{"id":2952,"date":"2026-04-19T00:38:04","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T00:38:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/peach-blossom-overturning-the-country-the-princesss-gambit-14\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T02:00:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T02:00:24","slug":"peach-blossom-overturning-the-country-the-princesss-gambit-14","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/es_co\/chapter\/peach-blossom-overturning-the-country-the-princesss-gambit-14\/","title":{"rendered":"Peach Blossom Overturning the Country (The Princess\u2018s Gambit) 14"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 14: Have You Gone Mad?


Mu Wuxia trembled, lifting his eyes to Shen Zaije, whose expression remained unchanged.

\u201cDo you have nothing to say?\u201d he asked through gritted teeth.

Shen Zaije smiled slightly and replied, \u201cWhat is there to say? I had arranged to meet Prince Jing at the North Gate Pavilion today and had just parted ways. If you don\u2019t believe me, you can ask Prince Jing. This instead proves that Madam Jiang is lying. She wasn\u2019t heading to the North Gate Pavilion at all.\u201d

\u201cDo you find that convincing?\u201d Mu Wuxia sneered. \u201cJiang Shi is newly married and unfamiliar with this place. If not for your instructions, would she have left the mansion?\u201d

\u201cYour servant did indeed order her to leave the mansion, but for no other reason than to stroll around and see the sights of the capital.\u201d Shen Zaixian replied smoothly: \u201cI just don\u2019t know why she encountered assassins. Did Your Highness carefully examine her injuries?\u201d

Mu Wujian paused and shook his head: \u201cThere are differences between men and women. Lady Jiang is your concubine\u2014how could I look at her?\u201d

\u201cThen why is Your Highness so anxious?\u201d Shen Zaixian smiled: \u201cWhether she is truly injured or falsely injured, we must first get to the bottom of it.\u201d

\u201c\u2026\u2026\u201d

She stared at him for a long while, then thought it over. Mu Wuxia finally stepped aside, signaling him to go in first.

Shen Zaijie gave an elegant nod and unhurriedly stepped into the main room.

Jiang Taohua lay pale-faced on the bed, still clad in blood-stained clothes that hadn\u2019t been changed. Even with the blanket half covering her, the sight was still jarring.

The physician nearby, upon seeing them, clasped his hands together and said, \u201cYour Highness, Prime Minister, the young lady is injured on her waist, so this old man is not in a position to examine her. I have already summoned a female healer, who is on her way. For now, I have had her maids roughly bandage the wound and prescribed some blood-replenishing herbs.\u201d

\u201cCease your bustling,\u201d Shen Zaoye remarked with a light laugh, glancing toward the bed. \u201cEveryone else may leave now. It will suffice to have the Prince stay with me.\u201d

The physician was taken aback, lowering his head in acknowledgment. Moss remained motionless by the bedside, and it wasn\u2019t until Peach Blossom half-opened her eyes to glance at her that she rose reluctantly, exiting the room and closing the door behind her.

\u201cTo think the Prime Minister came in person.\u201d After struggling for a moment, Jiang Peach Blossom leaned halfway against the headboard, her eyes filled with wariness. \u201cHave you come to punish me, your humble servant?\u201d

Shen Zaiye looked down at her, a hint of mockery and amusement in his expression. \u201cHave you done anything wrong?\u201d

\u201cLeaking your plans was also a capital offense.\u201d Peach Blossom replied with a pale smile. \u201cIn my desperation to survive, I resorted to any means necessary. I hope you will forgive me.\u201d

\u201cYou wish to live\u2014no one will stand in your way.\u201d His gaze fell upon her bloodstained clothes, and the mockery in Shen Zaiye\u2019s eyes grew even thicker. \u201cBut someone originally living perfectly well now turns around to accuse me wrongfully\u2014what is your true intention?\u201d

Peach Blossom was taken aback, staring at him in shock. \u201cThis humble concubine accuses you wrongfully? Did you not send me to keep the appointment at Jingwang\u2019s North Gate Pavilion, intending to kill me and frame Jingwang? Isn\u2019t that the case?\u201d

\u2026That was indeed the truth, and Shen Zaiye truly couldn\u2019t fathom how this woman had discovered this fact. But now, in front of Nanwang, he absolutely could not admit it!

