Hearing Yuan Lie say they should leave together, Li Weiyang gently shook her head. Her gaze fell on Princess Xiangyun, who had been kneeling on the ground, her eyes extremely complex. Yuan Lie had never seen Li Weiyang like this. In his impression, Li Weiyang had always been calm, intelligent, and ruthless, showing no mercy to enemies. He had never seen such a complicated expression on Li Weiyang’s face… In his view, this Princess Xiangyun was definitely not his friend. She had helped the Pei family frame him—no matter how one looked at it, she was a menace. Keeping her alive would only cause trouble, so it would be better to let the Great Khan deal with her according to custom. But seeing Li Weiyang’s expression, Yuan Lie fell silent and didn’t speak for a moment.

The Prince of Jiangxia stood up and looked at the Great Khan: “Great Khan, please allow me to take my own daughter back.”

The Great Khan merely looked at the Prince of Jiangxia with icy eyes, then said indifferently: “Although I agreed not to kill this woman, you Yuexi people have a saying: the death penalty may be waived, but punishment cannot be escaped. She killed my son—if I simply let her go, the grassland’s rules would be completely destroyed. So even if I don’t kill her, I must make her serve as a female slave on the grasslands for the rest of her life to atone for her crimes.” The khans nearby, hearing these words, rose one after another: “Right, we absolutely cannot let this woman go—we must make her suffer while alive!”

Li Weiyang’s brow furrowed slightly. Actually, she had long expected the Great Khan wouldn’t easily let Princess Xiangyun go, because the crime she committed was too serious. Murdering one’s own husband—even in Yuexi, she would be executed by slow slicing, let alone in the eyes of these barbaric foreigners, where it was an even more unforgivable sin.

A gleam like cold starlight flashed in Li Weiyang’s eyes, her voice icy: “Great Khan, you just said you wouldn’t kill her. If so, why won’t you release her? Torturing this woman won’t bring Prince Batu back to life, but if you’re willing to release her, the Prince of Jiangxia will be grateful to you, and your reputation for magnanimity and generosity will spread throughout the grasslands.”

The Great Khan glanced at Li Weiyang, his expression flashing with coldness—such arrogance and dominance made one’s heart tremble, yet Li Weiyang stood in place, watching impassively without being affected in the slightest.

The Great Khan had killed countless people, his hands stained with blood, naturally carrying a murderous aura. Ordinary women would have trembling legs upon seeing him, yet this Miss Guo was completely unconcerned, acting as she always did, even daring to plead before him. That he hadn’t cleaved Princess Xiangyun on the spot was already giving face to the Prince of Jiangxia—how could he easily let her return?

The second prince, Baru, stood up. He and the eldest prince, Prince Batu, were born of the same mother and had always been very close. Seeing Batu die miserably, he was naturally extremely angry and hated Princess Xiangyun. He said loudly: “Great Khan, you must not indulge this woman! Even if you decide not to kill her, there are plenty of ways on the grasslands to punish her. In my opinion, why not bind her to a horse and release her into the grasslands? If she’s lucky, she’ll naturally survive—this shows the grassland’s sky god wishes to spare her. If she’s unlucky and gets eaten by wild wolves, we can’t be blamed. This way, the Great Khan will have kept his promise not to kill her.”

This Baru’s character was as cruel as Batu’s. Hearing this suggestion, Li Weiyang couldn’t help but furrow her brow. Princess Xiangyun was just a weak woman without the strength to truss a chicken. What would happen if she were bound to a horse’s back and released into the desolate grasslands was easily imaginable. Especially since she’d heard that every night on these grasslands, terrible fog descended, making it impossible to see one’s hand before one’s face. Even if someone wanted to secretly rescue her, it would be impossible. As soon as she was out there for an hour, she would certainly die. This Prince Baru was truly cruel-hearted!

Li Weiyang sneered coldly: “I only thought Yuexi’s punishments were severe, but I didn’t expect Prince Baru to devise such a torturous method. It seems grassland men’s hearts are truly narrow—they won’t even spare a woman who was coerced.” Li Weiyang actually didn’t need to speak for Princess Xiangyun, but seeing that single eye silently shedding tears, an inexplicably complex feeling arose in her heart. Call her cold or call her heartless—she was originally a person without heart or conscience. But this Princess Xiangyun—Li Weiyang saw in her the desperate self once trapped in the Cold Palace. Thinking from her perspective, she probably would have made the same choice. In the end, Xiangyun wasn’t some evil person—she was just a pitiful woman abandoned and used by her lover. Moreover, the Great Khan had already said he wouldn’t kill her, yet this Prince Baru still devised such a cruel method to torture her. If this was the case, it would be better to kill her with one blade and be done with it.

