Bu Shulin found strength from somewhere unknown, her face pale as she pushed through the crowd toward Cui Jinbai. She managed to knock him down just before the flying dagger could pierce his back. Cui Jinbai fell while holding her, colliding with several people.

Someone hiding in the crowd pushed through the crushing mass, preparing to launch another hidden weapon. Fortunately, Mo Yu finally arrived, first knocking out one person from behind, then quickly pursuing other hidden assassins. Seeing this turn of events, and Bu Shulin lying bloody in Cui Jinbai’s arms, the killers swiftly retreated.

“You…” Cui Jinbai stared at Bu Shulin’s paper-white face, his eyes panicked, face filled with fear. His trembling hands lifted her, but the surging crowd made escape difficult. Mo Yu quickly reached them, forcefully clearing a path to lead them out at top speed. By then, Shen Xihe had sent Zhenzhu and Sui Axi to assist.

The two checked Bu Shulin’s pulse. Sui Axi applied acupuncture to stop the bleeding while Zhenzhu dressed the wound with medicine: “We can’t remove the dagger yet – it’s struck a blood vessel. Removing it will cause unstoppable bleeding. We need a quiet place.”

After explaining, they brought Bu Shulin to the East Tower. Shen Xihe had already had it prepared, with a bed arranged and screens set up. She’d sent Hong Yu to the kitchen to boil water and prepare necessary medicines.

“Young Master Cui, neither of us knows medicine. Stay outside and don’t hinder Axi and Zhenzhu’s treatment. My maids all know some medical arts and work well with Zhenzhu,” Shen Xihe said after Cui Jinbai laid Bu Shulin down.

Cui Jinbai was reluctant to leave. Zhenzhu knew Bu Shulin’s true gender – her greatest secret. Whether to tell Cui Jinbai had to be Bu Shulin’s decision. If they could help keep it hidden, they would, so he looked at Sui Axi.

“Young Master Cui, I need fewer people around while applying needles, or I’ll be distracted,” Sui Axi gently reminded me.

Cui Jinbai looked deeply at the now-unconscious Bu Shulin before wordlessly retreating behind the screen.

Shen Xihe followed him out, noting the blood on his clothes: “Young Master Cui, with such an incident, His Majesty will surely summon the Court of Justice. Perhaps you should return home to change, to avoid offending imperial dignity. Leave Young Master Bu to me – please be at ease.”

Cui Jinbai’s mind was blank. He didn’t know why, but when he saw her walking alone with a wine bottle, wandering, he unconsciously followed. When he saw her attacked, he rushed forward instinctively. Despite his training and duty, which should have led him to calm the citizens, he instead pushed innocent people aside to reach Bu Shulin to fight the assassins.

Seeing her fall after taking the weapon meant for him, he wondered if she might not have been so gravely wounded had he not rushed over.

Now Shen Xihe spoke of His Majesty’s summons and maintaining proper appearance.

He knew Shen Xihe was right, but couldn’t move his feet. She’d lost so much blood, and the weapon had struck a blood vessel. If…

He dared not think further. At this moment, duty and imperial commands were forgotten – he only wanted to know if she would be alright.

“Young Master Cui, if you don’t participate in the investigation, Young Master Bu’s injury will have been for nothing,” Shen Xihe tried a different approach.

Cui Jinbai’s eyes flickered. This was premeditated, and staying here wouldn’t help. He bowed to Shen Xihe: “Please, Princess, you must save her.”

“Rest assured, Young Master Cui. If my people can’t save her, few could,” Shen Xihe said confidently.

Sui Axi’s acupuncture skills combined with Zhenzhu’s learning from Bai Touweng, plus their recent discussions with Xie Yunhuai, greatly improved their medical expertise. They could now be called physicians.

“Thank you, Princess.” Cui Jinbai bowed solemnly before striding away.

Shen Xihe sat outside the screen, watching as Zhenzhu removed the dagger. Blood sprayed across the screen like blooming red plums. They quickly stopped Bu Shulin’s bleeding. The cleaned dagger was brought to Shen Xihe by Hong Yu.

Shen Xihe picked it up – the dagger bore no markings and was made of common iron. “Is it poisoned?”

“Fortunately not,” Hong Yu replied.

Otherwise, Bu Shulin would likely have suffered a poisoned heart.

“If they were determined to kill, why not use poison?” Shen Xihe wondered.

Hong Yu couldn’t figure it out either. Shen Xihe narrowed her eyes, setting down the dagger, recalling what she’d seen from the tower. The dagger-thrower had been hiding for a while but delayed acting, then aimed at Cui Jinbai…

So those attacking Bu Shulin and the dagger-thrower weren’t working together and had different targets. The dagger was meant for Cui Jinbai.

And whoever tried to kill Cui Jinbai likely acted on impulse. Though carrying weapons, perhaps just for self-defense, thus explaining the lack of poison.

As for those trying to kill Bu Shulin in close combat, their unpoisoned daggers made sense. They’d planned to create chaos for the assassination. Large weapons would be unwieldy in the crowded chaos, and poisoned daggers risked harming themselves or civilians – the former being suicidal, the latter risking early exposure.

This was why Bu Shulin survived.

It seemed someone had created this chaos, and others had taken advantage to commit evil acts.

Xiao Huayong hadn’t returned. He sent Tian Yuan to inform Shen Xihe that he’d returned to the Eastern Palace.

“Has something happened in the palace?” Shen Xihe couldn’t help asking.

“His Highness can handle palace matters. I’ll escort the Princess home,” Tian Yuan replied.

Shen Xihe nodded, assuming palace matters had arisen. Those daring to cause chaos during the Lantern Festival were no ordinary people, so Xiao Huayong couldn’t get away. She never suspected he was injured.

As she’d guessed, this was a trap for Xiao Huayong, meant to expose him before the Emperor. To cover it up, he had to take a moderate wound and return to the Eastern Palace.

As Shen Xihe left the East Tower, she encountered Princess Consort Dai Li Yanyan, who was surprisingly alone. Meeting Shen Xihe, she calmly nodded in greeting.

Shen Xihe returned the nod. As they passed, the strong night wind carried Li Yanyan’s scent – beyond her usual perfume was a distinctive agarwood that Shen Xihe had only encountered on one person.

The former Prince Ding, now Fourth Prince – Xiao Changtai.

But how could two people carry each other’s scents unless they’d been in intimate contact?

Fearing she’d mistaken it, Shen Xihe deliberately stumbled toward Li Yanyan. Zhenzhu and the others, seeing through her act, didn’t move to help.