Capital Rhapsody 60: The Bamboo Grove Encounter

  Bamboo Grove Encounter with Assassins

  "The emperor's intention is for Princess Qixia to enter the palace, and Princess Lingyun will be given to King Li."

  Ye Li quickly glanced at Ye Ying, who was sitting next to Mo Jing Lei, and indeed, she was staring at Ling Yun Princess with a gloomy face. On the side of Nanzhao Kingdom, Qi Xia Princess's face also looked very unsightly. And Mo Jing Lei's face didn't look good either, his eyes were fixed on Ling Yun Princess with a sulky expression. Ye Li thoughtfully glanced at Mo Jing Qi, who seemed to be very satisfied with his own arrangement in the grand hall, and for a moment, she couldn't understand what this emperor was thinking. Was it simply because Ling Yun Princess had angered him that he assigned her to Lei Wang? But Qi Xia Princess had been in Chu Jing for several months, Mo Jing Qi couldn't have not known about the rumors in Chu Jing regarding Qi Xia Princess and Mo Jing Lei.

  "The Emperor cannot allow Jing Lei to have any connection with Nanzhao. Even without Lingyun Princess, the Emperor would not give Qixia Princess to him." It seemed that Mo Xiuyao understood Ye Lian's confusion, and he said softly beside her, "Nanzhao is mostly barbaric, saying it's a small country with weak people, but in fact, the customs are extremely fierce. It's just that there are too few people, so it's hard to make a name for itself." Ye Lian said softly, "The Emperor doesn't want King Lei and Nanzhao to have any relationship? But Xiling seems to be even stronger than Nanzhao." Mo Xiuyao smiled quietly, "Xiling and Great Chu are sworn enemies. Unless Mo Jing Lei betrays the country, Xiling cannot give him any benefits. Moreover...the Emperor absolutely does not want a prince with Xiling bloodline to appear in the imperial heirs."

  Ye Li suddenly realized and looked at Mo Jing Lei with some sympathy. It seems that the emperor's own brother also didn't make his imperial brother feel at ease.

  Mo Xiuyao smiled lowly and said: "A Li, your heart is too soft. In the imperial family, there has never been anyone without ambition."

  Ye Li was taken aback, carefully considering Mo Xiuyao's words. Her gaze at Mo Jingli deepened in thought. But... did Mo Jingli really have a brain capable of thinking such complex things? Or had he been pretending to be a fool all along?

  Back at the Wang Fu, Ye Li couldn't help but let out a long sigh. This half-day in the palace was more exhausting than her entire month put together. After bidding farewell to Mo Xiu Yao, Ye Li returned to her own courtyard where Lin Mama and Wei Mama immediately led people to welcome her back. It was clear that what happened at the palace this afternoon had already been transmitted back to the Wang Fu. The two Mamas were concerned and scanned Ye Li from head to toe to confirm that she was indeed safe and sound before putting their minds at ease. Ye Li requested to have a midnight snack to fill her stomach, Lin Mama waved her hand and ordered someone to bring over a bowl of chicken congee that had clearly been prepared long in advance. Ye Li looked at the three servings of chicken congee in front of her, "Mama, although I'm very hungry, I won't suddenly become so capable of eating this much."

  Wei's mother-in-law cast a dissatisfied glance at her and said: "Princess, do you think only you get hungry?"

  Ye Li blinked dazedly, and Qing Luan and the others had already gone down to eat.

  Wei's nanny handed her the chicken congee along with the tray, saying: "The king has gone to the study, it would be better for the queen to take this over and have lunch together with the king."

  "This... never mind. I'll just have someone deliver it to Zhen."

  "Your Highness!" Lin's nanny stared at Ye Li with a serious face: "You are the king's wife, how can you let others send midnight snacks? Did Second Madam forget to teach you the way of being a wife when you were in the Xu family?" Seeing Lin's nanny preparing to lecture her, Ye Li quickly picked up the porridge and said: "Nanny, I know, I'll take it to the king right away." Without waiting for Lin's nanny to react, she grabbed the chicken porridge and ran out quickly. Ye Li felt very wronged, both nannies were very nagging, but compared to her wet nurse, Ye Li was more afraid of Lin's nanny who followed her mother. As soon as she opened her mouth, she would inevitably quote classics and reason, making people lower their heads in shame. Ordinary people couldn't bear such verbal and spiritual attacks.

