Chapter 58

Chapter 58: A Reliable Man

Consort Lan was taken aback, glancing at her, “The Princess truly does not know how to speak. As the Emperor’s consort, I am also the Southern Prince’s mother in name, how could I not care for him?”

“This humble one knows her error.” Taohua quickly lowered her head, “Your Majesty, please do not take it to heart.”

That may be so, but she wasn’t foolish. If Consort Lan truly liked Prince Nan, why would she speak so stiffly, cutting the conversation short and asking him to pay his respects to the Emperor after just a few words? At the very least, she should have exchanged a few pleasantries and shown some concern to fulfill the duties of a foster mother, right?

Come to think of it, it’s strange. If Consort Lan is Shen Zaiye’s younger sister and Shen Zaiye is aligned with Prince Nan, why would she not only not favor Prince Nan but even seem somewhat averse to him? Could there be a story behind this?

“I am not a petty person, so you don’t need to be so tense,” Consort Lan said, glancing at her. “The Prime Minister is highly skilled at hunting. If you follow him, you’ll soon witness something extraordinary.”

“Yes.”

There was simply no way to carry on a conversation. The two of them strolled around casually, observing their surroundings, before they eventually began making their way back.

Lord Meng, the Minister of the Imperial Stud, was sweating profusely as he followed Prince Yu on a thorough inspection of the horse grounds.

“I didn’t expect Prince Jing would bring His Majesty here.” Prince Yu’s expression was grim. “You are absolutely certain there won’t be any problems, correct?”

This horse ground was located in a remote area. The temporary palace had been hastily constructed with minimal funding, and corners had inevitably been cut in many places. Prince Yu was deeply concerned that something might go wrong during the hunt, for which Lord Meng would bear the full responsibility.

“Your Highness need not worry.” Wiping the sweat from his brow, Lord Meng replied, “This humble official has already stationed men near the weaker sections of the walls. Should anything untoward occur, we will cover it up immediately.”

“Hmm.” Prince Yu frowned. “Shen Zaiye has been frequently around Prince Jing lately, likely intending to assist him. We must not give them any leverage. As for your daughter, this prince cannot be bothered to blame her further. Just make up for your mistake through meritorious service.”

“Thank you, Your Highness!” Meng Taipu bowed and added somewhat reluctantly, “Zhenzhen was repudiated simply due to the Liu family’s involvement. She herself did not commit any major wrongdoing. I hope Your Highness will examine the matter carefully.”

“What she has done, whether right or wrong, does not matter to me in the slightest,” Prince Yu said, pursing his lips as his narrow phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. “All I care about is whether she can capture the heart of Prime Minister Shen. But it seems she has failed.”

Lord Meng was taken aback, quickly bowing his head in respect.

Prince Yu raised his head, glanced at the azure sky, and softly murmured, “I wonder what Shen Zaiji has been thinking lately. It seems he really intends to favor Prince Jing, and that’s not good.”

Prince Jing already wielded the greatest influence; with the assistance of the Prime Minister, the position of Crown Prince would truly never have a chance to fall to him.

“Does Your Highness have any thoughts?” asked Minister Meng.

“It’s simple.” Prince Yu chuckled, his hands clasped behind his back. “If he has indeed decided to support Prince Jing, then we cannot afford to show him any mercy.”

“Your meaning is…”

Prince Yu extended his hand, making a gesture of slitting his throat.

Since they couldn’t be of use to him, they were now his enemies. For powerful adversaries, the sooner they were eliminated, the better.

At the temporary palace, Shen Zaìye sneezed and slightly furrowed his brow.

“Are you feeling unwell, my beloved minister?” the emperor asked with concern, holding a chess piece in his hand.

Shen Zaiye shook his head and smiled, saying, “Perhaps someone has been keeping me in mind. In such warm weather, it’s not easy to fall ill either.”

The emperor raised an eyebrow, reached out to capture one of his pawns, and chuckled lightly, “As the esteemed prime minister, second only to one person and above thousands, it’s only natural that many would have you in their thoughts.”

Before he could finish speaking, the voice of the Southern Prince sounded from outside, “Your son has come to pay respects to His Majesty.”

Due to the series of events that had occurred previously, the emperor had recently left a deep impression of the Southern Prince in his mind and waved for him to be allowed in.

Mu Wuxia, dressed in a white riding suit trimmed with red, looked exceptionally spirited. She approached promptly and performed a respectful salute: “May Your Majesty be well and at peace.”

“Rise, you may stand.” The Emperor glanced at her, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on his lips. “You are, after all, the most mindful of propriety, the first to come and offer your greetings.”

Mu Wuxia raised her head, offering a gentle smile. “As my tutor once said, etiquette must never be neglected. Only after paying my respects to Your Majesty can I attend to other matters.”

“Hmm?” The Emperor raised an eyebrow. “And what matters might those be?”

“King Jing’s brother asked me to patrol the mountains.”

Patrol the mountains? The Emperor’s expression remained unchanged, but his mind was clear. Patrolling the mountains was originally a task King Jing had taken upon himself, claiming he wasn’t afraid of hardship or exhaustion. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he’d passed it on to King Nan. Truly adept at seeking rewards and shifting responsibilities.

“In that case, you may proceed.”

“Acknowledged.” The Prince of Nan responded without even glancing at Shen Zaǐyé beside him, quickly retreating several steps.

The Emperor continued to gaze at the chessboard, though his thoughts were no longer on the game.

“Last time, my dear subject, when you evaluated my princes, you described the Prince of Nan as innocent and pure-hearted.” After a long pause, the Emperor softly spoke, “Yet I believe he is also earnest and capable. Despite his young age, he lacks the restlessness of the other princes, possessing the demeanor of a great leader.”

