Sometimes he thought that the historical accounts of rulers being bewitched by women weren’t entirely unreasonable. If faced with a woman like Jiang Taohua, how many kings could resist?
However, it was also a pity for her. In this world, there’s always something to subdue another. Encountering him, Shen Zaiye, even if Jiang Taohua possessed ten thousand charms, she could only be obediently confined within this courtyard, with no possibility of winning ever again.
Thinking this, Shen Zaiye’s eyes deepened. He lowered his head, intending to bite the neck of the person beneath him. However, she yawned softly and looked at him with teary eyes, “My lord, are you planning to take another day off from court tomorrow? It’s already the second watch of the night.”
Frowning slightly, he glanced at her and said, “Is your skill not up to par? For someone who excels at seducing men, don’t you have more endurance than this?”
Taohua narrowed her eyes, trying hard to ignore his definition of her, and smiled, “Men and women are different, my lord. You’re robust, but this humble servant can’t withstand too much exertion. Shall we retire early?”
Snorting lightly, Shen Zaiye lifted her into his arms, grabbed a nearby robe to wrap her, and carried her out directly.
It was only then that Jiang Taohua realized that after several rounds of lovemaking, this beast hadn’t even removed his clothes. His dark blue robe with gold-trimmed edges was still neatly fastened.
Feeling inexplicably angry, Taohua pursed her lips and closed her eyes, refusing to look at him. When they reached the bed, she rolled in directly and went to sleep.
Throwing a tantrum? Shen Zaiye raised an eyebrow, standing by the bed with his arms crossed, looking at her, “If you have any complaints, why not tell me directly?”
The person on the bed didn’t move, lying on her side with her back to him, her shoulders smooth and looking somewhat cold.
Chuckling, Shen Zaiye undressed and got into bed. He pulled the blanket to cover her properly and embraced her from behind, saying, “I’ve never seen such a peculiar-tempered woman…”
Before he could finish speaking, Taohua suddenly turned around, smacking her lips and hugging him. She buried her head in his chest, and her legs entwined with his.
This was her habit when she fell into a deep sleep. Shen Zaiye narrowed his eyes, looking down at her sleeping face, not knowing what to be angry about. She had fallen asleep too quickly!
Sighing softly, Prime Minister Shen looked up at the canopy, trying hard to plan his next moves to distract himself.
The next day, after the morning court session, Prince Jing earnestly persuaded the emperor in the imperial study to visit the newly built horse farm.
“What’s so interesting about a horse farm?” Emperor Mingde said impatiently. “Going out is such a hassle.”
Listening to this, Shen Zaiye stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty has grown accustomed to living in the palace, but I fear Consort Lan might still prefer the outside world. It’s been two years; you should take her out for a walk. The horse farm is at the foot of the Western Mountains, and there’s a hunting ground on the mountain. Wouldn’t it be perfect for a spring hunt?”
The emperor paused, lowered his head to think for a moment, and said, “What you say makes sense. Consort Lan has been in the palace for so long, that she probably hasn’t seen the outside world in a while. It’s my fault for being too focused on governing and forgetting to consider her feelings. Very well, since that’s the case, why don’t we summon all the civil and military officials, have them bring their families, and go on a spring hunt together?”
Prince Jing was delighted and quickly knelt, saying, “Your son obeys the imperial decree. Father Emperor, you just need to enjoy yourself. I will arrange everything else.”
“Mm.” Emperor Mingde thought for a moment, then suddenly turned to look at Shen Zaiye, “The Princess of Zhao has been in your household for over a month now, hasn’t she?”
Feeling a sense of foreboding, Shen Zaiye pursed his lips and said, “Yes, it has been over a month.”
“How are you getting along?”
Betraying his conscience slightly, Shen Zaiye lowered his head and uttered four words: “Mutual respect and courtesy.”
“Then I can rest assured.” Emperor Mingde sighed, “Although Zhao is declining now, we don’t want to expend energy on war, so the alliance between our two countries is still necessary. The Princess of Zhao marrying over was a result of my momentary impulse, and it has been unfair to her. For this spring hunt, you should bring her out.”
His eyebrows twitched, and Shen Zaiye quickly said, “Your Majesty, Lady Jiang has been feeling unwell recently. I’m afraid bringing her out might…”
“What? You can’t bring her?” This excuse couldn’t fool the emperor. Emperor Mingde looked at him with eyes full of inquiry, “Has something happened that I don’t know about? Have you mistreated Lady Jiang?”
“…No.” Closing his eyes briefly, Shen Zaiye’s peripheral vision caught Prince Jing’s curious face, and he inwardly sighed deeply.
Could this be fate? Despite trying every means to avoid it, they would still inevitably collide.
“Your subject… obeys the imperial decree.”
Emperor Mingde nodded, Prince Jing’s eyes contained joy, but Shen Zaiye lowered his gaze, his thoughts turning a thousand times.
At Zhengchun Pavilion.
Taohua felt like she had forgotten something important that day. Sitting on the soft couch, she tried to remember, but her head only ached more.
“Qingtai,” she called out weakly, but her voice was too soft for anyone outside to hear.
Gritting her teeth, Taohua rubbed her head and tried to get off the couch, but her feet gave way, and she fell to the ground. Her head hit the floor, which oddly made her feel a bit better.
