Mu Wuxia paused, then took the pillow and examined it. The silk cushion had a blue background with silver floral embroidery and gave off a medicinal fragrance. It was likely filled with herbs to aid sleep and relaxation. The scent was pleasant – sweet without bitterness. Upon closer inspection, the silver thread seemed to form intricate floral patterns, clearly crafted with great care.
“Thank you,” Mu Wuxia smiled slightly, holding the pillow as he looked at Taohua. “You’re very thoughtful.”
Taohua smiled and curtsied, saying, “Your Highness saved my life before. This small token of gratitude hardly suffices.”
Shen Zaiye narrowed his eyes and asked coldly, “Who sent you here?”
“Hmm?” Taohua turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “Wasn’t it you who sent someone to summon me to see the Prince?”
“I did not,” Shen Zaiye glared at her icily. “You likely wanted to come yourself and made up an excuse.”
He had neglected her for so long; it was easy to imagine how dissatisfied she must be. Prince Nan’s visit presented a good opportunity, and someone as clever as her would certainly seize it. However, to brazenly give the Prince a pillow right in front of him – did she have any sense of propriety left as a married woman?
Taohua’s expression stiffened as she saw Shen Zaiye’s angry look. Without thinking, she knew someone must be scheming behind this.
What was wrong with the women in this household? She had been out of favor for over half a month, yet they still wouldn’t leave her alone? What benefit could they possibly gain from going to such lengths to frame her?
“What’s going on between you two?” Mu Wuxia asked in surprise, looking back and forth between them. “Weren’t you quite affectionate before? Why are you arguing as soon as you meet now?”
Taohua looked innocent. She glanced at Shen Zaiye and sighed, “A man’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea.”
Shen Zaiye sneered, “Clearly, it’s the sting of a wasp – a woman’s heart is most venomous.”
Mu Wuxia: “…”
For a moment, the young prince felt these two beside him might not be the current Prime Minister and Princess of Zhao. Their bickering was no different from children’s squabbles!
“If you have something to say, discuss it properly. Don’t say useless things,” he said helplessly. “Even a one-night couple has a hundred days of affection. Jiang Shi has only been in the household for just over two months.”
Taohua shrugged, looking innocently at Shen Zaiye. “It’s not that I’m unwilling to talk. It’s that you’re unwilling to listen. Even now, I don’t know what I’ve done wrong.”
“What else is there to say?” Shen Zaiye scoffed. “Once unfaithful, never to be trusted again. Can a monk who’s tasted meat continue to be vegetarian? If it weren’t for His Highness’s presence, you wouldn’t even have the chance to stand here and speak.”
Feeling a chill in her heart, Taohua grew angry. “Even on the guillotine, one states their crimes. Even for murder, there must be a reason. How can I admit fault when you accuse me so vaguely?”
Mu Wuxia nodded. “Things should be stated clearly. Otherwise, it’s easy to misunderstand.”
Shen Zaiye gritted his teeth. How could he explain clearly now? Was he supposed to tell the Prince Nan that he went out at night to help Prince Jing, only for Taohua to leak the information to Prince Yu? Prince Nan already disliked him doing these things privately. How could he possibly say it?
Seeing Jiang Taohua’s innocent expression only angered him more. How much of this woman was genuine, and how much was fake? Her acting skills were so superb that even he couldn’t distinguish – and that was even more terrifying.
Taohua wasn’t angry at first. There was never any real trust between her and Shen Zaiye, to begin with. But who could stand being falsely accused? At the very least, tell her what exactly she did wrong. If she had done it, at least bearing this guilt for so long wouldn’t be in vain!
The atmosphere was tense and awkward. Standing between them, Mu Wuxia felt his scalp tingling. He decided to take Taohua’s hand and said, “The weather is nice today. Sister Jiang, why don’t you accompany me for a walk outside?”
Go out again? Shen Zaiye’s anger flared. “Your Highness, you must be mindful of your status. Don’t always enjoy playing with disreputable people.”
You’re the disreputable one! Your whole family is disreputable! Taohua was truly angry now. She glared fiercely at Shen Zaiye before turning to look gently at the Prince Nan. “Where would Your Highness like to go?”
“Just a casual stroll will do,” Mu Wuxia pursed his lips, looking at Shen Zaiye. “I’m already sixteen years old, not some ignorant child. I know clearly who I can and cannot associate with.”
“Do you know?” Shen Zaiye frowned, pointing at Taohua. “She’s a woman of my household. Is it appropriate for her to always go out with you?”
“Speaking of women in your household,” Mu Wuxia’s eyes darkened slightly as he looked at him with displeasure. “Prime Minister, have you forgotten how Sister Jiang went from being the rightful consort of my Southern Principality to becoming your wife?”
Shen Zaiye: “…”
After all, he had taken someone else’s rightful consort. Now they were just spending time together as siblings. No one outside recognized Jiang Taohua anyway. To try and stop them would be rather unreasonable.
Taohua smiled at him, her eyes as cold as ice. “If the Prime Minister allows it, then I’ll be going out now.”
Turning his head away, Shen Zaiye felt a fire burning in his chest. For the moment, he had no way to deal with her. He could only bow to Mu Wuxia and say, “Please be careful on your journey, Your Highness. It’s getting late. Please make sure Jiang Shi returns to the household after half an hour.”