“Is that so?” Shen Zaǐyé lowered his eyes, replying indifferently, “I have not noticed. When it comes to capability, among Your Majesty’s sons, none surpass Prince Jing.”

Prince Jing? The emperor chuckled lightly, an ambiguous look in his eyes.

Previously, he had thought highly of Wuyin, but…never mind. There would be plenty of time to observe further, as there was no urgency in appointing a crown prince anyway.

After resting for an hour, the group was almost ready to set off. The emperor, full of enthusiasm, brought Noble Consort Lan onto a double-saddled horse and prepared to head up the mountainside.

“The Prime Minister should bring Lady Jiang as well,” Noble Consort Lan said with a smile, looking at Shen Zaoye. “As I was saying just now, since the Prime Minister excels at hunting, Lady Jiang would surely be in for a treat.”

The palace attendant had already led the two-saddled horse over, and Shen Zaijie nodded toward the emperor and the noble consort before reaching out to lift Taohua onto the horse.

“Finally, I have a chance to ask you,” leaning against his chest, Taohua whispered softly while gripping the saddle horn. “What is your relationship with Noble Consort Lan?”

His expression darkened slightly, and Shen Zaijie replied somewhat displeased, “Did you speak carelessly in front of her?”

“No, no,” Taohua quickly waved her hands. “I only heard her say that you are her elder brother.”

Brother? Shen Zaiye pressed his lips together. “You could say so, but it doesn’t matter anymore. Just treat her as the Imperial Consort.”

Doesn’t matter? Peach Blossom raised an eyebrow and looked at him, her eyes filled with a hint of mockery. “Your servant sees that Her Majesty still cares deeply for you. Could it be that in the past…”

“Silence!” Shen Zaiye’s gaze was sharp as a knife, and he scolded her in a low voice. “What kind of place is this? How dare you speak like that?”

Her heart skipped a beat, and Peach Blossom quickly covered her mouth and glanced around.

The emperor’s entourage had already moved ahead, surrounded by guards around their horses, but they were stationed at a distance and probably hadn’t heard anything.

“I know I was wrong,” she said, covering her mouth and speaking unclearly. “I won’t ask again.”

“Hold on tight!” Shen Zaive commanded in a low voice, urging his horse forward and breaking through the guards beside him as he took another path up the mountain.

The horse was moving too fast, frightening Taohua into screaming and wailing. No matter how tightly she gripped the saddle, it didn’t feel secure enough, so she ended up clutching the belt of the man behind her—that seemed far more reliable!

“Do you want to strangle me?” Shen Zaiye gritted his teeth and roared.

“I… I’m scared!” Peach Blossom was on the verge of tears: “Please slow down!”

“What’s left to hunt if we go slow?” With a cold snort, Shen Zaiye reached out, pulled the long arrow from behind him, set it on the bow, and shot it into the distance.

Peach Blossom hadn’t even seen anything yet when she heard a burst of cheers from behind, as a guard shouted: “It’s a rabbit!”

Can it even hit that? Peach Blossom was amazed, turning back to look at the person behind her and said, “I always thought you were a civil official, without any martial skills.”

“So you think all those swords and knives in my hidden compartment are just for show?” Giving him a disdainful glance while drawing another arrow, Shen Zaiji replied, “In your mind, what kind of person do you think I am?”

“A venomous snake covered entirely in golden scales.” Peach Blossom answered honestly.

Shen Zaiye: “…”

Will she never be able to forget the word “poisonous snake” for the rest of her life?

Fuming with anger, Shen Zaiye reached out and hoisted her into the air, suspending her mid-air: “As a reward for your honesty, the venomous snake wishes to gift you a pair of wings—fly away!”

As she spoke, she made a move as if to throw her out.

“My lord!” Peach Blossom cried in panic, flailing her limbs, on the verge of tears. “You mustn’t do this! You always demand that I speak the truth, yet you refuse to hear it. If that’s the case, you might as well just let me tell lies from now on!”

“Then tell me a lie and let’s hear it?”

“Master is the gentlest, kindest, and most handsome man in the world!”

He chuckled twice, but Shen Zaiju’s face turned even grimmer: “You’d better bravely fly away!”

“No!” Her hands clutching his clothes, Peach Blossom wrapped herself around him like an octopus, her eyes welling up with tears as she said, “Master is the best. Given how small and unobtrusive I am, won’t you just put me on the horse?”

Giving her a sidelong glance, Shen Zaiye snorted lightly and released his hand, allowing her to cling to him for dear life. He then calmly drew an arrow and shot it into the grass.

Something was pinned to a tree at the rear, and the guards hurried over to check, shouting, “A grass snake!”

“Wow!” Taohua shivered and whispered, “When he gets ruthless, he doesn’t even spare his own kind…”

“Jiang Taohua.” A calm voice came from above her head. “If you have the nerve, say that again.”

“I say, my lord, you are truly dashing, handsome, and extraordinary in bearing, a shining pearl within the great Wei Empire!” She rattled off the words in one breath, her face neither flushing nor her heart racing, her peach blossom eyes brimming with sincerity. “To have ridden with you for a single day, I could die without regret!”

Unable to feel angry but equally unable to laugh, Shen Zaijie simply shook his head, firing arrows with increasing ferocity. Small animals fell victim one after another, while the guards behind him cheered in unison.

A uniquely intense, masculine aura radiated from the man. Peach Blossom suddenly felt that if his heart weren’t so ruthless, he could be quite dependable. Nestling into his embrace, it felt as though even if the sky were to collapse, it couldn’t crush her.

However, if he hunts so many creatures, what if he ends up with more than the emperor?

The two of them made their way up the mountain, and as soon as they passed through the jungle, a sudden arrow shot from somewhere unknown. The lethal intent was overwhelming. Shen Zaive pulled Taohua down on the horse, barely dodging the attack.