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Chapter 19: An Arrogant Man is Bound to Suffer
Yue Tao hurriedly rushed over, calling out in a fluster: \u201cMistress?\u201d
Lady Gu cried fiercely; though her wails were loud, she shed few tears. She grabbed whatever she could reach and threw it outside, unleashing a great storm of temper. Her outburst caught the attention of the maids and household servants passing by outside the Wenqing Pavilion. A few clever ones lingered for a moment, then lifted their skirts and scurried off to other courtyards to spread the news.
Gu Huairou was also the type to get rowdy without restraint. Despite Yuetao\u2019s repeated attempts to calm her down, she simply couldn\u2019t quiet herself until nearly half an hour later, her voice hoarse, and she finally settled down.
\u201cWhy go to such lengths again?\u201d Yue Tao whispered, \u201cWith the master\u2019s punishment this time, who knows how many people in the yard are just watching the show. If you start crying like this, won\u2019t they just become even more smug?\u201d
\u201cLet whoever wants to feel smug feel smug!\u201d With two sniffling sounds, Madam Gu said in a hoarse voice, \u201cI\u2019m feeling upset inside\u2014can\u2019t you at least let me have a good cry?\u201d
Yuetao simply sighed. Her mistress could occasionally be quite astute, but it was that pampered, spoiled temperament of hers\u2014once she started making a scene, she completely disregarded the consequences, caring only about her own momentary comfort. As a maid, Yuetao couldn\u2019t very well argue. She could only grit her teeth, fetch hot water, and help her mistress wash her face.
Lady Gu fumed with swollen eyes, her heart filled with resentment. Losing three months\u2019 allowance wasn\u2019t the real issue\u2014with her family\u2019s support, money was no concern. But being barred from attending the inner chambers for half a year? Half a year later, who would even remember her? Once she lost favor in this household, what use would she be? Who would continue to serve her and lend a helping hand?
I thought Madam Jiang was exaggerating, but she actually predicted it correctly.
\u201cYue Tao, have Jin Yu and the others returned from the Striving for Spring Pavilion?\u201d Gu Huairou suddenly remembered, turning her head to ask.
Yue Tao went out to take a look and soon returned, bringing in the little maid who had previously stayed behind in Spring Strife Pavilion.
\u201cWhat happened over at Spring Strife Pavilion?\u201d Gu Huairou frowned and asked.
\u201cMistress.\u201d Jin Yu knelt down and said, \u201cThis servant had been listening inside the inner chamber the whole time. Lady Jiang remained unconscious, and none of her maids lodged a complaint. Instead, they only said that it was you, Mistress, who accidentally spilled the water. Who would have thought that the master would still lose his temper and say he intends to make an example of you to enforce the rules.\u201d
\u201cEven with them making excuses for me like that, the master still lost his temper?\u201d Lady Gu didn\u2019t believe it. \u201cAre you sure they didn\u2019t do anything underhanded?\u201d
\u201cServant heard it with my own ears, Lady Jiang and her maid truly spoke sincerely for your sake, but the Prime Minister\u2026\u201d Jin Yu also couldn\u2019t understand what had come over the Prime Minister.
Gu Huairou fell silent, gripping her handkerchief and pondering for quite a while, both angry and puzzled.
His Lordship had never lost his temper with anyone before, and his punishments were always mild. Jiang Taohua is merely a newlywed princess who married into the wrong family. The state of Zhao is weak, and the title of princess is nothing more than an empty shell\u2014no power, no money. Why on earth would His Lordship treat her differently?
\u201cIf what I say is correct, then you should set aside your prejudice for now and come back to talk with me again.\u201d
Suddenly, the words spoken by Lady Jiang echoed in Gu Huairou\u2019s mind. Her heart stirred slightly as she beckoned Jin Yu over and whispered, \u201cGo back to Contending Spring Pavilion and keep watch. Wait until Lady Jiang wakes up, and when the master is away, return to report to me.\u201d
\u201cYes,\u201d Jin Yu replied, then respectfully withdrew.
Contending Spring Pavilion.
