The First Jasmine - Chapter 111
Chapter 111 - Night Banquet (2)
The Emperor so readily agreeing to such a request from the Northern Rong prince left the assembled officials feeling quite puzzled. After all, the current Emperor was known for his love of face, something those close to him in power understood well. For him to do something that could be considered lowering his own status simply did not align with his usual way of doing things. Regardless of what others thought, Yelu Ye was thoroughly satisfied with the Great Chu Emperor's agreeable nature. He turned his head to send a distant salute across to the opposite side, laughing heartily, "In that case, I shall have to ask the Princess of Ding to offer much guidance in the future."
Ye Li raised her head, smiled with composed calm, and said, "Guidance is more than I can offer. Prince Yelu also comes from a prominent background, so I presume you would certainly never do anything abrupt or offensive to the young ladies of our Great Chu."
Yelu Ye smiled without a response, seating himself to drink alone.
The Empress sat by Mo Jingqi's side. Turning her head slightly to look at the Emperor beside her, and next to him, Noble Consort Liu—who was dressed in snowy garments and as cold and detached as a pear blossom—her delicate brows furrowed slightly. She spoke softly, "Noble Consort Liu usually dislikes managing affairs. How is it that she suddenly thought of the matter of the princess for marriage alliance today?" Noble Consort Liu lowered her gaze to look at the wine cup before her, speaking indifferently, "This concubine has overstepped. Please forgive me, Your Majesty the Empress." Mo Jingqi looked between his wife and his beloved concubine, smiling at the Empress, "The Noble Consort is also concerned with diplomatic relations between the two countries. Empress, you should not blame her." A flash of anger crossed the space between the Empress's brows, but it quickly smoothed away. She said with calm detachment, "Very well. I hear that this time the Liu family also has a young lady among the candidates. Since Noble Consort Liu is wholeheartedly devoted to the nation's foundation, I am not someone who fails to understand what is important. It is only that Your Majesty... As for that girl Tianxiang, she has been accompanying me in the palace these days, so she will not participate. If Your Majesty has selected her for the marriage alliance, a single imperial decree will be sufficient. Neither the Hua family nor myself will have any complaints."
Mo Jingqi was startled. As a wedded couple of nearly ten years, the Empress had never before spoken to him in a tone carrying such obvious anger. Upon a moment's reflection, he understood that the Empress was angry for the sake of her only niece's reputation. Remembering then that although the past ten years had lacked deep passion and intense love, a primary wife was ultimately different. Mo Jingqi could not help but harbor some doubt as to whether his idea of sending Hua Tianxiang for the marriage alliance was going too far. The Empress had only this one niece, and Princess Changle had only this one older female cousin. In truth, Mo Jingqi also knew clearly in his heart that having Hua Tianxiang marry into Northern Rong served little purpose other than to create discomfort for the Hua family, and it could not even drive a wedge between the Hua family and the Prince of Ding's Manor. Having just slapped the Empress's face for the sake of Noble Consort Liu, offering a bit of compensation was no bad thing. Looking at the Empress's dignified countenance, which still held a trace of anger, Mo Jingqi's expression softened. He patted the Empress's hand and said, "Rest assured, I will have someone strike Tianxiang's name from the list later."
The Empress lowered her gaze, revealing a faint, fleeting smile as she said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Down below, Ye Li nonchalantly withdrew her gaze from above and turned her head to laugh softly at Mo Xiunyao, "It seems we don't need to worry about Tianxiang anymore." Mo Xiunyao raised a brow, and Ye Li smiled, "The Empress seems to have already persuaded the Emperor on Tianxiang's behalf." The Empress lacked favor and sons, yet she had been able to sit securely in the position of Empress for many years amidst a court surrounded by formidable rivals; even someone as overwhelmingly favored as Noble Consort Liu did not dare to easily offend her, which showed she was absolutely no ordinary person. Look at that—Noble Consort Liu had just bypassed the Empress to speak rashly, and here, as soon as the Empress showed the slightest sign of displeasure, the Emperor yielded. However, Noble Consort Liu... Ye Li's clear eyes swept over the snow-clad woman on the dais, and she frowned thoughtfully.
"The Empress's strategic mind is truly no weaker than anyone else's; it is simply that she lacks the ambition to contend. As for Ah Li, however, you seem to possess some rather peculiar abilities." Mo Xiunyao laughed softly. Although they sat at the very front, there was still a considerable distance between them and the dragon throne on the dais. While one could see the expressions and gazes of those above, Mo Xiunyao acknowledged that even he could not manage to overhear the whispers of those above amidst the clamor and bustle of this crowded grand hall. Ye Li curled her lips, glanced at him, and said generously, "That's right, I can read lips. Is that a problem? Want to learn?"
Mo Xiunyao smiled, "No need. As long as my wife knows how, that is enough."