Duke Qi glanced at Li Weiyang and spoke: “Your Majesty, my daughter is right. Princess Xiangyun has been married to these grasslands for two years. She came for the friendship between our two nations, and has already lost the sight in one beautiful eye. This matter occurred because she was deceived by a villain. I’ve always heard that the Great Khan of the grasslands is a brave and fearless ruler, merciful and generous toward captives. Why can’t you forgive a weak woman without the strength to truss a chicken? Moreover, the marriage alliance between our two nations is extremely important. Prince Batu forcibly blinded Princess Xiangyun’s eye—we have never pursued this fault. Why not end it here and conclude this marriage?”

The Great Khan fell silent. Duke Qi’s words carried great weight—he needed to consider them carefully.

The Emperor of Yuexi glanced coldly at Li Weiyang, then looked at Yuan Lie and smiled slightly: “Prince Xu, what is your view?”

Yuan Lie knew Li Weiyang’s mind was made up, so he smiled faintly and stepped forward: “Your Majesty, please spare Princess Xiangyun and let her return to Yuexi.”

As soon as Yuan Lie finished speaking, the Emperor of Yuexi looked at the Great Khan with a half-smile: “Look, these children are all very kind. You should show mercy where you can.” Just as he finished this sentence, the Great Khan’s expression changed slightly.

Now the Great Khan of the grasslands found himself in a difficult position. He didn’t necessarily want Princess Xiangyun’s life. But if he simply released her, he would disappoint the princes and khans. Moreover, the grasslands had no precedent for allowing married women to return to their homeland—this had never happened in many years. If he released her, he would be breaking ancestral rules, which was absolutely unacceptable. Yet he couldn’t refuse the Emperor of Yuexi’s words. He could never forget the heavy oppression brought by those five hundred thousand troops, that threatening sense of approaching death was truly suffocating… He thought for a moment, his gaze becoming gloomy.

Seeing this situation, the third prince Bashu smiled slightly and voluntarily stood up and walked out. He wore blue robes covered by a great cloak, entirely the attire of Yuexi nobility, except that his hooked eagle nose ruined the handsomeness of his entire face, giving him a somewhat sinister appearance. He said with a full smile: “According to our nation’s rules, there is absolutely no precedent for allowing married women to return to their homeland. But since the distinguished guests of Yuexi are pleading, the Great Khan should forgive Princess Xiangyun’s crimes. If so, why not let me marry her?”

Everyone was startled hearing this. Yuan Lie said quietly to Li Weiyang: “They’ve always had the custom of brothers marrying their deceased brothers’ wives in the past. This way, Princess Xiangyun’s crimes can be forgiven, but at the same time, she will never be able to return to Yuexi.”

The Prince of Jiangxia said repeatedly: “Good, good, let my daughter remarry to you, as long as her life is preserved.”

Li Weiyang was about to refuse on her behalf, but the Prince of Jiangxia had already hastily agreed. Li Weiyang glanced at Princess Xiangyun. In Li Weiyang’s view, preserving one’s life to barely survive was absolutely not her style, but from the current perspective, this was indeed the best course of action. Even if Princess Xiangyun returned to Yuexi, those nobles would never accept her again. A woman unaccepted by family and friends with no other support would be no better than a walking corpse. After all, she couldn’t demand that every woman in this world be as fearless of everything as she was.

Hearing Bashu’s words, Princess Xiangyun suddenly raised her head. That single eye stared at Bashu, and her entire body couldn’t help but turn ice cold. Since marrying to the grasslands, she had severed ties with her family. Although the Prince of Jiangxia spoke for her, he was only requesting the Great Khan spare her life. In the vast sea of people, even if she could survive and successfully return to Yuexi, she would only be barely existing, despised by her family. But if she continued living on these grasslands and remarried to Bashu, her life would have absolutely no change. Bashu appeared refined on the surface, but his treatment of his wives was essentially no different from Batu’s. He said this only to curry favor with the Yuexi nobles! He wouldn’t truly want to marry her! She shouted loudly: “No, I absolutely will not remarry.”

No one paid attention to her. The second prince Baru had already quickly walked toward her, grabbed her wrist, and raised his eyebrows: “Third brother, since ancient times there’s been a principle of first come, first served. I’m your second brother—I should choose this woman first. What are you joining in for?”

At these words, Li Weiyang’s expression changed slightly. Just now, Bashu’s words were clearly meant to smooth things over, ease the tense atmosphere at the scene, and win favor with the Yuexi nobles. But if Princess Xiangyun fell into Baru’s hands, she definitely wouldn’t survive today. Li Weiyang was about to step forward to stop him when she suddenly saw Princess Xiangyun grit her teeth and without hesitation drew a dagger from her sleeve, thrusting it toward Baru’s chest. Baru was unprepared and cried out, retreating two steps, barely avoiding it, though his chest was still scratched by the dagger. He shouted in fury: “How dare you!” Guards on both sides immediately rushed over and quickly seized Princess Xiangyun. Her dagger fell to the ground with a clang. Someone naturally supported Baru, saying in shock: “Your Highness, are you all right?!”

