Since entering the household, Duan Yunxin had spoken little and never tried to steal the spotlight in front of him. In Shen Zaiye’s mind, she was a sensible woman who didn’t fight for favor.
But he wasn’t foolish. He hadn’t forgotten that Duan Yunxin was the daughter of Duan Shinan, an official in charge of granaries, who had significant private connections with Prince Yu – enough to be considered his faction. If anyone in the household was passing information to Prince Yu, Duan Yunxin would be the first suspect.
He had no concrete evidence against Lady Duan, so he initially employed the tactic of silence, hoping to pressure her into confessing on her own.
“My lord…” After a while, Lady Duan’s legs began to tremble. Her face turned pale, and cold sweat appeared on her forehead. She looked extremely nervous. “If you want to ask something, why not ask directly? Why frighten me like this?”
Shen Zaiye smiled slightly and looked at her. “Rather than asking, I’ve always preferred those who confess voluntarily.”
Lady Duan’s expression grew more uneasy. The handkerchief in her hand was nearly torn from her wringing. She exuded an aura of helplessness – weak and frightened, clearly hiding something from him.
“Still unwilling to speak?” Shen Zaiye’s smile faded as he looked at her. “Do I need to check the records of who left the mansion from last night to this morning?”
“My lord!” Duan Yunxin knelt, her brows furrowed in distress, looking utterly pitiful. “You don’t need to check… I, I admit my fault!”
Shen Zaiye’s heart sank, and his gaze instantly sharpened. “What fault are you admitting to?”
“Please listen to me,” Duan Yunxin bit her lip, her eyes brimming with tears. “I only just learned of this. Today, before dawn, Fuqu arranged to go out with a kitchen maid to buy vegetables. On the way, she heard some news… Fuqu is a maid I brought from my maiden home, and she’s used to following my father’s orders. Whenever she hears any news, she… she passes it on. She told me it was related to you, my lord. Only then did I realize she had done such a disloyal thing.”
News heard on the road? Shen Zaiye’s hand tightened slightly. “Where is she now?”
“…She knew she had done wrong and has already packed her belongings and returned to my maiden home.”
She fled quite quickly, but shouldn’t she have said where the information came from before leaving? Shen Zaiye was furious. He slammed his hand on the nearby rosewood table!
“My lord?” Lady Duan was startled and quickly shrank back.
Shen Zaiye stood up and walked out without a word. Zhan Lu followed beside him, glancing at him several times before saying softly, “This time, this servant can guess your thoughts, my lord. You know the information must have been leaked by Lady Jiang, so you’re angry.”
“Zhan Lu.”
“This servant is here!”
Shen Zaiye turned, looking at him with a gentle gaze, and said slowly, “If you dare to guess my thoughts wildly again, I will cut out your tongue!”
Zhan Lu: “…”
Why? He was the one who asked him to guess earlier, and now that he guessed correctly, he threatened to cut out his tongue. Covering his mouth dejectedly, Zhan Lu followed silently behind, thinking that people say women are fickle, but his master was no better than a woman!
Shen Zaiye didn’t go to Zhengchun Court but returned directly to Linwu Court, shutting himself in the room for two hours. Zhan Lu’s guess wasn’t wrong – only Jiang Taohua knew about his night outing, so if any information had leaked, it could only have come from her. At first, he thought she had no means to pass information to Prince Yu, but who knew she would use the maid by Lady Duan’s side?
Such a clever woman, clever to the point of being infuriating! What benefit could she possibly gain from doing this?
In the afternoon, Taohua enthusiastically made peach blossom cakes and brought them to the study to pay her respects. She thought that even if Shen Zaiye wasn’t favoring her, it was still necessary to maintain a good relationship. If this lord kept being angry with her, it wouldn’t do her any good.
However, just as she was about to enter the study, she was stopped by Zhan Lu.
“I’m just delivering some snacks,” she said, lifting the tray in her hands with a smile. “I won’t disturb the lord’s work.”
“Please return, my lady,” Zhan Lu shook his head. “The lord doesn’t want to see anyone.”
It’s not like he had smallpox, why wouldn’t he want to see anyone? Taohua pouted, lingering at the door with the tray for a while before asking Zhan Lu unhappily, “Are you sure I can’t enter?”
“Yes,” Zhan Lu nodded solemnly.
“Fine then,” Taohua nodded, stepping back and whispering to Qingdai, “Keep him busy!”
Qingdai complied, stepping forward to confront Zhan Lu. Zhan Lu frowned, “What are you trying to do, my lady?”
“Nothing much, just having her stand guard here to see if the lord is refusing to see only me, or everyone,” Taohua said with a smile before leaving Linwu Court with the tray.
Zhan Lu felt uneasy because Qingdai knew martial arts, and they had never sparred before, so he didn’t know her capabilities. Judging by the aura she exuded, she seemed ready to force her way in!
Helplessly, he could only focus all his attention on this maid, fearing she might find a weakness and break-in, angering his master.
Zhan Lu and Qingdai were similar people – skilled in martial arts but not so quick-witted. He never considered why Jiang Taohua had turned and left, focusing solely on guarding against Qingdai.
