Chapter 295 - 293: Did Shen Yinning Hide You Here?

Words : 1339 Updated : Oct 16th, 2025

Shen Xinghan had suspected for a long time that Shen Xinglei was not dead, but rather kept hidden by someone.In between handling political affairs, he persistently visited the neighboring villages around the post station for over two months, finally prying a clue from an old woodcutter living halfway up the mountain. "It’s just that..." the servant said with a troubled expression, "Young Master, the old woodcutter said the snowy night was too dark, and he could only vaguely see a troop of people. He couldn’t clearly see the murderer’s appearance..." Shen Xinghan broke off a tender willow branch. Shen Yinning wanted to kidnap his second brother, had the capability to mobilize a team to help her, and wasn’t afraid of offending Shen Guogong Mansion; who else in the Capital could it be? Only Lu Jiazhe. The question was, where did Shen Yinning hide the second brother? Over the past two months, his spies had nearly turned the Gao Family inside out. He suspected the Gao Family concealed hidden rooms or dungeons, but the spies’ reports were always the same: the second brother was not in the Gao Family. He heard Shen Yinning had a Hot Spring Villa in the suburbs, which he also had people investigate thoroughly, but there was no trace of the second brother there, either. He even suspected whether Shen Yinning had gone mad and hidden his second brother in the Prince Mansion of Su. But according to the spies’ information, there were no clues about his second brother in the Prince Mansion of Su either. A shadow crossed Shen Xinghan’s eyes, and he ordered, "Return to the city." Returning to the Shen Family, Mrs. Qin hurriedly came over to tell him that Shen Yunxi had left the palace early this morning and arrived at Shen Garden. Mrs. Qin anxiously said, "Han ge’er, don’t you think it’s strange that the Crown Prince still doesn’t care about Xi’er even though she’s already pregnant with a dragon seed?!" Shen Xinghan brushed his sleeve and sat down. His sister was stupid, bad, and boring; if he were the Crown Prince, he wouldn’t fancy her either. Mrs. Qin pushed him, "Stop just sitting there silently. As her older brother, why aren’t you anxious for your sister?! Do you think the vixen having an affair with the Crown Prince is Yinling?" Shen Xinghan picked up a cup of hot tea: "The Empress Dowager punished her with six months of house arrest, and she hasn’t listened at all. She was already unpopular with the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, and she brazenly ran out of the palace to catch adultery, disgracing the Imperial Family. If that vixen isn’t Shen Yinning, then fine. But if she is, then the Crown Prince could be accused by Lu Zhengliu’s faction of ’stealing a minister’s wife.’ Shen Yunxi seems to fear that the Crown Prince isn’t already in enough trouble, as if his position is too comfortable." "You child!" Mrs. Qin couldn’t help but scold, "Xi’er is your blood sister, and she is being so cautious for the sake of the dragon seed in her belly, for the Shen Family’s future, not allowing the Crown Prince to fool around outside. You don’t sympathize with her, fine, but how can you say such sarcastic things?!" Shen Xinghan skimmed the foam on his tea and took a sip. In his view, Shen Yunxi wasn’t acting for any dragon seed or the Shen Family’s future. She was purely acting for herself. Mrs. Qin babbled on endlessly: "It’s strange, who would have thought Shen Garden was sold to Yinling by the Crown Prince. How did Yinling, who has fallen so far, manage to come up with fifty thousand taels of snow-patterned silver? They say it was that Princely Heir from the Prince Mansion of Su who gave it to her..." She continued rambling, but Shen Xinghan didn’t hear a word. He gripped the teacup tightly, as a sudden realization struck him. Shen Garden... Shen Garden was also under Shen Yinning’s name?! Then is it possible that the second brother is imprisoned in Shen Garden? Did the Crown Prince know? If the Crown Prince knew and helped cover it up, was his attitude toward the Shen Family worth reconsidering? A sense of crisis arose within Shen Xinghan. Politely, he saw Mrs. Qin out and then called in his trusted aide: "These days, pay close attention to Shen Garden. If she shows any sign of going out, report back immediately." He must inspect Shen Garden himself. Shen Xinghan soon got the opportunity. Early the next day, Shen Yinning dressed up and brought along some new curiosities purchased in Jiangnan as gifts, taking a carriage to the Xue Family to visit Xue Mianmian and her sisters. As soon as she left, Shen Xinghan received the news. Shen Xinghan didn’t hesitate and immediately infiltrated Shen Garden with his confidants. Shen Garden only had some maids and old servants; the gatekeeper was not a top expert. Plus, Shen Garden used to be the Crown Prince’s territory, so anyone with insight wouldn’t dare make a scene there. Therefore, they had no defenses, and Shen Xinghan easily slipped into the depths of Shen Garden. Exploring the bedroom where Shen Yinning usually resided, he glanced at the cosmetics on the dressing table and opened the wardrobe to take a look. His aide reported, "Young Master, this looks like an ordinary boudoir, albeit more luxuriously decorated. Besides, no matter how depraved Shen Yinning is, she wouldn’t imprison the second young master right in her own chamber. That would be too perverted, wouldn’t it?" Shen Xinghan frowned deeply. Shen Yinning’s character was capricious and changeable, so it was impossible to gauge her with normal logic. Maybe she really did imprison the second brother in this chamber. Shen Xinghan always trusted his instincts and judgment, so he ordered, "Search carefully to see if there’s a hidden room in this chamber." His aides began to search the chamber again. A guard knocked on the interior wall, suddenly speaking seriously: "Young Master, there’s a hidden room behind this wall!" Shen Xinghan walked over and knocked on the wall, his expression changing. He fiddled with the wall’s decorations and quickly discovered that the bronze bird’s wings were a movable latch. He pressed the bird’s wing without hesitation. With a rumbling sound, his aides quickly shielded Shen Xinghan, and they watched as the wall slowly opened. A stench immediately wafted over. They looked inside and saw Shen Xinglei tied to a chair, cheeks sunken and haggard, with broken limbs, his clothes crusted with blackened blood, and filth soiling his trousers in a wretched state. The guard couldn’t believe it: "Young Master, it’s truly the second young master!" "Second Brother..." Shen Xinghan murmured. He tightly stared at the feeble and pitiful man in front of him, almost unable to reconcile him with the impression of the robust and domineering brother he once knew. The sudden influx of light into the hidden room stung Shen Xinglei’s eyes. He closed his eyes tightly, two lines of bloody tears streaming down his cheeks. He knew his brother had come to rescue him, knew his brother realized he wasn’t dead... Bloodied tears dampened his collar. Overcome with emotion, he desperately wanted to tell his brother what Shen Yinning had done to him, wanted his brother to fiercely punish Shen Yinning, but he could only let out weak whimpers. The guards, perceptively, immediately stepped forward to untie him. Shen Xinghan personally removed the rag from Shen Xinglei’s mouth: "Was it Shen Yinning who hid you here?" Just as he spoke, he saw that Shen Xinglei had no tongue. Shen Xinglei leaned on Shen Xinghan, the proud man reduced to sobbing silently, unable to speak. Shen Xinghan gently stroked his head. He had suspected that Shen Yinning might torture his second brother. But he never imagined Shen Yinning would torment him to such an extent! He trembled all over, his refined face filled with a piercing coldness: "Shen Yinning..."

Chapter 295 - 293: Did Shen Yinning Hide You Here?

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