Mo Li

"Princess Consort."

In the study, Ye Li set down the chess piece she had been holding and looked up at Qin Feng standing at the door. "What is it?" Qin Feng replied, "The assassins have confessed." Mo Hua, seated across from Ye Li, brightened at the news and also set down his piece, fixing his gaze on Qin Feng. Qin Feng smiled. "Your method was indeed effective, Princess Consort. Some of the assassins couldn't hold out and confessed by noon yesterday, though their leader only broke just now."

Ye Li nodded in satisfaction as she tidied the chessboard and pieces. "Bring him here, along with their confessions." Qin Feng acknowledged the order and left.

Before long, a haggard and exhausted man was escorted in by two guards, one on each side. The man's bloodshot eyes and wary glare at Ye Li made it clear he had reached his limit. Days and nights without food, water, or sleep had left him physically and mentally shattered. Even if she released him now, he would likely collapse and die outside the gates of Ding Royal Palace.

With a faint smile, Ye Li looked down at the man forced to kneel before her. "It's been a few days. How have you been?" The man's crimson eyes burned with fury as he glared at the woman in green before him. Unfazed, Ye Li toyed with the jade bracelet on her wrist and sighed softly. "There's no need to look at me like that. I had no choice but to resort to such methods. With my lord away, so many of you ganging up on a defenseless woman isn't exactly honorable, is it?"

The man, already mentally drained, could barely muster the energy to glare at her—a testament to his resilience. Yet it had no effect on Ye Li. Soon, his defiance crumbled, and he rasped, "What do you want?"

Ye Li's smile faded as she replied solemnly, "Tell me who sent you."

"I already did."

Ye Li scoffed and tossed the confession onto the table. "If you're trying to fake a confession, you're hardly an expert. Zhuo Jing—"

An San nodded. "Understood. Double the training in interrogation and intelligence analysis."

Pleased, Ye Li glanced at the man on the floor. "Still unwilling to talk? Then you may return to your 'rest.' Don't worry, I won't kill you. Let him rest for an hour before resuming the interrogation."

At her words, the man's face finally paled. Qin Feng frowned. "If he rests and we start over, won't it weaken the effect?"

Ye Li smiled. "An hour is nothing. I believe a brief respite will only help him appreciate the... unique experience of this method more deeply."

"No... I'll talk," the man muttered, his voice hollow.

"Good," Ye Li said. "Who sent you? And don't tell me it was someone from the palace again. Even if you held out, your subordinates weren't entirely clueless. The leader of Night Kill, the third-ranked assassin organization in the jianghu, hm?"

The man's expression shifted, and he stared weakly at Ye Li. "The Princess Consort is truly formidable."

Ye Li took it as flattery and arched a brow. "Your answer?"

"I don't know who they really were," the man admitted. "But judging by their appearance and accent, they seemed to be from Western Liang."

After a moment of thought, Ye Li asked, "Where else did they contact you?"The man said, "Night Kill is in the south, near... Yongzhou. When they approached us, Prince Ding hadn’t yet left the capital, so we weren’t planning to take this job. But they swore up and down that Prince Ding would definitely leave the capital within a month at most. So they paid us a hefty sum to infiltrate the capital first—if Prince Ding didn’t leave, we wouldn’t have to act. Sure enough, Prince Ding left the capital over ten days ago. We observed for another ten days and noticed that we weren’t the only ones planning to infiltrate the palace for an assassination. That’s why we decided to strike."

Ye Li smiled faintly. "Good. Where is your leader?"

The man was startled, staring at her in shock. Ye Li said calmly, "Since you observed for ten days before acting, you’re not reckless. I don’t believe the failed attempts of the assassins over the past few days didn’t give you a clear assessment of Ding Royal Palace’s strength. To knowingly attempt the impossible? That can only mean... you’re not Night Kill’s true leader, are you?" Seeing the man lower his head in silence, Ye Li paid it no mind. She pulled over a sheet of paper from the table, swiftly wrote something, then handed it to Qin Feng. "Take him away and question him based on this. If he still refuses to talk, there’s no need to bring him back. I don’t have that much patience left." Qin Feng glanced at the note, then waved for the guards to take the man away.

Mo Hua stared intently at Ye Li. "Your Highness already knew he wasn’t the real leader? Then why waste time on him?"

