Chapter Twenty-Two: Fear

Shen Tubai finally understood why Li Tinghan’s seemingly mild remark of "country woman" had triggered such an intense reaction from Concubine Lu; it was like twisting a knife directly into her heart.

Shen Tubai had once thought that the bustling Pangkang Ward was the most well-informed place under heaven, but these long-buried secrets were clearly beyond her reach.

Seeing that she understood, Nanny Zhao continued, "As for Concubine Zhu, although her father only holds a nominal post at the Court of State Ceremonial, her uncle is a military commander in charge of regional troops. Having no heirs of his own, he treats her like his own daughter."

"No wonder she speaks with such confidence," Shen Tubai realized with a start.

"Concubine Tang comes from a scholarly family, and as for the Qin woman..."

Shen Tubai widened her eyes in curiosity. Nanny Zhao had been like a walking encyclopedia regarding the backgrounds of the others, so what kind of extraordinary origin did this Qin woman have that even stumped the nanny?

Nanny Zhao flicked her forehead in annoyance. "There is nothing special to say about the Qin woman’s origins. She was merely from a well-off farming family. I expect you have heard that she had already given birth to a son before entering the manor."

Shen Tubai nodded heavily. "But the manor has always been secretive about it; no one knows who her late husband was."

Nanny Zhao waved her hand. "It is nothing remarkable. She is a distant relative of the Prince, by marriage—if you count it up, the Prince should even address her as his cousin-in-law."

Li Tinghan had been on good terms with Qin Hongmian's deceased husband and had looked after his family, even sending gifts during festivals. After the husband passed away, Li Tinghan had personally paid his respects, promising to look after the widow and orphan. Whether that family had misunderstood his intentions, or if someone with ulterior motives had orchestrated a scheme, remained unknown.

In any case, Li Tinghan had walked in on Qin Hongmian while she was changing clothes that afternoon. Being a man of soft heart, and to prevent Qin Hongmian from being forced to commit suicide, he had gritted his teeth and brought her into the manor. Outsiders, however, were unaware of the internal situation, and most whispered that the Prince was a profligate, or that he had a penchant for married women, believing that a woman who had already borne a child was more fertile.

Shen Tubai was enlightened, and she felt a sudden surge of respect for Qin Hongmian. Whether she had intentionally schemed to enter the Prince’s manor or had been framed and then rapidly adapted to her new status with composure, it gave Shen Tubai a completely new perspective on this woman. Putting herself in that position, she did not think she could have found a better path.

Only after Nanny Zhao had laid out the entire political landscape of the manor did Shen Tubai, feeling she had learned much, walk the nanny back to the front courtyard. When she returned to Wutong Pavilion, Chunchan was already waiting in the room, despite her illness. "These are the medicinal herbs the physician identified from the fabric."

Shen Tubai examined them; they matched the ingredients the physician had mentioned earlier that day.

This meant the physician sent by the Cui family already knew she was faking her pregnancy, and his words were nothing but a threat. And what about Li Tinghan? Did he know as well?

***

In the study, candles flickered. The man’s articulated index finger tapped lightly on the desk, and the person kneeling before him trembled like chaff in the wind. If Chunchan were here, she would surely recognize the man as the physician who had treated her earlier.

"...the young lady took a piece of cloth and asked if it had been soaked in medicinal herbs. I merely wrote down the substances I found in the fabric, and that is all."

Luzhu nimbly handed the list of herbs the physician had written to Li Tinghan. Li Tinghan had a sharp memory; at a glance, he saw that several of them were the same ones Physician Cui had recited that day. Linking this to what Physician Cui had said to him in private, Li Tinghan’s gaze turned icy.

The Cui family! The Prime Minister! While they urged him to fight for the throne, they were simultaneously reaching into his own household. If he refused to be their puppet, what would this "virtuous" Prime Minister do? Rebel?

Li Tinghan was a gentle man by nature, but he was no soft dough to be kneaded at will. When his anger reached its peak, he became all the more calm on the surface.

He asked in a low voice, "In your professional opinion, what are these herbs used for?"

The man on the floor knocked his head against the ground in terror. "Your Highness, these herbs cause lethargy and loss of appetite. They also make one sensitive to heat and cold and cause acid reflux. They are usually used for... for..."

The man dared not finish the sentence, keeping his head pressed firmly to the floor.

Li Tinghan waved his hand. "Take him away. See that today’s events stay buried in your stomach."

"Yes, yes, I shall keep my mouth shut."

The study fell into a deathly silence. Luzhu looked at Li Tinghan with concern. "Your Highness."

Li Tinghan rubbed his brow. "Luzhu, do you think that concerning today’s events, Wen-niang..."

"Never mind." Before he could answer, Li Tinghan dismissed the thought. "The Cui matriarch still manages the inner household. As for court affairs, how could a young lady who has yet to marry be involved?"

He seemed to be saying this as much to Luzhu as to himself.

Li Tinghan changed the subject on his own. "Go and check on the Shen woman. She was chosen by the Cui matriarch herself. Do you think she knew about today’s events all along?"

Luzhu remained silent; he knew the Prince did not need an answer.

Autumn had arrived, and the night wind was strong. The distance from the study to Wutong Pavilion was not short, but it failed to blow away the tangled thoughts in Li Tinghan’s mind. As he pushed open the door, he realized that Wutong Pavilion was eerily quiet tonight—or perhaps, everywhere he had gone today was eerily quiet.

"Who is it?" A muffled voice came from beneath the quilt.

Li Tinghan walked closer and discovered that Shen Tubai had curled herself into a ball under the covers. For some reason, even though he hadn't dispelled his suspicions about her, the sight struck him as somewhat amusing.

Receiving no further sound, Shen Tubai tentatively poked her head out from the quilt, only to have her chin pinched by Li Tinghan, forcing her to look up. She hurriedly turned her face away, but it was too late.

Seeing her face streaked with tears and her eyes swollen like walnuts, Li Tinghan was startled. "What happened? Why are you crying like this?"

Shen Tubai shook her head desperately, saying nothing, only continuing to sob. Her crying softened Li Tinghan’s heart. He used his handkerchief to wipe the tears from her eyes. "You are a mother now; what if you damage your health by crying like this?"

Hearing this, Shen Tubai seemed to lose her composure entirely. She buried her head in Li Tinghan’s chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, and wept for a long time.

Just as Li Tinghan thought she would cry the entire night away, the person in his arms suddenly spoke through a congested, nasal tone: "If I were not pregnant, would Your Highness be sad?"

Li Tinghan had imagined many things she might say to him, but this was not one of them. He froze. "Why do you ask that?"

Shen Tubai’s lips moved, and she shook her little fuzzy head. "I am just so afraid."