  Helplessly, she walked along the corridor of the Wang Fu at midnight, with her maid servants following behind her at a distance that was neither too far nor too close. Mo Xiuyao still lived in the same courtyard he had stayed in before his wedding, right next to Ye Li's courtyard. So Ye Li hadn't even finished complaining in her heart when she already stood outside Mo Xiuyao's study door. Just as she was about to knock on the door, Mo Xiuyao's voice came from inside, "Is it Ah Li? Come in."

  Pushing open the door, under the candlelight, Mo Xiuyao was writing something with his pen. Seeing Ye Li enter, he looked up and asked her, "Why didn't you rest?"

  Ye Li walked over and put down what was in her hand, asking: "Am I disturbing you?"

  Mo Xiuyao shook his head, looked at the things on the table and raised an eyebrow with a smile: "You came to deliver midnight snacks?"

  Somehow, Ye Li's face slightly flushed as she calmly asked, "What? Can't I send you a midnight snack?"

  Mo Xiuyao shook his head, put down the pen in his hand and smiled: "I'm just curious how Ye Li would take the initiative to send me a midnight snack? Hmm...no wonder I've been back for so long and no one has thought of sending some food over. Indeed, after marrying the princess, others have become lazy." Ye Li looked at him helplessly and said: "Are you going to eat or not?" Mo Xiuyao nodded, "A gift from the princess herself, how can I not eat it?"

  Two people sat down at the table, Ye Li took two bowls and served a bowl of porridge to each other, first handing one to Mo Xiu Yao. Although they had been together for dinner almost every day in recent days, it was their first time having a midnight snack together. While eating the porridge, Mo Xiu Yao thought for a moment and said: "If there's nothing tomorrow, come with me to see my sister-in-law?" Ye Li nodded: "It's been so long, we should go visit my sister-in-law. Hope she won't blame us." Mo Xiu Yao shook his head, "My sister-in-law won't mind these things."

  "What do I need to prepare?" Ye Li asked.

  Mo Xiuyao shook her head, "We just need to go see Sister-in-law and that's it."

  Thinking of that unseen sister-in-law, Ye Li could only sigh in her heart. A woman who made her life as withered as a dry leaf at the most beautiful age was really worth sighing about.

  "What did you do with that palace maid tonight?" After thinking for a moment, Ye Li asked about the palace maid who had blocked their way in the palace earlier. Mo Xiuyao furrowed his brow and said, "That wasn't a palace maid from the palace."

  "Really?" Ye Li was surprised, when did the imperial palace become a place where outsiders could come and go as they pleased? Can the emperor sleep at night? Mo Xiu Yao smiled: "Not all the palace maids registered in the book, but that doesn't mean she's not someone from the palace. There are some capable people in the palace who always have a few hidden cards up their sleeves."

  "But that palace maid didn't seem to have anything special about her."

  Mo Xiuyao said lightly: "Sometimes it's precisely those who don't stand out in any way that are the trump cards."

  "Whose person can't be asked out?"

  "It's a dead man." Mu Xiuyao said, Ye Lijing understood, if the mission of a dead soldier failed, there was only death, and naturally nothing could be asked.

  "But in the palace, there aren't many people who understand that kind of loyalty. So, Ari... if you must enter the palace in the future, be more careful."

  "I understand." Ye Li nodded, she didn't have a habit of seeking death either.

  The former queen, Madame Wen, did not live in the Dingguo Palace. In the second year after Mo Xiuwen's death, she moved to Wuyue An with two of Mo Xiuwen's concubines, citing emotional distress as the reason. Since then, except for Mo Xiuwen's memorial day every year, Madame Wen never returned to the Dingguo Palace. In recent years, Mo Xiuyao had been in seclusion for many reasons and although he respected his sister-in-law, he was not familiar with her.

