Lady Gu left with a clear conscience, though feeling slightly guilty. Although Lady Jiang had demanded a price for her help, she had still extended a helping hand, proving her kindness. Deceiving such a benevolent girl did weigh on her conscience.
However… who could blame her in this cruel world? It was either her or herself who would suffer; someone had to face misfortune. She only hoped Qin Jieyu wouldn’t be too harsh and would merely detain Lady Jiang for two days.
Sighing, Gu Huairou returned to Wenqing Pavilion.
Meanwhile, the kind-hearted Jiang Taohua smiled as she summoned Qing Tai After whispering instructions, she obtained a token from Mei Zhaoxue and left the manor in disguise.
Someone crouching at the gate observed that Miss Jiang was indeed brave, truly boarding the carriage alone without her agile maid.
In the carriage, Taohua rested her chin on her hand, looked at the note, and asked the driver outside, “Are you certain this is the address for Xuanhu Hall?”
“Certainly, I go there often and know it well,” the driver replied.
“I see,” Taohua nodded, yawning. “Then I’ll trouble you. I’ll take a nap; just call out when we arrive.”
“As you wish,” the driver responded.
The carriage rumbled along the road, leaving the city via the official route and heading towards the outskirts. The driver tensed as they neared the destination, when suddenly a voice behind him asked, “This isn’t the way to Xuanhu Hall, is it?”
Startled, the driver turned to see Miss Jiang wide awake, her eyes gleaming gently as she looked at him.
Flustered, the driver pulled the reins and said softly, “Indeed, it’s not. Lady Gu instructed me to take you to the wooded area ahead.”
“Oh? What for?” Taohua inquired.
“I don’t know,” the driver mumbled, his gaze unfocused and face showing guilt. “If you wish to return now, I can take you back.”
Smiling slightly, Taohua patted his shoulder. “No need. Just drive slowly. I don’t want to make things difficult for you.”
What a kind mistress! The driver was deeply moved, completely forgetting why he had suddenly switched sides—he had been paid handsomely!
The carriage continued along the small path. In the nearby woods, several people were already lying in ambush, waiting for her arrival.
Coincidentally, Prince Jing had also left the city that day, planning to arrange ceremonies at the foot of West Mountain to welcome the Emperor. Halfway there, he noticed movement in a grove to his left.
“What’s that?” Frowning, Mu Wuyin quickly waved his guards over. “Arrest them. During the Emperor’s tour, this area within ten li is restricted. No one should be here.”
“Yes, sir!” The guards drew their swords and charged forward.
Taohua was still smilingly stalling for time. Qing Taihad already gone to report to the authorities, but it was unclear when they would arrive.
“Good sirs, I bear no grudge against you. Why must you do this?” She glanced around and said, “If you need money, I have some banknotes. Why don’t you share them?”
The men in black remained unmoved, thinking about how much money could a young woman possibly carry.
Suddenly, Taohua pulled out thirty banknotes, each worth one hundred taels of silver.
Everyone was stunned. Their entire job was worth less than a hundred taels, yet this girl was willing to give them three thousand?
The leader hesitated, about to accept the money. However, one sharp-eyed man exclaimed, “Boss, the banknotes in her hand are fake!”
“What?” The leader raged, immediately raising his sword at Taohua.
Taohua laughed nervously, muttering, “The person who set me up wouldn’t give me real banknotes, would they? Can’t you overlook such details…”
Before she could finish, the leader’s sword was about to fall!
In that critical moment, Qing Taiflew in from the other side, throwing pebbles to deflect the sword. As she was about to lead the officers to rescue her mistress, she noticed people in official uniforms surging from the opposite direction.
“Wait!” Quickly stopping those behind her, Qing Taisquinted, sensing something amiss, and immediately signaled the officers to hide behind the rocks.
Prince Jing’s men quickly surrounded the small grove. The men in black were dumbfounded, never expecting this turn of events. They were promptly subdued, too shocked to resist.
Taohua blinked and looked back.
The guards parted, revealing a man in a brocade robe adorned with four-clawed dragon patterns. His face was refined, his eyes intense.
“How can it be you?” he exclaimed.
Taking three quick strides to reach her, Prince Jing grasped her shoulders, his face a mix of wild joy and anger. “What are you doing here?”
She wanted to ask the same—why was this man everywhere? Taohua was internally distraught but maintained a fragile, startled expression as she looked at him.
“My… my lord?”
“I’ve been searching for you so desperately!” Mu Wuyin examined her closely, wanting to be angry—after all, this woman had nearly caused him to be severely punished by his father.
