Chapter 112: Rotten Peach Blossoms

Jin Wenwen had been pining for years, her thoughts obsessive and stubborn, always believing she was different from the other women in Bai Mucheng’s life. She thought all she needed was for him to see her, to understand her feelings.

But that lowly woman kept holding onto him.

A hideous, clumsy creature claiming to have fallen in love with the prince at first sight? How shameless!

Jin Wenwen was determined to show Bai Mucheng the ugliness of her heart, to make him see how vile she truly was. She would make him regret ever being captivated by that woman.

Meanwhile, Bai Mucheng was busy with his affairs, but Tian Mi couldn’t help but wonder: was this the empress testing her? Did she really want Bai Mucheng to take a side concubine? Which family was she eyeing for a potential candidate?

At present, it was impossible for them to take action. Once the potatoes and winter wheat were widespread next year, and the common folk were living well, they could deal with anyone easily. The kingdom would stabilize, and they could handle everything effortlessly.

But for now, she decided to put these thoughts aside. She wasn’t going to internalize conflicts; let Bai Mucheng deal with them instead!

That evening, a grand banquet was held at the royal residence. A large bonfire blazed in the courtyard as young people sang and danced, the atmosphere lively and festive.

Tian Dabiao, now a distinguished guest at the emperor’s table, drank alongside the emperor, discussing the people’s matters in such a lively way that it made the emperor laugh heartily.

Prince Xian and his friends, including Huang Shengying and Xu Yunfei, gathered to drink and socialize.

The Lin sisters, along with Xu Feiyan and Chen Miaomiao, enjoyed the festivities, their laughter and joy filling the air. The youthfulness of the group was the true spirit of the celebration.

This year’s delicacies were particularly popular, especially the sunflower seeds and peanuts, which guests couldn’t stop munching on.

The Crown Princess and Tian Mi clinked their cups in a quiet exchange.

With a tone full of longing, the Crown Princess said, “I really miss the days at the border. Although it was harsh and cold there, it was far freer than the capital.”

Kings and emperors sought power, while women accustomed to freedom could only follow along.

Tian Mi didn’t say much, understanding that the Crown Princess probably just needed someone to listen.

Meanwhile, Jin Wenwen couldn’t take her eyes off Tian Mi, who held such a high position. Unless Tian Mi was willing to let others approach her, Jin Wenwen’s plan would be impossible to execute.

She watched Tian Mi closely, waiting until she saw her leave alone to the back. This was her chance.

Jin Wenwen quickly sent her maid to summon Xu Yunzhao.

Tian Mi, slightly tipsy, was heading to the restroom. In this time and place, it was rather curious—she, as a princess, couldn’t even go to the restroom without someone following her. It had always made her feel awkward, and from the beginning, she had refused the attendants. Over time, everyone had gotten used to her going alone.

The restroom in this era was more like a small building with two rooms—a sort of dressing room, since wearing these elaborate clothes made it difficult to relieve oneself without making a mess.

At large banquets like this, there was often a line for the restroom, so rich families trained their children to eat and drink less in these situations.

It wasn’t about poison or sabotage; the management was strict, but mainly to prevent embarrassment if someone ate or drank too much and couldn’t find a spot when they needed it.

For most people, eating lightly before meeting the emperor was a norm to avoid the inconvenience of needing the restroom, but Tian Mi didn’t have this problem. The people who accompanied her to the restroom were few.

On her way back, she noticed Xu Yunzhao standing by the fake mountain in the garden.

“Mi’er, Mi’er, what are you doing here?” he called, his voice full of surprise.

Tian Mi hadn’t expected to meet him there.

“Xu Yunzhao, how did you end up here? Who are you with?” she asked, curious.

Xu Yunzhao lowered his head in sorrow and replied, “I’ve been wronged and demoted to a servant. Mi’er, life is hard for me.”

Jin Wenwen had promised that if Xu Yunzhao could get her to his residence, she would make him the head of her household. No longer would he be mistreated by those low-ranking servants.

The people at Jin’s house were rough and uncultured, and they always took advantage of him, a delicate scholar. His life there was even harder than it had been in the Chen household.

Tian Mi grew cautious. Xu Yunzhao’s appearance here was an anomaly, and like all anomalies, it was backed by a reason—someone was pushing things along.