Jiang Taohua\u2019s condition was truly far from encouraging. The wound was deep, she had lost a lot of blood, and she had been struggling all along. When the imperial physician arrived, he was genuinely needed. Everyone in the entire Contending Spring Pavilion worked diligently through the night, managing only to salvage half of her life.
Shen Zaiye sat leisurely in the outer chamber, watching people hurry in and out with medicine and water. He remained focused on the documents in his hand, completely unmoved.
Qingtai felt a surge of annoyance. She thought to herself, if you don\u2019t care, why not just leave the room? But since you\u2019re staying, at least try to match the atmosphere\u2014show some worry or concern! That detached, indifferent expression was truly infuriating to behold!
It\u2019s also a good thing our master is clever, knowing to seek the support of the Southern Prince. Otherwise, given Shen Zaiye\u2019s heart of stone, he definitely wouldn\u2019t care whether she lived or died.
What kind of person have I married..
Shaking his head with a sigh, Qing Tai sat down at the bedside, holding the cold hand of the peach blossom, gently rubbing it to warm her up.
In her sleep, it seemed she was not at ease. Jiang Taohua kept frowning, as if running desperately, her expression extremely tense. Her pale lips trembled a few times, as though she were calling out something.
Qingtai was startled and couldn\u2019t help but lean closer to her, listening carefully.
\u201cScumbag\u2026 scumbag, stop right there\u2026\u201d
Huh? Moss was dumbfounded. She looked up at her master and then listened closely\u2014had she heard that right? It seemed her master wasn\u2019t being chased but was actually chasing someone instead?
She had entered the palace later and didn\u2019t know what had happened to her master in the past, but she had never heard that Jiang Taohua held any deep-seated grudges against anyone. Why would she be so fixated on someone even in her dreams?
Just as she was pondering this, a voice suddenly rang out from behind her: \u201cWhat is she saying?\u201d
Frightened to the point of nearly losing balance, Moss quickly rose and stepped aside, bowing her head as she said, \u201cMaster is talking in her sleep, it\u2019s hard to make out the words.\u201d
Raising an eyebrow slightly, Shen Zaiye actually sat down and leaned in to listen. But perhaps she had already caught up, for Taohua said nothing more, only her brows remained tightly furrowed.
\u201cWhat sort of habit does your mistress have?\u201d He chuckled softly as Shen Zaiye reached out to smooth her furrowed brow. \u201cFrowning even while sleeping\u2014she\u2019ll become quite unattractive in the future.\u201d
Following his hand with her gaze, Moss earnestly asked, \u201cDoes the Prime Minister find my mistress unattractive?\u201d
\u201c\u2026\u201d Withdrawing his hand, Shen Zaiye remained silent.
The person before him had now fallen into a more peaceful slumber, her face pale and weary, yet without a trace of disarray. Her willow-leaf-shaped brows, even when furrowed, evoked a sense of pity rather than any sense of unattractiveness.
There was a certain aggressive beauty to this woman, so when her eyes were open, he found them rather displeasing. Yet, as she lay there sleeping peacefully, she appeared quite endearing to him.
A young woman should properly engage in the subtle schemes of her kind\u2014not too foolish, but also not too clever. Someone like Jiang Taohua, whose intellect is excessive, tends to meet an untimely fate.
After all, the world still belongs to men, with no place for women.
Peach Blossom turned over, smacking her lips as she tried to curl up her body as she normally would. However, it seemed to tug at her wound, causing her to let out a muffled groan of pain.
\u201cCan\u2019t you sleep properly?\u201d Shen Zaime raised an eyebrow, reaching out to straighten her body, making her lie flat. He then grabbed a belt lying nearby and tied her feet to the bed. Finding another silk ribbon, he secured her shoulders as well, preventing her from turning over again.
Moss: \u201c\u2026\u201d
\u201cWouldn\u2019t this make Mistress uncomfortable?\u201d
\u201cIt\u2019s better than having her reopen her wounds,\u201d Shen Zaoye said, rising to his feet and moving the papers from the desk. He leaned against the edge of the bed and continued reading.
