Assassination Attempt 311

ng to do with Ding王府would likely be treated as an assassin."Hey, it's not right for His Highness and his wife to be so relaxed in such a chaotic place," Ye Leye said from不遠處. He was easily handling th...311. Assassination Attempt

311. Encountering an assassination attempt

The words of Lady Sun, spoken lightly and dismissively, caused Princess Lingyun's face to pale. However, despite her arrogant nature, the princess was not a fool. She understood that the current Western Liang royal family was no longer what it used to be. Not only did she rank lower than this Concubine Ding from the perspective of Lady Ye, even towards this newly allied widow, she could not act out recklessly. She could do nothing but huff and sit down in a chair nearby with a grim expression.

The princess's submission surprised everyone present. After their initial surprise, they gained more understanding. Times had indeed changed; even an arrogant princess like Lingyun would not dare to be too brazen before the Concubine of Dingwang. Their resolve to ally themselves with the Dingwang Estate was further strengthened as a result.

Once Princess Lingyun sat down, Lady Bai brought White Qingning forward to pay respects to Ye Li: "I am Lady Bai and this is my daughter, Qingning, paying our respects to Concubine of Dingwang."

Following behind her mother, White Qingning also bowed gracefully. "Daughter Qingning pays respects to Concubine of Dingwang." This bow was the proper etiquette for a high-ranking noblewoman in Great Chu, executed without error and quite different from how the Western Liang nobles had greeted Lady Ye earlier. Ye Li raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "Lady Bai, Miss White, no need for such formalities. Since I am here as a guest, please feel free."

Lady Bai smiled and replied, "How could we dare To be in the presence of Your Excellency’s grace today is indeed a blessing from three lifetimes of cultivation."

While Lady Ye and Lady Bai were exchanging pleasantries, White Qingning took the opportunity to observe the dark-clad woman sitting above them. Despite her apparent youth similar to that of White Qingning, she exuded an air of regal beauty with a subtle light that made it hard for others to look away, adding to her already elegant appearance and causing those around her to feel inferior in comparison. Ye Li was no ordinary person; even while conversing, she did not miss the gaze of White Qingning upon her and smiled.

"Miss White, is there something you wish to say" Ye Li asked with a smile.

White Qingning was slightly startled but quickly stood up. "Qingning dares not. I have merely heard that Your Excellency has fame for your prowess on the battlefield and admire it greatly; thus... Qingning's manners are poor, please forgive me." Ye Li waved her hand with a smile. "No harm done. Such fame is nothing more than rumors spread by others. All I do is follow the Duke out of the capital to see things."

White Qingning’s eyes were filled with admiration and longing as she said, "Your Excellency modestly speaks. If one could be as free-spirited as Your Excellency, it would indeed make life worth living."

Hearing this, the Lady Sun sitting beside Ye Li raised an eyebrow, pulling her daughter close to her and letting a teasing smile curl on her lips. The Bai family had always taught their daughters how to be consorts and empresses; she had never heard of any talk about a desire for free-spirited living among them. But seeing the unbothered look on Lady Bai's face, Lady Sun’s amusement grew.

Ye Li lowered her head to sip tea but her smile dimmed slightly. Such women would usually be quite likable, but lately even her perception of people had been affected by her mood swings. She did not feel any affection for this smiling and graceful woman in front of her at all. Actually, Ye Li was well aware of what everyone present might be thinking. But she didn't care. Since she and Mo Xiuyao were in their positions, encountering such issues was inevitable. Everyone was acting out of self-interest; they did not seem particularly heinous to her for that reason alone. Yet it was a pity... If Ye Li had no feelings for Mo Xiuyao, she wouldn’t mind being an illustrious empress by name only. But since they had gone through so much and developed such deep affection, she could only apologize to these people now: Mo Xiuyao belonged solely to her!

The atmosphere in the water pavilion was slightly chilly; Princess Lingyun scoffed with disdain from her seat beside them. Coming from a royal background, even her arrogant nature and scheming ways were more developed than most others'. She knew full well what the Bai family had planned but unfortunately for them, Ye Li was not someone who would be easily manipulated. The nearly thirty-year-old Princess Lingyun had long been married off by that point; any infatuation she may have once held towards Mo Xiuyao had long since faded away due to time’s wear and tear. What remained was more of a resentment towards Ye Li, making her very clear on what kind of person Ye Li truly was. A newly wed Lady Ye in her early teens dared to be mercilessly honest with her back then as a princess of Western Liang; today's mature Concubine Dingwang would certainly not tolerate another woman coveting all that she had. The Bai family’s plans were doomed to fail. While the Western Liang was still standing, these people were scrambling to ally themselves with the Dingwang Estate — they deserved to die!

