The First Jasmine - Chapter 114
Chapter 114 - Visit from Yelu Ye
Leaving the imperial garden, Mo Jingqi had already sent people to wait at the exit. With such a massive incident occurring within the palace, it was naturally impossible to simply disperse everyone to wash up and go straight to sleep. Although the assassins who infiltrated the palace this time were not few in number, compared to the nearly one thousand imperial bodyguards, they were merely a drop in the ocean. The reason they were able to kick up such a huge fuss was entirely due to the advantage of the element of surprise; yet this also demonstrated that the palace's security was genuinely not as formidable as one might imagine. It was little wonder that the hidden guards of the Prince of Ding's Manor looked down upon these imperial guards with a quiet, underlying arrogance. At least over the past hundred years, not a single assassin had ever managed to breach the Prince of Ding's Manor.
Frightened by the assassins, Mo Jingqi was naturally unable to sleep. He relocated with the shaken and unsettled officials to the Longteng Hall, where state affairs were handled. As Ye Li and Mo Xiunyao stepped through the doorway, they immediately heard Mo Xiunyao's furious reprimands echoing from within, evidently scolding the guards for their dereliction of duty. Ye Li raised an eyebrow; she recalled that the current Commander of the Imperial Guards seemed to be Leng Haoyu's elder brother, Leng Qingyu?
Stepping into the hall, she indeed saw a young man who shared a thirty percent resemblance with Leng Haoyu kneeling on the ground, his head lowered in respectful obedience as he listened to Mo Jingqi's scolding. Upon seeing the two enter, Mo Jingqi finally reined in his urge to continue berating them. He stared with a contemplative gaze at the pair arriving hand in hand, and asked, "Why is the Princess of Ding with the Prince of Ding?" Ye Li smiled lightly and replied, "Answering Your Majesty, Ye Li was worried for my husband's safety, which is why I took people to search for him. In my haste, I failed to report this to Your Majesty in advance, so I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness." Mo Jingqi cast a complex look at Ye Li before forcing a smile, saying, "The deep affection between the Prince and Princess of Ding is truly a celebrated tale in Great Chu. It is only natural for the Princess to worry about the Prince; how could We possibly blame you?" Ye Li appeared to heave a reassuring sigh of relief and smiled, "Ye Li thanks Your Majesty for your understanding."
"Is My Princess Zhenning well?" Mo Jingqi shifted his gaze to Mo Xiunyao and asked.
Mo Xiunyao gave a faint nod and said, "Princess Zhenning suffered a slight fright, but she is uninjured."
"That is good." Mo Jingqi smiled. "Zhenning is My beloved daughter. If she had suffered any harm, both Myself and the Noble Consort would have been heartbroken." Even as he smiled, Ye Li failed to detect a shred of genuine joy within his expression.
"How does the Prince view tonight's events?" Mo Jingqi stared at Mo Xiunyao and asked.
Mo Xiunyao furrowed his brows in thought and replied, "This subject does not know, but... it should not have been aimed at Your Majesty." Although the majority of the guards had protected the Emperor's vicinity at the time, those assassins had made no attempt whatsoever to break through the guard perimeter to assassinate the Emperor. After all, even if they had slaughtered every official on the pavilion, it would at most cause the Emperor anger and annoyance, while the actual practical impact would not have been all that severe. It would probably amount to nothing more than reshuffling the imperial court and replacing a few personnel. "However... Lord Leng, might I ask why the Imperial Guards arrived so late?" Turning around, Mo Xiunyao shifted his target straight toward the still-kneeling Leng Qingyu.
Leng Qingyu raised his head to look at Mo Xiunyao, speaking in a deep voice, "At the time, the assassins split into multiple routes and attacked other locations within the palace as well. This subordinate suffered a lapse in concentration and fell for a diversionary tactic. I beg Your Majesty's punishment."
