Chapter 300 - 298: Wanting to Serve the Crown Prince for Her

Words : 1609 Updated : Oct 18th, 2025

Shen Xinghan suppressed the murderous intent in his eyes and said warmly, "Mother, rest assured, I will definitely invite the best physician in the Capital to save Second Brother’s life."Mrs. Qin remained unaware of his thoughts, wiped the tears from her cheeks with relief, and offered a few more words of caution before finally leaving at ease. After she left, Shen Xinghan cast a glance toward Shen Xinya, who stood silently in the corner holding a bowl of medicinal soup. His mother had tended to Second Brother day and night over the past few days, and although Shen Xinya was only a concubine-born daughter, she too served nearby. Silent and composed, she adjusted gracefully to changes, presenting a stark contrast to Xi’er’s unchecked temper and loud antics. As the elders often said, a dog that bites doesn’t bark—Shen Xinghan thought this saying applied just as aptly to people. He tucked Shen Xinglei’s blanket around him. "It’s been hard on you these past few days." "I don’t find it hard at all. Watching Second Brother suffer, though, I couldn’t help but feel sorrow deep in my heart." Shen Xinya’s voice was soft as she stepped forward to pour Shen Xinghan a cup of tea. "In the end, it’s because Elder Sister has taken things too far. Regardless of any grievances she may bear, we are siblings. She shouldn’t treat Second Brother like this, forsaking the gentleness and obedience expected of a woman." Shen Xinghan accepted the tea she offered. The temperature of the tea was just right. Out of all his younger siblings, at least one seemed reliable. "Oh, speaking of which," Shen Xinya added with concern, "I heard you visited the Eastern Palace yesterday? Is Elder Sister faring well? She has been married into the Eastern Palace for four years without bearing any children. Now that she is finally pregnant, utmost caution is required. The farther along she is, the more she needs to be careful. With Madame Zhang gone, who knows if Lianxin and Lian Ye can properly care for her..." Shen Xinghan took half a sip of tea and cast her a faint glance. The young woman wore a half-sleeved violet-green blouse paired with a Pomegranate Red Silk Skirt. Her hair was pinned with two simple, translucent white magnolia jade-gold hairpins. Her brows and features bore about two points of resemblance to Shen Yinning—a face that could be described as delicate and radiant. He ran his fingers over the rim of the teacup. "Do you wish to enter the palace to care for her, or to serve the Crown Prince on her behalf?" Caught in her intentions, Shen Xinya showed no panic but instead calmly knelt down. Lowering her head, she said, "Elder Sister is with child and likely cannot attend to the Crown Prince. If you, Brother, would elevate me, it would be a blessing for me to give birth to perhaps one or two children in her place later. Moreover, Brother knows Elder Sister’s disposition better than I do. If I were to enter the palace, it would be easier for me to offer her proper care when necessary." Shen Xinghan replied unhurriedly, "Xi’er acts brashly and without restraint—indeed, someone should be there to warn her from time to time. If you enter the palace under the pretense of keeping Elder Sister company to relieve her boredom, others wouldn’t say anything. However, given how busy the Shen Family is dealing with Second Brother’s affairs right now, it’s not exactly the right time for you to enter the palace." Shen Xinya maintained her demeanor, growing even softer and humbler. "As long as you, Brother, are willing to grant me this chance, I’ll be content. A few days ago, Stepmother was already selecting husbands for the sisters in the mansion, but I have no intention of marrying. I only wish to go to the palace and serve Elder Sister. Now that I have Brother’s approval, I can finally be at ease." Shen Xinghan eyed her. No wonder she was so proactive today—it turned out to be for this. Naturally, since Xi’er was already three months into her pregnancy, their mother considered the fetus stable enough not to warrant sending any concubine-born daughters from the mansion into the palace. Hence, she had turned her attention to arranging marriages for these daughters— Of course, the marriages of these sisters were never about their own preferences; they were always about paving the way for him and Xi’er. He said, "I’ll personally speak to Mother about your matter." "Thank you, Brother, for your kindness. I thought Brother would reproach me for being overly ambitious, a vain and greedy person aiming too high." "People seek higher places; water flows to lower ones." Shen Xinghan remained indifferent. "Your desire to climb is good—this is how we of the Shen Family ought to act. But you should always