Chapter 299 - 297: Not Willing to Give Him Any Peace of Mind

Words : 1429 Updated : Oct 17th, 2025

A circular jade ring: the character "圆" (circular) sounds like "原" (original), and the character "环" (ring) sounds like "还" (return).The Crown Prince is warning Zhang Keyuan to return Madam Shen in her original state in the future. Zhang Keyuan was first warned by the Empress Dowager’s grandniece, and then admonished by the Crown Prince’s trusted eunuch. Although he had dealt with countless criminals over the years and wasn’t unfamiliar with noble scions, who else had such powerful backing that could muster two influential figures to intervene on their behalf? He was like a startled bird; how could he dare lay a finger on Shen Yinning? Forcing a smile, he courteously escorted Gui Quan out of the Ministry of Justice. His palm, still clutching the jade ring, was drenched with sweat. The jade ring was smooth and warm to the touch. After years in the bureaucracy, Zhang Keyuan faintly grasped the nature of the relationship between Shen Yinning and the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince, a man so upright, austere, and disinterested in women... Who would have expected he would bend his principles for a beauty? And to think, that beauty was already another’s wife. For Shen Yinning to shatter the Crown Prince’s principles—her weight in his heart was self-evident! Zhang Keyuan could no longer concern himself with his history with Shen Xinghan. Without hesitation, he arranged a solitary cell for Shen Yinning, ensuring her three daily meals were meticulously crafted by the private kitchen to suit her tastes, entirely unlike the treatment of other prisoners. The next day. Shen Yinning was grooming herself in the cell when Xue Mianmian arrived, carrying an intricate and lavish food box to visit her. The young girl was frantically worried and, as soon as the prison guard opened the door, dashed inside like a released arrow. She checked Shen Yinning from head to toe, her eyes rimmed with red as she said, "I only heard about your accident last night. I couldn’t sleep a wink and packed up at dawn to come see you. Zhaozhao, my mother says the Shen Family likely won’t let this pass easily. What should we do?" Shen Yinning held her hand, smiling faintly. "Why cry? Am I not perfectly fine?" Confirming she had not been tortured, Xue Mianmian finally exhaled a sigh of relief. She wiped her tears with her sleeve and took out an exquisite array of dishes from the food box. "I couldn’t sleep, so I got up in the middle of the night to stew an old hen for you. The meals in the Heavenly Prison are terrible, so drink some chicken soup to replenish yourself. I came in a hurry; see, the soup’s still piping hot—oh no! Why am I talking about such trivial matters?" The young girl smacked her own forehead in frustration. "Zhaozhao, have you thought of a way to get out?" The chicken soup was rich and fragrant, clearly prepared with care by Xue Mianmian. Shen Yinning sipped it slowly, drinking half a bowl before replying leisurely, "I’ve been locked up for two days now, yet no one’s tortured me for a confession. Last night, Zhang Keyuan interrogated me, trying to get me to sign a confession. I refused, so he had no choice but to send me back to the cell. Care to guess why he couldn’t touch me?" Xue Mianmian quickly turned the situation over in her mind before tentatively asking, "Could it be because the Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince are protecting you?" Shen Yinning chuckled lightly. "No matter how much those two shield me, they can’t turn guilt into innocence." "Then why?" "If my guess is correct, Shen Xinglei is likely about to die." Shen Xinglei was gravely injured but had not received timely treatment. Moreover, his tongue had been cut out, and his tendons slashed. Even if he wanted to accuse her, he couldn’t make a sound or pen a word. Thus, even though it was clear to all that she had imprisoned Shen Xinglei, without concrete evidence, unless she confessed voluntarily, the Ministry of Justice and the Shen Family were powerless against her. "So," Shen Yinning pinched Xue Mianmian’s tender cheek, "I don’t need to do anything—just wait them out. Once Shen Xinglei dies, they’ll never be able to point the