Chapter Twenty-Nine: A Careful Pulse Examination

Following the honors bestowed upon Shen Tubai, the conversation she had with the Empress Dowager at the time spread like wildfire, sending shockwaves through the imperial court.

Lu Shang, the Junior Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices—who was the nominal father of Consort Lu—seized the opportunity to submit a memorial urging the Empress Dowager to ascend the throne.

This act was like a thunderclap on a clear day. The various factions, which had previously been simmering with hidden tensions, erupted into open conflict, clashing violently within the court. The Empress Dowager observed the entire spectacle without uttering a word. Only after the court was dismissed did she order the exile of Prince Yong, Li Tingping, and his entire family—who had been under house arrest awaiting judgment—to Lingnan.

The profound implications of this move were self-evident. For over twenty years, the late Emperor had been bedridden by a stroke, and the Empress Dowager had presided over state affairs from behind a beaded curtain; the ministers were long accustomed to her presence at the helm. From the moment Prince Yong had ascended the throne, the fact that she continued to listen to government affairs from behind the veil made it clear that she would never easily relinquish the power she held.

When the Empress Dowager deposed Prince Yong, the majority of the ministers did not rally around the elder Prince Yan, Li Tinghan. Instead, they supported the young Grandson of the Emperor to ascend the throne—a move that was, in no small part, an attempt to curry favor with the Empress Dowager.

Yet, no one had expected that her ambition would be so vast. She intended to pull down the very curtain that stood before her and accept the worship of the world in her own right, with full legitimacy.

Li Tinghan did not have much of a reaction to this outcome. As the Empress Dowager’s youngest son, with three elder brothers ahead of him, he had never imagined that the throne would ever fall to him. Now, it was merely that the person sitting on the dragon throne had changed from his brother to his mother; to him, there was little difference. However, those who had stirred up trouble during the transition of power would inevitably be the first to face his mother’s blade.

At the forefront of this was Prime Minister Cui. His mother had long harbored resentment toward the Cui clan and would certainly not pass up this legitimate opportunity to settle scores. Li Tinghan had previously concluded that the incident involving the Cui physician must have been orchestrated by the Cui family, and he was similarly displeased by their reaching into his private residence.

Yet, he felt that these matters had nothing to do with Wen’niang. Li Tinghan looked at Cui Xiwen, who remained restless even in her unconscious state in his arms. She must have known what the Prime Minister was doing, and being caught between her father and him must have been agonizing. At the thought of this, his gaze grew increasingly tender.

If Shen Tubai knew what he was thinking, she would surely have rolled her eyes to the heavens. The woman was practically forcing his concubine to cuckold him, and he was still sitting there feeling tenderhearted.

Alas, Shen Tubai had no idea what was running through Li Tinghan’s mind at this moment. She was waiting to see how Cui Xiwen would handle the situation. If the physician confirmed a pregnancy, even if Li Tinghan were magnanimous, she would never be able to step foot in the Prince Yan’s mansion again. And if she confessed to the fake pregnancy medication, the image she had spent half her life cultivating in front of Li Tinghan would vanish in an instant.

Moreover, Cui Xiwen had claimed that taking that pill would mimic the symptoms of pregnancy for the next nine months; Shen Tubai did not believe for a second that it was anything benign.

Sure enough, after about a breath’s time, the person in Li Tinghan’s arms began to stir. "Your Highness? What happened to me?"

Li Tinghan held her tenderly. "It is nothing. You were simply exhausted."

Shen Tubai watched the scene with cold, detached eyes.

At that moment, Cui Xiwen seemed to notice how close she was to Li Tinghan. She quickly pulled back, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson, and she made a flustered attempt to leave. "It is against propriety to offend Your Highness. This daughter of the Cui family shall take her leave."

Shen Tubai mentally gave her a thumbs-up; this acting was almost on par with her own. "The physician will be here momentarily. Wouldn't you like to be examined before you go, Miss Cui?"

"Indeed," Li Tinghan said, enjoying the sight of Wen’niang’s bashfulness. He chimed in immediately, "You are not feeling well; how can I be at ease if you leave now? Wait until the physician has seen you."

Ordinarily, Cui Xiwen would have readily agreed, but now she waved her hands and shook her head. "I am just tired. I will feel better once I go back and rest."

Shen Tubai added with a chilly tone, "If you are unwell, it is best to see a physician. Miss Cui, you must not avoid medical treatment out of fear."

Cui Xiwen forced a thin smile. "Thank you for your concern. Before I go, I must apologize—I must have frightened you, did I not?"

Was she surrendering? Shen Tubai glanced at her fingernails, which were digging into her own palms, and turned her gaze away, bored.

Li Tinghan wanted to urge her further, but Cui Xiwen said, both ashamed and angry, "Does Your Highness insist on making me lose face in public?"

As Li Tinghan stood stunned, Cui Xiwen seized the chance to flee. Watching her retreating back, Li Tinghan belatedly reflected that Wen’niang was a lady of a noble house; it was indeed improper for news of her illness to be spread about in such a place.

"Ouch..." A pained cry pulled Li Tinghan back to reality. He saw that Shen Tubai’s lips had turned pale from the blood loss.

Li Tinghan hurriedly used a handkerchief to bind her wound. "How did you get hurt like this without saying a word? You should have let the maid bandage you first."

Holding to the principle of seeing a performance through to the end, Shen Tubai looked worriedly in the direction where Cui Xiwen had left. "They say heart disease is hard to cure. Since Miss Cui was driven to such lengths as to attempt suicide, her affairs are naturally more important."

Li Tinghan’s hand paused as he tied the bandage. Before entering the room, he had felt an eerie atmosphere between the two, and even after Shen Tubai’s explanation, his concerns had not fully dissipated. But seeing her now, it was clear she held no hostility toward Wen’niang.

Having settled this in his mind, Li Tinghan’s movements became even gentler.

By the time the physician finally arrived, Shen Tubai’s wound had already clotted. She took the opportunity to complain in Li Tinghan’s ear, "I’ve only come out once and ended up hurt like this. I shall never leave the house again."

Li Tinghan couldn't help but chuckle. "How can you give up eating for fear of choking? When we return, I will have the kitchen prepare some medicinal tonics for you. In two days, you will have recovered all the blood you lost today."

As it turned out, Li Tinghan was right. The medicinal tonics of the Prince Yan’s mansion were truly potent—who knew what they put in them?

It was more than just a recovery. Shen Tubai felt as if she could have a nosebleed three times a day; she was so full of restless energy that she had nowhere to vent it, and in the end, it was Li Tinghan who suffered the consequences.

"What is all this?" Li Tinghan looked at the table full of dishes, unable to stop himself from swallowing. It wasn't that he, a Prince, had never eaten fine food, but every single dish was laden with chili peppers. As the breeze caught the scent, it grew even more pungent, enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

Shen Tubai clapped her hands, looking slightly proud. "I made these myself: spicy chicken, stir-fried clams with chili, spicy pork..."

"Wait," Li Tinghan interrupted her. "Everything is fine, but why prepare so many spicy dishes?"

"Has Your Highness ever heard that 'sour brings a son, spicy brings a daughter'?" Shen Tubai leaned in toward him, acting mysterious.

Li Tinghan’s ears tingled, and his throat moved instinctively, though this time it was someone else he wanted to consume. The desire in the eyes of the person before him deepened, but Shen Tubai pretended not to notice, continuing her serious explanation. "The matron at the Ministry of Rites once told me that the saying refers not to the woman, but to the man. If a man eats more sour, he is more likely to have a son... Mmph!"