Chapter 432: Chapter 430: Sister Shen, I Want to Be His Foster Father
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."
On the bed, Shen Xinya murmured, her hands unconsciously flailing in the air, as if trying to grasp something.
The maids quickly rushed forward to attend her, but she slapped them away.
Shen Xinya suddenly sat upright, her hair disheveled, her face pale as death. In a mournful tone, she cried, "Your Majesty has mistaken me! Your Majesty thought I was Shen Yinning! It’s all Shen Yinning, it’s all Shen Yinning’s scheming that stole my favor! She already has so much—our parents’ love, our brothers’ filial devotion, an unparalleled beauty, a noble and legitimate birth... Why? Why does she still insist on taking everything from me?"
Shen Yunxi grimaced, "She’s lost her mind!"
Ignoring her injuries, Shen Xinya suddenly struggled to get out of bed, wailing in agony, "I waited for so many years, endured through so many years! I survived only because of my belief that he loved me! And now, why—why in the end, it’s all for nothing?! Your Majesty has mistaken me—it must be that he’s mistaken me! The woman he loves is me! It’s me!"
She screamed and sobbed, her cries piercing the air.
Though it was the chilling, early spring cold, she didn’t seem to feel it. Wearing only thin inner garments, she dashed out recklessly.
Shen Xinghan gave the nanny a knowing glance.
The nanny understood instantly and immediately brought two stout palace maids to seize Shen Xinya and drag her back.
Shen Xinya laughed through her tears, suddenly imitating Shen Yinning’s girlish posture, raising her orchid-shaped fingers as she delicately said, "What gold and jade gifts—I don’t care for such vulgar items you’ve sent. So tacky!"
She was the illegitimate daughter of the Shen Guogong Mansion’s second branch.
Her cousin’s radiance completely overshadowed her.
She was like a rat living in the shadows; no one would ever notice her at a banquet.
She could only longingly watch Shen Yinning bask in the adoration of the crowd, longingly watch the esteemed Crown Prince be betrothed to her, fantasizing that Shen Yinning had stolen what was originally hers, dreaming of a day where their identities would be reversed.
She secretly observed for so many years. She even knew the styles of every gown and hairpin Shen Yinning wore at every banquet, the words she said, better than Shen Yinning herself.
She grew addicted to the act and began improvising: "Prince Wu, my Lord, fetch me a star from the heavens—will you? Crown Prince, does my pomegranate red silk skirt suit me? Or does it suit Shen Xinya better? Heh heh heh..."
Seemingly hearing an answer she liked, she began to giggle coquettishly.
Shen Yunxi shivered at her laughter.
She stepped back a few paces, "What do we do now?"
Shen Xinghan’s face hardened.
What else could they do?
A woman who caused trouble in the palace and went mad—there was no other fate for her but being sent to the Cold Palace.
Shen Xinghan and Shen Yunxi stepped out of the sleeping chambers.
The rush of fresh air cleared his mind slightly.
Staring in the direction of Furong Palace, his gaze turned sinister as he muttered, "Shen Yinning won’t spare us, so we must strike first."
Shen Yunxi furrowed her brows tightly.
She was a careless person, only sharp when seated at the gaming table.
But even in this early spring, she sensed the biting chill of danger looming in the air.
Cautiously, she asked, "Does eldest brother have a plan?"
Shen Xinghan smirked faintly, didn’t bother explaining to her, and briskly walked away.
Lianxin brought Shen Yunxi a cloak, "Madam, it’s cold outside. Let’s go back quickly!"
Shen Yunxi glanced down at her mutilated hand and sighed softly.
She hadn’t seen His Majesty for such a long time. At her current state, even she found herself frightening, let alone dare to hope for His Majesty’s favor.
She could only hope that her older brother would deal with that wretched Shen Yinning once and for all, eliminating any future threats.
Pulling her cloak tighter, she asked, "Have the ladies entered the palace yet?"