After a short while, Ye Li said with a light smile, "What's there I always believe that keeping girls locked away isn’t good for them. If Miss White is interested, I’ll speak to Master Bai and let her go out to experience the world."

"Experience the world" White Qingning was momentarily confused as she didn't quite understand why Ye Li had suddenly brought this up, nor did she have any real desire to do so herself. She was different from Lady Ye; although she hailed from Western Liang, she was physically weak and could hardly endure hardships.

Ye Li smiled and said, "Isn’t it I still remember my first trip out of the capital... It was to Southern Frontier when I was around fifteen or sixteen. Not too different in age from Miss White.

Bai Qingning's smile started to falter. She looked at Lady Bai worriedly, fearing that Ye Li would really have her thrown into Southern Yi as well. She only knew a little bit about Southern Yi from books; how could she go there Beside, smiling smugly, Madam Sun said, "Your Excellency is right. The most regrettable thing in my life is that I never managed to leave Xi Ling Imperial City. When Xao Fu gets older, I definitely won’t be so restrictive with her."

The others also hurriedly flattered the Princess Consort of Ding Wang for her wise words, but they did not care about it in their hearts. Although they didn't have as strict restrictions on young ladies as Chu Kingdom, these delicate and pampered girls would never want to send out their daughters to suffer. A lot of people secretly thought that the Princess Consort of Ding Wang was indeed extraordinary for being able to travel around Southern Yi at 15 or 16 years old. They pushed down the idea of sending their daughters to the Prince's Manor even more.

Everyone sat and chatted with Ye Li for a while, drank some tea, then started leaving in groups to tour the garden. Naturally, Ye Li could not escape this custom either; she strolled around the garden accompanied by Madam Sun, Lady Bai, and a few others, looking at the colorful silk flowers along both sides of the road. Smiling, Ye Li said, "Madam must have an ingenious mind for your family to flourish more under your hand."

Madam Sun, holding Xiao Fu's hand, smiled and replied, "We are in Xi Ling which is located west, it has a cold climate; don't even mention Chu Kingdom, we are worse off compared to Li City. We hardly see any flowers or plants all year round, so this is inevitable as well. It must have been laughable for Your Excellency." Ye Li smiled faintly. Bai Qingning beside her said with a smile, "Does Your Excellency like flowers There are many flowers and plants that I imported from Chu Kingdom and the West in my estate; why don't I send them to you tomorrow" Turning his head slightly to look at Bai Qingning's placid smiling face, Ye Li shook his head and laughed, “To take what others love is not what a gentleman should do. Moreover, I am no refined person, so rare flowers and plants will just be wasted on me.”

Bai Qingning covered her mouth with a smile and said, "Your Excellency is the only legitimate granddaughter of Mr. Qing Yun; if you are not a refined person, then we are all vulgar."

Madam Sun glanced at Bai Qingning with a faint smile, looked at Lady Bai, and smiled, “Madam, your daughter sure knows how to speak! If she said that to me, I would be overjoyed.” Lady Bai's smile froze up; in her opinion, this little girl was not as clever-tongued as Madam Sun. "Madam is joking," Lady Bai replied coolly, "This child can't compare with Madam’s wits."

Madam Sun giggled and said, “I am serious. Who doesn’t know that the Bai family’s girls are all quick-witted Otherwise, how could they receive favors at court and become empresses one after another”

Lady Bai's face turned pale; she glared resentfully at Madam Sun but said nothing. Not caring about this, Madam Sun continued to walk with Ye Li while chatting.

"Your Excellency, Fourth Young Master is here to see you," a guard came up and reported.

"Fourth Brother" Ye Li was somewhat surprised; today's banquet only invited ladies. Male guests were not supposed to enter, even Mo Xiuyao left her outside the door. But Ye Li knew that Xu Qingbai would come if there was something important, so she asked, "Madam Sun, may I go"

Madam Sun thought for a moment and smiled; “Fourth Young Master is an open-minded person who doesn’t mind anything. Your Excellency can wait in the pavilion ahead.”

Ye Li nodded and said, "Alright."

Soon after, Xu Qingbai was led by a guard to come quickly, calling out, "Li'er."

"Fourth Brother, is something wrong" Ye Li asked worriedly.

Xu Qingbai looked at the few ladies beside and thought that it wasn't anything secret; he said directly, “My mother has arrived in Xi Ling!”

“What” Ye Li was stunned for a moment. "Aunt" "Why did she come to Xi Ling" She only came back to her senses after a while, asking, "Aunt... why would Aunt come here" Xu Qingbai smiled wryly and said softly, “Some time ago, my mother somehow learned about what happened in Xi Ling; I just received a letter from Brother. Mother left Li City half a month ago and should arrive soon.”