Ye Li sighed helplessly. "Even though I knew he was just a scout, we still don’t know where the rest of Night Kill is hiding, do we? I feel... if we don’t find them quickly, we’ll be in serious trouble." Mo Hua gritted his teeth. "Even if the one in the palace wasn’t involved, he definitely knew about their plans. The shadow guards have been obstructed at every turn while searching the capital these past few days—that’s absolutely his doing." Ye Li said indifferently, "Have the shadow guards fallen to the point where palace guards can easily hinder them?" Mo Hua’s face darkened, unable to speak for a long moment. Finally, he ground out, "Does Your Highness have any brilliant strategies?"

Ye Li shrugged and smiled. "No brilliant strategies. Just adapt to the changing situation."

Half an hour later, Qin Feng returned with the assassin’s confession, his expression even more grim than before. Ye Li didn’t rush to read it, asking instead, "Is he dead?" Qin Feng shook his head. "No, just unconscious." Ye Li nodded and looked down at the confession in her hands. A cold smile gradually curled her lips. "Good..." She handed the confession to Mo Hua and Zhuo Jing. After reading it, their expressions turned grave. Mo Hua stood up. "I’ll immediately recall all shadow guards near the capital to the palace!"

"Stop!" Ye Li said coolly.

Mo Hua turned back angrily, glaring at her. "Your Highness, it’s clear multiple factions have united to attack the palace. If they—"

"If they dare enter, I’ll make sure none of them leave alive!" Ye Li sneered. Mo Hua froze, seemingly cowed by the unrestrained killing intent radiating from her. He frowned. "Even though the palace is heavily guarded, it’s impossible to defend against so many skilled assassins at once. Not just Your Highness’s safety, but many critical areas in the palace..."Ye Li's smile was gentle, yet it sent an involuntary chill down the spines of those listening. "No need to worry. Send word to General Sun to lead the Black Cloud Cavalry and secure all routes in and out of the capital. If any assassins attempt to flee, kill them without mercy. The shadow guards are to station themselves throughout the capital—anyone attempting to escape is to be killed on sight. Additionally, the shadow guards near Prince Ding's Estate are to surround the Ding Royal Palace the moment they see the signal from within. No one is to leave."

"Understood," Qin Feng and Zhuo Jing replied respectfully.

Mo Hua glanced at the two and also responded with deference. Ye Li nodded and said to Qin Feng, "Deploy all your men for some real experience. Their first mission—code name 'Annihilation.'"

Qin Feng, visibly excited, nodded firmly. "Understood. I will not fail your trust, Princess."

Ye Li waved her hand, dismissing the three. She then looked out the window at the bright sunlight and sighed. In just over ten days, the Ding Royal Palace had already become a sea of blood. But no matter what, she had to protect this estate. It wasn't just a grand palace—it was her home.

Since Prince Ding had left the capital, the nobility had keenly sensed an oppressive atmosphere, as if a storm were brewing. The repeated attacks on the Ding Royal Palace were not unknown to everyone—after all, the sounds of battle were hardly subtle. Yet the imperial court remained silent, leading many to discern the emperor's intentions. Still, some couldn't shake a faint unease. If nothing happened to the Ding Royal Palace, all would be well. But if something did, Prince Ding's return would spell serious trouble.

In the following days, news spread that Princess Ding had taken ill from shock and was bedridden, even declining all summons from the palace. With the Ding Royal Palace closed to visitors, neither the concerned nor the curious could verify the princess's true condition. Many quietly believed the rumors of her grave illness. After all, she was just a young woman in her teens. No matter how formidable she was, without Prince Ding by her side, enduring over ten days of assassination attempts would be unbearable even for most men.

"Princess, Lord Xu from the Censor's manor requests an audience," Head Steward Mo announced respectfully.

Ye Li paused her brush and replied calmly, "I will not see him. Please ask Lord Xu to return. When I have recovered, I will visit my uncle and aunt at the Censor's manor to pay my respects."

Head Steward Mo hesitated before adding, "Lord Xu is insistent. He said that if you refuse to see him, he will immediately seek an audience with the emperor to denounce the recent assassination attempts on the Ding Royal Palace." In truth, some had already reported the matter to the emperor, but all memorials had been withheld without response, as if the emperor were feigning ignorance. Some officials, constrained by the emperor's stance, had been quietly placated by Prince Ding's Estate. Thus, while the attacks had become an open secret, everyone continued to play along, pretending nothing was amiss.

After a moment of silence, Ye Li finally said, "Invite my uncle in."

