The Obsessive Crown Prince Can't Let Me Go
Chapter 45: Not Coming Over to Clean the Crown Princess Consort’s Shoes

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Not Coming Over to Clean the Crown Princess Consort’s Shoes

Shen Yunxi snapped back to her senses and quickly curtsied, "This consort greets His Highness, the Crown Prince! I recovered from my illness last night and feared Your Highness might feel lonely, so I rose early to join you at the hunting grounds."

"I see the Crown Princess Consort seems to be looking for someone?"

Shen Yunxi, afraid Lu Ying might dislike her, lied against her will, "This consort is not looking for anyone! By the way, I wonder what mistakes these palace maids have made to be kneeling here so early in the morning. If they’ve angered Your Highness, why not drag them out and beat them to death with rods, so as not to offend your sight?"

Lu Ying paused briefly in his motion of sipping porridge.

His Crown Princess Consort was just like this—always quick to suggest punishing attendants to death. Even after copying Buddhist scriptures at Shengguo Temple for so long, she still hadn’t learned the meaning of ’compassion.’ He wondered how she could embody the virtue of a mother to the nation in the future.

He said, "Sit down and have breakfast."

It was rare for Shen Yunxi to dine with Lu Ying. Upon hearing his words, her face immediately lit up with joy, and she softly replied, "Yes."

She seated herself across from him and proactively served him food. "Had I known the meals in the hunting grounds were so simple, I would’ve brought a few Imperial Chefs along. This dried shrimp, ham, and winter melon soup looks quite fresh. Allow me to ladle a bowl for Your Highness to taste."

Lu Ying grew somewhat impatient.

Shen Yunxi was truly tactless. He had just finished his porridge, and here she was, urging him to drink soup.

He replied, "Drink it yourself."

His peripheral vision swept over Shen Yinning, who knelt among the palace maids, and he added, "The Crown Princess Consort is too thin; you should nourish yourself more."

Shen Yunxi was incredulous.

She never imagined that in her lifetime, she would hear Lu Ying express concern for her!

Overwhelmed with emotion, tears welled up in her eyes as she said, "Many thanks, Your Highness, for your concern! You shoulder numerous affairs daily, so you should also take better care of yourself! Are you planning to hunt today? Once you return, I’ll have someone prepare your favorite dishes!"

Her face radiated genuine happiness, gratitude, and admiration.

Lu Ying observed her expression and was reminded of Shen Yinning’s deceit and lies.

He couldn’t help but mock himself inwardly—there must be women in this world who truly liked him, but that woman could never be Shen Yinning. Any concubine in the Eastern Palace adored him more than Shen Yinning did.

He would have told her to leave with the other palace maids, but for now, he deliberately remained silent, letting her stay kneeling in the corner while he continued to share breakfast with Shen Yunxi.

Shen Yunxi was satisfied with just one bowl of porridge.

Once she was full, she grew more talkative.

She gazed deeply at Lu Ying, unable to resist confessing, "Forgive me, Your Highness, for being bold. I rushed here today because I heard a rumor that Your Highness was doting on another woman at the hunting grounds. Out of curiosity, I wanted to see who this sister was. But I see no such woman here; it seems I was misled by hearsay. Your Highness won’t blame me, will you?"

Lu Ying replied, "In my heart, the Crown Princess Consort is the most important. Why would I blame you?"

Shen Yunxi was elated and thrilled.

The Crown Prince, who was usually so cold and reticent, had actually said she was the most important woman in his heart!

She had thought...

She had thought that the Crown Prince didn’t like her!

Her cheeks flushed crimson as she spoke with tender affection, "In this consort’s heart, Your Highness is also the most important, greater than all other men in this world!"

Lu Ying extended his hand toward her.

Shen Yunxi could not suppress her smile and quickly placed her hand in his palm, leaning into his embrace. "Your Highness..."

The atmosphere within the tent grew intimate.

Shen Yinning, like the other palace maids, remained kneeling with her head bowed.

She listened to their conversation, and her heart was swept with clouds of gloom.

She had thought Lu Ying didn’t care for Shen Yunxi and that their marriage was merely a political alliance. She had thought it would take no effort at all to sow discord between them and pull Shen Yunxi from her position as the Crown Princess Consort.

