Mo Li

After hearing Mo Xiuyao's words, Ye Li fell silent for a long moment before finally replying leisurely, "Does marrying into the Ding Royal Palace not already prove this princess's courage?" Any other girl, having been rejected by Prince Li and then betrothed to Prince Ding, would have hanged herself with a white silk ribbon by now. The mere fact that she was still alive was proof enough of her boldness, wasn't it?

"Ah—" A child's scream came from not far away. Princess Changle froze for a moment before suddenly exclaiming, "It's Zhenning! Princess Ding..." Mo Xiuyao, sitting nearby, waved his hand, and two shadow guards discreetly withdrew from the battle, swiftly darting toward the source of the scream. Ye Li frowned as she glanced at Consort Liu, who sat beside the emperor.

Even they had heard Princess Zhenning's scream—she refused to believe Consort Liu hadn't. Yet, Consort Liu's expression remained as calm and indifferent as ever. Even the empress had furrowed her brows and glanced in that direction several times, but as the child's birth mother, Consort Liu acted as though she had heard nothing. Before, Ye Li had merely thought Consort Liu was aloof and detached from worldly affairs. But now, seeing this, she couldn't help but feel a chill. What could possibly occupy the mind of a woman who showed no concern for her own daughter's safety?

Amidst the heavily guarded surroundings, the empress spoke a few grave words to Mo Jingqi. Mo Jingqi lifted his head and looked in their direction. His gaze darkened slightly when he saw Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li sitting composedly to the side. Raising his voice, he declared, "Prince Ding, I ask that you retrieve my second princess."

Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, stood gracefully, and gave Ye Li a reassuring look before leaping out of the pavilion. Given his status, it wouldn’t have been unusual for him to remain seated without lifting a hand. But now that the emperor had personally requested his assistance, refusing would have been unacceptable.

The empress clearly hadn’t expected Mo Jingqi to call upon Mo Xiuyao for help. She was momentarily stunned before turning to Ye Li with a worried frown. Never mind Princess Ding—her own daughter was still young. Without Prince Ding's protection nearby, how could she possibly rest easy? Glancing at Consort Liu, who sat serenely to the side, the empress finally let her displeasure show. "Princess Zhenning has been taken by assassins. Does Consort Liu not feel the slightest concern?"

Consort Liu calmly withdrew her gaze from outside the pavilion and replied indifferently, "With so many palace guards present, Zhenning will naturally be rescued safely. There’s no need for Her Majesty to trouble herself."

The empress felt a surge of anger but could only let out a cold snort, choosing to remain silent while keeping a vigilant eye on Ye Li and Changle. Given the emperor’s temperament, he would never allow her to send someone to fetch Changle—even if the child in danger was his own flesh and blood.

The moment Mo Xiuyao left, the assassins intensified their assault. Clearly, they had been holding back earlier out of caution for Mo Xiuyao’s presence. Now that he was gone, they seized the opportunity to eliminate their targets before his return.

A black-clad assassin was flung near Ye Li’s feet, his menacing visage causing Princess Changle to shriek in terror. Ye Li frowned and stood. "An Er, Qingluan, take two people and protect Princess Changle."

An Er gave her a disapproving look, while Changle clung tightly to Ye Li’s sleeve, refusing to let go. Though still young, her instincts, honed from growing up in the palace, were sharper than most. Being near Princess Ding made her feel safe—but now, even that security seemed uncertain.Extremely reassured, Ye Li gently pulled her hand away and said softly, "Good girl, it's dangerous to stay by my side. Go with those two to a safe place." Princess Changle blinked her eyes at her and said, "Princess Ding, come with me..."

Ye Li shook her head with a faint smile, glancing at Yelv Ye, who was fighting with ease nearby. The moment she moved, Yelv Ye would undoubtedly redirect the assassins toward her. Given that, it was better to stay put and adapt to the situation. "Princess, be obedient. Don’t make your mother worry, understand?" Princess Changle hesitated, glancing at the anxious empress watching her from a distance, and finally nodded obediently.

Amid the fight, Yelv Ye turned his head and looked at Ye Li, who remained standing nearby. Raising an eyebrow, he grinned, "The princess truly has remarkable courage."

Leaning against a pillar, Ye Li replied coolly, "I’d be much happier if Prince Yelv didn’t keep steering people this way. Truth be told, my legs are so weak from fear that I can’t move."

Unfazed by having his intentions exposed, Yelv Ye laughed, "Ah, the princess saw through me. I merely wanted a chance to play the hero rescuing the beauty. I trust the princess won’t hold it against me, right?" Nearby, An San raised an eyebrow and grabbed an assassin wielding a knife, shoving him forward. The gleaming blade shot straight toward Yelv Ye, who swiftly turned and kicked the out-of-control assassin away. "You there... be careful."

Expressionless, An San lifted his hand and offered an insincere apology, "A momentary slip. My apologies, Prince."

Yelv Ye smirked, "The princess is indeed surrounded by talented individuals. Of course, I won’t take offense."

