Chapter 23: Visitors from the Palace

Li Tinghan was speechless for a moment.

Shen Tubai suddenly raised her head, her expression tinged with timidity and hesitation as she asked cautiously, "What if I... what if I am not really pregnant?"

Seeing her like this, Li Tinghan found her utterly pitiful, yet he couldn't help but feel a desire to tease her. "Did you not hear Consort Lu earlier today? Faking a pregnancy to vie for favor is punishable by a beating with the bastinado."

A layer of moisture clearly gathered in Shen Tubai’s eyes. "My Lord, I..."

Li Tinghan hurriedly pressed a kiss to the corner of her eye, then sealed her lips with his own. As the bed curtains swayed gently, he did not forget to whisper comfort into her ear: "Don't be afraid, Xiaobai. You will surely bear a child for me."

Shen Tubai clung tightly to his neck. Had Li Tinghan looked into her eyes at that moment, he would have seen that they were completely indifferent, devoid of any emotion. She understood that by bringing the fake pregnancy into the light, she had secured Li Tinghan’s protection; even if the truth were exposed later, he would never blame her.

***

Frost Pavilion

Lu Yuan-shuang was entirely unaware that her so-called "scheming" had been laid bare in Li Tinghan’s eyes. She smashed everything in the room that could be broken, yet her frustration remained unquenched.

"Is that harlot a fox spirit reincarnated? How could Cousin believe such an absurd lie? Is he intentionally shielding her?" Lu Yuan-shuang frowned in confusion. "She is carrying another man's child, yet Cousin protects her like a precious treasure. Isn't he being a bit too generous?"

Seeing Lu Yuan-shuang venting her rage, Su Ye, who had been shivering on the floor, hurriedly spoke up: "The Prince is the kindest of souls. Perhaps, just like he did with Lady Qin, he only sees her as pitiful and doesn't want her to lose her life, so he’s playing along."

"Shut your mouth, you lowly wench!" Lu Yuan-shuang slapped her across the face without hesitation. "This was all your wretched idea!"

"Cousin is kind, not a fool. He can tolerate many things, but can he tolerate someone riding on his head and defecating?" Lu Yuan-shuang continued to curse with crude, rustic insults, her anger unchecked.

While Su Ye inwardly despised the lack of breeding in this noble lady, she quickly tried to distance herself. "There are countless strange tales in this world. Perhaps it is true, and our medicine caused the doctor from the Cui family to misdiagnose her."

"But a fake is always a fake. My Lady, just keep pampering her and wait to see what kind of monster she gives birth to."

Watching her smug expression, Lu Yuan-shuang kicked her in the shoulder and sneered, "Bitch, do you think I would still believe you? Do you expect me to continue indulging her? Every second she appears before me, I feel wretched."

"If I don't seize this chance to destroy her now, what if Cousin eventually traces the fake pregnancy back to me?" Lu Yuan-shuang had lost all trust in Su Ye.

"It won't happen, My Lady, it won't! So many days have passed; all traces have been wiped clean. No one will suspect us. My Lady, please, give me another chance!" Su Ye pleaded desperately.

Lu Yuan-shuang waved her hand, and two eunuchs immediately entered to drag Su Ye away. Before long, the dull, painful thuds of a wooden staff striking flesh echoed from outside.

Lu Yuan-shuang exhaled, yet the fire in her heart was not extinguished. She paced the room for a quarter of an hour before finally stopping.

"Yin Zhu, go and submit a token to the palace. Tomorrow, I am going to see my aunt and ask her to preside over this matter for me." As she said this, Lu Yuan-shuang finally regained her spirit.

Yin Zhu hesitated. "My Lady, she is just a concubine with no status. Is it really necessary to take this to the Empress Dowager?"

Lu Yuan-shuang’s face changed instantly. "What do you mean 'necessary'? My own aunt sits on the Phoenix Throne. Is it not a grave matter that I, in my cousin's own household, am being walked over by a lowly concubine?"

"Yes." Yin Zhu hurriedly knelt and slapped her own face. "This servant deserves to die; I was wrong."

***

Wutong Court

To make the performance convincing, Shen Tubai had cried in earnest for half an hour. When she woke from her nap, her eyes were so sore and swollen she could barely be seen.

Chunchan offered her a boiled egg and hesitated before advising, "Miss, please do not grieve so. Perhaps you should ask the Prince to decide the matter. He is the kindest of men; he would surely not blame you if he knew you had been schemed against."

Chunchan had been present during yesterday's events, and with her intelligence, she could guess most of what had happened.

But Shen Tubai only shook her head. She never entrusted her life to others; sometimes, the truth did not matter as much as the outcome desired by the one seeking it.

Shen Tubai wrapped the egg in a handkerchief, rolled it over her eyes, and smiled reassuringly at Chunchan. "Yesterday, you risked your life for me. I consider you to be on the same boat as I am now."

Hearing this, Chunchan knelt without hesitation. "This servant is now your person, Miss Shen. I shall serve you with all my heart and strength."

Shen Tubai personally helped her up. "I trust you. I will say no more—from now on, Wutong Court is yours to manage."

Chunchan looked up, overcome with excitement. "Thank you, Miss Shen! I will serve you with my life."

Chunchan had been bought as a servant at the age of ten. Because she was clever and quick-witted, Eunuch Luzhu had sent her to Shen Tubai’s courtyard. Among the young maids, she was the eldest and most steady, and she had long coveted the position of head maid. However, Shen Tubai had never been particularly close to any of them. The others, because of Chunchan’s strictness, had grown closer to Chunlan, who was born into the Prince's household. Chunchan had always feared that Shen Tubai would entrust the courtyard to Chunlan to curry favor with her parents. How could she not be anxious?

She had long since shed her initial contempt for Shen Tubai, seeking only a chance to draw closer. Now that Shen Tubai had granted her control of the courtyard, she was ecstatic.

Shen Tubai waved her hand with a smile. "There is no need to give your life. Just ensure that yesterday's events are never mentioned again."

"Yes." Chunchan agreed instantly. At this moment, she would have dared to enter a dragon’s den or a tiger’s lair if asked.

Shen Tubai had won over Chunchan, yet she could not fully set her mind at ease. Although she had cleared the path with Li Tinghan, she still did not know what the Cui family was planning. The Cui family’s message might not reach her easily this time, but if they made a foolish move that implicated her...

Shen Tubai felt a sense of agitation; she wished the Cui family would be purged and destroyed immediately. Unfortunately, the heavens did not hear her inner thoughts. The Cui family remained unscathed and sent no news, but Yin Zhu, Consort Lu’s maid, arrived with a smug expression to inform her that she would be taken to the palace tomorrow.

Li Tinghan, having received the news, sent Du Ruo to her.

"This servant once served in the Empress Dowager’s presence for a time," Du Ruo explained with a gentle temperament.