Narrowly escaped, Lord Jun Wei

  Narrowly escaped, Lord Junwei alone

  When An Yi, An San, Zuo Yi and You Yi escorted Meng Jing Lei out of the room, Xiao Yun also rushed to the door at the same time. A pair of beautiful eyes stared at Ye Li who was following behind, almost spitting fire, "Let go of the young master!" Behind her, An Er and An Si quietly fell from the wall, "We've seen the princess."

  Ye Li waved her hand to indicate that there was no need for courtesy, and smiled at Xiao Yun: "Xiao Yun, thank you for taking care of me these past few days." Xiao Yun glared at her, gritting her teeth: "What do you want? Let go of the king, or I'll spare your lives!" Ye Li hid behind Mo Jing Lei, pretending to be afraid, "Oh dear, Xiao Yun, don't scare me, I'm a timid queen. So... it's best if you put away those dangerous little things of yours, in case I accidentally..." Ye Li raised her hand and drew a sharp fingernail across Mo Jing Lei's neck, leaving a bloody mark, then innocently batted her eyelashes at Xiao Yun: "See? Like this. What if I accidentally poke a hole in the king's neck, can you fix it?"

  "Ah!" Xiaoyun saw Yeli cleverly wiping the bloodstains on her fingers onto Mo Jingli's clothes, and her pretty face turned bright red with anger. However, she quickly calmed down and smiled innocently at Yeli: "Miss, the king has kindly invited you as a guest, but if you want to leave, why take the king with you? Is this the etiquette of being a guest?" Yeli smiled and said: "I didn't expect Xiaoyun to be not only lovely but also familiar with Central Plains etiquette. But putting soft tendon dispersant in guests' food every day isn't exactly good host etiquette either, is it?" The deliberate emphasis on "Central Plains etiquette" made Xiaoyun's face change slightly, and she habitually glanced at Mo Jingli.

  Ye Lixia didn't intend to give her any extra time, and with a cold smile, she looked at Xiaoyun and said: "Trouble Xiaoyun young lady to prepare a few fast horses. Also, it's said that two of the princess's maids have gone missing, trouble bringing them back. Otherwise...the princess can't guarantee that she'll return the prince intact." Xiaoyun finally put away the smile on her face, and her small face was full of gloom, "The prince is the great Chu Li Wang, if you hurt him, you won't be able to escape responsibility." Ye Lixia raised an eyebrow and smiled: "You speak as if you don't know that I am the Great Chu Ding Guo Wangfei. Kidnapping me, even your Li Wang will not be able to escape responsibility. If you're smart, you'll immediately follow my orders, otherwise...even if I can't leave, I can guarantee that your Li Wang will die very miserably. An San, if anyone dares to make a move, just take care of them like Li Wang, don't be polite. Whatever happens, the princess will take responsibility."

  "Understood, sir," he replied loudly and clearly.

  Mo Jingli coldly snorted and said: "You don't need to threaten me. Xiaoyun, have someone push open the door according to her instructions. I will personally send them out."

  Xiao Yun hesitated, wanting to object, but looking at the cold light of An San's dagger on Mo Jing Lei's waist, she ultimately swallowed her words. She stared at Ye Li and warned: "If anything happens to Wang Ye, even if I have to go to the ends of the earth, I won't let you off." Ye Li smiled: "Don't worry, I'm not interested in your Wang Ye. But as for you... be careful, don't let me see you again!"

  An brought out Mo Jing Lei, who had been subdued and was being held in a hidden passage. The other three escorted Ye Li out of the courtyard. Earlier, the four of them had quietly taken down several guards without making a sound, and now they walked out openly without anyone daring to block their way. Once outside the gate, there were indeed several horses waiting at the entrance. An One and An Two went forward to inspect them and nodded in approval at Ye Li. Ye Li ordered: "An Three, take King Lei with you, let's go."

  Xiao Yun hastily stepped forward and said: "The horses have already been given to you, why haven't you released the prince?"

