Chapter 181 - 179: Becoming a Laughingstock

Words : 1436 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 181: Chapter 179: Becoming a LaughingstockShen Yunxi eagerly entered Lu Ying’s sleeping chambers, her voice sweetly delicate: "This concubine pays respects to Your Highness." The chambers were illuminated by countless candles, casting the room as bright as day. Lu Ying was sitting by the soft couch near the window, reading a book. After paying her respects, Shen Yunxi took the initiative to sit beside him: "What book is Your Highness reading?" "The *Analects*." "Oh, the *Analects*. This concubine has dabbled in it before and has read it many times in the past." Lu Ying glanced at her. This Crown Princess Consort of his had always loved gold, silver, jade, antiques, and fine silks, showing no interest in books whatsoever. No matter how one looked at it, she didn’t resemble someone who had even touched the *Analects*. He couldn’t be bothered to expose her lie and simply turned another page with indifference. Shen Yunxi imagined herself sharing a literary moment under the lamp with Lu Ying, the scene fragrant with romance. How could she possibly let go of such a rare common topic? She immediately pointed to a line on the page and said, "’The Master standing by a river said: What passes is like this, ceaseless day and night.’ Truly an excellent saying." Lu Ying, seeing her so confident, thought to himself that perhaps Shen Yunxi really had studied the *Analects* after all. He asked, "What do you think is excellent about it?" Shen Yunxi replied earnestly, "This passage means that in a country, the rate of people dying is like a river flowing incessantly, with people dying day and night, morning and evening. Your Highness, these words carry profound warning! It reminds us, as officials and rulers, to properly handle the corpses of the deceased every day, lest they get washed into the river and cause plagues downstream." Lu Ying: "..." The meaning of this passage was clearly lamenting how time flows like river waters, never to return, reflecting on the impermanence of life and the world’s vicissitudes. How did it become about corpses and river currents?! He closed the book. "If the Crown Princess Consort truly wants to discuss learning, it would be prudent to thoroughly understand a few books before speaking again." Spare yourself the embarrassment. Shen Yunxi, completely oblivious to his disdain, blushed modestly and said, "My elder brother once said the same to me. Your Highness and my brother must both think I am remarkably gifted, well-suited for scholarship, and wish to mold me into a paragon of virtue. However, my mother taught me that a woman’s virtue lies in her lack of talent. I’ve always thought studying is a man’s business. If a woman studies too much, it seems improper, as if she’s overstepping her role. So, I’ve decided not to study anymore." Lu Ying: "..." Speaking with Shen Yunxi was like playing music to a cow. There was no getting through to her. Yet, he thought, the two of them were husband and wife, and the girl before him genuinely loved him. At least she wasn’t like Shen Yinning, that cunning fox, who only knew how to demand things and never once gave him a thoughtful gift or showed any care. With that in mind, he took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to get up and leave. He chose not to bring up books anymore, instead changing the topic: "Accompany me in a game of chess." In the Shen Garden, he and Shen Yinning often played chess by lamplight. Though Shen Yinning’s chess skills were inferior to his, her wit and sly tricks occasionally secured her a narrow victory. He had never played chess with Shen Yunxi before and had no idea how skilled she was. Setting the board, he decided who would go first and began placing pieces. After a few moves, he stared at the board, sensing that something was off. Sure enough, the next moment, Shen Yunxi exclaimed excitedly, "I’ve won, I’ve won! Your Highness, were you letting me win on purpose?" Lu Ying, barely maintaining his patience, asked, "How did you win?" "Look! My five black pieces line up in a straight row on the board. Isn’t that a victory?" Shen Yunxi said smugly. "Your Highness, don’t tell me you’ve never played Gomoku before?" Gomoku... The veins on Lu Ying’s temple throbbed. He was playing Go. Who was playing Gomoku?! Shen Yunxi chattered on, "Your Highness is so brilliant and mighty that I thought you were good at chess too! Who would’ve guessed you can’t even match me? What a terrible chess player! Hahaha!" She thought she was being witty and charming, laughing joyfully. Lu Ying remained silent, his face expressionless as he carefully put the chess pieces back into the container, one by one. "Are we stopping already? Your Highness isn’t a sore loser, are you?" Shen Yunxi asked disappointedly, her mood quickly perking up again. "Your Highness, are you planning to rest with this concubine tonight?" Rest with her? Lu Ying wanted nothing more than to leave this place immediately. Though he acknowledged that Shen Yunxi’s affection was genuine, spending time with her was pure torment. "Your Highness..." Shen Yunxi finally noticed something was amiss in Lu Ying’s mood. She hugged him tightly, pleading, "Your Highness, I didn’t mean to mock you just now. You said you’d summon me for the night. You can’t go back on your word!" Lu Ying also wanted to stay. He vowed never to pine again for Shen Yinning, that cunning fox. His large hand pulled Shen Yunxi into his arms, lifting her onto the bed. Yet, even with the woman in front of him dressed to kill, fragrant and laying bare before him, he felt no spark of desire. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the red coral earrings Shen Yunxi wore tonight. They reminded him of the red coral bracelet Lu Shiyan had sent to Shen Yinning last winter. A treasure of coral, unworthy of cherishing, yet made into the flowers of Upper Yang. Was Lu Shiyan lamenting that he couldn’t openly cherish Shen Yinning? Those two wretched lovers, entangled in a clandestine romance and expressing their feelings through tokens, infuriated him. If he hadn’t discovered Lu Shiyan’s letters and gifts, would Shen Yinning have replied to him? Would she have sent gifts in return? But Shen Yinning had never given him a single gift of value! Lu Ying didn’t want to let his mind wander at this moment. But Shen Yinning was like poison, coursing through his very being, leaving him unable to focus entirely. He closed his eyes, replaying all of Shen Yinning’s shortcomings in his mind, followed by all of Shen Yunxi’s virtues. Yet he crumbled at the realization that what he yearned for was still that cunning fox. Lu Ying took a deep breath, finally unable to force himself any further. He stood up. "It’s getting late. The Crown Princess Consort should rest." Shen Yunxi froze. They were already at the point of no return! And now the Crown Prince wanted to stop?! Her face flushed with shame as she sat up in frustration. "Is it something this concubine did wrong? Your Highness, tell me, and I’ll change!" "It’s not your fault." Lu Ying’s eyes darkened. "You can stay in my chambers tonight. No one will know what happened." As long as Shen Yunxi stayed here tonight, no one would know she hadn’t been favored. This way, her dignity as Crown Princess Consort would remain intact. Besides, even if he didn’t ensure this, nobody in the Eastern Palace would dare mock her. Over the years, Shen Yunxi had caused the deaths of countless concubines in the palace. Some had hanged themselves, others had been flayed. The remaining women, terrified out of their wits, wouldn’t think of mocking her, much less vying for favor. But Shen Yunxi wasn’t satisfied. She had schemed her way to this position by framing her uncle’s family and leveraging her father’s influence. If she couldn’t win Lu Ying’s heart, wouldn’t she be even worse off than Shen Yinning?! She wept. "Your Highness appears thoughtful, sparing my face, yet you wound my heart! I married you in innocence and purity. Why won’t you share a bed with me?! Am I less worthy than that fox outside the palace?! I’ve devoted my whole heart to you. Why must you disappoint me?! Even Yin Shanshan, that lowly wench, dares to demand ’a lifetime of love for only one.’ Why won’t you give me the same?!" Follow current novels on freewe(b)novel.c(o)m

Chapter 181 - 179: Becoming a Laughingstock

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