Chapter 13: Deceived by a Woman


His body trembled, and Mu Wuxia was stunned. He opened his mouth, about to refute, but as if recalling something, he lowered his head and began to think seriously.

Seeing his reaction, Taohua understood that she had probably hit the mark, so she continued, “Your earlier suspicion was correct. Under Minister Shen’s pressure, I deceived you. The marriage was indeed deliberately disrupted by Minister Shen, who forcibly married me, allowing you to receive compensation from the emperor. The Jing Prince faced the emperor’s rebuke, and you didn’t have to marry a powerless princess like me for a political alliance. It was a move that achieved multiple goals.”

“Afterward, you would inevitably suffer ridicule from many because I became the minister’s wife. Fearing that you might develop resentment toward him and wishing to spare you from further criticism, the minister planned to use the Jing Prince’s name to kill me today. In this way, you would suffer no loss, and the prime minister’s residence wouldn’t even need to hang white mourning banners—yet the one to suffer would still be the Jing Prince.”

“I never imagined that Minister Shen would use our marriage from start to finish as part of such a meticulously calculated scheme, nor did I expect that I, an innocent person, would become a sacrificial offering for the minister to elevate you!”

Looking up at Mu Wuxia, peach blossom eyes shed tears like a waterfall: “Does Your Highness not think I am innocent?”

Mu Wuxia’s brow furrowed tightly, his fists clenched: “Of course you are innocent! The affairs of the Great Wei court have nothing to do with you!”

After a pause, he asked again: “So these injuries of yours were also caused by Shen Zaijie?”

“Yes.” Peach Blossom pursed her lips, lowered her head, and gently smoothed the hem of her sleeve. “Today, the Prime Minister pretended to let me go to the appointment at Jing Wang’s North Gate Pavilion, but he ambushed assassins along the way to take my life. Although loyal servants protected me and I managed to escape, in this vast land of Great Wei, Prime Minister Shen wields immense power. Where is there a place for me to hide? In my desperation, I ventured to disturb Your Highness.”

“I believe the prince is not someone who indiscriminately kills the innocent or climbs over others’ corpses to rise in power, so I beg the prince to save my life!”

Jiang Taohua’s guess was nine out of ten correct. Moreover, no one had ever discovered the connection between Shen Zaiye and the Southern Prince. Hearing her words, the Southern Prince was already inclined to believe the majority of it, and the remaining doubt vanished when he saw the severe injuries on her body.

“Shen Zaiye truly is the greatest deceiver in this world!” Mu Wuxia was both furious and enraged. “What must I do to protect your life?”

“It’s simple,” Taohua said earnestly, looking at him. “All you need to do is make it clear to the prime minister that you are aware of his plans and ask him not to threaten my life, or else you will no longer trust him. You hold a unique position in the prime minister’s heart. By saying this, he will certainly refrain from harming me.”

“I understand,” the young prince said with a solemn nod as he stood up. “Now, I will go find a doctor for you and take the opportunity to invite the minister over for a conversation!”

Jiang Taohua was overjoyed, but her delight was short-lived, soon replaced by a look of concern. “Do we really need to invite the minister over?”

“Naturally,” Mu Wuxia replied. “If he doesn’t come, how will I confront him?”

“Confronting him is necessary, but…” Taohua pursed her lips, glanced at the Southern Prince twice, and whispered, “You must be careful.”

“How so?”

“The Prime Minister is eloquent and holds great power, likely pinning all the blame on me, accusing me of falsely accusing him and deliberately framing him.” With a pout, Taohua began digging a hole against her conscience, saying, “With his ability to twist black and white, he might even claim he never sent anyone to assassinate me today—that this injury was self-inflicted.”

Mu Wuxia frowned. “Absurd. Who would inflict such a severe wound upon themselves? His smooth talk has deceived me many times before, but this time, I will not be fooled again.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Jiang Taohua looked at him gratefully. “For helping me this time, I shall repay you in the future without fail!”

Waving his hand, Mu Wuxia said nonchalantly, “No need for you to repay anything. This is a matter of principle for me. In fact, I should thank you for providing me with evidence, or else I really would have had no way to deal with that swindler!”

With that, he flung his robe and rushed out.

What a righteous young man with a strong sense of justice! Peach Blossom felt that perhaps she had encountered too many wicked and sinister individuals, for every time she saw such a naive lad, she felt a pang of pity—he was too innocent.

If only people like him could remain innocent for a lifetime.

North Gate Pavilion.

Shen Zaiye maintained a composed demeanor while dealing with Prince Jing for a while before excusing himself, citing discomfort, and decided to head back home.

Originally, it was just the two of them who had arranged to meet. However, Shen Zaiye had initially planned to have Jiang Taohu go in his place. Once the significant matters were settled, he could simply claim that he had fallen ill and that Taohu had taken the initiative to attend on her own.

But unfortunately, with the great matter unaccomplished, he could only listen to Prince Jing for a long while before rushing back to the estate to check on the situation.

“My Lord,” Zhanlu frowned as he approached, “the estate has been searched; two of Lady Jiang’s dowry guards are missing.”

Faltering in his steps, Shen Zaiye fell silent, his expression growing somewhat unpleasant.

“There is another piece of news,” Zhanlu lowered his head and said, “word came from the Southern Prince’s residence; the young prince invites you over for a chat.”

Slowly closing his eyes, Shen Zaiye raised his hand and massaged his temples.

“It has truly been too long since I’ve encountered such a formidable woman,” he murmured softly. “To the point that I misjudged, mistaking a fox for a rabbit.”

From the very beginning, he had sensed something was off. It turned out it was because of Jiang Taohua. This woman had long seen through his intentions, methodically dismantling his strategies and ruining his plans. And he, he had only just realized it now!

