Jin Shan couldn’t care less about being suspected as he quickly broke away from the fighting to chase after Bu Shulin.

Xiao Changmin had brought many men with him. Bu Shulin was intercepted repeatedly along her escape route. Fortunately, she had someone familiar with the local terrain by her side. Taking advantage of the geographical features and Jin Shan’s group’s desperate blocking efforts, she managed to avoid falling into Xiao Changmin’s hands.

Compared to Bu Shulin, Shen Twenty-seven’s escape was much easier. He fled first, with two Imperial Embroidered Guards giving chase. Since he was Shen Xihe’s man, the people secretly sent by Xiao Huayong to assist immediately stepped forward, engaging the two Guards in combat to hold them back.

Given this breathing space, Shen Twenty-seven quickly treated his wounds before circling toward Bu Shulin. Just then, Xiao Changmin had recovered – the effects of the incense pill had been fierce but dissipated quickly.

Xiao Changmin immediately mounted his horse and pursued Bu Shulin’s escape direction. Xiao Changgeng followed on horseback: “Second Brother, the Hereditary Prince Bu fled in another direction. Why are you chasing after a woman?”

Xiao Changgeng truly didn’t understand. Xiao Changmin gripped his horsewhip tighter, his face dark as water.

Perhaps others wouldn’t dare make such assumptions, but the pregnant woman’s condition had been confirmed by his own attendant’s search. He had been careless then and hadn’t thought much of it!

Now he was eighty percent certain that the pregnant woman was the real Bu Shulin!

Several months ago, he had suspected Bu Shulin was female and had even set up a scheme to prove it. However, he had been outmaneuvered, and when the Princess Imperial’s daughter married Bu Shulin, followed by the scene at Prince Zhao’s mansion where Bu Shulin had bared their chest before many witnesses, showing a true male body, Xiao Changmin dismissed his suspicions.

However, when Bu Shulin fought earlier, their appearance changed dramatically, but their eyes and fighting style matched Xiao Changmin’s memories of Bu Shulin. Then seeing Shen Twenty-seven’s face, identical to Bu Shulin’s, what was there left for Xiao Changmin not to understand?

Bu Shulin had always had a body double with similar features, who covered up the truth of her female identity at crucial moments!

The woman they’d been following wasn’t some ordinary woman traveling as cover – she was Bu Shulin herself!

This realization made Xiao Changmin’s blood boil. If he could capture Bu Shulin, he would not only complete His Majesty’s orders but also strike a decisive blow against the Eastern Palace!

Shen Xihe and even Princess Imperial of Ruyang must have known Bu Shulin was female!

Just thinking about capturing Bu Shulin and exposing her identity, about the enormous scandal it would cause, made Xiao Changmin unable to contain his excitement. He increased pressure on his horse, man, and mount shooting forward like an arrow released from a bow.

Xiao Changgeng’s eyes flickered as he hurried to catch up.

Shen Twenty-seven found Bu Shulin after nightfall. If he hadn’t known many of the Shu South Army’s secret signals, he would have had difficulty locating her.

In a narrow cave hidden by low shrubs, only accessible by crawling, all traces outside the bushes had been cleaned away. Someone had handled this and led the pursuers away.

Shen Twenty-seven crawled into the cave on his knees. The interior opened up into a spacious cavern. Bu Shulin was leaning against the rock wall, covered in blood. Hearing movement, her whole body tensed, gripping poisoned concealed weapons, ready to strike.

Seeing it was Shen Twenty-seven, she collapsed in relief.

“Hereditary Prince!” Shen Twenty-seven rushed over.

Bu Shulin handed him a sachet hanging from her body, her voice extremely weak: “Scatter this incense powder outside the cave, don’t let wild beasts be drawn here!”

Mountain predators were extremely sensitive to the smell of blood, and she truly didn’t have an ounce of strength left.

Shen Twenty-seven quickly did as told. Returning, he saw Bu Shulin’s pale face and her hand, resting weakly on a nearby rock, trembling uncontrollably: “Hereditary Prince, you cannot wait here for death.”

Bu Shulin struggled to quirk her lips: “Prince Zhao must know my identity. He has set up an inescapable net in these mountains. Once I show myself, death is certain!”

Judging by the relentless pursuit she’d endured, Xiao Changmin had concentrated all his forces on her alone, indicating he had confirmed she was the real Hereditary Prince. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have expended so much manpower.

Bu Shulin’s trembling hands produced a black token, neither quite stone nor metal, and gave the blood-stained object to Shen Twenty-seven: “This is the Bu family’s Young Master’s token. Take it and leave this place. Enter Stone Secret Creek in Mao Prefecture, where all the Bu family’s secret guards are stationed. The leader’s name is Zha Pu. Tell him…”

Bu Shulin told Shen Twenty-seven the secret passphrase. This was the Bu family’s final trump card. This token was key to mobilizing people, but it wasn’t everything – both token and passphrase had to match perfectly to gain Zha Pu and others’ absolute loyalty. Missing either meant certain death, even with her face!

Gripping the token and looking at the exhausted Bu Shulin, Shen Twenty-seven gave a military salute: “Hereditary Prince, please wait for me!”

Since Xiao Changmin was fully focused on pursuing Bu Shulin, he had less force to intercept him, making escape not difficult.

Though worried about Bu Shulin, Shen Twenty-seven knew the Crown Prince had people following him. If he could find Bu Shulin, so could his followers – they wouldn’t let Bu Shulin lose her life.

The urgent matter now was helping Bu Shulin escape this predicament.

As Shen Twenty-seven had expected, right after he left, a black shadow slipped into the cave.

They quickly applied acupuncture to stop Bu Shulin’s bleeding, then watched over the unconscious Bu Shulin. After about half an hour, Bu Shulin awoke. Seeing the black-clad figure with their back to her, Bu Shulin shifted her painful body to find a more comfortable position to lean: “I thought I no longer had value alive.”

The person facing away remained motionless: “His Highness never intended to take your life. His Highness simply dislikes when those who surrender still keep secrets.”

The Bu family’s trump card was one of Bu Shulin’s true tests. Bu Shulin had earned Shen Xihe’s trust and would be given important responsibilities by Shen Xihe in the future. Xiao Huayong absolutely would not allow her to have any hidden forces unknown to Shen Xihe, even though Bu Shulin had never harbored any thoughts of betraying Shen Xihe.

With the Bu family’s trump card in Shen Twenty-seven’s hands, most people who knew Bu Shulin was female were already dead. Zha Pu and the others didn’t know Bu Shulin was female. With the token, Bu Shulin’s face, and the secret passphrase, Shen Twenty-seven could become the true King of Shu South under Zha Pu and the others’ protection – someone loyal to Shen Xihe.

Indeed, Bu Shulin’s death would benefit the Eastern Palace most now.

Bu Shulin laughed softly. She knew that if it were just the Crown Prince, there would be no need to keep her alive. She was female after all, and keeping her alive would only bring other troubles. The Crown Prince was keeping her alive for the Crown Princess.

The Crown Prince had spared no effort in pushing her toward the Crown Princess – submission, gratitude, friendship…

Layer upon layer of bonds, impossible to break free from, yet making her willing, unable to harbor any resentment.

Only because she deeply believed Shen Xihe hadn’t participated in this, and would disdain such tactics.

The Crown Prince had played the villain, while the Crown Princess remained good throughout.

So it turned out that even an emperor could have a heart and deep feelings!