Chapter 175 - 173: Praying for Blessings for Brother Lu Ying

Words : 1544 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 175: Chapter 173: Praying for Blessings for Brother Lu YingShen Xinglei’s eyes suddenly widened. "You... what did you just say?" "I said, over the past year, Lu Ying has been keeping a lover hidden away in his golden house. And the person he hid wasn’t someone else—it was me." Shen Yinning smiled serenely, "Back when my family was raided, I climbed onto Lu Ying’s bed in the dead of night, made him addicted to me to the point he couldn’t forget, even after marrying Shen Yunxi. Otherwise, do you think, Second Cousin, that I returned from Gan State relying on that idiot Gao Zheng? Of course not. It was Lu Ying who sent people to Gan State to arrange a fake marriage between me and Gao Zheng, then used Gao Zheng’s appointment to a government post in the Capital to smuggle me back here." The young woman was stunningly beautiful. Her words and gestures were lively and graceful, her brows carrying an air of happiness, as if recounting a touching love story. Shen Xinglei’s face turned red and his neck thickened. He panted like a raging bull, "You shameless wench! How dare you betray Xi’er and seduce the Crown Prince! Our family will never let you get away with this—" He wanted to lunge at Shen Yinning, but the Hidden Guards holding chains around his neck pressed him firmly to the ground. Shen Xinglei’s eyes turned bloodshot. His gaze twisted toward Shen Yinning, filled with savagery. "What good is seducing the Crown Prince? In the end, you’re just a sordid Forbidden Fruit that can’t see the light of day! Your father and brother died on the execution platform, and you will too one day! Hahaha! If you’re smart, let me out now, and maybe I’ll plead with my brother and sister on your behalf for a whole corpse." Shen Yinning regarded him with cold eyes. The deaths of her father and brother were wounds in her heart that would never heal. She could never forgive Shen Yan’s entire household! She stood and retrieved an iron hammer from the rack in the secret chamber. Dragging the hammer, she stepped toward Shen Xinglei one step at a time. Half of Shen Xinglei’s face was covered in blood. He licked the bloodstains with his tongue, grinning mockingly. "Is my dear cousin about to lose her temper and strike me? Do you dare? Do you dare challenge the Shen Family? My father is the Duke of Shen, my younger sister is the Crown Princess Consort, my elder brother is the future Grand Secretary. Shen Yinning, you’re nothing but a solitary orphan. Do you really dare lay a hand on me?" Shen Yinning gazed down at him with her eyelids lowered. The man appeared vicious, his body bowed up aggressively. It reminded Shen Yinning of startled cats. When cats sense danger, their fur bristles to make their bodies look bigger. But ultimately, it was all just bluster. And now, Shen Xinglei was no different. She smiled faintly, "Second Cousin is afraid." "Afraid?!" Shen Xinglei sneered, "Why would I fear a body-selling slut like you? Shen Yinning, your father and brother, even your mother, were all righteous and upstanding people. During interrogation at the Heavenly Prison, your father refused to confess even under the most brutal tortures—his backbone was like iron! But in the end, they raised a filthy, unscrupulous whore like you! Crawling into your brother-in-law’s bed... You’re no different than those cheap whores from the brothels!" "Shen Xinglei!" Lu Jiazhe roared in anger, stepping forward, but Shen Yinning raised her hand to stop him. Looking at Shen Xinglei, she said, "What you said is correct. I am indeed a dirty, bed-crawling wench." The secret chamber was deathly quiet, where even the sound of a pin drop could be heard. Shen Yinning’s eyebrows curved as she smiled. "But so what? As long as I win—it doesn’t matter." When her words finished, she swung the iron hammer high! Shen Xinglei’s hands and feet were bound, making escape impossible! That hammer struck heavily onto his kneecap! A piercing scream echoed through the chamber! Shen Xinglei writhed on the floor, his eyeballs bulging in agony as his body convulsed uncontrollably! "You bitch, how dare you—" His hoarse curses hadn’t finished when Shen Yinning struck again with her hammer! The kneecap of Shen Xinglei’s other leg shattered. For someone who relied on marching and warfare, his legs were of paramount importance. With his kneecaps destroyed, he would never run, or ride a horse again! Shen Yinning tilted her head. "I remember that Second Cousin’s horsemanship was taught patiently by my father when you were a child. Even your first