remember to humble yourself and self-reflect. Never forget your roots and duties." "I will heed Brother’s advice," Shen Xinya responded respectfully. She rose and proceeded to pour Shen Xinghan another half cup of tea. The pomegranate-red silk of her skirt swayed like blossoming petals with her movements. Her fingers lovingly brushed against the embroidered morning glory flowers adorning the hem of her skirt. Everyone said the Crown Prince was noble, austere, reserved, and composed. In his youth, he was childhood sweethearts with the Capital’s most beautiful woman, Shen Yinning. But they were all wrong. Even the Crown Prince was wrong. Shen Yunxi copied Shen Yinning by wearing a Pomegranate Red Silk Skirt in hopes of winning the Crown Prince’s affection. Little did she know, Shen Yinning had initially imitated her. Years ago, the girl who stole the Crown Prince’s heart at first sight was none other than her, Shen Xinya. Shen Yinning had merely stolen her opportunity, relying on mimicry to earn His Highness’s favor. Unfortunately, the Crown Prince had long forgotten the past, and in this world, she alone knew the truth. Her low status, combined with the dominance of Mrs. Qin and Shen Yunxi, meant that even when Shen Yinning’s family was convicted, she could not get close to the Crown Prince. Instead, Shen Yunxi took advantage and became the Crown Princess Consort. But she refused to accept this. She had kept this secret to herself through years of endurance in the Shen Family, years filled with bitterness. She resolved that she would climb step by step until the Crown Prince could finally see her. She believed that as long as she interacted with the Crown Prince, he would recall their childhood memories. When that happened, neither Shen Yunxi nor Shen Yinning would be anything but stand-ins in his heart. Now, after her hardships, the opportunity to approach the Crown Prince had finally come... As Shen Xinya’s thoughts drifted, Mrs. Qin summoned Sun Miaoniang to accompany her on a trip to the Ministry of Justice. Ministry of Justice prison. When the two arrived, Xue Mianmian had already left. Shen Yinning had ordered the prison guards to tie a swing to the beam in the cell with silk fabric. At that moment, she was sitting idly on the swing, reading a storybook. Mrs. Qin cursed furiously, "Yinning, you’ve got such a cruel heart! You harmed Erlang like that—how can you sleep at night?! Are you still human?! What kind of woman has such a black heart as you?! Aren’t you afraid that you’ll be cursed when you bear children, giving birth to short-lived brats without buttocks?!" Shen Yinning leisurely turned another page of her book. Her father’s younger brother had been a concubine-born son, and the wife he married, Mrs. Qin, wasn’t any kind of refined lady—she lacked proper education. She’d enjoyed years of luxury in the Shen Family, yet spent her days bickering with Shen Yinning’s mother instead of reading more books. Truly, even as the Duchess, she couldn’t restrain herself from uttering such coarse vulgarities. Closing her storybook, Shen Yinning smiled faintly at her. "Forgive me, Aunt. I really had no involvement in Second Cousin’s matter. Second Cousin is rough and violent by nature—he surely has many enemies. I suspect one of those enemies did it, or perhaps His Highness the Crown Prince; who can say?" "Stop pretending!" Mrs. Qin raged. "You dare act so shamelessly as if you had no part in this?! Yinning, back then, your parents and brothers were accountable people—they would never behave like you do! If you confess today, I’d even respect you a little!" She was trying to provoke her. Shen Yinning tilted her head innocently. "But I truly didn’t do it." Mrs. Qin was so enraged her chest hurt. She couldn’t comprehend how Shen Zhi and Cheng Hui had given birth to such a daughter—cunning, malicious, and utterly dishonorable, with no trace of the honesty and sincerity expected of Shen Family blood. She didn’t resemble her lineage at all! Unable to deal with Shen Yinning, Mrs. Qin vented her frustration on Sun Miaoniang, turning around to slap her. "Erlang has been ruined by this wicked wench, and you, as his concubine, don’t even shout or curse her! Do you even care about Erlang?! You’re nothing but a curse upon him!" Shen Yinning turned her gaze toward Sun Miaoniang. The woman Shen Xinglei had brought back from the border, sheltered in Shen Guogong Mansion for months, now looked healthier, her complexion ruddy and her hair glossy—much fuller than during the winter. But today, she carried an expression of grievance, with unresolved injuries evident on her forehead. Clearly, Mrs. Qin had struck her. Shen Yinning’s eyes flickered faintly, and a slight smile emerged on her lips.

Chapter 300 - 298: Wanting to Serve the Crown Prince for Her

Comments (0)