\u201cYou are overthinking it,\u201d he said calmly. \u201cI had no such intention.\u201d

\u201cNone?\u201d Peach Blossom sneered, clutching her waist, tears welling in her eyes. \u201cThen does Your Lordship mean there is someone else in the capital who dares to attack the Prime Minister\u2019s carriage? Who dares to harm a princess from the State of Zhao sent for marriage? What purpose would my death serve to anyone else?\u201d

\u201cThis injury of yours\u2026\u201d Shen Zaije paused, a faint smile curling his lips. \u201cYou may have deceived Prince Nan, but do you think you can deceive me too?\u201d

How could someone who had bled so much still be awake and talking? This blood doesn\u2019t look at all like human blood. It\u2019s clearly a well-directed play she staged herself.

Peach Blossom pressed her lips together. \u201cWhat does Your Lordship mean?\u201d

\u201cIt\u2019s very simple,\u201d Shen Zaijie smiled, turning to look at Mu Wuxia. \u201cLady Jiang is probably harboring some resentment toward this humble servant. Somehow learning that I hold Your Highness in great esteem, she pretended to be injured and came to my door to falsely accuse me, hoping to use this as leverage.\u201d

\u201cThough I don\u2019t know what she intends to threaten this subject to do, her motives are reprehensible and she cannot be trusted lightly!\u201d

Mu Wuxia frowned, \u201cAre you implying that the Jiang clan is feigning injury?\u201d

\u201cYes.\u201d Shen Zaijie reached out, pinching a corner of Taohua\u2019s garment. \u201cThis is likely pig\u2019s blood, which clots into lumps and appears purplish-red.\u201d

Slightly taken aback, Mu Wuxia looked towards Jiang Taohua.

Leaning against the bed, Taohua didn\u2019t even lift her eyelids, letting Shen Zaife pinch her: \u201cMy lord\u2019s skill in slandering others has truly become more formidable. I genuinely received a sword strike from someone; how could I possibly fake it?\u201d

\u201cHeh.\u201d Shen Zaife raised an eyebrow, letting out a soft chuckle as he leaned in closer to her. His voice was gentle and soft, yet filled with sarcasm: \u201cAre you truly foolish or just pretending? When it comes to injuries, one can tell at a glance. Do you really think you can keep up this charade to the end?\u201d

Peach Blossom\u2019s eyes glimmered like water, her gaze shifting slightly with a hint of challenge as she stared directly at him. \u201cThen let your lordship take a look.\u201d

Did she really think she could scare him off? Shen Zaiju couldn\u2019t help but chuckle, no longer caring about the Southern King\u2019s presence. He yanked the quilt off the bed and reached straight for her waistband.

Mu Wuxia was startled; after all, having been taught the ways of a gentleman, he immediately turned away.

Jiang Taohua\u2019s face turned pale, but she didn\u2019t struggle, allowing him to pull off her outer robe and reveal her fair, slender waist wrapped tightly in thick white cloth.

\u201cYour complexion really looks like someone who has been seriously injured.\u201d Continuing to fiddle with the white cloth, Shen Zaijie remarked nonchalantly, \u201cIf I hadn\u2019t seen your skill in applying makeup, I might have been fooled by you too.\u201d

\u201cIn Master\u2019s mind, am I really that impressive?\u201d Taohua laughed, her almond-shaped eyes curving into crescents. \u201cThen your heartfelt trust may have been misplaced.\u201d

Even if she knew how to apply makeup, she couldn\u2019t possibly paint a face so pale it resembled a ghost.

Shen Zaiye sneered, his expression clearly disbelieving, his hands moving nonstop. Losing patience with the endless layers, he simply exerted a fierce force and ripped them off in one go.

Even though she was prepared, Taohua was still in so much pain that her lips turned pale, and she gasped sharply.

The wound that had just stopped bleeding was torn open by his action, gushing with blood!

A three-inch-long gash, flesh torn open, its shape horrifying, stretching from her lower back all the way to her waist. Just looking at it was enough to make one\u2019s skin crawl.

Is there actually an injury?

Shen Zaizhe trembled heavily, the mockery on his face vanished completely, his expression stiff as he stared at her: \u201cAre you crazy?\u201d

How important a woman\u2019s body is\u2014how could she bear to make such a large wound? Moreover, even though this wound is on the waist, if it were just a bit deeper, it could be fatal!

Tears welling up from the pain, Peach Blossom managed to force a smile at him: \u201cIsn\u2019t this all thanks to you?\u201d

He hadn\u2019t planned to take her life, but she wouldn\u2019t have been forced into such a corner either! She was so afraid of pain and so afraid of scarring\u2014if it weren\u2019t for having no other choice, who would willingly suffer this blade!