  An San sneered, "Do you think we're fools? If we let King Lei go now, won't that be exactly what you want so you can come and catch us again?" With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the immobile Mo Jing Lei onto the horse's back. An San also mounted the horse. Ye Li sat on the horse's back and smiled at Xiao Yun, "Don't worry, I guarantee King Lei will return home safely. However... if I find anyone following us who shouldn't be, every time I don't discover them, I'll have someone stab King Lei in the back."

  Xiao Yun gritted her teeth, but Mo Jing Lei was also helpless in Ye Li's hands. She could only say resentfully: "You can rest assured, I won't let anyone chase you. I hope the words of the King of Dingguo are trustworthy."

  "Each other."

  Five horses galloped wildly, running over twenty miles before gradually slowing down. Ye Liri looked back at the road they came from: "It seems that the other party is still trustworthy and didn't send anyone to chase after us." Ye San hummed: "If they want King Lei to be riddled with holes, then let them follow us." Mo Jinglei, who was forced to lie on his stomach on the horse's back, had already been shaken pale. He glared at Ye Liri with a gaze that seemed to want to devour her. Unfortunately, no matter how fierce his gaze was, it had no actual effect and was selectively ignored by Ye Liri.

  "Your Highness, are you returning to the palace now? The king is worried about your safety." Yan asked in a low voice.

  Ye Li shook her head and smiled: "Not going back."

  The eyes of the two and three people all focused on Ye Li, Ye Li smiled and looked at Mo Jingli who was expressionless and said: "It's rare for King Lei to have tied up the queen in a game, it can't just end like this, right?"

  Mo Jingli's eyes narrowed as he stared at Ye Li: "What are you trying to do?"

  Ye Li smiled gently and harmlessly, "I don't want to do anything. Even if... I wanted to do something, I wouldn't tell you, Your Highness!" She leaned down and raised her hand, giving Mo Jing Lei's neck a chop, and Mo Jing Lei, who was already dizzy, completely fainted.

  The four dark guards didn't know what Ye Li wanted to do either, so they all looked at Ye Li, hoping the princess would give instructions. Ye Li smiled and said: "Find a suitable place to get rid of King Lei, let's change horses and go play somewhere else."

  "Your Highness, Your Majesty..." Although they now only obey the queen's orders, they still need to remind the queen that the king is still worried about her safety.

  Ye Li thought for a moment, "It's already spring, and his body is temporarily fine. Let's take care of Mo Jing Lei and send a message to Wang Ye at the same time. We'll head back later."

  "Yes, Your Highness." An San smiled and said, he found that following the princess was full of surprises, much more interesting than the dull daily life of other dark guards.

  "Not the princess anymore. Chu Gongzi."

  "Yes, young master."

  Dark Three went to deal with Mo Jingli and sending messages, Dark Two and Dark Three went to handle the horses and clean up the traces they left on their way. Dark One silently followed Ye Lixue's footsteps. As they walked, Ye Lixue asked about what had happened over the past few days. Qing Luan and Qing Yu's disappearance

  She was worried, "Qing Yu and Qing Luan were left outside the Yao Hua Palace, they should have been taken away by someone when they tried to rush in at the time of the fire. What is Mo Jing Lei doing with two maids? No... it's impossible for Mo Jing Lei to quietly take so many people out of the palace without anyone knowing."

  So, Qing Yu and Qing Luan should still be in the palace."

  "Your Highness?" Yan was deeply impressed with this master he had served for a short time. If it weren't for the fact that the princess had secretly taught and guided them in many skills over the past six months, they wouldn't have discovered the clues left by the princess so quickly and found that hidden villa on the outskirts of the capital.

  "The queen consort is worried about the two young ladies, Qing Luan and Qing Yu? If they are still in the palace, the king will surely have a way to find them. The queen consort need not worry."

  Ye Li's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she let out a soft sigh in her heart, saying: "If they were just imprisoned, that would be one thing. But what if..."

  "If the imperial guards in the palace can't find them, then it's no use for us to be anxious here. Let's believe that the two girls will have good luck and nothing will happen to them. If the two girls are really in Li Wang's hands, even if it's for Li Wang's safety, they will send people"

  "I hope so." Ye Li nodded and said, "Let's go. We still have to stay in the capital for half a month. During this time, let An San and An Si try to enter the palace to see if there are any clues."

