Chapter 142 - 140: Anything About You, I Must Inquire

Words : 1787 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Chapter 142: Chapter 140: Anything About You, I Must InquireThe bowl of medicine was brewed with unknown herbs, its taste extraordinarily bitter and pungent. Two young eunuchs held Shen Yinning down and forced the concoction into her without giving her any chance to resist. Shen Yinning struggled desperately, but still ended up drinking most of it. The porcelain bowl shattered into fragments as it hit the ground, and she shoved the two eunuchs away before stumbling back a few steps to regain her footing. She raised her sleeve to wipe away the brownish medicinal residue from her lips, her reddened eyes fixed on Lu Ying. She remembered her youth, how Lu Ying had always been cold and taciturn, his reserved demeanor contrasting sharply with her lively and outgoing nature, making them unlikely companions. Yet, whenever they attended banquets or ventured out together, he would quietly mind her feelings. At fourteen, during the spring and summer transition when green apricots were still small, she recalled the youth standing tall and elegant in his black attire, adorned with a golden hairpin, accompanying her on an outing to the outskirts of the Capital. Frowning, he had admonished her not to play in the river like the other girls, warning her of the dangers of falling in. Little did he know, rebellion coursed through her veins, and the very act of playing at the river’s edge had been her idea all along. At that time, she thought that even if Lu Ying did not like her, he must have harbored some affection for her. Otherwise, why would he care for her? Yet she never expected that the Lu Ying of her memory would transform into such an abhorrent figure on this snowy night. What occupied his heart was her cousin. If it were someone else, she might have accepted it. But no, Shen Yunxi was her nemesis. Clutching onto her crumbling despair, her delicate palm instinctively rested on her flat abdomen. She didn’t know what medicine Lu Ying had forced her to ingest. Perhaps it was more potent than the bowl of Zhang Cuichun. Maybe for the rest of her life, she would never be able to bear children again—just like Shen Yunxi. She swallowed her heartache, feigning indifference: "You’re allowed to take the Crown Princess Consort as your wife, house a harem full of concubines in the Eastern Palace, but I am forbidden to seek pleasure elsewhere? What nonsense! Besides, I was never your wife nor concubine, so you have no right to interfere in my affairs. Who I bear children for is my choice; I’ll bear them for whomever I wish! Who are you to meddle?!" Doctor Xiao Chen and Gui Quan were shocked. Madam Shen had the audacity to question His Highness, calling him a ’what’?! They had never seen anyone dare confront the Crown Prince like this! Cold sweat ran down their backs as they hastily retreated, terrified of getting dragged into the mire. Only Lu Ying and Shen Yinning remained in the room. Lu Ying stepped over the shattered porcelain, advancing toward Shen Yinning with unwavering determination: "I have no right to meddle?" The man’s oppressive presence was overwhelming. Shen Yinning instinctively stepped back until her slender spine pressed against the wall. Lu Ying gripped her chin firmly, forcing her to lift her head and meet his gaze: "Anything that concerns you, I will meddle." Shen Yinning gave a coy smile, her almond-shaped eyes brimming with mockery. She extended her hand, casually tracing circles on Lu Ying’s chest: "Oh my, I had no idea His Highness cared so deeply for his humble servant-wife. Someone ignorant might think the woman His Highness truly loves isn’t the Crown Princess Consort, but this ungrateful white-eyed wolf—a scheming harlot who plays with hearts. His Highness, righteous and upstanding like a jade gentleman, mustn’t get entangled with someone like me. Otherwise, what would people say of you?" Her slender fingers slid down from Lu Ying’s chest to rest on his waistband. She hooked her fingers around the waistband, her movements ambiguous yet provocative. Lu Ying seized her hand abruptly. As though he could no longer tolerate her brazen challenge to his dignity and pride, he scooped her up horizontally and carried her straight to the bed. "For the rest of your life, you won’t bear children again—as amends to the Crown Princess Consort. Shen Yinning, I told you before, our relationship begins when I wish it to, and ends when I say so. You’re nothing more than a plaything; now that you’re ruined beyond repair, it seems you’ll be even easier to toy with in the future." The bed curtains dropped. The intimacy came without any prelude, the pain forcing Shen Yinning into fresh tears. She cursed and struck Lu Ying with all her might, but her efforts were futile. One slap across his face was met only with a calm laugh as he touched the cheek she’d struck, spurring her to raise her hand again—only to hurt herself this time. After the initial pain passed, all that remained was an overwhelming tide of pleasure. Tears streamed down Shen Yinning’s face. She wanted to flee this bedroom, yet desire made her cling tighter to Lu Ying. She trembled as she shut her eyes. Hating Lu Ying, and hating herself for being so powerless. Lu Ying, hovering above her, admired the flushed