"A lapse in concentration?" Mo Xiunyao smiled coldly. "It would seem Lord Leng has completely forgotten the purpose for which the imperial bodyguards exist. Since you knew intruders had broken into the palace, regardless of whether there were assassins on the Star-Gazing Pavilion at the moment, shouldn't Lord Leng's very first priority have been to rush to the Star-Gazing Pavilion to protect the sovereign? As the dignitary serving as Commander of the Imperial Guards, you were actually diverted by a few petty assassins. In this prince's view, perhaps the position of Imperial Guards Commander ought to be given to someone else." Leng Qingyu's already aloof expression grew even stiffer, yet he knew the Prince of Ding was right; tonight's incident was indeed his own failure of duty, leaving him no room to refute whatever the Prince of Ding chose to say.
"Enough." Mo Jingqi frowned. "Tonight was indeed Qingyu's dereliction of duty. Let his salary be docked for half a year as punishment. The guards within the palace must also be thoroughly disciplined; if any further oversights occur next time, We shall show no leniency." By speaking thus, Mo Jingqi was effectively letting Leng Qingyu off without punishment. With the Leng family's immense wealth and influence, they hardly lacked half a year's salary, meaning this punishment was tantamount to no punishment at all. Normally, had someone else encountered such an incident, even if they didn't lose their head, they would likely be stripped of their official rank and titles. However, since the Emperor had already spoken first to hand down a minor penalty, it was naturally awkward for anyone else to say much more. Hearing Mo Jingqi's words, Mo Xiunyao also lowered his gaze and dropped the matter.
Seeing that Mo Xiunyao raised no further objections, Mo Jingqi nodded in satisfaction and asked, "Shall the investigation of tonight's events be handed over to the Prince of Ding? I trust the Prince will surely give Us an account as soon as possible?"
Mo Xiunyao frowned and said, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty, but in just over a month this subject must set off for Northern Rong. Furthermore, there are many trivial matters regarding the Northern Rong prince as well as within my own estate, so I am afraid I lack the time to divide myself."
Mo Jingqi was momentarily taken aback, but chose not to press the matter further. Nodding, he said, "It was We who failed to consider thoroughly. Very well. We shall assign this matter to Prime Minister Liu to investigate."
Mo Xiunyao raised no objection to this; in truth, even if he had objected, Mo Jingqi would not have listened to him.
Leaving the imperial palace, Ye Li looked rather curiously at Mo Xiunyao inside the carriage. "Were you helping Leng Qingyu?"
Mo Xiunyao looked at her with a smile and raised an eyebrow, "You noticed?"
Ye Li curled her lips. "It was far too obvious." Anyone could tell that back in the hall, Mo Xiunyao had deliberately targeted Leng Qingyu. Yet by the same token, even if Mo Xiunyao truly couldn't stand Leng Qingyu, there was no need to kick a man while he was down and make a public spectacle of him at that moment. Moreover, given Mo_Jingqi's temperament, whoever Mo Xiunyao sought to demote was someone the Emperor would surely protect. Had it not been for Mo Xiunyao's deliberate teasing and harsh questioning, even with Mo Jingqi's trust in Leng Qingyu, it would have been impossible to merely dock half a year's salary. "How is it I never knew your relationship with Leng Qingyu was so good? Is it for the sake of Leng Er?" Mo Xiunyao shook his head, "Leng Er doesn't need me to give him face, what's more... even if he were rescuing a beggar from the roadside, he wouldn't come begging me to help his eldest brother."
Ye Li lowered her gaze in thought for a moment before raising her head to look at him, "You want to drive a wedge between Mo Jingqi and the Leng family?"
Mo Xiunyao leaned back leisurely in the carriage and smiled, "My wife is truly brilliant. This is merely a small tactic; before long, Mo Jingqi will be able to figure it out himself. However, a man like Mo Jingqi, the moment he holds even a tiny shred of suspicion, will inevitably find himself unable to help keeping his guard up against Leng Qingyu—even if he knows better in his heart. That way, if we wish to fan the flames further down the line, it will become that much easier." Ye Li understood; this was paving the road in advance. If in the future Mo Jingqi and the Prince of Ding's Manor lived in peace with one another, Leng Qingyu would naturally remain safely ensconced as the Emperor's trusted confidant; but if things truly reached an unavoidable breaking point, the trusted aides around Mo Jingqi would naturally fall within the scope of those the Prince of Ding's Manor needed to eradicate. Remembering that Mo Xiunyao would be setting off on a long journey in just over a month, Ye Li could not help furrowing her brows, feeling an inexplicable trace of lingering unease in her heart.
