As Jiang Taohua returned to the Eastern Palace, she had just stepped through the door intending to report back to the Crown Prince when she unexpectedly encountered the Crown Princess.
“Where are you coming back from?” Li Shi looked her up and down and smiled. “Did you inform the Crown Prince before you left?”
Slightly startled, Taohua quickly bowed and said, “This servant was instructed by the Crown Prince to escort the Prince of Nan out of the palace.”
“I see,” Li shi nodded. “Then come with me.”
Usually, the Crown Prince was inseparable from Taohua, leaving Li Shi no opportunity to speak with her. Now that she had finally caught her, Li Shi naturally intended to give her a good talking to.
In a room filled with sandalwood incense, Li Shi sat on a soft couch and very gently took Taohua’s hand, saying, “You’ve been in the Eastern Palace for some time now. Have you learned anything?”
Taohua’s eyelid twitched, but she kept her eyes lowered respectfully and said, “I’ve learned many palace rules.”
“Is that so?” Li Shi looked at her with deep eyes. “Then do you understand what kind of person can remain by the Crown Prince’s side for long?”
“Naturally, someone like the Crown Princess,” Taohua replied.
Li Shi nodded with satisfaction and released her hand, picking up a nearby teacup. “Then do you know what kind of person is unsuitable to stay by the Crown Prince’s side?”
Taohua looked down at herself, instantly understanding the Crown Princess’s meaning. She must have disliked her for quite some time, but Taohua couldn’t possibly leave now.
“This servant is too foolish,” Taohua smiled. “Shouldn’t it be up to His Highness to decide who should stay and who shouldn’t?”
Li Shi’s expression suddenly changed. She set down her teacup hard and said coldly, “Are you being deliberately obtuse?”
“This servant doesn’t understand the Crown Princess’s meaning,” Taohua knelt and said. “If you want this servant to leave, you can report to the Crown Prince and send me away.”
If going through the Crown Prince would work, why would she bother saying so much to a lowly maid? Li Shi’s face darkened, her cold gaze scanning Taohua up and down several times before she said in a low voice, “Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit.”
The palace maids behind her stirred restlessly, and Taohua felt her heart tighten. However, Mu Wuyin’s voice suddenly rang out from outside:
“Has Meng’er been brought over?”
The people at the door didn’t dare stop him, and Mu Wuyin strode right in. Seeing the scene inside, his face immediately darkened. “What are you doing?”
Slightly startled, Li Shi quickly stood up and said, “I was just chatting with Miss Meng.”
“I’ve never seen chatting where one person sits while the other kneels,” Mu Wuyin frowned, walking over to help Taohua up. Looking at Li Shi, he said, “She is my person. Don’t mess with her. You can do as you please with everything else.”
Li Shi froze, staring in shock as the Crown Prince led that woman away. When she finally reacted, her eyes reddened as she asked those around her, “She’s his person, and I’m not anymore?”
The nearby palace maid quickly consoled her, “Crown Princess, don’t be angry. She’s just a palace maid after all.”
“Yes, and she’s still a palace maid because of Prince Yu’s mourning period,” Li Shi said, her eyes full of resentment. “But from the looks of it, my position as Crown Princess will be hers in the future!”
“Your Highness, don’t worry,” the palace maid said softly. “After all, you are the current Crown Princess. If you want her to live, she lives; if you want her to die, she dies. What’s there to be anxious about?”
Li Shi paused, thinking carefully. It did seem to make sense.
Taohua followed the Crown Prince back to the main hall, feeling somewhat worried. Offending the Crown Princess in the Eastern Palace was no trivial matter, and she couldn’t afford to lose her life before accomplishing her goals.
“Your Highness,” Taohua bit her lip, looking at Mu Wuyin. “This servant has an unreasonable request.”
“What is it?” Mu Wuyin asked. “Feel free to speak.”
“Can Your Highness keep this servant by your side at all times?” Taohua said. “Even when you rest at night, this servant is willing to keep watch for you.”
The safest place in the entire Eastern Palace was by the Crown Prince’s side. Since she was destined to offend the Crown Princess, it was certainly best to stay as close to the Crown Prince as possible.
Hearing this, Mu Wuyin understood her concerns and solemnly promised, “Alright, I’ll take you with me wherever I go.”
Taohua relaxed slightly and nodded gratefully.
In the evening, Shen Zaiye reported to the Emperor all the meritorious deeds the Crown Prince had accomplished while acting as regent. The Emperor listened and finally showed a hint of happiness: “He is indeed capable.”
“It’s all thanks to Your Majesty’s nurturing,” Concubine Lan said with a smile. “Your Majesty, please take care of your health soon. It will save the princes from their daily anxiety. Look, even the Prince of Nan has sent ginseng to the palace again.”
Emperor Mingde paused, frowning, “Doesn’t the palace have ginseng? Why does he need to send it?”
“The palace doesn’t seem to lack it,” Concubine Lan nodded. “The Prince of Nan is foolish. Instead of buying something with money, he insisted on going to the mountains to dig it himself, saying it’s over a hundred years old.”
The Emperor frowned, thinking for a moment before saying, “Bring it here for me to see.”
“Yes,” Concubine Lan nodded, her face showing an expression of not understanding the imperial mind, and had the palace maids bring up the ginseng.
