Chapter 138: Kill Them All One by One

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Shen Yingjue’s voice was ice-cold to the extreme: “So now you want to talk? Fine.”
“Bring someone, take a dagger, and slit his finger so he can write down the names of those Tan Yunge bribed.”
Fifteen minutes later, a cry of pain echoed from the room, followed by the others begging for mercy.
After a while, Shen Yingjue’s calm voice sounded again: “Cut off his head and send it to the Crown Prince Ding’s mansion, hand it over to Tan Yunge.”
“Yes.”
“Then, report to the authorities. Say that Tan Yunge used Shen Zijiao to poison the Crown Princess Ding, attempting to take her life.”
“Yes.”
After giving his orders, Shen Yingjue turned his gaze to the other servants attending to Shen Zijiao in the room, his eyes full of ruthless coldness: “Trying to play games in front of me?”
His face suddenly darkened: “It won’t be as simple as death anymore.”
The servants trembled all over: “Yes, yes, we understand.”
Shen Yingjue lowered his head and adjusted his sleeve: “If it weren’t for the fact that Shen Zijiao has been used to your care since childhood, it would be troublesome to replace all of you recklessly. Today, none of you are allowed to escape.”
His eyes casually glanced at the list written in blood on the floor: “Not a single one on this list is to be spared. Kill them all.”
The steward bowed his head and stood aside, taking a deep breath: “Yes.”
Shen Yingjue stepped out of the room. Only then did the steward exhale, no matter how long he had followed Shen Yingjue, he could never help but feel a lingering unease every time he witnessed such scenes. Perhaps it was because… he had his own guilty secrets.
Shen Yingjue went to Tan Qingshu’s room and dismissed the servants.
Xing Qi and Xing You looked at Shen Yingjue warily, but in the end, Xing Qi tugged Xing You’s hand and led him away.
Shen Yingjue approached the bedside, fixing his gaze on Tan Qingshu’s face, then leaned in and whispered softly in her ear, “Princess, it’s time to wake up.”
As he spoke, a trace of malice crept into his tone: “If you don’t open your eyes soon, I might just… kiss you.”
No sooner had the words fallen than Tan Qingshu suddenly opened her eyes.
Shen Yingjue laughed heartily: “As expected, this is the most effective.”
“You really opened your eyes too quickly, Princess. I was hoping that if you didn’t wake up, I could steal a kiss in secret.”

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Tan Qingshu rolled her eyes straight at Shen Yingjue: “How do you know I was faking?”
“Just a guess.”
Shen Yingjue lowered his head, casually playing with the jade pendant at his waist: “I guessed it because my princess is far too clever to be so easily outwitted by a child.”
“The facts have proven that to be true.”
Tan Qingshu narrowed her eyes, remaining silent, but inwardly wondering: If even Shen Yingjue guessed it, then what about others? Could they guess it too?
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside. Qing Dai rushed in, breathless: “Master, I just got news. Prince Ding had the servant who secretly communicated with Tan Yunge by young Master Zijiao’s side killed. He even cut off that man’s head and sent it to Tan Yunge!”
“And furthermore…”
Qing Dai was about to continue but suddenly stopped short.
Her eyes fell on Shen Yingjue, and she took two hurried steps back, her face as if she had seen a ghost: “Pr-Prince Ding…”
“What about Prince Ding? And what else?”
Qing Dai’s face flushed red as she quickly shook her head: “N-Nothing.”
Shen Yingjue raised an eyebrow: “Servant, why stop there? I’m quite interested to hear what you say behind my back.”
Tan Qingshu remained unmoved, speaking with a hint of nonchalance: “If you’re sitting right here, how could we be talking about you behind your back? We’ll continue after you leave.”
Shen Yingjue was amused by her matter-of-fact tone: “Alright then, I’ll wait until I leave to hear the rest.”
He leisurely put the jade pendant back in place: “You want to deal with Tan Yunge, right?”
Tan Qingshu merely glanced at him as if his question was nonsense.
“I came to discuss with you. Since Tan Yunge poisoned you, shouldn’t you report her to the authorities?”
“Report her?” Tan Qingshu blinked: “Is that really so by the book?”
“You should report it since you were poisoned.”
“Send someone to the government offices and say that Tan Yunge intended to poison the Crown Princess Ding, with solid evidence. Wouldn’t that make it easy to convict her?”

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Shen Yingjue’s expression remained calm, but his words made Tan Qingshu enthusiastically applaud.
Indeed, why hadn’t she thought of reporting her to the authorities?
When someone caused trouble at the Tan estate’s gate before, didn’t they also report it to the officials?
Tan Qingshu’s eyes sparkled: “That’s a great idea. Prince Ding, please send someone to report it for me.”
Shen Yingjue’s eyes curved into a smile: “Alright, but Princess, you’ll have to cooperate and play your part well in this little drama.”
“Huh? Play a part?”
Isn’t it just reporting to the authorities? What drama?
Shen Yingjue leaned in and whispered: “Tan Yunge is your older sister in name only. Although you probably don’t care much for her, appearances still need to be kept up. Let me take on the role of the villain for you.”
“Consider it repayment for the time you accompanied me singing at the palace banquet.”
Tan Qingshu narrowed her eyes: “You mean I should keep pretending to be poisoned and unconscious, while you go report it? And if anyone from the Tan family asks, you’ll take responsibility?”
“Say it was your decision to report it?”
Shen Yingjue nodded with a gentle smile: “While you’re unconscious and unaware, everything is my doing and has nothing to do with you.”
“If the Tan family asks me to let Tan Yunge go, I can just turn a deaf ear. After all, I’m just a mad, powerless prince who acts on whim. Why should I spare someone who poisoned my princess?”
“Even if Tan Yun and that Madam Tan had ten times the courage, they wouldn’t dare to cause trouble with me. If they really tried…”
“Kill one, kill two, kill them all?”
Shen Yingjue looked up, his eyes smiling: “Princess, do you think this plan is good?”
Tan Qingshu’s eyes gleamed: “Of course, it’s excellent.”