Chapter 148 - 146: Imperial Brother, I Beg You to Severely Punish Shen Yinning

Words : 1696 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Chapter 148: Chapter 146: Imperial Brother, I Beg You to Severely Punish Shen YinningShen Xinglei’s face twisted in fury as he grabbed a hemp rope, ready to bind Shen Yinning’s hands. Shen Yinning’s expression remained cold as ice. In those three years in Gan State, while she had learned a few self-defense moves, they were techniques meant for critical moments to save her life through ambushes. After all, there was an innate disparity in strength between men and women. Against such an overwhelming power difference, those few moves were impossible to apply directly to Shen Xinglei. As she contemplated how to break the stalemate, Xue Mianmian suddenly stepped in front of her protectively. The delicate young girl, smaller than Shen Yinning and frail as a flower, was utterly powerless. Though her action was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, she still summoned all her courage, yelling at Shen Xinglei, "You’re not allowed to touch Zhaozhao! Otherwise, otherwise I’ll..." She was flustered to the extreme yet couldn’t think of anything that could threaten Shen Xinglei. In desperation, she glanced around and snatched an oiled paper umbrella from a nearby stall, trembling as she held it in front of herself. "Anyway, anyway, you stay back..." Xue Ling let out a chuckle. "So adorable." Shen Yinning’s eyes reddened. A blood relative bound to her by ties thicker than water wished nothing more than to see her die in the streets. And yet, Xue Mianmian, someone with no blood relation to her, was willing to risk her life to protect her. "You damn bitch, get the hell out of my way!" Shen Xinglei roared as he shoved Xue Mianmian aside, then grabbed Shen Yinning’s arm and skillfully began tying her hands. His hands were as large as palm fans. Xue Mianmian couldn’t withstand his shove, immediately crashing into the umbrella stall and collapsing into a heap on the ground. Xue Ling’s gaze turned cold as ice. He rose to his feet, but before he could even take a step, Shen Yinning swiftly pulled out her hairpin and stabbed it into Shen Xinglei’s chest! The turn of events happened too quickly, and Shen Yinning’s movements were just as fast. Everyone was stunned. Shen Xinglei lowered his head, watching as blood spread from his chest and gradually dyed his brocade robe red. The next instant, he fell backward heavily, collapsing onto the ground with a resounding thud. "Ah—!!" Lu Qianqian suddenly let out a shrill and terrified scream. Shen Yinning coldly gathered her windblown tresses and calmly slapped her across the face. "Stop screaming. Anyone who didn’t know better would think you were slaughtering a pig." "You... you..." Lu Qianqian held her mouth with one hand, the other trembling as she pointed at Shen Yinning’s nose. "You dare to kill Shen Lang right here in the street... He’s your cousin! How cruel can you be?!" Shen Yinning disdainfully brushed aside her pointing finger. "He’s not dead." She wasn’t foolish. Killing someone in public would mean her own life in exchange. She wouldn’t waste her life on an idiot like Shen Xinglei. Ever since returning to the Capital, she had feared situations like this. That’s why all the hairpins and jewelry on her body had been modified for self-defense. Take the hairpin—this particular one was coated in anesthetic. In Gan State, hunters used this anesthetic on wild boars. Just a tiny dose was enough to make a wild boar weighing hundreds of pounds sleep for an entire day and night. So after getting injured, Shen Xinglei passed out immediately. After hearing this, Lu Qianqian hurriedly checked Shen Xinglei’s breathing. Realizing he was still alive, she discreetly sighed in relief. Glaring at Shen Yinning with resentment, she spat angrily, "Regardless, injuring someone in the street is a fact! Guards, seize her and drag her to the government!" As a princess, even while strolling through the night market, she was always secretly protected by a number of Hidden Guards. At her command, over a dozen Hidden Guards immediately appeared on the street, surrounding Shen Yinning completely. Shen Yinning sneered. Lu Qianqian gnashed her teeth. "What are you laughing at?!" Shen Yinning replied crisply, "May I ask, Your Highness the Princess, is it a crime to act in self-defense?" "Self-defense?" Lu Qianqian, emboldened by her numerical advantage, retorted with a cold laugh. "Who here saw you acting in self-defense? From what I see, everything tonight points to you holding a grudge against Shen Lang and plotting his murder! Attempting to assassinate a court official is a crime punishable by death. Even if I executed you on the spot, neither Father nor the court officials would say a word tomorrow! Even if it reached Grandmother’s ears, she wouldn’t have anything to say either!" She was a princess, a child of the imperial family, the Empress! She was confident that even though she bullied others openly, no one among the common folk would dare stand out to accuse her due to fear of imperial authority. This made her all the more unscrupulous in her actions. "Your