“You vile woman!” Lady Li spat, her voice filled with hatred. “The Crown Prince has fallen, yet you still appear so splendid and radiant!”
Taohua didn’t know how to respond, but to make matters worse, that damned Shen Zaiye came up behind her, wrapped his arm around her waist, and gently kissed her forehead. He said softly, “Wait for me here.”
Jiang Taohua: “…”
Everyone present was stunned. Lady Li stared blankly at Shen Zaiye as he strode into the hall, then turned back to gape at Jiang Taohua. “You… Have you already become Shen Zaiye’s woman?”
Taohua smiled awkwardly, lowering her gaze to look at her shoetips. Inwardly, she cursed Shen Zaiye’s ancestors. That troublemaker just wanted to see her suffer!
The courtyard remained quiet for a while. After some time, Lady Li finally found her voice again. Looking at Taohua, she said, “People always seek to climb higher. Miss Meng’er’s actions are indeed wise, avoiding a great calamity. It’s a pity that our lord’s sincere affection was wasted. He was waiting for you to recover and return, not knowing you had already chosen a loftier perch.”
Taohua smiled apologetically, allowing Lady Li to berate her. From Lady Li’s perspective, what she had done indeed made her seem like a shameless vixen, so she accepted the scolding.
“But I’m curious,” Lady Li continued relentlessly. “When did you get involved with Prime Minister Shen? And why didn’t he help the Crown Prince this time? Did you say something bad about the Crown Prince behind his back?”
Taohua’s mouth twitched as she listened. She couldn’t help but point at her nose and ask, “In your view, who treats the Crown Prince better between me and Shen Zaiye?”
“Of course, it’s Prime Minister Shen,” Lady Li frowned. “What are you compared to him?”
Well then, Taohua nodded. Shen Zaiye might be poisonous, but he certainly knew how to keep up appearances. She deserved this scolding.
Meanwhile, Shen Zaiye had arrived before Mu Wuyin.
The once proud and favored Crown Prince now sat disheveled by the bed, his hair in disarray and his eyes vacant. Hearing that the Prime Minister had arrived, he looked up with a complex expression.
“Greetings to Your Highness,” Shen Zaiye bowed respectfully.
“Your Highness?” Mu Wuyin chuckled bitterly. “Prime Minister, seeing me in this state, yet you can still utter those words. I admire you. I’m not a fool. Don’t you want to explain how things came to this?”
“I came today precisely to explain,” Shen Zaiye replied calmly. “I hope Your Highness won’t misunderstand.”
“Misunderstand?” Mu Wuyin’s chest heaved as he stood up, gripping the bed frame and staring intently at Shen Zaiye. “Misunderstand what? That you intended to help me all along? That you truly meant to put me on the throne?”
“Yes,” Shen Zaiye nodded straightforwardly. “I never had such intentions. Please don’t misunderstand, Your Highness.”
Mu Wuyin was momentarily stunned by such direct words, unsure how to respond.
How could someone be so shamelessly righteous?
“I was always wary of you,” Mu Wuyin shook his head in disbelief. “I pondered every decision thoroughly, considering whether it would benefit me before acting. I can’t understand how, despite being so cautious, I still fell into your trap.”
He had known early on that Shen Zaiye couldn’t be fully trusted, so he had constantly reminded himself to be careful. But… he hadn’t realized at all that he had been within Shen Zaiye’s calculations the entire time. He hadn’t sensed it even slightly!
It was terrifying!
Shen Zaiye smiled. “Your Highness is indeed clever, but unfortunately too eager for quick success and easily swayed by a woman.”
Mu Wuyin could accept the accusation of being overly ambitious, as that was his fault, but…
“What does the Prime Minister mean by the latter part of that statement?” Mu Wuyin frowned. “Swayed by a woman?”
“Has Your Highness not figured it out yet?” Shen Zaiye gazed at him with deep eyes. “You and His Majesty always had a good relationship, and His Majesty always favored you the most. When did the rift between you two begin?”
Mu Wuyin was taken aback. He lowered his head, thinking carefully, and a beautiful face flashed through his mind.
“Meng’er?” His heart sank, and he instinctively shook his head. “She couldn’t possibly have meant to harm me. It’s impossible.”
Looking at him with pity, Shen Zaiye sighed softly. “This is why men shouldn’t let their hearts be moved by women when trying to achieve great things. You don’t even realize you’ve been deceived. Jiang Taohua… I mean your Meng’er, where did she come from? What was her identity? Your Highness never investigated, did you?”
Mu Wuyin’s face turned deathly pale. He shook his head, “Stop, please stop…”
“If I don’t clarify, you might mistakenly think she’s a good person and still pine for her in your next life,” Shen Zaiye said with a cold smile. “The last thing I can do is let you die with a clear understanding. Your Meng’er’s real name is Jiang Taohua. She’s a princess from Zhao sent here for a political marriage, and she’s also a concubine in my household.”
Mu Wuyin’s vision darkened, and he nearly lost his balance. He stared at Shen Zaiye in shock, unable to utter a word.
Qin Sheng was Shen’s man, Nangong Yuan was Shen’s man, and even Meng’er was Shen’s woman.
How could this be? Meng’er had never harmed him. Except for that first inexplicable incident at the gambling house, Meng’er had always been good to him. If all of this was just a scheme, what could he believe in anymore?
Laughing bitterly, Mu Wuyin spoke with reddened eyes, “I never imagined the Prime Minister hated me so much that you wouldn’t even let me die in peace.”
He suddenly felt there was nothing worth living for in this world. Imperial power, status, women, wealth – what use were these things? They were all false! All of it was false!
There was a vial of the imperial family’s special poison nearby. Mu Wuyin reached for it, but Shen Zaiye snatched it away.
“I have no reason to hate Your Highness,” Shen Zaiye said. “I merely have a habit of clarifying things before someone dies. As for this poison, don’t be hasty. Taohua still wants to see you one last time.”
Taohua? Mu Wuyin’s face was streaked with tears as he gritted his teeth. “I may not want to see her.”
“Is that so?” Shen Zaiye smiled. “Then I’ll take her away. I’ll tell her it was Your Highness’s wish.”
Mu Wuyin fell silent, his eyes filled with hatred, yet he couldn’t control his gaze from drifting toward the door.
How could there be such a person? He hated her and wanted to bite through her neck. Yet despite the intense hatred in his heart, he still wanted to see her one last time.
Had the poison in her body been neutralized? Was she doing well? What would become of her?
Closing his eyes tightly, Mu Wuyin let out a low, bitter laugh. “Prime Minister, please let her come in. There are some things I want to ask her personally.”
Shen Zaiye shook his head at the inconsistency, gave Mu Wuyin one last look, and turned to leave.
Outside, Lady Li was still berating Taohua with sarcastic remarks. Jiang Taohua remained silent. Seeing Shen Zaiye emerge, she smiled and went to meet him.
(End of Chapter)