Her first suspicion was the Jia family, but she knew that ever since the Jia family had been cleaned up by her, they had been keeping a low profile. Anyone without money lacked the power to do harm.

Tian Mi decided to play along and see who was trying to scheme against her.

She asked with genuine concern, “Xu Yunzhao, who wronged you? How did you end up as a servant?”

Xu Yunzhao sighed deeply, “Mi’er, it’s a long story. If you don’t mind, please come to my place. I’ll tell you all about it.”

“Alright! Let’s go!”

Hiding in the shadows, Jin Wenwen sneered. Of course, they were childhood sweethearts; their relationship was indeed special.

But that lowly woman kept occupying him.

A hideous creature weighing more than a hundred jin dared to say she fell in love with the prince at first sight? How shameless.

She wanted him to know how filthy she was, how thoroughly corrupt. Let’s see if she’d dare to keep taking him from her.

As Bai Mucheng went off to handle his matters, Tian Mi’s curiosity piqued. Was this the Empress testing her? Did she intend to make Bai Mucheng take a concubine? Which family’s girl had caught her eye?

In the current situation, that was still impossible. But once potatoes and winter wheat were introduced next year, the old aristocracy would be well-fed, and once the world was stable, it would be easy to take down anyone they wished.

Forget it! I won’t think about it. I’m not getting involved in internal conflicts—let Bai Mucheng deal with that!

That evening, a grand banquet was held at the palace, with a large bonfire burning in the courtyard. The youth danced and sang, filling the atmosphere with lively sounds.

Tian Dabiao, now a guest of the emperor, drank alongside him. When asked about common folk affairs, Tian Dabiao was an excellent conversationalist, speaking vividly and making the emperor laugh heartily.

Wang Zixian introduced his friends, Huang Yuanying and Xu Yunfei, who got to know each other over drinks.

The Lin sisters, along with Xu Feiyan and Chen Miaomiao, were having fun, their laughter making the party even more lively.

The snacks at the banquet were exceptionally popular, especially the sunflower seeds and peanuts, which people couldn’t stop munching on.

The crown princess and Tian Mi drank together.

With a wistful expression, she said, “I really miss the days on the border! Though it was cold and harsh, it was far freer than the capital.”

The country was what men desired, but women who were used to freedom had to go along with it.

Tian Mi didn’t speak. She knew that the crown princess likely just wanted someone to listen.

Jin Wenwen looked at Tian Mi from a distance, wondering if she had any chance to get close. Her plan couldn’t be carried out unless Tian Mi was willing to let others approach her.

She was always watching Tian Mi’s movements, waiting for the right opportunity. When Tian Mi went alone to the back, Jin Wenwen felt her chance had come.

She immediately instructed her maid to summon Xu Yunzhao.

Tian Mi, having drunk too much, went to the outhouse. It’s interesting that in this era, even a princess like her had someone follow her to the outhouse. It was quite awkward. She had refused from the start, but over time, those around her got used to her not allowing anyone to accompany her.

In this era, the outhouse was indeed a small building, with two rooms. It was called a dressing room, and it was truly a changing room. Given the cumbersome attire, using the outhouse was really inconvenient and could easily get dirty.

In grand banquets, waiting in line for the outhouse was normal, so rich families taught their children to eat and drink sparingly in such situations.

It wasn’t to avoid poisoning or sabotage; the management of such banquets was strict.

Mostly, they were afraid that eating too much would prevent them from getting into the outhouse, causing embarrassment.

In the past, before seeing the emperor, people would only eat light food to reduce the need for the outhouse.

But that didn’t apply to Tian Mi. She had no such concerns. She had the right to use the outhouse without waiting.

So, the place was empty when she came back from the outhouse. To her surprise, she saw Xu Yunzhao standing by a rockery.

“Mi’er, Mi’er, what are you doing here?” Xu Yunzhao called out in surprise.

Tian Mi hadn’t expected to encounter him here.

“Xu Yunzhao, how did you end up here? Who did you come with?”

Xu Yunzhao lowered his head, sorrowfully saying, “I’ve been wrongly accused and sent here as a servant, Mi’er. It’s so hard for me!”