"What is wrong, Ah Li?" Mo Xiunyao lowered his gaze to look at her deeply furrowed, delicate brows, and asked softly.
Ye Li raised her head to look at him, "Do you have any plans regarding the trip to Northern Rong?"
Mo Xiunyao smiled, "Ah Li needn't worry; the Northern Rong people will not openly clash with me using bare blades and lances. While those underhanded dealings are bound to happen, just who has the Prince of Ding's Manor ever feared over all these years?" Ye Li frowned and said, "It's still best to be a bit more careful." Knowing she was worried about him, Mo Xiunyao pulled her into his embrace and said softly, "I know. You can rest assured, Ah Li, I will return safely." Ye Li nodded heavily, her hand unconsciously tightening its grip on Mo Xiunyao's lapel without her even realizing it.
Early the next morning, while Ye Li was practicing martial arts in the training courtyard, Steward Mo hurried over to report that the Northern Rong prince was requesting an audience. Ye Li knew that having only a little over a month left was indeed somewhat rushed. It wasn't just a matter of selecting a suitable candidate for the marriage alliance; more importantly, it required tutoring the chosen noble lady in imperial etiquette, rules, and various customs, none of which could possibly be accomplished overnight. Ever since the founding of Great Chu, it had practically been unheard of to send princesses to foreign states for marriage alliances. Even if a true alliance were arranged, all the preparations front and back would usually take nearly a full year. This time, Mo Jingqi had suddenly agreed to the marriage alliance with Northern Rong, relaxing both sides' conditions to the point of a child's game. Though no one genuinely took this marriage alliance seriously, the surface-level formalities still had to be properly observed.
"Is the Prince present?" Ye Li reversed her grip, thrusting her sword back into the scabbard hanging to the side, and asked.
Steward Mo replied, "Third Young Master Feng came to request an audience with the Prince early this morning. The Prince has gone out."
Ye Li nodded. "Invite Prince Yelu to the main hall, and also send over the roster of capital maidens we compiled the other day."
"Your Highness, the doors of the Prince of Ding's Manor are truly not easy to enter." Before Steward Mo had time to respond, Yelu Ye's laughter echoed from afar, carrying across the distance toward them. Outside the moon-shaped doorway, Yelu Ye squinted as he looked at the Prince of Ding's Manor guards blocking his path, his surface expression calm while inwardly feeling quite regretful that he couldn't force his way through. As expected of the Prince of Ding's Manor, which sent so many assassins and secret agents fleeing in miserable defeat. Its defense was so stringent it surpassed the Great Chu imperial palace by more than tenfold. Looking at the expressionless guards before him, Yelu Ye didn't try to force his way through either; as long as these men refused to budge, he would undoubtedly fail to break through the encirclement within a short timeframe. Besides... angering a beauty was a losing proposition.
"Fall back." Accompanied by Steward Mo, Ye Li appeared behind the guards and spoke softly. The guards silently acknowledged the order and withdrew, while Yelu Ye raised an arched eyebrow to appraise the woman before him. Unlike previous occasions, today Ye Li wore a simple white training suit cinched at the waist with a verdant green belt. Her waterfall of dark hair was casually coiled up without a single piece of ornamentation; devoid of makeup, it only served to highlight her picturesque brows and eyes and her extraordinary temperament.
Yelu Ye smiled, "Did this humble prince interrupt the Princess?"
Ye Li looked at him with a half-smile, "If the Prince was truly worried about interrupting, why did you insist on forcing your way in?"
Yelu Ye offered an innocent smile, "This humble prince merely wished to appreciate the fine scenery of the Prince of Ding's Manor, who could have known the manor's defenses were so rigorous."
Ye Li deemed such sophistry unworthy of a retort, and said with an indifferent smile, "Prince, please head to the main hall for tea; this consort will take her leave for a moment."
