Mei Zhaoxue believed that no one would trust Jiang Taohua. The woman was too clever; one could easily become her stepping stone if not careful. In the entire rear courtyard, Taohua was the only one Mei Zhaoxue needed to guard against; the others posed no threat.
“If that’s how Madam feels, this concubine has nothing more to say,” Taohua sighed, looking up at her. “Should Madam change her mind and wish to talk, this concubine will always be at your service.”
Qin Jieyu frowned as she watched Taohua leave with Gu Huairou. She couldn’t help but mutter, “What is she thinking? What could you possibly have to discuss with her?”
Mei Zhaoxue’s face remained impassive. Only after Taohua had walked far away did she say, “Lady Jiang means that in this courtyard, there are no eternal friends or enemies. There may come a time when I’ll need to join forces with her against a common foe.”
However, for now, Taohua herself was the greatest enemy, and Mei Zhaoxue wouldn’t believe a single word she said.
Gu Huairou’s brow remained furrowed as she followed Taohua back to Zhengchun Pavilion. Sitting on a soft couch, she said, “Something doesn’t feel right.”
Taohua nodded. “It’s not right. Judging by the Master’s anger, this matter isn’t so simple. To think that harem rivalries have reached the palace—whoever’s behind this is quite bold.”
“Who else could be behind this?” Gu Huairou looked at her, puzzled. “In this courtyard, isn’t it just Madam Qin and the First Madam who are against you?”
“That’s just on the surface,” Taohua smiled, looking at her. “You’re still thinking too simply. If they were determined to harm me this time, they wouldn’t have implicated themselves. We’ve been caught off guard by someone working from the shadows, hitting four birds with one stone.”
It was Taohua’s first time attending the tea party, and she had been somewhat restrained, not fully understanding the intricacies involved. This had left her vulnerable. However, Madam Qin and Madam Mei had already attended twice, yet they too had fallen into the trap. Either they were foolish, or the person behind this was exceptionally clever.
Thinking of Mei Zhaoxue’s intelligent eyes, Taohua felt the latter was more likely.
“Who could be so formidable?” Gu Huairou pondered. “Besides you and the First Madam, it seems no one else in the courtyard possesses such wisdom.”
Taohua was a bit surprised. “Why don’t you suspect Lady Duan? She seems clever too.”
“Duan Yunxin?” Gu Huairou frowned. “She’s always kept to herself and rarely shows her face. I haven’t noticed her being particularly clever. Do you suspect her?”
“There’s no evidence to prove it was her doing, so I’m just guessing,” Taohua said, fingering her cup. “Currently, there are four concubines in the rear courtyard. The Master’s anger has affected three, with only one remaining uninvolved. Don’t you find that strange?”
After thinking for a moment, Gu Huairou shook her head. “Lady Duan doesn’t interact much with Madam Qin. She couldn’t have influenced Madam Qin to prepare the fried pastries. As for our honey tea, I bought it myself, and she never said anything about it. So it shouldn’t be related to her.”
“How did you discover this honey tea when you went to buy it?” Taohua suddenly asked.
Gu Huairou answered honestly, “The tea smelled fragrant and was displayed prominently in the center of the tea shop. It was hard to miss. Moreover, the shopkeeper said it was specially made for women and praised it highly, so naturally, I bought some to try.”
There truly was no trace to be found; everything seemed perfectly natural. Presumably, it was the same with Madam Qin’s side—some circumstance had suddenly made her want to make fried pastries, with no connection to anyone else.
Shaking her head, Taohua sighed, “We’ll have to swallow this loss. However, allowing such a cunning person to continue harming others from the shadows is no pleasant prospect. We need to find a way to protect ourselves.”
Gu Huairou nodded, but she couldn’t offer much help with matters requiring deep thought. After worrying alongside Taohua for a while, she returned to her quarters to rest.
In the study, Shen Zaiye frowned at the person before him and asked, “You want to take leave soon?”
“How often is the Lord Chancellor’s mansion peaceful? I’ve finished my assigned tasks, so of course I should take a break,” Xu Yangui said lazily, sitting askew in his chair and glancing at Shen Zaiye. “With the incident in the palace, you probably won’t enter the rear courtyard for some time. Won’t you let me walk in the sunlight for a while?”
“Do as you please,” Shen Zaiye pursed his lips. “But you need a proper reason to enter through the main gate.”
“How about saying I’m your distant great-uncle?” Xu Yangui asked with a grin.
Shen Zaiye’s response was to hurl an inkstone at Xu Yangui’s forehead.
Xu Yangui deftly caught the inkstone, chuckling, “The Lord Chancellor has quite the temper lately. I was just joking. How about saying I’m your distant cousin instead?”
“Be my guest then,” Shen Zaiye said offhandedly, looking at the booklet in his hand. “You have some skills, so others won’t be suspicious.”
Xu Yangui’s face fell as he rubbed his nose. “Does this mean I have to stay in the outer courtyard?”
“Otherwise, you can still sleep on the roof beams.”
