The Obsessive Crown Prince Can't Let Me Go
Chapter 56 - 55 Shen Yinning, How Dare You

Chapter 56: Chapter 55 Shen Yinning, How Dare You

Shen Yunxi had always been dissatisfied with the Chief Maid Zhang, and upon learning that she had ruined the silk robe worth a fortune, her anger exploded. Without listening to Zhang’s explanation, she immediately ordered the palace attendants to beat her with paddles.

Shen Yinning stood by the side, watching.

The over-forty-year-old Chief Maid, usually commanding respect and authority, was now pressed onto the long bench for punishment. Her wizened face contorted in agony, twisted with sweat and tears, crying out in pitiful anguish, losing all dignity and pride.

After twenty strikes of the paddle, her buttocks were mangled and bloody. Her entire body was drenched in cold sweat, as if she had been fished out of water.

Shen Yunxi lounged lazily under the corridor: "Maid Zhang deliberately damaged this palace’s silk robe, a garment worth a thousand gold coins. Even selling you wouldn’t repay the loss. Today’s twenty paddles are a minor warning. You best be cautious in the future."

Zhang’s face was as pale as gold paper, her lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

Shen Yinning smiled, silently watching as two palace maids carried her away.

Serving her master faithfully for over a decade, being beaten like this—who knew what Zhang Cuichun might be thinking in her heart?

But this pain on her body was mere feathers compared to her own mother’s life.

Sooner or later...

Sooner or later, Zhang Cuichun would pay with her life.

This commotion had long since been reported to Lu Ying.

Gui Quan cautiously asked, "Your Highness, shall the Imperial Weaving Bureau continue crafting the silk robe for the Crown Princess Consort?"

"No need." Lu Ying’s brush flowed like a dragon.

Shen Yinning was very clever.

A woman so intelligent and purposeful, yet willing to enter the palace to merely do laundry for Shen Yunxi...

Lu Ying’s thoughts grew laden with doubt.

He ordered, "Have Ruizhu conduct a thorough investigation of Shen Yinning. I want to know if she’s done anything else in the Eastern Palace besides washing clothes."

Ruizhu, accompanied by several guards, arrived at Shen Yinning’s small courtyard to see garments and shoes hanging everywhere to dry. Shen Yinning was sitting on the veranda steps, basking in the autumn sun.

She wasn’t wearing that human-skin mask. Her face under the autumn sunlight was as radiant as blooming flowers, fresh and seductive. Even dressed in a palace maid’s uniform, her captivating beauty was utterly undiminished.

Ruizhu recalled the sounds she’d heard the previous night when passing by the Imperial Study—those lascivious moans coming from within.

Shen Yinning had clearly used her face to seduce the Crown Prince.

Jealousy flashed across Ruizhu’s eyes as she coldly sneered, "You’re truly skillful, Miss Shen. You managed to divert the disaster and escape Her Highness’s punishment."

"Why are you here again?" Shen Yinning gazed at her indifferently, like a satiated cat lounging in the autumn sun. "I’ve told you, I didn’t kill Qing Liu, yet you refuse to believe me."

Ruizhu ignored her and commanded the guards, "Search inside!"

Shen Yinning watched the guards barge into the side room, her phoenix eyes narrowing. "What are you looking for?"

Ruizhu’s gaze roved across her face. "The Crown Prince suspects your intentions in entering the palace, so naturally, we’re searching for any incriminating items."

Shen Yinning chuckled faintly to herself.

Lu Ying was quite astute. She hadn’t even been in the palace long, and he was already suspicious.

A quarter of an hour later, the guards emerged to report, "Miss Ruizhu, aside from daily necessities, some scented powder, and soap boughs, nothing suspicious was found in the room."

"There’s still one place left to search," Ruizhu snarled viciously, pointing directly at Shen Yinning, her almond-shaped eyes brimming with unconcealed malice. "Strip her naked and search her thoroughly—inside and out!"

The guards were about to act when Shen Yinning confronted them with a frosty glare. "Men and women are different. I have pledged myself to the Crown Prince. Who dares lay a hand on me?!"

Ruizhu refused to yield. "I am acting on the Crown Prince’s orders to investigate you. Are you defying an imperial command?! Strip her for me!"

The guards exchanged uncertain glances.

While they also despised Shen Yinning for causing Qing Liu’s death, she was the Crown Prince’s woman, after all.

As subordinates, how could they dare to strip her casually?