However, seeing her face and innocent eyes, he found he couldn’t bear to. Instead, he pulled her tightly into his arms.
“From now on, stay with this prince. Don’t leave again!”
Taohua’s mouth twitched uncomfortably, her arms awkwardly outstretched, unsure whether to return the embrace or not. How should she handle this unexpected encounter? If she went with him, Shen Zaiye would surely chop her into pieces and stir-fry her with chili!
This sudden turn of events was truly a test of her acting skills and ability to improvise!
Taking a deep breath, Taohua pinched herself, quickly summoning tears to her eyes. She pushed him away, saying, “How could someone of my lowly status aspire to a noble like you? You had me kidnapped and expelled from the capital before, so why pretend to be deeply in love now?”
“What?” Mu Wuyin was bewildered, looking at her curiously. “When did this prince ever have you expelled from the capital? I’ve been searching for you all this time…”
“Liar!” Taohua turned away, covering her face with her sleeve in apparent distress. “All men are liars. You claim to care for me while sending people to harm me. Had I known all this would happen, I should have returned to my homeland from the start!”
“Don’t cry,” Mu Wuyin panicked, at a loss for what to do. He glanced at the onlookers and waved his hand. “What are you all staring at? Take these people to the prison. All of you, wait outside.”
“Yes, sir!”
The surroundings quickly quieted. Taohua hugged a nearby tree, frantically scratching at the bark while crying pitifully.
“Tell this prince, what exactly happened?” Mu Wuyin stood beside her, frowning. “This prince almost thought you were an imposter and was about to issue a warrant for your arrest. How could I have sent people to kidnap you?”
“That day at the gambling house, weren’t you busy gambling? I told you I was going to find my father, and you agreed. But as soon as I left, I was seized. They said I was bewitching you and couldn’t stay in the capital, so they took me to the outskirts. If kind strangers hadn’t passed by and saved me, I might have starved to death out there!” Adhering to the principle that the wrongdoer should be accused first, Jiang Taohua fabricated a story with great emotion. “Weren’t those people sent by you?”
Mu Wuyin was stunned, feeling wronged. “They truly weren’t sent by this prince!”
However, with so many advisors around him, it wouldn’t be surprising if someone had such intentions. It seemed he had indeed wronged her.
Sighing, Mu Wuyin stepped forward and took Taohua’s hand. “A thousand wrongs, ten thousand mistakes, it’s all this prince’s fault. Can you forgive me this once?”
Taohua closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. “It’s too late for that now. I already belong to someone else.”
What?
Like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, Mu Wuyin’s face paled. He grabbed her shoulders and asked, “How can this be?”
“Didn’t you see that I was being pursued by assassins today?” Taohua smiled bitterly. “It was the family that married me. The concubines in the household are too powerful and can’t stand seeing me favored, so they sent killers to take my life.”
What a seamless and logical story! Jiang Taohua felt she was truly brilliant!
Prince Jing’s expression was complex, his eyes filled with hurt. For a long while, he couldn’t accept this fact—the beauty who should have been his had become someone else’s. After all his sleepless nights of longing, she had become another’s?
“Who is he?” After a long pause, he asked in a deep voice. “If even the concubines in his household dare to kill, this prince should seek justice for you!”
Taohua’s legs nearly gave way. She looked at Prince Jing as if he were insane. “This… isn’t appropriate, is it? I have no relation to you, my lord. Your sudden intervention would only bring me more trouble.”
Hadn’t Shen Zaiye said Prince Jing was steady and cautious? This man seemed like a fool who lost all reason at the sight of a woman. Was she really that alluring? True, she had used some charms, but she hadn’t put in that much effort. Why was he so affected?
“This prince can’t accept this,” Prince Jing closed his eyes, his features etched with pain. “If you’re not living well with him, why not return with this prince?”
Taohua firmly hugged the tree beside her and shook her head.
Watching from afar, Qing Taisensed trouble and quickly sent the officers back to inform the Prime Minister.
Shen Zaiye had just returned to the manor after finishing some business, only to find Zhengchun Pavilion empty. As he was about to inquire about her whereabouts, someone reported from outside, “Prime Minister, Miss Qing Tairequests your presence in the grove on the outskirts of the city.”
The grove on the outskirts? Shen Zaiye frowned and glanced at the servant girls in Zhengchun Pavilion. “Who came here today?”
The maids cautiously replied, “Lady Gu came earlier. We don’t know what she said, but our mistress left to buy jewelry.”
(End of Chapter)