Those involved may be confused, but onlookers see most clearly. This man’s self-control was impressive; he hadn’t fallen for Taohua’s charms at all.
Shen Zaiye smiled, looking at him. “This is my business. Why does Your Excellency need to ask?”
“Fine, I won’t ask anymore,” Qian Baimei turned and walked into the courtyard. “What do you want to discuss with me?”
“Naturally, Jiang Taohua,” Shen Zaiye followed him, speaking calmly. “Only I can give her what she wants. You’ve surely asked her opinion; she won’t want to leave this Prime Minister’s mansion.”
“So what?” Qian Baimei smiled. “If she doesn’t want to leave, I’ll stay here with her until she’s ready to go. Then I’ll take her away.”
Shen Zaiye’s heart sank. He frowned. “Isn’t Your Excellency’s behavior somewhat inappropriate? You’re only master and disciple.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Qian Baimei laughed, his eyes shining. “From the beginning, I took her as a disciple intending to marry her.”
Shen Zaiye was speechless, his face darkening. After glaring at Qian Baimei for a long while, he finally spat out, “Shameless!”
“Hey, we were both unmarried then. How is that shameless?” Qian Baimei snorted. “Even though she’s married now, I don’t mind. Whenever she decides to be with me, I can take her away at any time.”
What was this? Giving her wings to fly away whenever she was unhappy? How absurd!
His chest heaving slightly, Shen Zaiye frowned at Qian Baimei. “Are you forcing me to make her choose between us?”
“Can you force her?” Qian Baimei looked surprised. “With what?”
“Your Excellency must know what Jiang Taohua cares about most,” Shen Zaiye said, his gaze deep. “I can send Jiang Changjie to the battlefield, and I can make him die there too.”
Qian Baimei’s expression changed abruptly. He flew over and grabbed Shen Zaiye’s throat. “You dare!”
“If she weren’t in my household, Jiang Changjie would be insignificant to me,” Shen Zaiye calmly looked at him, neither struggling nor retaliating. “You’re welcome to strangle me. See how many of those you care about survive afterward.”
“Such a vicious man!” Qian Baimei gritted his teeth. He had been arrogant for half his life, but this was the first time someone had threatened him by targeting his weakness.
The hand on Shen Zaiye’s throat remained rigid for a while before Qian Baimei withdrew it, speaking lowly, “If you dare harm them even slightly, I’ll annihilate your entire family!”
Shen Zaiye chuckled softly, glancing around the courtyard. “My entire family, apart from her, is just me alone.”
Surprised, Qian Baimei exclaimed, “What nonsense are you talking about? Aren’t all these women in the mansion yours?”
Shen Zaiye didn’t bother to argue this point. Instead, he said, “I won’t keep anything I can’t control by my side. She should make a choice too. Either leave with you, and I won’t interfere with your affairs afterward. Or stay, and you should stay away from her.”
“How domineering,” Qian Baimei smiled. “According to the Prime Minister, is Taohua merely an object in your eyes?”
Shen Zaiye remained silent. Qian Baimei circled him twice, looking him up and down. “You seem to hold great power and influence, yet you lack confidence in yourself? So cowardly that you need to threaten a woman to decide to feel secure?”
“It’s Your Excellency’s willfulness that forces me to make this decision,” Shen Zaiye replied. “If Your Excellency followed the rules and didn’t covet another man’s wife, why would I resort to such measures?”
“I think you know you’ve wronged her and can’t guarantee she’ll always like you, that’s why you’re saying this,” Qian Baimei smirked, shaking his head at Shen Zaiye. “If you truly like her and want to keep her, why not just win her heart? What’s the use of these tactics?”
Shen Zaiye smiled faintly. “I can’t give her my whole heart, nor do I dare to. I can’t expect to win someone’s true feelings in return. There’s nothing more to say. But if she stays here, it’s to cooperate with me. If we can’t fully trust each other, we might as well part ways.”
“Are all you Great Wei people so complicated?” Qian Baimei said, extremely displeased. “A man likes a woman but is so cautious and hesitant. What’s wrong with you?”
Shen Zaiye was speechless. He truly wanted to cut this man into pieces, if only he could defeat him.
“You’re only so brazen because you’re holding Jiang Changjie hostage, knowing that little one cares for her brother,” Qian Baimei narrowed his eyes. “You don’t even need to ask; she’ll choose to stay and continue cooperating with you, and tell me to leave… It’s heartbreaking. That little one has never truly cared about me as her master.”
Feeling somewhat relieved, Shen Zaiye looked at him. “Since you know her decision, will Your Excellency leave on your own, or wait for her to tell you?”
“Hmph,” Qian Baimei swished his robe arrogantly. “You may have your schemes, but I have my tricks. I’ll leave this mansion if you insist, it’s no big deal. But let me tell you, I won’t leave the capital. I’ll be watching you at all times. What can you do about it?”
