Taohua nodded, “Then I’m relieved.”
Shen Zaiye glanced at her sideways, “Why? Were you worried about him?”
“Of course,” Taohua smiled. “My royal sister cares deeply for this Prince Consort. If he’s delayed from returning any longer, she might do something extreme.”
Understanding the reason now, Shen Zaiye nodded slightly and continued walking forward with the tray and bowls in his hands.
Jiang Taohua stood watching his retreating figure until he disappeared around the corner. She then crouched down, poking at small pebbles on the ground, muttering softly, “The dignified Prime Minister, doing chores like collecting dishes – why does he need to do this himself?”
As night fell, lamps were lit in Zhengchun Pavilion. Taohua sat under the lamplight, lost in thought, her eyes filled with something Qingtai had never seen before.
“Is the mistress thinking about the Prime Minister?” Qingtai asked.
Taohua sighed, “I’m not thinking about anything. I’m just too tired, so I’m emptying my mind for a moment.”
Qingtai considered this. It had indeed been quite tiring recently, with all the worrying and bustling about. “Then you should rest early,” she suggested. “At this hour, the Prime Minister probably won’t come over.”
“Qingtai,” Taohua mused, stroking her chin, “Do you think Shen Zaiye will favor Lady Lu?”
Qingtai was taken aback. “I don’t know if the Prime Minister will favor her or not, but he is indeed staying in Shiwang Pavilion tonight.”
Taohua shivered slightly, her expression serious. “Although these two should have been together long ago, there’s now quite a bit between them. Surprisingly, they can still get along like this.”
“Is the mistress jealous?” Qingtai asked, surprised.
“No,” Taohua rose, changed into her nightclothes, and lay down on the bed. “I just find it curious. Shen Zaiye, that man, didn’t care for anyone for many years, yet he’s only now falling in love after all this time.”
Qingtai nodded, thinking it made sense. She was about to be fooled when a voice from the rafters spoke, “The sourness in those words is almost wafting out of Zhengchun Pavilion. Still saying you’re not jealous?”
Taohua paused, immediately looking up at the rafters.
Xu Yangui, back in his normal attire, gracefully descended, once again the image of a dashing gallant.
“You’re still alive?” Taohua patted her chest. “Then I’m relieved. You hadn’t appeared for so long, I thought you might have died in the palace.”
“Almost,” Xu Yangui rolled his eyes irritably and sat on the edge of her bed, waving for Qingtai to leave.
Qingtai looked at him warily, retreating a few steps but not leaving. Xu Yangui shrugged, not minding, and spoke directly, “If I wasn’t familiar with the palace layout, I really wouldn’t have made it out. Why are all the tasks you give me so dangerous?”
Taohua clenched her fist in relief that she hadn’t gone herself, then smiled, “The world is unpredictable, Mr. Xu. Don’t take it to heart. Since you’ve returned safely, why not go keep Huairou company?”
“What’s there to keep her company for?” Xu Yangui scoffed lightly. “Shen Zaiye is with Lu Zhilan. If I go to Wenqing Pavilion, won’t I give myself away?”
“That’s true,” Taohua nodded. “But sir, you constantly running to my Zhengchun Pavilion doesn’t seem quite right either.”
“I just came to check on you since I saw Lu Zhilan had come to the mansion,” Xu Yangui glanced at her. “Don’t think you’re some otherworldly immortal. Turns out you can be jealous too.”
Taohua narrowed her eyes. “I’m not.”
She viewed Lu Zhilan and Shen Zaiye’s relationship quite normally. Even if they loved each other to death, she wouldn’t think much of it.
“A woman who gets jealous but doesn’t act rashly is very lovable,” Xu Yangui stroked his chin, looking at her. “It’s not something to be ashamed of. Why deny it?”
“I said I’m not, so I’m not,” Taohua smiled, raising her face. After a moment’s thought, she said, “I’m just curious why Shen Zaiye would listen to her like this. Given his nature of refusing to yield or admit defeat, his actions today are truly surprising.”
Xu Yangui stared at her with deep eyes for a while, then smiled somewhat mischievously. “Men blinded by love all act differently from usual. Don’t you know that?”
Taohua’s heart sank. She tilted her head, looking at him. “You mean Shen Zaiye’s guilt has turned into love?”
“That possibility can’t be ruled out,” Xu Yangui stood up, looking at her. “After all, men need to be held onto firmly. If you don’t express your feelings to him or show that you care, why should he like you? There are so many women in the world; who knows when he might be snatched away by someone else.”
Jiang Taohua fell silent.
“I’ll take my leave now. Rest well, madam.” Secretly observing her expression, Xu Yangui pretended to sigh, shaking his head as he disappeared out the window.
Shen Zaiye had it tough too. He rarely encountered a woman who could move his heart, yet due to entangled interests, they couldn’t be together. Now that they were finally on the same side, this woman showed no sign of understanding, unable to like him normally.
