Chapter 17 The Crown Prince Comes with an Army to Seek Justice

Words : 1514 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 17: Chapter 17 The Crown Prince Comes with an Army to Seek JusticeAfter finishing breakfast, Gao Zheng called out to Yin Shanshan in the corridor: "Can we get that money back?" "Zheng-lang, how could you be so muddled-headed?" Yin Shanshan was displeased. "Once gift money is given, how could there be any reason to take it back?! That’s your life-saving money! Besides, I already told you I can earn the money back. What are you even worrying about?" Gao Zheng said nothing. Back then, taking Yin Shanshan as a concubine was purely due to her actively climbing into his bed. At the time, he was captivated by Shen Yinning yet unable to attain her love, not even daring to touch her. That was how he ended up in a raging affair with Yin Shanshan. He thought Yin Shanshan possessed the lively and clever spirit Shen Yinning lacked. To him, Yin Shanshan and Shen Yinning were like the moles of desire and the moonlight of purity—like the legendary goddesses Ehuang and Nuying. Having one wife and one concubine like them, he was deeply satisfied. He even considered that if the Crown Prince no longer wanted Shen Yinning, he could take Shen Yinning and Yin Shanshan to live together in harmony. To him, the two women were equally important. But ever since arriving in the Capital, Yin Shanshan seemed to have grown dim-witted. He rubbed his temples in frustration. "How do you plan to make money?" "That’s my secret." Yin Shanshan smiled mischievously, "Just wait and see how I make a fortune!" Half a month later, Yin Shanshan brought a stack of papers to see Shen Yinning. She got straight to the point: "This is the novel I wrote. Please, sister, offer me some guidance. If sister finds it pleasing, I will ask the publishing house to print and sell it, earning some silver coins to supplement the household." Yin Shanshan confidently awaited Shen Yinning’s feedback. Based on her extensive experience with countless online novels, the easiest way for a time-traveling woman to make money was by writing. The plots of domineering lords obsessing over little lady doctors, runaway concubines chased by emperors, or mistreated illegitimate daughters mistaken as replacements for noble sisters—all of them were etched into her memory. As a traditional woman confined to the household, Shen Yinning surely would never have read these thrilling and novel plots! "Oh, so you can write books now?" Shen Yinning found it intriguing and casually flipped open the first page. She skimmed over it briefly. The plot was formulaic—extremely formulaic. The impoverished scholars who wrote books for a living, lingering in brothels and mingling with the lower classes, had already churned out every imaginable melodramatic storyline. The forced seductions, marriages between enemies, and mistaken identities Yin Shanshan wrote about were merely leftovers of their handiwork. Shen Yinning closed the manuscript and gently said, "It’s all fiction. Reading it feels meaningless." Yin Shanshan’s face went black in an instant. She had asked Shen Yinning for guidance, but she didn’t actually want guidance! All she wanted was praise! She wanted to see Shen Yinning’s astonishment and envy toward the erudition and talent of a modern-day woman! Shen Yinning lightly tapped the table with her fingertip. For the past half month, Lu Ying had seemingly avoided her out of respect for Shen Yunxi’s reputation. She had asked Haitang to invite Lu Ying to Shen Garden for a gathering, but the message felt as if it had disappeared without a trace. Looking at the novel Yin Shanshan wrote, an idea suddenly took shape in Shen Yinning’s mind: "Sister, why not be bold and change the male lead to the Crown Prince? Then, make the female lead a prominent official’s wife. As for the plot, write about how they were childhood sweethearts torn apart and how they secretly meet in the palace banquets, Imperial Garden, temples, and wilderness to carry on their affair. Your literary talent suits the depiction of intimate, alluring scenes between men and women very well. After all, people’s interest lies in that little bit of intrigue between men and women; they wouldn’t mind if it’s a little provocative." Though once published, it’s very likely the Government might pursue charges of "slandering the Crown Prince." Yin Shanshan froze. This... This was so daring! But indeed, it sounded thrilling. Thrilling to the extent that it didn’t seem like something a secluded and abandoned woman like Shen Yinning could devise. She quickly rationalized that since Zheng-lang hadn’t shared a bed with Shen Yinning