The emperor's ready agreement to the Northern Rong prince's request left all the assembled ministers puzzled. After all, those close to the throne knew well how much the current emperor valued his dignity—such a self-deprecating concession was entirely unlike his usual conduct. Regardless of others' thoughts, Yelv Ye was thoroughly pleased with the Chu emperor's compliance. Turning to face Ye Li across the hall, he raised his cup in salute and declared with a hearty laugh, "In that case, I shall look forward to Princess Ding's guidance in the future."
Ye Li lifted her head, responding with composed grace, "Guidance is too generous. As nobility yourself, Prince Yelv, I'm certain you would never commit any impropriety that might offend the noble ladies of Great Chu."
Yelv Ye smiled without reply and resumed his seat to drink.
Seated beside Mo Jingqi, the empress glanced at the emperor and then at the snow-robed, aloof Imperial Concubine Liu beside him, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. She murmured, "Imperial Concubine Liu seldom involves herself in court matters. It's unusual for her to speak up about the marriage alliance today." Imperial Concubine Liu kept her eyes lowered to her wine cup, replying tonelessly, "This humble consort has overstepped. I beg the empress's forgiveness." Mo Jingqi looked between his wife and favored consort, smiling at the empress. "The imperial concubine meant well for diplomatic relations. Don't fault her for it." A flash of anger crossed the empress's face before she schooled her expression into calm indifference. "Very well. I've heard a Liu maiden is among the candidates. I'm not so petty as to ignore Imperial Concubine Liu's patriotic intentions. However, Your Majesty... Tianxiang has been keeping me company in the palace lately and won't participate further. If you decree her for the alliance, the Hua family and I will raise no objections."
Mo Jingqi paused. In nearly ten years of marriage, the empress had never addressed him with such overt displeasure. Realizing she was angered over her only niece's reputation, he reflected on their decade together—while lacking in passion, a principal wife held unique significance. Doubt crept in about his plan to send Hua Tianxiang north; beyond needling the Hua family, it served little purpose and wouldn't even strain their ties with Prince Ding's Estate. Having slighted the empress for Imperial Concubine Liu, some recompense was due. Seeing the empress's dignified fury, his expression softened as he patted her hand. "Set your mind at ease. I'll have Tianxiang's name removed."
The empress lowered her eyes, the ghost of a smile appearing. "This consort thanks Your Majesty."
Below the dais, Ye Li casually averted her gaze from the imperial couple and whispered to Mo Xiuyao with a quiet laugh, "It seems we needn't worry about Tianxiang anymore." Mo Xiuyao arched a brow, and Ye Li explained, "Her Majesty appears to have persuaded the emperor." That the childless, seldom-favored empress had maintained her position for years amid formidable rivals—with even the deeply favored Imperial Concubine Liu daring not cross her lightly—proved her formidable capabilities. A mere show of displeasure had sufficed to reverse the emperor's stance after Imperial Concubine Liu's presumptuous interjection. Yet as Ye Li's clear eyes rested on the snow-gowned woman above, a thoughtful frown creased her brow."Her Majesty the Empress's wisdom is no less than anyone else's; she simply lacks the inclination. But A Li, you seem to possess some rather unusual abilities," Mo Xiuyao remarked with a soft chuckle. Though they were seated at the very front, there was still a considerable distance between them and the dragon throne at the head of the hall. While they could observe the expressions and glances of those seated above, hearing their whispered conversations amidst the clamor of the grand hall was something even Mo Xiuyao admitted was beyond his capability. Ye Li pursed her lips and shot him a glance before replying candidly, "That's right, I know lip-reading. Got a problem with that? Want me to teach you?"
Mo Xiuyao laughed. "No need. As long as my wife knows it, that's enough."
Ye Li glanced at him before lowering her gaze to examine the wine in front of her. She was well aware that she had revealed too many flaws in front of Mo Xiuyao. At first, they were occasional and unintentional, something she could attribute to having lived a peaceful life for over a decade, which had dulled her vigilance. But gradually, she found herself unwilling to hide from him, sometimes even deliberately displaying aspects of herself that set her apart from ordinary people. In a way, it was a test—yet Mo Xiuyao had never shown the slightest surprise at her peculiarities, as if it were perfectly natural for her to be this way. This both surprised Ye Li and secretly pleased her. After all, no one enjoyed wearing a mask and concealing their true self forever.