horse was a fine steed purchased with my father’s hard-earned money. Since Second Cousin holds such contempt for my father, there’s no need for you to ride horses anymore." Cold sweat drenched Shen Xinglei’s clothing. He trembled as he lay on the floor, his earlier bravado nowhere to be found. Fear had finally exposed itself within his eyes. Shen Yinning... She wasn’t afraid of retaliation from the Shen Family; she truly wanted him dead! His lips moved as if preparing to beg, yet he couldn’t bring himself to utter the words. Shen Yinning was just a lowly woman—how could he beg her for mercy... Shen Yinning let out a faint laugh, signaling the guards to hold down his hands. Her voice was as gentle as a cloud, "I remember Second Cousin was skilled with the Meteor Hammer. When you were younger, you envied my brother’s mastery with the spear, and wanted to learn to use the Red Tassel Spear. But my brother said that your strength made you more suited for hammers. He poured his heart out teaching you, not only sharing all his techniques but also hiring the finest hammer-wielding masters to train you to great proficiency. Second Cousin, from childhood to adulthood, my brother never wronged you." Shen Xinglei’s breaths came raggedly, fear thickening in his reddened gaze. "Shen Xinglei, when you wield the Meteor Hammer on the battlefield, have you ever thought of my brother? Likely not." Shen Yinning smirked. "These hands of yours, they no longer deserve to hold the Meteor Hammer." She raised the iron hammer and mercilessly smashed it down onto Shen Xinglei’s arms! With seemingly pent-up rage, she struck blow after blow. After dozens of strikes, Shen Xinglei’s arms—from shoulders to fingertips—were reduced to fragments! Blood flowed relentlessly, staining the floor of the chamber brick-red. Shen Xinglei passed out from sheer pain, his twisted, battered body resembling a ragged pretzel—a sight deeply distressing to behold. Shen Yinning tossed aside the hammer and ordered Wei Yu, "Feed him mute medicine so he cannot make another sound. Dress his wounds with the best ointments—he is not to die, nor to recover fully." After everyone had left the chamber, Lu Jiazhe looked at the now-locked door. "Sister Shen, do you plan to keep him here permanently?" "Killing him outright would be far too merciful. Ah Ze, I want his remaining days to be spent imprisoned in this small, dark chamber, forced to listen to me and Lu Ying indulging in our passion." The flickering of candlelight danced rhythmically. Lu Jiazhe gazed deeply into the hatred etched in Shen Yinning’s eyes, his heart aching for her. He declared resolutely, "I will always stand by Sister Shen’s side!" That night. Lu Ying returned from the palace and stepped into the sleeping quarters, immediately sensing something off. He glanced around the room; the furnishings hadn’t been disturbed, yet an unfamiliar presence lingered in the air. Entering the inner chamber, he saw a newly-installed Buddhist shrine on one wall, holding a statue of the deity. The foreign aura seemed to stem from the statue itself? Looking at the girl burning incense before the statue, Lu Ying thought to himself, why would Shen Zhaozhao, cunning and venomous at heart, suddenly be burning incense for Buddha? He asked, "When did you start practicing Buddhism?" Shen Yinning placed a stick of incense in offering before turning to him gracefully with a smile, "I learned it from the Empress Dowager. My mother used to frequently burn incense and worship Buddha, saying it could bring blessings and longevity. I had some free time, so I thought why not install a statue in Shen Garden and pray for Lu Ying’s well-being." The little vixen had taken on an air of virtuousness. But Lu Ying didn’t believe her. His gaze swept around the room; aside from the statue, nothing else seemed amiss. Could it be his misjudgment? Shen Yinning took notice of every subtle expression crossing his face. Shen Garden had been meticulously designed by her father. Though it now belonged to Lu Ying, he had yet to grasp all the hidden structures within its pavilions and rockeries. He knew only of the secret chamber in the study at Mountain Moon Residence, but not of the one concealed under the sleeping quarters. Still, Lu Ying was not easily fooled; he might sense the presence of Shen Xinglei hidden within the chamber. Thus, she specifically installed this Buddhist statue to divert Lu Ying’s suspicion. She watched him approach the wall leading to the chamber, her heart beginning to tighten imperceptibly.

Chapter 175 - 173: Praying for Blessings for Brother Lu Ying

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