Taohua frowned deeply, realizing that if Qing Tai could be subdued by him, it must have involved a rather unpleasant process. She felt extremely unsafe with this man in the mansion. If he ever developed improper thoughts, wouldn’t she be implicated?
While lost in thought, she saw the man before her suddenly pull out a pair of mandarin duck jade pendants. He handed one to her, smiling, “When I saw these, I thought they’d look good on you.”
Her mouth twitched slightly as Taohua accepted it, examining it in the moonlight. It was indeed an exquisite treasure, something ordinary families couldn’t afford. Judging by the craftsmanship and jade quality, it must have come from the palace.
“You’re giving this to me?” she asked.
“Yes,” Xu Yangui winked. “Are you afraid to accept it?”
Of course, she was afraid. This was a matching pair – if discovered, wouldn’t she be immediately accused of infidelity? Taohua looked up at him, inadvertently catching a glint of calculation in his eyes.
Trying to set her up? Raising an eyebrow slightly, Taohua casually tucked the jade pendant away. “Since it’s Master Xu’s kind gesture, how could I not accept? To return the favor, I happen to be leaving the mansion tomorrow. Why don’t I treat you to a grand meal?”
“My lady is truly grateful,” Xu Yangui grinned. “Alright, when and where shall we meet?”
“At a quarter past the Hour of the Monkey, at Guantong Bank,” Taohua smiled faintly. “There’s a Piaoxiang Restaurant nearby. I’ll take you there, and you can eat to your heart’s content. My treat.”
“Thank you, my lady.” Xu Yangui nodded with satisfaction, got up, opened the window, and disappeared outside.
Yawning, Taohua gazed at the window for a while, moonlight reflecting in her eyes, before getting up to lock it again.
Xu Yangui claimed to be a new guest in the mansion, but he was likely Shen Zaiye’s confidant all along, secretly doing some unsavory tasks for him. This man spoke sweet words, but his eyes held no kindness. It seemed he didn’t want her to have an easy time.
She truly felt wronged. Having done nothing bad, she had become a thorn in many people’s sides.
Sighing, Taohua pinched the mandarin duck pendant, thought for a moment, and then lay back down to continue sleeping.
Early the next morning, as Qing Tai was combing her hair at the dressing table, she caught sight of the jade pendant. Curiously picking it up, she asked, “When did you get this? I don’t recall the master giving it to you.”
There were two other maids, Qingyu and Xilou, tidying up the bed. Taohua glanced at them nervously and quickly put the pendant away, whispering, “Just pretend you didn’t see it.”
Qing Tai hesitated, then turned around and met Xilou’s eyes. Realizing others were present, she lowered her head and said, “I understand.”
Xilou observed the secretive behavior of mistress and maid. Being a clever servant, she wasn’t content to remain in the outer courtyard forever. She needed enough leverage to climb elsewhere. So she intentionally moved closer to Jiang Taohua and overheard her whisper to Qing Tai:
“At a quarter past the Hour of the Monkey, we’ll go to Guantong Bank to deposit something. This item is trouble; we can’t keep it in the mansion.”
Though she didn’t understand what her mistress meant, Qing Tai nodded instinctively and continued arranging the hairdo. Xilou watched silently, then left the main room. At lunchtime, she quickly went to Shounyun Pavilion.
Taohua saw everything but didn’t stop Qing Tai. After lunch, she sneaked out through the side gate.
“Don’t we have the master’s token?” Qing Tai whispered. “Why are you still so nervous?”
Looking around cautiously like a thief, Taohua slipped out the side gate before replying, “Of course, I’m acting nervous for others to see.”
“For whom?”
“The hidden people who don’t show themselves,” Taohua chuckled lightly as they boarded a carriage outside. She glanced at Qing Tai and continued, “Don’t be silly. Do you think all the recent gossip in the mansion appeared out of thin air? There’s an informant in Zhengchun Pavilion.”
Qing Tai’s eyes widened in realization. “Xilou? I’ve always felt that girl was strange. I even caught her outside your room late at night, as if eavesdropping.”
“When was this?” Taohua frowned.
“The day footprints were found in the courtyard,” Qing Tai explained. “I asked what she was doing, and she said she thought a man had been in the courtyard. I was so shocked I forgot to question why she was there in the first place.”
Nodding, Taohua said, “Then it’s most likely her. Besides you and her, no one else knows a man came to my courtyard.”
Slapping her thigh in anger, Qing Tai exclaimed, “She promised me she wouldn’t tell anyone, but she betrayed you! Now that we know, why don’t we go back and deal with her?”
“Why the rush?” Taohua laughed. “The fish has barely nibbled the hook. How can we reel it in so soon?”
Confused, Qing Tai asked, “There’s someone behind her? Impossible. The rules in the Xiang mansion are strict. She’d never stayed in any other courtyard before. How could she be helping others harm you?”
