Chapter 17: Breaking the Peace of the Rear Courtyard


    After wiping the water from her face, Taohua looked Gu Huairou up and down and said in a gentle tone, “So this is Lady Gu.”

Gu Huairou was taken aback, somewhat surprised: “You know me?”

“I’ve heard the master mention you.” Peach Blossom smiled: “The master said that in this courtyard, you are the one who pleases him most.”

Her? Gu Huairou pressed her lips together, her eyes filled with doubt as she looked at her: “Did the master say that himself?”

“Yes, it was tough for the master to go back and fetch something, and he specifically told me to stay in touch with you more often in the future. If he hadn’t said that, I would have never known you.”

Appearing envious as she glanced at her, Peach Blossom winced in pain and frowned: “I appreciate your kindness, miss, but I’m badly wounded now and can’t bear the cold. I need to change clothes immediately. Please step aside.”

Holding the copper basin, Gu Huairou pondered for a moment, then reluctantly nodded and said, “I’ll wait until you’ve changed your clothes before coming in to talk.”

“You…” Moss was furious. How could this person be so unreasonable? The mistress was seriously injured and needed rest—what more did she want to say?

Reaching out to press her down, Tao Hua smiled and nodded, “Fine.”

Gu Huaijiao left, and Qing Tai hurriedly brought dry clothes, helping Tao Hua onto the soft couch. “Why bother with her? It’s obvious she came to cause trouble!”

“I know,” Tao Hua said with pale lips, taking a sharp breath as she changed out of her wet clothes, frowning. “But this Madame Gu, she’s intensely jealous, acts without thinking, and loves to compete and win. Dealing with someone like her—if you ignore her, she’ll only hold more and more resentment, and in the future, she’s bound to stir up more trouble.”

Qing Tai was taken aback, looking up at her. “Mistress, do you know Madame Gu?”

“I don’t know.”

Then how did she know what kind of person she was? Moss was surprised, her eyes wide and round.

Without even needing to guess what Moss wanted to ask, Peach Blossom waved her hand to signal her to fetch dry bedding for the soft couch. Only after settling herself did she explain softly:

“The other day was supposed to be Madame Gu’s night to attend, but didn’t the Prime Minister come to Linwu Courtyard in the middle of the night? She probably found out that I was also in Linwu Courtyard at that time and thought I was deliberately trying to win favor. That’s why she came to cause trouble today. This shows that Madame Gu is jealous and acts recklessly. Someone smarter would never be the first to stick their neck out at a time like this.”

She just entered the prime minister’s residence, and the prime minister’s attitude wasn’t clear, yet the Gu family dared to come knocking on the door and do this. If that’s not stupidity, what is it? At least she still carries the title of a marriage alliance princess. What good does it do Gu to offend her?

Qingtai was taken aback. She tilted her head and pondered for a moment, thinking it seemed to make sense indeed.

However, the master only knew that Lady Gu had attended to him in his chamber the day before yesterday, yet he was able to follow the cause and effect, figuring out Lady Gu’s intentions so clearly?

A slight shiver ran through her as Qing Tai pressed her lips together, looking at her mistress with another layer of awe in her eyes.

“I understand.”

The peach blossom nodded gently, easing its body to lie comfortably upon the soft couch.

Just as the quilt was tucked in, someone outside asked, “Is Lady Jiang alright now?”

“…She’s fine.” With a response, Qingtai went to open the door, watching Mrs. Gu enter, then hurried back to Tao Hua’s side, keeping a wary eye on her.

Gu Huairou entered and sat down by the bedside, looking down at Jiang Taohua with a forced smile. “I was careless just now and splashed water all over you. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”

Taohua replied with a gentle smile, “I believe you didn’t mean to make things difficult for me. Such a small matter naturally doesn’t need to be taken to heart.”

A small matter? She had poured an entire basin of cold water over her! How magnanimous of her! The Gu family woman narrowed her eyes and said sarcastically, “You are indeed magnanimous, no wonder the Prime Minister dotes on you so lavishly.”

Jiang Taohua maintained her smile and asked calmly, “Does his current treatment of me count as lavish doting?”

“Is it really nothing?” Though she had initially intended to keep quiet, Madam Gu grew irritated by her indifferent attitude and said with a darkened expression,

“Just because of your injury, His Lordship had someone enter the palace to fetch the imperial physician, even as night was falling, throwing the entire Prime Minister’s residence into chaos. Yet you alone slept soundly!”

What? Taohua was stunned, blinking her eyes in disbelief: “His Lordship… sent someone into the palace to fetch an imperial physician because of my injury?”

“Exactly,” Madam Gu replied, scanning Taohua from head to toe with displeasure. “Looking at you, it doesn’t seem like your injuries are that serious. For His Lordship to be so anxious as to call for an imperial physician, isn’t that blowing things out of proportion?”

This was truly making a mountain out of a molehill. Back at the Southern Prince’s Mansion, her wounds had already been properly sutured and medicated. All she needed now was rest, so why invite the imperial physician? When had his heart ever been so benevolent?

As her thoughts churned, Taohua suddenly remembered what Shen Zaiye had said at the Southern Prince’s Mansion.

He had said, “Don’t get too proud. The only thing you can keep is your life.”

A chill ran down her spine. Looking at the attitude of the Gu family before her, Jiang Taohua felt her heart plummet into a bottomless abyss. The path ahead instantly turned pitch black.

So the master is truly angry? Since he can’t openly execute her, he’s resorting to indirect means to vent his anger, trying to find ways to torment her to death?

With so many women in this backyard, it’s obvious there are plenty of skilled players. He’s casually stirring up so much animosity for her—how is she supposed to calm it all down? A grown man, not challenging other men, but bullying a little woman like her—is that fun? Is it really fun!