  Thanks to Mo Xiuyao's unification, Ye Li also got up early and did some exercise, then accompanied Mo Xiuyao to have breakfast together. The two of them left the house and took a horse-drawn carriage to Wu Yue An outside the city.

  Wu Yue An is located on a small hill with excellent scenery in the suburbs of Beijing, and it is also the ancestral temple of Dingguo Wangfu. Therefore, there are no incense guests or tourists coming to burn incense. The road here is very quiet and pleasant. As soon as I entered the gate of the temple, I smelled the fragrance of sandalwood lingering in the air. Ye Li wrinkled her nose slightly, uncomfortable, and Mo Xiu Yao looked at her sideways, "What's wrong?"

  Ye Li said in a low voice, somewhat embarrassed: "I don't believe in Buddhism." If she goes in later and can't decide whether to worship or not, it's meaningless for an unbeliever like her to pay respects in front of the Buddha, and others might think it's impolite.

  Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and said, "No wonder I've never seen Ah Lian leave the capital to burn incense." In Chu Jing, whether it was a noble lady or a young woman from a humble family, many loved to go to the various temples, monasteries, and nunneries in the city and suburbs to burn incense or draw divination lots. Some prayed for things to go smoothly, while others asked about their ideal husband. However, it seemed that no one had ever heard of Ye Lian, the third young mistress of the Ye family, going to a temple to draw a divination lot or burn incense. Ye Lian lowered her eyebrows and said, "Since I don't believe in gods and Buddhas, how can I have the nerve to ask for their protection? If gods and Buddhas really had spiritual power, how could they handle so many kind men and women seeking blessings every day?" Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, looking at Ye Lian with a smile, "So, Ah Lian still believes in herself more?"

  Ye Li raised her head and smiled brightly, "If one can't even trust oneself, what else in this world is trustworthy?"

  Mo Xiuyao nodded in agreement, "Exactly, I don't believe it either. Do as you like, Ah Li."

  Before long, a young nun came out to lead the two of them in. Madame Wen was an extremely gentle woman, although her appearance wasn't particularly outstanding, but the faint tranquility and peacefulness between her eyebrows added a unique flavor to her face. Even wearing a grey monk's robe couldn't conceal the soft elegance of a scholarly family background. Seeing the two enter, there were no ripples in her calm eyes. It was clear that she had already become as still as stagnant water or withered wood.

  "Xiu Yao has seen Eldest Sister before." Mo Xiu Yao pulled Ye Li forward and said to Wen Shi, "Eldest Sister, this is Ah Li."

  Ye Li respectfully stepped forward and greeted, "Nice to meet you, elder sister-in-law."

  Wen's gaze fell on Mo Xiuyao's wheelchair and face, then quickly shifted to Ye Li. A hint of sadness flashed in his calm eyes as he said softly, "Never mind. Come sit down, little sister." Ye Li thanked him and sat down beside him. Wen held her hand and looked at it for a moment before picking up an old brocade box from the side and handing it to her. "Your aunt is already a recluse with no worldly attachments, so I don't have any gifts for you. This was given to me by your big brother, the king, when I first entered the palace of the Dingguo Kingdom. He said it was left behind by our mother. You take it."

  "This..." Although the brocade box looked old, it was worn smooth and could be seen that someone had often taken it out to wipe it clean. This should have been a keepsake for Madame Wen. Madame Wen smiled faintly and shook her head: "Take it away, I don't need these things now." Ye Li also stopped refusing and put away the brocade box, saying: "Thank you, elder sister-in-law."

  Madam Wen looked at Ye Li and said, "Your elder brother is the only one left to take care of your younger brother. As his sister-in-law, I'm really not much use. From now on, you and your younger brother should support each other and live a good life." Ye Li understood that Madam Wen was referring to the upheaval in the Dingguo King's palace back then. She had not stayed behind to take care of the palace affairs for Mo Xiu Yao, but instead left him, who was severely injured and disabled, to cultivate on her own. As for this, Ye Li did not think Madam Wen was wrong. At that time, she was just a woman under twenty years old, and not even a woman from a prominent family or clan. When her husband suddenly passed away, and the only bloodline in the palace was severely injured and disabled, it would be difficult for a weak-willed woman to hold up the entire Dingguo King's palace.

