Taohua honestly repeated what she had said earlier, though she carefully omitted certain details that needed to be concealed.
Shen Zaiye listened, clearly unconvinced. Based on these few sentences alone, given the South Prince’s temperament, how could he possibly find her agreeable?
“Did you use your charms on the South Prince as well?” He narrowed his eyes.
Taohua shook her head. “The South Prince is still young and pure-hearted. Such a person cannot be bewitched by charms.”
Why then? Shen Zaiye couldn’t understand. Although Mu Wuxia was young, his thoughts were more delicate than anyone else’s. If he wasn’t confused by sorcery, he wouldn’t easily trust a person. Even Shen himself couldn’t gain favor with the prince, so what merits did this woman possess?
“My lord seems to hold the South Prince in high regard,” Taohua observed Shen Zaiye’s expression and cautiously asked, “Do you often interact with him?”
Slightly startled, Shen Zaiye chuckled lightly and glanced at her. “If the South Prince and I were in frequent contact, this manor wouldn’t need to make such grand preparations for him. Otherwise, the servants would be run ragged. Haven’t you heard? The closer the relationship, the simpler the etiquette; the more distant, the more formal. Don’t you understand?”
The implication was that his apparent high regard for the South Prince was actually due to their lack of closeness, hence the need for full ceremonial courtesy.
Taohua inwardly scoffed. This excuse might fool Qingtai, but not her. The closeness between two people could be seen with one’s eyes. Even if Shen Zaiye and the South Prince didn’t meet often in public, they must have frequent private interactions.
“I understand now,” she nodded pretentiously, then said with feigned innocence, “Then I can rest assured. I was worried that you might be caught in a difficult position between me and the South Prince.”
“That won’t happen,” Shen Zaiye smiled lightly, pulling her closer by the waist and squeezing it. “I won’t have any difficulties.”
Even if there were any now, they would soon disappear.
Smiling coyly, Taohua nestled against him, her delicate fingers tracing the edge of his collar teasingly.
The air in the room took on a warm, fragrant quality. Zanlu lowered his head, not daring to look, but noticed that the room had suddenly grown quiet.
Cautiously glancing around, he realized the maids had retreated at some point, leaving only the two masters and himself, a servant.
Feeling awkward, Zanlu cleared his throat softly. “Master?”
Shen Zaiye jolted, his gaze fixed on Jiang Taohua instantly regaining focus. He closed his eyes with slight annoyance. “Mm, you may leave now.”
“…Yes.” Zanlu gave his master an unexpected look before bowing and exiting the room, closing the door behind him.
Turning around, he pondered in confusion.
Was his master’s unusual silence just now due to Madam Jiang’s charms?
Inside the room, Taohua remained nestled against Shen Zaiye, her smile barely concealing her sense of triumph.
This was the second time she had succeeded. Indeed, no one was impervious. As long as she set a trap when he was off guard, even someone with Shen Zaiye’s strong willpower could be enchanted.
“You’re truly formidable,” he said with a smile, though his voice was low. “I was careless.”
“It’s just a habit of mine, my lord. Please don’t be angry,” Taohua quickly raised her hands, looking pitiful. “It seems I can’t change it so quickly.”
Habit? Shen Zaiye narrowed his eyes, his jawline tightening slightly. “With whom did you develop such a habit?”
Taohua paused, then said carefully, “Naturally, I learned it from my master.”
In Zhao, some people specialized in teaching the art of seduction. The most accomplished among them was her master.
“A woman even more skilled than you?” Shen Zaiye raised an eyebrow.
Taohua laughed dryly, smoothing her sleeve. “I suppose so.”
His gaze flickered as Shen Zaiye couldn’t help but wonder what kind of woman could be even more formidable than Jiang Taohua.
He prided himself on his self-control and typically wasn’t moved by women. That night with Feng Wu was due to his carelessness; he had unexpectedly fallen into her seductive trap and couldn’t extricate himself. That was bad enough, but in just this short while, she had succeeded again. If not for Zanlu’s reminder, would he have been controlled by her once more today?
No matter how beautiful or good such a woman might be, how could he possibly keep her?
With a hint of regret in his eyes, Shen Zaiye said coolly, “Tomorrow, when meeting Prince Jing, you must not be disrespectful.”
Taohua nodded. “I understand the proper etiquette.”
Please, she thought to herself. Yes, she knew the art of seduction, but she wasn’t a common courtesan. Did he think she would use her charms on every man she met? Besides, using such skills required mental effort and was quite exhausting.
Inwardly rolling her eyes, Jiang Taohua maintained an outward smile. Seeing Shen Zaiye rise, she quickly bowed. “I bid my lord farewell.”
Shen Zaiye had intended to leave, but seeing her attitude, he suddenly felt displeased. “Are you so eager for me to go?”
Taohua was stunned, looking up at him in surprise. “Could it be that my lord also enjoys the game of ‘push and pull’? If I don’t try to keep you, you don’t want to leave? You should have said so earlier.”
Shen Zaiye: “…” Did this woman truly understand how to entice men? Speaking so bluntly, without any hint of subtlety!
Taking a deep breath, he smiled faintly. “Even if you had asked me to stay, I would still leave. But a concubine should have a concubine’s attitude. You shouldn’t be so indifferent.”
