The First Jasmine - Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Young Master Fengyue

Having seen Ye Ying out the door, everything that needed to be done on the surface was already complete. Ye Li no longer paid any heed to the complicated and inscrutable gazes of the crowd, waving her sleeves in an excellent mood as she returned to the Qingyi Pavilion.

The moment she stepped into the study, Ye Li's feet paused for a split second before she turned back and commanded, "Qingluan, stay behind to attend to me. The rest of you may go down and rest." Although Qingshuang and the others were somewhat puzzled, they also knew that Ye Li had never liked having too many people crowded around her. Assuming she had some specific matters to instruct Qingluan alone, they curtsied and withdrew. Qingluan stood quietly by the door, waiting for her mistress's orders. Ye Li walked over to the window and stood still, her gaze sweeping across the study before finally landing on the gauze curtain that separated the inner and outer rooms. "Are you still not coming out?" she asked softly.

There was not the slightest movement in the study, yet a pair of chilling, gleaming short daggers had already appeared in Qingluan's hands. Her usually submissive and harmless gaze now carried a trace of sharp, murderous intent.

After waiting a moment and seeing that there was still no movement, Ye Li knit her brows in slight displeasure. She threw a dove-egg-sized object from her hand toward the direction of the gauze curtain. A thick cloud of white smoke billowed up. Within moments, a silhouette lunged out of the white smoke toward Ye Li, only to suddenly collapse limply to the floor just before reaching the window. An icy-cold short dagger was already pressed against his spine. Yet Ye Li was nowhere to be seen in front of him; without him realizing it, she had already stood herself a few feet away from his side.

"I truly never expected that Third Miss Ye would possess such fine skills. I admit defeat." The man smiled bitterly, helplessly relaxing his limp body as he lay on the floor.

Ye Li's expression remained entirely normal. "Compared to your esteemed self, I am still far from it. It's just that after last night's unique encounter, I deemed it highly necessary to make some preparations."

The man raised an eyebrow, seemingly not caring in the slightest about the fact that his back was still being held at knifepoint. He looked at Ye Li with a beaming smile and said, "You knew it was me last night? Could it be... that because of what happened last night, you've been unable to forget about me?" Even Ye Li had to admit that the man before her was exceptionally handsome. Unlike Feng Zhiyao's romantic and unbridled look, his features bore a touch more wickedness and a deliberately manufactured air of ambiguity. If it were any ordinary woman, she would inevitably have been driven by anger or shame to flush red to the ears and cover her face as she fled. Unfortunately, Ye Li happened to fall completely outside that ordinary category. "I believe what you should be focusing on right now is not me, but... the thing against your back. Trust me, if another three fractions of force are applied to that spot, though your life won't be in danger, I guarantee you will spend the rest of your days lying in bed." As if to validate Ye Li's words, the sharp short dagger behind him pressed forward slightly, and a piercing pain instantly spread from his spine throughout his entire body. The man's expression changed slightly, and he forced a smile, saying, "Third Miss Ye wouldn't happen to be planning to kill me to silence a witness, would you?"

Ye Li shook her head, a rare, radiant smile blooming on her clear and beautiful face. Yet it caused the man on the floor to feel an involuntary shiver strike his spine. "Killing to silence witnesses is not something a well-bred young lady of a grand household should do. Therefore, I plan to hand you over to someone else. I hear quite a few people are looking for you. Tell me, would it be better if I handed you over to Prince Ding, or to Prince Li?"

The man looked at Ye Li with a miserable face, silently begging for mercy. Falling into Prince Ding's hands would certainly mean losing an arm or a leg; falling into Prince Li's hands—given that a certain someone was currently standing here perfectly fine and threatening him—Prince Li would absolutely want his life as well. "Third Miss, I was merely taking someone's money to eliminate a disaster for them. Besides, I can be considered to have helped you out, right? Can't you lift your noble hand and spare my life?" Ye Li turned around, found a comfortable chair, and sat down. She asked with a smile, "Were you helping me? Wasn't it rather that Mo Jingli offended you, so you wanted to give him a hard time?"

Seeing that begging for mercy was futile, the man could only retract the smile on his face and say seriously, "Consider it that I owe Third Miss a favor. How about it?"

Ye Li propped up her chin, laughing lazily, "That... a favor from Young Master Fengyue of the Qingfeng Mingyue Court? Even if you dare to owe it, I wouldn't dare to ask you to return it." The Qingfeng Mingyue Court was the number one brothel under heaven. Young Master Fengyue, Han Mingyue, was a world-renowned gentleman thief and lady-killer. To be associated with him was equivalent to having one's reputation utterly destroyed.