  "Thank you, elder sister, for your teachings." Ye Li nodded and glanced at Mo Xiu Yao before speaking softly: "Since I will be marrying the prince, naturally we will share in both honor and shame from now on."

  "Good, now I can rest assured." Mr. Wen nodded with relief.

  Ye Li furrowed her brow, hesitated for a moment before saying: "Big sister lives alone here, it's inevitable that she'll feel lonely, I don't know if she should return to the manor... even if big sister cultivates in the manor, there's nothing wrong with that."

  "Wen shook his head and said, 'I'm used to the peace and quiet here, going back would be uncomfortable.' Ye Li tried to persuade him several times, but Wen refused. After chatting for a while, Wen invited the two of them to have lunch together and then told Mo Xiu Yao to take Ye Li out for a walk while he copied scriptures."

  Although Wu Yue An was just a family temple, it wasn't small in size. Ye Li pushed Mu Xiuzhi to walk among the quiet bamboo forests behind the temple, and because of Wen Shi's reason, her mood couldn't help but be somewhat heavy.

  "A Li, if it were you, you wouldn't be like Big Sister, would you?" After a long time, Mo Xiuyao's low voice asked.

  Ye Li nodded, suddenly remembering that Mo Xiuyao couldn't see her actions and said: "I won't. I will try my best to live a better life."

  Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and said, "This is good. Eldest sister... actually isn't suitable to be the queen of Dingguo Wangfu, it's our Mo family's fault for wronging her." If not for big brother trying to avoid Mo Jingqi's suspicions, perhaps he wouldn't have chosen Wen Shi, who was born into an ordinary scholarly family. Ye Li thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps eldest sister doesn't regret it." Every time she heard Wen Shi mention her husband, Ye Li could see the faint gentleness and nostalgia in those calm eyes, perhaps Mo Xiuyao chose her for Dingguo Wangfu's sake, but that didn't mean there were no feelings between Wen Shi and Mo Xiuyao.

  Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and said, "The Dingguo royal family has never given her a chance to regret." Da Chu also prohibits women who have lost their fathers from remarrying, but the widows of the Dingguo royal family are not so easy to remarry. Without enough courage to face the gaze of the world, Wen Shi couldn't even have the idea of letting herself regret. "But... Ah Lian, I allow you to regret."

  "Prince Wang actually told me, if you die, can I remarry?" Ye Li asked with raised eyebrows.

  Mo Xiuyao didn't object and nodded: "Uh-huh, that's exactly what I meant."

  Ye Li looked up at the sky, rolling her eyes in a place where Mo Xiuyao couldn't see. A surge of anger from who-knows-where made her sneer coldly, "So... does the prince want to die early or die early?" Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow at her strange words and smiled, "This king still wants to live out his life naturally."

  "Is it? This is really not good news..."

  "Get out of the way!" Before Ye Li's words had even fallen, Mo Xiuyao suddenly turned around and pushed Ye Li away with one hand.

  "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" A burst of piercing sound swept past, and on the bamboo beside Ye Li, three diamond-shaped flying darts with a faint blue glow were nailed.

  "Since you're here, why don't you come out and see me?" Mo Xiuyao lowered his eyelids, staring at the hand on the armrest of his wheelchair with a faint tone.

  "Haha... Mo Xiu Yao, you've finally decided to come out of the Dingguo Wangfu? I thought you'd be hiding inside for the rest of your life, afraid to show your face to anyone." A loud and boisterous laughter echoed through the bamboo forest, as a tall figure emerged from the shadows. In an instant, a group of black-clad men closed in, surrounding the three of them.

  Mo Xiuyao raised his head to look at the newcomer, a cold smile on his lips as he said, "You dare say that... take off the veil on your face and repeat it?"

  The laughter of the incoming person stopped abruptly, and the gloomy eyes suddenly narrowed. He hummed softly and turned his gaze to Yelü Li, who was standing aside, "This... is the Empress Dowager?"

  "That's right... I haven't asked for your advice yet." Ye Li replied calmly with a nod.