Oh, she thought. So he meant that he would leave regardless, but she must still beg him to stay, otherwise it would be disrespectful to him.
Taohua nodded in understanding and looked at him with a fawning expression. “Would my lord like to stay a bit longer?”
“No need,” Shen Zaiye turned and strode decisively out of Zhengchun Pavilion.
Jiang Taohua: “…”
She couldn’t help but laugh. For a moment, she found this Prime Minister quite adorable, almost like a child.
However, Qingtai returned at that moment.
“Mistress,” Qingtai closed the door, frowning and catching her breath. “It’s very strange.”
“What is it?” Taohua perked up, quickly pulling her into the inner chamber.
After pouring and drinking a cup of tea, Qingtai wiped her mouth and said, “I inquired for a long time. Someone in the know said that the Prime Minister comes from a humble background, but his parents are unknown. He entered official service after saving the Emperor during his southern tour, and in just two short years, he climbed to the position of Prime Minister. But after his success, he didn’t bring any relatives to the capital. The manor is full of concubines sent by various families and those he chose himself. He has no close relatives or distant ones. Since entering office, he hasn’t returned to Wu State.”
Generally, noble families relied on clan relationships to maintain their status. Shen Zaiye’s solitary existence in the court was truly a rare anomaly. No wonder he didn’t involve himself in factional struggles – without even a relative to become a liability, there was no handle for others to grasp.
Jiang Taohua frowned, tilting her head in deep thought.
A man alone, with unknown parents – how could such a person gain the Emperor’s trust? Emperors were historically suspicious by nature. For Shen Zaiye to reach his current position, what terrifying abilities must he possess?
“How many years ago did Prime Minister Shen enter office?” Taohua asked.
“Two years ago.”
“And how many years ago did they say the South Prince returned to Wei after being a hostage in Wu?”
Qingtai thought for a moment. “Also two years ago.”
Could this be a coincidence? Taohua’s eyes widened as she stared at Qingtai, her gaze distant.
Images flashed before her eyes: the Baichun flower handkerchief, the South Prince’s face. Then voices echoed in her mind:
“There’s a retainer named Qin Sheng in the Prime Minister’s manor who’s skilled at taming wolves.”
“I’ve heard that for those who know the art of seduction, encountering this soul-consuming soup is even more deadly.”
“Regarding Prince Jing, I have an appointment with him at the North Gate Pavilion the day after tomorrow. You can explain yesterday’s misunderstanding to him then.”
Her heart sank deeper and deeper. Jiang Taohua collapsed onto the edge of the bed, her face pale.
“Mistress?” Qingtai was startled. “What’s wrong?”
“Master said that the human heart is unfathomable and cannot be judged by appearances. She was indeed right,” Taohua said blankly. “The way he looked at me earlier, for a moment I thought he had some affection for me.”
Those gentle, deep eyes that reflected only her image, so focused and passionate. Could even such a gaze be feigned?
Qingtai was very confused. “I don’t know what happened earlier.”
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t know what happened earlier,” Taohua reached out to grasp her hand. “As long as you know what will happen next. Qingtai quickly prepares and finds out the location of the South Prince’s manor. Tomorrow, we must seize the opportunity to escape.”
What? Qingtai was stunned. “Why are we running away so suddenly?”
“If we don’t run, we’ll lose our lives,” Taohua said softly, then added after a moment’s thought, “But running blindly will also cost us our lives. Now, only the South Prince might be able to save us.”
Qingtai’s mouth gaped open, completely at a loss.
Her mistress often scolded her for being stupid, which she always denied. But now, facing her mistress, she truly felt stupid. She couldn’t understand what her mistress was thinking at all.
Jiang Taohua had already risen and was searching for something in the cabinet. She only tossed back one sentence: “Prime Minister Shen might be the South Prince’s man.”
What? Already confused, this statement made Qingtai even more bewildered. Watching her mistress bustle about, Qingtai sat by the table, thinking.
Prime Minister Shen held high office and power and was more favored than the South Prince. How could he be the South Prince’s man? Moreover, if he was the South Prince’s man, why would her mistress run to the South Prince for help? Wouldn’t that be like throwing themselves into the trap? And why did they need to run? Who was going to take their lives?
Before she could make sense of it all, Taohua had finished packing and was getting into bed to rest. She turned her head to look at Qingtai and said, “We’ll need a lot of energy tomorrow. Quickly go inquire about what I want to know, then get some sleep.”
“Yes.”
Shaking her head, Qingtai gave up trying to understand. Following her mistress’s lead was surely the right choice!
Jiang Taohua’s mind was chaotic and panicked, but paradoxically, at such a time, she fell asleep quickly and deeply.
At Linwu Hall.
Shen Zaiye leaned by the window, gazing at the moon in the sky, a jade pendant in his hand, his brow slightly furrowed.
Zanlu stood beside him and said softly, “Everything has been arranged. Once she reaches the North Gate Pavilion, she will have no chance of survival.”
Turning back, Shen Zaiye smiled with a hint of wickedness. “Such a beautiful woman, don’t you think it’s a pity?”
Zanlu was startled and quickly knelt. “This servant doesn’t find it pitiful at all.”
“Is that so?” Shen Zaiye chuckled lightly. “Didn’t you quite like her?”
(End of Chapter)