Xu Hongyan followed Head Steward Mo inside, but the steward withdrew at the door, allowing him to enter the study alone. Ye Li set down her brush and rose to greet him. "Uncle, what brings you here?"

Xu Hongyan glared at her in exasperation. "If I didn't come, would I just leave you to life and death in Prince Ding's Estate?"Ye Li smiled gently, pulling Xu Hongyan into the study and seating him as she said, "What do you mean by 'missing and feared dead'? I'm perfectly fine. I've made you and Aunt worry these past few days."

Xu Hongyan gave her a sidelong glance. "If you knew we were worried, why did you block your second brother outside? If I hadn't come personally today, were you planning to keep the family in the dark?" Ye Li looked at him with some difficulty. "Uncle, these past few days in my estate..." Xu Hongyan frowned. "The capital has been in chaos recently. Were those people at our residence sent by you?" Ye Li nodded. "There might be some trouble in the capital soon. It would be best for you and Aunt to be careful." Xu Hongyan's frown deepened. "What exactly is His Majesty thinking!"

Ye Li sighed helplessly. "What else could it be? Taking advantage of the prince's absence to use others' hands to destroy Prince Ding's Estate—even if the prince returns, he can't blame the emperor, can he? Then, the prince would either have to swallow this injustice silently, or if he can't restrain himself and confronts the emperor, the Ding Royal Palace would be labeled as ungrateful, and I'd likely be branded a femme fatale."

Xu Hongyan was well aware of this, and his disappointment in the emperor's actions grew. He looked at Ye Li and asked softly, "You can't keep feigning illness forever. Do you have any plans?"

Ye Li lowered her eyes with a faint smile. "A clean sweep—to ensure no one in this world would ever dare to scheme against the Ding Royal Palace again."

Xu Hongyan looked at her in surprise. His niece seemed as gentle as ever, but the fleeting coldness in her expression revealed she wasn't as harmless as she appeared. He sighed. "Would it be a problem for your uncle to stay in your estate for a few days?" Ye Li frowned disapprovingly. "Uncle, how could that be?"

Xu Hongyan raised an eyebrow. "They say a maternal uncle is like a mother. Can't I enjoy my niece's hospitality?"

Ye Li smiled bitterly. In the past, when everything was peaceful, she couldn't even invite her uncle and aunt over, fearing it might bring trouble to her and Prince Ding's Estate and arouse the emperor's suspicion. Now, with the estate in chaos, her uncle's presence would only mean shared anxiety—where was the enjoyment in that? "Uncle, how about I invite you and Aunt over in a few days to properly enjoy yourselves?"

Xu Hongyan simply looked at her, neither agreeing nor refusing. Ye Li sighed and lowered her head. She was familiar with this expression—it meant no amount of persuasion would change his mind. Reluctantly, she conceded, "In that case, I'll have someone prepare a courtyard for you. Qin Feng, Mo Hua."

Qin Feng and Mo Hua entered from outside. After glancing at Xu Hongyan, they bowed respectfully. "Greetings to the Princess Consort, greetings to Lord Xu."

Ye Li waved a hand. "Skip the formalities. Second Uncle will be staying in the estate for a few days. Mo Hua, make the arrangements." Mo Hua nodded, understanding that the Princess Consort meant for him to assign shadow guards to protect Xu Hongyan discreetly. Qin Feng asked, "Princess Consort, should we send more people to the Xu and Ye households?" Ye Li replied, "Mo Hua, dispatch a few more shadow guards to protect Madam Xu and Second Master Xu. As for the Ye residence, no need. Everyone in the capital knows my relationship with my natal family is distant. Sending too many people might only endanger them."

"Understood. I'll handle it immediately." Mo Hua nodded and left.Qin Feng glanced at Xu Hongyan and said, "Your Highness, Lord Xu's courtyard has been arranged at..."

Ye Li replied, "Just arrange it in the courtyard closest to the main residence. Also, send someone to inform Feng San to speed things up. The sooner these matters are resolved, the better."

Qin Feng perked up and smiled, "Understood. I'll send someone to notify Third Master Feng immediately." These days, they had been endlessly harassed by waves of assassins who seemed never to run out. The prospect of resolving the issue once and for all lifted his spirits. As he turned to leave, Qin Feng felt a surge of energy. The princess had given the code name "Annihilation"—any assassin daring to step into the royal residence would not leave alive!