Highness’s words are clearly twisting the truth," Shen Yinning argued logically. "It was you and Shen Xinglei who provoked me first, and it was you who snatched away the revolving lantern I had won, causing the conflict to escalate to this point." "Rubbish!" Lu Qianqian sneered viciously. "That revolving lantern was clearly mine. You couldn’t solve the riddles, got jealous, and deliberately broke my lantern! Shen Lang, in a fit of indignation, exchanged a few words with you, and you tried to kill him! Shen Yinning, you broke my property first, then attempted a murder. There is irrefutable evidence. You deserve to die!" Her expression brimmed with smugness. Though she was the aggressor, she now posed herself as the impeccable victim. Glaring at Shen Yinning with naked malice, she declared with satisfaction, "Shen Yinning, what excuses do you have now?!" Seeing Shen Yinning remain silent, her arrogance grew unchecked. She shouted at the surrounding onlookers, "Well? Isn’t it exactly as I, the Princess, just stated?! I am the gentlest and kindest person you will meet. Surely none of you saw me abusing my status, did you?!" The commoners gritted their teeth, loathing her conduct with every fiber of their being, yet none dared speak out for fear of imperial reprisal. Shen Yinning sighed quietly. She turned to the nearby teahouse and bowed elegantly. "Your Highness the Crown Prince, the Princess is distorting the facts and unjustly accusing me. I beg Your Highness to grant me justice." The... Crown Prince? Lu Qianqian froze, following Shen Yinning’s gaze to discover Lu Ying and Xue Ling sitting across the way. She was stunned. When did her royal brother arrive? And how could she have been completely unaware?! Had her royal brother been sitting there the entire time, witnessing everything she and Shen Lang had done?! She knew full well that in tonight’s events, she and Shen Lang were in the wrong. She had been banking on no one daring to testify for Shen Yinning to resolve the matter by silencing her. She never expected her royal brother would turn out to be here! Her royal brother was known for his fairness and integrity. There was no way he would shield her and Shen Lang. Lu Qianqian’s scalp prickled as she knelt to the ground, her face draining of color as she stammered, "Royal Brother..." Lu Ying lightly caressed the tea cup in his hand, lifting his eyelids slightly to glance at her. The indifference in his gaze made Lu Qianqian even more apprehensive. Forcing a smile, she awkwardly said, "Royal Brother, when did you arrive? Why didn’t you inform me? I could have ordered some food prepared for you." Lu Ying placed the tea cup on the table. The collision of porcelain and wood produced a heavy sound that made Lu Qianqian shudder violently. Lu Ying’s bearing was authoritative despite his composed demeanor. "Lu Qianqian, do you treat everyone with such high-handed arrogance in your daily conduct?" Lu Qianqian was so terrified that she immediately dropped to her knees, tears welling in her eyes. "Royal Brother, I didn’t! It’s all Shen Yinning’s fault! She knew you were here but didn’t inform me, leading me step by step into this trap to make a fool out of me! Royal Brother, please punish Shen Yinning severely!" Lu Ying cast a glance at Shen Xinglei, who lay sprawled on the ground like a dead pig, then calmly ordered, "Take him to the inn." The group moved to an inn. After the Hidden Guards carefully checked Shen Xinglei’s injuries, they went to the adjacent room to report back: "Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness the Third Princess, the golden hairpin avoided any vital areas and only caused a superficial wound. Once the anesthetic wears off, he should regain consciousness." Knowing she was at fault, Lu Qianqian dared not demand justice for Shen Xinglei. She angrily twisted a handkerchief in her hands. Her eyes flickered with malice as she glanced at Shen Yinning before forcing a smile. "Fine, for Royal Brother’s sake, let’s put this matter behind us, Shen Yinning. Come, bring wine." A Hidden Guard brought in a wine jug. Lu Qianqian poured the wine herself. Both raised in the scheming aristocratic circles of the Capital, Shen Yinning was as familiar as Lu Qianqian with the petty intrigues of the inner court. Narrowing her eyes, she noticed Lu Qianqian flick her fingernail, letting some powder dissolve imperceptibly into the wine. As she expected, Lu Qianqian wouldn’t sincerely apologize. Smiling, Lu Qianqian raised the cup. "Shen Yinning, I toast to you!" Instead of taking it, Shen Yinning pointed at Lu Qianqian’s embroidered shoes. "Your Highness’s shoes are dirty." Lu Qianqian, who prided herself on her regal status, couldn’t bear the thought of her shoes being sullied. She quickly set the wine cup down, pulled out a handkerchief, and bent down to clean them. Sneaking a moment, Shen Yinning quietly switched their cups. Her peripheral vision caught Lu Ying standing by the window, seemingly engrossed in the night market scene and oblivious to their subtle movements.

Chapter 148 - 146: Imperial Brother, I Beg You to Severely Punish Shen Yinning

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