Chapter 347: Chapter 345: Request for Your Majesty’s Permission for My Wife’s Divorce from Minister Gao
Mrs. Qin saw he wasn’t speaking and couldn’t help but give him a shove: "What’s wrong with you, child? The sky is about to collapse, yet you’re not even anxious! Your father isn’t worried, you’re not worried, and that leaves me worrying myself sick!"
Shen Xinghan glanced at her.
She was sleepless last night, and now there were two obvious blisters around her lips.
He chuckled mockingly, withdrew his gaze, and continued staring at the calm water surface of the pond: "When Xi’er was deposed, I already said, survival comes after being pushed to the brink of death. Until the very last moment, Mother, what is there to be anxious about?"
"But... but look at what has become of our family!"
"What has it become?"
"Desolate and lonely! Don’t you know? Those official wives who used to go out of their way to curry favor with me are now avoiding our family completely! They’ve been hosting banquets at their mansions these past couple of days, and no one sends us invitations anymore! Mention the Shen Guogong Mansion, and they laugh at Xi’er, calling her a hen who can’t lay eggs. I don’t even dare go out now!"
Shen Xinghan said leisurely: "Four years ago, before Father became the Duke Shen, wasn’t our family just the same? A poor family suddenly gaining wealth, and Mother can no longer keep her mind steady?"
"You—"
Mrs. Qin was dumbfounded.
She had originally wanted to persuade Shen Xinghan to help Lu Ying and Shen Yunxi, but how could she have foreseen that her eldest son was utterly unyielding?
Who knows what he is scheming!
"Ah," Shen Xinghan suddenly revealed a warm and courteous smile, "the fish has taken the hook."
He reeled in a plump crucian carp.
While removing the curved hook from the fish’s mouth, he instructed the servant, "Take it to the kitchen and have the cook make a soft and tender fish soup for Minmin tonight."
Mrs. Qin stood there, her eyes bulging.
What a sin she had committed. First losing a son, sending a black-haired youth to the grave as a white-haired parent, then having a daughter with an uncertain future. The only remaining eldest son stayed comfortably at the mansion, but his heart and eyes were entirely focused on Lu Minmin, that hen who couldn’t lay eggs, without sparing a thought about passing on the lineage of the Shen family.
He managed to catch a fish, yet instead of honoring his own mother, he was using it to make some fish soup for Lu Minmin.
She was so outraged that her face turned gray with fury. Stomping her foot, she cursed, "Not a single one is a good-for-nothing!"
Imperial Study.
Lu Yu slammed the memorials on the Dragon Desk onto Lu Ying’s head, scolding harshly: "Wretched beast! Despite your reputation for virtue, you’ve secretly committed so many despicable and filthy deeds! I ask you now—do you admit your crimes?!"
Lu Ying withdrew his gaze from Shen Yinning.
His face was expressionless and his tone flat: "Your son admits guilt."
The study fell silent momentarily.
Everyone clearly hadn’t anticipated that he would admit it so readily.
"Good, good, good!" Lu Yu repeated the word three times, pointing at him and saying, "Having done such heinous acts that violate ethics and morals, you no longer need to be Crown Prince! Attend me—issue my decree: the Fourth Prince Lu Ying, for stealing a minister’s wife, abusing his power, and disregarding human decency, shall have his Crown Prince title stripped and be confined to the Cold Palace!"
The decree was issued bluntly, without even a formal trial, clearly indicating the intent to depose the Crown Prince had long been set.
Zhang Keyuan glanced around and knew that the formalities still needed to be observed, so he hurriedly knelt and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
The officials behind him followed suit, kneeling together: "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
The matter had already disturbed both the front court and rear palace.
Officials entered the palace one after another, and even Empress Dowager Li and Noble Consort Zhang came in person.
Empress Dowager Li, supported by Li Zhu, asked incredulously, "Emperor, what are you doing?! Since time immemorial, the Crown Prince has been the cornerstone of the nation; how can he be deposed lightly?!"