for three years, she must be lonely and desperate to conjure such fantasies. Ancient women were truly pitiable. Without the affection of a husband and the support of children, Shen Yinning’s life must have been unbearably dull—likely she even knew the precise number of bricks in her courtyard. Out of pity, Yin Shanshan decided to counsel Shen Yinning: "Do you not realize Zheng-lang doesn’t care for you at all? If I were you, I’d separate from him as soon as possible. You might still have a chance to remarry while you’re young." Shen Yinning smiled slightly: "I wouldn’t compete with you for Gao Zheng." Yin Shanshan bristled: "What do you mean by not competing with me?! Zheng-lang never liked you from the start! Do you know why he refuses to share a bed with you? Because I told him I wanted one true pair in this lifetime, so he won’t touch you. You’ve seen my brother’s influence firsthand; with my status, I’m destined to be the principal wife someday. If you’re smart, you’ll quickly offer to step down without waiting for me to drive you out!" With those words, she left triumphantly. Yin Shanshan was a woman of action. Within half a month, the novel she had written, *His Highness the Crown Prince: Greetings from the Minister’s Wife*, was printed into books. Because the characters were based on real people, it sold like hotcakes among the common folk. Suddenly, Lu Ying and a certain official’s wife in the court became the lively subject of gossip during people’s meals and idle conversation. Eastern Palace. Towering stacks of *His Highness the Crown Prince: Greetings from the Minister’s Wife* filled the grand hall. Shen Yunxi was tearing the books apart in a frenzy: "Which shameless wench, bored and senseless, came up with this nonsense?! His Highness loves only me—this palace! That Zhang Madam, Li Madam, Wang Madam—they are completely fabricated! You bunch of useless idiots, quickly spread the word of my order that these publishing houses must cease printing such books immediately!" Papers fell everywhere. S~eaʀᴄh the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Faintly visible on the ink-pressed pages were scandalous phrases like "disrobe," "intimately intertwined," "bare without a thread," and other blush-inducing descriptions. The stories painted pictures of romantic escapades between the Crown Prince and the female protagonist at moonlit gardens and spring pavilions—but the protagonist was decidedly not the Crown Princess Consort Shen Yunxi. Reading the depictions, Shen Yunxi’s heart clenched violently, consumed by jealousy to the point of madness. Lianxin tried to console her: "Those private, small-time publishing shops in the common folk’s quarters print recklessly; how can they all be stopped? These are just fabricated tales written by indulgent scholars. Why concern yourself with them, Your Highness?" "What do you know?!" Shen Yunxi spat at her angrily. "I’ll go to the Crown Prince immediately and ask him to personally intervene and shut these down!" Nanny Zhang stopped her: "Your Highness resides in the Eastern Palace; composure is paramount. These books are trifling matters—they won’t affect the bond between you and His Highness. The art of managing a husband lies in balancing tension and relaxation. Concerning this incident, Your Highness might as well pretend ignorance. Focus instead on conceiving a royal grandson quickly—that is of utmost importance. Did you forget? The beginning of the month is approaching, and His Highness, feeling pity for Your Highness’s grievances, will surely come to share a room with you." Shen Yunxi’s eyes reddened. She paused solemnly and bit her lip unwillingly: "I’ll heed Nanny’s advice. By the way, Mother recently sent a folk remedy for conception. Call the palace attendants to prepare it for me immediately! No matter what, on the first night of the month, I must conceive the Crown Prince’s child!" Shen Yinning, hearing from Haitang’s report that all was serene at the Eastern Palace, couldn’t help but smile. Shen Yunxi could even endure this; it must be due to Nanny Zhang’s persuasion. If Nanny Zhang should die someday... What madness would Shen Yunxi descend into? Amused by the thought, Shen Yinning laughed gleefully as Wei Yu rushed in to report: "Madam, the Crown Prince is here—you must hurry to dress up and prepare!" Shen Yinning toyed with the book *His Highness the Crown Prince: Greetings from the Minister’s Wife* in her hands, intrigued. The scoundrel was here to make accusations. He must be livid—what else would drive him to show up in the dead of night?

Chapter 17 The Crown Prince Comes with an Army to Seek Justice

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