Ye Li calmed down and said, "As long as Big Brother and Uncle know, Aunt must be safe. Let me send someone to fetch her right now; Fourth Brother needn’t worry." Xu Qingbai smiled helplessly and only spoke frankly when he saw Ye Li's puzzled look: “I still have some business in Xi Ling; I’m afraid that my mother might not approve of it... please, Li'er, convince Mother for me.”

Yeh Li finally understood that Mo Xiuyao had already decided who would take charge of Xi Ling after they left. Xú Qingbai had experience in governing a place and seemed to have done quite well, managing the barren land in the northwest over the past few years very well too. It was indeed appropriate to hand it over to him. Yeh Li understood why her aunt dared to rush here despite all odds; her fourth brother staying in Xi Ling wouldn’t be something that could be accomplished overnight—it might take three to five years. Her fourth brother wasn't young anymore, and if he didn’t return to Li City for several years, it would surely cause his mother great anxiety.

Yeh Li covered her mouth and chuckled before nodding and saying, "Fourth Brother, I understand now. I’ll take care of talking with Aunt."

Xú Qingbai finally let out a sigh of relief as he nodded and said, "Then thank you, Li'er." After finishing the main topic, Xú Qingbai relaxed, bowing to Lady Sun and saying, "I’m troubling you. Please forgive me, Madam." Lady Sun smiled and replied, "Fourth Young Master is being too polite. If there’s anything that I can do for the Duke Consort, please don’t hesitate to tell us."

Xú Qingbai thought about it and realized he did need some assistance from Lady Sun, so he said without further ado, "My mother might stay in Xi Ling for a while, but staying in an inn long-term isn't very suitable…"

Lady Sun understood what he meant and smiled, saying, "It seems that Fourth Young Master will be staying here for some time too. This is indeed a good opportunity for the young ladies of Xi Ling… Ha ha, there have been many houses in town that want to sell their properties recently, I’ll keep an eye out for suitable ones."

Xú Qingbai bowed and smiled, "Thank you then."

Using this as an excuse, Yeh Li sat down for a while before getting up with Xú Qingbai to bid farewell. Originally, given her status, she didn’t need to attend the entire event; just showing up and chatting briefly would suffice in terms of etiquette. Besides, after circulating for a short time, she started feeling uncomfortable. Lady Sun didn't dare to keep them too long either, so she got up to see them off at the door where Yeh Li turned back and said, "Madam, no need to send us further, please stay."

Lady Sun nodded with a smile and replied, "Then, Duke Consort, take care. Have a safe journey."

“Farewell.” Yeh Li nodded and turned around to head for the carriage.

"Duke Consort be careful!" A silver light flashed past under the sunlight; Yeh Li reflexively moved aside as an arrow whizzed by her, embedding itself into the carriage beside her. The guards immediately surrounded Yeh Li and Xú Qingbai in the center. A group of men dressed differently but with their faces covered jumped down from rooftops around them, heading straight for Yeh Li's direction.

The guards of Ding Wangfu didn't hesitate to confront them; soon both sides were engaged in a battle. Shielded by her bodyguards, Yeh Li could see clearly that although these men’s clothing colors varied, their skills were impressive—clearly they had undergone training. But she couldn’t think of anyone besides the Xi Ling Emperor who would have such an elite force to assassinate her.

"Ah!" The women standing at the doorway, about to enter, became targets by surprise. Although they weren't the intended victims, in the chaos, they inevitably suffered collateral damage. A servant girl was stabbed and fell dead right next to Lady Sun; she paled but still tightly held onto her screaming daughter as they retreated into a corner. She shouted loudly, "Catch the assassins!" As this gathering brought together powerful women of the city, it naturally had guards for protection. But these guards clearly weren’t a match for the assassins and suffered heavy casualties upon contact.

A guard was struck across his face by an assailant's blade, falling towards Bai Qingning who happened to be nearby. Regardless of how composed she was, at sixteen or seventeen years old, Bai Qingning screamed loudly; her voice even higher than that of Sun Xiaofu’s. An assassin not far away heard the scream and turned around to shoot a willow-leaf dart in her direction. With widened eyes and unable to move, Bai Qingning could only close them awaiting death.