Glancing up at the sky outside, Qingtai was a bit surprised. \u201cAre you planning to keep vigil?\u201d
\u201cThere are only two hours left until dawn. Whether I keep vigil or not, is there really any difference?\u201d Shen Zaive casually replied, \u201cYou go and rest. Come back at dawn tomorrow.\u201d
Qingtai was taken aback and cast a worried glance his way.
How is this person\u2019s mind so hard to understand? A dignified Prime Minister keeping vigil for a concubine\u2014wouldn\u2019t that be unheard of? If he genuinely cared, why did he seem so indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with him? But if he didn\u2019t care, why would he stay here?
She couldn\u2019t figure it out. If her mistress were still awake, she could surely offer some guidance, but unfortunately, her mistress remained unconscious.
After hesitating for a moment, Qingtai chose to rest on the chair in the outer chamber. If anything happened, she would still be able to act in time.
Shen Zaoye simply wanted to go through the motions. By keeping vigil for Jiang Taohua, wasn\u2019t his desire to save her genuine? This could also serve as an opportunity to regain trust when news of it reached Prince Nan.
But why was this woman so restless in her sleep? She either murmured or tossed and turned, her brows furrowing and relaxing, relaxing and furrowing again, disrupting his concentration so much that he couldn\u2019t even focus on his reading.
Feeling somewhat restless, Shen Zaiye simply took off his outer robe, climbed onto the bed, and reached out to press her down, gently patting her shoulder as if soothing a child.
With this patting, Jiang Taohua really settled down, leaning against him, quietly falling into a deep sleep.
Could it be that she must snuggle up to a man to sleep comfortably? Shen Zaiye pursed his lips, giving her a disdainful glance, yet he dared not stop the gentle and light motion of his hand. The stark contrast between the expression on his face and the movement of his hands made him seem like he had shed the cunning skin of the prime minister, revealing the awkward nature of a child.
If Zhanlu were here, he would surely have been startled. Unfortunately, Zhanlu was off handling other matters, leaving only the two of them in the entire inner chamber.
As he continued patting, Shen Zaije himself began to feel drowsy, not knowing how much time had passed. In his heart, he maintained a high level of caution toward Jiang Taohua and knew he shouldn\u2019t fall asleep here. But he was simply too exhausted to move, and gradually, as he drifted into slumber, he struggled endlessly in his dreams, yearning to break free at every moment.
This tangled state of mind persisted until he awoke the next day.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself gazing into the eyes of Jiang Taohua\u2014clear yet tinged with a hint of bewilderment, staring at him in a daze. He could see his own reflection clearly in her eyes\u2014the same expression of confusion, completely unguarded.
A heavy feeling sank in his heart. Shen Zaije rolled over, pulled a robe nearby, and draped it over himself, his face turning grim as he strode away.
\u201cDoes he have morning grumpiness?\u201d Peach Blossom asked dazedly.
Moss, holding the water basin, said somewhat oddly, \u201cProbably didn\u2019t sleep well. Master, please wash your face first.\u201d
\u201cYeah.\u201d
After sleeping through the night and using medication, although Peach Blossom\u2019s complexion was still poor today, it wasn\u2019t as deathly pale as yesterday\u2019s. She barely managed to wash her face but still needed to continue resting.
\u201cHas something happened over at the Gu residence?\u201d
Qingtai nodded: \u201cJust as you anticipated, mistress.\u201d
This really is their usual playbook, isn\u2019t it? Jiang Taohua couldn\u2019t help but smile. If things were unfolding as she had predicted, she would have bargaining chips to negotiate with Shen Zaiye.
Deep down, Shen Zaiye held women in disdain. If she didn\u2019t make him realize her worth, he might very well decide that killing her would be the easiest solution. This time, he wanted to break the rules he had set in his courtyard and stir up the placid waters to gain something. She could help him with that.
However, if he intended to make her the target of public criticism, trapping her in this mansion so that she couldn\u2019t move freely and had no energy left to interact with the Southern King, then he was thinking too simply.
Arrogant men always have to learn the hard way.
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