Ye Li glanced at him and lowered her head to examine the wine cup before her. She knew that the flaws she had exposed before Mo Xiunyao had been far too numerous all along. At first, they were occasional and careless, and she could attribute them to having lowered her guard after living a quiet, ordinary life for over a decade. Later on, she gradually grew unwilling to conceal herself in front of him, and sometimes even deliberately let slip a side of herself different from ordinary people. In truth, this could also be considered a form of probing, but Mo Xiunyao had never shown any abnormality toward her differences, treating them as if they were entirely natural. This made Ye Li both feel surprised and experience a covert sense of delight; after all, not everyone liked wearing a mask to hide themselves for a lifetime.
Because it was a banquet to welcome the Northern Rong prince, the night's festivities did not end with the dinner in the grand hall. Instead, the Emperor led all the imperial concubines, princes, princesses, and officials to ascend the highest Star-Gazing Pavilion in the palace to enjoy specially arranged fireworks and large-scale song and dance performances. Sitting high up in the pavilion, Ye Li looked at the Emperor ahead, who wore an eager and spirited expression, and raised a brow in mild disapproval. Wanting to use this kind of deliberate, so-called magnificent welcoming banquet to intimidate an ambitious Northern Rong prince was nothing short of a pipe dream; it was more than enough to instead provoke the other party's ambitions to conquer the Central Plains. After all, Northern Rong could be said to be the poorest of the four nations, and toward Great Chu, which occupied the most fertile lands among the four, they would never hold any sentiment resembling awe. A harsh environment and a fierce, unyielding disposition made them want to plunder everything without regard for consequences.
"Princess of Ding... Royal Uncle..." Up on the Star-Gazing Pavilion, the atmosphere was much freer and more casual than down in the grand hall. Having sat for only a short while, Princess Changle had already quietly slipped over to Ye Li's side. With the gazes of many people fixed on the fireworks in the sky and the song and dance below, not many people paid attention to her. Ye Li lowered her head, looked at her with a light smile, and asked, "How did the Princess come over here?" Princess Changle blinked, leaned close to Ye Li's ear, and whispered softly, "Mother Empress told me to tell you to watch out for Noble Consort Liu." Ye Li was startled, and raised her head to look not far away at the Empress. The corners of the Empress's lips curved into a faint smile as she gave a slight nod. Ye Li nodded in gratitude, patted Princess Changle's little head, and smiled, "So you came to deliver a message for the Empress. Thank you, Princess." Princess Changle waved her small hand and said generously, "No need to thank me. I don't like Noble Consort Liu either."
"Why?" Ye Li asked out of curiosity. Noble Consort Liu had a cold personality, but surely not to the extent of offending a young child of a few years old. Previously, Noble Consort Liu had even helped her twice and held no hostility toward her, but this time... Ye Li clearly sensed that ever since that last meeting in the palace, Noble Consort Liu's attitude toward her had become somewhat different. It was a very subtle change, completely invisible on the surface, and could only be described as a kind of intuition. And Ye Li had always trusted her intuition, because it had saved her life countless times on the battlefield.
Princess Changle pursed her small lips and said, "She always looks at everyone as if they're displeasing to the eye, but Royal Father always listens to her about everything. She is not nice at all. When Zhenning cried, she didn't even pay attention to her. Mother Empress would never treat me like that. Mother Empress loves Changle the most." That last sentence was definitely a show of boasting.
"Zhenning?" Ye Li looked toward Mo Xiunyao with a puzzled expression. Mo Xiunyao said indifferently, "The Emperor's second princess, Princess Zhenning, the daughter of Noble Consort Liu."
Ye Li looked forward and only then noticed that something seemed to be missing from beside the snow-clad Noble Consort Liu. The Emperor had granted grace for all imperial concubines, princes, and princesses to come watch the fireworks, so essentially all concubines in the palace who held rank and had children brought their princes and princesses along with them. If it were said that during the previous banquet etiquette forbade bringing children, then now, even two one-year-old little princesses and princes were being held in the arms of their wet nurses, making it somewhat strange that Noble Consort Liu's two sons and one daughter were nowhere to be seen at all. Especially since the second princess should be around seven or eight years old this year and was no longer an ignorant toddler. Was it truly as Princess Changle said, that Noble Consort Liu did not like her own children?
"Does the Princess often play with Princess Zhenning?" Ye Li asked with a smile.
Princess Changle shook her head and said with some depression, "Zhenning doesn't like to play with me either. She only likes to play with her younger brothers, but she also doesn't allow me to go see the younger brothers. Mother Empress said it's because I am still young and don't know how to take care of younger brothers. But... Zhenning is even younger than me."
Ye Li pinched Princess Changle's little cheek, sighing slightly in her heart. The Empress truly protected Princess Changle very well.
"Assassins!" Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out as several dark figures burst from the deep night and lunged straight toward the pavilion. Ye Li rolled her eyes in silent speechlessness and reached out to pull Princess Changle to her side. The Star-Gazing Pavilion immediately plunged into chaos as a large number of imperial guards rushed toward the area where the Emperor, Empress, princes, and princesses were located. The officials and female family members below fell into chaos, each scrambling to find a place to hide. With just a single glance, Ye Li understood that the backing behind these men in black could not possibly be compared to the good-for-nothings she had seen that other night. Every single one of them was an elite chosen from a hundred, and upon first contact, the guards on the pavilion suffered heavy losses. A flash of blood frightened the female family members into shrill screams, throwing the entire pavilion into disorder.
