Chapter 37: A Woman Should Stand in the Background

Impatiently raising his head to glance at her, Shen Zaixia paused for a moment.

In the past, when she was at the mansion, Jiang Taohua always wore heavy makeup, which made her appear strikingly glamorous. Today, however, her face was clean and fair, complemented by an elegant and appropriate dress, making her look just like the girl next door.

Jiang Taohua had a gentle and clean appearance, one that made people feel comfortable and drawn to her, yet she always preferred heavy makeup. Though it still looked good, the heavy makeup was like wearing a mask, always keeping a distance between her and others.

After watching her for a while, he couldn’t help but ask, “Why don’t you usually dress like this when you’re at the mansion?”

“You like it?” Taohua was surprised. “Don’t you men all prefer women with makeup? Phrases like ‘lightly biting the rouge, cheeks brushing the fragrant cheek’ were written by you men, after all.”

A slight twitch at the corner of his eye, Shen Zaiye’s gaze darkened. “You read this kind of obscene poetry?”

“…” Forcing a chuckle, Peach Blossom played dumb and looked out the window. “The weather today is so clear and warm—perfect for a spring outing, isn’t it?”

Before she could retreat two steps back, her collar was grabbed. The next moment, she was lifted onto the soft couch by Shen Zaiye and placed right in his lap.

“Don’t always think about running when trouble comes.”

Her words were like the flickering tongue of a snake. Shen, the viper, held her, his hand gently stroking her temples: “When your lord asks, you must answer, understand?”

Shivering, Peach Blossom reached out to embrace him, burying her head against him and saying, “Your concubine understands.”

“To be honest, when my master was teaching the art of seduction, he would have me observe what a seductive woman looked like in the eyes of men, so I would read these kinds of poems. After reading many of them, they naturally came to mind.”

So that was how it was. Shen Zaicai nodded, thinking this seemed quite normal. However, by the time he came back to his senses, his body was almost numb from her tight embrace.

“Why are you holding me so tight?”

Peach Blossom kept her head down and said, “Master said this is a defensive move—you can’t hit my head this way.”

Shen Zaiye: “…”

What is this silly woman thinking about all day? As if he, a dignified Prime Minister, would ever lay hands on a woman?

Enraged, he laughed instead, grabbing her and setting her upright on the floor before the couch. “Stop fussing around. Prince Nan will be arriving soon. Go wait by the entrance.”

“Got it!” Peach Blossom nodded and took off running!

Was he really that intimidating? Clicking his tongue lightly, Shen Zaoye, feeling irritated, stood up and straightened his robe before heading out.

The weather today was truly wonderful, with sunshine gently enveloping people, evoking an urge to go on a spring outing.

“Let’s go on a spring outing!”

Standing at the gate of the Prime Minister’s residence, Mu Wuxia really did say such words. A pair of clear eyes looked at Peach Blossom, full of gentleness.

Jiang Taohua was taken aback, blinked her eyes as she looked at him, then turned to glance at Shen Zaiye behind her.

“Spring outing?” Shen Zaiye slightly furrowed his brows. “Your Highness and Madam Jiang?”

“Yes.” Mu Wuxia smiled, his two small hands clasped behind his back, his spine still straight and upright. “Today happens to be the Spring Festival. There are peach blossoms on Mount Yingxian. I would like to ask the Prime Minister if I could borrow Madam Jiang for a day to see whether the peach blossoms are more beautiful, or the person.”

The mansion prepared for half a day, and now the Southern Prince isn’t even going to enter? What was the point of her staying at Linwu Residence for all these days?

Sighing inwardly, yet with a smile still gracing her peach blossom face: “With only this humble concubine accompanying Your Highness, it seems improper. Why not bring the Prime Minister along?”

“There’s no need to worry about that.” Glancing at Shen Zaïye, Mu Wujian said, “I have guards with me, and you can bring your maidservants. That should suffice to avoid any suspicion.”

With that said, Taohua had no choice but to turn and look at Shen Zaïye.

The Prime Minister’s expression wasn’t very pleasant, but he forced a smile. “Your Highness, do you have some dissatisfaction with me?”

“Not at all.” Mu Wuxia replied seriously. “The Prime Minister does everything exceptionally well. I could not have any dissatisfaction.”

“Then what is today about…”

“Today, I simply wished to have a chat with Lady Jiang. With Your Excellency accompanying her, it would inevitably feel a bit awkward. Why not give her a day of leisure to accompany me for some fun?”

After finishing his words, he added with a serious gaze, “Don’t worry—what’s borrowed will be returned. I would never take anything from the Prime Minister by force.”

Shen Zaiye remained silent, his hands lightly twisting behind his back, his gaze gentle as it settled on the Nanwang.

A warm breeze blew through the doorway, causing the silk skirt on Jiang Taohua to flutter gently. The King of the South waited quietly, his gaze stubborn.

After a long while, Shen Zaiye finally spoke with a light laugh, “Since the prince wishes to, then go ahead. Though Madam Jiang is merely a lady of the household, she is a few years older than the prince, so you needn’t look after her. On the contrary, if the prince suffers any loss, this humble official will be sure to hold her accountable.”

Prince Nan furrowed his brows, gave him a thorough look, and said very seriously, “Chancellor Shen, with an attitude like yours, you will not be liked by women at all.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. The Minister may have a sharp tongue, but he would never bring himself to punish me,” Peach Blossom turned her head and gave Shen Zaiye a charming smile. “Thank you for your grace, my lord. I shall take my leave now.”