That\u2019s right, she had prepared a bottle of pig\u2019s blood, but when dealing with a venomous snake like Shen Zaiye, fake blood simply wasn\u2019t enough\u2014real wounds were necessary. The pig\u2019s blood was only meant to make her appear more pitiful on the surface, to strike a deeper chord in the King of Nan\u2019s heart, not to fool anyone with it.

Shen Zaiye truly had underestimated her, and that slight underestimation was enough for her to catch him completely off guard.

And caught off guard he was\u2014the cunning and eloquent Shen Zaiye was now left speechless, his eyes like the biting winds of a harsh winter, so cold they made Jiang Taohua sneeze.

He should be thrilled, after all, in these two years in Great Wei, he has never met a worthy opponent. Finally discovering such a formidable character today means the days ahead will surely no longer be dull.

Yet for some reason, the sea of crimson before him made him feel terribly uneasy, his face ashen as if smeared with soot, his hands unconsciously clenching tight.

He had never seen a woman so ruthless toward herself. Was it really necessary to make such a deep gash? What if she didn\u2019t die by his hand, but by her own instead\u2014wouldn\u2019t that be utterly absurd!

What a madwoman!

\u201cJudging by Chancellor Shen\u2019s silence, Lady Jiang must be severely injured.\u201d

With his back to them, the young prince stood with hands clasped behind him, his voice low. \u201cSince the injury is so severe, the chancellor\u2019s earlier slander holds no ground. Have you anything more to argue?\u201d

The room remained silent for quite some time, but Jiang Taohua waited patiently. She knew that with Shen Zaiju\u2019s ability, he could at least fabricate five hundred words of nonsense, bewilder the young Southern Prince, and then pin the blame right back on her head!

So, she was already organizing her mental draft, preparing for the next round of counterattack!

However, unexpectedly, after a long silence, Shen Zaishan calmly replied, \u201cI did indeed intend to use King Jing\u2019s name to kill the Jiang family.\u201d

Peach Blossom was stunned, so frightened that she covered her waist and retreated deeper into the bed. Mu Wujian turned around even more fiercely, glaring at him angrily: \u201cYou admit it?\u201d

\u201cYes, but Your Highness should understand why this humble servant would do so.\u201d

Mu Wujia frowned, about to retort, when he seemed to suddenly remember something and his expression changed slightly: \u201cDid you go back on your promise to me?\u201d

\u201cThis is a different time now.\u201d Shen Zaiye looked up at him. \u201cDid you come to the Great Wei Dynasty intending to live a life of ease and comfort?\u201d

Slightly stunned, Mu Wujia fell silent, his expression a mix of anger and guilt, leaving Jiang Taohua completely bewildered.

What are these two talking about? The Southern King was furious just a moment ago, so why does he have that expression now?

Picking up the medicine set aside, Shen Zaoye slowly sat down by the bedside and reached out to grab Peach Blossom.

Startled by his sudden move, Jiang Taohua struggled and cried out, \u201cYour Highness, save me!\u201d

Mu Wuxia snapped back to his senses and was about to step forward to help, but his eyes were suddenly filled with the sight of fair, snow-white skin.

His face stiffened, and the young prince quickly turned away, gritting his teeth as he said, \u201cLady Jiang is already injured. Couldn\u2019t you be a bit gentler?\u201d

Shen Zaiye raised an eyebrow, pulling her into his arms and pinning her down. With a cold glance at her profusely bleeding wound, he sneered, \u201cSome people, if you treat them gently, only become more and more arrogant, unaware of their limits. It\u2019s better to handle this quickly, lest we add another life to the Prince of Nan\u2019s estate!\u201d

Tao Hua cried out in pain, but Shen Zaiye didn\u2019t hesitate in the slightest, pouring half a bottle of medicine directly onto the wound. Then, grabbing a piece of white cloth, he commanded in a low, stern voice, \u201cPress down!\u201d

Startled, Tao Hua trembled and tearfully pressed the gauze and cloth against the wound, then felt him begin to wrap it tightly around her, layer by layer.

Shen Zaiye\u2019s chest was sturdy, his two arms crossed over her sides as he took hold of the white cloth behind her, effectively wrapping her in his embrace, his breath brushing against her ear.


\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"novel":[],"class_list":["post-2952","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/es_co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/2952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/es_co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/es_co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/es_co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2952"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/es_co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/2952\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2997,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/es_co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/2952\/revisions\/2997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/es_co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"novel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/es_co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel?post=2952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}