“I understand,” Mu Wuxia nodded and immediately led Taohua out.
The garden suddenly felt empty. Shen Zaiye angrily swept the cups off the table. The crisp sound echoed through the courtyard, startling Zhanlu into taking half a step back.
The master had been so temperamental lately. Who knew what was wrong with him?
“Have you found the person?” he asked.
Zhanlu snapped back to attention and quickly replied, “We’re still pursuing. They say she returned to her hometown.”
“Then turn her hometown upside down to find her!” Shen Zaiye growled. “It’s been over half a month and you still can’t find her. What good are all those in the household who claim to have keen eyes and ears?”
“…This servant will go give orders immediately.”
Shen Zaiye closed his eyes and rubbed his brow, slowly calming down. After a long while, he asked another question: “Has the household not been sending food to Zhengchun lately?”
“Huh?” Zhanlu was taken aback and looked up at him. “How could that be possible? Even if Miss Jiang is out of favor, she’s still a mistress. The household wouldn’t dare mistreat her.”
If she wasn’t mistreated, then why did she look thinner? Shen Zaiye frowned, feeling extremely irritated. He waved his hand and walked towards Wenqing.
As soon as Taohua left with the Prince Nan, Qin Shi immediately lost her composure. “She went out again?!”
She didn’t take the words “avoid suspicion” to heart at all. What was the master thinking, allowing this?!
Mei Zhaoxue smiled faintly as she cut a flower and placed it in a vase. “The relationship between Jiang Shi and the Prince Nan was broken off by mistake due to the master. It’s normal for him to be more lenient towards them. But the master has his principles. He only allowed Jiang Shi to go out for half an hour.”
“So what? She still went out, didn’t she?” Qin Shi was very unhappy, pouting her red lips. “It would be better if she went out and never came back!”
Mei Zhaoxue’s hand paused as she held the flower. She glanced at Qin Shi and lowered her eyes, pondering.
As soon as they left the Prime Minister’s residence, Taohua instantly felt refreshed. Once in the carriage, she couldn’t help but say to the Prince Nan, “Thank you, Your Highness. I’ve been cooped up in the residence for so long, I was going stir-crazy.”
Mu Wuxia looked at her and said with clear eyes, “It seems Sister Jiang has truly angered the Prime Minister quite a bit.”
“He’s the one with issues,” Taohua blurted out. Seeing the shocked expression on the young prince’s face, she quickly softened her tone. “He got angry for no reason. I truly am innocent.”
“The Prime Minister has been acting rather abnormal lately,” Mu Wuxia said thoughtfully after careful consideration. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. He doesn’t even have a pleasant expression in front of Father Emperor. I heard he even got into an argument with someone in court. His temper is quite fierce.”
Stroking her chin, Taohua said, “I only know that women have a few days each month when they become very irritable. I didn’t expect the Prime Minister to have such days too.”
“Oh?” Mu Wuxia looked at her curiously. “Why do women become irritable?”
“…” Taohua laughed dryly and pinched herself. The person in front of her was still a child. What nonsense was she spouting?
“It’s nothing. You’d better not ask. Where shall we go now?”
Mu Wuxia looked at her blankly, then glanced outside. “Since you want to clear your mind, let’s have the driver circle half the capital. That should take about half an hour.”
“Alright,” Taohua nodded. Looking at him, she couldn’t help but add a touch of tenderness to her gaze. “Your Highness, remember to use the pillow I gave you. It’s very comfortable and won’t prick you. There’s also a layer of buckwheat hulls outside the herbs.”
Slightly startled, the Prince Nan looked at her and said in an odd tone, “Have you started treating me like a little brother?”
“Forgive my offense,” Taohua lowered her head. “But you really… make people want to take good care of you.”
Although the Prince Nan had sharp eyebrows and star-like eyes, his face hadn’t fully matured yet. There was still a childish softness to it. Yet he always stood straight, trying to act like an adult. He reminded her very much of her brother, Changjue.
Mu Wuxia looked at her in astonishment, then looked down at himself and muttered, “You’re strange…”
Others found him temperamental and fierce. Only she saw him and felt the urge to care for him.
However… feeling the pillow in his hands, he pursed his lips. This feeling of being loved like a little brother was truly something he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
The carriage moved quickly. As the capital was quite large, even circling just half the city would take quite some time. Jiang Taohua lifted the curtain to look outside and realized they were approaching the slums. Many people in tattered clothes were lying or leaning around, holding broken bowls – a stark contrast to the prosperity of the inner city.
“This is the wound of the Great Wei capital,” the young prince beside her said softly. “Behind vermilion gates, meat, and wine go to waste; outside, the poor freeze to death on the road. The people in the main city don’t care how many starve to death outside. The officials still go before the Father Emperor to boast about the prosperity of the era. These people have never been seen as human beings.”
Taohua was startled and sighed, asking him, “Your Highness is kind-hearted. Have you opened porridge kitchens in these areas to provide aid?”
“No.”
What? Somewhat surprised, Taohua turned to look at him. “Why not?” The fall of a nation begins with the soil.
She had thought that with the young prince’s benevolence, he would surely do such things.
“Porridge kitchens can save for a moment, but not for a lifetime. They can save dozens of people, but not the whole world,” Mu Wuxia pursed his lips, the lines of his face tightening, his gaze particularly intense. “To save them, one must ascend to the throne.”
(End of Chapter)