Lin Ning had then run into the dead of the night into the bamboo forest that would make it a bit hard for the bandits to catch up. Sensing how weak Hun Cuifen was, it was clear that she had been starving or given little food for some time which made her angered to see just how cruel the fifth princess was. Opening her eyes to take a look around, she knew that she needed to distract the bandits who were coming after them. Seeing a rabbit run off from out of somewhere, she assumed that it was a bush that it must have been hiding in. Pushing Hun Cuifen down to the bush, she looked to her and held onto her shoulders. “Your sister is safe. We won’t let either of you be harmed by the fifth princess.” Just when she was about to run and distract the bandits, she turned back to Hun Cuifen to say something. “If I do not make it back, please help a man named Cao Peizhi.” Running forth, the bandits heard Lin Ning’s footsteps running as they passed Hun Cuifen who did not know who that woman was who helped her.

Lin Ning heard the footsteps behind her getting closer and closer, not knowing where she had gone as she stumbled and rolled down a hill once she had run forth without knowing her surroundings.

***

Cao Peizhi had immediately gotten up from his seat, he did not think that Lin Ning would go to a bandit’s hideout just to save someone. Once he had heard about it, he stumbled upon his two shadow guards who were already fighting against his bandits. Looking around, he did not see Lin Ning anywhere in sight. “Where’s Miss Lin?!” He had reached Qin Yun and Duan Fa who did not think that they would come across their master.

“She ran out with Miss Hun.” Duan Fa told him as the entire bandit’s hideout had been surrounded by Cao Peizhi’s men.

Taking each and every bandit, they were all trying to make sure that none escaped. “Someone! Someone! Please help!” Hearing a woman call out in the distance, Duan Fa and Qin Yun saw that it was the same woman that they saved.

“Where’s the woman who was with you?!” Duan Fa did not think that the woman would be alone.

“She ran to distract the bandits! Please go and help her!” Hun Cuifen was begging them to help Lin Ning. Hearing a horse take off, Cao Peizhi held tightly onto the reins when he knew that he could fall off the horse if he were not balanced.

‘Ning, please be okay.’ He was begging in his heart that she was still alive.

***

“What?!” The fifth princess was looking to her maids, hearing that the bandit’s hideout had been infiltrated where she had left Hun Lian’s younger brother. “Make sure that none of them are alive! Kill Hun Ming as well!” The fifth princess (Yi Jiao) knew that she was going to be found working with bandits which would make people all assume that she slept with bandits as well. ‘What were those idiots thinking?!’ Yi Jiao did not think that the bandit’s hideout would be found so soon. Nevertheless, she was not going to let anyone find out that it was her pulling all the strings. ‘I cannot allow this to happen to me!’

“Fifth Princess, please take your medicine.” Hearing a maid bring a bowl of medicine for her to drink due to her pregnancy, hating how bitter it was that it was a struggle for her to gulp down. After some time, the fifth princess had been thinking over and over again about the entire situation regarding the bandits. Her mind felt like it was going to burst as she soon fainted with the maids and servants in a panic.

“The fifth princess has fainted!!!”

“Get a physician!!!”

Everyone did not know what had happened, but a figure had slipped in all the panic that was happening at the palace.

***

“It seems as though things are playing out well from here. It will depend on if fate allows for her child to live or not.” Xu Meili could see that things were taking a turn, she said that she would make sure that the person who hurt the innocent pay twice as much.

“You really went ahead and did it.” Standing beside her was the crown prince (Yi Changpu), he did not think that Xu Meili would take action at this time.

“Oh, are you not going to report me to your father?” Xu Meili did not know if he was going to expose her or not.

“…” He stood there in silence, watching the uproar that was happening in the palace even though his younger sister’s life was in danger. “She had it coming to her.” He said soon after. Xu Meili did not think that he would allow her to get away with it so easily as if he no longer cared about that little sister of his.

“Are you really fine with me getting away with this? She is your you-”

“Was my younger sister.” Correcting Xu Meili, he did not refer to them as siblings any longer once he found out that she had been taking the lives of many ladies of the capital for childish reasons. Not only that, but Shi Men had reported to him that his ‘younger sister’ was associated with the bandits to get her way around to humiliate the ladies of the capital.

“I’m glad that you are finally opening your eyes. Even a blind person can see things that others cannot see.” Xu Meili thought of Lin Ning at that moment, hoping that she was doing fine. Thinking about visiting her in a few days when she could get a chance to do so. “I need to visit Miss Lin when I get a chance, but with the things that are going on right now then it is not safe to do so.” Xu Meili sighed, looking up to the sky full of stars.

“Make sure that you bring this prince wherever you go then.” The crown prince had wrapped Xu Meili into his arms, looking down to the woman who had started all the ruckus in the palace. Seeing how she was the one showing more to him that he would have never seen.