  An Yi was taken aback, and hastily followed up, "Yes, Princess... are we leaving the capital?"

  "Not bad."

  In a small, nameless courtyard on the outskirts of Beijing, it was clear that the owner had left in a hurry. Even many precious antiques and paintings were not taken away. Mo Xiuyao sat in the small garden, looking at the peach tree that had obviously just been planted in the flower bed, as well as the poisonous flowers and weeds that filled the entire flower bed. Shen Yang followed behind Mo Xiuyao, marveling at the sight. It was no ordinary doctor who could plant all these poisonous flowers and weeds together; the other party must be a master of poison. Shen Yang even discovered several rare poisonous substances in the flower bed that he had been searching for but couldn't find, and without caring about anything else, he carefully dug up all the useful medicinal herbs, roots and soil included, to take back and plant in his own medicine field.

  "Your Highness, we're a step too late. The person is already gone." Feng Zhiyao came out of the room, holding a book in her hand and presenting it to Mo Xiu Yao: "The princess indeed stayed here, this should be what the princess left behind."

  Mo Xiuyao took the book and opened it, a ordinary collection of poems, with a note inserted inside. Unknowingly written on it with something were a few pale red words "Peaceful don't think".

  Feng Zhiyao took a glance at Mo Xiuyao's face and continued, "There are several secret places in the courtyard with signs of fighting and bloodstains. Moreover, the charcoal ash in the kitchen is still warm, so the person shouldn't have left for long. In my humble opinion, it should be the dark guards by the princess's side who found her first." Feng Zhiyao had some complaints in his heart, why didn't those dark guards notify them to rescue the princess together? Now that the person was gone and only knew there had been a fight, but they didn't know whether the princess had been taken away or not. Looking at Mo Xiuyao's increasingly gloomy face, Feng Zhiyao began to envy Leng Huan Yu who had gone to the south.

  "What about Mo Jingli?"

  "Feng Zhiyao hesitated for a moment before saying: 'For the time being, no one has seen Mo Jingli, but... he is not someone who can be missing for a long time. However, we didn't catch him on the spot and couldn't find the princess either, so there's no evidence to accuse him.' Feng Zhiyao had to admit that he had underestimated Mo Jingli all along. There was nothing in this courtyard related to Mo Jingli, including the owner of the courtyard who was an ordinary businessman with no connection to the case and was completely unaware of what was going on. All they could find out now was that a woman should have been living in this courtyard for a long time, but her identity, age, and appearance were all unknown."

  Shen Yang, who was crouching in the flower bed processing medicinal herbs, said: "The one who originally lived here should have been a woman from Nanjiang."

  Feng Zhiyao raised an eyebrow, "How did Mr. Shen know?"

  Shen Yang pointed to the flowerbed and said, "This garden is full of poisonous plants except for that peach tree. There are several kinds of poison ivy that can only be found in Nanjiang. Not even people from Nanjiang who aren't experts in toxicology would be able to recognize them. And...this..." Shen Yang dug out a shiny small object from the soft mud under the peach tree and tossed it to Feng Zhiyao. Feng Zhiyao weighed it in her hand, "What is this thing? It looks like some kind of jewelry for girls."

  Mo Xiuyao glanced at it and said lightly, "That's a decoration on the headpiece of a woman from Nanjiang, and... only an unmarried noblewoman from Nanjiang should be able to use it. There should be a mark on the back of the blue gemstone, which is the emblem of the great families of Nanjiang. Send someone to investigate." Feng Zhiyao flipped over the back of the blue gemstone ornament and looked at it for a long time before finally finding a small, somewhat blurry mark in a hidden corner. If Mo Xiuyao hadn't reminded her, she might have thought it was just a flaw on the ornament or not even noticed it at all. "Emblem? Do people from Nanjiang like to engrave their emblems on jewelry?"

  Shen Yang shook his head and said, "In the southern border, the tribal emblem represents their identity and glory. Not only on jewelry, but also on clothes, they like to print their own tribal emblem. In the southern border, ordinary people generally recognize the emblems of these big tribes, and when they see them, they will automatically give way."

