Taohua raised an eyebrow, her face full of curiosity. “What does this mean? Are you saying that Furen had met Lianyi before the incident?”
“Yes,” Gu Qingying replied. “I only remembered this later. When I asked Furen about it, she evaded my question. It seems there might be something suspicious.”
Taohua inwardly sighed. How could someone be such a fence-sitter? Gu Qingying first betrayed her, then betrayed Madam Mei, currying favor with both sides without batting an eye. Such a person was not to be associated with.
Nevertheless, the information was worth hearing.
“Are you suggesting that Lianyi might have been bought off by Furen?” Taohua frowned. “That’s a serious accusation. We concubines can’t question the primary wife. Ye won’t believe it either.”
“Whether Ye believes it or not depends on what you say, doesn’t it?” Gu Qingying smiled. “If you mention it, Ye should at least investigate Furen.”
“Wouldn’t that offend Furen?” Taohua gave her a deep look. “I’m not foolish. Are you trying to help Furen trap me?”
“How could that be!” Gu Qingying hastily replied. “I truly want to be on the same side as you, Niangniang. How could I set you up?”
Taohua remained silent, her eyes filled with distrust.
Gu Qingying grew anxious. “Please don’t dwell on past events. I truly only chatted with Furen; I had no intention of helping her. If you don’t believe me, I’ll go tell Ye myself!”
This was exactly what Taohua had been waiting for. She nodded with a smile. “Then go ahead. I’ve never been one for empty words.”
Gu Qingying was stunned, not expecting Taohua to send her. For a moment, she hesitated. However, since she couldn’t stand on both sides, it was better to choose the more reliable one.
“Alright, I’ll go now,” Gu said. “Niangniang, please wait for my news.”
Taohua nodded, watching her leave. She playfully tugged at the nearby curtain and said, “Qingtai, it seems our intuition was mostly correct.”
Qingtai nodded but hesitated. “Even if this matter is pinned on Furen, given her intelligence, she’ll surely be able to exonerate herself. Ye might not necessarily depose her.”
“Establishing her guilt is enough. We can’t expect to bring her down quickly,” Taohua said, narrowing her eyes. “I’m not after her position. What’s more important is winning people’s hearts. Every woman in this compound is formidable. I don’t need them all on my side; as long as they distance themselves from Mei Zhaoxue, we’ve achieved our goal.”
Qingtai nodded, seeming to understand partially.
That evening, Shen Zaiye again said he would go to Wenqing Pavilion. However, as soon as it got dark, he entered through the window.
“Has Ye encountered some good fortune?” Taohua asked, bringing tea and approaching him curiously.
Shen Zaiye took the tea and set it aside, then lifted her onto his lap. “Prince Heng wanted to compete for the autumn harvest inspection. Today, he and the Crown Prince argued before the Emperor for an hour. In the end, the Emperor decreed that Prince Heng would oversee the camp inspection, while Prince Nan would supervise the autumn harvest.”
Taohua raised an eyebrow slightly. “That suits Ye’s wishes perfectly.”
Shen Zaiye smiled, his eyes full of gentle starlight. “This way, I won’t have to argue with Prince Nan. It’s the Emperor’s decree, so I’m not involved. It’s like the snipe and the clam fighting, with Prince Nan as the fisherman who benefits.”
“Congratulations, Ye.” Taohua wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling. “Now that you’re in a good mood, is there a reward?”
“What more do you want?” Shen Zaiye glanced at her, chuckling. “Don’t you already have everything you could wish for in this household?”
Giggling, Taohua squirmed in his lap. “What about replacing the jade pendant that broke last time? Doesn’t Ye want to give me a new one?”
Jade pendant? Shen Zaiye paused, remembering the incident in the Imperial Garden’s cave. His heart inexplicably tightened.
The person before him seemed completely unconcerned, her eyes showing no trace of other emotions. She looked like a coquettish little fox, full of charm and eager to please, as if wagging a big tail behind her.
His throat tightened. After a long hesitation, Shen Zaiye lowered his eyes and asked, “About that day… I lost control. Do you still resent me for it?”
Taohua was stunned. She looked at him, then craned her neck to look outside.
“What are you doing?” Shen Zaiye’s face darkened. “Just answer the question!”
“This concubine is just surprised. I wanted to see if tonight’s moon is square,” Taohua clicked her tongue. “Are you apologizing to me?”
Turning his head away, Shen Zaiye said irritably, “I’m just asking. I have nothing to apologize for. You were the one who strayed first.”
Taohua laughed, looking at him teasingly. “Ye was jealous then, wasn’t he?”
Shen Zaiye remained silent.
“This concubine was truly angry at that time, but I didn’t do anything to betray Ye,” she said, her mood inexplicably lightened, her eyes curving into crescents. “I don’t hold it against Ye now. I’m just surprised that Ye finally showed some softness.”
Pinching her waist, Shen Zaiye pursed his lips. “Don’t get too excited. If it weren’t for your recent health issues, I truly wouldn’t have shown you any mercy.”
Blinking, Taohua looked up at him. “This concubine has known that all along. Ye will never give up the idea of killing me.”
So, she could never fully love this man with all her heart.
Shen Zaiye’s lips moved slightly, but he only grunted softly. He reached out to open her collar, examining the wound on her shoulder. Then he lifted her clothes to look at the scar on her waist.
How did such a fine woman end up so scarred and afflicted with old injuries? Anyone else would despise her, but he was so merciful and tolerant.
“Did you take your medicine today?” he asked softly as he carried her to the bed.
Taohua nodded obediently. “I did.”
Seeing that her complexion had mostly recovered, Shen Zaiye smiled, his eyes filled with a strange light as he embraced her and pressed her into the bed.
“If you’re capable, you could bear me a child,” he whispered, taking her earlobe between his lips. “For the child’s sake, I could protect you more.”
Her body stiffened. Taohua stared at him in shock. “Ye… wants me to bear your child?”
Didn’t he want to be free of attachments? Why would he have such thoughts now?
“I’m just mentioning it. If you don’t want to, no one will force you,” Shen Zaiye said, lowering his eyes upon seeing her expression. “After all, there won’t be any other children in the household.”
Nodding dumbly, Taohua gave a dry laugh. She flipped him over, pinning him beneath her, and began to tug at his clothes. “If Ye wants a child, then Ye must work harder!”
Although… no amount of effort would likely make a difference.
With the charm curse unresolved, she could never have children in this lifetime. Shen Zaiye had given her such a rare opportunity, yet she couldn’t seize it.
(End of Chapter)