Wiping the water from her face, Taohua looked Gu Huairou up and down, speaking in a gentle tone, “So you’re Lady Gu.”
Gu Huairou was taken aback. “You know me?”
“The lord has mentioned you,” Taohua smiled. “He said that in this courtyard, you’re the one who holds his heart the most.”
Her? Gu Huairou pursed her lips, her gaze full of doubt. “Did the lord say that himself?”
“Yes. The lord went back to fetch something and specifically instructed me to associate more with you in the future. If he hadn’t said so, I wouldn’t have known about you at all.”
Taohua glanced at her with apparent envy, then winced in pain. “I appreciate your kindness, Lady Gu, but I’m severely injured now and can’t withstand the cold. I need to change clothes immediately. Please excuse me.”
Holding the copper basin, Gu Huairou thought for a moment, then reluctantly nodded. “After you’ve changed, I’ll come back to talk.”
“You…” Qing Tai was furious. How could this person be so unreasonable? The mistress was severely injured and needed rest. What more was there to say?
Taohua pressed her hand down and smiled with a nod. “Alright.”
After Gu Huairou left, Qing Tai hurriedly brought dry clothes and helped Taohua to the couch. “Why did you bother with her? She came to cause trouble!”
“I know,” Taohua said, her lips pale as she changed out of her wet clothes, wincing. “But Lady Gu is a jealous person who acts without thinking and loves to compete. With people like her, if you ignore them, they’ll only resent you more and cause more trouble in the future.”
Qing Tai was surprised. “Mistress, do you know Lady Gu?”
“No, I don’t.”
Qing Tai was astonished, her eyes wide with wonder at how her mistress could know Lady Gu’s personality without knowing her.
Anticipating Qing Tai’s question, Taohua instructed her to bring dry bedding to the couch. After settling in, she explained softly:
“A few days ago, it was supposed to be Lady Gu’s night to serve the lord. Remember when the lord came to Linwu Court in the middle of the night? She probably found out I was there too and thought I was deliberately vying for a favor. That’s why she came to cause trouble today. This shows that Lady Gu is jealous and rash. A smarter person wouldn’t dare to be the first to make a move at this time.”
Taohua had just entered the mansion, and the lord’s attitude wasn’t clear yet. For Gu to dare to come and act like this, wasn’t it brainless? After all, Taohua still held the title of a princess sent for a political marriage. What good would it do Gu to offend her?
Qing Tai tilted her head, thinking it over. It did make sense.
However, her mistress only knew that Lady Gu was supposed to serve the lord a few days ago, yet she could deduce Gu’s thoughts so clearly. Qing Tai shivered slightly, her gaze toward her mistress filled with even more reverence.
“I understand now.”
Taohua nodded, carefully adjusting her position on the couch.
Just as she tucked in the blanket, someone outside asked, “Is Lady Jiang ready?”
“…Yes,” Qing Tai responded, opening the door. She watched Lady Gu enter and quickly returned to Taohua’s side, eyeing Gu warily.
Gu Huairou sat down by the bed, looking down at Jiang Taohua with a forced smile. “I was careless earlier and splashed you with water. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”
Taohua smiled good-naturedly. “I’m sure you didn’t mean to cause trouble. There’s no need to dwell on such a small matter.”
Small matter? She had dumped an entire basin of cold water! This woman was certainly thick-skinned. Gu narrowed her eyes and said sarcastically, “Lady Jiang is so magnanimous. No wonder the lord favors you so much.”
Jiang Taohua maintained her smile and asked calmly, “Does the lord’s current behavior count as favoring me greatly?”
“Isn’t it?” Gu’s face darkened, provoked by Taohua’s unperturbed attitude. “Just because of your injury, the lord sent someone to the palace to request a royal physician when it’s almost dark. The entire mansion is in an uproar, yet you’re sleeping soundly!”
What? Taohua was stunned, blinking in surprise. “The lord… sent someone to the palace to request a royal physician for my injury?”
“Indeed,” Gu Huairou looked Taohua up and down disapprovingly. “Your injury doesn’t seem that severe. Isn’t the lord making a mountain out of a molehill by urgently requesting a royal physician?”
It was indeed an overreaction. At the Prince Nan’s mansion, her wound had already been stitched and treated. All she needed now was rest. Why summon a royal physician? When did he become so caring?
A thought struck Taohua as she recalled Shen Zaiye’s words at the Prince Nan’s mansion: “Don’t be too smug. All you’ve managed to keep is your life.”
A chill ran down her spine. Observing Lady Gu’s attitude, Jiang Taohua felt her heart plummet into an abyss, the path ahead suddenly shrouded in darkness.
The master was truly angered. Unable to openly dispose of her, he had resorted to indirect vengeance, finding ways to torment her.
With so many women in the inner court, undoubtedly including formidable individuals, how was she supposed to quell the resentment he was stirring up against her? For a grown man to avoid confronting other men and instead torment a mere woman like her – what was the point? What was the point?