passion on her tear-streaked face: "Even with a man you despise, you can sink into such depravity... Shen Yinning, a woman like you has no place in my Eastern Palace." Shen Yinning, breathing heavily, grit her teeth: "Only now do you realize I’m licentious by nature? If you loathe me, then why do you linger? Are you sure the one unable to sever this bond isn’t you, rather than me?!" Lu Ying’s forehead glistened with sweat. A bead of perspiration slid down his throat, trickling over his toned chest and disappearing beneath the sharp contours of his waistline, finally falling onto Shen Yinning’s smooth, pale stomach—melding quietly with her own fragrant sweat. His head hung low, strands of his dark hair disheveled across his brow, and his narrow eyes carried an intensity darker than his hair. His voice, hoarse and magnetic: "Unable to sever ties? I don’t love you—what ties are there to sever? You’re a compulsive liar, venomous at heart. Cutting you off decisively, ending this completely... It’s for the best. For the best. For the best!" Shen Yinning shuddered violently, her body taut like a drawn bow. Her frail, delicate hands clawed tightly at his muscular, rugged arms, releasing a series of sharp, high-pitched cries. "No more! No more!!" The fine beads of sweat mingling with her tears dampened her temple hair, causing it to cling stubbornly to her flushed, tear-streaked face. Her mouth hung open as she panted heavily, resembling a mermaid stranded ashore. "No more..." "No more..." "..." The night deepened, snow falling relentlessly outside. Doctor Xiao Chen and the others stood under the corridor roof, staring at each other wide-eyed. Gui Quan ventured cautiously: "Doctor Xiao Chen, the abortion soup you brewed for Madam Shen—was it truly potent enough to render her barren for life?" "How could it be!" Despite the snowy night, Doctor Xiao Chen wiped the cold sweat from his brow, "His Highness cherishes Madam Shen like the apple of his eye. I’ve heard that even though the Crown Princess Consort was made infertile by Madam Shen’s schemes, His Highness never pursued her wrongdoing. If I dared use harsher medicine tonight, and the two of them reconcile later, the first person to lose his head would be me! That bowl of medicine was just regular tonics, harmless to the body. His Highness understands well—it was mainly to assert dominance in front of Madam Shen." Gui Quan and De Sun listened, their thoughts converging into one word: "Twisted!" His Highness, truly twisted! By dawn the next day, Lu Ying stood by the bedside, tidying up his appearance. He glanced at the figure beneath the bed canopy—a girl curled up like tattered cloth in the deep folds of the luxurious quilt. Even in slumber, her brows and eyes carried a veil of melancholy, resembling shards of cold, broken white glass. The room was warm like spring, yet her collarbones and pale arms rested exposed, revealing intertwined marks of kisses and bruises from the intensity of the previous night. Lu Ying averted his gaze, his face calm and unperturbed. He stepped out of the room, issuing a cold command: "From now on, don’t deliver her anything anymore." Gui Quan clutched the horsetail whisk, trailing behind him cautiously: "Is His Highness severing ties with Madam Shen?" Lu Ying said nothing. Shen Yinning was like poisonous poppies. Overindulgence led to addiction. He must not lose himself in the entanglement of their petty affections. To sever decisively was the wisest course. After some time, he uttered a low "Hmm." Shen Yinning was discreetly sent back to Lotus Lane while the Capital’s snowfall halted, and families everywhere were preparing for the New Year. In the Gao Family’s side courtyard, Shen Yinning sat by the bamboo daybed near the window, copying Buddhist Scriptures by the low wooden desk. She wore no makeup, her long lashes drooped, and her lips remained somewhat swollen— A bite mark left by Lu Ying the previous night. Wei Haitang brought tea and snacks, her expression apologetic: "Gui Quan said that you and His Highness argued fiercely last night, it’s all my fault for failing to hide that bottle of abortion medicine..." Shen Yinning dismissed it lightly: "It’s unrelated to you." Even if the medicine hadn’t been found, Lu Ying would still assume she had taken it. That man, though lacking in romance, wasn’t foolish enough to believe she was a virtuous person. Although this time their conflict escalated, causing her to lose the backing of Lu Ying, it didn’t matter; she still had the Empress Dowager’s support. At worst, if she ever reached a dead end with nowhere else to turn, she could always climb into Lu Ying’s father’s bed! As long as she remained alive, she would find a way to avenge her father, brothers, and mother! For three consecutive days, Lu Ying sent no one to fetch Shen Yinning back to Shen Garden nor did he shower her with the rare treasures he used to during festive times. Wei Yu grew anxious: "Madam, do you think His Highness intends to cut ties with you completely? Perhaps you should relent a little, and try to appease him? The Crown Princess Consort and the Third Princess are both watching you closely. If you lose His Highness’s favor and protection, how will you survive in the Capital?"

Chapter 142 - 140: Anything About You, I Must Inquire

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