  "Good guts." The man praised, looking at Ye Li with some regret: "What a pity..."

  "Mo Xiuyao, with such a woman to accompany you in death, you should have no regrets, right?" The man obviously didn't intend to waste words, and with a wave of his hand, the black-clothed men immediately closed in.

  "Take the princess away first." Mo Xiuyao ordered calmly. A few figures quickly rushed into the crowd, Ah Jian grasped his long sword and fell to Mo Xiuyao's side, holding his sword vigilantly as he stared at the black-clad men around them. Two of the dark guards fell to Ye Li's side, one on each side, pulling her away in an attempt to send her off. The remaining people had already engaged with the black-clad men. Ye Li swept a glance over Ah Jian's group, only seven or eight people, and herself having sent two away, leaving only five who knew her. Meanwhile, the black-clad assassins around them numbered at least twenty or thirty. Without time to think further, Ye Li pushed away the dark guard pulling her, saying: "Stay behind and help."

  "Princess..." The dark guard hesitated, wanting to say something in disapproval. Ye Lian had already lost patience and sidestepped him, casually knocking down a black-clad assassin who was trying to launch a sneak attack. "What's the point of talking?" she said coldly. "Let's deal with these people first." As she spoke, she swiftly kicked away another attacker, landing perfectly on one foot and pinning the previously knocked-down assassin to the ground with her other foot. The assassin on the ground let out a pained cry before losing consciousness.

  Two dark guards exchanged a glance, and still decided to follow the princess's orders first. Although they didn't understand what technique the princess was using, even as trained dark guards, this didn't prevent them from seeing that she had blocked one assassin and knocked another unconscious with two moves. The poor guy on the ground could be expected to need three to five months of bed rest if he was lucky, and if not, he would likely be paralyzed for life. Ye Lian's heart was greatly settled after landing a hit. Although she had some confidence in her own skills, in fact, Ye Lian had always been unsure about the depth of ancient martial arts. After all, in this era, she hadn't truly encountered a situation that required her to go all out. If judging by Fengyue Gongzi's lightness skill, it would be quite difficult to deal with. After all, modern people, no matter how powerful, didn't have the ability to fly around everywhere. Fortunately, not everyone could possess such lightness skills like Fengyue Gongzi. If it was just close combat, Ye Lian felt that she could handle most high-level experts.

  These assassins apparently did not expect that this seemingly harmless Empress Dowager would actually knock a person down with one move, and by the time they came to their senses, the second person was also knocked down by Ye Li's elbow strike.

  Ye Li's past studies were quite miscellaneous, from a young age she learned martial arts, taekwondo, judo and so on. Of course, the experience of fighting with her siblings at home was also rich. After joining the army, especially after joining the special forces, the direction of study changed from defeating opponents to killing them. Women's physical strength is originally inferior to men's, so Ye Li's specialized direction has always been technique and speed, how to make a move fatal. Even among the men in the team, there were only a few who dared to spar with her. At first, she was still a bit unskilled, but after knocking down two people, Ye Li gradually felt that her past feelings seemed to be slowly coming back. The results of years of persistent physical training were also demonstrated, otherwise, even if Ye Li had a lot of actual combat experience and techniques, it would all be in vain if her body couldn't keep up.

  “King… Queen…” The loyal guardian, Ah Jian, who was standing near Mo Xiu Yao, also couldn't help but be shocked and speechless at the scene before him. Was that really the gentle and elegant queen who had just kicked a tall assassin into spitting blood? Ah Jian vaguely recalled that one evening he seemed to have seen the queen knock out Li Wang with some unknown method. He had always thought she used some hidden weapon, but now it seemed entirely possible that she had solved the problem with brute force?

  "A-Li!" Mò Xiāo Yáo's voice sounded from behind, and a sword flashed towards her back. Ye Li hastily dodged to the side, barely avoiding the blade. At the same time, a dagger appeared in her hand and swiftly slashed at the wrist of the sword-wielding hand. She then grabbed the hand and used the person's standing posture to flip them over, sending them crashing to the ground with a thud. Ye Li looked down in confusion, only to see that the person's back already had a small knife lodged in it, the blade deep in their flesh with only the hilt remaining visible. It was clear that they had been killed by someone else.

