Chapter Thirty-Nine: Escaping Lingzhou

At night, Shen Tubai donned a sheer silk dance gown and, pipa in hand, stood behind Madam Feng.

Before they went on stage, Commandant Feng, for once, gave Madam Feng a rare look of approval. "You are still of some use."

Madam Feng remained calm, her demeanor filled with deference. "Serving my husband is my duty."

The Commandant’s attitude grew increasingly dismissive. "Don't forget to have the eldest girl tidy up."

Though the Commandant looked at Madam Feng with utter contempt, Shen Tubai sensed a flash of killing intent in the woman’s eyes.

Madam Feng’s voice trembled slightly. "The girl has been crying and making a scene; husband, please come with me to check on her."

"You can't even handle such a small matter..." The Commandant was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly met Madam Feng’s tear-filled eyes. Thinking of the girl’s impending marriage into the Zheng family, he felt he shouldn't appear too heartless as a father, so he sighed and followed her to the backyard.

Shen Tubai stepped onto the stage with her pipa. This was the foundational skill she had mastered in the music academy to ensure her survival. Although her pregnancy prevented her from performing the back-handed playing style she once excelled at, her profound technique was enough to stun the crowd. As the melody concluded, the audience erupted into thunderous applause.

Shen Tubai rose to offer her gratitude, making sure to cast a lingering, suggestive glance toward the young Master Zheng before exiting the stage.

Madam Feng returned shortly after. Had anyone at the banquet been observant, they would have noticed she had changed her clothes, but the men at the table were too deep in their cups to care about a woman’s movements. Shen Tubai and Madam Feng exchanged a silent look; as they brushed past each other, a dagger slipped into Shen Tubai’s hand.

Struck by a cold breeze, a sharp, twisting pain flared in Shen Tubai’s abdomen.

Chunchan looked at her pale face, worried. "My Lady, are you alright?"

Shen Tubai shook her head, signaling toward the shadow following them. Chunchan nodded silently and turned to bow to young Master Zheng. "My mistress prefers not to let too many people know her identity. If you wish to converse, sir..."

Chunchan offered an ambiguous smile, her gaze sweeping toward the servant behind him. Master Zheng, quick to catch her drift, immediately waved his men away. "Get lost, all of you! Can't you see I'm busy with important business?"

Chunchan’s smile grew more alluring. "The night is dark and the road is long, and this manor is not safe. My mistress and I are traveling together; I must trouble you, Master Zheng, to escort us."

Master Zheng, well-versed in the ways of the pleasure quarters, assumed the two women were playing a game. He puffed out his chest and followed at a measured, consistent distance. Chunchan supported Shen Tubai as they hurried toward the small courtyard, both breaking into a light sweat. They exchanged a look before crossing the threshold.

Just as Shen Tubai stepped over the doorframe, a pair of hands wrapped around her waist. "Little beauty, give me a kiss."

Before he could finish, Chunchan, hiding behind the door, brought a vase down on his head. Master Zheng instinctively reached for the back of his head, saw the blood on his hand, and turned to curse at Chunchan, "You little wench..."

He never finished. Seizing the moment, Shen Tubai looped her arms around his neck and slit his throat with the dagger.

Afterward, ignoring the agonizing cramps in her stomach, she wiped the blood from her face with the hem of the dead man’s robe and retrieved a pre-packed bundle from the cabinet. Seeing Master Zheng dead, Chunchan froze for a moment before quickly snapping back to reality, rushing into the inner room to help Li Tinghan up. "Your Highness, we must go!"

Li Tinghan, who had been lying in the side room, had witnessed the entire sequence of events. When he saw Master Zheng grab Shen Tubai, he hadn't even had time to feel rage before the man was dead. He was caught off guard, following Shen Tubai out by instinct. Only when he was squeezed into a carriage with three young girls did he manage to ask, "What are you doing?"

Shen Tubai had no time to answer him; she was busy instructing the driver. "Once we reach the main road, head north. We are going to Chang'an. Do not stop until we have crossed the border of Lingzhou."

The elderly woman, dressed in coarse brown linen, nodded heavily. "Rest assured, Miss. Madam gave instructions beforehand—I am a servant born into the family, and I will safely deliver you and the three young ladies to Chang'an."

With the instructions given, Shen Tubai sat back in the carriage, exhaustion washing over her. The three little girls, wearing identical hairstyles, looked at her with confusion. Their eyes were rimmed with tears, as if they sensed something, but they were sensible enough to ask no questions.

"To Chang'an? The Lingzhou governor’s army will arrive by tomorrow. Why leave for Chang'an at this hour?" Li Tinghan asked, bewildered.

Shen Tubai was too tired to answer, and Chunchan shot him a dissatisfied look, as if he were the unreasonable child. At that moment, the eldest of the three girls leaned over and whispered to her two sisters: "Mother gave us to this beautiful lady, so we must be obedient and not cause her trouble. Since this lady is tired, we should not speak."

With that, all three covered their little mouths with their hands. Shen Tubai couldn't help but smile.

Li Tinghan: "..."

Very well, she had successfully made him look even more childish.

However, Shen Tubai did not ignore him entirely; after all, she would still have to live in the Prince’s manor upon returning to Chang'an. She handed the blood-stained dagger back to Li Tinghan. "In Your Highness's eyes, is so-called 'chastity' more important than my life? You had a dagger on you, yet you would rather have watched me commit suicide than consider finding a way for me to survive?"

"I..." Li Tinghan’s lips moved, but he could find no words. He truly had never considered such a possibility. In his eyes, Shen Tubai had always been delicate—the type who would jump in fear at the sight of a mouse and cry out for his help. Yet, here she was: she had not only killed the man who tried to accost her but had also led him in an escape from the Feng estate. Every action told him that his past perceptions were wrong. She had not only succeeded, but had done so brilliantly.

Li Tinghan was speechless. He had much to say, but did not know where to begin. *Was your past fragility all a lie?* he wondered. Yet, facing her question, he only felt his face burn. He had placed Shen Tubai in the home of a trusted subordinate, only for her to nearly be violated. At that moment, he had been unable to protect her, demanding that she defend her purity with her death. Thinking of his own actions, he felt he could not face her; he wished he could simply vanish into the earth.

Shen Tubai knew clearly that she should not have questioned him so bluntly. Li Tinghan’s guilt was only temporary; upon returning to the manor, he would ruminate on this humiliation, and his guilt would eventually curdle into resentment, much like his feelings toward Concubine Lu. The "correct" move would have been to collapse into his arms, weak and seeking comfort, just as she had done so many times before. Even though she had saved herself, she should have insisted that she was only able to do so because of his influence.