Clang—A clear sound of impact rang out as the willow leaf dart was knocked onto the ground instead of penetrating into her body. Next to it lay a snapped hairpin; Bai Qingning distinctly remembered that it had once been on Ding Wangfei’s head. She hurriedly looked in Yeh Li's direction and saw that she and Xú Qingbai were surrounded by their guards, while everything around them remained orderly amidst the chaos. Summoning her courage, Bai Qingning rushed towards where Yeh Li was standing. By some luck, she managed to reach Yeh Li and Xú Qingbai, panting out, "Duke Consort…"

Seeing how frightened she looked, and since she had already come over, Yeh Li signaled the guards to let her through. Approaching Yeh Li and Xú Qingbai, Bai Qingning breathed a sigh of relief but still trembled as she said, "Duke Consort… those people…"

Yeh Li calmly replied, "Don’t be afraid; it will all be over soon."

Bai Qingning watched in shock and fear at what was happening before her eyes, unable to say anything more.

These assassins seemed fearless, disregarding those around them as they relentlessly charged towards Ye Li. They showed no signs of stopping until their goal was achieved. Though the bodyguards from the Ding王府 were numerous, there were even more assassins. Clearly aware that time was not on their side, these assassins threw themselves into battle without hesitation. Several even sacrificed themselves to hold back a guard so their companions could advance. Normally, Ye Li would praise such bravery, but under current circumstances, it only put them at a disadvantage.Finally, someone broke through the guards and rushed towards Ye Li. She pushed Xu Qingbai aside and shouted, "Fourth Brother, run!"Xu Qingbai knew he was no match for the assassins, so he nodded and said, "Lily, be careful." Ye Li nodded, turned her head to avoid an incoming sword, and with a flash of silver light from her sleeve, blood splattered as she dropped the longsword. The pungent smell of blood made Ye Li frown in discomfort but she showed no mercy, swiftly sending her dagger through the assassin's heart.A guard pulled Xu Qingbai back while Bai Qingning rushed forward, "Mr. Xu! Mr. Xu… take me with you…" Previously stabbed and bled on by an assassin, this terrified her even more. Seeing Xu Qingbai leave, she grabbed him. Xu Qingbai frowned but had no choice but to pull her up. However, the assassins recognized Xu Qingbai’s identity and surrounded them, forcing them towards Ye Li. The guards were stretched thin, struggling to protect both Xu Qingbai and fend off the assassins.Xu Qingbai said calmly, "Life and death are predestined; focus on fighting."The bodyguards understood that if they died, Xu Qingbai would be in danger as well. So they fought more determinedly, eventually forcing Ye Li back towards them. Ye Li wielded a longsword taken from an assassin, asking with a frown, "Why aren’t you running Qin Feng, take Fourth Brother out first."Qin Feng was surrounded by assassins and couldn't break free in time to hear her order. Xu Qingbai pulled Bai Qingning away and tried to stay as far from Ye Li as possible. He sighed helplessly, "Lily, it looks like I’m going to be a burden on you." Ye Li smiled faintly and replied, "Fourth Brother, what are you talking about It's not me burdening you."Ye Li’s swordsmanship was personally taught by Mo Xiurao; though not perfect, she was still formidable. For the moment, the assassins couldn’t harm her. However, Ye Li began to frown slightly, feeling a dull pain in her abdomen and beads of sweat forming on her forehead. This was unusual for her skills.The assassins noticed Ye Li’s movement slowing down and were delighted; several rushed forward as their mission was to kill her. If they succeeded, half of the Ding王府 would be destroyed, along with its prince. Even if they all perished in vain, it would still be worth it.Ye Li steadied herself and swung her sword, sending up a spray of blood. But the pain in her abdomen made her feel weak and cold.“Lady Wang!”Qin Feng broke free from the assassins and noticed Ye Li’s discomfort, rushing over to support her. Ye Li grabbed his shoulder, saying, "Take Fourth Brother away first!"Qin Feng frowned, “No, take Lady Wang out first!” Despite not knowing where she was injured, he could see how uncomfortable she was. Bai Qingning panicked and shouted, "Please take me with you…" Qin Feng raised a hand to hit her but heard an assassin’s voice, “Ye Li, die!”Three longswords stabbed towards Ye Li; Qin Feng blocked two of them while the third grazed Bai Qingning. As Bai Qingning reached for Ye Li's clothes, Ye Li, already unsteady on her feet, was pulled down.“Lady Wang!”“Lily!”Ye Li raised a hand and used her dagger to deflect the sword but fell onto Bai Qingning as she lost Qin Feng’s support. The assassin missed his target with one strike but attacked again, "Lady"Qin Feng tried to intervene but couldn’t reach in time; he threw his sword at the attacker but it was too late. The man lunged towards Ye Li while Bai Qingning moved aside.Splat! Warm blood splattered on Ye Li's face."Fourth... Brother" Ye Li’s eyes widened.—Interlude—(Translation ends here as per instruction.) not worry, it's just the King and Prince Southern An of Xi Ling playing around." Even as female members of a noble household, they had heard about Prince Southern An’s reputation, so how could she no...