Chapter 308: Chapter 306: I Don’t Want to Wait Anymore
Shen Yinning looked at him.
A year had passed since they journeyed from Gan State to the Capital.
The shy, introverted, refined, and scholarly Ganzhou County Magistrate of old had indulged himself in the Imperial Court’s offices and the Capital’s pleasure districts. Now, he looked noticeably heavier, his belly full of indulgence, and even his face had morphed into an oily roundness, revolting to behold.
Shen Yinning withdrew her gaze, chuckling softly, "A pillar of support? Master Gao, don’t you know that when a person is at the end of their rope, their only pillar of support is themselves? Master Gao, I’m afraid you will never be my pillar of support."
The laugh reached Gao Zheng’s ears, its sting akin to humiliation.
It felt as though he was reduced to half the stature of Shen Yinning.
He burned with shame and anger: "You look down on me! You think my position is insignificant compared to the illustrious Crown Prince, that I’m unworthy to be your support! But even so, I am a young Minister of the Ministry of Justice, a man of talent and a promising future. A mere daughter of a sinner—you should be more than grateful for such a match!"
The surrounding government officials were all Cui Ji’s confidants.
Gao Zheng couldn’t act rashly against Shen Yinning, so he spat hatefully, "You were once the daughter of the Duke Mansion, prideful and beautiful, looking down on someone like me who clawed his way up from humble beginnings. But Shen Yinning, one day you’ll understand that the Gao family’s honor can reach heights that rival yours, even if your family hadn’t fallen from grace. By then, don’t you regret turning back to beg of me!"
His face darkened as he swept out of the room.
Exiting the Ministry of Justice, he stormed down the street.
The street housed a teahouse with its doors invitingly open even under the glare of the sun. The girls inside greeted wealthy, elegantly dressed gentlemen with warm smiles but waved off shabbily dressed commoners with scornful gestures, signaling them to move away.
Suddenly, Gao Zheng felt that Shen Yinning was no different from those teahouse girls.
She despised him.
Just like those girls despised the poor.
The fire in his heart grew fiercer, burning his disdain for Lu Ying as well.
Though Lu Ying had brought him into the Capital as an official, Gao Zheng believed his own abilities could have brought him here without needing Lu Ying’s help.
If he didn’t need help, why should he still endure the humiliation of marrying Shen Yinning, a woman he could possess but not command?
Why should Lu Ying, noble as the Crown Prince, summon his woman at a whim?
To rob another man’s wife was against the dictates of morality. Why, then, did he still sit comfortably on his throne as Crown Prince, praised for his supposed virtue and distance from indulgence?
If only Lu Ying wasn’t the Crown Prince...
If he wasn’t the Crown Prince, Gao Zheng could deal with Shen Yinning as he pleased.
Break her pride, make her serve him like a submissive girl from the teahouse, never daring to defy or confront him. In his presence, she’d be as docile and accommodating as she was before the Crown Prince, bowing low with no resistance.
This thought took root in him, growing and spreading wildly like untamed weeds in a storm.
If only Lu Ying wasn’t the Crown Prince...
Word had it that the Emperor doted on Lu Zhengliu, the son of Noble Consort Zhang. If only Lu Zhengliu were the Crown Prince...
Would Lu Zhengliu favor him if he helped him ascend to the throne?
Would he gain the authority to challenge Lu Ying?
Lost in muddled thoughts, Gao Zheng wandered until he arrived before a mansion.
Prince Duan Mansion.
He looked up at the plaque above the gate. After a moment’s hesitation, some unseen force compelled him to knock on the door.
...
Eastern Palace.
Lu Ying was writing a letter as De Sun discreetly entered to report, "Gao Zheng has gone to Prince Duan Mansion."
Lu Ying’s expression remained neutral.
De Sun reverently stole a glimpse of him. The young Crown Prince’s seemingly effortless elegance and superiority were evident in his sharply defined features—his high brows and nose bridge conveyed an imposing stature even as he remained seated at his desk like a jade tree towering above low shrubbery.
Within the Eastern Palace, neither Crown Princess Consort nor any other concubines matched him in presence.
If anyone were suitable as his match, it would be Madam Shen—
In height, beauty, and temperament alike.
De Sun hesitated in his speech. "I heard Gao Zheng first went to the Ministry of Justice and emerged visibly enraged. Only then did he head to Prince Duan Mansion."
Lu Ying’s pen moved swiftly, gliding like a soaring dragon.
He had already discerned Gao Zheng’s thoughts and intentions.
A traitorous man, nothing but a pitiful clown.
Merely a pawn on his game board.
He said coolly, "Ignore him."
"Understood."
Lu Ying treated the completed letter with an ingenious technique, rendering it invisible as though he had written upon blank paper. De Sun understood that only specific methods could reveal the letter’s concealed words.
Lu Ying sealed the letter into an envelope. "Hei Ling."
From the corner of the study, a shadow materialized like mist, merging into the shape of a person.
Hei Ling bowed, "Your Highness?"
"Take this letter personally to Qin Pass and deliver it to General Huo."
The Huo family was tied to Lu Ying’s maternal lineage, having guarded Qin Pass for decades with command over an army of 150,000—or so the Emperor believed.
In truth, the Huo family secretly wielded double that number, thanks to their near-autonomous dominion over the Northwest under Lu Ying’s orders to strengthen their forces discreetly.
De Sun’s face grew grave. "Your Highness, have you resolved to take that step?"
Lu Ying washed his hands. "I’ve waited long enough."
He had endured countless years in the Capital.
His grandfather and uncle had bided their time for countless years.
Surely, his mother awaited in the underworld for countless years as well.
Lu Ying reached for a black silk handkerchief to dry his hands, his refined features etched with a cold ruthlessness. "If not for my mentor’s teachings about rightful legitimacy, I wouldn’t even bother arranging these transitional measures. A man of his kind... even his death wouldn’t warrant regret."
De Sun lowered his head.
Such words were not befitting a servant’s ears; he therefore heard but pretended as though he had not.
Gui Quan suddenly rushed inside, flustered. "Your Highness, the Yan Country delegate has arrived ahead of schedule, now resting at an inn fifty miles north of the Capital! Prince Duan and the Heir of Prince Su have already left the Capital with an escort to welcome them—surely they’ll officially arrive by tomorrow morning!"
De Sun was momentarily stunned. "So soon? Your Highness, what should we arrange for Madam Shen?"
Lu Ying placed the handkerchief on the edge of the water basin.
Thinking of Shen Yinning, he instinctively rubbed his temples.
The vixen had hidden herself within the Ministry of Justice just to avoid being sent to Gan State.
He could almost predict how she would exploit Yan Zheming.
But how long could one walk by the river without getting their shoes wet? Her audacious and unbridled ways would inevitably backfire someday.
After a pause, he instructed, "Let her do as she pleases. Have Haitang and Wei Yu keep close watch, and report to the Eastern Palace the moment anything seems amiss."
De Sun obeyed, then added, "These past few days, Li Zhu has visited the Eastern Palace twice, claiming to deliver items to the Crown Princess Consort under the Empress Dowager’s orders. From what I’ve observed, it seemed less like gifts and more like probing. Your Highness, I fear the Empress Dowager may already suspect the Crown Princess Consort’s false pregnancy."