  "A Li won't bury useless things here." Mo Xiuyao said lightly, "It seems that A Li has already left."

  Feng Zhiyao nodded and put away the gemstone accessories, saying: "Alright, I'll send someone to investigate."

  "Your Highness." A guard came in and presented a letter saying: "This was just found outside the door."

  Mo Xiuyao took over and unfolded the letter to read it, his sword-like eyebrows gradually furrowing, "Your Highness?"

  Mo Xiuyao refolded the letter and put it back in his sleeve pocket, looked up at Feng Zhiyao and said: "Return to the capital."

  "That queen..."

  "It was sent by the dark guard beside A Lian, and A Lian is already safe. As for Mo Jing Lei... send someone to the woods five miles west of here, find Mo Jing Lei and bring him back to the capital. Remember, I want him to return to the Lei Wang Fu safely and soundly. Don't disturb anyone." Feng Zhi Xiao nodded, "Has the princess returned yet?"

  Mo Xiuyao glanced at him and said: "The Queen of Dingguo has gone missing, all matters under the command of the King of Dingguo have been suspended, and a full effort is being made to find out where the Queen is."

  Feng Zhiyao hesitated for a moment, and with her keen eyes, she could tell that Mo Xiuyao's mood was still not quite pleasant. Wisely, she swallowed the doubts in her mind. "Alright, I'll go now. Speaking of which, An San and the others have made significant progress following Wang Fei for half a year; they're almost as stealthy as ghosts." While complaining, Feng Zhiyao quickly left to assign tasks to the servants. The prince's mood was not good, so it's better not to provoke him. However... this period of low pressure should be over soon, right?

  On the main street of the capital, a young man in white clothes strolled along with a folding fan in hand. The young man's face was as smooth as jade, and his eyes were like flowing stars. Although he looked slightly immature, it is believed that given time, he would surely become a handsome young master who could rival any beautiful man in the capital. Behind the young man followed two tall and straight servant guards, and the passing crowd couldn't help but take a few more glances, thinking to themselves that this must be some family's young master going out to play with his servants.

  An San stood somewhat uncomfortably on the street, watching as Young Master Wang leisurely browsed the roadside stalls. Without batting an eye, he elbowed An Si beside him and asked, "What do you think Young Master Wang is really after?" An Si glanced at him and replied calmly, "Didn't Young Master say to wait for Boss's message?"

  "Why don't you just stop strolling around the streets so freely? If we're discovered by the people from the mansion...” Thinking about how their master had escaped but refused to return to the mansion, Yan San could almost imagine what kind of expression Wang Ye would have. The princess wouldn't be affected, but as her personal guards, they would definitely be in big trouble.

  The corners of An Si's mouth twitched, and he swept a glance at the white-clad young master in front of him. "With that appearance, if you didn't know beforehand, would you be able to recognize the princess standing in front of you?" The level of their family's master and daughter disguising themselves as men was not something that could be compared to those rich young ladies who sneak out of their homes to play and can be easily seen through at a glance. From height to figure, from eyebrows to eyes, even the tone of voice, gait, and posture had all undergone complete changes. Most importantly, even if a master of disguise were standing in front of her, they would not be able to see through it, because she hadn't used any disguising tools or human skin masks. Now, if anyone dared to point at the young master in front and say that he was a woman, they would absolutely be despised by everyone on the entire street. This was also why the princess dared to walk freely on the streets of the capital.

  An San nodded in agreement, there were few people in the capital who knew the princess, if she could still be recognized in this state, it would be unreasonable. However... as a dark guard standing under the clear sky and bright sun was always a bit uncomfortable for him. An Si pulled An San, who was still dazed, "Don't you go yet, as long as you don't look like you're hiding something, the dark guards in the mansion won't recognize us either. Don't forget what Young Master said." An San nodded and followed An Si to catch up with the white-clothed young master who had already gone far away. The princess said that she didn't need only dark guards who could protect her in secret, but people who could stand by her side when needed, assist or even fight alongside her, and complete various tasks.