Shen Zaiye gritted his teeth. “At least don’t spend the night in her courtyard!”
“Hey, we used to sleep in the same room before,” Qian Baimei rolled his eyes. “You weren’t even in the picture then.”
Taking a deep breath, Shen Zaiye smiled coldly. “The past is just the past. What does it matter now?”
“‘The past is just the past,’ you say,” Qian Baimei looked into his eyes. “What about your past? Have you let it all go?”
Slightly stunned, Shen Zaiye frowned. “Did she tell you all this?”
“No, I just investigated you a bit,” Qian Baimei pouted. “You can’t let go of your past, yet you’re so concerned about hers?”
Everyone knew that one of the women in his courtyard was the former emperor’s consort, though no one dared to speak of it openly. If not for deep feelings, why would he risk keeping such a woman in his household?
Shen Zaiye pressed his lips together, lowering his gaze. “I’ll handle my affairs. I don’t need Your Excellency’s advice. It’s already dawn. You should prepare to leave.”
“Now?” Qian Baimei said, displeased. “Without waiting for the little one to wake up and say goodbye?”
“I’ll explain to her,” Shen Zaiye narrowed his eyes. “Besides, Your Excellency won’t go far anyway.”
Just the thought of these two spending nights in the same courtyard made him uncomfortable. Making Qian Baimei leave the mansion might not do much, but at least it would help him have fewer nightmares. At least he could watch over her at night, ensuring she wouldn’t disappear when he wasn’t aware.
Qian Baimei looked at him for a moment, then left gracefully. After all, he could come and go as he pleased in this world. If he wanted to see his little disciple, it was just a few extra steps.
However, it seemed she had indeed encountered a formidable man. Neither arrogant nor domineering, yet he unexpectedly pinched others’ weak spots. No wonder she couldn’t deal with him.
Seeing him leave, Shen Zaiye finally breathed a sigh of relief. He pushed open the door and went in to catch up on sleep with Jiang Taohua. After a night of nightmares, he was also tired.
As the day slowly brightened, the Prime Minister’s mansion remained quiet. Someone sat at a dressing table, carefully adorning herself. She lightly brushed her eyebrows, dabbed her lips red, painted a plum blossom on her forehead, and wore the only dress she had brought from the palace.
Lu Zhilan examined herself in the mirror, clapping her hands in satisfaction. She asked Fangrui behind her, “Do I look good?”
Fangrui, sent by Shen Zaiye, had served her in the palace before. When Lu Zhilan left the palace, Fangrui naturally followed.
“You look beautiful,” she said. “But you haven’t been in such good spirits for a long time. Dressing up so beautifully, are you going somewhere with the Prime Minister?”
“I’m not going out with him today,” Lu Zhilan smiled. “Today, we should go pay respects to the late emperor.”
Fangrui was shocked, her face paling. “My lady?”
“The debt between Shen Zaiye and me is settled,” Lu Zhilan said. “Now it’s time to repay the debt I owe the late emperor.”
Fangrui was terrified. After thinking for a while, she tried to comfort her mistress. “We can’t enter the imperial tomb now. Why make this trip?”
“I didn’t say we were going to the imperial tomb,” Lu Zhilan smiled. “I don’t have the right to enter now. Don’t worry, I won’t sacrifice myself for the late emperor.”
She had long lost that right.
Fangrui sighed in relief, feeling reassured. As long as her mistress didn’t do anything foolish, everything else could be managed.
“Then I’ll go prepare the carriage now.”
“Good,” Lu Zhilan nodded, waiting in the room. When Fangrui was ready, she lifted her skirt and went out with her. Along the way, she kept smiling, making Fangrui feel at ease.
“Are you truly happy?” Emperor Mingde’s voice echoed in her mind, startling Lu Zhilan.
The scene before her eyes instantly changed to Zhilan Palace. She was smiling foolishly at the window when he came in from behind, his eyes full of love. “You smile when you’re happy. When you’re sad, just cry.”
“I’m not sad,” she stubbornly insisted. “I’m fine.”
Sighing softly, Emperor Mingde pulled her into his arms, speaking lowly, “Why do you pretend to be strong with me?”
Lu Zhilan froze, then hugged him back, finally bursting into loud sobs.
She thought she wasn’t sad anymore. After all, he was dead, and she could still live on relying on Shen Zaiye. She could repay this debt in the next life; it wasn’t a big deal. However, after settling accounts with Shen Zaiye, she felt many suppressed emotions surging up, entangling and gnawing at her, making her feel unbearable pain.
The person who understood her best in this world was dead, killed by her own hands. No one would understand that her smile meant tears, and no one would gently tell her that he would be there for everything.
Self-inflicted wounds cannot be healed. She couldn’t forgive herself, let alone expect his forgiveness.
“My lady!” Fangrui was terrified. She quickly supported Lu Zhilan. “What’s wrong?”
(End of Chapter)