Shen Zaiye hadn’t noticed her at first. Hearing her voice, he stopped and stared at her for a moment before asking, “Princess?”
“My lord, please call me Taohua from now on,” Jiang Taohua said, keeping her head lowered. “Once I entered the Prime Minister’s residence, I ceased being a princess.”
Raising an eyebrow slightly, Shen Zaiye turned to face her, his gaze deep and penetrating. “You seem to be adapting well.”
“Of course. I intend to live a good life here,” she replied.
If she didn’t adapt to her environment, was she supposed to wait for the environment to adapt to her? The world wasn’t that accommodating.
“Your attitude puts me at ease,” Shen Zaiye said. However, he then let out a troubled sigh, his handsome brows furrowing slightly as if something was bothering him.
Jiang Taohua kept her eyes lowered, observing proper etiquette and remaining silent.
She wasn’t foolish. Shen Zaiye had something he wanted to say but was holding back, seemingly waiting for her to ask. If she did ask, wouldn’t she be playing right into his hands like some naive fool? If she ended up in a trap because of it, she’d have nowhere to turn. It was safer to play the role of an oblivious woman than to approach a snake’s mouth.
It wasn’t that she was overly cautious. Shen Zaiye had deceived her from the start, destroying any trust between them. She couldn’t be blamed for not cooperating now.
After a long silence, Taohua looked up at the bright spring sunlight and said with a foolish grin, “The weather is lovely today. If my lord has no other business, I’ll take my leave now.”
Shen Zaiye raised an eyebrow, surprised by her reaction. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Since you’re in such a hurry to leave, why don’t I accompany you to Zhengchun Pavilion for a while?”
What? Taohua was stunned. She glanced at him, then discreetly checked the intimacy schedule she had tucked away.
If she remembered correctly, today he was supposed to favor Concubine Gu. Why would he go to her quarters?
On second thought, it was still early. He surely wouldn’t go there just to favor her immediately. Shen Zaiye wasn’t in heat, after all. She was overthinking it. He probably just wanted to discuss something with Concubine Gu.
With this realization, Jiang Taohua quickly put on an enthusiastic smile and curtsied to Shen Zaiye. “Of course, my lord. This way, please.”
Shen Zaiye nodded with a slight smile, but as he turned, his brow furrowed for an instant.
Women were often foolish, he thought. Even the clever ones usually focused their wits on men, confined to the inner chambers. He had always believed women were the easiest to control.
However, for a moment, he sensed something unusual about this Jiang Taohua. She seemed to be in the palm of his hand, yet also on the verge of slipping away.
Suspicious, he casually asked, “I see you coming from the direction of Linghan Courtyard. Did you meet with the Madam?”
“Yes,” Taohua answered properly. “The Madam informed me of some rules, which I will certainly keep in mind.”
“Hmm, was Concubine Qin also in that courtyard?” he inquired.
“Sister Qin was there. She taught me quite a few things as well,” Taohua replied, keeping her head down but secretly observing him from the corner of her eye.
She wondered how such a handsome and refined-looking gentleman could have such deep and calculating thoughts. It prevented her from fully indulging in his overwhelming masculine beauty, forcing her to remain on guard.
“What do you think of Concubine Qin?” Shen Zaiye asked.
Taohua thought for a moment before responding with a naive expression, “She’s exceptionally beautiful.”
He had asked about her character, not her appearance. Shen Zaiye stopped walking and frowned at her. “Speaking of appearance, Princess, your current attire is less becoming than your unadorned look this morning.”
“That’s natural,” Jiang Taohua replied reflexively, letting her guard slip. “Men find women most attractive when they’re not wearing clothes at all.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the servants following them were stunned.
Shen Zaiye looked at her in shock, then lowered his gaze. “Taohua.”
“I’ve made a mistake!” Taohua quickly knelt, her face filled with panic. “Having grown up in Zhao, some of my speech may be inappropriate. I haven’t fully learned the proper etiquette yet. Please forgive me, my lord!”
Seeing her nervous demeanor and darting eyes, Shen Zaiye felt oddly relieved. He helped her up and said, “I’ve heard that Zhao has open customs, but I didn’t realize they were quite so liberal.”
“There’s much you don’t know. Feel free to ask me anything,” Taohua said, looking up at him with a foolish grin, appearing simple-minded. “Though I only know about common matters. I’m not very knowledgeable about affairs within the palace.”
“Oh?” Shen Zaiye raised an eyebrow. “You’re a princess of Zhao. How can you know about lower matters but not higher ones?”
“My lord doesn’t know the full story,” Jiang Taohua said, unconsciously adjusting her sleeve as she began to mix truth with lies. “Although I’m a princess, my status is quite awkward. My mother passed away early, and the new empress disliked my younger brother and me. To ensure Crown Princess Suhe’s future ascension to the throne, she placed us in the most remote palace in the imperial city, where we lived no differently from ordinary palace servants.”
Shen Zaiye knew that in Zhao, both princes and princesses could ascend to the throne, unlike in Great Wei. This was related to Zhao’s history. While it wouldn’t work in Great Wei, they respected other countries’ customs.
“So, Princess, you married into a foreign land to change your circumstances?” he asked.