Silently cursing Shen Zaiju’s ancestors resting deep underground, Peach Blossom forced herself to put on a pitiful expression and said:

“The injury was quite severe; I almost lost my life. After all, I came from Zhao State as a bride, and the marriage concerns diplomatic relations between the two countries. It’s only natural that the Prime Minister would be concerned about me.”

In other words, it wasn’t out of care for her that Shen Zaoye called the imperial physician; it was because she was a princess sent for a political marriage, hoping everyone would calm their anger.

I thought this excuse was pretty good and assumed Gu Huairou would believe it. But to my surprise, after hearing it, her anger only flared higher.

“Mistress, now that you mention it, I had almost forgotten. I’ve heard that women from your Zhao Kingdom are the best at bewitching hearts—no wonder you’ve captivated our master to the point of obsession, even going so far as to break the rules for you! Don’t try to use your status to deceive me; even our lady, the legitimate daughter of the Fengchang family, has never received such favor from the master. But you? Just from an injury, not only did the master search far and wide for ginseng and lingzhi for you, he even wants to break the household rules to stay in your Spring Contention Pavilion for three days!”

Huh? Peach Blossom was stunned: “Three days?”

“Do you think it’s not long enough yet?” Madam Gu scoffed coldly, “Don’t blame me for not warning you. The rules of this household were set long ago. Today’s chaos is all because of you, and this household will never know peace again! You set the example of competing for favor, luring the master away from my courtyard in the middle of the night the day before yesterday, and now you’ve monopolized him for three days, stealing the grace meant for Lady Qin and the others. In the future, others will surely come to fight for your favor and steal your grace—you’ll have to endure it all then!”

“Yue Tao, let’s go!”

Qingtai was dumbfounded, watching with wide eyes as Mrs. Gu stormed away in a rage. She turned to look at Jiang Taohua and asked, “Mistress?”

“Stop her!” Taohua commanded decisively.

“Yes, Mistress!” With an order to follow, Qingtai, who had trained in martial arts, moved much faster than Mrs. Gu and the others. She dashed forward and slammed her palm onto the door latch!

The main gate was tightly shut, Gu’s expression darkened as she turned back, “What does Lady Jiang mean by this?”

“Only through proper communication and dialogue between people can misunderstandings be avoided.” Peach Blossom smiled gently, her lips pale as she spoke weakly, “I don’t wish to be an enemy of everyone, nor do I intend to monopolize the master’s favor. Could Lady Gu please listen to what I have to say?”

Holding her handkerchief tightly, Gu Huaishuang frowned and said, “I don’t think there’s anything more for us to talk about.”

“As long as you and I are both serving the minister in this courtyard, there will always be things to discuss.” Peach Blossom looked at her sincerely and said, “Listening to a few words won’t do you any harm. But if you leave the Contending Spring Pavilion like this, you’re sure to face great hardship.”

Gu Huairou was taken aback and clearly skeptical: “What hardships could I possibly endure?”

“If I may be so bold to ask,” Peach Blossom smiled. “Who encouraged you to come to the Spring Contention Pavilion today?”

“…What makes you think someone encouraged me? You stole favor from me first—is it not fair that I came to say a few words?”

“Not at all.” Peach Blossom shook her head firmly. “As you said, I am currently being doted on by the master. If you weren’t manipulated or provoked by someone, why would you come to settle a minor matter from before at such a time? After all, that night, His Lordship did return to your Warm Serenity Pavilion.”

With a slight flicker in her eyes, Gu Huairou turned to look at the ground. “I came on my own initiative.”

“Is that so?” Peach Blossom chuckled softly. “Then perhaps I was overthinking. No one wanted to harm you; it was your own unwillingness to let go… If Master investigates this, being so overly particular, what do you plan to say?”

“What do you mean? I didn’t do anything today. It was just your maid who slipped and pulled my hand, making me spill water all over you.” Gu Huairou pouted. “Could the master possibly punish me severely for that?”

“Yes,” Taohua looked at her and said, “If you don’t believe me, go back and wait. The master will surely punish you harshly for splashing water all over me today.”

“…” Gu Huairou stared at her in disbelief.

Who does this woman think she is? She had been by the master’s side for almost a year now. How could she be punished severely over such a trivial matter? Even if the master valued her, it couldn’t possibly go that far!

“If you don’t believe me, leave a maid in my room, and then go straight back.” Peach Blossom said: “You can see for yourself, without me saying another word, how Young Master will handle today’s matter. If I am right, then set aside your prejudice for now and come talk to me again.”

Her face had already turned a ghastly white, yet her words remained full of confidence, making Gu Huairou hesitate.

Could it be that what this woman before her said was true? Was that person really trying to harm her?

No, compared to a stranger she didn’t know, she still preferred to trust the sister she had always been close to.

Qingtai released her hand, and Gu Huairou strode out of the room with her chin held high.

Only when she reached the door of the Contending Spring Pavilion did she turn around and say to a maid behind her, “You stay here and keep an eye on things.”

“Yes.”

Seeing that everyone had left, Taohua finally let out a sigh of relief. She instructed Qingtai to have Gu’s maid hide in the inner room and ordered everyone not to mention what had just happened. After that, she drifted back into a deep slumber.

“Has all the commotion ended?” In the study, Shen Zaiye asked while holding a book in his hand.

Zhanlu nodded: “I heard that Miss Gu directly doused Lady Jiang with water.”

    The hand turning the page paused, Shen Zaijie lifted his gaze in silence, then after a moment, chuckled lightly: “Really wonderful, so let’s step onto the stage now.”