Silently cursing Shen Zaiye’s ancestors, Taohua mustered her strength and said with a feigned look of distress:
“The injury is quite severe; I nearly lost my life. After all, I’m a bride from Zhao, and our marriage concerns diplomatic relations between the two countries. It’s only natural for the lord to be concerned about me.”
The implication was that Shen Zaiye wasn’t requesting a royal physician out of care for her, but because of her status as a princess in a political marriage. She hoped this would placate the others.
Taohua thought this excuse was convincing and that Gu Huairou would believe it. However, to her surprise, Gu became even more enraged:
“I almost forgot until you mentioned it. I’ve heard that women from Zhao are most skilled at bewitching people. No wonder you’ve captivated the lord to the point of breaking rules for you! Don’t try to fool me with your status. Our lady is the legitimate daughter of the Fengchang family, yet the lord doesn’t treat her so generously. But for you, just a minor injury, and the lord not only finds ginseng and lingzhi for you but also breaks the mansion’s rules to stay in your Zhengchun Court for three days!”
What? Taohua was dumbfounded. “Three days?”
“You think that’s not long enough?” Gu sneered. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. The rules of this mansion were established long ago. Today they’re broken because of you, and there will never be peace here again! You’ve set the precedent for vying for favor, luring the lord from my courtyard in the middle of the night the day before yesterday, and now monopolizing the lord for three days, stealing the favor meant for Lady Qin and the others. In the future, others will surely come to compete for your favor and steal your grace. You’d better be prepared to endure it all!”
“Yue Tao, let’s go!” Gu called to her maid.
Qing Tai was stunned, watching helplessly as Gu Huairou stormed off in anger. She turned to look at Jiang Taohua. “Mistress?”
“Stop her!” Taohua ordered decisively.
“Yes!” Qing Tai, being well-trained, was much faster than Gu and her maids. She dashed over and slammed her hand against the door bolt!
With the door tightly shut, Gu turned back with a dark expression. “What does Lady Jiang mean by this?”
“Only through good communication can misunderstandings be avoided between people,” Taohua smiled gently, her lips pale as she spoke weakly. “I don’t want to be at odds with everyone, nor do I wish to monopolize the lord’s favor. Would Lady Gu be willing to hear me out?”
Clutching her handkerchief, Gu Huairou frowned. “I don’t think we have anything more to discuss.”
“As long as we both serve the lord in this courtyard, there will always be things to talk about,” Taohua looked at her earnestly. “Listening to a few words won’t hurt you, but if you leave Zhengchun Court like this, you’ll surely suffer greatly.”
Gu Huairou was taken aback, clearly skeptical. “What suffering could I possibly endure?”
“Forgive me for asking,” Taohua smiled. “Who incited you to come to Zhengchun Court today?”
“…What makes you think someone incited me to come? You stole my favor first. Isn’t it right for me to say a few words?”
“It’s not,” Taohua shook her head firmly. “As you said, I’m currently enjoying the lord’s full favor. If you weren’t incited by someone, why would you come at this crucial moment to settle a trivial score from before? After all, the lord did return to your Wenqing Court that night.”
Gu Huairou’s eyes flickered as she turned to look at the ground. “I came of my own accord.”
“Is that so?” Taohua chuckled lightly. “Then perhaps I’m overthinking it. No one is trying to harm you; you’re just being shortsighted… If you’re so petty, what will you say if the lord investigates this matter?”
“What do you mean, what will I say? I didn’t do anything today. Your maid just slipped and spilled water on you, that’s all,” Gu Huairou sneered. “Surely the lord won’t punish me severely for that?”
“He will,” Taohua looked at her and said, “If you don’t believe me, go back and wait. The Lord will surely punish you heavily for splashing me with water today.”
Gu Huairou looked at her in disbelief.
Who did this woman think she was? She had been by the lord’s side for almost a year. How could she be severely punished for such a trivial matter? Even if the lord favored her now, it couldn’t possibly be to this extent!
“If you don’t believe me, leave one of your maids in my room and go back,” Taohua said. “You can see how the lord will handle today’s incident without me saying a word. If what I said is correct, then set aside your prejudices and come back to talk with me.”
Her face was already ghastly pale, yet she spoke with unwavering confidence, making Gu Huairou hesitate.
Could what this woman said be true? Was that person trying to harm her?
No, she’d rather trust the sister she had always been close to than a stranger she didn’t understand.
Qing Tai released her hold, and Gu Huairou stepped out of the room with her chin held high.
However, as she reached the entrance of Zhengchun Court, she turned back and said to one of her maids, “You stay behind and keep watch.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Seeing Gu leave, Taohua finally breathed a sigh of relief. She instructed Qing Tai to let Gu’s maid hide in the inner room and told everyone not to mention what had just happened. Then she fell back into a deep sleep.
“Is the commotion over?” In the study, Shen Zaiye asked while holding a book.
Zhan Lu nodded. “I heard that Lady Gu directly splashed a basin of water on Lady Jiang.”
Shen Zaiye’s hand paused as he was turning a page. He looked up silently, then after a moment, chuckled lightly. “Very well, then it’s our turn to take the stage.”
(End of Chapter)