The Seven Princes of Beijiang

  The Seven Princes of Beijiang

  On the stage, Yaoji held a colorful embroidered ball and smiled at the men below. The men in the audience were all excitedly staring at the small embroidered ball, and whoever got it would be able to spend a night with the number one dancer of the capital city. This was an irresistible temptation for these ordinary men who couldn't even see Yaoji normally. Yaoji's eyes fell on Ye Li, raised an eyebrow, and smiled sweetly. Ye Li frowned, feeling a bad premonition rising in her heart. Before she could think clearly, Yaoji threw the embroidered ball in her direction with force. The crowd let out a cry of surprise, and those who were far away could only regretfully sigh and curse. Those who were close by stared intently at the embroidered ball flying through the air, raising their hands high to catch this blessing from heaven.

  From the moment Yaoji raised her hand, Yelü had already seen where she wanted to throw it. Of course, Yaoji wasn't trying to throw the embroidered ball to herself, but to Mo Xiuyao standing behind her. After releasing the ball, Yaoji even raised an eyebrow at him and silently moved her lips. Although there was no sound, it didn't stump Yelü, who was skilled in lip-reading. She said, "Guess if he'll catch it?" Yelü cursed inwardly and turned around to pull Mo Xiuyao away. If it were any other time, with their agility, they wouldn't have had trouble avoiding a small embroidered ball. But now, the area was packed with people, making it difficult to even move their feet, let alone dodge. Mo Xiuyao looked down at Yelü tugging on his sleeve and chuckled softly, raising his hand to slap the ball that was originally heading towards him, changing its direction mid-air.

  As the embroidered ball deviated from its direction, the crowd surged to the other side with a whoosh. Mo Xiuyao wrapped Ye Li in his arms to protect her from being squeezed by the crowd, and smiled to ask, "A Li, were you nervous just now?" Ye Li hummed softly and looked up at the stage, where Yao Ji's embroidered ball had been knocked off, but she didn't look disappointed. Instead, she smiled even more charmingly at Ye Li, silently saying: "Congratulations." Ye Li nodded slightly, accepting her congratulations.

  The colorful embroidered ball was being snatched away in the crowd, and often one person hadn't even grabbed it before someone next to them slapped or grabbed it away. The intensity of the scramble was breathtaking. It's just a small embroidered ball, no matter how many people fight for it, they can't keep fighting indefinitely. Just as a burly man, relying on his height advantage, reached out to grab the ball, a sudden figure stepped on the shoulders of the crowd and flew over, kicking away the big man's hand while kicking the ball to the woman standing on the stage.

  In the midst of everyone's disappointed gasps, a swift figure quickly leapt onto the stage and caught the embroidered ball before it landed on Yaoji's body. On the stage, a young man wearing a brown brocade robe stood elegantly beside Yaoji, his handsome face with sharp features and a rugged aura that was more unrestrained than the men of Great Chu, but the glint in his eyes, which seemed to be smiling yet not quite, made it clear that he was not one of those simple-minded martial artists. The man carelessly played with the embroidered ball in his hand, smiling at the man who had already fallen into the crowd below: "Since this young master didn't take a liking to Yaoji, just watching from the side would have been enough; kicking back someone else's embroidered ball is simply too impolite. It's said that Great Chu is a land of poetry, books, and etiquette, but this young master has gone a bit... overboard in his pursuit of beauty."

  Among the crowd, Mu Yang, the young master of the Mu Yang Hou Fu, had a gloomy face and flew onto the stage. Without saying a word, he slapped the man in brown clothes with one palm. The man in brown clothes was clearly prepared and easily dodged to the side. The two men started fighting on the stage, and the people below cheered. Since they couldn't get the beauty's favor, watching the commotion wasn't a bad deal either. Ordinary people don't have much, so it's not easy for them to have too many obsessions.

  Ye Li leaned against Mo Xiuyao's chest, curiously sizing up the man fighting with Mu Yang on stage. Just by looking at his appearance, it was clear that he was not from Da Chu. "Is this... a Beijun person?" Ye Li didn't have a good impression of Beijun people. The last time was during her wedding last year, when the 13th prince of Beijun had left a very bad impression on her. This time, it seemed that he had come to this kind of place to have fun. Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "I heard earlier that the Beijun people who came to welcome the bride arrived in Da Chu ahead of schedule. I didn't expect him to arrive in the capital so quickly." Ye Li raised an eyebrow and turned her head to look at him, "Do you know him?"

  "Yelü Ye, seventh prince of the Northern Rong," Mu Xiuyao said in a low voice. "Mu Yang is probably no match for him."