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Ruizhu shouted, "If you won’t do it, I will!"

Having practiced martial arts since childhood, Ruizhu possessed great strength. In an instant, she dragged Shen Yinning into the side room, shoved her to the ground despite her struggles, and ruthlessly tore apart her palace maid dress.

The dim light inside the room shifted.

Ruizhu saw ambiguous red marks scattered across Shen Yinning’s neck.

She understood immediately—these marks were all left by the Crown Prince.

It wasn’t hard to imagine just how intense things must have been between her and the Crown Prince in the study the previous night!

The more Ruizhu thought about it, the angrier she became. Her eyes burned red as she spat through gritted teeth, "Slut!"

Shen Yinning’s cheeks flushed crimson, her eyelids dyed with the same allure.

She raised her phoenix eyes. "Miss Ruizhu, you’ve conducted your search. May I be cleared of suspicion now?"

"Cleared?!" Ruizhu sneered. "You tipped off Prince Shen, killing Qing Liu. A venomous woman like you, how could you possibly be innocent?!"

Locking eyes with her, Shen Yinning was silent for a long while before letting out a cold laugh. "Is Miss Ruizhu angry because I caused Qing Liu’s death, or because I’ve won Lu Ying’s affection? After all, he’s probably never seen you as a woman, has he?"

It was as if a giant stone had been hurled into a serene lake, instantly creating waves of turmoil.

Ruizhu’s face turned deathly pale. She raised her whip and pointed it at Shen Yinning. "What nonsense are you spewing, slut?! My respect for His Highness is pure admiration, without any vile intentions! Even if there is a bond, it’s nothing but the camaraderie of comrades who’ve faced life and death together! Do you think all women are like you, throwing themselves into men’s beds?! I hear you’re already married to the Ministry of Justice Evaluator. And now you shamelessly climb into your brother-in-law’s bed. Shen Yinning, to think you were once the Duke Mansion’s lady. Is this what your parents taught you?!"

At the mention of her parents, Shen Yinning’s aura turned icy in an instant.

"What is it, struck a nerve?" Ruizhu smirked maliciously, gripping Shen Yinning’s hair tightly, venom gleaming in her eyes. "Oh, I nearly forgot. Your parents are dead, your entire family exiled to Gan State. Since no one taught you propriety, let me—personally—teach you the meaning of status and shame!"

Ruizhu had just finished speaking and hadn’t yet acted when Shen Yinning suddenly lunged forward and sank her teeth into Ruizhu’s ear.

Her attack was swift and vicious. Before Ruizhu could react, half of her ear was torn off with raw force!

Screaming in agony, Ruizhu staggered back a few steps, clutching the bleeding stump of her ear. "Shen Yinning, you’ve gone mad!"

Shen Yinning, her cherry-red lips stained with blood, brushed her long hair to one side, her appearance both dangerously alluring and breathtakingly beautiful.

Her gentle voice was smooth as silk: "As for my upbringing, it’s none of your concern. But I suggest Miss Ruizhu hurry to the Imperial Hospital to see if that ear can be sewn back."

Shooting her a venomous glare, Ruizhu spat, "You just wait!"

Bearing the excruciating pain, Ruizhu clutched her half-torn ear as she hurried toward the Imperial Hospital.

Meanwhile, Shen Yinning didn’t sit idle. After tidying herself up, she headed straight for Lu Ying’s study.

When Ruizhu returned, freshly bandaged from the Imperial Hospital, what she saw stunned her.

There was Shen Yinning, kneeling at Lu Ying’s feet, looking delicate and pitiable, smugly triumphant after making her complaint.

Ruizhu was dumbfounded.

Wait, wasn’t Shen Yinning the one who bit off her ear? How did she manage to lodge a complaint first?!

Curling up timidly at Lu Ying’s knees, Shen Yinning glanced cautiously at Ruizhu. In a tearful voice, she pleaded, "Elder Sister Ruizhu bore a personal grudge and sought to end my life. Luckily, I was clever enough to narrowly escape. Your Highness, Qing Liu’s death truly wasn’t my doing. Please, grant me justice!"

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince!" Ruizhu immediately knelt. "This servant bore no personal grudge! It was clearly Shen Yinning who refused to cooperate with the investigation. Moreover, she bit off my ear!"

Lu Ying raised an eyebrow.

Until now, he’d only heard Shen Yinning tearfully complain about being wronged by Ruizhu. To think she’d bitten off her ear—what boldness!

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