Unexpectedly, Shen Yunxi actually held a place in Lu Ying’s heart.

Such a cold and reserved man, one who rarely humored others, was willing to humor Shen Yunxi, which proved how much he cared for her.

Yet, if the woman he cherished was Shen Yunxi, why did he not favor Shen Yunxi? Why did he always favor her instead?

As she pondered, Shen Yunxi suddenly let out a distressed exclamation, "Oh no! I came here in such a rush that the soles of my embroidered shoes are stained with mud!"

Lu Ying glanced at Shen Yinning. "Why haven’t you come over to clean the Crown Princess Consort’s shoes yet?"

Shen Yinning’s body froze.

Lu Ying was asking her to clean Shen Yunxi’s shoes...

He dared to humiliate her like this!

When Shen Yunxi saw her hesitate, she scolded, "The palace maids around Your Highness are so poorly disciplined. What’s this? Does even Your Highness have trouble giving them orders?!"

Shen Yinning kept her head lowered, suppressing the hatred that surged in her heart, and silently moved to Shen Yunxi.

She knelt, took a handkerchief, and carefully wiped the mud from the embroidered shoes.

Shen Yunxi let out a cold snort and poked her forehead with a finger. "Unruly thing!"

Lu Ying said indifferently, "No need to waste energy on such things."

"Your Highness is right," Shen Yunxi said, leaning against him as she added spitefully. "By the way, Your Highness, are you still associating with that sister outside the palace? That sister left a note in this consort’s dressing box, claiming that Your Highness favors her, not only allowing her to spend the night in my sleeping quarters but also promising to replace me someday. But this consort doesn’t believe her nonsense. Your Highness is the most principled man and wouldn’t dismiss this consort for no reason. Although I don’t mind her taunting, I worry she might offend the other noblewomen in the palace if she were brought into the Eastern Palace."

Lu Ying had no idea that Shen Yinning had left a note for Shen Yunxi during her visit to the Eastern Palace.

While he couldn’t confirm if the note’s contents were exactly as Shen Yunxi claimed, the mere act of leaving a note was audacious in itself.

No wonder Shen Yunxi had been so enraged during the Qixi Festival.

He looked coldly at Shen Yinning and said, "She’s just a plaything. How could she be worthy of entering the palace? The Crown Princess Consort’s health was frail, which is why I summoned her so frequently. But her nature is promiscuous, eager to throw herself at me, always full of tricks. A proper wife or concubine would never stoop to her level of baseness."

Plaything. Promiscuous. Base.

Lu Ying’s voice was calm and detached, but each word was as sharp as a blade, cutting into Shen Yinning’s heart.

She kept her head down, clutching the handkerchief tightly, as she meticulously wiped the mud from Shen Yunxi’s embroidered shoes.

These words brought a radiant smile to Shen Yunxi’s face. She leaned up to kiss Lu Ying’s chin and said coyly, "Your Highness, you do care for this consort."

Outside the tent, the sound of a horn signaled that the hunt was beginning.

Shen Yunxi helped him don kneepads. "In three months, it’ll be my father’s birthday. Your Highness, why not take this autumn hunt as an opportunity to personally catch some foxes for a fur coat for him? As for me, I recently acquired an excellent piece of jade. I’ve already sent it to Jiangnan to have the South’s most renowned Jade Master carve a three-foot-tall White Jade Buddha Statue for Father. I believe he will like it."

The two discussed Shen Yan’s upcoming birthday, appearing like a harmonious couple.

Shen Yinning silently left with the palace maids, returning to her own tent.

Haitang had already prepared hot water for bathing. "Mistress, you’re back?"

Shen Yinning removed her robes and sank into the tub. Suddenly, she remembered something and ordered, "Bring me a bronze mirror."

Holding the mirror Haitang handed her, she clearly saw the two characters Lu Ying had written on her back—

Unfaithful.

Steam rose around her.

Haitang hurriedly said, "This servant will wipe it off for you at once!"

Shen Yinning lay in the tub and slowly closed her eyes.

Lu Ying didn’t like her.

Lu Ying humiliated her for Shen Yunxi.

When she opened her eyes again, they were filled with a ruthless glint. "Tell Cui Ji to inform Lu Zhengliu that his concubine is Lu Ying’s spy and that he should pay close attention to the sachets she sends him."

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