“…Alright, the outer courtyard it is.” Xu Yangui shrugged, walking over to replace the inkstone. Looking at Shen Zaiye, he suddenly spoke seriously, “The situation is developing according to your plan, step by step. Don’t make any mistakes.”
Shen Zaiye glanced up at him, his eyes calm. “What mistakes could I make?”
“Women are dangerous,” Xu Yangui said earnestly. “The more beautiful, the more dangerous.”
Tired of beating around the bush, Shen Zaiye sneered, “Why not just say Jiang Taohua is dangerous? What’s wrong? Have you found something problematic about her?”
“Haven’t found anything yet. The Zhao Kingdom is quite far,” Xu Yangui leaned against the desk. “But we’ll uncover the truth eventually. Even if there’s nothing wrong with her, you shouldn’t treat her specially.”
“How am I treating her specially?” Shen Zaiye looked him up and down, teasing, “You can’t be upset just because I didn’t give her to you.”
Xu Yangui nodded. “That’s one of the issues. According to that person’s instructions, we divided our tasks. Your women should all belong to me.”
“The women I haven’t touched, you can have them all if you want. We each take what we need,” Shen Zaiye lowered his eyes. “But the women I’ve been with, regardless of the reason, you’d better not touch. It’s not just special treatment for Taohua; it’s the same for anyone else.”
He had no habit of sharing dishes with others.
“I see,” Xu Yangui nodded. “Then setting that issue aside, aren’t you treating her somewhat differently?”
“Did you come to me today just to talk nonsense?” Shen Zaiye said displeasedly. “How can my attitude towards a domesticated rabbit be the same as towards a wild one?”
It seemed to make sense. Xu Yangui nodded, “Then what if this woman conflicts with the plan in the future?”
“Kill her,” Shen Zaiye said without hesitation, his lips moving to coldly utter those three words.
Xu Yangui nodded, feeling reassured, and left the room.
However, halfway out, he realized something wasn’t quite right. After all that talk with Shen Zaiye, nothing had been resolved. He would surely continue to dote on that woman as long as it didn’t come down to a life-or-death decision.
This wouldn’t do. Prolonged affection could lead to major problems in the future!
He turned back, intending to return, but Xu Yangui realized an issue—he had no chance of outmaneuvering Shen Zaiye in a battle of words. He would only end up being outsmarted.
Stroking his chin, Xu Yangui made what he considered a clever decision—since he couldn’t make headway with Shen Zaiye, he might as well try to sow some discord on Jiang Taohua’s side.
Women were always easier to deal with than men, and this was his specialty.
As night fell, Shen Zaiye sent word that he would be reviewing official documents and resting in Linwu Court tonight. Thus, the various chambers and courtyards didn’t wait for him and retired for the night.
Taohua, wearing her nightgown, lay by the window gazing at the moon while waiting for Qingtai to prepare her bed.
She had originally thought that leaving the Zhao Kingdom for Great Wei would be easier, given her secret for controlling men. She had believed she could use these men as stepping stones to climb higher.
Unexpectedly, she encountered her nemesis, Shen Zaiye. Now, not only could she not pursue other plans, but she was also trapped here, struggling against a group of cunning and difficult women.
Fate was truly unpredictable!
“Miss, the bed is ready,” Qingtai turned and said. “You can retire now.”
“Mm,” Taohua responded. Just as she was about to close the window, she saw something flash across the moon.
Was it Chang’e?
Rubbing her eyes, Taohua looked carefully, but there was nothing there anymore.
Perhaps it was just her imagination. Pouting, she returned to bed and lay down, watching Qingtai leave with the candle. She closed her eyes, ready to sleep.
However, at that moment, someone suddenly covered her mouth, pressing her body firmly against the bed, preventing her from calling out or moving. A man’s breath washed over her face. Taohua opened her eyes, wanting to see his face clearly, but the light-blocking curtains had been closed at some point, leaving the room pitch black.
She stopped struggling and lay still, waiting for the person to release her.
“Scared?” Shen Zaiye’s voice sounded in the darkness, laughing, “It’s just a little surprise. Why are you so frightened? Your body is trembling.”
Taohua was stunned. Then she felt the hand over her mouth release her. In the darkness, the man pressed against her, whispering in her ear, “Did you miss me?”
Wrapping her arms around his waist, Taohua smiled, “Of course I missed you. But why has the Master come at this hour?”
“I couldn’t sleep. I wanted to sleep with you,” he replied.
Chuckling softly, Taohua said, “This is rare. Didn’t the Master previously disdain this concubine, not wanting to share a bed?”
“Did that happen?” Shen Zaiye’s voice was full of surprise. “You must have misunderstood. I’ve never disdained you.”
“I’ll only believe such words if you say them while looking into my eyes,” Taohua pouted coyly, sitting up. “Let’s light a lamp.”
“Don’t bother. Actions speak louder than words,” the man on the bed pulled her back into his embrace. “The spring night is short; we should cherish it well.”
(End of Chapter)