  Ye Li raised an eyebrow and quickly dodged the assassins' entanglement to arrive beside Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao furrowed his brow, saying: "Didn't I tell you to leave first?"

  Ye Li was on high alert for assassins with Ah Jian, while asking: "What if we run into another group of people when we go out? Will something happen to Eldest Sister?"

  "Some people have gone to protect Da Shu," Mu Xiuyao said lightly, "There are many mechanisms in Wuyue An, if those people had entered Wuyue An first, we would have discovered them long ago."

  At this moment, more than 20 assassins had fallen. The man who was standing on the side and watching coldly sneered: "The Dingguo Wangfu dark guards are indeed famous for a reason. Unfortunately, there are not enough people!" The man suddenly jumped up, his long sword quickly stabbing towards Mo Xiuyao. Ah Jian immediately stepped forward with his sword to block him, and the two exchanged more than ten moves in an instant. However, Ah Jian was only a teenager after all, and he was caught off guard by the man's swift move, leaving a bloody gash on his right arm. The man didn't pay attention to Ah Jian, using one sword to push him away before immediately turning back to Mo Xiuyao again. Ah Jian cried out in alarm, wanting to get up to rescue him but being entangled by two assassins behind him and unable to free himself.

  "Ah Ling, get out of the way." Mo Xiuyao pushed Ye Ling away and simultaneously slid his wheelchair backward to retreat. The first sword was avoided, but a second, even more ferocious one came immediately after. A person sitting in a wheelchair couldn't move as nimbly as someone standing, so Mo Xiuyao dodged to the side, and a sword stabbed into the back of the wheelchair. At the same time, Mo Xiuyao suddenly stretched out a hand to grab the blade, and with a slight movement of his sleeve, a cluster of hidden weapons shot towards the man. The man was shocked and hastily withdrew his sword, quickly pushing it several feet away before dodging the incoming hidden weapons. The man sneered, flying up again. He had clearly already seen Mo Xiuyao's greatest weakness - his inability to move. No matter how great his skills or numerous his hidden weapons, they would eventually run out. Mo Xiuyao no longer evaded, and with a "brushing" sound, a long whip appeared in the air, instantly increasing the distance between the two men. For a moment, neither could do anything to the other.

  Ye Li stood on one side, not in a hurry, occasionally helping to solve someone who wanted to sneak up and surround Mo Xiu Yao. At the same time, he stared at that person's gaze, studying his weaknesses.

  Finally, when Mo Xiu Yao's long whip wrapped around the man's sword, Ye Li coldly smiled and pulled out the golden hairpin from her head, throwing it at the man's wrist. In the moment the man was forced to drop his sword, she closed in on him, her dagger mercilessly attacking his vital points. Ye Li's moves were absolutely ruthless, even among all the martial arts secret manuals. Within three to five moves, the man had already been slashed on his right arm and left shoulder. Ye Li let out a dissatisfied hum, and without regard for the man's incoming palm wind, she stabbed her dagger into his chest. The man's face turned pale, and his right hand quickly and fiercely slapped towards Ye Li. At this point, it was too late for Ye Li to retreat, but suddenly the long whip tail wrapped around her waist, and with a swift force, pulled her back. Ye Li took advantage of the momentum to avoid the man's palm and landed steadily in front of Mo Xiu Yao.

  The man nearby had a pale face, gritting his teeth as blood gushed out of the wound on his chest. Just now, when Mo Xiuyao's whip was about to strike him, Ye Li took advantage of the momentum and twisted the dagger stuck in his chest, the sharp blade almost making a half-circle before being pulled out, and at this moment, the gaping hole in his chest couldn't be covered by hand.

  Ye Li lowered her head and looked at the dagger in her hand, frowning slightly. This dagger was nothing compared to her beloved three-edged military spear, it was like trash.

  "Cough... what a queen of Dingguo. I didn't expect you to be so hidden and not revealing." The man pressed his chest wound, coughed once before saying in a hoarse voice.

  "People don't bother me, I won't bother them." Ye Li stared at him coldly.

