Chapter Twenty-Seven: Liao Ji

Early the next morning, Shen Tubai set off by carriage. Traveling at a steady pace, she arrived at Thousand Buddha Temple before noon.

No sooner had she stepped out of the carriage than a young novice monk approached to guide her. "Amitabha, Benefactor Shen, Miss Cui has been waiting for you in the side chamber for quite some time."

Shen Tubai followed him without hesitation, soon reaching a secluded courtyard. Hearing footsteps, Cui Xiwen emerged from the room with a smile, though she visibly stiffened upon seeing her.

"Miss Shen—" Shen Tubai raised an eyebrow slightly. Cui Xiwen, clearly suppressing her irritation, corrected herself, "Mistress Shen, it has been a long time. You truly made me wait."

Shen Tubai immediately stepped forward, taking her hand despite the other woman's resistance. "To be addressed as such by you is an honor I do not deserve. If not for your recommendation, I would not be where I am today. Please, sister, just call me by my name."

Cui Xiwen’s smile froze. She only knew the girl’s surname was Shen; who could possibly remember her given name? She had been a carefully selected pawn—who could have imagined she would rise to such heights and then flaunt it to her face?

Cui Xiwen seethed with anger, but with the guards from the Prince of Yan's manor watching, she had to maintain a gentle and magnanimous facade. "The vegetarian meal at Thousand Buddha Temple is renowned throughout Chang'an. Come, sister, let us see if it lives up to its reputation."

Shen Tubai pulled her back and gave a signal to the guards behind her.

Cui Xiwen frowned and blocked the entrance to the chamber, her pretty face instantly turning cold. "What is the meaning of this, sister?"

The guards standing behind Shen Tubai exchanged glances. They were in the service of the Prince, and naturally, they recognized this woman as the future Princess of Yan. Even though they were under the orders of the Prince’s favorite, they dared not offend her lightly.

Shen Tubai laughed. "Do not overthink it, sister. His Highness said that Chang'an has been unsettled lately. We are to be alone in there for a private conversation; if some villain were to sneak in unnoticed and either of us were harmed, it would be too late to regret it."

Her words were addressed to Cui Xiwen, but meant for the guards.

Cui Xiwen remained displeased. "In the end, you still suspect me..."

"How could that be?" Shen Tubai interrupted hastily, affectionately linking her arm with Cui Xiwen's. "I will never forget your great kindness toward me. I simply cannot allow you to be in any possible danger."

At this point, without needing further instruction from Shen Tubai, the accompanying guards entered and searched the room from top to bottom.

Before long, a monk holding prayer beads with a compassionate expression emerged from the inner room.

Shen Tubai recognized him as an old acquaintance, and her gaze toward Cui Xiwen turned mocking.

Sensing the derision, Cui Xiwen remained composed. She rebuked the surrounding guards with feigned indignation, "This is Master Liaoji, whom I specifically invited to chant scriptures and pray for blessings. How could you drive him out like this?"

Shen Tubai acted with feigned innocence, dismissing him with distaste. "No matter how virtuous he may be, he is still a man, and I despise them. Could you do this for my sake, sister, and invite him to chant and transcribe scriptures for you later instead?"

Shen Tubai’s implication was clear. She watched with satisfaction as Cui Xiwen’s face flushed red and then paled, before she offered a clumsy explanation: "Master Liaoji has worked hard chanting for my grandmother; please do not take offense at this poor hospitality."

Liaoji chanted a Buddhist invocation and turned away with a detached, otherworldly air—no one would ever suspect he was capable of the sordid deeds he committed at the behest of the Cui family.

Cui Xiwen suppressed her rage and spoke, "Can we go inside and talk properly now?"

Shen Tubai nodded with a smile and walked into the chamber first.

With all the maids and guards barred from entering, Shen Tubai and Cui Xiwen sat opposite each other. It was the first time she had observed the other woman so closely. She possessed a solemn, dignified beauty; Shen Tubai thought that if one were to coat her in gold leaf and replace a Bodhisattva statue with her, no one would likely notice.

Amused by her own thought, Shen Tubai waited patiently for the other to speak.

Cui Xiwen finally lost her temper. "You are merely a woman of low birth; do not think that just because you have climbed into the favor of the Empress Dowager..."

Shen Tubai sipped her tea and interrupted unhurriedly, "Miss Cui, watch your words. 'The commoner woman of the Shen clan, of clean family background and gentle character, is hereby bestowed the title of Mistress to the Prince of Yan.' That is what the Empress Dowager’s imperial decree states."

"Since you call me a woman of low birth, do you mean to suggest that the Empress Dowager is dim-witted and cannot judge character?"

Cui Xiwen sneered. "Do not mistake a chicken feather for an imperial arrow. I do not know what trick you used to cajole the Empress Dowager into raising your status, but do you truly believe she keeps you in her heart?"

Refusing to say more, Cui Xiwen placed a medicine bottle on the table. "I originally intended for Master Liaoji to help you, but since you are so ungrateful, just take the medicine obediently. Ten months from now, I will find a way to send an infant into the Prince’s manor."

Shen Tubai picked up the bottle and examined it closely. Just as Cui Xiwen breathed a sigh of relief, Shen Tubai let it drop with a blank expression, shattering the delicate white porcelain into pieces.

Shen Tubai clapped her hands with chilling indifference. "I certainly do not think I have the ability to make the Empress Dowager truly care for me."

"The Empress Dowager is a busy woman; she may have forgotten me entirely. But my status has been officially recognized before her. On what grounds do you think I can still be threatened by you?"

Shen Tubai looked at her with an innocent expression, which only infuriated Cui Xiwen further. "Don't forget, if it weren't for our Cui family, you would still be a lowly slave in the Music Bureau."

Shen Tubai rested her chin on one hand, unbothered. "Then, in repayment of that debt, I shall refrain from revealing your plot to adulterate the royal bloodline. How does that sound?"

"You—" Cui Xiwen slapped the table and stood up, though she feared being overheard by those outside. "You dare threaten me? Are you not afraid I will go before the Prince of Yan..."

"To complain?" Shen Tubai stirred her tea, idly tracing characters in the liquid. "Miss Cui has always been known for her virtue and magnanimity, and for our close sisterly bond..."

Shen Tubai raised her eyes lazily. "I have just received the Empress Dowager’s favor as a Mistress. Would it be appropriate for you to go and complain to the Prince of Yan now?"

Cui Xiwen’s chest heaved as she fought to suppress her anger and sat back down. "Do not forget, I am the future Princess of Yan. I will enter the manor sooner or later, and offending me will do you no good."

"Furthermore, do not forget that you are currently carrying the Prince’s heir. Pretending to be pregnant to vie for favor is also a grave crime. Without me, without the Cui manor, I would like to see how you intend to produce a child in ten months."

Shen Tubai’s expression turned icy. "Miss Cui should also not forget that it was your family’s physician who diagnosed my pregnancy. I can easily have another physician check my pulse. Tell me, when the time comes, will the Prince blame me for faking a pregnancy, or will he blame your physician for his lack of skill?"

With that, Shen Tubai stood up and walked toward the door. "If this is all you had to say to me today, Miss Cui, I shall take my leave."

"Wait!" Cui Xiwen stood up and called after her. "What exactly do you want?"