Baru covered his chest, his face extremely pale, but at this moment he pulled out a bronze mirror from his chest and threw it to the ground with a clap: “To guard against enemies, I’ve always had the habit of wearing a heart-protecting mirror. If not for that, I would have been injured by this cheap woman!”

Li Weiyang watched Baru coldly, only finding it laughable. This person wore a heart-protecting mirror not for defense but clearly because he feared death. Someone nearby naturally scolded Princess Xiangyun in shock and anger: “You cheap woman, the second prince treated you like this, yet you have a viper’s heart. Today you must die!”

The grassland nobles were all furiously enraged, demanding the Great Khan immediately order this woman’s execution. Princess Xiangyun’s assassination attempt had failed—she knew long ago she was on a dead-end road. She smiled coldly, raised her head, and said to the Prince of Jiangxia: “Father, when you told me to marry, I married. But I never imagined that after marrying, I would live days worse than livestock. Had I known this, I would rather have died on the wedding journey than suffer two years of torment. I don’t want to live in this godforsaken place, and even less do I want to be passed to others like livestock. If there’s a choice, I would rather die with dignity than marry so humiliatingly.”

Li Weiyang thought this was bad, but before she could speak, it was too late—Princess Xiangyun struggled, suddenly snatched the guard’s long sword, and drew it across her own neck. Li Weiyang instinctively stepped forward, then saw blood gushing from Princess Xiangyun’s neck, and that single eye staring wide, looking particularly fierce. Then Princess Xiangyun collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash, but didn’t immediately die. Tears continuously flowed from that single eye.

The second prince rushed forward and forcefully covered her neck: “You dare die like this—it’s not that easy! Shaman physician, come quickly and look at this cheap woman. Don’t let her die so easily.” But despite already covering Princess Xiangyun’s wound, her blood continued to gush out.

Princess Xiangyun looked at Baru with contempt, then smiled faintly at Li Weiyang, her face white as paper: “Thank you… for speaking for me.” In an instant, she had already died.

The second prince flew into a rage, snatched the sword, and forcefully severed Princess Xiangyun’s head. That beautiful head rolled to Li Weiyang’s feet. She glanced at it, her gaze becoming bitterly cold. In such circumstances, a woman could find no other way to preserve herself except suicide. If she married Baru, she would have to endure humiliation and live on—that would truly be a fate worse than death.

Li Weiyang glanced at this head, then at Princess Xiangyun’s hanging wrist. That wrist bore unmistakable blood scars—she had attempted suicide too many times, once, twice, again and again, actually dozens of times. For Princess Xiangyun, in the past, even death had been a luxury.

Seeing this scene, the Prince of Jiangxia couldn’t help but shed old tears and rushed over. Li Weiyang only watched him coldly. As a father, he couldn’t even protect his own daughter—what use was this fake emotion now? Watching the other party be treated so cruelly, Li Weiyang understood why Princess Xiangyun, knowing Pei Bai wasn’t sincere, still framed Yuan Lie—not to live better, but only to survive, grasping at the last thread of hope.

Li Weiyang sighed and actually removed her own cloak, bent down, and wrapped up Princess Xiangyun’s head. Seeing her action, everyone was dumbfounded. No one could imagine that a delicate noble young lady would dare touch a severed head that ordinary men wouldn’t dare touch.

Li Weiyang held Princess Xiangyun’s head and walked step by step toward Prince Baru. Baru saw her eyes like cold pools actually carrying three parts killing intent, and couldn’t help but feel a chill rise from his heart. He felt he had seen such eyes before—like those hidden in the grass, remote and bitterly cold. Such eyes he was too familiar with—they belonged to the evil wolves of the grasslands. But how could such icy expression appear on a young girl’s face?

He instinctively retreated a step. Li Weiyang looked at him mockingly, then bent down and placed the head wrapped in the cloak on Princess Xiangyun’s body. Then she raised her head and looked at Imperial Physician Liang not far away: “Imperial Physician Liang, you know suturing techniques, don’t you?”

Her expression was gentle, yet those fair hands were already stained with blood. Imperial Physician Liang’s teeth chattered—he could hardly speak a word. He had never seen such a horrifying scene.

The Prince of Jiangxia glanced at Li Weiyang. He wiped his tears and couldn’t help but quietly advise: “Miss Guo, I appreciate your kind intention on Xiangyun’s behalf, but Xiangyun did indeed commit an unforgivable crime…” Before he finished speaking, he saw Li Weiyang’s cold eyes look at him. Her face was very beautiful, but her eyes gave people a strange feeling, making one’s heart feel chilly. The Prince of Jiangxia was momentarily at a loss for words.

