Could this be the Crown Princess, or perhaps His Highness the Crown Prince… giving their princess or Western Liang a show of power?

Within the magnificent Crown Prince’s residence, red lanterns and silk hung beneath the glazed green tiles, appearing festive, yet the silent atmosphere felt eerie everywhere.

Li Tianfu didn’t care at all whether her wedding was grand. She had come dressed magnificently today for one purpose… to avenge Lu Tianzhuo.

Through the pearl curtain hanging from her ornate phoenix crown, Li Tianfu’s blood-red eyes gazed at the people in the main hall. She had stepped through the gates of the Crown Prince’s residence with the determination to die!

It was Li Tianfu herself… who had sent someone to deliver the message about her intention to assassinate the Crown Prince to Bai Qingyan.

If Bai Qingyan came, then Li Tianfu would take the opportunity to kill Bai Qingyan!

If Bai Qingyan didn’t come, Li Tianfu would kill the Crown Prince and tell all the guests who came to congratulate today that she had sent someone to deliver a letter to Bai Qingyan, saying she would assassinate the Crown Prince, but Bai Qingyan hadn’t come. Thus… the Emperor would surely resent Bai Qingyan.

Even if the assassination failed, as Western Liang’s marriage alliance princess, if she attempted to assassinate Jin’s crown prince at the wedding, then… would Jin let Western Liang off?

Western Liang would be forced to fight, with their backs against the wall!

She wanted all of Western Liang to avenge Lu Tianzhuo!

Did Li Tianfu harbor hatred? She did hate…

Though they were both Father Emperor and Mother Empress’s legitimate daughters, Elder Sister was the one Father Emperor held in his arms, teaching her to write and giving her enlightenment personally, while she could only learn by following Elder Sister, naturally inferior in everything.

Elder Sister became the Empress, while she… became a marriage alliance princess.

She hated Father Emperor’s unfairness, hated Mother Empress’s unfairness, hated Elder Sister for making her come for the marriage alliance.

She hated Lu Tianzhuo’s enemy Bai Qingyan even more!

Now that Lu Tianzhuo was dead and great vengeance remained unrequited…

Then her life’s ambition, Li Tianfu, would be to fulfill Lu Tianzhuo’s wish – to kill Bai Qingyan and exterminate the entire Bai family.

Only then could she peacefully go to meet Lu Tianzhuo.

Through the swaying pearl curtain, Li Tianfu saw Bai Qingyan sitting beside the Crown Princess, her reddened eye sockets gradually filling with deep, crazed madness.

Her gaze fixed deadly on Bai Qingyan as her hand silently reached for the Tiansi sword wrapped around her waist – Western Liang’s national treasure, with a blade thin as cicada wings that could bend like cotton rope yet cut through iron like mud.

Bai Qingyan casually placed her teacup into the black lacquered tray held by the maid beside her, moved her gaze away from the jade ornaments hanging from Li Tianfu’s waist, adjusted her sleeves, and said to the Crown Princess: “The Crown Princess must receive tea from the secondary consort. It’s inappropriate for me to sit here.”

The Crown Princess hadn’t expected Bai Qingyan to be so well-versed in propriety. She smiled and nodded, showing intimacy by patting Bai Qingyan’s hand: “I’ve wronged you…”

Bai Qingyan stood up and positioned herself to the side, watching Li Tianfu step through the main hall entrance.

The guards protecting the Crown Prince quietly moved closer to the Crown Prince’s direction.

Li Tianfu bowed gracefully to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. She saw that the maid beside the Crown Princess had already prepared the tea she was to serve to the Crown Princess, and a nanny had thoughtfully placed a cushion on the ground.

Li Tianfu walked toward the Crown Princess with lowered eyes, her wolf-like gaze fixed deadly on Bai Qingyan. Just as the maid was about to help her kneel, suddenly cold light flashed from Li Tianfu’s waist as she abruptly drew the Tiansi sword…

Qin Shangzhi, who had been watching Li Tianfu’s movements, saw the flash of cold light and shouted: “Protect His Highness!”

In an instant, sudden chaos erupted in the main hall.

