Her eyes were clear and transparent, containing reproach towards him, a hint of fear, and mostly careful probing. Jiang Taohua’s eyes were the most beautiful he had ever seen. Despite being a woman with deep thoughts, her eyes were free of any impurity, clean and bright.
Shen Zaiye closed his eyes and couldn’t help rubbing his brow, trying to erase her voice and image. However, the more he tried, the clearer her voice became.
“My lord, for the sake of my usefulness, can’t you overlook this small transgression?”
“My lord, you’re truly the most handsome man in the world!”
“My lord…”
Various voices surged up, threatening to pull him into a whirlpool. Shen Zaiye became furious and violently waved his hand—
“Chancellor?” The palace servant was startled and cautiously asked from a distance, “Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Your complexion doesn’t look good. Should we call for the imperial physician?”
Shen Zaiye snapped back to reality, and everything around him became clear again. The chaotic thoughts in his mind vanished instantly.
“…It’s nothing,” he said, continuing to walk out with lowered eyes and pursed lips.
He had repeatedly assured himself that Jiang Taohua would never be an obstacle on his path forward. But just now, he realized he had been deceiving himself. When faced with the choice between success and her, he hesitated.
In the past, he would have gone back without a second thought to feed Jiang Taohua a packet of poison. But now, he was wondering if there was any other way to avoid this predicament.
It was impossible. As long as Jiang Taohua was alive, the Crown Prince would have a chance to meet her. Her existence was a threat to him and the lives of countless others. Yet he…
He felt reluctant to let her go…
Had he gone mad? Certainly. He should have let Xu Yangui deal with her when he first noticed something was amiss. Why did he protect Jiang Taohua? True, she was very clever and could help him a lot, but without her, he could still succeed. She wasn’t an indispensable assistant, but… why did the thought of a world without Jiang Taohua make his heart so heavy?
“My lord!”
Without realizing it, he had already returned to the Chancellor’s mansion. Shen Zaiye looked up to see Jiang Taohua rushing towards him as usual, her face bearing a bright smile, her clothes fluttering as she tightly embraced his waist.
“You’re finally back,” Taohua said with a smile, leading him into Zhengchun Pavilion without noticing his expression. She added mysteriously, “Come quickly, I need your help with something!”
Concealing his emotions, Shen Zaiye followed her and asked softly, “What is it?”
“This!” She went into the inner room and brought out a pillow, holding it before him. “My lord, please try this and see if it’s comfortable.”
It was a newly made pillow, seemingly more exquisite than the one previously sent to the Prince Nan, with a medicinal fragrance.
“For me?” he asked.
“No,” Taohua shook her head. “I made it for myself. I’ve changed the herbs inside, but I’m not sure if they’re ground finely enough. I’m afraid they might poke me when I sleep.”
So she wanted him to try it? The corner of his mouth twitched as Shen Zaiye narrowed his eyes at her. “I bought a new sword and I’m worried it might be too sharp and cut myself. Why don’t you try it for me?”
Taohua laughed dryly and placed the pillow on the soft couch, then pushed him down onto it. “Don’t be so fierce, my lord. Just lie down and try it.”
The pillow was neither too soft nor too hard, mixed with a calming herbal scent. In an instant, Shen Zaiye felt his head clear, realizing only then that he had been having a headache.
“Judging by your expression, you must have encountered some difficulty again,” Taohua said, climbing onto the couch and massaging his temples. She chuckled softly, “I can’t help you with other matters, but I’ll give you this pillow. I hope you’ll sleep better at night.”
Shen Zaiye opened his eyes to look at her, slightly shaken.
Taohua’s face bore a mischievous smile, yet she seemed a bit embarrassed. Lowering her eyes, she said, “I did intend to use it myself, but seeing how comfortable you are, I’ll just make another one for myself.”
Her awkward personality was so familiar, insisting it wasn’t made for him when it was.
For some unknown reason, his heart suddenly tightened. Shen Zaiye frowned and pressed his chest.
“What’s wrong?” Taohua looked at him quizzically. “Is your chest hurting?”
“No,” he said, fingering the jade pendant at his waist. His brow gradually relaxed, and he finally regained his usual expression. “Prince Jing has entered the Eastern Palace. I was a bit too happy today, and my body feels somewhat uncomfortable.”
Mu Wuyin became the Crown Prince? Taohua clicked her tongue and tilted her head. “Doesn’t that mean the Duan family is finished? I heard earlier that Lord Duan went to great lengths to protect her.”
“A woman like that, it’s no loss if she’s gone,” Shen Zaiye said indifferently. “It’s not a good thing when women are too useful.”
The room fell silent for a moment. The hand on his temple stiffened. Shen Zaiye could feel her fear and doubt through her fingertips, but he didn’t open his eyes, wanting to hear what she would say.
Taohua was indeed startled. Today’s Shen Zaiye was very different, and she didn’t know what exactly he had encountered. His words sounded as if he was talking about her.
