Chapter 508: Worldly Son Bu, the Tool
He didn't take the opportunity to probe further, unwilling to step into a potential trap laid by the Crown Princess. Every move the Crown Princess made now was intricately linked to the Northwest King, and every action of the Northwest King, in turn, affected the stability of the entire court.
"Your Highness, please rest awhile. I shall not disturb your tranquility any longer." Xiao Changfeng took his leave with impeccable courtesy.
After finishing her morning meal, Shen Xihe received news from the courier station: Xiao Changfeng had not taken the bait easily. This was within her expectations. "As expected of someone personally nurtured by His Majesty."
This method was the least likely to arouse Xiao Changfeng's suspicion that Shen Xihe could devise. Suddenly learning that she had swapped places with someone right under his nose should have captured his attention entirely, even causing panic about her true whereabouts.
Only someone utterly rational and calm would ponder whether this was intentionally revealed to him. That he could restrain himself from probing further earned him even more of Shen Xihe's respect.
"No matter. Let him remain half-convinced and half-doubting." Shen Xihe handed the letter to Zhenzhu. "Tell Worldly Son Bu to make her entrance."
Bu Shulin had long known that Shen Xihe had entered the city and was nearby. Having endured days of rough travel with these people, she felt she needed some recuperation. However, without Shen Xihe's summons, she dared not seek her out rashly, fearing reprimand. Finally receiving Shen Xihe's permission, she dashed toward her without hesitation.
Acting? She was a natural.
All it took was circling around a few times, deliberately evading detection, losing her pursuers multiple times, then coincidentally letting those who thought they had lost her catch a sudden glimpse of her. Easy enough. She quickly identified Shen Xihe's location and specifically led her trackers on a few detours.
Everyone knew of her close friendship with Shen Xihe. Before Shen Xihe's marriage, they often met, and during the wedding, Bu Shulin had astounded the capital by contributing three chests of dowry. Since this matter involved both Shen Xihe and Shen Yueshan, she was naturally a key surveillance target.
After several rounds of circling and using narrow alleys to genuinely shake off her pursuers, Bu Shulin came upon a wall with a moderately sized hole. If the Hidden Guards were desperate enough and decisive, they could crawl through this "dog hole" and just happen to catch sight of her, having taken a detour to lose them, swaggering leisurely into the inn.
Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a figure quickly peeking out before darting back. Though she didn't see the person clearly, she guessed it must be her tracker. A smirk touched her lips as she leaped into the inn.
Clattering up the stairs, she headed straight for Shen Xihe's room. But as she reached the top step, a figure flashed past and vanished. Wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her, she considered investigating when Moyu opened the door. Suppressing her curiosity, Bu Shulin entered.
The sight of a table laden with delicacies made her heart leap with joy. She rushed over, intending to hug Shen Xihe in excitement.
However, Shen Xihe sidestepped, causing Bu Shulin to nearly tumble to the floor. Fortunately, her agility allowed her to steady herself quickly.
Turning around, she pouted and glared at Shen Xihe. "Youyou, if I had fallen and ruined my face, I'd be sticking to you for life!"
"Stinky." Shen Xihe uttered the word mercilessly and moved to stand by the window."Stinky?" Bu Shulin hastily lifted her arm to sniff her armpit. Though not fragrant, it certainly wasn't foul either.
Having escorted the Crown Princess to Liangzhou alongside rough men, she couldn't bathe daily like noblewomen. Yet she maintained cleanliness, bathing every two days without fail—even so, the Golden Guard remarked that Worldly Son Bu was too delicate.
Moyu fetched the incense burner, replaced it with a stronger scent, and deliberately brought it near Bu Shulin, fanning the smoke toward her with her hand.
Bu Shulin: …
She felt profoundly insulted.
But the spread of fine wine and delicacies before her stifled her temper. After a moment's deliberation, she yielded to gluttony, picked up her chopsticks, and sat down—enduring Moyu's perfuming while devouring the feast.
Full and fragrant, Bu Shulin sprawled lazily. "If you find me so offensive, why not have your maid prepare a scented bath? Wouldn't that be simpler?"
Direct bathing would indeed be easier! Shen Xihe's incense was precious, and Moyu had spent a quarter-hour beside her—wasting effort, time, and fragrance.
Shen Xihe lowered her eyelids slightly, glancing at her. "The moment you visit me, Xun Wang will be notified. If you leave after bathing here, are you tired of living?"
"Huh?" Bu Shulin didn't grasp the connection—how could bathing after seeing Shen Xihe equate to seeking death?
Sometimes Shen Xihe doubted Bu Shulin's wits. Around others, she remembered her male disguise meticulously, but in Shen Xihe's presence, she seemed to forget she was impersonating a man.
"The Crown Princess and Worldly Son Bu meet privately, linger for half an hour, and Worldly Son Bu departs after bathing." Shen Xihe spelled it out bluntly.
"Oh!" Bu Shulin's eyes lit up with mischievous understanding. "Worldly Son Bu has an affair with the Crown Princess—I'd be cuckolding the Crown Prince…"
She wiggled her eyebrows, visibly thrilled by the idea.
Shen Xihe's expression relaxed instantly. "You may not know—he's also in the city, barely a hundred paces away. Shall I relay your words to him?"
Bu Shulin: …
"No, no, no…" Bu Shulin waved her hands frantically, shaking her head like a rattle drum. "Dear sister, don't treat me this way."
Since learning Xiao Huayong's true nature, Bu Shulin had feared him like a tiger—how dare she provoke him? Had she not seen the fates of those who crossed the Crown Prince?
Shen Xihe had no intention of teasing her further. Observing the ravaged feast, she issued a dismissal: "You may leave now."
"Huh?" Bu Shulin stared blankly, glancing between the empty dishes and Shen Xihe. "You summoned me just for a meal?"
How generous! She'd assumed Shen Xihe had tasks for her—that this was a reward.
As Bu Shulin's eyes welled up with touched tears, Shen Xihe stated coldly, "Your purpose was to inform Xun Wang of my presence. I had no desire to speak with you, but needed you to stay long enough—hence the meal."
Bu Shulin's fervent heart was doused in ice water. Feeling her chest turn frigid, she adopted a look of utter desolation. "You didn't have to reveal the truth."
"I never deceive people's sentiments," Shen Xihe replied rigidly.
Clutching her chest, Bu Shulin rose silently and headed for the door—afraid that staying longer would make her cough up blood from sheer agony.Grasping the door bolt with both hands, she suddenly remembered something and turned her head: "When I entered just now, I thought I saw Prince Lie."
That fleeting figure had been in the room opposite Shen Xihe's, though she hadn't gotten a clear look.
(End of Chapter)
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