It was a large wild ginseng root with all its tendrils intact, still bearing some soil. Shen Zaiye glanced at it and inhaled sharply, then lowered his head.
“What is Minister Shen surprised about?” The Emperor asked, taking the ginseng box with a frown. “The palace has ginseng like this too.”
Shen Zaiye nodded, “Your Majesty is correct. This minister was just surprised that such century-old ginseng usually grows on dangerous cliffs. I didn’t expect the Prince of Nan to dig it himself. It’s quite… foolish.”
Emperor Mingde had never liked hearing praise for the Prince of Nan, but this criticism made him feel it was unfair. “This can’t be counted as foolishness. He at least shows filial piety, which is better than the Crown Prince who sent nothing.”
“Although the Crown Prince didn’t send anything, Your Majesty doesn’t lack for it. He came to pay his respects, which is enough,” Concubine Lan said. “The Prince of Nan seems a bit distant, even wrapping it in a gift box. After all, they are father and son, yet he treats it like a gift from an outsider.”
The Emperor frowned, carefully examining the box in his hand, which was indeed thoughtfully and neatly packaged. Although they were father and son, he had always been distant from Wuxia. This child probably didn’t even realize he was his birth father.
Feeling somewhat melancholic, the Emperor suddenly said, “Go and summon the Crown Prince.”
Concubine Lan was startled, “At this time? The Crown Prince is probably having his evening lessons.”
“Tell him to come. I have urgent matters,” the Emperor said, lowering his eyes. “You should also withdraw for a while.”
The only thing that could make Lu Zhilan withdraw must be matters concerning other women in his harem. Shen Zaiye understood and retreated along with Concubine Lan.
“Now it depends on whether Taohua has done enough,” Concubine Lan said in a low voice as they walked outside. “If he listens to Taohua, then we can count this as a great victory.”
“How can Your Highness place all hope on a palace maid?” Shen Zaiye sneered. “The Crown Prince will certainly help the Prince of Nan. I am confident of that. As for Jiang Taohua, you needn’t pay her too much attention.”
Frowning slightly, Lu Zhilan looked at him for a while before saying, “Prime Minister Shen, have you noticed that when it comes to matters related to the Jiang family, your words are not as impartial as usual?”
“What makes Your Highness say that?” Shen Zaiye chuckled softly. “A palace maid is just a palace maid. Her role isn’t significant; she can only indirectly influence the Crown Prince’s intentions. To truly make the Crown Prince act, it still requires my efforts.”
“I hope the Prime Minister’s actions are flawless,” Concubine Lan said, glancing at the sky. “You should leave the palace now. Have a safe journey. I won’t see you off.”
Shen Zaiye nodded, but his feet didn’t move. After looking into the distance for a while, he said, “This minister doesn’t want to leave the palace tonight. I’ll wait outside for His Majesty and attend to his medicine through the night.”
Concubine Lan was startled, “What are you doing? His Majesty doesn’t need you to attend to his medicine.”
Shen Zaiye didn’t respond, watching as Mu Wuyin approached from afar with Jiang Taohua, his eyes flickering slightly.
Mu Wuyin was true to his word. He said he would bring her along, and he did, even when coming to the imperial presence. However, Jiang Taohua couldn’t enter the hall and could only wait outside.
Concubine Lan looked at her standing in plain sight, then at Shen Zaiye, frowning as she said, “Prime Minister Shen, you couldn’t have feelings for the Jiang girl…”
“Your Highness is overthinking,” Shen Zaiye said expressionlessly. “This minister just wants to wait for the result the Crown Prince brings out.”
Is that so? Looking at him suspiciously for a long time, Concubine Lan took the hand of a palace maid and returned to Zhilan Palace first.
Jiang Taohua stood obediently outside waiting. Many palace servants were secretly observing her, but she didn’t feel uncomfortable, occasionally even bending her knees to rest.
“Miss Meng,” After a while, several servants from the Eastern Palace came over and said, “The Crown Princess requests your presence for a chat.”
Her body stiffened, but Taohua smiled and said, “It’s fine to wait until the Crown Prince comes out and returns together.”
The servants immediately surrounded her and said softly, “The Crown Princess’s order is for you to come immediately. Please, miss.”
Her hands were pressed behind her back, leaving Taohua no room to struggle. She was forcibly led towards the Eastern Palace.
After all her calculations, how could she have forgotten this? When the Emperor meets with the Crown Prince, she will inevitably be left alone. Now she’s fallen back into the Crown Princess’s hands. What awaits her?
“Walk faster,” In the deserted palace corridor, the servants were no longer polite, pushing her and saying, “Don’t dawdle. It’s useless. The Crown Prince won’t be back for at least an hour. If you don’t want to suffer, just walk obediently.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to walk,” Taohua smiled. “The problem is, this isn’t the way back to the Eastern Palace.”
The servants looked at each other, and one of them muttered, “She’s quite sharp-eyed.”
Taohua stopped, looking at them warily, “Where exactly are you taking me?”
“To where you belong,” the lead servant said. “Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit leads to this outcome. Let’s go, you have no chance now.”
Her pupils contracted slightly as Taohua pressed against the wall, refusing to move. “I think I can still talk to the Crown Princess again.”
“It’s too late,” the servant shook his head, taking out a rope and tying her up tightly. “Do you know the name of this palace corridor?”
(End of Chapter)