With legs weak, the sickly stable boy became a mad regent.

Shen Gang was supported by two servants and limped to Shen Yin's courtyard.

He was covered in injuries, and his face was swollen like a pig's head. The servant dropped him off at the door and ran away, afraid of getting into trouble.

In Shen Yin's boudoir, the windows were tightly closed and the curtains were drawn, making the entire room incredibly dark.

She hasn't left the house for days; how could she possibly face going out?

Her mother was divorced for having an affair, and her father, Shen Zhong, doesn't even look at her now, as if she were something dirty.

Shen Yin felt that she was finished.

The whole capital knew about what happened in Peach Blossom Valley that night.

She was rescued from the prince's tent, her clothes disheveled, her body covered in red marks, and she looked as if she had been taken apart.

The crown prince left long ago, without even leaving a word.

She remembers someone covering her mouth and someone tearing off her clothes.

Then came the pain, excruciating pain, so intense that she couldn't even scream.

She hates Shen Nannan.

That shimmering brocade was something Shen Nannan didn't want.

Those people are looking for Shen Nannan, not her.

She took the blame for Shen Nannan, was violated on Shen Nannan's behalf, and had her innocence ruined on Shen Nannan's behalf.

But what about Shen Nannan?

Shen Nannan is perfectly fine, nothing's wrong with her.

She was dressed in beautiful clothes, wearing a new hairpin, and surrounded by her stable boy, smiling like a flower.

On what grounds?

"Sister! Sister!" Shen Gang pushed the door open with his shoulder, staggered in, and cried his eyes out.

"Sister, my arm is broken! Shen Nannan had it broken! You have to stand up for me!"

Hearing the noise, she looked up; her eyes were swollen like walnuts.

"Sis, why are you still crying?" Shen Gang looked at her.

"What did the Crown Prince say? Will he marry you? Go find the Crown Prince right now, I want to settle accounts with Shen Nannan!"

Shen Yin's face paled for a moment, and she buried her face in her knees.

"Settle scores with her? What are we even talking about now?"

Shen Gang panicked, "Didn't you sleep with the Crown Prince? I don't care, go and fetch the Crown Prince to stand up for me!"

Shen Yin clutched her head in anguish, not wanting to listen.

"You slept with him! If he doesn't marry you, who will?"

Shen Yin's tears fell again.

Of course she knew.

Her life is over. The crown prince won't marry her, and she can't possibly marry anyone else.

But the sight of the Crown Prince—that pale, swollen face with a disgusting smile—made her feel nauseous just thinking about it.

"Little sister Yin'er."

Just then, the door was pushed open again.

Lin Wan'er walked in carrying a bowl of bird's nest soup. She was dressed in a light green shirt and had a sweet smile, like a newly opened white lotus flower.

When she saw Shen Gang's appearance, she exclaimed in surprise, "What happened? Who beat you up like this?"

"It's all because of Shen Nannan!" Shen Gang wailed again, "That stable boy! He broke my hand!"

Lin Wan'er put down the bird's nest, walked over to Shen Gang, looked at his injuries, and sighed:

"That's too cruel. Yin'er, Shen Nannan, she... she's gone too far! She really doesn't treat you siblings like human beings."

Shen Yin's eyes reddened again.

Lin Wan'er sighed, sat down next to Shen Yin, and took her hand.

"Little sister Yin'er, don't cry." Her voice was gentle. "It's not worth ruining your health by crying."

Shen Yin looked up at her: "Sister Wan'er, what should I do?"

Lin Wan'er looked at her, a glint of cunning flashing in her eyes.

She quickly returned to her gentle demeanor.

"Sister Yin'er, it's no use crying now that things have come to this." She paused, "Since you've already lost your virginity to the Crown Prince, why not fight for yourself?"

Shen Yin was stunned: "What are you gambling on?"

"Strive for a better future." Lin Wan'er squeezed her hand.

"The Crown Prince isn't heartless. If you take the initiative to ask him, he won't turn you away. Once you enter the Crown Prince's residence, becoming a concubine, the principal wife, or even further—it's not impossible."

Shen Yin's expression changed: "You mean you want me to beg the Crown Prince?"

"Why not?" Lin Wan'er smiled.

"You are a daughter of the Shen family. Although you are from the second branch, you still bear the Shen surname. If His Highness the Crown Prince wants to win over the Shen family, marrying you is the best way. It's perfectly legitimate, and no one can find fault with it."

Shen Yin bit her lip and remained silent.

Shen Gang chimed in from the side:

"Sister, Wan'er is right! If you become the Crown Prince's concubine, wouldn't I become his brother-in-law? Let's see if that bitch Shen Nannan dares to touch me then!"

Lin Wan'er continued, "That's right. If you become the Crown Prince's person, won't Shen Nannan kneel down to you every time she sees you? She bullies your mother today and your brother tomorrow, are you just going to put up with it?"

The despair from before was gone from Shen Yin's eyes, replaced by something else—ruthlessness, resentment, and a madness that wanted to drag everyone down with her. "You're right. I can't just end it like this. Shen Nannan owes me, and I'll make her pay back double."

Lin Wan'er looked at her and smiled.

The smile was incredibly gentle, but if Shen Yin looked closely, she would notice something else hidden beneath those eyes.

"This is the Yin'er I know." Lin Wan'er held her hand.

"Don't worry, I'll help you."

She stood up and straightened her skirt.

"I'm going back now. I'll come see you another day."

She smiled, pushed open the door, and went out.

The moment the door closed, the smile on her face gradually faded, and a layer of coldness appeared in her eyes.

"Fool," she muttered, straightened her sleeves, and strode through the corridor, disappearing around the corner.

---

The Eastern Palace.

Crown Prince Xiao Jing lay slumped on the couch, his face ashen, with a group of servants kneeling at his feet, none daring to utter a sound.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"

He kicked over the table in front of him, shattering cups, bowls, and plates all over the floor.

"Futailong is gone! My purse has been completely emptied! And what about you? What have you done?!"

The staff members kneeling on the ground looked at each other, none of them daring to speak.

Qian Mingyuan knelt at the front, sweat dripping down his forehead, and his official robes were soaked through.

He had just arrived from the Ministry of Revenue and hadn't even settled in when the Crown Prince gave him a thorough dressing-down.

"Your Highness, please calm down," he said, forcing himself to speak.

"I have already investigated Futailong's matter. It was He Jinzhi, that living devil, who has been watching Futailong for a long time, not just a day or two."

"He Jinzhi?" The Crown Prince sneered.

"He's just a fourth-rank official, with no one backing him up. How dare he touch my people?"

Qian Mingyuan opened his mouth, but dared not reply.

The prince stood up and paced back and forth in the room, his boots creaking as they stepped on the broken porcelain shards.

"And the Shen family too!"

The more the prince spoke, the angrier he became.

His eyes reddened.

"They sent a fake to fool me! That Shen Yin, she's got some looks, but her figure..." He licked his lips.

"She's nowhere near as good as Shen Nannan!"

He became even angrier when he remembered what happened that night.

The woman cried like a pig being slaughtered beneath him, completely lacking any charm. She had none of the figure or allure of the eldest daughter of the Shen family.

Qian Mingyuan said cautiously, "Your Highness, please calm down. I actually think... this Shen Yin isn't entirely useless."

The crown prince glanced at him sideways: "What do you mean?"