"Wait." As Yelu Ye stepped forward, Steward Mo simultaneously stepped up to block his path, speaking with a calm smile, "Please exercise self-respect, Prince." Yelu Ye laughed heartily, "Was the Princess practicing martial arts just now? This humble prince is quite curious about Central Plains martial arts; I wonder if I might have the honor of exchanging pointers with the Princess?" Steward Mo replied, "The Prince of Ding's Manor has masters as numerous as clouds. If the Prince wishes to spar, this old servant can select a few people to accompany the Prince through a few rounds. Alternatively, this old servant can accompany the Prince for some light amusement."
Yelu Ye looked at Ye Li with a smile and said, "This humble prince naturally knows the Prince of Ding's Manor is full of experts. However... what I wish to experience is precisely the high-level moves of the Princess of Ding."
Ye Li said indifferently, "I believe we already exchanged blows with the Prince last night. Furthermore... the Prince's own kung fu was learned from the Central Plains anyway, so where is the curiosity to speak of?"
Yelu Ye was momentarily stunned. His martial arts had indeed been taught by a Central Plains person, but during these past few encounters he had consistently avoided using Central Plains kung fu; to think he hadn't evaded others' discernment at all. "The Princess has a sharp eye. Exchanging a few hurried moves last night left me truly full of regret. I wonder if I might have the fortune today to spar with the Princess once or twice?" Ye Li lowered her gaze, turned around, and said, "In that case, Prince Yelu, please lead the way." With those words, she turned and stepped inside first. Watching Ye Li's retreating figure, Yelu Ye raised a brow, smiled, and followed with eager interest.
Entering the training courtyard behind the high walls left Yelu Ye somewhat disappointed; this martial arts arena, hidden deep in the inner quarters of the Prince of Ding's Manor and forbidden to outsiders, looked no different from anywhere else. Yet upon second thought, he felt it was only natural—Mo Xiunyao had been crippled for seven or eight years and had no use for a training arena anyway. Furthermore, even if the Prince of Ding's Manor harbored any secrets, they would hardly display them so openly in a courtyard that outsiders might theoretically breach, even though no one had ever successfully breached it over all these years.
He had no way of knowing that just half a month ago, this place had looked entirely different. It was simply that once Ye Li found a better alternative, she had dismantled these simplified versions in the estate, and her daily training no longer required them.
Walking into the center of the training arena, Ye Li turned back to look at Yelu Ye following behind, and said calmly, "Prince Yelu, please."
Yelu Ye could not help frowning; he only now realized that this Princess Consort of Ding was truly not as easy to deal with as he had imagined. He refused to believe Ye Li couldn't tell that he hadn't genuinely wanted to spar with her, yet she simply acted oblivious, walking deadpan into the training arena to wait for him to make his move. She even put on the expression of a host receiving a guest, seemingly intending to let him make a few opening moves out of hospitality. This left Yelu Ye somewhat amused yet exasperated. To have a woman yield moves to him during a martial arts spar—if word of that got back to Northern Rong, he would likely be laughed to death by his Crown Prince brother. As the Seventh Prince of Northern Rong, possessing noble status and extraordinary looks, even those bold and straightforward Northern Rong women couldn't help blushing and feeling shy in his presence. Yet this woman had been subjected to his deliberate teasing on multiple occasions, only to offer zero reaction whatsoever. When a woman could remain completely poised and composed even when a strikingly extraordinary man deliberately curried favor with her, one had to admit that this woman was truly difficult to handle.
Walking onto the arena grounds, Yelu Ye smiled, "Does the Princess not wish to fetch a weapon? Is the Princess a sword practitioner?"
Ye Li replied calmly, "The Prince also mentioned I study the sword. How could I dare display my clumsy skills in something I am still learning?"
Yelu Ye nodded. "I also feel the Princess handles short-range weapons exceptionally well." More than just exceptionally well—recalling those two unpredictable assassinations from last night still sent a chill through his heart. "Please, Princess."
"Please," Ye Li said.