Chapter 22: Let Her Stay


Playing it safe? Shen Zaiye raised an eyebrow. “Then what token do you think would be appropriate?”

Having inquired about this earlier, Peach Blossom spoke directly: “I’ve heard that you have a precious jade pendant you treasure dearly. Could it be temporarily entrusted to me? If I should meet my demise due to your actions, then ‘the person perishes, and the jade shatters’—how does that sound?”

Shen Zaiye’s face instantly darkened, the line of his jaw tightening sharply, as the light in the room seemed to dim considerably.

“No!”

Peach Blossom was startled, not expecting him to have such a strong reaction, and instinctively hunched her shoulders slightly: “Why?”

The person before the bed lowered his eyes, looking rather displeased: “I never part with that jade pendant. Pick something else.”

“… Oh, um, don’t get worked up just yet.” After sizing him up for a moment, Peach Blossom cautiously said, “If the jade pendant won’t do, how about money? You’ll place ten thousand taels of gold with the Southern King. If I die at your hands, the gold will be mine. How about that?”

His anger subsided slightly, and Shen Zaizhe looked at her with a strange expression. “If your life is gone, who will you give the money to?”

“Someone will always collect it on my behalf, so there’s no need for you to worry about that.” Peach Blossom smiled. “Ten thousand taels of gold is no small sum. As far as I know, the Prime Minister’s annual salary is only fifty taels of gold. Of course, other sources of income are undoubtedly substantial, and I’m not worried that you won’t be able to come up with it.”

He could indeed produce the money, but being manipulated like this by a woman still left him uneasy. “Is your life worth that much money?”

“I will prove to you that this deal is nothing but profitable for you. If I am still alive six months from now, I will return the gold to you in full—fair and square.”

Leaving him at the South Prince’s place was something Shen Zaiye had no objection to anyway, as he would have had to let him go even without this arrangement. For him, the condition was neither here nor there, but he didn’t agree right away. Instead, he looked Jiang Taohua up and down as if appraising her worth.

Standing tall, her face pale but her spirit unbroken, Taohua fixed him with a firm gaze, declaring: “This lady is worth every bit of that price!”

“Since we’re going to cooperate, mutual trust is essential.” Shen Zaiye reached out, gently clasping her neck. “I can agree to your demands, and you should serve me well in return, without any more thoughts of scheming.”

“Rest assured, my lord,” said Peach Blossom. “This humble one is very dependable.”

“If you’re so reliable, why did you still attempt to use seduction on me?” His eyes darkened, the hand on her neck tightening slightly as Shen Zaiye said with a mocking smile, “I can’t stand things that are too beautiful; I always feel like crushing them with my own hands. Would you like to try it?”

Her heart skipped a beat. Tao Hua quickly straightened up, shaking her head in alarm. “No, no, please calm down! I promise I’ll break this habit in front of you from now on!”

A habit? She was clearly trying to control him every time she saw him, searching for his weaknesses. If that was a habit, it was truly terrifying.

Snorting lightly, Shen Zaiye released her, watching as she timidly hunched her shoulders. He said irritably, “Later, I’ll have someone draft a contract for you, then send the gold to the Nanwang Mansion. You should rest well.”

“Master!”

Seeing that he was about to leave, Peach Blossom quickly called out to him, “Does the master truly believe that all your concubine needs to do is live like an ordinary woman in this backyard?”

Casting a sidelong glance at her, Shen Zaiju crossed his arms, “What else do you want?”

“Your concubine feels that the master’s gold was generously given, and continuing to lie around like this seems a bit ungrateful to you,” Peach Blossom said with a smile. “Has the matter with Prince Jing not been settled yet?”

His expression tightened, Shen Zaiye’s gaze darkened as he looked at her. “What do you know?”

“There’s no need for you to be nervous. What you wish to do, very few people are aware of.” Jiang Taohua pursed her lips and spoke with great composure. “Even if I know, I won’t utter a single extra word. Now that I am your person, I will only help you and never harm you.”

Shen Zaiye watched her with full suspicion, his hand beneath his sleeve slowly clenching.

Taohua pretended not to sense the killing intent and continued calmly. “Prince Jing is currently the most favored prince by the Emperor. If you, my lord, wish to involve yourself in the struggle for the throne, you must start with him. Previously, you wanted to use my death to create a rift between Prince Jing and the Emperor, then win Prince Jing’s heart. From this step, I can understand exactly what your attitude toward Prince Jing is.”

First win over, then use as a stepping stone, and finally kick aside.

Shen Zaiye’s disguise was excellent; given the current situation, people outside would likely think he was beginning to lean toward Prince Jing, and there should gradually be calls in the court to establish Prince Jing as the Crown Prince. Prince Jing was determined to win him over and had no suspicions of him, so Shen Zaiye’s move held great promise of success.

“I’ve ruined your plans, my lord, and you must still be somewhat angry. Why not let me step in and make up for this, how about that?”

Such bold words! Shen Zaiye sneered, “Do you think this is some trivial matter that can be easily resolved? Opportunities come only once—once lost, they’re gone forever. What could you possibly use to make up for it?”

Her head was a bit dizzy. Peach Blossom reached out to rub it, her breath weakened: “Forgive me for being blunt, but Master’s previous plan was probably somewhat hasty, with many oversights. Even if Prince Jing were to kill me out of hatred, he would at most receive a scolding from His Majesty, without creating too deep a rift. Moreover, it would inevitably arouse suspicion toward you.”

