’s eyes, as enticing as a rare prize.
His gaze deepened.
The golden bell tied around her ankle rang rapidly.
Shen Yinning clung to the man above her, their bodies entwined, breaths mingling, moans slipping uncontrollably from her lips.
Outside the lodge, the weather grew increasingly gloomy.
With the roll of thunder from the clouds, a downpour ensued.
The full lake of green lotus leaves outside the lodge swayed in the wind and rain, deep red and light pink lotus flowers hid beneath the leaves, seemingly too shy to lift their heads.
Damp cool air seeped through the window crevices into the lodge.
The white gauze curtains hanging on both sides of the bamboo couch were blown upward, the flash of lightning momentarily illuminating the couch, entranced, the young woman arched her swan-like neck high, allowing Lu Ying to leave kiss marks on her snow-white skin.
Raindrops spun over the lotus leaves.
No one knew how long it lasted, but the storm finally subsided.
Nourished by the rain, the vast spread of lotus leaves appeared greener and fresher.
Shen Yinning sat on the bamboo couch, her delicate face framed by dark hair on both sides, cheeks still bearing traces of tears, appearing as fresh and pure as a lotus emerging from water, quietly watching Lu Ying straighten his clothes.
Lu Ying finished dressing and turned to see her wrapped in the bedding with her fragrant shoulder half exposed, reached out to secure the quilt for her, "I will go to Shen Garden tonight."
His tall and sturdy figure cast a shadow over Shen Yinning, exuding an unintentional sense of coercion as he spoke.
Shen Yinning’s phoenix eyes were moist, her red lips holding a strand of dark hair, alluring yet pitiable, "I will wait for Your Highness."
She watched Lu Ying leave the lodge, then stepped onto the ground barefoot, slowly putting on her clothes and skirt.
Glancing at the bronze mirror, the girl in the mirror had disheveled long hair and rumpled clothes, with clear, ambiguous red marks visible on her fair neck.
Shen Yinning touched those marks, stepping indifferently out of the lodge.
Raindrops dripped from the blue-glazed eaves, landing on her cheek.
She embraced the wide sleeves and skirts, like a poor girl who had been forced, running out of the Imperial Garden crying—
Only to run into Lu Zhengliu and a group of court ministers passing by.
Among them were Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Cui Ji, and Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Zhang Keyuan.
Shen Yinning suddenly knelt to the ground, tightly grasping Lu Zhengliu’s robe hem, choking with emotion, "Prince Duan, save me!"
Lu Zhengliu hurriedly took off his outer robe and draped it over her, "Why is Princess Zhaoning like this? Who bullied you?!"
Shen Yinning cried with tears like pear blossoms, "The Crown Prince bullied me!"