Shen Zaiye pursed his lips, his eyes filled with emotion. “Your Highness trusts me to such an extent…”
“As it should be,” Mu Wuyin frowned. “Without you, I wouldn’t have my current position in the Eastern Palace. However, Chancellor, you must catch the culprit and punish them severely on my behalf!”
Nodding solemnly, Shen Zaiye said, “I will do my utmost!”
After beating him, Shen Zaiye felt somewhat satisfied. He stood up and glanced around the main hall.
Where was Jiang Taohua watching the commotion? She must be struggling to hold back her laughter.
“Your Highness,” a palace servant hurriedly entered to announce, “His Majesty has arrived!”
Everyone was startled. Shen Zaiye quickly rose to go out and pay his respects: “This subject greets Your Majesty.”
Emperor Mingde was furious. Supporting the Empress’s hand as they walked in, he glanced at Shen Zaiye and said, “Rise. Come with me to discipline this unfilial son!”
Hearing the voice, Mu Wuyin was startled. He stood up, confused, and knelt, looking at the entering Emperor and calling out uncertainly, “Father?”
“Do you still consider me your father?” The Emperor swept his sleeve, striking Mu Wuyin’s crown. He raged, “For the sake of a commoner girl, you’ve thrown your Eastern Palace into chaos. How dare you still call me father?”
Mu Wuyin was stunned. He looked up and saw Lady Li standing beside the Empress, her eyes lowered, not daring to look at him.
This woman had blamed everything on Meng’er? Furious, Mu Wuyin quickly lowered his head and said, “Father, please hear me out. The assassin came from an unknown place and for unknown reasons only injured me without taking my life. But I can assure you, this has nothing to do with Meng’er!”
“You still want to protect her?” Emperor Mingde was enraged. “Guards, bring that wretched servant girl to me!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Your Majesty!” Shen Zaiye’s heart skipped a beat. He frowned and stepped forward, “Why are you so angry? An assassin entering the Eastern Palace is not the Crown Prince’s fault, nor should an innocent palace maid be punished.”
It was clear that Lady Li had gone to complain, and her words must have been harsh to anger the Emperor so. Shen Zaiye was nervous. If Jiang Taohua was brought before the Emperor and Empress at this time, it would be even more difficult for her to return to the Chancellor’s mansion in the future. The fewer key figures she met, the better.
“Innocent?” Emperor Mingde’s face was extremely unpleasant. “She bewitched the Crown Prince, causing him to be attacked in her room. You call this innocent?”
“It’s not her fault,” Mu Wuyin hurriedly cupped his hands. “It was just a coincidence. There’s no evidence linking Meng’er to the assassin. She’s just an ordinary citizen, how could she know such a skilled martial artist?”
“Foolish!” Emperor Mingde looked at him with disappointment. “You’re usually clear-headed in handling matters, how can you be so muddled when it comes to women? I want to execute her. Are you going to oppose me for the sake of a commoner girl?”
Mu Wuyin was speechless. Shen Zaiye glanced at him and saw a hesitant expression on his face.
Is he hesitating? How long has he known Jiang Taohua, and how many days have they spent together? Could he be willing to defy the Emperor’s will for her? Shen Zaiye couldn’t understand and became more convinced that this person was unsuitable to be emperor.
Too indecisive!
“Your Majesty!” The guards who had gone to capture the girl returned. The lead guard, General Pang, frowned and said, “We have failed. The palace maid jumped into Jietian Lake and swam away. We don’t know where she went.”
“…” The Emperor was stunned for a moment and looked back at him. “She jumped into the lake?”
“Yes.”
Shen Zaiye paused. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Mu Wuyin had already stood up and urgently said, “Father, wrongly killing an innocent is not what an emperor should do! To ruin your lifelong reputation over a commoner girl is not worth it! I will go save her now!”
“You stand—” Before the Emperor could finish saying “still,” the injured Crown Prince had already run out of sight, nimbly slipping through the guards’ encirclement despite his arms being bound in wooden splints.
Emperor Mingde was furious. He threw a nearby teacup and scolded, “No sense of priority!”
The Empress quickly tried to calm him: “Your Majesty, don’t harm your health with anger. Wuyin has a nature that values loyalty and righteousness. This matter… might not be as serious as Lady Li described.”
Lady Li was startled and immediately knelt, saying, “I deserve death! Please calm your anger, Father Emperor!”
Emperor Mingde sneered, looking at the empty doorway of the palace hall. He gritted his teeth and said, “He shouldn’t have been given the position of Crown Prince. With such an impulsive temperament, how can he accomplish anything?”
The Empress and Lady Li were both frightened and quickly knelt in respect. Shen Zaiye also bowed and said, “This subject will go bring the Crown Prince back.”
“Tell him this while you’re at it,” the Emperor narrowed his eyes. “If he insists on keeping that girl, then he can hand over the Crown Prince’s golden crown to Prince Heng!”
“…This subject understands.”
Lady Li only wanted the Emperor to intervene and deal with Jiang Taohua. She hadn’t expected the consequences to be so severe. She immediately regretted her actions and hurriedly kowtowed, saying, “Father Emperor, please calm your anger. The Crown Prince is loyal to the country and has been diligent and serious since taking his position in the Eastern Palace, sharing your burdens. You can’t erase all his hard work because of one lowly servant girl!”