Since this banquet was held in honor of the Northern Rong prince, the evening festivities did not conclude after the feast in the grand hall. Instead, the Emperor led all the imperial consorts, princes, princesses, and ministers to the highest point in the palace—the Star-Picking Pavilion—to enjoy a specially arranged fireworks display and a grand song-and-dance performance. Seated high in the pavilion, Ye Li watched the Emperor, who appeared thoroughly engrossed in the spectacle, and raised an eyebrow skeptically. Such a deliberately extravagant welcome banquet was hardly likely to intimidate an ambitious Northern Rong prince—if anything, it might only fuel his desire to conquer the Central Plains. After all, Northern Rong was the poorest of the four kingdoms, and its people would never feel anything resembling reverence for the prosperous lands of Great Chu. Their harsh environment and fierce temperament only drove them to seek plunder at any cost.
"Princess Ding... Uncle..." The atmosphere in the Star-Picking Pavilion was far more relaxed than in the grand hall. Before long, Princess Changle had quietly made her way to Ye Li's side. With most people's attention fixed on the fireworks in the sky or the performances below, few noticed her. Ye Li looked down at her with a gentle smile. "What brings you here, Your Highness?" Princess Changle blinked, then leaned in to whisper in Ye Li's ear, "Mother Empress asked me to tell you to be careful of Consort Liu." Ye Li was taken aback. She glanced toward the Empress, who stood not far away, and saw a faint smile curl at the corners of her lips as she gave a slight nod. Ye Li nodded in acknowledgment and patted the little princess's head affectionately. "So you came to deliver a message from Her Majesty? Thank you, Princess." Princess Changle waved her small hand dismissively. "No need for thanks. I don't like Consort Liu either.""Why?" Ye Li asked curiously. Consort Liu had a cold personality, but it wasn't to the extent of holding grudges against little girls. Consort Liu had helped her twice before and hadn't shown any hostility toward her, but this time... Ye Li clearly sensed that Consort Liu's attitude toward her had subtly changed since their last meeting in the palace. It was a very subtle shift, imperceptible on the surface—just an intuition. And Ye Li always trusted her intuition, as it had saved her life countless times on the battlefield.
Princess Changle pouted and said, "She always looks at everyone like they're beneath her, but Father Emperor listens to everything she says. She's not nice at all—she ignores Zhenning when she cries. Mother would never treat me like that. Mother loves Changle the most." The last sentence was definitely bragging.
"Zhenning?" Ye Li looked questioningly at Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "The Emperor's second daughter, Princess Zhenning, Consort Liu's child."
Ye Li glanced ahead and only then noticed that something seemed missing beside the snow-white-robed Consort Liu. By the Emperor's grace, all imperial consorts, princes, and princesses were allowed to watch the fireworks, so nearly every consort with rank and children had brought their sons or daughters along. If the earlier banquet had been too formal for children to attend, now even the one-year-old princesses and princes were being carried by their wet nurses. Yet none of Consort Liu's two sons and one daughter were in sight—which was rather strange. Especially since the second princess should be seven or eight years old by now, not a toddler. Was it really as Princess Changle said—that Consort Liu didn't like her own children?
"Do you often play with Princess Zhenning?" Ye Li asked with a smile.
Princess Changle shook her head, somewhat dejected. "Zhenning doesn’t like playing with me either. She only likes playing with her brothers, but she won’t let me join them. Mother says it’s because I’m too young to take care of them. But... Zhenning is younger than me."
Ye Li pinched Princess Changle's little cheek, sighing inwardly. The Empress had truly sheltered her daughter well.
"Assassins!" A sharp cry rang out as several dark figures darted out of the night, charging straight toward the tower. Ye Li rolled her eyes and pulled Princess Changle to her side. Chaos erupted instantly in the Star Plucking Tower as guards surged toward the Emperor, Empress, and the princes and princesses. Below, ministers and their families scrambled for cover. With just one glance, Ye Li could tell these assassins were nothing like the incompetent ones from that night—each was a master among hundreds. The guards on the tower suffered heavy losses in the first clash. Blood splattered, and the terrified screams of noblewomen filled the air, plunging the tower into pandemonium.
