Taohua was still nervous, after all, her wounds hadn’t fully healed, and she wasn’t sure if she could withstand his passion. However, she reconsidered, thinking that to capture a man’s heart, one must invest some effort. It was rare for Shen Zaiye to finally want to favor her, so she had to seize this opportunity and strive to conquer him in bed!
Yet, while the idea was beautiful, the reality was cruel—the subject was Shen Viper, completely immune to her charms, a Shen Viper who insisted on dominating even in the bedroom.
“My lord…” she pleaded.
“No matter how much you call, it’s useless.” With one hand, he grasped both of hers. Shen Zaiye whispered in her ear, his warm breath curling with a hint of wind, penetrating her ear.
Taohua’s entire body trembled, shaking gently, looking utterly pitiful. “Serving my lord is this concubine’s duty, how could it be reversed…”
“Then afterward, you can make it up to me.” Shen Zaiye smiled, his mouth immediately biting open the string of her undergarment.
She had seen shameless people before, but never one so brazen! Taohua shook with anger, but couldn’t show it on her face. She could only pretend it was nervousness, her gaze innocent and pitiful.
Unlike the first time at Hefeng Wu, this time Shen Zaiye was completely in control, giving her no chance. The man’s masculine aura and strong invasive presence pressed her down firmly, rendering her unable to move.
A pain shot through her neck, and Taohua’s toes curled. Feeling the warmth of the man on top of her, she couldn’t help but let out a soft moan.
Hearing her voice, the color in Shen Zaiye’s eyes deepened. He reached out to caress her body, like savoring an exquisite dish, slowly unwrapping the outer layers, appreciating, tasting, and finally swallowing her whole.
“Ah!” Taohua frowned, her hands finally breaking free, clutching tightly at the man above her.
“If you scratch me, you’ll have no food when you return,” Shen Zaiye said in a low, hoarse voice, his eyes tumultuous with emotion.
Taohua was on the verge of tears, the tip of her nose slightly red, her small mouth pitifully pouting. “You’re so rough, yet you won’t allow this concubine to scratch a little…”
Chuckling softly, Shen Zaiye’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he lowered his head into the crook of her neck, panting lightly, “No matter how rough I am, you should still behave, otherwise don’t blame me if you get hurt.”
Her face flushed crimson, and Taohua’s body turned a light shade of pink from his tone and words. She squirmed a bit, drew in a sharp breath, and fell silent.
In terms of teasing ability, she couldn’t hold a candle to this scoundrel Shen!
The moon peeked out timidly, hearing the shameless sounds from below, and hid half its face again.
Logically, with so many women in Shen Zaiye’s harem that he had been favoring, his stamina should have diminished somewhat, right?
However, after two rounds of futile resistance, Jiang Taohua dispelled this misconception.
Shen Zaiye must have been drinking ten-in-one tonic soup like water!
“Can… can we rest for a while?” she asked with tear-filled eyes. “This concubine still has wounds.”
Smiling lightly, Shen Zaiye tilted her chin up and kissed her, mumbling, “Weren’t you quite energetic just now?”
“…This concubine was wrong.” Taohua earnestly reflected, “This concubine will never again presume to challenge my lord’s dignity!”
“It’s alright,” Shen Zaiye said, his gaze profound as he hooked the corner of his mouth, looking at her seriously. “You can try to challenge more often.”
Jiang Taohua: “…”
Qing Taiand Zhanlu were originally guarding outside, but hearing the sounds from the room, they began to stand further and further away… eventually ending up outside the courtyard.
“Is it alright not to return to the Prime Minister’s mansion tonight?” Qing Taiasked.
Zhanlu shook his head, saying wearily, “As long as the master is happy.”
After all, he made the rules; he was the boss.
The night breeze blew gently from the courtyard to the Prime Minister’s mansion. Hearing the news that Lord Jiang was staying out for the night, the group of women in the mansion surely wouldn’t sleep well tonight.
Gu Huairou leaned against the headboard, clutching her belly and frowning as she looked out the window. Madam Meng stood in the courtyard, pinching her handkerchief, her gaze dark as she stared at the moon above. Madam Mei and Madam Qin weren’t asleep either, though they seemed more at ease than the others.
“Jiang shi indeed has captured the lord’s heart,” Qin Jieyu said, sitting in front of Mei Zhaoxue wearing a light robe, her face free of makeup, looking much more subdued. “I wonder how she managed it.”
Madam Mei pursed her lips, fiddling with the tea set on the table, and asked softly, “Is there any definite news from Madam Gu’s side?”
“Not yet, but I’ve carefully inquired with the doctor and the matrons in the mansion. Madam Gu indeed hasn’t had her monthly visit this month,” Qin Jieyu said. “There’s a possibility she’s with child.”
“Madam Meng was wronged, so the lord will show her compassion for a while. If Madam Gu is pregnant, the lord will surely pay more attention to her. Add to that Jiang Shi who has won the lord’s heart, I’m afraid the favor bestowed upon us will become less and less,” Mei Zhaoxue said in a low voice. “I’ll be fine; no one in this mansion would dare to bully the First Madam. But you, Jieyu, what will you do?”
Madam Qin frowned, pulling her gauzy robe tighter, and said softly, “If this concubine knew what to do, I wouldn’t be sitting here in your quarters in the middle of the night.”