Heaven was indeed fair. It gave Shen Zaiye the ability to achieve great things but must have short-changed him in other areas.
“Mistress,” seeing Xu Yangui had left, Qingtai came over to help Taohua lie down, tucking in her blanket. “You should sleep. I’ll watch over you.”
“Qingtai,” Taohua turned to look at her, frowning. “If you were given a plate of pastries you liked, but there might be poison in them, would you still eat them?”
Qingtai was stunned and immediately shook her head. “If we know there might be poison, why would we eat it?”
Taohua fell silent, lowering her eyes in thought for a good while before sighing. “I understand. You can go rest directly. No need to keep watch.”
Giving her mistress a puzzled look, Qingtai complied. As she turned to leave, she couldn’t help muttering softly, “Since when does the mistress not understand something and need to ask me? What’s this about pastries?”
At Shiwang Pavilion.
Shen Zaiye sat alone in the courtyard, gazing at the moon. Suddenly, a person dropped down from the moon.
“You’re not dead yet?” Shen Zaiye coldly eyed Xu Yangui, his smile not reaching his eyes.
“Hey, what kind of talk is that?” Xu Yangui frowned. “I saved Jiang’s life after all. You don’t need to thank me, but you’re cursing me?”
Shen Zaiye said, “If you hadn’t saved her, I wouldn’t have saved you in the palace.”
They had agreed not to associate privately anymore, yet neither of them took his words to heart! Although he knew nothing would happen between Xu Yangui and Jiang Taohua, they should still avoid suspicion!
Xu Yangui pouted. “I wanted to have a heart-to-heart with you, but seeing your attitude, I’ll just leave. Goodbye!”
“Come back,” Shen Zaiye frowned. “What did you want to say?”
Turning back reluctantly, Xu Yangui glanced towards the main house. “I just wanted to ask if you’ve considered the feelings of the one in Zhengchun Pavilion when you brought this lady into the mansion?”
Shen Zaiye smirked. “Is she upset?”
“Not exactly upset, just strange,” Xu Yangui said. “I’ve never seen such an odd woman. If it were anyone else, jealousy and anger would be normal. But she’s acting like nothing’s wrong, yet she seems a bit lost.”
He looked at Shen Zaiye. “Is it that you’re not good enough, unable to make her fall completely in love with you? Otherwise, she should be throwing a tantrum by now.”
He had rushed back just to see what kind of scene a person like Jiang Taohua would make when throwing a tantrum, but her reaction was unexpected.
Shen Zaiye’s face darkened slightly. “She’s not the type to throw tantrums.”
“Ah, this shows you don’t understand women enough,” Xu Yangui laughed. “What woman doesn’t throw tantrums? It just depends on whether they care enough about you. If she loved you earth-shatteringly, and you brought another woman home today showing such care, she’d throw a tantrum.”
Raising his eyes impatiently, Shen Zaiye’s hand was already on the soft sword at his waist. “After all this talk, you must have just come from Zhengchun Pavilion, right?”
“Don’t get excited,” Xu Yangui hastily stepped back. “I just went to see what she was thinking.”
Shen Zaiye chuckled lightly and stood up, moving towards him. “What she’s thinking – why should you care?”
“I… I found out to tell you, didn’t I?” Xu Yangui dodged guiltily. “You owe Lu Zhilan too much to repay quickly, and Zhao and Wei are about to join forces against Wu. How can you not understand Jiang’s thoughts? She’s an important link between Zhao and Wei after all.”
“Fine,” Shen Zaiye nodded. “Tell me, what is she thinking?”
Xu Yangui pressed his lips together. “That’s just it – she’s not thinking much, which I find strange. So I came to see your thoughts. Weren’t you two quite close before? Or was it just superficial harmony?”
Shen Zaiye fell silent. After a long while, he suddenly asked very seriously, “What does a woman look like when she truly likes you?”
Xu Yangui was stunned, then burst out laughing. “You don’t even understand this?”
He truly didn’t understand. He had thought Jiang Taohua might have had some genuine feelings for him, but now he wasn’t sure.
What was the difference between two people in love and the current state between him and Jiang Taohua?
“Let me tell you,” Xu Yangui sat down, dipping his finger in Shen Zaiye’s teacup and tapping the table. “A woman’s feelings are complex, but the most basic elements are devotion, reliance, demands, and jealousy. When they like someone, they’re willing to devote something to that person. Like Lu Zhilan’s great devotion to you over all these years.”
“Then there’s reliance. No matter how strong a woman is, she still wants to rely on a man, to be protected. It’s in a woman’s nature.”
“There’s also making demands. One-sided devotion isn’t a complete relationship. After giving, they naturally want something in return from you. Pampering, consideration, or companionship – these are all things they want.”
“Lastly, jealousy. Jealousy is the most direct and intense feeling in a woman’s emotions. Those who handle it well can be adorable; those who don’t can seem hideous. But this is the most basic thing. If a woman isn’t even jealous when you like someone else, she doesn’t love you enough.”
(End of Chapter)