  Ye Li nodded slightly, but in just a few moves, she had already seen it. Mu Yang's kung fu was indeed good, but after all, it couldn't compare to Ye Lüe Ye's, which was clearly tempered on the battlefield. This wasn't Mu Yang's fault; although Great Chu valued martial arts, they also revered literature, and most aristocratic families tended to let their children take the path of officialdom rather than go to war. After all, on the battlefield, knives and swords had no eyes, and one might lose their life at any moment. It was already impressive that Mu Yang, being so young, could excel in both literary and martial pursuits, achieving such success in kung fu. But Beijun was completely different from Great Chu; although it had been influenced by Central Plains culture, its customs were still fierce and strong, with the strong being revered. As one of the best sons of the King of Beijun, Ye Lüe Ye naturally emerged victorious on the battlefield at a young age.

  But after more than a hundred moves, Mu Yang began to fall behind. Yelü Ye, on the other hand, seemed to be getting into his stride, becoming more and more courageous as he fought, launching a fierce attack that left Mu Yang stumbling backward in defeat. Ye Li looked at Mo Xiuyao and couldn't help but furrow her brow; she didn't want Mo Xiuyao to get involved no matter what the outcome was, it would inevitably lead to a storm of trouble. However, neither she nor Mo Xiuyao could just stand by and watch as Mu Yang got hurt by Yelü Ye. Yao Ji, who had been somewhat distracted, finally snapped back to attention when she saw Mu Yang on the verge of defeat, her voice trembling with anger: "I told you not to meddle in other people's affairs! What business do you have with my embroidered ball?"

  Yelü Yolang laughed loudly and said: "Miss Yaoji is right. Mu Shizi, since you kicked the embroidered ball back, what do you mean by this now?"

  Mu Yang glanced at Yao Ji and remained silent, still countering Ye Lüe's relentless attacks. However, even those who didn't understand martial arts could see that he was struggling a bit. Ye Lüe snorted coldly, seemingly losing his patience, and said with a smile: "Since the young master has nothing to say, don't disturb me as I appreciate the beauty. Leave!" With a low shout, Ye Lüe slapped Mu Yang's chest with one palm, this slap having a majestic momentum, clearly unleashing the power of splitting mountains and rocks. Yao Ji, standing on the side, couldn't help but cover her mouth and cry out in surprise: "Don't!" The stage was small to begin with, and Yao Ji was close to the two men. Seeing Mu Yang in danger, Yao Ji shouted and rushed forward with all her might. She had practiced martial arts since childhood, her body agile and not inferior to ordinary practitioners. In this emergency, she managed to insert herself between Mu Yang and Ye Lüe with a desperate lunge. Just as Ye Lüe's palm was about to hit Yao Ji...

  The crowd watching from below couldn't help but close their eyes, not daring to look again. Just now when the two of them fought, the things on the stage were smashed into pieces. If this palm had landed on Yaoji's body, a delicate beauty would probably have been destroyed instantly.

  "Whoosh——" A flash of light flew by, and Ye Luoye only felt a flash of light in front of him, hastily withdrawing his palm force and retreating several steps to stand still. Yaoji's face was pale and she fell into Mo Yang's arms, originally closing her eyes waiting for death but found that the palm had not hit her body. Opening her eyes just in time to see Mo Yang's eyes with hidden worry and anger, thinking again about their current situation, her heart darkened as she stood up and pushed Mo Yang away.

  Ye Luyi stood with his hands behind his back, turned his head and glanced at the pearl hairpin nailed to a pillar on one side. Although it was just an ordinary pearl silver pin, the entire pin had only entered three inches into the wood, leaving only a single pearl flower outside, showing that the opponent's skill was extremely high. If he hadn't withdrawn his palm force in time, Ye Luyi believed that this hairpin would have pierced through his wrist. Turning back to look at where the hidden weapon came from, what entered his eyes was a pair of young men and women dressed in low-key simplicity. The woman was elegant and refined, but her eyebrows flowed out with an air and nobility different from ordinary Da Chu women, while the man's face was covered with a mask, and his white clothes made him look like a bright moon, warm and elegant, actually extraordinary. Raising his eyebrows, Ye Luyi smiled and said: "This young master already has a beauty in his arms, could it be that he still has an interest in Miss Yaoji?"

  Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and said, "Prince Yelü is joking. My wife has a pure and kind nature, she can't stand the sight of blood. If you were to accidentally scare her, it wouldn't be good." Upon hearing this, Mu Yang was slightly surprised and turned his head back, seeing Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li in the crowd, he was taken aback for a moment, nodded slightly but didn't reveal their identities. Yelü Ye didn't expect someone to expose his identity, narrowed his eyes to size up Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, after a while, smiled and said, "So it's... I didn't expect to run into the prince and princess here, what a fortunate encounter." Mo Xiuyao replied calmly, "I also didn't expect to meet Prince Yelü in a place like this."

  Yelü Yexian smiled but didn't speak, avoiding Mo Xiuyao's questioning about his secret entry into Chu Jing. He pointed at Yaoji and smiled: "Since the king doesn't plan to fight for Miss Yaoji, does that mean she still belongs to me?"

  "You think so!" Mu Yang said in a low voice, walking to Yao Ji's side and blocking her behind him. Ye Lü Ye let out a disdainful snort, looking at Mu Yang with a smile that was not quite a smile: "Why doesn't the young master of Mu ask Miss Yao Ji for her opinion? Perhaps Miss Yao Ji would rather choose the stronger one?" Yao Ji silently walked out from behind Mu Yang, and under his shocked gaze, she went to stand behind Ye Lü Ye. "Yao Ji! You..."

  Yao Ji smiled faintly, but her expression was somewhat bitter. She said softly, "Today's rules were set by myself, so I must abide by them. Thank you, Shizong, for taking the trouble to come all this way. It's also a fulfillment of our friendship over the years. Please return now."

  Mu Yang stared at her stunning face, but didn't say a word for a long time. Yao Ji's smile on her face gradually became stiff, and she finally turned around to avoid his gaze. At this time, the sky was already dark, and it was almost curfew. The people below the stage looked at each other without any excitement, and they left one after another. Ye Lüe, standing on the stage, smiled at Mu Yang and said: "Your Highness, Your Majesty, since we met today, why don't we find a place to have a drink and chat?"

  Mo Xiuyao led Ye Li past him, smiling faintly: "Prince Yelü has a beauty in his arms, and yet he still has the mood to chat with Ben Wang?"

  Ye Lü Ye's eyes flashed with a sharp aura, and he smiled: "My useless younger brother offended the king last year. Fortunately, the king was magnanimous and didn't hold it against him, letting him return to Bei Rong safely. Xiao Wang is thinking of personally thanking the king." Mo Xiu Yao nodded generously: "Guests are guests, I am not a petty person, Ye Lü Wangzi doesn't need to remember this small matter." As for making Ye Lü Ping even more foolish, Mo Xiu Yao didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt. In fact, he felt that his years of self-cultivation had been worthwhile just by letting him live. Ye Lü Ye's heart was filled with anger, and he wished he could slap Mo Xiu Yao to death. If Mo Xiu Yao had directly killed Ye Lü Ping, he might not have been so angry. But instead, he sent Ye Lü Ping to his arch-nemesis, the crown prince, and even leaked the information to others. He was worried that Ye Lü Ping would reveal some secret to the crown prince, so he had to use all his efforts to get him back from the crown prince's hands. Who knew that the person he rescued was a fool who didn't know anything? Of course, he absolutely believed that Mo Xiu Yao must have extracted everything Ye Lü Ping knew before making him foolish. The people of Ding Guo Wang Fu were all troublemakers, not a single one was left in this world without being a disaster, my father king was truly not deceiving me.

  "Is this the King's consort? I am Ye Lu Ye, seventh prince of Beijiang. Greetings, Your Highness." Knowing he couldn't outdo Mo Xiu Yao in a battle of wits, Ye Lu Ye didn't make things difficult for himself and instead turned his attention to Ye Li, smiling at her.

  Ye Li stood beside Mo Xiuyao and smiled softly: "Prince Yelü is polite."

  Ye Lü Ye looked at Ye Li with a somewhat presumptuous gaze: "On the way to Chu Jing, I heard that the king's concubine was not inferior to his queen, and I thought... it turned out to be such an elegant woman? The King of Ding is indeed very fortunate." Mo Xiu Yao's eyes darkened for a moment, and a hint of killing intent flashed by, but disappeared in an instant. He smiled at Ye Lü Ye: "Prince Ye Lü has overpraised. This isn't the place to talk, Prince Ye Lü, why don't you move to my humble abode for a little chat?" He glanced around, and it was almost time for the night curfew. The crowd on the street had already dispersed, leaving only a few people on the platform, which looked somewhat strange and eerie.