She had an impulsive nature and didn’t see things as clearly as Madam Mei, so she often liked to listen to her advice.
Mei Zhaoxue lowered her eyes, thought for a moment, and said, “Didn’t Madam Gu have a grudge against Jiang Shi before? Although they seemed to have made peace, there hasn’t been much interaction between the two afterward. It’s likely they just let bygones be bygones and didn’t truly align themselves.”
“Now that you mention it, I do recall,” Madam Qin said. “Liu Shiyi has been saying that Concubine Jiang wouldn’t even allow the lord to visit Madam Gu alone, insisting on following along.”
“Then isn’t it easy to handle?” Mei Zhaoxue smiled. “Do what you do best.”
Qin Jieyu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood. She smiled and stood up to bow, “This concubine understands.”
While one courtyard was shrouded in dark clouds, unable to sleep well all night, the other pair were entangled until the fifth watch.
“It’s time for the morning court,” Taohua said, her eyes barely open, her voice soft and drowsy. “My lord, you should hurry and dress.”
Shen Zaiye got up, put on his robe, and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling her entire body into his arms to look at her.
She was so tired that she was nodding off, all her defenses and aggressiveness completely gone. She was like a soft, white rice ball, so soft that a single poke would make her yield.
The corners of his mouth curved up as Shen Zaiye reached out to pinch her cheek. “Shouldn’t you get up and help me dress?”
Covering her mouth to yawn, Taohua snuggled into his embrace like a spoiled child. “This concubine has no strength left. This concubine wants to sleep!”
Chuckling softly, Shen Zaiye still got up, tucked her entire body into the blanket, and then called out to the door:
“Zhanlu.”
Zhanlu entered with dark circles under his eyes, respectfully presenting the court robes.
This is why being a servant is hard—not only do they have to clean up after the master’s night of passion, but they also have to stand guard all night.
It’s truly bitter, genuinely bitter!
Shen Zaiye was in a good mood. After dressing and washing up, he instructed Qing Taito look after his mistress, then set out towards the imperial palace.
Taohua couldn’t sleep for long either. Just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Qing Taicame in from outside and called, “Mistress, it’s time for us to return.”
Rolling over, Taohua mumbled, “Just carry me back, I’ll continue sleeping for a while.”
Qingta: “…”
It seems she was truly exhausted. No wonder, there hadn’t been much rest throughout the entire night. It would be strange if she wasn’t tired.
Might as well let her sleep a bit longer here.
Qing Taisat down and tucked in the blanket for her mistress. Taohua had already fallen back into a sweet slumber.
Gu Huairou woke up early in the morning feeling unwell. Thinking it might be due to not sleeping well the night before, she didn’t pay much attention to it.
However, when she couldn’t eat breakfast and her stomach kept aching dully, she realized something was wrong and quickly sent someone to fetch a doctor.
Yuetao went out and returned shortly after, anxiously reporting, “Mistress, they say neither the doctor nor the medical women are in the mansion.”
“They’re not here?” Gu Huairou frowned. “Where did so many people go?”
“I heard they went out,” Yuetao said, pursing her lips. “They wouldn’t say more, but this servant guesses that since Concubine Jiang hasn’t returned yet, there must be some trouble again, and they’ve called for the doctor and medical women.”
Jiang shi? Gu Huairou felt a bit uncomfortable. Their alliance hadn’t brought her much favor from the lord, only making her punishment a bit lighter. Now was she trying to cause her trouble?
She began to doubt whether Jiang Taohua’s previous words were lies. What about the lord targeting her and trying to deal with her? Look at the current situation; she seemed to be increasingly favored, and the lord showed no signs of disliking her at all.
Could it be that Jiang Shi was using delaying tactics, just to protect herself before establishing a firm footing?
The more she thought about it, the more suspicious she became. Gu Huairou pulled Yuetao close and said, “Go out and inquire about what the lord has been doing recently.”
“There’s no need to inquire about that,” Yuetao said. “Everyone in the mansion knows that the lord has been with Jiang Shi lately. Even when he came to see you that day, Jiang Shi was with him.”
Hearing this, Gu Huairou felt even more uneasy. If the lord had been with Jiang Taohua all this time, why wasn’t she willing to put in a good word for her, so they could both enjoy the lord’s favor together?
She probably wanted to monopolize the lord’s affection and was unwilling to share it with her.
Gritting her teeth, Gu Huairou said, “Since there’s no one in the mansion, go out and invite a good doctor here. I can’t bear it much longer.”
“Yes!” Yuetao responded and hurried out.
Just as she left the mansion, she saw an old doctor carrying a medicine box and holding a banner that read “Xuanhu Hall.” Xuanhu Hall was one of the top medical halls in the capital, so its doctors were naturally trustworthy. Yuetao quickly approached and asked, “Are you a doctor from Xuanhu Hall?”
The old doctor nodded, “Practicing medicine to help the world is the motto of our Xuanhu Hall. Therefore, I’ve come out today to offer free medical services. If there are any patients in your household, this old man can help treat them, free of charge.”
This seemed reliable. If he were a fraud, he would ask for money. Since he wasn’t asking for payment, he must be from Xuanhu Hall.
Thinking this way, Yuetao quickly invited the doctor back to the mansion.
(End of Chapter)