What sickness, what foolishness—she had likely been putting on a grand performance for him all along, and he, he had actually believed it!

Absurd!

“To the Southern Royal Mansion!” Grinding his teeth with a low growl, Shen Zaiye swung onto his horse. His typically calm and expressionless face could not help but tense with a layer of anger.

Jiang Taohua, what a Jiang Taohua! He had schemed against others for many years, never expecting to capsize in the gutter, deceived by a woman! If he didn’t kill her, how could he quell the hatred in his heart?

“Hyah!” Galloping at full speed, Shen Zaiye kept his face tense all the way, with Zhanlu barely able to keep up from behind.

Arriving at the main courtyard of the manor, Zhanlu hadn’t even had time to say a word when a sword suddenly thrust straight toward his master.

Shen Zaije reacted faster than he could think, performing a sideways flip to dodge and reaching back to grip the hilt of the sword.

Mu Wuxia, boiling with anger, delivered a powerful sideways kick, forcing him to release the hilt and endure a few swift strikes.

Though the sword was unsharpened and incapable of causing serious harm, its strikes were still sharp and painful. Recognizing who wielded the sword, Zhanlu dared not step in to protect his master, watching anxiously instead.

What on earth had angered Prince Nan so deeply?

While dodging, Shen Zaiye was the first to calm down. In the final move, he grabbed the sword’s blade, chuckling lightly, “Your Highness, your swordsmanship has improved quite a bit.”

Mu Wuxia pursed his lips, withdrawing the treasured sword, and looked at him, saying, “This is the Slay Treachery Sword, taught to me by you.”

Slay Treachery—to slay all the treacherous ministers in the world.

Glancing around, Shen Zaiye narrowed his eyes and said, “Does Your Highness think I am a treacherous minister?”

Mu Wuxia furrowed his brows, standing upright with an air of unwavering integrity: “Those were your own words—that a loyal subject does not deceive a young ruler, does not oppose their will, and does not pretend compliance while secretly opposing. But what about you?”

With a heart full of confusion, Shen Zaiye smiled as he looked at him. “What seems to be troubling you, my humble official?”

“Your Highness, I always knew you were the type who wouldn’t admit your mistakes even if ironclad evidence was placed right before your eyes!” The Prince of Nan was furious, his brows nearly standing on end. “When will you finally tell me the truth? I already know about your plan to kill the Princess of Zhao and frame Prince Jing!”

Shen Zaoye nodded, glancing at the tightly closed door behind him, and said calmly, “I suppose it was Lady Jiang who came to the South Prince’s manor to lodge a complaint against your humble servant.”

“Shouldn’t she have reported it?” Mu Wuxia glared at the man before him. “What did you promise me before? And what are you doing now? Lady Jiang is just a delicate woman, bearing no grudge or enmity toward us. Why do you treat human life so lightly?”

He acknowledged she was a woman, but was Jiang Taohua truly delicate? A cold laugh echoed in his heart, yet Shen Zaive’s expression appeared remarkably sincere. “Your Highness, I believe Lady Jiang may have misunderstood something and is overly sensitive. I have never intended to harm her.”

“Misunderstanding?” Mu Wuxia’s face grew even darker. He gritted his teeth, refraining from immediate argument, and instead crossed his arms, asking, “What misunderstanding?”

“It has only been a few days since the incident with Your Highness and Lady Jiang’s marriage. During this time, Lady Jiang has been living in constant fear at the Prime Minister’s residence and even fell ill, so it’s understandable that her thoughts might wander.” Shen Zaive smiled faintly, speaking with great composure. “I have no idea why she would think I intended to kill her and frame Prince Jing. Today, when her carriage encountered trouble on the road, I was deeply concerned and have been searching everywhere for her.”

“Oh?” The young prince raised an eyebrow. “So you’re saying you didn’t send assassins to kill Lady Jiang today, and her injuries were self-inflicted?”

After a brief pause, a flicker of emotion crossed Shen Zaoye’s eyes. “Is Lady Jiang injured?”

“Yes, severe wounds, covered in blood.” The young prince said, “The assailant must have been merciless indeed.”

If he hadn’t checked the security details of the estate beforehand, Shen Zaïye might have believed that Jiang Taohua was actually attacked today. However, with her own people helping her escape, how could she end up with severe injuries? If those wounds weren’t self-inflicted, he’d be willing to burn the Shen family’s plaque for firewood!

“Your Highness,” he sighed, his voice grave, “You are new to the ways of the world, pure and honest at heart, and likely have not encountered many cunning, deceitful, and untruthful individuals, making it easy to be deceived. This humble official did not send anyone to assassinate Lady Jiang. As for the origin of her injuries, perhaps only she herself knows the truth.”

It turned out exactly as Jiang Taohua had predicted. Just look at how effortlessly he pushed the blame away—so clean and thorough.

With a cold sneer, Mu Wuxia took half a step back, looking at him sideways. “Prime Minister Shen, could you tell me why the Jiang family went out today?”

“Today…” Shen Zaiye smiled. “Jiang was simply bored at home and wanted to go out for a stroll on her own.”

“Oh?” His expression turning even colder, Mu Wuxia retreated another half step. “How did I hear that she was going to Beimen Pavilion to see Prince Jing?”

“You must be joking, Your Highness,” Shen Zaiye replied. “Now that Jiang has entered the prime minister’s residence, why would she still go to see Prince Jing?”

The young prince fell silent, gazing at him with profound eyes.

Shen Zaive looked composed and righteous, not at all like someone lying.

However, shortly after these words were spoken, someone came hurrying over from the side, kneeling halfway before Mu Wuxia and reporting, “Your Highness, Prince Jing has already left the North Gate Pavilion and has just arrived at the palace gate.”