The weather on the Dragon Boat Festival was poor, with the sky heavy with dark clouds, promising rain.
A dragon boat race was being held on the South City Canal, and the restaurants along the banks had already been booked early by aristocrats and dignitaries.
When Lu Ying and Shen Yunxi arrived at Feilai Pavilion, many noble scions were already present.
The Third Princess Lu Qianqian and Shen Yunxi had always been on good terms.
She came over enthusiastically, holding both of Shen Yunxi's hands, and praised, "It's only been a few days since we last met, but Crown Princess Consort, you've grown even more beautiful! Crown Prince Brother truly dotes on you—just look! Even these extravagant East Pearls, he doesn't hesitate to have them adorned on your shoes!"
Today, Shen Yunxi was wearing a pair of embroidered Shu brocade shoes, each toe adorned with an enormous and dazzling East Pearl, radiating opulence and luxury.
She blushed and cast a glance at Lu Ying.
Although the Crown Prince was not particularly warm toward her, there was at least mutual respect between husband and wife. Moreover, the keys to the treasury of the Eastern Palace were entrusted to her, allowing her to live extravagantly in terms of food, clothing, and other luxuries.
She was also quite happy to create the illusion of a deeply loving relationship with Lu Ying in front of others.
She smiled sweetly and said, "His Highness treats me very well, as he should."
"Of course, he treats you well!" Lu Qianqian chuckled, her eyes narrowed in amusement. "Back when Shen Yinning was still around, Crown Prince Brother never treated her as well as he treats you! I've certainly never seen him give Shen Yinning East Pearls this grand!"
Shen Yunxi's face grew complicated at the mention of Shen Yinning.
Her father was a concubine's son within the Shen Family, unlike Shen Yinning's father, who was more capable and prominent.
As a result, her position in society had always been far inferior to Shen Yinning's.
To gain access to various banquets and events, she had to curry favor with Shen Yinning. Yet, no matter how much effort she put into dressing herself, her looks couldn't compare to Shen Yinning's beauty. Whenever they went out together, Shen Yunxi always ended up as a foil to Shen Yinning's radiance.
To make matters worse, Shen Yinning was the fiancée of the future Crown Prince.
Back then, Shen Yunxi could only jealously watch Shen Yinning and Lu Ying, the gifted man and the stunning woman, forming the perfect pair. She, however, had to address that untouchable and lofty man as her brother-in-law. The thought of Shen Yinning eventually becoming the Empress and having to kneel before her and call her "Your Majesty" used to make Shen Yunxi seethe with so much resentment that she could hardly sleep at night!
But—
Shen Yunxi secretly straightened her back.
But now, everything was different.
Shen Yinning's father and elder brother were dead, while her own father had become the Duke!
She had replaced Shen Yinning and married Lu Ying.
Now she could openly walk hand in hand with Lu Ying, and they would have children together. She would even become the Empress one day. Both she and her children would be infinitely revered and noble!
As for Shen Yinning…
A mocking and condescending smile flickered in Shen Yunxi's eyes.
After Shen Yinning was imprisoned, she once went to visit her and noticed that all the prison guards were men.
So, she bribed the guards, instructing them to "properly entertain" her.
A woman—a breathtakingly beautiful woman—spending a month in the Heavenly Prison could only result in one kind of treatment. Shen Yunxi could picture the scene vividly without even needing to think too hard, and it was far too delicious to miss.
If she hadn't been preoccupied with preparations for her grand wedding to the Crown Prince at the time, Shen Yunxi would have loved to invite Lu Qianqian and the others to visit the Heavenly Prison together and savor the spectacle firsthand.
Now Shen Yinning had been exiled far away to Gan State. Once a noble beauty from an official's family, she was probably married to some old, short, ugly, and poor man by now.
In a few years, the children born of Shen Yunxi would be the heirs to the throne, while Shen Yinning's children would be nothing more than ordinary commoners, forced to kneel humbly before her own children.
Generation after generation, with no hope of ever rising again.
The more Shen Yunxi thought, the more exhilarated she became, wishing she could see Shen Yinning's miserable plight with her own eyes.
She took a seat, elegantly picked up a cup of tea, and sighed with feigned melancholy, "Speaking of which, I do wonder how my sister is doing now. She was raised in luxury and pampered since childhood, so now that she's been sent to such a desolate and miserable place like Gan State, how many hardships must she be facing?"
"I heard Gan State is located at the border between two nations with many passing merchants, meaning there's also no shortage of brothels," Lu Qianqian remarked, lightly fanning herself. "With Shen Yinning's beauty, it wouldn't be surprising if she's already been sold into one of those brothels."
"Those places are filthy," another young lady remarked with disdain. "If she gets used up and dies there, it'll truly disgrace the Shen Family."
Shen Yunxi sighed lightly, "What can I do about such a sister who has chosen to debase herself?"
"By the way," a nobleman chimed in, "I heard from my father that the Ministry of Justice recently assigned an Assessor of the Eighth Rank, surnamed Gao, who was transferred here from Gan State. Since he's newly arrived, why don't we invite his family over to see if they know Shen Yinning?"
Intrigued, Shen Yunxi instructed Lian Ye, "Go and invite them immediately!"
Lu Ying suddenly interjected coldly, "It's a festival—why bring her up?"
Everyone exchanged glances, assuming that Lu Ying found Shen Yinning repulsive.
Lu Qianqian nodded in agreement, "True, it's a joyous occasion. Speaking of her does taint the atmosphere!"
Shen Yunxi took another sip of tea, unable to suppress the satisfied smile on her face.
In the past, she had thought the Crown Prince's feelings for Shen Yinning were profoundly deep. However, after the Shen Family fell, Shen Yinning knelt outside the Eastern Palace in pouring rain, desperately begging the Crown Prince to save her father and brother. She knelt there the entire night, utterly degraded, and was even mocked by passing palace attendants. Yet the Crown Prince didn't even bother to see her.
Shen Yunxi couldn't help but think, Shen Yinning might have the appearance of a lady, but her fate was that of a mere servant. She never had the fortune to marry the Crown Prince.
Thinking back to those days, who would have expected that she, the unremarkable concubine's daughter, would end up becoming the esteemed Crown Princess Consort?
Growing more triumphant with her thoughts, Shen Yunxi rolled up her sleeves and poured tea for Lu Ying. "The Junshan Silver Needle tea here at Feilai Pavilion is superb, no worse than what we have in the palace. Please, Your Highness, have a taste. If you feel your ears are sullied by the mention of my sister's name, we shall avoid bringing her up in the future. It's just that whenever I think of how graceful, aloof, and noble my sister once was, only to now be reduced to a rural housewife or even a common prostitute, forced to lower herself to serve crude men with her once prestigious body, I can't help but sigh. After all, being implicated by Uncle was beyond her control; she truly is a pitiable person."
Every word of hers appeared laden with sympathy and pity, but in reality, each sentence dripped with contempt and humiliation.
Back in the Capital, Shen Yinning had been willful and domineering, offending quite a few young nobles.
Among them were those who envied her and those who longed for her beauty but could never have her. Hearing these pointed remarks, imagining her in the countryside, subjected to countless indignities, filled their hearts with glee, and they couldn't help but snicker quietly.
Lu Qianqian grinned and said, "Pitiable? She deserves every bit of it! Now that Crown Prince Brother and Crown Princess Consort are so deeply in love, why even mention such a jinx? Crown Princess Consort, you must work harder and give Crown Prince Brother a plump baby boy soon! Crown Prince Brother, don't you think so?"