Princess Changle hid beside Ye Li, revealing only a small head to peek out. Ye Li patted her brow and said, "Don't look, be careful not to get scared."
Princess Changle quickly shrank back and asked with some worry, "Princess of Ding, will my mother empress and imperial father be alright?"
Ye Li smiled, "Rest assured, even if everyone here has something happen to them, they won't." With so many guards surrounding them, if something still happened, everyone on this pavilion deserved to be killed by the assassins. The martial artists among the officials also stepped forward one after another to meet the black-clad assassins. This was not only for their own and everyone else's safety, but likewise an opportunity to showcase themselves before the Emperor. Mo Xiunyao sat steadily by Ye Li's side. The hidden guards, who appeared out of nowhere, firmly secured the perimeter around them; even if occasionally one or two broke through the defense, they were dispatched by Qingluan, Hidden Guard Two, and Hidden Guard Three, who stood guard at the side. Amidst the chaotic pavilion, their side displayed an eerie stillness.
"Tell me, shouldn't Your Highness go forward to protect the sovereign?" Ye Li asked softly, looking at Mo Xiunyao with a trace of banter. Mo Xiunyao raised a brow and smiled, "If I went over now, His Majesty wouldn't think I wanted to protect the sovereign; he'd probably think I wanted to assassinate him."
Ye Li turned her head to look in Mo Jingqi's direction and shook her head uninterestingly. Supposedly, back in the day, the Emperor was considered a figure accomplished in both civil and martial arts. Just how terrified of death must one be to have half the guards on the entire pavilion surrounding him? While staring at the assassins, he was actually still dividing his attention to glare in their direction. Right now, not only Mo Xiunyao, but anyone connected to the Prince of Ding's Manor who walked over would probably be treated as an assassin.
"Oh, in such a chaotic place, isn't it a bit inappropriate for Your Highness and the Princess to be so leisurely?" Not far away, Yelu Ye easily dealt with the assassins while still finding time to spare a smile toward Mo Xiunyao and Ye Li.
Mo Xiunyao said indifferently, "If a mere handful of assassins cannot even be dealt with, what use are the palace guards?"
Yelu Ye laughed heartily, "What Your Highness says is true. A mere few petty thieves are certainly not worth the Prince of Ding taking personal action to handle."
"Prince Yelu, please move a bit to the side. You've drawn all the assassins over here." Hidden Guard Three, standing in front of Ye Li, casually finished off an assassin and said expressionlessly. Yelu Ye raised a brow, his gaze pausing briefly on the assassin who had fallen before Hidden Guard Three as he smiled, "My apologies, this prince has no idea why these assassins always like to pester me. The guards of the Prince of Ding's Manor truly possess extraordinary martial arts." There was not a single wound on the body of the assassin lying on the ground, save for an extremely fine cut across his neck; not even much blood had flowed out, yet the assassin had fallen directly and breathed his last without even struggling. With such methods, even specialized professional killers might not necessarily do better. The man before him wore only the clothes of an ordinary guard, yet amidst the blood-stained, chaotic crowd, he displayed complete leisure and composure.
Watching the melee before her, Ye Li raised her delicate brows and asked in a low voice, "Are the assassins targeting Yelu Ye?" A large portion of these assassins were heading toward Yelu Ye. While this could possibly be because Yelu Ye appeared to be the strongest fighter, these assassins could not possibly fail to recognize Yelu Ye's attire, which was completely different from that of Great Chu.
Mo Xiunyao stared at the handsome, sturdy man who always seemed to drift close to them, and said, "It might have something to do with him, but... the assassins are all Central Plains people. Neither Yelu Ye himself nor Yelu Hông would send Northern Rong people to cause a disturbance in the palace. Yelu Ye deliberately drawing the assassins this way should be to test your strength." Mo Xiunyao's strength was known throughout the world and had no need to be verified by a few assassins. Of course, Yelu Ye could not possibly count on a few assassins to kill him, so it could only be for the sake of Ye Li, who sat beside him.
Ye Li smiled gently and asked, "Do I need to make a move in this situation?"
Ahead, Hidden Guard Three softly replied, "Of course not. If a mere few assassins required the Princess to personally make a move, wouldn't that mean subordinates like us have no reason to exist at all?" Ye Li raised her eyes to look at Hidden Guard Three and smiled, "You are currently the Princess's right-hand man, not a hidden guard. Could you please not be in such a rush to charge into battle?" Hearing this, Hidden Guard Three's face immediately fell. He still preferred the days of being a hidden guard—when enemies came, he would just charge up and beat them to a pulp, unlike now, where he had to wait for the leftover fish that slipped through the hidden guards' nets before it was his turn. Yet the hidden guards of the Prince of Ding's Manor were far too competent, and basically no fish ever slipped through their nets.
Mo Xiunyao smiled, "I think he's not trying to test Ah Li's martial arts, but rather trying to test Ah Li's nerve."