"Yelv Ye! Die!" The assassins’ pride seemed wounded by the casual fighting, and with a furious roar, several black-clad figures lunged at Yelv Ye with relentless ferocity. Finally, Yelv Ye began to take the fight seriously. Ye Li leaned against the pillar, observing the chaos around her, her disdain for Mo Jingqi—surrounded by layers of guards—growing. While his subjects were being slaughtered by assassins, the emperor refused to deploy half his guards or let them leave his side to confront the attackers. They said Mo Jingqi excelled at manipulating hearts, but now, faced with a life-or-death situation, he seemed to have forgotten everything—even though it wasn’t truly life-or-death yet.

A few sharp whistles sounded, and more black-clad figures rushed into the building. Ye Li frowned. The palace was heavily guarded—how had these assassins infiltrated on such a large scale? And where were the palace guards? Nearly a quarter-hour had passed, yet not a single one had arrived. A faint sense of unease crept over her, and she began subtly moving toward the exit. A strange smell lingered in the air. Narrowing her eyes, Ye Li shouted sharply, "Get out! They’re going to set the building on fire!"

No sooner had she spoken than An Er, from the corner, grabbed Princess Changle and leaped out. Behind them, Qingluan nodded at Ye Li and followed. Beside Ye Li, An San struck down an assassin with a palm strike, seized her, and vaulted out of the Star Plucking Tower.Amidst a volley of arrows, Ye Li had just landed and found cover when she turned to see the first and second floors of the Star Plucking Tower already ablaze. Clearly, some of the arrows had been fire arrows, and the scent Ye Li had detected earlier was that of flammable oil. It was early June, and the entirely wooden structure of the tower, coated in paint, was highly combustible. With everyone gathered on the third floor, the fire quickly turned the already chaotic scene into one of screams and desperate cries for help.

"An San, save them!" Ye Li ordered.

"Princess Ding, we didn’t bring many men into the palace," An San replied with a frown.

Ye Li’s voice was firm. "Don’t worry about me. Save them first." Those who had the privilege of ascending the Star Plucking Tower today were all high-ranking court officials. Even a few injuries would be troublesome, let alone heavy casualties.

Reluctantly, An San gestured for the few shadow guards who had followed them to rush upstairs and assist. Soon, Mo Jingqi and the imperial consorts were also rescued one by one by the palace guards. The previously idle guards surrounding Mo Jingqi immediately engaged the assassins outside. In the darkness, no one knew how many attackers there were. The high-ranking consorts, princes, and princesses were fortunate to have protection, but the lesser consorts were likely left to their fates.

As soon as the empress landed, she scanned the surroundings anxiously. Spotting Ye Li, she hurried over without hesitation. "Princess Ding… Changle—"

Ye Li reassured her, "Your Majesty need not worry. Princess Changle has already been taken to safety."

The empress exhaled in relief, offering a faint smile. "Thank you…"

"Look out!" Ye Li yanked the empress aside, pushing her toward the approaching guards while narrowly dodging a blade aimed at her. With swift movements, she slipped past the assassin, who froze in shock as blood gushed from his chest.

Ye Li turned to the guards. "Take Her Majesty to safety." The golden phoenix embroidered on the empress’s robes made her a glaring target—arrows had already been loosed in her direction the moment she landed. After issuing the order, Ye Li vanished back into the night, her sharp eyes coolly assessing the chaos.

"Princess Ding is indeed swift. I’m impressed," a voice remarked beside her, laced with amusement.

Without hesitation, Ye Li drove her elbow toward the speaker. The man, no ordinary opponent, raised his hand to seize her arm. A cold smirk curled her lips as she twisted, a dagger sliding from her sleeve toward him.

The man—Yelv Ye, who had disappeared earlier in the chaos—chuckled as he sidestepped, only for Ye Li’s foot to lash out toward him. Blocking the kick, he released her arm just as her dagger slashed forward.

Yelv Ye spun away, laughing ruefully. "Princess Ding, with enemies at our doorstep, must we fight among ourselves?" He had encountered many skilled women—Northern Rong women, young and old, all knew some combat—but none as ruthlessly precise as her. She could rival even trained assassins.

Finally conceding that provoking her now was unwise, Yelv Ye stepped back. If they fought and someone else took advantage, it would be a classic case of "going for wool and coming home shorn."Ye Li swiftly dodged aside, eyeing him coldly. "Infighting? Prince Yelv, your choice of words is mistaken. It must be due to your unfamiliarity with the Chu language."

Yelv Ye rubbed his nose and chuckled. "At least we're on the same side now, aren't we? I merely wished to protect the Princess of the State, though it seems unnecessary now." Ye Li gave him a hollow smile. "Protection won't be needed. Prince Yelv, you'd better keep your distance—lest you get caught in the crossfire." Yelv Ye watched as Ye Li cleanly slit the throat of an assailant attempting to ambush her, feeling a chill run down his own neck. So this was the Princess of the State of Chu—just as ruthless as the legendary Prince Ding. But... such a woman was all the more intriguing.

"Protect His Majesty!" The Imperial Guards finally arrived, belated as ever. The sudden influx of soldiers stripped the assassins of their advantage in the darkness. Ye Li glanced back at the rapidly shifting tide of the battle before turning decisively toward the depths of the palace. Yelv Ye, who had been watching her closely, stroked his chin with interest and followed after her.