Jin Wenwen promised that if he could get her to his residence, she would promote him to be the head of the Jin family, and he would no longer suffer the bullying of the servants.

Most of the people in the Jin family were rough and uncouth, and seeing him, a delicate scholar, always treated him poorly—making life there even harder than when he was in the Chen family.

Tian Mi’s suspicion grew. Xu Yunzhao’s appearance here was an anomaly, and she realized that there had to be someone behind it, pushing things along.

Her first thought was the Jia family, though she knew that since she had dealt with them, they had been staying low. A person without money had little power to do anything bad.

She decided to go along with it and see who was trying to set her up.

Tian Mi asked, “Xu Yunzhao, who accused you? Why did they send you as a servant?”

Xu Yunzhao cried out, “Mi’er, it’s a long story. Would you mind coming to my courtyard and listening?”

Had this been the original owner, she would have followed him inside without hesitation. The original owner had never been afraid and could easily handle someone like Xu Yunzhao.

Tian Mi wasn’t afraid either.

Once inside, Tian Mi immediately smelled a sickly sweet fragrance. She quickly knocked Xu Yunzhao unconscious, exited the room, closed the door behind her, and entered the space. The whole process was smooth and fluid, leaving Jin Wenwen and her maid in the bushes outside without any suspicions.

“Done! Done! Cai He, go call the old nanny. Tell her I’m ill, very seriously, and beg her to arrange for an imperial doctor. Also, tell my brother to bring them over to me.”

Jin Wenwen dared not make a scene, drawing too much attention to herself. As long as the old nanny and the imperial doctor knew, the princess would die quietly, and the royal family’s reputation would remain intact.

Once Tian Mi entered her space, she could hear some movement. She quickly hid and listened.

“Hehehe! No one would ever guess that Jin Wenwen would try to harm her.”

Her maid immediately followed the order and left.

Jin Wenwen, with a vicious expression, said, “A lowly person dares to occupy Prince Ding’s heart? You don’t deserve it. Today, you’ve finally gotten ahead of yourself.”

Tian Mi appeared behind her, swiftly knocking her unconscious with a chop to the neck, then tossed her into the room with Xu Yunzhao, who was gasping for breath.

Without a second thought, Tian Mi left. These small fry weren’t worth her attention—they’d bring about their own downfall.

She bypassed Cai He and returned to the banquet, mingling with the crowd, and spoke to the Lin sisters and Xu Feiyan while observing. She noticed Cai He searching for the old nanny, and after Tian Mi apologized to the Empress, she hurried off to find the imperial doctor.

Tian Mi scoffed coldly. It seemed the old nanny had been bought off.

Tian Mi returned to her position, chatting with the Crown Princess and the Empress.

Tian Mi praised, “Mother, your complexion looks great recently!”

The Empress also felt that after using the special moisturizing cream Tian Mi gave her, her skin had improved.

She said, “It’s all thanks to you. Mi’er, don’t take what happened earlier to heart. I just wanted to understand your stance.”

Tian Mi wouldn’t take it to heart. Each era had its own circumstances. While she might not accept them, she couldn’t force others to follow her lead.

Tian Mi smiled and said, “Mother, you’re joking. It’s not a big deal.”

The Empress was very fond of Tian Mi’s open-mindedness.

Turning to the Crown Princess, she said, “Yun’er, I understand your feelings. I’ve been through it myself. I know that your position will be more difficult, but you need to understand that you’re not just a woman—you’re also a mother.”

Status is also a form of constraint!

The Crown Princess smiled and nodded!

The old nanny, with the imperial doctor and Cai He, rushed to Xu Yunzhao’s residence, taking a shortcut. They heard unpleasant sounds coming from inside.

Furious, Jin Mingzhe kicked open the dilapidated wooden door.

What he saw inside shocked him: his servant and his own sister were caught in an embarrassing act. Even though he barged in, he couldn’t stop them.

The old nanny immediately recognized the woman’s voice and turned green with rage.

“Mingzhe, deal with your family matters. Imperial doctor, please go ahead. General Jin won’t have time for this today. These servants are truly ignorant.”

The old nanny took the imperial doctor and left.

Jin Mingzhe stepped out, dragging Cai He to the courtyard for interrogation.