Shen Zaiye narrowed his eyes, wanting to ask her where she got the confidence to say he wouldn’t punish her. However, with the Southern Prince present, he could only nod in agreement, watching as the two of them got into the carriage.

The Southern Prince was growing increasingly shrewd, knowing that some matters required avoiding him to uncover the truth. Yet, while this tactic might have worked on other women, someone as clever and cunning as a little fox like Jiang Taohua wouldn’t court death even if he wasn’t watching her.

As the carriage disappeared into the distance, Shen Zaiye turned and returned to his residence, continuing to attend to official duties.

This time really counted as truly leaving the mansion to see the scenery of Da Wei. Peach Blossom sat in the carriage, her mood exceptionally good, and the way she looked at Prince Nan was incredibly gentle.

Mu Wuxia was a bit stunned by her gaze and couldn’t help asking, “Do you have a younger brother at home?”

“Huh?” Jiang Taohua was surprised. “How did you know?”

“Because my older sister used to look at me that way too,” Mu Wuxia chuckled softly. “No wonder I always felt close to you—you’re so much like her.”

I see, Peach Blossom nodded, thinking of Changjue and smiled. “My younger brother shares some similarities with Your Highness—full of righteousness, stubborn and persistent.”

“Am I stubborn?” Mu Wuxia was quite surprised by this evaluation. “Others say I am foolish.”

“If you were truly foolish, you wouldn’t have brought me out with you today.” Peach Blossom smiled as she looked at him and asked, “There are things you can’t ask at the Prime Minister’s residence, aren’t there?”

His expression turning serious, the Southern Prince nodded earnestly. “I brought you out this time to ask—has the Prime Minister continued to treat you harshly?”

“Not at all,” said Peach Blossom. “You saw just now that the Prime Minister has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Ever since we returned last time, he has been treating me very well. Speaking of which, I must thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank this prince.” His eyelids lowered, and the young prince gently clenched his hand resting on the cushion, as if struggling with something.

Peach Blossom waited patiently. She knew that the Southern Prince hadn’t brought her out just for this one matter—there must be other questions.

“You… have been living in the Linwu Courtyard all along, right?”

“Indeed, my lord has been unwell lately, and I have been caring for him in the courtyard.”

Nodding, Mu Wuxia cleared his throat and asked in a low voice, “Then do you know who he has recently met with in the mansion?”

Is he actually asking about this? Peach Blossom raised an eyebrow, blinked at him, and asked, “What does Your Highness want with this information?”

“Recently, I’ve felt that the Prime Minister’s behavior has been quite unusual, so I’m just asking out of curiosity.” Mu Wuxia smiled, his youthful face looking particularly tense, with a hint of guilt in his eyes. “Perhaps I shouldn’t be asking you, but aside from you, no one else in the Prime Minister’s mansion would tell me a single word.”

So that’s how it is, Peach Blossom pondered. There is an exceptionally close connection between the Southern Prince and Shen Zaiye, yet even on such a foundation, the Southern Prince is actually wary of Shen Zaiye.

Should she tell him or not? Shen Zaiye had only said that as long as the Southern Prince believed he treated her well, that would be enough. This matter was beyond that scope, and he hadn’t given any instructions either.

He probably hadn’t expected the Southern Prince to ask such a question either.

Raising my eyes to look at the young prince’s gaze, I found neither schemes nor calculation, yet it wasn’t exactly innocent either. The sixteen-year-old Prince of Nan already understood the ways of the world but had no intention of following the crowd into its cunning depths.

A slight ripple stirred within Jiang Taohua’s heart, causing her inner balance to tilt unavoidably in his direction. She lowered her voice and spoke softly:

“In recent days, Master, I’ve only seen a stout man late at night, wrapped in a cloak. I don’t know who he is, but… perhaps he has some connection to the Meng family.”

“A stout man? The Meng family?” Mu Wuxia was taken aback. After a moment of thought, he said, “The heaviest man in the court is Meng Taipu.”

Meng Zhenzhen’s biological father? No wonder the Meng family was cleared of the poisoning incident the next day. The price Meng Taibu paid must have been significant. Peach Blossom thought, unable to help but curl her lips, but she still looked at Nan Wang with even more curiosity and asked:

“Did this incident have any impact on you?”

“It has no effect at all.” Mu Wuxia snapped out of her thoughts, smiling as she looked at her and said, “But still, thank you for being willing to tell me.”

“There is no need for thanks; my life was saved by Your Highness,” Tao Hua said earnestly. “If there is anything I can do to help, I will always be by your side. Please do not hesitate to ask.”

Slightly taken aback, Mu Wuxia tilted his head and sighed with emotion, “You truly are like my sister. Even under the pressure from Prime Minister Shen, you are willing to stand by my side.”

His face was tender and fair, his eyelashes long and thick. When he smiled, two small tiger teeth peeked out, making Tao Hua want to reach out and ruffle his hair. However, mindful of their status difference, she could only bow respectfully and say, “If Your Highness does not mind, I would be willing to care for you like a sister.”

“Do not listen to Prime Minister Shen’s words,” Mu Wuxia suddenly turned serious, straightening his posture as he looked at her. “Earlier, he told you to take care of me, but that is not right. It is the man’s duty to care for the woman, regardless of how much older you are than me. You should stand behind me, not worry about how to look after me.”

Look how full of manly spirit that child is! Jiang Taohua was deeply moved, couldn’t help but actually reach out and pinch his face, her eyes filled with affectionate care as she said, “But Your Highness, you’re only sixteen, not yet of age, not quite a man.”