Chapter 453: Chapter 451: Does Your Majesty wish to reveal his origins to the Commandery Princess?
But today, Minmin told him solemnly that, compared to Shen Xingye, he was far too inferior.
Shen Xinghan’s eyes burned red, staring intently at the delicate face before him.
He was inherently unfeeling, never in his life having truly cared for anyone—not even his siblings, whom he could abandon without hesitation.
He was known for his acrid tongue, capable of saying countless hurtful things to Lu Minmin, yet at this very moment, he couldn’t muster a single word.
After what felt like an eternity, he slowly lowered his lashes and said softly, "You love fish soup. Tonight, let’s go home earlier. I’ll have the small kitchen prepare a fresh carp soup for you."
His fingers interlocked tightly with Lu Minmin’s, as if he would never let go of her hand for the rest of his life.
Lu Minmin’s eyes were full of disgust. "I hate you," she said.
Shen Xinghan laughed self-deprecatingly. "I accept it as sweet as honey."
...
As the two left, inside the side hall—
Lu Ying held the brocade box, turning it over and examining it for a long while before giving an order: "Go summon Qian Duobao."
Qian Duobao was also at the Spring Banquet.
He rushed over in a hurry, and no sooner had he fallen to his knees than he heard Lu Ying’s voice from above: "Immediately find a skilled craftsman who can open locks. I must see what’s inside this brocade box today."
Qian Duobao didn’t dare hesitate, abandoning the banquet entirely as he rushed out of the palace to search for a craftsman.
By the time he returned with the craftsman, two hours had passed.
This craftsman was said to be the best lockpicker in the world. After studying the brocade box for a long while, he shook his head and said, "This box hides intricate mechanisms, the work of northern craftspeople. If forced open, the internal mechanism will activate, destroying the contents of the box. Forgive this humble one’s incompetence; this brocade box can only be opened with its key."
Lu Ying was silent for a while, then cast a glance at Gui Quan.
Understanding the signal, Gui Quan immediately left the side hall.
Shen Yinning was currently attending the Spring Banquet by the banks of the Li River. Entering the Wu’an Lake Penglai Palace to retrieve the key would be all too simple.
Although Lu Ying didn’t want to stoop to such thievery, he had to know the full story behind the collapse of the Shen Family.
Gui Quan soon returned with the bronze key that had been hidden in Shen Yinning’s dressing box.
With a soft "click," the mechanisms of the brocade box slowly unlocked.
Inside the box, there was nothing else save for an old, yellowed painting.
In the painting, a stunningly beautiful and noble young woman was playing in a garden with an infant wearing a golden lock. The background, with its distinct architecture and scenery, was entirely different from the Central Plains, just as the woman’s attire and hairstyle differed greatly from those of Central Plains women.
Gui Quan exclaimed, "This woman looks strikingly like the Commandery Princess!"
Lu Ying’s expression darkened.
It wasn’t just resemblance; it was as if they were carved from the same mold!
Even through the paper, the frenzied intensity and seductive allure emanating from her were unmistakable—stronger even than that of Shen Zhaozhao!
The painting bore a dated inscription.
De Sun was puzzled. "Judging by the reign title, if I’m not mistaken, it’s from Western Wei? This painting dates back eighteen years..."
Eighteen years ago...
Gui Quan and De Sun were unfamiliar with the affairs of foreign lands, but Lu Ying was well aware.
Eighteen years ago, Western Wei underwent a coup.
The Princess of Western Wei attempted to assassinate the Crown Princess Consort and failed. She then turned her blade on the Emperor of Western Wei, successfully killing him but was immediately beheaded by the Crown Prince on the spot.
The Prince Consort, upon learning of his beloved wife’s death, flew into a rage and raised an army in rebellion. Despite two years of arduous battle, he was ultimately defeated and killed by the Crown Prince, who had ascended the throne as Emperor, thus quelling the insurgents.