  Yelü Yundong smiled faintly and said, "It's an honor for the Small King to be invited by the Determined King, but today is already late, and visiting the Determined King's palace without warning would be somewhat impolite. Another day, I will personally visit the king and queen." At this time, going to the Determined King's palace for a short stay, Yelü Yundong believed that anyone with a normal brain wouldn't make this decision. Seeing him refuse, Mo Xiuyao didn't force it either, "Since that's the case, I'll take my leave first along with Ah Li. Prince Yelü and Marquis Shu..."

  Yelü Ye smiled and said, "Little Wang should also return to the inn. As for Miss Yaoji, it was just a joke, please don't mind, Miss Yaoji and Marquis Mu." It seemed that he didn't expect him to let go so easily, and Mu Yang was taken aback for a moment. Yaoji also looked at Yelü Ye with some surprise, but Yelü Ye pretended not to notice, waving his hand and saying, "I saw Marquis Mu's skills and got a bit itchy, I apologize if I offended anyone."

  Everyone has said so, Mu Yang naturally wouldn't mind anymore. He nodded and said: "Prince Yelü's skills are a notch higher, I'm ashamed."

  Yelü Ye raised an eyebrow and smiled, just about to speak when a flash of cold light appeared from the street corner. Several black-clad men rushed towards them. Yelü Ye dodged the incoming knife light with a sidestep, and with a casual palm strike, sent the assassin flying away. Turning his head back, he smiled at Mo Xiuyao: "Your Highness, it seems that Chu Jing's nights are indeed quite dangerous." Mo Xiuyao had one arm around Ye Li, while the other hand grasped an assassin's wrist, exerting a gentle force, and in the still of the night, the sound of shattering bones was crisp and clear. "Perhaps it's because tourists come from afar? After all, I recall that previously, the nights in the capital were always very peaceful." Yelü Ye laughed loudly, not refuting him.

  On the other side, Mu Yang was protecting Yao Ji while fending off the enemy. Yao Ji's body was a bit stiff, although she didn't want Mu Yang to touch her again, she also knew that this wasn't the time to be wilful, and could only remain still as Mu Yang held her in his arms. However, the expression on her face was gloomy and sorrowful, hiding the fear of encountering assassins.

  The assassins apparently also found that the three men in front of them were all masters, but Mo Xiuyao and Mu Yang each protected a woman, only Ye Lüye had nothing to worry about and started killing wildly. The assassins exchanged glances secretly and turned around to surround Mo Xiuyao and Mu Yang, as long as they solved these two men, the remaining one would be easy to deal with. Ye Lüye, who was pushed aside, raised his eyebrows and looked at Mo Xiuyao's side, who was coping with ease, then turned around and rushed towards the battle group on Mu Yang's side.

  Ye Li was somewhat helplessly being held in Mo Xiuyao's arms, although she knew that Mo Xiuyao could completely handle the assassins in front of them. However, under these circumstances, being protected in someone's arms made her feel a bit unaccustomed to it. But Mo Xiuyao's hands wrapped around her waist told her that he had no intention of letting her go. Ye Li could only helplessly sigh and carefully observe the surrounding assassins, just in case.

  I don't know what kind of people these assassins are, but they look really unimpressive. With nothing to do and feeling bored, Ye Li thought to herself that it was quite dull. Having married into the Dingguo royal family, she must have encountered many assassins before. The level of these assassins in Ye Li's eyes could be said to be average at best. Watching as the three men easily took down the assassins without much effort, Ye Li slightly furrowed her brow. These people were saying they were going to assassinate someone, but it seemed more like they were putting on a show for someone else to see. Not to mention that these three men were present, there were also the Dingguo royal family's hidden guards and Ye Lü Ye was outside with his servants, so it was impossible that he didn't bring any guards with him. Any one of these three men would be more than a match for these few assassins.

  "Be careful!" The last assassin on that side was put down by Yelü Ye, and Yaoji immediately pushed away Mu Yang, retreating far away. Mu Yang looked at Yaoji, who was far away from him, dazed, and only slightly smiled bitterly, turning his head to thank Yelü Ye. However, a fish that had slipped through the net took advantage of the opportunity to shoot a hidden projectile at Yaoji. Ye Li exclaimed and quickly grabbed a jade pendant from Mo Xuyao's waist, using it to deflect the projectile. With a "whooshing" sound, the projectile flew off in a different direction, and the jade pendant also fell to the ground, shattering into several pieces.

  Digression

  Just as I was typing on the computer, it suddenly restarted and it's really annoying... Sichuan has another earthquake, hoping everyone is safe. Bless Ya'an, bless Sichuan!