finger at me again." As she expected, Shen Xinglei was indeed hanging by a thread. At the Shen Guogong Mansion. After Shen Xinglei was brought back, Mrs. Qin immediately summoned the Imperial Physicians to tend to him personally. Unfortunately, his injuries were too severe, and after months of torment in a hidden chamber, both his body and spirit had suffered immensely. He was teetering on the edge of death, sustained only by his sheer hatred. Mrs. Qin seated herself at his bedside with a bowl of medicine. Seeing her son so gravely afflicted broke her heart. She tended to him day and night, losing significant weight in just two days. Her face was sallow, her eyes swollen from crying, and bloodshot streaks painted her sclera. She scooped up a spoonful of medicine, trying to coax it into Shen Xinglei’s mouth. But Shen Xinglei was no longer able to eat or drink. The dark medicine slid from the corner of his lips. His complexion was ghastly pale, and his faint breaths resembled the faltering flicker of a dying candle. Seeing him like this, Mrs. Qin couldn’t help but cover her face as she wept bitterly. Nearby, Sun Miaoniang held Fan Ge’er in her arms, her delicate face overcome with fear. She asked quietly, "Mother-in-law, can husband still be saved?" Furious, Mrs. Qin hurled the bowl of medicine to the ground. Sun Miaoniang was so startled that she immediately knelt. Her child began wailing in her arms. "You shameless wench!" Mrs. Qin shrieked, launching a vicious kick at her. "If it weren’t for you seducing Erlang, he and Xue Qingqing would’ve already been married. How would the scandal of assaulting the Princess and the banishment to the border have happened? If he hadn’t been exiled, how could he have been abducted and tortured into this half-dead state?!" Sun Miaoniang staggered from the impact, her forehead smashing into the corner of the table. Blood trickled steadily from her temple. A flash of resentment flickered in her eyes. Wasn’t Shen Xinglei exiled for his own crimes of recklessness and brutality? What did that have to do with her? She dared not retort and instead knelt quietly again, feigning submission. "You are right to chastise me, mother-in-law..." Mrs. Qin gave her another vicious kick. "Get out of my sight!" Sun Miaoniang clutched Fan Ge’er tightly, trembling as she retreated. After venting her fury, Mrs. Qin collapsed onto the bed, her hand trembling as she caressed Shen Xinglei’s haggard face. "My poor child, how could anyone harm you so? It pains me to my core..." Suddenly, she sat upright, her expression twisted with rage. "It’s all that wench Shen Yinning’s fault! Erlang, rest assured, Mother will drag her to your bedside and make her kneel and apologize!" As she prepared to personally go to the Ministry of Justice, Shen Xinghan arrived. "Hange’er!" Mrs. Qin’s eyes reddened as she gripped his sleeve tightly. "Your brother is dying; what are we to do? The Imperial Physicians are incompetent quacks. Quickly, find some renowned healers in the city! No matter the cost of the diagnosis or medicine, I’ll pay it so long as we can save him!" Shen Xinghan’s elegant face was veiled in exhaustion. He had already discreetly probed Xi’er. Though Xi’er vehemently denied it, her flustered gaze confirmed the Crown Prince’s claim. Xi’er’s pregnancy was fake. One brother had been harmed, and another sister was embroiled in trouble. These siblings of his could bring him no end of frustration. He glanced at Shen Xinglei lying on the bed. Already burdened with a criminal record, Shen Xinglei had only hoped to earn merit at the border and one day be summoned back to the Capital for reinstatement. Or perhaps, by changing his name and starting anew, he could have clawed his way back. But now, with his tendons cut and body ruined, even if he survived, he was nothing more than a burdensome cripple. Why squander money on such a hopeless cause? A flicker of malice glinted in Shen Xinghan’s eyes. Better to use his brother’s final breath to utterly destroy Shen Yinning. Shen Yinning could no longer be allowed to live. Even if it meant sacrificing Xi’er’s position as Crown Princess Consort, she had to be eliminated!

Chapter 299 - 297: Not Willing to Give Him Any Peace of Mind

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