Gui Quan said, "This servant only knows that the Western Wei Royal Family has two notable traits. First, their extraordinary beauty. One of the most well-known stories is that before they became royalty, during a migration, they encountered bandits and were miraculously rescued by the Xiling Royal Family. The Xiling Royal Family, enchanted by their looks, brought them all to the palace, lavishing them with wealth and luxury. Second, their erratic behavior and ruthless disposition. Back then, instead of being grateful for the Xiling Royal Family’s life-saving kindness, they rebelled and burned hundreds of Xiling royal members alive, including children, and subsequently seized Xiling Country, renaming it Wei, known in history as Western Wei."
Because of the Western Wei Royal Family’s ingratitude and numerous atrocities, their country became widely despised.
De Sun wiped the thin sweat from his forehead. "The two traits you mentioned... they seem to match the Commandery Princess perfectly."
The side hall’s doors and windows were tightly shut, the light dim and distorted.
Lu Ying clutched the painting tightly, but looming in his mind was the image of Shen Yinning.
She possessed an otherworldly beauty. Ever since childhood, wherever she was, she was always the center of attention.
She also had a ruthless and cold-hearted nature. She locked Shen Xinglei in a secret room for months, forced him to watch their intimacy day and night, tormenting him to the brink of madness. Such behavior was unimaginable for an ordinary person!
The incident of the Western Wei Princess’s treason was something he had also heard about in detail.
It was said that the Princess of Western Wei gave birth to a daughter whom she cherished like a treasure. Even the Crown Prince adored her and had promised during her full moon celebration to make her his only son’s betrothed.
But the Crown Princess Consort disagreed.
At a subsequent banquet, she not only denied the Crown Prince’s promise but also declared that the Princess’s daughter would at most be her son’s concubine.
Enraged, the Princess drew her sword on the spot to kill the Crown Princess Consort, but palace attendants intervened just in time, allowing the Crown Princess Consort to narrowly escape with her life.
Afterward, the Princess was summoned by the Emperor of Western Wei for discipline. Both father and daughter shared a streak of madness, and whatever the Emperor said, it drove her into a fury. She killed him on the spot.
This incident became the talk of the entire world for years.
At the time, Lu Ying was still very young and didn’t give it much thought.
Who would’ve thought that eighteen years later, this old scandal would tie so closely to his own life?
His thumb brushed over the image of the infant in the painting.
This child...
Could she be Shen Zhaozhao?
Her parents had committed treason, and by the laws of Western Wei, she was guilty beyond pardon. Yet, Shen Zhi and his wife secretly adopted her back in Great Zhou, taking an enormous risk and claiming she was born in the borderlands, bestowing upon her the status of the Duke Mansion’s legitimate daughter.
This explained why Shen Yinning’s temperament was so vastly different from everyone else in Shen Guogong Mansion.
Lu Ying carefully placed the painting back into the brocade box.
Even though Shen Zhaozhao’s origins were now clear, one piece of the puzzle was still missing—
This painting didn’t explain why Shen Xingye had left the Capital that night with the Commander’s Seal on horseback.
He closed the brocade box and instructed Gui Quan, "Return the bronze key and make sure not to disturb her."
De Sun cautiously asked, "This matter is of great importance. Should Your Majesty inform the Commandery Princess of her lineage?"
Lu Ying rested his forehead against his hand, his gaze downcast.
Shen Zhaozhao was currently living a peaceful life in this Capital. She not only had him and their child but also a circle of close friends.
He couldn’t bear to disrupt her life now, to burden her with the tragedy of her biological parents’ fate, and to poison her heart with further bitterness.
Moreover...
Western Wei was aggressive and war-hungry.
If they discovered that Great Zhou was harboring such a significant fugitive, they would never let it go.
With the current war against Northern Wei at a critical juncture, he couldn’t afford for Western Wei to get involved, creating enemies on both sides.
In a low voice, he ordered, "Not a single word must be leaked."