  Ye Li returned to the Tianzi Inn, room Tianzi, in a good mood after strolling through the streets. An Yi and An Er were already waiting inside.

  A servant handed over a letter: "A letter from Lord Xu to the young master, please ensure that the young master meets him at Jingling Temple outside the city tomorrow. Tomorrow, Lord Xu and Lady Xu, as well as several young masters of the Xu family, will be going to Jingling Temple to pray for the well-being of the princess." Ye Li nodded, feeling a bit worried about how he would explain his prolonged absence from the manor to his uncle and aunt, and what his plans were. Rubbing his temples, he looked at An Er: "Is there any news about Qing Luan and Qing Yu?" An Er nodded: "Last night, the prince had someone bring Qing Luan and Qing Yu back to the manor, but... they seem to have lost their memories and can't recall what happened. It seems that the dark guard found them in the Cold Palace."

  "Amnesia?" Ye Li furrowed her brow, "What did the prince say?"

  "The prince had them recuperate in the mansion, and no one was allowed to approach them without permission. He also sent Mr. Shen to treat them, and the Wang Mansion was heavily guarded. Although his subordinates were familiar with the layout, they didn't dare get too close either. So, I couldn't find out more about the situation." An Er said somewhat embarrassedly.

  "You've done well." The guards at the Dingguo Wangfu knew Ye Li's mind, and it was already quite good that An Er could sneak in and out without alarming anyone. Ye Li slightly furrowed her brow, as Mo Xiuyao had separated Qing Yu and Qing Luan from them, seemingly to let them rest and recover, but perhaps also because he suspected their intentions. After nearly a year of being together, compared to the original Qing Xia who was by Old Lady Ye's side, and the younger Qing Shuang with her more lively personality, Ye Li usually relied on Qing Luan and Qing Yu more. Because of her trust in her uncle and grandfather, Ye Li had never thought that Qing Luan and Qing Yu would betray her. After a moment of silence, Ye Li decided to temporarily not intervene in this matter. She was about to leave the capital anyway, and originally hadn't planned on bringing those few maidservants with her; Mo Xiuyao also wouldn't randomly dispose of people by her side. So... let's see if Qing Luan and Qing Yu were trustworthy or not.

  The next morning, Xu Yu Shi indeed took his wife and several nephews out of the city to Jingling Temple to burn incense. At this time, it did not attract much attention from others, after all, the Xu family's love for their niece was well-known throughout the capital. In the past, Xu Yu Shi had unhesitatingly confronted the Shangshu Fu and the Li Wang for his niece. Later, when the Ding Wang Fei got married to a young master of the Xu family, several members of the Xu family attended the wedding to see off their cousin. Now that the Ding Wang Fei was mysteriously missing in the big fire, it was only natural for the Xu family to go to the temple to pray for her well-being. As for people like the Emperor or the Li Wang who might have paid attention to this, they had already been dizzy from the waves caused by the Ding Wang Fei's disappearance and did not have so much energy to care about what their officials were doing after leaving court, whether they were resting at home or burning incense in a temple.

  As Ye Li's close friend and future second daughter-in-law of the Xu family, Qin Zheng also went with Mrs. Xu. She was really worried about her missing good friend, and after entering the Jingling Temple, she accompanied Mrs. Xu to worship all the large and small Buddha statues in the temple. Mrs. Xu was even more satisfied with this gentle and lovely future daughter-in-law. After finishing the worship, Mrs. Xu went to rest in the side room, Qin Zheng dismissed the maid and recited scriptures and prayed alone in the quiet Buddhist hall, but was startled by a clear voice beside her ear, "Miss Qin."

  Qin Zhen's heart skipped a beat, and when she turned her head, she saw a handsome young man standing beside her, wearing moon-white clothes. Qin Zhen furrowed her brow, feeling that the young man in front of her, who was smiling at her with a hint of mystery, seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite place him. "I don't know what your name is, sir," she said, standing up and eyeing the young man warily as she took a few steps back.