But she soon relaxed, removing her hand and chuckling softly, “If my lord doesn’t like useful women, then I won’t massage you anymore. I don’t want to appear too useful.”
Shen Zaiye pursed his lips and half-opened his eyes to glance at her. “You have many uses besides massaging me.”
“Oh? Could it be that my lord prefers me to do nothing and just wait for death?” Her eyes brightened as she threw herself into his arms, nodding rapidly like a pecking chick. “I’d like that too. Why don’t you keep me like a pet rabbit? Just feed me meat and I’ll be content!”
“…” Shen Zaiye looked away and chuckled softly. “I’ve never seen a rabbit that eats meat.”
“A rabbit like me must be a jade rabbit descended from heaven!” She raised her chin proudly. “Jade rabbits eat meat. If you don’t believe me, go ask Chang’e!”
“Stop joking around,” he said, pushing her away gently and slowly sitting up. After a moment’s pause, he smiled lightly. “I have something to attend to later. I’ll come back in the evening. If you want meat, I’ll have the kitchen prepare some for you.”
Taohua smiled and nodded. “Thank you, my lord. I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Mm,” he responded, then stood up and left.
The weather today was not good at all, gloomy and oppressive. Wan Lu, carrying the pillow, followed behind his master. For some reason, he suddenly felt that his master’s back looked extremely lonely. Even though he was following behind, he… could never walk side by side with his master.
As news of the Crown Prince’s appointment spread, the mansion was in an uproar. Mei Zhaoxue’s illness suddenly improved, and she came to Zhengchun Pavilion in high spirits to ask Jiang Taohua for the keys and account books.
“They’re all here,” Taohua said honestly, handing them over without hesitation. “Now that Madam is feeling better, I can rest easy.”
Mei Zhaoxue smiled and handed the items to her maid. Surprisingly, she didn’t leave immediately but sat down next to Taohua. “You’ve been working hard these days. I’ve noticed. Look at you, once you took charge, hasn’t the lord neglected you?”
“It’s not too bad,” Taohua said, pursing her lips. “With so many sisters in the mansion, and Qin shi just married in, it’s normal for the lord to visit me less frequently.”
“You’re quite magnanimous,” Mei Zhaoxue chuckled lightly. “But forgive me for being blunt, a man’s heart is hard to fathom. If you don’t seize the opportunity while he still favors you, you’ll regret it when his affection fades.”
“Thank you for your advice, Madam,” Taohua said, bowing respectfully but acting as if she hadn’t heard.
Mei Zhaoxue stood up and glanced at her. “Look at you, unwilling to open up to others. I have nothing more to say then. Just remember, living in this backcourt, you can’t rely most on men. Men are unreliable. Only women supporting each other can make the path smoother. If you’ve thought it over, feel free to come to Linghan Courtyard to talk with me.”
“I understand,” Taohua said, rising to see her off, her smile still not reaching her eyes. “Take care, Madam.”
With Duan Shi and Qin Jieyu gone, she was truly trying to win her over this time. However, Jiang Taohua wasn’t that foolish. The women in this courtyard were the unreliable ones, and while men might be fickle, they would always hold the highest position in this mansion. Without winning a man’s heart, how could women expect to band together and live well?
After Mei Zhaoxue left, Xu Yangui came silently in the afternoon. His expression was very complex as he looked at her, seemingly struggling to speak, as if there was some big matter.
“Just say it directly. Isn’t it uncomfortable to hold it in?” Taohua glanced at him. “I can tell from your expression that it’s not good news, and it’s related to me.”
Xu Yangui wished he could hide his face. How could this woman be so perceptive?
“Mu Wuyin will come to the Chancellor’s mansion the day after tomorrow, bringing the Crown Princess and others, to maintain relations between the two households’ women,” he said in a low voice. “I heard from Shen Zaiye that you can’t appear before the Crown Prince.”
“That’s right,” Taohua nodded. “In Mu Wuyin’s impression, I should already be dead. If I suddenly came back to life, and as the princess from Zhao sent for a political marriage, now the Chancellor’s wife, it would be a grave offense of deceiving the Crown Prince. Our Chancellor would be discovered plotting against him.”
“Then what will you do?” Xu Yangui pursed his lips. “I mean, what if… what if Shen Zaiye decides to kill you to silence you…”
“He won’t,” Taohua chuckled lightly, waving her hand confidently. “He shouldn’t make that choice now. At most, he’ll have me find an excuse to leave the Chancellor’s mansion for a while to avoid the Crown Prince. How could he possibly plan to silence me?”
In the past, it might have been possible, but now… After going through so much together, even if Shen Zaiye were made of stone, he should have been warmed by her. He wouldn’t so easily choose to give up on her.
Seeing her expression, Xu Yangui’s brow furrowed even deeper, but he couldn’t say anything more.
(End of Chapter)