"Mohua, go out for a while, I need to speak with Lord Zhao."
As their gazes met, a noblewoman of the Capital, dressed in a robe embroidered with hundreds of flowers and her hair in a matron's bun, her face as round and radiant as the moon, issued her command in a light tone.
"Madam... this..." The maid named Mohua expressed her concern.
"Go out." Her tone grew slightly cold.
Not daring to speak any further, the maid hurriedly tiptoed out, carefully closing the door behind her.
In the luxurious and elegant private room, only the man and the woman remained.
Pei Siniang stood tall, graceful as she approached, her gaze fleeting.
The private room faced the exterior, equipped with a row of red lacquered railings.
Inside, double carved doors were thrown open, providing an unobstructed view from this vantage point down to the main stage in the hall.
Not only was the view excellent, but it was also uniquely designed, using pillars to block the line of sight.
Neither the scattered patrons in the hall nor other guests in the adjacent private rooms could glimpse the faces of the nobility within "Yun Shui Jian."
"I am not called Mrs. Lv, call me Madam Pei Siniang," the noblewoman said as she gracefully took her seat, earnestly correcting him.
Her demeanor was neither the solemnity of a formal occasion nor the lazy relaxation typical within the intimacy of a bedroom but something in-between.
Zhao Douan's face appropriately conveyed an apology:
"Meeting for the first time, I was unaware of your aversion, Lady Siniang, please excuse my ignorance."
Lady Siniang... Pei Siniang's eyes twinkled, showing no resistance to this slightly flirtatious address, her lips curving into a smile:
"What if I choose to blame you?"
Her tone was not one of stern accusation but feigned annoyance, with a hint of teasing.
A stark contrast to scolding Zhu Kui.
Zhao Douan smiled and said,
"I happen to have a piece of news that might serve as an apology to Lady Siniang."
"What?" Pei Siniang asked, her inherent curiosity piqued.
Zhao Douan didn't respond immediately; instead, he picked up a jade pot and poured tea for them both first.
The fragrance of tea filled the air, the sound of music drifting in from the windows, a famous actor performing, and every seat in the main hall taken.
This was a feast that had captivated countless theater lovers in the Capital and a reason why wealthy merchants competed to be here.
Yet, the two in the best private room did not spare a single glance toward the stage.
"Does Lady Siniang know that Imperial Censor Lv has been misbehaving outside?" Zhao Douan feigned a sigh, "By a fortunate coincidence, I learned that Imperial Censor Lv had met with an unfamiliar woman recently. Their intimate behavior was disgraceful."
This statement was a complete fabrication.
Except for the instance provided by Yun Xi, Zhao Douan had no knowledge of whether Lv Liang had been unfaithful elsewhere.
But did the truth of the matter really matter?
As long as his fabricated story aligned with Pei Siniang's perception of her husband, that was sufficient.
As expected, upon hearing this statement, the noblewoman's face darkened instantly.
There wasn't a reaction of "surprise" or "fury."
Rather, it was disgust and annoyance at the loss of face.
Yun Xi's intelligence was obviously accurate... Zhao Douan felt a slight movement in his heart.
Through this probing, he had verified the intelligence.
"Lord Zhao, one can indulge in tea indiscriminately, but words must not be carelessly spoken!" Pei Siniang's face was frosty as she had to maintain a strong stance to defend her dignity.
Although in her heart, she believed the news almost entirely.
But after all, she came from a prominent family.
Even if she was far from clever, the instincts ingrained from a young age were enough to ensure she did not make any major missteps in her response.
"I understand that these words are unpleasant, but if Lady Siniang requires evidence, I could provide it..." Zhao Douan showed a look of sympathy.
Pei Siniang's chest heaved as she interrupted him. The famously feisty woman in the Capital stared at him with cold eyes, saying,
"If you invited me here just to spout this nonsense, you might as well leave now. Don't waste my time; I'm here to enjoy the opera."
She was on the defensive...
As if shooting at an abstract target, Pei Siniang suddenly fell to the ground.
Being publicly accused of her husband's infidelity was like having her dignity dragged through the dirt.
Clearly, she lacked cunning... Zhao Douan, with a slight smile, said,
"Does Siniang know what I'm thinking?"
Pei Siniang, with a knowing look, scorned,
"Everyone in the Capital knows your grudge against Lv Liang. Not long ago, he snatched a criminal right from your hands, only to be thwarted by Mr. Yuan who stumbled upon you. You seek revenge against him, so you come to me, hoping to use this ambiguous news to anger me, to have my father discipline him, am I right?"
The noble woman lifted her head proudly, like a proud peahen.
She felt she had seen through Zhao Douan's ill intentions.
No... you've only seen the first layer, while I am on the fifth...
Ironically, she didn't know Mr. Yuan was with me that day. Hah, Lv Liang truly has no face to speak the truth...
Zhao Douan felt a chuckle rising.
After all, she was but an "Princess" not used to hardship, although her insights and wisdom were far superior to ordinary women.
But in the eyes of an old hand like Zhao Douan, she was still too naive, full of openings.
A pampered, fragile vase—this was his impression of Pei Siniang.
"Not talking anymore? Cat got your tongue?"
Seeing Zhao Douan keeping silent, Pei Siniang laughed, as if she had regained her dignity.
She stood up huffily, intending to leave.
A good-looking, despicable scoundrel—this was her assessment of Zhao Douan.
But just as she took two steps, she heard from behind a magnetic, sympathetic sigh:
"Being under the same roof with someone you don't love, unable to separate, even unable to speak to outsiders about it, and even your own family doesn't understand... You must be very lonely."
In this male-dominated dynasty (excluding the Empress), few men would bother with such considerate words.
In this world, any cheesy love line copied from the internet in Zhao Douan's past life could have extraordinary impact.
Zhao Douan had forgotten where in his past life he had read a meaningful saying:
To be understood is a fundamental human need.
At that moment, his simple words, devoid of mockery but full of sympathy, cut deeply into the lonely noblewoman's heart.
"What... are you talking about?"
Pei Siniang turned around, her eyes complex as she looked at him.
The singsong on the stage wafted into the room, coinciding with a climactic part of the performance, pulling at her emotions.
Amid countless gazes.
On the stage, the "young male" and "young female" characters in costume stood on either side, gazing at each other from afar.
Zhao Douan sat by the window, his gaze deep and piercing, as if to envelop, to see through her:
"My lady, you surely don't want to spend your life with someone like Lv Liang."
"You deserve a better partner and fate."
"You shouldn't have to sacrifice your own happiness for filthy political gains."
"True, I do have a feud with Lv Liang, but do you really want to defend the honor, the career of a man who betrays you, keeping your grievances to yourself?"
"In fact, you and I could join forces to deal with our common enemy."
Join forces... our common enemy...
Pei Siniang didn't know how she ended up sitting back down across from Zhao Douan.
But she knew, every word from this man behind the Empress had successfully struck her heart.
Pei Siniang clasped her hands tightly, biting her lip, her eyes moist:
"What exactly... do you want to do?"