“I do have a way to make His Majesty doubt Prince Jing’s character without implicating you in the slightest.”

Shen Zaiye paused, the killing intent in his eyes slightly diminishing: “What method?”

“Let me rest for a while first. I’ll tell you when I wake up, as I always keep my word, especially when it concerns life and death.” Her face was ghastly pale. Peach Blossom forced a faint smile toward him, lay flat on her back, and closed her eyes with a frown.

Shen Zaiye: “…”

This was the first time someone had piqued his curiosity like this. How could this woman, who had just arrived, know so much? She seemed to have a thorough understanding of not only him but also the inner courtyard of the Prime Minister’s residence and even the affairs of the court.

How did she manage it?

He reached out and gently tapped her forehead. Looking at her pale, delicate face, Shen Zaiye couldn’t help but feel the balance in his heart tilt slightly toward the idea of “keeping her.”

Such an extraordinary woman would be a pity to lose, wouldn’t she?

If she could truly handle the matter of Prince Jing, then… he would have no reason to kill her.

Thinking of her injuries, Shen Zaiye reached out to lift the blanket, expecting to see some scabbing by now. But as he pulled back the covers—even without removing her outer garment—he saw a large patch of blood seeping through her white sleeping robe.

His expression darkened. “Zhanlu,” Shen Zaiye called out sharply, “summon the female healer and the physician!”

“Yes.”

Qingtai glanced up, her heart tightening. Disregarding propriety, she hurried forward, gently lifting Taohua’s robe and unwrapping the bandage to take a look.

“It must have torn when she sat up just now!” Furious, Qing Tai cast a reproachful glance at Shen Zaiye: “Couldn’t you have let her speak lying down? This wound was just starting to heal…”

Shen Zaiye pursed his lips: “She insisted on sitting up herself, and you’re blaming me?”

I’m not taking the blame for this! It’s obvious Jiang Taohua is just plain stupid!

The moss opened its mouth, but couldn’t find any words to say. She could only turn around and prepare all the medicine, waiting for the physician and medical assistant to come and re-bandage the wound.

Shen Zaijing leaned against the wall and watched for a while. When the medical attendant and the doctor arrived, he took Zhan Lu and went out.

“Is there still a room available in the Chunzheng Pavilion?”

Zhanlu nodded, “The side hall is empty.”

“Alright, I’ll rest in the side hall tonight. As far as outsiders are concerned, just say the Prime Minister stayed up all night taking care of Lady Jiang.”

Zhanlu looked up at him, somewhat surprised. “But didn’t you cooperate with Lady Jiang…?”

“During cooperation, she should demonstrate her value; otherwise, why would I agree to her terms?” Shen Zaiye chuckled lightly. “Jiang Taohua has a tough life; don’t worry about her.”

Zhan Lu’s heart skipped a beat. He shook his head like a rattle drum, his face filled with panic as he said, “This servant isn’t worried!”

“I’m just teasing you, don’t be anxious.” Shen Zaiye glanced at him and sighed. “Madam Jiang is truly beautiful; indeed, few men could resist her.”

He wouldn’t find it strange if men other than himself developed feelings for her.

Zhan Lu tensed up, quietly sizing up his master twice, feeling uncertain for the first time. By all accounts, the master’s words were spoken lightly and truly didn’t seem like he was about to assign blame, yet the aura emanating from him felt somewhat strange.

Shen Zaiye paid no attention to him. Entering the side hall, he freshened up and rested, no longer inquiring about the situation in the main room.

Peach Blossom’s injuries were severe, and once the wound reopened, the doctor and medical maid toiled for another two hours before withdrawing.

After a night’s rest, she opened her eyes, once again greeted by Shen Zaiye’s insincerely smiling face.

“Come on, get up and have some porridge.”

With a weak smile, Peach Blossom looked at him and said, “Is Your Lordship really that idle?”

“Not idle at all, but you didn’t finish what you were saying yesterday, and it has been weighing on my mind.” Looking down at her from his lofty position, Shen Zaiye replied, “After you make it clear, it will be time for me to attend the morning court session.”

Closing her eyes, Peach Blossom said, “Your Lordship only needs to tell me what His Majesty the Emperor fears the most. What I choose to do with that information is my own affair. Could it be that Your Lordship is also someone who enjoys watching the process unfold?”

The emperor’s taboo?

With a glance at her, Shen Zaiye asked, “If you don’t tell me the specific plan, how can I be sure you won’t bring trouble upon my Prime Minister’s residence?”

“I do not act in the name of the Chancellor’s residence,” Peach Blossom replied. “Once I step out of this estate, few in Great Wei would recognize me. What is it that worries you, my lord?”

That seems reasonable as well. Currently, only the Prince of Nan and he himself have seen her face; the Prince of Jing hasn’t laid eyes on her either.

After a moment’s contemplation, Shen Zaiye began, “What the Emperor detests most is princes who don’t know their place, acting on impulse. That’s why Prince Jing has always been steady and never stepped out of line.”

“I understand,” Peach Blossom nodded. “After resting for a couple more days, once the wound has healed a bit better, I will go take care of your affairs, Master.”

Two days? Shen Zaiye laughed. “The imperial physician said you won’t be able to get out of bed for less than half a month.”

“Can you afford to wait half a month?”

“I can’t wait.”

“Then that settles it.” Tao Hua chuckled softly. “What I plan to do, Master need not concern yourself with. Just wait and see the final result.”

People like them don’t care how difficult the process is; they only look at success or failure.