Curled up on the ground, she felt pain spreading throughout her body as if thousands of hooks were pulling at her flesh. Her chest ached dully, and even breathing became difficult.
This pain felt familiar, but she couldn’t remember why at the moment.
“My lady!” Qingtai finally heard the commotion and pushed open the door. Seeing her condition, she quickly took out a small green bottle and poured a pill into Taohua’s mouth.
After breathing heavily for a while, Taohua’s mind cleared. She looked up at Qingtai and asked softly, “What happened?”
“Don’t you remember?” Qingtai frowned, shaking the green bottle in her hand. “The thing the Empress planted in you.”
A painful memory surged in her mind, and Taohua took a sharp breath.
She did remember, but it was so painful that she didn’t want to recall it.
The last time she felt this much pain was five years ago when the new Empress first planted the charm bug in her.
“If you take one of these pills every month, the charm bug inside you won’t act up,” the new Empress had said with a bright smile, stuffing a pill into her mouth. “We’ll have someone give it to you on time every month, and you’ll never be in pain again. Unless you disobey and want to die.”
Closing her eyes, Taohua cursed softly, “How could I have forgotten about this?”
“It’s this servant’s fault,” Qingtai said, pursing her lips. “This servant forgot this month, causing you to suffer, my lady.”
“How many pills did she give you when we left Zhao?” Taohua asked with a pale smile.
Qingtai replied, “Twelve.”
How precise, Taohua thought. Twelve pills were just enough for one year. After a year, Zhao’s envoys would come to Great Wei, and then it would depend on whether she behaved or not for the new Empress to decide whether to let her live.
It seemed she was like a kite – although she had been let fly to Great Wei, the spool of thread was still in someone else’s hands.
Gritting her teeth, Taohua thought for a moment, then stood up with Qingtai’s help and said, “It’s fine. Just remember to give it to me on time next time. You can go now.”
“Yes.” Qingtai helped her back to the soft couch and was about to turn and leave when she saw the Prime Minister stride into the courtyard.
“You go out first,” Shen Zaiye said as soon as he entered the main room, closing the door on Qingtai. His expression was not pleasant.
Taohua quickly wiped her face, trying to look more spirited. “This humble servant greets my lord.”
Frowning as he looked at her, Shen Zaiye had intended to talk about the spring hunt but was startled by her pale face.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Taohua pursed her lips, her fingers lightly smoothing her sleeve cuffs, and smiled, “I was just resting on this couch and accidentally had a nightmare.”
“What kind of nightmare could make you look like this?” Shen Zaiye narrowed his eyes, pulling her into his arms as he sat on the couch. He lowered his head to examine her closely. “You’re covered in sweat, and your face is pale. Even dreaming of a monster trying to eat you shouldn’t make you look like this.”
“That’s not necessarily true,” Taohua immediately replied. “The last time I dreamed of you, my lord, I woke up looking just like this.”
Shen Zaiye: “…”
She dared to say dreaming of him was a nightmare.
His hand tightened slightly as he looked at her with a forced smile, “Did I eat you or kill you in the dream? Was it that terrifying?”
Laughing dryly, Taohua blinked and looked at him, “Do you want to hear the truth, my lord?”
“Of course.”
“In the dream, you were smiling at me just like you are now,” Taohua said, shrinking her neck and looking at him timidly. “Like you’re about to bare your fangs and bite someone.”
“…” Opening his mouth, he bit down hard on her shoulder. Shen Zaiye spoke with his teeth clenched, “Congratulations, your nightmare has become reality!”
“Pfft!” Taohua couldn’t help but laugh, and color immediately returned to her face.
How could the venomous snake Shen have such a childish and cute moment?
“My lord rushed in so urgently just now, surely it wasn’t just to bite me?” Taohua asked, dodging him while laughing. “Did something happen?”
Remembering the real issue, Shen Zaiye released her and said seriously, “The Emperor is holding a spring hunt and wants me to bring you along.”
Oh, a spring hunt. Taohua nodded.
Wait! Suddenly remembering something, Taohua looked at Shen Zaiye with wide eyes, “Don’t all the princes attend this kind of hunt?”
“Obviously!” Shen Zaiye couldn’t help but knock her on the head. “If the princes weren’t going, why would I be so anxious?”
Taohua immediately cupped her face, “Can I wear a veil?”
“According to custom, the wives of officials do wear veils when meeting the Emperor. But…” Looking down at her face, Shen Zaiye pursed his lips, “You’re quite recognizable even with a veil.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Taohua patted his shoulder, “If I can wear a veil, it will be much easier. I’ll dress up carefully to look different from the girl in Prince Jing’s memory, won’t that work?”
Shen Zaiye looked at her with doubt in his eyes.
“Don’t you believe me? Look at me with light makeup and heavy makeup, am I the same person?” Taohua said confidently. “Makeup is a profound art that you men don’t understand.”
“Alright then,” Shen Zaiye said. “You’ll be responsible for your own life and the lives of everyone in my household. If Prince Jing recognizes you, I might abandon you immediately. You need to understand this.”
“This humble servant has known that for a long time,” Taohua smiled, leaving his embrace to stand and bow to him. “I never expected you to protect me unconditionally anyway.”
(End of Chapter)