“Good, good, well played, Shen Xihe!” Xiao Changying turned his head and commanded in a deep voice, “Prepare a horse for this prince!”

“Your Highness, you shouldn’t ride in your condition—” The subordinate, feeling Xiao Changying’s sharp gaze, quickly changed his words, “The Princess has just departed. Your servant will prepare a carriage; we’ll certainly catch up.”

Meanwhile, as Shen Xihe’s carriage had just reached the official road, she instructed Mo Yuan: “Prince Lie will certainly catch up. Even without proof, he’ll surely find excuses to endlessly harass us. Take the others ahead; let Zhenzhu and Mo Yu accompany me on a detour. We’ll reunite outside the capital’s outskirts.”

“Princess…”

“Mo Yuan, I only want obedient people.” Shen Xihe dropped these words lightly, allowing no argument.

Mo Yuan immediately obediently led the others away.

“Princess, are we taking the small roads?” Watching Mo Yuan, who dared not contradict Shen Xihe, lead the main group onto the official road, Zhenzhu felt this strange yet familiar Princess seemed to have deliberately left Mo Yuan behind for some reason.

Pulling the cloak closer around her shoulders, Shen Xihe’s voice was gentle and melodious: “Zhenzhu, how many years do you think I have left to live with this body of mine?”

“Princess, please don’t think such thoughts. Your body is just slightly weaker than others. This servant has heard that noble ladies in the capital are all delicate, considering it beautiful.” Zhenzhu hurriedly comforted Shen Xihe.

Shen Xihe had been melancholic since childhood, precisely because of this congenital weakness she’d had since birth.

“Why panic? I know my own body best.”

Just then, a gust of wind blew through the bamboo grove, making Shen Xihe’s gauze dress and cloak dance in the wind. Even her simply arranged dark hair swayed with waves of fresh fragrance. Her seemingly fragile, slender body stood firmly, like bamboo rooted in the earth, incredibly resilient.

“We’ll go to Luoyang first.” Shen Xihe took a steady breath, seeming comfortable with the fresh air carried by the bamboo grove’s wind.

“Why go to Luoyang?” Zhenzhu was puzzled. Though it was on the way, their original route had bypassed Luoyang to reach the capital directly.

“You’ll know when we get there.”

Shen Xihe didn’t wish to say more, and Zhenzhu dared not ask further. The Princess now disliked those who dug too deeply for answers.

With Shen Xihe’s poor health, even with Zhenzhu’s care, it was already half a month later when they reached Luoyang.

Arriving at Yiyang County in Luoyang Prefecture, they found lodging at the best inn, but unexpectedly encountered Bu Shulin by coincidence.

“Is the Princess satisfied with my gift?” Bu Shulin walked directly into Shen Xihe’s private room, familiarly sitting down beside her.

Shen Xihe rose expressionlessly; she nearly kicked over the footstool, but fortunately, Bu Shulin’s martial arts were excellent, and she steadied herself.

Watching Shen Xihe move to the other side, Bu Shulin planted one foot on the other end of the bench: “The Princess truly turns her face without sentiment.”

“If not for me, you would likely not have escaped the crime of attempting to assassinate a prince.”

The “sentiment” Bu Shulin spoke of referred to the evidence Xiao Changying had obtained with such difficulty. Bu Shulin had pursued Xiao Changying to Changsha Prefecture.

Her goal was also to prevent that evidence from falling into Xiao Changying’s hands. As for the deeper meaning, Shen Xihe didn’t want to delve into it.

That day, if Bu Shulin had appeared rashly without people to save Xiao Changying, she would certainly have been exposed, as multiple forces were involved.

Shen Xihe’s appearance, bringing a troop of strong Northwestern soldiers, had made these people lay down their banners.

For Bu Shulin, it would have been certain death!

Glancing at the stunned Bu Shulin, Shen Xihe said methodically: “Therefore, it’s not you who repaid my kindness, but I who saved your life while helping you. By this calculation, you owe me two favors and one life.”

Bu Shulin, who had done nothing yet owed two favors and one life: …

“Have some water, calm yourself.” Shen Xihe handed Bu Shulin a cup of water.

Bu Shulin, still shocked by Shen Xihe’s bandit logic, took it and drank it all at once.

“The water is poisoned.”

Bu Shulin, holding the empty cup: …

Swallowing hard, Bu Shulin half-believed: “Don’t joke…”

Shen Xihe poured another cup and pushed it to her: “The antidote.”

Bu Shulin hastily picked it up and drank. Before she could put down the cup, Shen Xihe’s voice drifted over: “The cup is poisoned.”

Bu Shulin: …

Her heart could barely take it. This beautiful young lady before her, smiling so pleasantly, was more terrifying than a fierce demon.

Catching a glimpse of fear in Bu Shulin’s eyes, Shen Xihe poured another cup of water: “Still the antidote.”

This time Bu Shulin stared at the slightly swaying tea, hesitating to move.

“Just the antidote.”

Bu Shulin stared at Shen Xihe for a moment before silently picking up the cup and drinking with closed eyes!

After she heavily set down the cup, Shen Xihe asked softly: “Do you feel your limbs growing weak?”

Bu Shulin, currently circulating her qi, pupils contracted, weakly raising a finger to point at Shen Xihe: “…”

Shen Xihe’s eyes turned, gleaming with light, her gaze falling on the curling white smoke from the incense burner beside them.

A bean-shaped copper and glass incense burner with nipple patterns, bright and luminous, contained and exquisite—such a precious item couldn’t have been provided by the inn.

Looking at the dizzy Bu Shulin, Shen Xihe’s voice was clear and gentle: “I told you before about Late Jade Maiden fragrance, yet you wouldn’t change it. Did you think I already knew and was just putting on an act that day? Ordinary people indeed can’t smell it, but I’m not ordinary. When you approach me, I can smell it—the closer you get, the stronger it becomes. When I sensed you approaching, I switched the incense.”

The Intoxicating Flower was an extremely beautiful flower, sweet in fragrance, but any living thing that inhaled it would become drowsy and confused.

She and Zhenzhu had other sachets to stay alert and counter the Intoxicating Flower’s fragrance, so they were naturally unaffected.

With a thud, Bu Shulin collapsed on the table, but her eyes remained open, staring at Shen Xihe drowsily and unwillingly.

“Zhenzhu.” Shen Xihe called out.

Zhenzhu took the sachet from her waist and placed it near Bu Shulin’s nose, then extinguished the incense in the burner.

A cool essence wafted from the sachet. Bu Shulin used all her strength to breathe it in, as threads of clarity entered her brain, gradually restoring her lucidity and strength.

“The reportedly frail and pure Princess Zhaoning truly opens my eyes.” After recovering for quite a while, Bu Shulin immediately sat opposite Shen Xihe, now with added vigilance.

“Likewise.” Shen Xihe had no desire for idle chat. “Tell me, why have you come?”

“Princess Zhaoning truly wounds me.” Bu Shulin clutched her chest, acting heartbroken. “I truly came seeking you with a sincere heart.”

Shen Xihe’s obsidian-like eyes turned, her waveless pupils locking onto Bu Shulin.

Bu Shulin’s brow twitched, and she quickly raised her hands: “No, no, no… I came to bring a gift, a gift…”

As she finished speaking, she immediately clapped her hands. The window was pushed open, and a person was thrown in, rolling once. Under scattered hair, their true face was revealed.

Zhenzhu’s eyes turned cold: “Lingling!”