  "Today, I admit defeat. Mo Xiu Yao, today you can consider yourself lucky to have married such a formidable queen." The man glanced at his subordinates who had been mostly eliminated and knew that the assassination attempt was doomed from the start. Even with seven or eight remaining, his own men were no match for the Imperial Palace's Dark Guards in equal numbers. "However, you may have escaped once or twice, but you can't escape ten times. Mo Xiu Yao, do you know how many people want your life? Haha... I'll be waiting for you underground!" After finishing speaking, the man surprisingly gave up on Mo Xiu Yao and Ye Li, loudly shouting: "Abandon mission, retreat!" Then, as the remaining black-clad assassins retreated, he blocked the path of the Dark Guards who wanted to pursue them, ultimately being killed by one sword.

  "Chase!"

  Mo Xiuyao shook his head and said, "Don't pursue a desperate enemy. Let's go back first."

  The dark guard who wanted to pursue immediately stopped in his tracks and examined the assassin on the ground under Ah Jen's command.

  Akechi ignored his own wounded right arm and grasped his sword tightly, "Your Highness... you're so strong."

  Ye Li shook her head, "Just lucky." The previous battle seemed to have been won easily, but if Mo Xiu Yao hadn't assisted, even if she had managed to defeat the assassin, she would have been severely injured. In the end, whether it was strength or agility, they were still insufficient. There were several times when she had clearly hit the person, but due to her lack of strength, she couldn't cause significant harm. Moreover, even when she found an opening in her opponent's defense, she wouldn't be able to succeed because of her slow speed.

  "He's too powerful, I can't beat him." Ah Jin insisted.

  Ye Li smiled and said: "If I can't solve him within a minute, then I'm the one who's dead."

  "The princess is so fierce, can I learn martial arts from the princess?" Ah Jin was a stubborn child, staring at Ye Li with wide eyes. If he were as fierce as the princess, there would have been no need for the prince to intervene earlier.

  Mo Xiuyao looked at Ye Li with a complex expression and said, "I thought Ah Li only knew how to defend herself, but now it seems I was wrong. Ah Li always manages to surprise me." Just now when Ye Li was facing the enemy, he had been watching her every move, and that gaze as well as the cleanliness and efficiency of her actions were absolutely not something an ordinary woman could achieve. Even among many dark guards, there were few who could match her decisiveness and ruthlessness. Mo Xiuyao dared to say that even if three dark guards attacked her at the same time, it was not necessarily Ye Li who would lose. But what he couldn't understand was how Ye Li, a young lady from a wealthy family who had been raised in the inner chambers since childhood, could have such skills. Those who didn't know her might think she was someone who had experienced many battles and was accustomed to life and death, rather than a noble lady from a prestigious family.

  Ye Li smiled faintly and didn't rush to explain herself. "As long as Your Highness doesn't think it's a shock, that's all that matters."

  Mo Xiuyao gazed at her for a long time before finally sighing softly and asking, "A Lian, are you really the third young lady of the Ye family, the granddaughter of the Xu family?"

  Ye Li said: "Of course."

  "Well... just say it when you feel like saying it."

  Ye Li was stunned, looking at Mo Xiu Yao for a long time without speaking. The fact that Mo Xiu Yao and the Dingguo King's household could say such things really made her feel extremely surprised. After a while, Ye Li finally said in a low voice: "I may not be able to tell you what I want to say now, but I can guarantee that I am indeed Ye Li. Moreover, my marriage into the Dingguo King's household has no ulterior motives."

  "I believe you, aren't we husband and wife?" Mo Xiuyao said softly.

  "Thank you." Ye Li's heart warmed, and she said in a low voice. She had thought about what to do if her differences were discovered, originally planning to follow Mo Xiu Yao to find a master to learn martial arts from, then slowly let people get used to it. In fact, this plan seemed extremely unreliable, at least she was not sure if she could deceive Mo Xiu Yao, and if she aroused his suspicion, it would be even more troublesome. Now things were much simpler, no matter what, at least Mo Xiu Yao was willing to believe her. No matter how much he believed, it was already much better than her original expectations.