  Ye Li watched this exchange with a faint smile in his heart, pretending not to notice anything. He knelt down on the cushion in front of the Buddha statue, imitating Qin Zhen's previous posture, and began to pray. Turning his head, he looked at Qin Zhen, who was still staring at him, and smiled. "I came here to pray for good fortune, naturally," he said. "Miss Qin, there's no need to be tense. I'm an old acquaintance of Xu Er Gongzi. Would you please tell him that my surname is Chu, and my name is Chu Junwei?"

  Qin Zhen seemed to understand something, and nodded calmly at Ye Li. "I know," she said. "I'll pass on your message for you, sir."

  "Then thank you, Miss Qin." Ye Li smiled and said.

  Ye Li sat in the rear hall of the Buddhist temple, resting. This was a quiet and remote temple within Jingling Temple, where few people came to worship, as it was dedicated to a relatively minor deity. As a result, except for the occasional young monk who came to sweep the floor, hardly anyone ever visited this place.

  "Lier?"

  Ye Li opened her eyes and got up, only to see Xu Hongyan and Xu Qingze standing at the door, frowning at her. Ye Li smiled brightly, "Second Uncle, Second Brother, don't you recognize me?" Xu Hongyan looked her up and down for a long time before shaking his head, "This little girl, I really didn't recognize you when we bumped into each other outside just now." Xu Qingze's cold expression also had a few more degrees of warmth, silently nodding to indicate that he too hadn't recognized her. Ye Li smiled apologetically, "I saw Second Uncle seemingly talking to the Abbot, so I couldn't go over and could only ask Second Uncle and Second Brother to come here."

  Three people sat down, Xu Hongyan looked at her men's clothing and frowned: "You girl, since you are already safe, why don't you go back to the Wang Mansion? If it wasn't for the king sending someone to send a message saying that you were fine, the letter to Yunzhou would have been sent out. Do you want your grandfather to worry to death?"

  Looking at Second Uncle's anxious and flustered appearance, Ye Li felt very apologetic in her heart. She blinked her eyes pitifully and looked at him, saying: "Second Uncle, Li'er knows she was wrong. But... going back now won't do any good. If it doesn't work once, they'll naturally make another plan. It's better to be like this now. I'm in the dark, they're in the light, let's see who outsmarts whom."

  Xu Hongyan glared at her and said: "Your abacus is well-played, now the streets are all circulating that Ding Wangke's wife has been conquered."

  Ye Li smiled and said: "That's not bad either. Even if I'm gone, Mo Xiu Yao won't be able to marry anyone else."

  Xu Qingze sat quietly on one side, listening to their conversation, furrowed his brow and looked at Ye Li asking: "Does Li'er have any other plans?" The Crown Princess of Dingguo cannot stay in the capital for a long time disguised as a man, and if she has too much contact with them, she will eventually be discovered. Ye Li put away the smile on her face, looked seriously at her uncle and cousin, saying: "I plan to go to Nanjiang."

  "Nonsense!" Xu Hongyan scolded angrily.

  "Second Uncle..." Ye Li looked at Xu Hongyan helplessly, using her eyes to signal Xu Qingze to speak on her behalf. Unfortunately, Xu Qingze also furrowed his brow and looked at her with disapproving eyes. Xu Hongyan waved his hand and said, "Don't say anything else, if you're impatient to stay in the capital, then go to Yunzhou. It's been many years since you've seen your grandfather anyway."

  "Uncle... I am the Queen of Dingguo, how can I possibly run away just because I'm fed up with dealing with people and things in the capital? And Meng Xiuyao married me at a great loss." Ye Li smiled. Xu Hongyan looked at her sideways and said lightly: "Could it be that you still want to go to Nanjiang to do something? Are the people of Dingguo Wangfu all wine racks and rice bags, so they need a queen like you to personally go to such a faraway place? Don't tell me, go explain to your grandfather and uncle instead."

  "Second Uncle..." Ye Li looked at her own attire, it was really not suitable for a daughter to act coquettishly, so she could only look at Second Uncle with an innocent face, "Big Brother is also there, Second Uncle doesn't need to worry about my safety."

  "Does King Ding know what you mean?" asked Xu Hongyan.

