Life can be unfair sometimes. Some people effortlessly enjoy luxury and comfort, while others must struggle through hell eighty-one times to find peace.
If possible, Jiang Taohua would love to be a beauty living off her looks, occasionally acting coy and embroidering flowers, with someone ensuring her lifelong wealth.
Unfortunately, while dreams can make one soar, reality often crashes one down brutally.
For instance, a rumor had spread that Miss Jiang from Zhengchun Pavilion went out while ill to meet privately with a man. Now, someone was circulating her portrait, searching for her.
Taohua was alarmed, wondering if an artist had memorized her appearance that day on the street. If Prince Jing discovered this, wouldn’t Shen Zaiye eliminate her to avoid future trouble?
She hurriedly sent Qing Taito retrieve her portrait. Upon seeing it, Jiang Taohua rolled her eyes dramatically.
“Does this look like me?”
Glancing at the strange face in the drawing, Qing Taiconsoled her, “It doesn’t, so this portrait must not be related to you.”
“But if it’s unrelated, why are there such rumors in the mansion?” Taohua frowned. “Where did this come from?”
Qing Taishook her head, indicating she didn’t know. They were still unfamiliar with the mansion and remained in a passive position, only able to wait for situations to become clear before acting.
Jiang Taohua fell silent, her finger landing on Madam Meng’s page in the household register before her.
Legitimate daughter of the Grand Master of Remount.
The Grand Master of Remount was an official managing horse affairs, with considerable power and wealth. His legitimate daughter hadn’t entered the palace but was merely a concubine in the Chancellor’s mansion.
Taohua suddenly felt that being a princess serving as a concubine wasn’t so degrading, considering she was only of concubine birth. Even a legitimate daughter from a high-ranking family was just a concubine here.
In any case, she couldn’t do much now. It was better to wait until the water truly rose before acting. Closing the register, Taohua lay down to rest, thinking that whoever wanted to gossip could do so. As for Prince Jing’s side, Shen Zaiye would certainly help cover things up. She wasn’t afraid of anything else.
“My lady,” Qing Taientered with a serious expression after lunch. “The Madam says she’ll be coming over shortly.”
Mei Zhaoxue? Taohua blinked, wondering why she was coming.
Although she didn’t know many people in the courtyard yet, Madam Mei was indeed the most dignified of all, with the air of a well-bred lady, and not someone who would cause trouble unnecessarily. Coming at this time, she must have something important to discuss.
Thinking this, Taohua made an effort to tidy herself up and waited, leaning against the headboard.
Mei Zhaoxue came alone, wearing a plum blossom spring dress. She sat by the bedside with a smile, “Are you feeling better?”
“Thank you for your concern, Madam,” Taohua smiled. “I’m still recovering and can’t properly greet you. Please forgive me.”
“I know you understand etiquette,” Mei Zhaoxue smiled, taking her hand. “But there are some things beyond your control. I hadn’t intended to blame you.”
These words hardly seemed free of blame. Taohua understood she had broken the mansion’s rules and could only lower her head in apology. “This concubine is deeply ashamed.”
“I can understand the lord being captivated by the beauty and disregarding everything else,” Mei Zhaoxue sighed lightly. “But now that the rules for serving are gone, many in the courtyard are inevitably uneasy. If one or two ignorant ones offend you, please be understanding.”
Was this a warning that someone was going to deal with her? Taohua forced a smile, “This concubine thinks everyone in the courtyard seems quite sensible.”
Shaking her head, Mei’s eyes held a deep expression as she moved closer, “Some people aren’t so easy to get along with. Many have already come to complain to me. I know they’re being unreasonable, so I haven’t paid attention, but you should be careful. You should see clearly what kind of things are in this courtyard.”
Her eyes flickered slightly as Jiang Taohua looked up at her, then nodded, “Thank you for your advice, Madam.”
Mei Zhaoxue smiled, her gaze gentle and harmless. “I like women like you who are favored but not spoiled, understanding propriety. When your wound heals, you can often come to sit with me.”
“Alright,” Taohua agreed gratefully. “Once this concubine’s wound heals, I’ll certainly bring a gift to thank you.”
Nodding slightly, Mei Zhaoxue left her a pair of bracelets made of fine mutton-fat jade before departing.
“So wealthy,” Qing Taimarveled. “Even Her Majesty the Empress wears such bracelets.”
Taohua picked up one to examine, smiling lightly. “This Madam is good at managing people. She has a knack for winning hearts, befitting the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Ceremonies.”
“Does my lady think she can be trusted?”
Shaking her head and putting down the bracelet, Taohua said, “In this world, the only person you can completely trust is yourself.”
Qing Taiwas stunned, feeling a bit dejected. “My lady can’t even fully trust me?”
“I can entrust my life to you,” Taohua said seriously. “But I still can’t completely trust you.”
“…” If she could give her life, why was complete trust so difficult? Qing Taididn’t understand, but knowing her mistress’s thinking was often different from others, she didn’t dwell on the question.