"They’re already waiting in the side hall, the gaming tables are all set up." Lianxin accompanied her toward the side hall, "Speaking of which, Madam lost over ten thousand silver coins playing mahjong with the imperial decree nobility during the New Year’s festivities. Would you like to take a break for half a month before playing again? Perhaps it’s time to change your luck."
"What do you know? The thrill of gambling lies in winning and losing—it’s the essence of its charm. Just wait and see. Give me three days, and I’ll win back everything I’ve lost..."
Shen Yunxi rubbed her hands together, eager to play.
Lianxin frowned at her exuberance, then glanced again at her mutilated hand.
Thinking of her current plight, she couldn’t bring herself to dissuade her anymore.
Without the Emperor’s favor, days in the harem were unbearably hard.
One had to find something to cling to, after all.
...
In the blink of an eye, it was the full-month banquet.
Shen Yinning, whose recovery had been excellent, was personally hosting guests in Chengxi Palace.
Yu Qingheng arrived with Bai Heming, smiling as he handed over a brocade box: "A full-month gift for the child."
Saying this, he went to look at the baby held by the wet nurse.
Shen Yinning opened the brocade box, revealing a jade plaque on a red string carved with the characters "Jingwei."
With a smile, she placed the jade plaque around the baby’s neck, "Half a month ago, I sent Haitang to deliver a letter to our teacher, also asking him to name the child. I assumed he wouldn’t bother, but unexpectedly, he not only named the child but also carved a jade plaque. Such a refined name—Zhaozhao gives his heartfelt thanks to our teacher for the honor."
Yu Qingheng stroked his beard, then leaned in to whisper, "What is going on with Zhaozhao and Jingwei these days?"
"What else, other than a lord seizing his subject’s wife?"
A low, calm female voice interrupted.
Shangguan Min arrived with her gift. "Sir Yu might not know, but that one has no intention of letting Zhaozhao out of the palace. Tell me, where else in the world would you find someone holding a full-month banquet for a subject’s child inside the Imperial Palace? An unprecedented move, yet he insists on doing it. As for his intentions—Sir Yu, as his esteemed mentor, surely you know better than anyone else."
After Zhaozhao had given birth, she had attempted to leave the palace with the child and return to the Cui Family.
But Lu Ying wouldn’t allow it.
She had tried several more times to enter the palace, but Lu Ying eventually refused to even meet her.
Shangguan Min’s gift was a pair of books: one copy of *Student Rules* and one copy of *Three Character Classic.*
Engraved on gold leaf gilded in gold, the thin volumes were exquisitely crafted and dazzlingly beautiful.
She was thoroughly disappointed in Lu Ying and saw no point in bringing him up anymore, so she only instructed Shen Yinning, "The child must win from the very start. You didn’t properly educate him while pregnant, but now that he’s been born, you must have him start learning immediately. Do not, under any circumstances, let him become an ignorant, lazy brat."
Shen Yinning felt her scalp tighten.
The child was only one month old. Was it really appropriate to start his studies this early?
However, Shangguan Min was ultimately saying this with good intentions, and Shen Yinning couldn’t openly reject her advice. She awkwardly smiled and said, "I understand."
Lu Jiazhe and Wen Liluo arrived together.
Lu Jiazhe presented an intricately crafted agarwood slingshot inlaid with bright pearls, and Wen Liluo gifted a golden longevity lock, both lavishly luxurious.
"This baby is delightful!" Lu Jiazhe exclaimed in amazement as he held the swaddling cloth, "Look at his nose, his eyebrows, you all take a look—he actually resembles my royal brother a little!"
"Be gentler!" Wen Liluo admonished in alarm. "This is a baby, not a kitten—how can you handle him so carelessly? Give him to me, I’ll show you how to hold him properly!"
"No way! I haven’t had enough time holding him yet!" Lu Jiazhe seized the swaddling cloth and dashed off, "Sister Shen, I want to be his godfather—"
Before he could finish speaking, he bumped into someone.
"Who has the audacity to bump into this young master—"
Just as he was cursing, he looked up and instantly shriveled.
He wilted like a frostbitten eggplant. "R-Royal Brother..."
Lu Ying enunciated each word slowly, "You want to be what?"