This time, the man's expression changed completely. He stared at Ye Li and said, "My jade pendant is in your hands?" Those in this world who knew that Young Master Fengyue and the Master of the Qingfeng Mingyue Court were one and the same could be counted on one's fingers. This young master had certainly been unaware that the Third Miss of the Minister's Manor, the future Princess Consort of Prince Ding, actually possessed such methods. Being able to quietly take a jade pendant from his person was absolutely no easy task. Han Mingyue practically wondered if he had failed to consult the almanac for an auspicious date before coming to the capital this time. Originally, it had merely been a momentary whim to abduct a young maiden on behalf of Prince Li for a bit of fun, yet he never expected that this seemingly harmless boudoir young lady from a cloistered estate was actually a venomous flower. He had wanted to play a trick on the arrogant Prince Li, but ended up playing himself right into a trap instead. Less than half an hour after leaving the woods that night, he discovered he was being tracked, and two hours later, the original single group of pursuers had split into two. By the time dawn broke, even Mo Jingli's men had joined the fray.

Ye Li merely smiled without uttering a word, looking at the handsome man before her with immense patience. Finally, Han Mingyue helplessly raised his hands in admission of defeat, saying, "Third Miss Ye, what exactly will it take for you to let me off the hook?"

"When the need arises, lend me the intelligence network of the Qingfeng Mingyue Court for my use." Ye Li put forward her condition.

A flash darted through Han Mingyue's eyes. "This junior does not understand what Miss Ye means."

"Brothels and wine shops are the largest distribution hubs for intelligence and news. I guess... the Tianyi Pavilion shares a rather extraordinary relationship with your esteemed self. Am I right?" The Tianyi Pavilion was Great Chu's most mysterious intelligence organization, making a living by trafficking information. It was just that its operations were so well-concealed that many who wished to find it returned thoroughly defeated. "Young Master Han may stand up now. If I haven't miscalculated, the effects of the drug have already passed." Ye Li calmly reminded the man who was still acting entirely powerless and lingering on the floor. Han Mingyue did not display the slightest embarrassment from being exposed. With a perfectly composed expression, he rose to his feet, brushed away the non-existent dust from his clothes, and cupped his hands to Ye Li. "Third Miss Ye is truly so sharp that it leaves this junior in absolute marvel." For a cloistered young lady to actually deduce the relationship between the Qingfeng Mingyue Court and the Tianyi Pavilion was indeed something that could not help but astonish people. "Consider the jade pendant a gift to Third Miss. Should Third Miss have any needs, simply have someone bring the jade pendant to find me and it will be settled. I believe that with Third Miss's capabilities, you ought to know where a person can be found."

Ye Li was not polite either, nodding as she said, "In that case, many thanks. I shall request Prince Ding to exchange a different gift for His Highness Prince Li."

Han Mingyue smiled bitterly, looking at Ye Li. "Are you not afraid that I will go back on my word?"

Ye Li broke into a beautiful smile. "Unless you wish for the entire world to know the relationship between Young Master Fengyue, the Qingfeng Mingyue Court, and the Tianyi Pavilion. Take care on your way out; I shall not see you off."

"Farewell."

Qingluan sheathed her short daggers. Watching Han Mingyue depart through the window, she knit her brows, inquiring with mild bewilderment, "Miss, you are just letting him leave like this?"

Ye Li rose and stood by the window, staring toward the spot where Han Mingyue's silhouette had vanished. "Do you truly believe he is the Master of the Qingfeng Mingyue Court?"

"Could it be he isn't?"

Ye Li played with the jade pendant in her hand. "I guess not. However, he is bound to share an incredibly deep relationship with the genuine Han Mingyue. Provoking Han Mingyue over a fellow like him is simply not worth it."

"Third Miss Ye is brilliant." A teasing voice carrying a lazy laughter drifted in from the outside. Ye Li raised her head, looking toward Feng Zhiyao, who had leaned against the eaves of the roof at some unknown point. She laughed and said, "Young Master Feng, arriving uninvited is not the conduct of a gentleman." Feng Zhiyao shook his folding fan with absolute poise, as though he weren't currently standing outside a young lady's private chamber but rather at a grand feast drawing thousands of admiring eyes. "Third Miss's methods and insight truly leave Feng San thoroughly defeated. Han Mingyue's favors are not so easily claimed." Ye Li offered a shallow smile, replying, "I never take advantage of others; I believe Master Han will think so as well. Conversely, Third Young Master Feng's lightness kung fu, which allows him to enter and exit the Minister's Manor as if it were a deserted land, can almost hold a candle to Young Master Fengyue's."

The veins on Feng Zhiyao's forehead could not help but twitch slightly as he strove to display his elegant bearing. "His Highness Prince Ding requests Third Miss Ye to attend Prince Li's wedding alongside him."

Ye Li raised an eyebrow. Would Prince Ding actually attend such an occasion? She fully recalled that since Mo Xiuyao met with that cataclysmic upheaval, he had never publicly appeared before the eyes of the crowd again.

Feng Zhiyao laughed, stating, "Times change. Originally, there was no such intention. It is said to have been decided just this morning; I believe it will not disappoint Third Miss."

Ye Li blinked her eyes, instantly grasping Feng Zhiyao's underlying meaning. She nodded and smiled. "I must trouble Third Young Master Feng to deliver the message."

"At that time, Feng San shall eagerly await your grand arrival."