Bu Shulin’s face immediately stiffened.
Tianyuan’s words could not have been clearer—the Crown Prince knew she was a woman!
How could the Crown Prince know?
Bu Shulin’s heart churned with shock and suspicion, yet she never once doubted Shen Xihe. She knew Shen Xihe was not the kind of person to betray her.
“Do not fear, Worldly Son Bu. His Highness has known of this matter for five years.” Tianyuan did not know whether Bu Shulin would suspect Shen Xihe, but Xiao Huayong had specifically instructed that Bu Shulin must not be allowed to suspect Shen Xihe of leaking her secret.
Indeed, Xiao Huayong not only knew Bu Shulin was a woman but also knew that Shen Xihe was aware of it.
Because, given Shen Xihe’s temperament, if Bu Shulin were not a woman, she would never have tolerated her daily visits to the Princess Manor.
Even Xie Yunhuai, the physician who treated her, only came every few days on a fixed schedule and occasionally stayed for supper at most.
Bu Shulin alone was different. Though the people in the capital knew Bu Shulin and Shen Xihe were close, they did not think much of it. Both were hostages in the capital—one seemingly unremarkable, the other a delicate woman. Even if they were scheming, without concrete evidence, no one dared to accuse them recklessly.
Tianyuan’s words not only informed Bu Shulin that her secret had been exposed without Shen Xihe’s involvement but also subtly conveyed that the Crown Prince had long known. If he intended to harm her, he would not have waited until now.
Bu Shulin shed her usual playful demeanor and clasped her hands respectfully toward Tianyuan. “May I ask how His Highness came to know of this?”
Tianyuan replied knowingly, “His Highness instructed that if Worldly Son Bu were to ask, I should answer truthfully: there are people loyal to His Highness within the Shu Southern Royal Manor.”
Bu Shulin was even more astonished. Both the Shu Southern Royal Manor and the Northwest King’s manor were filled with spies. But such a secret could only be known by a trusted confidant. Thus, Tianyuan was telling Bu Shulin that one of her father’s closest aides had pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince.
“Guard Cao, please inform His Highness that this humble official will comply,” Bu Shulin said solemnly.
She was not overly panicked, not because she trusted the Crown Prince deeply. As a woman who had never relaxed her guard in the heart of power, she, like Shen Xihe, did not easily trust men who wielded authority.
The Crown Prince’s decision not to expose her now was not out of kindness but because he intended to use her later—just as he was doing now.
If the Crown Prince were to ascend the throne in the future, destroying the Bu family of Shunan would be as simple as charging them with the crime of deceiving the emperor.
But what could they do? Exhaust all means now to prevent Xiao Huayong from taking the throne? Even if they could succeed, the slightest move on their part would allow Xiao Huayong to immediately expose her disguise as a woman.
What kept her calm was Shen Xihe. Shen Xihe had clearly expressed her intention to ally with the Eastern Palace. Compared to Shunan, the Northwest was the greater threat. If Xiao Huayong could tolerate the Northwest, he could tolerate Shunan.
If Xiao Huayong could not tolerate Shunan and moved against them, Shen Xihe would feel the threat of “when the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.” She would turn against Xiao Huayong, and Bu Shulin and Shen Xihe would still share a common enemy.
She never placed her hopes in anyone, but at this moment, she firmly believed that Shen Xihe would not let her down.
As long as she and Shen Xihe remained true, devoted friends, their outcome would either be mutual victory or shared defeat.
Tianyuan merely smiled faintly before swiftly disappearing, coming and going like a shadow.
“What impressive lightness skill,” Bu Shulin remarked, reverting to her usual carefree self.She squeezed the medicine bottle in her hand and, upon returning home, opened several jars of strong liquor. The men of the grasslands were sure to enjoy such fiery spirits.
The next day, Bu Shulin feigned a stomachache to skip her duty rotation and hurried to the pleasure house early. After some flirtatious banter with a few courtesans that soon bored her, she set up a drinking contest, offering a precious saber as the prize: whoever could outdrink her would claim the blade.
The challenge quickly drew many young nobles, but none emerged victorious.
That day, Munuha had accompanied Ning Qifan, the son of the Court of State Ceremonial official, to the pleasure quarters. Though Ning had invited him repeatedly, Munuha had always declined. Observing that Ning wasn’t exclusively inviting him—instead mingling cheerfully with others each day—Munuha surmised it was merely a gesture of hospitality. After several refusals, he finally yielded to the persistent invitations and joined the outing, visiting several establishments.
They hadn’t originally planned to come to this particular pleasure house, as Ning Qifan had heard Bu Shulin was there and the two were on bad terms. But when news spread of Bu Shulin’s drinking contest, Ning’s interest was piqued. Sure enough, he spotted the prized saber tied with red silk hanging prominently, and his eyes gleamed with desire.
“Worldly Son Bu, I’ll take you on!” Ning Qifan declared, seating himself opposite Bu Shulin on the challenge platform.
Bu Shulin was reclining lazily against a courtesan’s shoulder, sitting sideways with one leg stretched idly out from behind the low table. She opened her mouth to accept a flaky pastry the courtesan offered, savoring it contentedly before waving a hand. “Yinshan,” she instructed, “bring a jar of wine for Ning Qifan.” She then explained, “I’ve already competed with others and finished this jar. You’ll need to drink one yourself first to qualify for a match with me.”
Bu Shulin was no fool—she wouldn’t let the crowd gang up on her. She kept a precise tally of how much she’d drunk against each opponent, requiring newcomers to match her consumption before challenging her.
Ning Qifan didn’t hesitate. He lifted the jar and threw his head back, gulping down the liquor with bold, large swallows, earning cheers from the onlookers.
Only after he finished did Bu Shulin remark with slight disdain, “You spilled nearly half the jar.”
“Are you trying to welch—” Ning Qifan began angrily.
“Fine, I’ll let it slide. Yinshan, serve him more wine!” Yinshan brought two additional jars. To ensure fairness and prevent disputes, the challenger always chose first; the remaining jar went to Bu Shulin.
Ning Qifan lifted the lids of both, hefted them to check their weight and scent, then randomly selected one.
The two drank another half jar each. Ning’s face was flushed crimson, his gaze hazy, while Bu Shulin remained clear-eyed, though two rosy blooms had appeared on her cheeks. Gritting his teeth, Ning forced down another half jar but couldn’t withstand the burning in his gut, bending over to vomit.
When Ning’s servants tried to intervene, the drunken man shoved them away. “I want that saber! I’m going to beat that Bu… that Bu!”
Straining to finish the jar, Ning collapsed into his servants’ arms, his eyes glazed. Yet he resisted any attempt to move him, even resorting to biting anyone who tried.
Seeing this, Bu Shulin taunted, “Ning Number Two, you’d better head home. If your father shows up, your backside will be beaten raw!”
“You—urgh…” Ning retched again before he could retort.
Munuha had initially wanted no part in this, but upon closer inspection, he recognized the saber—a peerless blade capable of slicing through iron as if it were mud, unmatched in this world. “Worldly Son,” he inquired, “could that be the Songyue Blade?”Song Yue is a person's name, renowned for his skill in forging knives. For each size of knife, he only keeps the best one, destroying all the rest.
"Indeed," Bu Shulin said with a slight smile.
"Munuha will compete with Worldly Son Bu."
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