Taohua carried the peach blossom cakes out, circled to the back wall of the study, and after some thought, poured all the cakes into her sleeve pocket. Then, holding the empty tray, she began to climb the wall!
The walls of the Chancellor’s mansion weren’t as formidable as palace walls, so climbing them was merely strenuous rather than impossible. After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Jiang Taohua landed lightly inside the wall, then took out the peach blossom cakes and arranged them back on the tray.
These days, it was so difficult for her to deliver food to someone! It was only due to her perseverance that Shen Zaiye would get to eat such delicious cakes!
After praising herself in her heart, Taohua quickly ran to the window and swiftly pushed it open!
Shen Zaiye was frowning as he read a memorial when the window to his left was suddenly pushed open, startling him so much that he nearly threw the document.
“What are you doing!”
Recognizing her, his expression darkened further. “Do the rules of this household mean nothing to you?”
Taohua was shocked, feeling that Shen the Viper seemed particularly irritable today. Maybe she shouldn’t have insisted on coming.
But she had rarely made such delicious snacks herself – not burnt and not too sweet. Even Qingdai said they were good. She just wanted him to taste them. Why was he reacting as if she had threatened his life?
“I… I brought you some peach blossom cakes,” Taohua carefully offered the tray, looking up at him. “Zhan Lu said I couldn’t enter through the door, so I chose the window. I’m not trying to come in, my lord. Please don’t be so angry…”
Seeing her pitiful look, eyes blinking and lips pouting like a child who had done something good only to be scolded by adults, she looked utterly innocent.
In the past, Shen Zaiye might have softened, but today his expression remained cold. He glared at her and said coldly, “Take them back. Don’t come here without my orders.”
“…” Tilting her head, Taohua asked, “Did I do something wrong?”
“You’re very clever,” Shen Zaiye said with a mirthless smile. “So you don’t make mistakes.”
Even if she had truly done something wrong, with her silver tongue, she could always clear herself of any blame, so he didn’t even bother saying anything.
Taohua was somewhat confused. Her hands were raised high, the tray trembling slightly, her gaze bewildered. She opened her mouth to ask but didn’t know what to say. After some thought, she still brazenly pushed the cakes towards him. “Then please try them, my lord? I’ll leave as soon as you taste them!”
His gaze darkened, and Shen Zaiye swung his hand, throwing the tray onto the desk. He looked at her impatiently and called out, “Zhan Lu!”
Zhan Lu, who had been confronting Qingdai, quickly ran in. Seeing the situation, he was startled. “Lady Jiang, didn’t you leave?”
“I came back,” Taohua said with a dry laugh. Shaken by the murderous aura emanating from Shen Zaiye, she stepped back and said, “I won’t disturb you anymore, my lord. I’ll take my leave.”
With that, she ran away like a rabbit.
Shen Zaiye glared at Zhan Lu disapprovingly. “How can I trust you to handle things if you work like this?”
Zhan Lu immediately knelt and said earnestly, “Rest assured, my lord. Unless you order otherwise, I will never let Lady Jiang near this courtyard again!”
Pursing his lips, Shen Zaiye waved his hand. “You may go. Have someone add some nails to the top of the wall. How can I feel secure with walls that even women can easily climb?”
“Yes!” Zhan Lu complied and quickly retreated.
After all doors and windows were closed again, Shen Zaiye returned to the table and looked at the peach blossom cakes. Their pink color looked quite appetizing, but who knew what she might have put in them?
On the way back to Zhengchun Court, Taohua was very dejected. She couldn’t understand why Shen Zaiye was suddenly acting this way. Perhaps he was troubled by court affairs and thus treated her poorly as a result?
Maybe it would be better not to bother him for a while to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
“My lady,” Qingdai was even more worried. “Has the lord grown to dislike you?”
“It’s possible,” Taohua shrugged. “Let’s stay quiet for a while and see. Anyway, Lady Gu is sure to gain favor, and with her around, our days won’t be too difficult.”
“Yes.”
Her guess was accurate. That night, Shen Zaiye went to Wenqing Court.
As Gu Huairou welcomed him in the courtyard, she couldn’t help but marvel at how Taohua had predicted the lord would favor her today, and he came. How well did she understand the lord’s thoughts?
“This humble one is unworthy. I’m still in my reflection period, yet I receive the lord’s favor,” Gu Huairou said softly, bowing her head. “Isn’t this against the rules?”
“This entire mansion is mine. What rules can govern me?” Shen Zaiye chuckled lightly, reaching out to help her up. “Your father has been of great help to me recently. If I continue to mistreat his daughter, wouldn’t that make me heartless?”
Gu Huairou smiled, feeling very happy. If her father was willing to cooperate, her days would be much better.
Naturally, others in the household were displeased. Why could Gu Huairou serve the lord while still being punished? But on the second day after she served him, Shen Zaiye announced that all of Lady Gu’s offenses were pardoned. As long as she remained devoted and virtuous, all past transgressions would be forgiven.
“This is absurd!” Liu Xiangjun supported Lady Duan as they walked into the garden, saying, “It seems the lord has truly put Sister Meng out of his mind.”
(End of Chapter)