Princess Changle hid beside Ye Li, peeking out with just her little head. Ye Li patted her forehead and said, "Don’t look. You might get scared."
Princess Changle quickly ducked back and asked worriedly, "Princess Ding, will my mother and father be alright?"Ye Li smiled and said, "Don't worry, even if everyone here were in danger, they wouldn't be." With so many guards surrounding them, if anything happened, everyone upstairs would have been killed by the assassins. Among the officials, those skilled in martial arts stepped forward to confront the black-clad assassins—not only for their own and others' safety but also as an opportunity to impress the emperor. Mo Xiuyao sat calmly beside Ye Li, shadow guards who had appeared at some point firmly securing their surroundings. Even if one or two managed to break through, they were swiftly dealt with by Qingluan, An Er, and An San standing nearby. Amid the chaos upstairs, their area maintained an eerie tranquility.
"I say, shouldn’t the prince go forward to protect His Majesty?" Ye Li teased Mo Xiuyao in a low voice. Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "If I go now, His Majesty won’t think I’m there to protect him—he’ll assume I’m there to assassinate him."
Ye Li tilted her head and glanced toward Mo Jingqi’s direction, shaking her head in amusement. Rumor had it that the emperor was once a man of both literary and martial prowess. Just how terrified of death must he be to have half the guards upstairs encircling him? Even while watching the assassins, he kept stealing glances their way. It wasn’t just Mo Xiuyao—anyone associated with Prince Ding's Estate approaching now would likely be mistaken for an assassin.
"Ah, isn’t it a bit inappropriate for the prince and princess to be so relaxed in such chaos?" Yelv Ye, effortlessly fending off assassins nearby, found time to smile at Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li.
Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "If a few mere assassins can’t be handled, what’s the point of the palace guards?"
Yelv Ye laughed heartily, "Well said, Your Highness. Such petty thieves aren’t worth Prince Ding’s personal attention."
"Prince Yelv, could you move aside a bit? You’re drawing all the assassins over here," An San, standing in front of Ye Li, casually dispatched an assassin and spoke expressionlessly. Yelv Ye raised an eyebrow, pausing to glance at the fallen assassin before smiling, "My apologies. I don’t know why these assassins seem so fond of me. The guards of Prince Ding's Estate are truly exceptional." The assassin on the ground bore no visible wounds except for a thin cut on the neck, barely bleeding, yet he had collapsed instantly without struggle. Even professional killers might not achieve such precision. The man before him wore only an ordinary guard’s uniform, yet amidst the bloody chaos, he exuded complete ease and composure.
Watching the skirmish, Ye Li arched a delicate brow and whispered, "Are the assassins targeting Yelv Ye?" A significant portion of the attackers were indeed heading for Yelv Ye. While it could be because he appeared the strongest, his distinctly non-Chu attire made it impossible for the assassins to mistake him for anyone else.Mo Xiuyao stared at the handsome man who kept subtly approaching them and said, "It might have something to do with him, but... the assassins were all from the Central Plains. Neither Yelv Ye nor Yelv Hong would send Northern Rong people to cause trouble in the palace. Yelv Ye deliberately led the assassins this way probably to test your capabilities." Mo Xiuyao's strength was known throughout the world, so there was no need to prove it with a few assassins. Yelv Ye certainly couldn't expect to kill him with just a few assassins either, so it must have been aimed at Ye Li, who was sitting beside him.
Ye Li smiled faintly and asked, "In this situation, do I need to take action?"
From the front, An San replied softly, "Of course not. If mere assassins required the princess to act personally, wouldn't that mean we subordinates serve no purpose at all?" Ye Li glanced at An San and chuckled, "Right now, you're my right-hand man, not a shadow guard. Could you please refrain from rushing into battle?" Hearing this, An San immediately looked dejected. He much preferred his days as a shadow guard—when enemies appeared, he could just charge in and beat them to a pulp. Now, he had to wait until the shadow guards missed a few stragglers before he could act. And unfortunately, the shadow guards of Ding Royal Palace were extremely competent, leaving hardly any stragglers to deal with.
Mo Xiuyao laughed and said, "I don’t think he wanted to test A Li’s skills—he wanted to test her courage instead."
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