"Mother," Lu Yu’s face was cold, "ask this wretch what good deeds he himself has done!"
Empress Dowager Li tried to advise him: "A young boy, who hasn’t strayed a bit? Emperor, weren’t you young once as well, with your three palaces and six courts? It’s not anything serious—why get so angry and harm the nation’s cornerstone? What I see is that Jingwei is nostalgic for Zhaozhao, unable to resist using his authority to bring her back from Gan State to the Capital. This indicates a man of sentimentality. Those who are sentimental generally have gentle hearts; they wouldn’t commit truly malicious acts. Emperor, for such a trifling matter to depose the Crown Prince, I fear it might hurt the hearts of the realm’s people."
Lu Yu said nothing.
Noble Consort Zhang’s eyes flickered slightly, and she spoke softly: "Mother’s words are reasonable. After all, the Crown Prince merely stole a moment of indulgence; it’s youthful frivolity, nothing serious. Why must Your Majesty insist on such stringent punishment? If he truly repents and promises to sever all contact with Princess Zhaoning in the future, this matter can be put to rest. Crown Prince, quickly admit your fault to His Majesty!"
"You," Lu Yu looked at Noble Consort Zhang helplessly and indulgently, "you spoil him too much! Stealing moments of indulgence, youthful frivolity—it can’t be done in a minister’s household! Look at him; is there any semblance of a Crown Prince left?"
Noble Consort Zhang sighed softly, glanced at Lu Ying with embarrassment, as though proving that she could no longer plead for him.
"Mother," Lu Yu solemnly turned to Empress Dowager Li again, "this son is indulgent in lust and addicted to women, even abusing his power to threaten officials. He is unfit to be Crown Prince. I have already decreed his deposition and confinement; the decision is final. No one may plead further!"
Several guards stepped forward, raised their hands, and gestured, "Fourth Highness, please?"
Lu Ying’s face remained emotionless.
As he turned to leave, his gaze fell on Shen Yinning.
Their eyes met, and Shen Yinning turned her face away, avoiding his gaze.
Lu Ying tugged the corners of his lips slightly, his eyes unclear whether they carried ridicule or indifference.
He turned and walked out of the Imperial Study accompanied by the guards.
Noble Consort Zhang watched him disappear beyond the doors and couldn’t restrain the slight curve of her lips. Realizing there were still ministers around her, she quickly suppressed the smile and adopted a worried expression.
Empress Dowager Li sighed heavily, glared fiercely at Shen Yinning, then left with Li Zhu in tow.
Shen Yinning remained unaffected, still kneeling where she was, raising her eyes to look at Lu Yu, her voice soft: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for securing justice for this poor subject’s wife. This wife has another request to make."
Lu Yu was in excellent spirits.
He had disliked Lu Ying for many years and longed to depose the Crown Prince, but his efforts had always lacked sufficient evidence.
Today, his wish was fulfilled, so he treated Shen Yinning slightly more favorably: "Shen Family Girl, speak freely."
"Last time, after defeating Gan Tangwei from Yan Country, Your Majesty promised to reward this wife with a Red Book Iron Certificate, but this wife hasn’t received it yet."
Lu Yu’s expression froze.
Red Book Iron Certificate? He had only mentioned it casually. That treasure was incredibly valuable—how could it be casually granted to a mere girl?
Shen Yinning noticed his obvious pretense of ignoring her words, a faint sneer flashing through her gaze, though her demeanor remained pitiful and gentle: "That said, compared to the Red Book Iron Certificate, this wife has another request for Your Majesty. As Your Majesty’s grace has helped this wife escape the control of the deposed Crown Prince, it’s time to end the absurd marriage this wife shares with Sir Gao Zheng. I plead Your Majesty to allow this wife to divorce Sir Gao Zheng."
She knew perfectly well that this foolish and malicious emperor would never let go of that Red Book Iron Certificate.
So she first raised a demand he couldn’t agree to, and after his refusal, she simply retreated to a more modest request. By doing so, he would surely grant her wish without hesitation.