  Ye Li felt a little guilty, she hadn't met Mo Xiuyao yet.

  "What does Lǐ ěr want to do in Nán Jiāng?" Xú Qīng Zé asked Yè Lì, his question hitting the nail on the head.

  Ye Li gave him a resentful glance, but still answered honestly: "The situation in the southern border is worse than in the capital. I don't feel at ease with big brother being alone there. It's just that right now, it's not necessary for me to show my face in the capital either. I want to go take a look." Xu Hongyan furrowed his brow: "Your big brother knows what he's doing and will act accordingly. What can you do as a mere daughter? As for the capital... is the Crown Prince planning to use your disappearance to make the Emperor and Empress Dowager fight each other?"

  "They were already fighting fiercely among themselves, but they shouldn't have dragged the Dingguo Palace into it." Ye Li frowned and said: "The Dingguo Palace can't always wait to be plotted against, Uncle must also know why Big Brother went to Nanjiang. If Nanjiang is unstable, the entire Da Chu may fall into war. Since Lian'er has already married into the Dingguo Palace, the Dingguo Palace's stance is Lian'er's stance. I won't be able to sit idly in my chambers like other noblewomen, and others won't give me that opportunity either." Xu Hongyan furrowed his brow: "You... taking care of the palace's affairs and letting the King have no worries is already fulfilling your duty as a princess consort."

  "As a couple, we should share the difficulties together. The king's body is not convenient and cannot travel far. He can't do things that I can replace him to do, what's wrong with that?" Ye Li said firmly. Ye Li occasionally remembered Mo Xiu Yao's words and felt uneasy in her heart. If the situation in the south gets out of control and develops into a situation they had anticipated, Mo Xiu Yao would have to ignore his body and lead the troops personally. Ye Li simply didn't dare to imagine that if Mo Xiu Yao really went on an expedition with his current physical condition, he might not even come back alive. And then there's Xu Qingchen, Qingchen is indeed a talented young master, but the Xu family, even as a hundred-year-old clan, is absolutely no match for the imperial palace and royal families in terms of guards. Ye Li clearly knew that Xu Qingchen was indeed a weak and bookish young master who didn't know martial arts.

  Ye Li looked at Xu Hongyan seriously and said: "Second Uncle, I can assure you that I will never take any risks with my body."

  Looking at her resolute niece, Xu Hongyan let out a helpless sigh. "Lier, you're just a girl. You don't need to take on all the responsibilities yourself. Whether it's your older brother or Ding Wang, their affairs aren't your responsibility." Ye Lier smiled lightly: "I know that if I didn't understand anything and couldn't do anything, I could naturally stay in a safe place and let others protect me. But since I can help out a bit, why should my brother go alone to take risks? Don't think I don't know, second brother, third brother, and fourth brother fifth younger brother also want to go to Nanjiang to help big brother, it's just that they can't get away from their duties. Now I can use this opportunity of leaving after 'losing' myself to help big brother, and also let grandpa and uncle feel at ease."

  Xu Hongyan glared at her irritably, "Feel at ease? Can you feel at ease?"

  Ye Li blinked her eyes, "Second Uncle, you should admit that I'm a bit more capable than Third Brother. You're at ease with Third Brother going to the military camp, why can't you be at ease with me?"

  "He's a man, what if he gets hurt? Can you compare?" Xu Hongyan said, but Ye Li saw a hint of wavering. Hurriedly added persuasively: "I'm not going alone, the bodyguards by my side will follow me. Second Uncle..."

  Xu Hongyan had no choice but to say: "You've already married, go ask King Ding. If King Ding doesn't agree, it's useless for you to tell me anything."

  "Thank you, Uncle." Ye Li was overjoyed. In her opinion, persuading her uncle was much more difficult than persuading Mo Xiu Yao.

  Xu Hongyan looked at her joyful face and sighed helplessly. His daughter's family was too fragile, just like his younger sister Li'er's mother. If she were too strong and wise, it would be even more unbearable, just like this niece of his. He could only hope that the Emperor would be able to control her and let her stay quietly in the capital or return to Yunzhou.