Chapter 36: An Encounter with a Spendthrift

"Are you serious?" Lady Zhu asked instinctively, then waved her hand dismissively. "I loathe children; I wouldn't dream of raising one for you."

Shen Tubai had been joking, but seeing her reaction, it was clear she was genuinely tempted. This made Shen Tubai contemplate the matter. There was hardly a woman in the inner chambers who did not long for children. Beyond using them to vie for favor or securing support in old age, the more pressing need was simply to have a companion so life would be less lonely.

Shen Tubai smiled. "I am young and inexperienced. Once the child is born, there will surely be endless commotion. I could never manage on my own; I would certainly need the help of both sisters."

Upon hearing this, joy lit up Lady Tang’s eyes, while Lady Zhu appeared somewhat disappointed. Shen Tubai breathed a slight sigh of relief; at the very least, neither seemed to harbor any great hostility toward her.

The three chatted idly for a while longer. After they left, Shen Tubai could not help but dwell on what Lady Tang had said. The Empress Dowager’s coronation was set for a fortnight away, yet at this critical juncture, she had sent the Prince to Lingzhou on official business. The journey from Chang'an to Lingzhou and back took exactly fifteen days. If the Empress Dowager feared someone might seize the opportunity to cause trouble, then what of her? Could she perhaps turn this situation to her advantage?

Open attacks are easy to dodge, but hidden daggers are hard to guard against. Inside the Prince’s manor, there was Lu Yuan-shuang; outside, there was the Cui clan. Since the Cuis had once bribed Su Ye, there was no guarantee there weren't more of their agents hidden within the walls. The Prince’s manor was likely riddled with holes by now; if so, why not change her surroundings?

In Lingzhou, there were surely trusted subordinates eager to curry favor with the Prince. They would certainly not dare to treat her with anything less than the utmost care. Not only could she await her labor in peace, but she could also avoid those who sought to harm her. It seemed to be a win-win situation. The more Shen Tubai thought about it, the more it made sense, and that evening, she proposed the idea to Li Tinghan.

"You want to accompany me to Lingzhou?" Li Tinghan looked at her with a hint of amusement.

Shen Tubai nodded with such earnestness that Li Tinghan could not help but take her request seriously. "That is, indeed, a possible solution."

Li Tinghan, embedded in the imperial court, understood its shifting tides better than she did. Many opposed his mother’s ascension but, cowed by her ruthless methods, dared not speak out, instead whispering and goading him to submit memorials. Sending him to Lingzhou before the coronation was the Empress Dowager’s way of keeping him in check. He had not yet made news of Shen Tubai’s pregnancy public, yet some had already begun sniffing around.

Li Tinghan rested a hand on Shen Tubai’s belly. This might well be the only child he would ever have; no amount of caution was excessive. If he could place her under the protection of a trusted subordinate until the birth, it would indeed be a sound strategy.

Early the next morning, Shen Tubai successfully boarded the carriage bound for Lingzhou. Although the winter was bitter and cold, the main roads were passable. Shen Tubai gazed at the scenery outside, shedding her usual lethargy.

"This is the first time I have ever left Chang'an," she said, her eyes filled with wonder.

Li Tinghan leaned his head against her shoulder, watching the trees and villages drift by. He chuckled, "It is merely barren trees and desolate plains. What is there to see?"

Shen Tubai shook her head. She could not describe her feelings, but if she had to, she would call it a sense of liberation—the feeling of a bird soaring in the vast sky and a fish leaping in the wide sea.

To ensure the journey remained smooth, Li Tinghan kept a steady pace, taking nine days to reach Lingzhou. He spent one day handling the business the Empress Dowager had assigned him, leaving only five days to gallop back to Chang'an so as not to miss the coronation.

Shen Tubai was settled into the residence of the local Lingzhou Commandant. Though it was only the home of a fifth-rank official, the family lived comfortably. The quarters provided for her were no different from the Wutong Pavilion—a quiet, secluded courtyard—but every detail, from the flora to the ornaments, showed great care. In truth, to avoid suspicion, Li Tinghan had arranged for several other pregnant women, all roughly at the same stage as Shen Tubai, to be hidden in the homes of various loyalists under strict instructions for their care. Aside from Shen Tubai herself, even the hosts were unsure if she was truly a concubine of the Prince. Thus, the Commandant’s wife tended to her daily needs and offered seasonal greetings, but never with excessive sycophancy.

Spring arrived in the blink of an eye.

Shen Tubai’s belly was now prominently rounded. Li Tinghan had promised not to let the child be born away from home, vowing to return for her once she reached her ninth month. Sitting by the water pavilion watching the fish, Shen Tubai quietly counted the days; in three or four more, she would be going home.

"She is truly beautiful."
"Do you think she is really the Prince’s concubine?"
"It must be nice to be a Prince, having such a beautiful concubine. I want to be a Prince, too."

Shen Tubai could not help but laugh aloud. The Commandant had three daughters, all around five years old. From the day she arrived, they had been peeking from behind the rocks. Their discussions had evolved from whether she was their father’s mistress, to whether her baby would be pretty, and now, to whether she belonged to the Prince. It was clear that walls had ears; even the children knew the Prince was hiding his concubines among his confidants in Lingzhou.

"Why did she laugh? Did she hear us?"
"She looks so pretty when she smiles. If I were the Prince, I would make her smile at me every day!"
"She definitely found us! Run!"

The three girls grabbed each other’s hands and scampered away, shrieking. Shen Tubai shook her head with a resigned smile. Chunchan sighed, disapprovingly, "Mistress, you are so far along now. Children know nothing; you should stay away. We are living under another’s roof, and if something happens, it will be bad for everyone."

Shen Tubai, tired of the nagging, stood up and took her hand to return inside. She had brought only Chunchan with her. As her pregnancy progressed, Shen Tubai found her mood becoming increasingly peaceful, and she grew ever fonder of children. She came to feed the fish every afternoon, not just to let them see her, but because she wanted to see them, too.

Chunchan, however, was the opposite; the closer the time came, the more anxious she grew, chattering incessantly until she was practically acting like a physician. Shen Tubai let the words go in one ear and out the other. Only when she could bear it no longer did she say, "They say seven months is viable, eight is not. I am already nine months along and in robust health. Even if labor starts now, there will be no harm. Just set your mind at ease."

"Pah, pah, pah!" Chunchan’s only response was to press her palms together, praying to every deity she could name.

"Oh? When did such a beauty come to the Commandant’s manor? And pregnant, too? Commandant Feng must have known I fancy such charms in a woman and specifically set her aside as a tribute for me."