From the capital, one could reach Shu South Prince’s Manor in Yizhou by traveling through Liangzhou, entering Lizhou, and then following the South Mountain West Circuit along the Yangtze River. This was the fastest route—the one everyone would expect Bu Shulin to take, as it would minimize travel time.

News of Bu Shulin’s ambush and disappearance reached both Emperor Youning and Xiao Huayong almost simultaneously. Liu Sanzhi bowed his head and reported, “Your Majesty, Prince Bu was ambushed shortly after leaving the capital. His whereabouts are now unknown.”

“Ambushed right after departure?” Emperor Youning continued reviewing memorials without looking up. “Quite a clever move.”

His intention to intercept Bu Shulin was known to all—Bu Shulin knew it, likely the entire court knew it, and his ambitious sons wouldn’t miss this opportunity. Bu Shulin’s safe return to Shu South was crucial, as it concerned the succession of the Shu South Prince’s title and control over tens of thousands of troops.

The threat wasn’t just to him. Since Bu Shulin had openly aligned with the Shen family, any son harboring thoughts about the throne was unwilling to see this succeed. If Bu Shulin’s return to Shu South hadn’t been so significant, he would have stayed out of it completely, just to test how bold his sons had become.

An attack outside the capital could only have been arranged by two parties: either Bu Shulin himself or the Shen family. No one else would act ahead of him in such a thankless manner, allowing Bu Shulin to temporarily hide in plain sight.

“The Brave Army has split into six divisions to surround the areas of Qizhou, Fengzhou, Liangzhou, Jinzhou, Shangzhou, and Binzhou, guarding all entrances,” Liu Sanzhi continued.

Emperor Youning had anticipated such tactics. He had trained the formidable Brave Army and wasn’t worried about finding troops to deploy. These routes effectively encircled the capital, with Qizhou and Shangzhou flanking it—not even the gate Bu Shulin had used to leave. Binzhou was even further north, in the opposite direction of Shu South.

But what did it matter? Emperor Youning had never been overconfident, knowing his trained men wouldn’t mind taking detours. Moreover, there was the Shen family to consider—he’d already suffered three quiet defeats at the hands of that young lady. Better to cast a wide net than let Bu Shulin escape.

“Have them report during tomorrow morning’s court session,” Emperor Youning decided, not wanting to address this matter publicly just yet.

News of the Shu South Prince Heir’s ambush outside the capital would quickly reach the Capital Prefecture, then the Imperial Attendant. Wei Song, upon receiving the urgent report, immediately rose and knocked on the palace gates in the dead of night seeking an audience.

The palace responded that His Majesty had caught a slight cold and had retired after taking medicine. Wei Song knew this was an excuse—His Majesty wanted to delay, to secretly determine Bu Shulin’s escape route before taking action.

Had this news reached Cui Zheng or Tao Zhuanxian, they would have insisted on an audience despite His Majesty’s alleged cold. But as His Majesty’s appointee, Wei Song had to play this unpleasant role.

Considerate of His Majesty’s wishes, he returned home with his memorial but couldn’t sleep, sitting in his study until dawn, waiting for morning court.

In the morning court, Wei Song finally submitted the report. The Censorate immediately criticized him for failing to recognize the urgency of the matter, arguing that if anything happened to Bu Shulin, he would bear responsibility.

Wei Song had no defense.

Emperor Youning naturally protected his man, coughing several times before saying, “Last night We unfortunately caught a cold. Wei’s consideration of not disturbing Us shows his loyalty. The delay was Our fault. Issue orders throughout the nation, along all official roads, to deploy personnel to search for the Prince’s Heir. From provinces to counties to towns and villages, distribute portraits of Prince Heir Bu. Spare no effort in the search—rewards will be given for finding him.”

Though the Emperor didn’t specify the reward, court artists immediately began busy work on Bu Shulin’s portraits for distribution.

“His Majesty is attacking from both open and hidden fronts,” Shen Xihe remarked upon hearing this, her expression remaining calm.

She had worried about Bu Shulin yesterday, but he had chosen this path and there was no changing it. Further worry would serve no purpose. Everyone knew His Majesty’s determination to prevent Bu Shulin’s return to Shu South, so these measures didn’t surprise them.

Shen Xihe could guess that His Majesty had secretly deployed numerous agents. Now with this seemingly urgent imperial edict to search for Bu Shulin, he had left no escape route. Anyone who spotted him need only report to officials to reveal his whereabouts.

“The Prince Heir left the capital a day early before His Majesty’s men could notice. Even with their net spread across six provinces outside the capital, they won’t intercept him,” Xiao Huayong softly reassured Shen Xihe. “As for His Majesty’s edict, the palace artists’ skilled brushwork will surely produce perfect likenesses.”

The more accurate the better, though unfortunately for them, Bu Shulin had Xiao Huayong’s people by his side. Bu Shulin had not only resumed her female identity but was disguised as a merchant’s wife, wearing hairpins and skirts, showing a slightly swollen belly, and had altered her appearance. Even walking brazenly down the street, no one would recognize her.

Shen Xihe glanced at Xiao Huayong before looking away. Bu Shulin was temporarily safe, but once Xiao Huayong began using decoys fleeing in all directions to set traps for His Majesty and the princes, they would reassess everything. By then, Bu Shulin couldn’t possibly have reached Shu South—this challenge would still need to be faced.

“Where do you plan to make your first move?” Shen Xihe asked.

“Liangzhou,” Xiao Huayong answered candidly.

By his calculations, they would first leave traces in Liangzhou, then Lizhou, disrupting the entire South Mountain West Circuit to see how many demons lurked there.

“Which route did Alin take?” Shen Xihe asked.

“I don’t know,” Xiao Huayong answered honestly. “She left first when any route would be safe before His Majesty and others could react. The Shu South Prince’s Manor also has arrangements—she needs to learn how to escape danger and protect herself.”

The person assigned to Bu Shulin’s side wouldn’t contact Xiao Huayong unless necessary. This person wasn’t tasked with monitoring Bu Shulin—that was the sea eagle’s job.

This provided Bu Shulin with some backup. If Xiao Huayong’s people were watching constantly, all of the Bu family’s cards would be revealed to him.

The sea eagle couldn’t speak, so even if it saw everything, it couldn’t report back to Xiao Huayong.

“Whether this journey will be peaceful remains uncertain,” Xiao Huayong continued. “I arranged an escape route for her at the capital’s gate. No matter how she flees, within two days, forces from all sides will be lying in ambush at Shu South’s gate.”

This was Bu Shulin’s inevitable path—she couldn’t enter Shu South without passing through here. This would be the battlefield.

Naturally, Xiao Huayong had also set up multiple checkpoints here. When the time came, victory would be determined in an all-out battle.