Guards drew their swords and knives, protecting the Crown Prince. The noble guests in the main hall screamed in terror and shock – some lost all composure hiding behind chairs, others rushed out of the main hall to escape danger.

The completely unaware Crown Princess widened her eyes, seeing Li Tianfu raise her sword, and screamed in fright, hiding in her nanny’s embrace.

The nanny, thinking Li Tianfu meant to kill the Crown Princess, held the Crown Princess tightly in her arms, protecting her with her back, extremely loyal and brave.

Li Zhijie showed terror on his face, rushing toward Li Tianfu while shouting: “Your Highness the Princess, you mustn’t!”

Seeing the several maids who had followed Li Tianfu draw hidden daggers from their sleeves and rush toward her direction together.

Her beautiful, clear eyes remained calm as she rapidly retreated while unwrapping the iron sand weights bound around her arms…

The guards were all on the Crown Prince’s side. She was weaponless, but the cold light in Li Tianfu’s hand was aimed at her.

Killing intent was everywhere.

Their eyes met in mid-air. Bai Qingyan’s composed, indifferent gaze made the towering hatred burning like fire in Li Tianfu’s heart feel as if hot oil had been poured on it. She remembered… when Bai Qingyan’s arrow pierced through A’Zhuo’s throat, she had worn exactly that same unperturbed expression.

As she dodged Li Tianfu’s slashing soft sword, Li Tianfu’s maids’ poisoned daggers attacked. She spun to evade, the poisoned daggers nearly grazing past Bai Qingyan’s waist.

The sharp blades were poisoned, every move urgent and vicious, deadly strikes. She was like a fish swimming in a boiling cauldron – any carelessness would mean death.

Li Tianfu’s soft sword thrust again, and the maids who had come from Western Liang with Li Tianfu all rushed at Bai Qingyan as if they didn’t value their lives.

Amid the chaos, Prince Murong Li of Great Yan rose and retreated several steps under guard protection, gripping the sword at his waist tightly, his eyes calmly watching Prince Li Zhijie of Western Liang rush forward trying to stop Li Tianfu.

By now, who couldn’t see that Li Tianfu was targeting County Princess Bai Qingyan of Zhenguo?

Seeing the cold, menacing blades surging toward her from all directions, she grabbed a white jade vase from a tall table, attempting to block. Just as those poisoned blades came within an inch of her, her shoulder suddenly felt heavy, and her entire body was pulled into a warm wall.

“Quickly protect the County Princess of Zhenguo!” The Crown Prince widened his eyes and shouted.

Yue Shi had already drawn his sword, entering a fierce battle.

Xiao Rongyan embraced Bai Qingyan and spun around, his robe torn with a gash, completely protecting Bai Qingyan behind him with deep, solemn eyes. Seeing a Western Liang maid break through Yue Shi’s defense and charge in this direction.

Murong Li drew his sword and threw it toward Bai Qingyan, shouting: “County Princess of Zhenguo, catch the sword!”

Xiao Rongyan grabbed the maid’s wrist and kicked hard at her chest. She took three steps in two, rushing out from behind Xiao Rongyan and catching the sword Murong Li had thrown. As Xiao Rongyan decisively gripped the maid’s wrist and plunged the dagger into her heart, Bai Qingyan’s long sword flashed coldly through the air, severing the maid’s head as blood sprayed everywhere.

“My heavens! How did I not know Brother Xiao had such exceptional martial arts?!” Sima Ping widened his eyes in complete disbelief.

The Crown Prince, protected by guards in the center, drew a guard’s sword and threw it toward Xiao Rongyan: “Rongyan, catch the sword!”

Xiao Rongyan caught the sword and looked up to meet Bai Qingyan’s deep gaze. She shook her head almost imperceptibly at Xiao Rongyan.

Xiao Rongyan’s identity was that of a wealthy merchant. Having been in the capital so long without ever exposing his martial skills, even Sima Ping was surprised. If Xiao Rongyan were exposed because of her today, the Crown Prince would likely become suspicious again, which would be disadvantageous to Xiao Rongyan.