“Didn’t you say the Crown Prince was bewitched by a vixen and wouldn’t listen to advice?” The Emperor looked down at her. “If he won’t even listen, what kind of Crown Prince is he?”
“I exaggerated, I deserve death!” Lady Li lowered her head and said, “The Crown Prince is not a foolish person, and that palace maid isn’t so powerful. It was just my jealousy at work! Please forgive the Crown Prince!”
The Emperor was stunned and looked down at her in surprise. “Really?”
“Please punish me, Father Emperor!” Lady Li touched her forehead to the ground, her voice choked with emotion.
Shen Zaiye watched, feeling somewhat rueful. With such a good primary consort, why did Mu Wuyin insist on having Jiang Taohua?
Emperor Mingde’s anger gradually subsided. He looked at her for a long time and sighed, “Very well. Since that’s the case, have someone bring that palace maid back. Fifty lashes will suffice. You will personally oversee the punishment.”
“…Thank you, Father Emperor.”
Frowning slightly, Shen Zaiye quietly withdrew to search for the people in question.
He hadn’t expected a moment of impulse to lead to such consequences. How could Jiang Taohua’s small frame withstand even a few lashes? Perhaps it would be better to take her out of the palace altogether.
Jietian Lake was vast. Shen Zaiye walked around the lake for half a day before finding the pair.
Jiang Taohua seemed to have just come ashore, her clothes soaking wet and her expression dazed. In front of her, Mu Wuyin, with both hands still bound, was also drenched and looking at her with reddened eyes.
“I thought you had drowned!” Mu Wuyin growled. “Why did you jump into the lake? Even if you were brought before my father, I could have saved you!”
Something seemed to hammer at her heart. Taohua looked at this bedraggled man and asked in a daze, “You… jumped in to save me?”
“What else?” Mu Wuyin frowned. “Wait for them to bring up your corpse?”
Speechless, Taohua looked at the still-visible swelling on his face, then at his two bound hands that were practically useless—he had essentially used these chopstick-like limbs to pull her out of the water.
Her throat tightened. She tilted her head and examined the Crown Prince for a while before chuckling softly, “This is the first time someone has saved me like this.”
Mu Wuyin was the first person to save her without ulterior motives or for personal gain, simply because she was about to die.
Shen Zaiye slowly walked over, coldly observing the expression on Jiang Taohua’s face. He couldn’t help but sneer, “Are you two planning to exchange sweet nothings here?”
Looking up at him, Taohua pursed her lips. She struggled to stand up and then helped Mu Wuyin to his feet, saying softly, “You should go back and change your clothes. If the Emperor sees you like this, he’ll only be angrier. I’ll go back with the Chancellor to receive my punishment.”
“No,” Mu Wuyin shook his head. “You’ll come back with me. I’ll convince my father that the assassin’s matter has nothing to do with you.”
“The Chancellor knows what to do,” Taohua smiled, her smile reaching her eyes for the first time. “You’ve only been Crown Prince for a short while; it’s not good to anger His Majesty. I’ll bear what I should bear. As long as I keep my life, it’s fine.”
Mu Wuyin looked at her worriedly, then at Shen Zaiye. “Chancellor, can you protect her?”
“Keeping her alive won’t be difficult,” Shen Zaiye said expressionlessly. “You should hurry back.”
“Alright,” Mu Wuyin looked at Taohua and said, “I’ll wait for you in the Eastern Palace.”
Taohua nodded, her gaze unusually gentle, which made Shen Zaiye narrow his eyes. After the Crown Prince had walked away, he spoke coldly, “What’s with that look in your eyes? Have you fallen for him?”
“I just think it’s rare to find someone as foolish as him,” Taohua looked down at her wet skirt and chuckled lightly. “He has something that you don’t, Chancellor.”
“What?”
“Sincerity,” Taohua pointed to her heart and said, “It’s been a long time since someone was sincere to me. It’s quite touching.”
His face darkening, Shen Zaiye sneered, “Jiang Taohua, if I remember correctly, he only saved your life once, and I’ve also saved your life once. Why is he sincere and I’m not?”
Looking at him with a strange expression, Taohua pouted, “This servant has only seen people praised for kindness when they feed beggars, never hunters praised for kindness when they feed their hounds. Doesn’t the Chancellor understand this simple logic?”
Slightly taken aback, Shen Zaiye scoffed and glanced at her, “To spite me, you’re even willing to call yourself a dog. What more can I say? If you think the Crown Prince is sincere, then spend your life with him. As long as you can endure the punishment when you go back.”
There’s a punishment? Taohua frowned, “We’re still cooperating. Can’t you help deflect it?”
“Let your sincere Crown Prince deflect it for you,” Shen Zaiye narrowed his eyes. “You said it yourself, you’ll bear the punishment you deserve.”
Ah, that was just something nice to say, relying on his presence! Forcing a dry laugh, Taohua quickly tried to ingratiate herself, moving closer to Shen Zaiye and asking, “Is the punishment severe?”
“Not severe,” Shen Zaiye said calmly. “Fifty lashes, with Lady Li overseeing.”
“…” Pausing in her steps, Jiang Taohua turned to leave, “You all go ahead and play. I’ll just go back to the lake.”
“What’s this?” Grabbing her, Shen Zaiye smiled without humor, “Weren’t you willing to accept punishment to prevent the Emperor from blaming the Crown Prince? Such a noble act shouldn’t be abandoned at the last moment. Come, I’ll personally escort you back!”
(End of Chapter)