“People aspire to climb higher, just as water flows downward,” Taohua explained. “In Zhengchun Pavilion, you’re the only personal maid. The others are all menial servants. It’s natural for them to have ulterior motives.”
Seeing the logic, Qing Tai suggested, “Then why don’t we promote two people to the inner chamber when we return?”
“I don’t trust them,” Taohua shook her head. “Keeping them outside allows me to see who’s causing trouble, like this time. But in the inner chamber, it’s not so certain. Unless they’re as loyal as you, I won’t let my guard down just to keep them.”
Hearing this, Qing Tai was deeply moved. “To have such trust from my mistress, I could die without regrets!”
Taohua smiled, thinking that with Qing Tai’s intellect, it would be too difficult for her to cause harm even if she wanted to. But saying this aloud would be too cruel to Qing Tai. Someone as kind as she would surely choose to remain silent.
They soon arrived at Guantong Bank. Taohua chose this location not just for show; she had business to conduct here. After finishing, she’d see if the big fish had taken the bait. If so, it would be a successful trip.
“Madam, are you here to deposit money or valuables?” A clerk greeted them with a smile and a bow. “Please, come inside.”
“I’m depositing an item,” Taohua pulled out the mandarin duck pendant, smiling behind her veil at the clerk. “This item is somewhat special. Please listen carefully to my instructions.”
The clerk was stunned, inadvertently meeting her eyes. He exclaimed in amazement, “A celestial beauty… descended to earth?”
Taohua laughed, picking up her skirts as she walked towards the storage room. The clerk hurriedly followed, taking out a key to open a cabinet. “What would you like to store? Just write a loan note for our bank and sign it.”
“A loan note?”
“Don’t be surprised, madam. This is our bank’s policy,” the clerk explained quietly. “When you store items here, it’s as if our bank is borrowing them from you. So we need a loan note. If the item is lost, the bank will compensate you at full value. But accordingly, you need to pay a fee to store it here.”
“Alright.” Nodding with a smile, Taohua read over the loan note he handed her. After a moment’s thought, she had Qing Tai write a name on it.
“Someone may come to retrieve this item soon,” Taohua said, closing the cabinet and handing the key directly to the clerk. She spoke softly, “If an elegantly dressed lady comes asking, tell her outright that I stored something here. If she wants to take it, let her. If not, just keep it here.”
“Understood,” the clerk replied in a daze. “I’ll follow madam’s instructions exactly. Don’t worry.”
After putting away the loan note, Taohua turned and gave Qing Tai a meaningful look. The maid quietly went to the money deposit area and transferred a large stack of banknotes to Zhao Kingdom through Guantong.
This was the real reason she had asked Shen Zaiye for permission to leave. She had received many rewards in the Xiang mansion but had no use for them. It was better to send them back to Chang Jie, perhaps they could help him somehow.
Of course, she couldn’t let Shen Zaiye know about this, lest he think she was being disloyal. Although she was indeed being disloyal, there was a proper way to go about it. It was best to keep the marquis content while also satisfying herself. So some well-intentioned lies were necessary.
As they left Guantong Bank, Qing Tai’s sharp eyes caught several suspicious figures lurking by the entrance. She immediately wanted to go apprehend them. But Taohua, as if reading her mind, moved even faster, pulling her back and walking out nonchalantly.
It was exactly a quarter past the Hour of the Monkey. Xu Yangui had already arrived and was waiting impatiently, rubbing his stomach with a frown.
“Master Xu,” Taohua nodded to him from afar, pointing to the nearby Piaoxiang Restaurant. Xu Yangui’s expression immediately brightened upon seeing her. He followed her upstairs, where they chose a private room.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” he said.
“How could I not? When I promise to treat someone, I keep my word,” Taohua smiled, sitting by the window where she could see the entrance of Guantong Bank below. She sipped her tea, looking at the man before her. “Where did you get that jade pendant yesterday? It’s truly exquisite, I can’t bear to part with it.”
“You like it?” Xu Yangui raised a long eyebrow, clearly pleased. “The other half is with me. Do you know what this means, my lady?”
Nodding coyly, Taohua bit her lip. “It’s a pity I already belong to the marquis. I must disappoint your kind intentions, Master Xu.”
“I don’t mind,” Xu Yangui chuckled lightly, gazing at her. “As long as you’re willing, I’d go to the ends of the earth with you, growing old together.”
Look at that – typical sweet talk from a conman. Anyone with half a brain could see through it. It could only fool naive girls who believed love was all that mattered in the world.
Taohua glanced out the window discreetly and saw the suspicious figures from earlier leaving the bank. One ran towards the Xiang mansion, while another headed for Piaoxiang Restaurant.
They certainly moved fast.
(End of Chapter)