Jiang Taohua nodded without hesitation. “Of course. Marrying into Great Wei would certainly be better than living under those palace walls.”
“Is there anything you desire?” he inquired.
“Yes, yes!” Taohua’s eyes lit up. “I want to eat well and dress warmly.”
Shen Zaiye was taken aback.
Her words made him feel a bit sympathetic. Although Zhao was considered a poor backwater by Great Wei standards, for a princess to have such modest wishes was truly pitiful.
He softened his voice and said, “In this residence, you’ll certainly be well-fed and clothed. Moreover, if you can help me with two matters, I can arrange for someone to send gifts back to Zhao for your younger brother.”
Really? Taohua’s mind raced with calculations, but she maintained her foolish smile and asked tentatively, “What kind of help?”
“Because of you, I’ve had disagreements with both Prince Jing and Prince Nan,” Shen Zaiye said, looking down at her with a gentle smile. “So, the first favor I ask is for you to tell Prince Nan, when he visits tomorrow, that you willingly came with me.”
Blinking, Taohua asked, “And the second?”
“The second, naturally, concerns Prince Jing. The day after tomorrow, I have an appointment with him at the North Gate Pavilion. You’ll need to explain yesterday’s misunderstanding to him.”
When Shen Zaiye lowered his eyelids, he was incredibly handsome, especially from Taohua’s perspective. He looked so gentle that he could melt anyone’s heart. Another woman might agree to anything he asked.
But Jiang Taohua had studied the art of seduction. If she couldn’t use her skills and instead fell for someone else’s charms, wouldn’t that disgrace her master’s teachings?
After composing herself, Taohua looked at him with a troubled expression. “I’m now just a concubine in your household. Is it appropriate for me to speak freely with princes?”
“It’s fine. No one else will see,” Shen Zaiye assured her. “I’ll make all the arrangements. You just need to agree to help.”
Hearing him speak this way, it seemed as if the current troubles were her fault. If she hadn’t known he had lied earlier, Jiang Taohua might have felt guilty and wanted to make amends.
However, the man before her was deceiving her. Though she didn’t know his true motives, they certainly weren’t for her benefit.
“My lord,” Taohua said with a worried expression, “it’s not that I’m unwilling to help. It’s just that I haven’t been feeling well since yesterday. I’m afraid I might not be able to get out of bed tomorrow.”
“Oh?” Shen Zaiye narrowed his eyes and looked down at her. “You’re unwell? Should we call for a physician?”
“We can summon one when we return to Zhengchun Pavilion,” she said candidly. “If I feel better tomorrow and can get up, I’ll help you, my lord. But if I truly lack the strength… perhaps you could consider another solution. What do you think?”
She seems to be unwell, Shen Zaiye thought with surprise. The timing was incredibly inconvenient. Prince Nan couldn’t just visit the Prime Minister’s residence on a whim. If they missed this opportunity tomorrow, that honest boy would surely start arguing with him.
But looking into Jiang Taohua’s eyes, full of sincerity, she didn’t appear to be lying. He couldn’t ask someone who was ill to meet with Prince Nan. It wouldn’t be appropriate.
“In that case, don’t return to Zhengchun Pavilion,” Shen Zaiye said, stopping. “The weather is still chilly, and Zhengchun Pavilion can be quite cold. Stay in Linwu Courtyard tonight. Perhaps you’ll feel better by tomorrow.”
What? Taohua immediately shook her head vigorously. “The Madam just told me that there are rules in this household. We’re not to seek favor on days when we’re not scheduled for attendance.”
Chuckling lightly, Shen Zaiye explained, “I’m supposed to go to Huairou’s Wenqing Chamber today, so I’m letting you use the room to sleep. How is that seeking favor?”
Oh, he won’t be there? That’s fine then. Taohua relaxed. After all, she would have to feign illness anyway, so it didn’t matter where she slept.
“Thank you, my lord,” she said.
Nodding, they changed direction and headed towards Linwu Courtyard.
After settling her in the courtyard, Shen Zaiye left for his study, citing business to attend to. Jiang Taohua glanced at the unfamiliar maids around her, not daring to move about freely. She simply stayed put, eating when it was time to eat and resting when it was time to rest.
In the evening, Qingtai returned, making her way to Linwu Courtyard out of breath. “Does my lady need me to assist with her bath?”
“Yes, yes,” Taohua quickly instructed the nearby maid, “Please have some water brought in.”
“Yes, my lady,” the maid responded, and soon the bathtub behind the screen was filled with hot water.
“Alright, I only need Qingtai to attend to me while I bathe,” Taohua told the other servants. “The rest of you can wait outside.”
A maid at the front respectfully complied, but as they left, she casually locked all the cabinets and chests.
How cautious! Taohua clicked her tongue a couple of times. Once the main door closed, she pulled Qingtai behind the screen and asked in a low voice, “How did it go?”
Qingtai whispered, “Let’s start with Prince Jing. He’s currently the most favored prince, and although he’s not of the first wife, he’s the most promising among the princes. He also has considerable influence in court. However, a group of elder statesmen has never accepted him, refusing to pledge allegiance. As a result, Prince Jing has been trying to win over Prime Minister Shen.”
(End of Chapter)