“Since the Madam has come to advise us, we should be careful,” she said. “I’ll go pay attention to the people in the courtyard.”
“No need to pay attention. Just directly expel that maid who tried to get information from you the other day. Say she committed an offense and Zhengchun Pavilion doesn’t want her anymore.”
Qing Taiwas shocked. “So direct?”
“The Madam has given us an opportunity, shouldn’t we seize it?” Taohua smiled, her eyes full of cunning. “She wants to sow discord, so let’s go along with it and see whose person that maid is.”
She understood Mei Zhaoxue’s intention. She was telling her that someone wanted to harm her, and she was helping to block it. She even hinted that there were unclean elements in her courtyard. With things said to this extent, if she didn’t use the Madam’s name to expel that maid, wouldn’t it be a waste? Even if the person behind wanted to settle accounts, this account would certainly be on the Madam’s head. She could just enjoy the shade under the big tree.
Qing Tainodded and went to handle it immediately. Soon, cries could be heard in the courtyard.
“Miss Jiang, Miss Jiang! This servant has done nothing wrong, why am I being expelled?” Zhui Yu cried and shouted. “Please spare this servant! Please spare me!”
Taohua listened for a while, and when the voice was almost out of Zhengchun Pavilion, she said, “Bring her in.”
Qing Taicarried the little maid in with one hand and threw her in front of Taohua.
Zhui Yu trembled in fear, saying tearfully, “Has this servant done something wrong? Why is the mistress punishing me so severely?”
Maids expelled from this courtyard for wrongdoing would be directly expelled from the entire Chancellor’s mansion, and other courtyards wouldn’t take them in.
Taohua leaned against the headboard and looked at her, speaking softly, “A good servant doesn’t serve two masters. Do you understand?”
Turning pale, Zhui Yu looked up at her in disbelief. “How could…”
How could she know?
“I’m not very familiar with the situation in this mansion, and I don’t care whose person you are,” Jiang Taohua sighed, her gaze full of pity as she looked at her. “But the Madam personally said you’re not a loyal servant and have intentions to harm me. So Zhengchun Pavilion can’t keep you. Go.”
Zhui Yu shook her head repeatedly, too unwilling to accept this. “This servant has no intention of harming the mistress! Although I haven’t served to the utmost these past few days, I’ve been diligent. Can’t the mistress see that?”
“Time reveals a person’s true nature and a few days can’t prove much,” Taohua said. “I trust the Madam more than you.”
If it had been someone else gossiping, she might have had some room for explanation. But why did it have to be the Madam? Zhui Yu bit her lip, panicking, “This servant did indeed serve in Ruanyu Pavilion before, but Madam Meng didn’t like me, so I went back to do odd jobs in the back courtyard for a while before being assigned here.”
Madam Meng? Taohua raised an eyebrow. “So that’s how it is. You’re Madam Meng’s person?”
“Yes… no!” Almost falling for the trap, Zhui Yu cried anxiously, “This servant is only your person now. I no longer have a master-servant relationship with Madam Meng.”
“That’s none of my concern,” Taohua shook her head. “Keeping you would be disrespectful to the Madam. I’ve made my decision. You don’t need to say more. Qingta, drag her away.”
“Yes!” Qing Tairesponded, and Zhui Yu panicked even more, reaching out to hug a large vase nearby in an attempt to resist.
However, Qing Taiwalked over and picked up both her and the vase, sending them out effortlessly.
Taohua coughed lightly, sniffling, and hearing the screams outside, she was a bit worried the vase might break.
But Qingta’s skills were reliable. She threw the person out and returned the vase intact.
“Very good,” Taohua nodded and lay back down to rest.
When it was time to retire for the night, a maid in the courtyard gossiped, running to Qing Taiand whispering for a while. Qing Taithen relayed the message to her mistress.
“Madam Meng went to pay respects to the Madam late at night, saying she had some unpleasantness. When she came out, her expression was very difficult.”
Looking at it this way, it was Madam Meng’s person.
Taohua nodded, wrapped in her clothes. “Let them deal with the rest. They’ll soon forget about my small sin of stealing favor.”
Because of her injury, she couldn’t serve the lord, but the others in the courtyard could. The real battlefield for these women was coming up, and she wanted to stay out of it.
However, perhaps Madam Meng had been provoked because she came directly the next day. More terrifyingly, she brought Shen Zaiye with her.
“This concubine has something to report to my lord,” she said, biting her lip and looking at Taohua. “It concerns Miss Jiang, so I trouble the miss to dismiss her attendants.”
Taohua was sleeping comfortably. She half-opened her eyes to greet Shen Zaiye, then waved for Qing Taito leave.
“What’s happened?”
Shen Zaiye sat expressionlessly to the side, drinking tea. Madam Meng reached out and produced a drawing.
It wasn’t just any drawing, but that strange portrait of Jiang Taohua.
“Our Chancellor’s mansion has always been clean and free of rumors,” Madam Meng said softly. “I never expected such a thing to happen now. The Madam intended to hide it from you, my lord, but this concubine feels you should know.”
(End of Chapter)