“Your Highness, Princess Xiangyun spent these two years constantly hoping you would take her back. You received all those letters begging for help, didn’t you! But what did you do? As a father, you’ve reached this point—you don’t even dare collect your daughter’s body. What’s the use of being a prince?” Her tone actually carried considerable mockery, causing all the Yuexi nobles’ faces to flash with surprise.

Li Weiyang’s words were like a slap to the Prince of Jiangxia’s face. He stared blankly at her, nearly speechless. Li Weiyang was right—he was too cowardly. As a dignified Yuexi prince, he had no way to protect his own daughter. Princess Xiangyun had continuously sent people to write letters over these two years, begging to escape, but he didn’t dare disobey the Emperor’s orders, didn’t even dare speak a word or two of pleading to the Emperor. He cared too much about his princely position, too much about his wealth and glory, willing to sacrifice his own daughter. Now even someone unrelated to Xiangyun had spoken to help her—what had he done?

Li Weiyang had already turned away and looked at the Great Khan: “Great Khan, Princess Xiangyun has already committed suicide. She paid the price for her actions, but after all, she is Yuexi royalty. Even in death, she should die with dignity. This separation of head from body is an insult to the Yuexi imperial family. You won’t mind letting her be buried intact, will you?”

In fact, on the grasslands, if a woman betrayed her husband, she would be torn apart by five horses. Forget burial—she couldn’t even have a tombstone. But the Great Khan looked at Li Weiyang’s fair face showing an unquestionable determination. He had never seen such stubbornness and coldness on any young girl’s face. Instinctively, he nodded: “All right, I agree.”

“After Princess Xiangyun’s head and body are sewn together, I will cremate her according to Yuexi customs, then take her ashes back to Yuexi for burial. The Great Khan has no objections, does he?”

The Great Khan nodded again, only then realizing he had been led by the nose by a young girl. This was truly strange. For some reason, he always felt Li Weiyang possessed a dignity that made him very wary, forcing him to nod involuntarily. Very puzzled, he quickly looked at the Emperor of Yuexi, only to see the other party also looking at Li Weiyang with a surprised expression.

Li Weiyang no longer looked at anyone else. Her gaze merely swept coldly across Baru’s face once. Baru shrank his neck—he always felt this woman was too strange.

Li Weiyang paid no more attention to anyone. She turned and quickly walked out of the tent. Yuan Lie chased after her, then saw her standing beneath the blue sky and green grass, her expression seemingly very displeased. He couldn’t help but say: “We have no relationship with Princess Xiangyun. Why did you speak to help her?” In the end, in Yuan Lie’s heart, Princess Xiangyun was just a stranger, and one who intended to frame him. From the beginning, he had wanted her life!

Li Weiyang sighed leisurely: “For no reason, only because I’m happy.” One word “happy” seemed to explain her actions just now, but Yuan Lie clearly didn’t believe it. He couldn’t quite understand why Li Weiyang would do this, but years of habit made him unhesitatingly stand on her side: “I’ll send people to supervise Imperial Physician Liang, making sure he sews Princess Xiangyun’s head properly, dresses her nicely before cremation, then immediately send people to take her back to Yuexi for burial. If you wish, I’ll also tell the Emperor to have Princess Xiangyun’s ashes buried in the imperial cemetery.”

Li Weiyang softly hummed in acknowledgment, but shook her head: “Those people are no longer her family. Laying her to rest in such a place, she probably wouldn’t feel warm or happy. After bringing her back to Yuexi, just find any river and scatter her ashes.”

Yuan Lie was slightly shaken and about to say something when he heard footsteps behind them. He turned to look and saw the third prince Bashu hurriedly catching up. His forehead seemed to have a thin layer of sweat. Seeing that Li Weiyang and Yuan Lie hadn’t left yet, he felt relieved, strode over, and cupped his hands: “Prince Xu, Miss Guo, I truly apologize for today. My second brother acted impulsively and offended you.” He deeply knew that these two people before him—one was the new favorite of the Emperor of Yuexi, a prince of great importance in the imperial family, while the other was the eldest daughter of the Guo clan. The combined power of these two people was enough for him to offer an apology. He wasn’t apologizing for Baru’s sake, but felt this matter couldn’t end well, so he specially came to test them.

Li Weiyang glanced at Bashu, her gaze half-smiling. In fact, she wasn’t completely ignorant about this third prince. On the way to the grasslands, Yuan Lie had once sent her information about the Great Khan’s dozen or so sons. Besides the designated heir Prince Batu, the one the Great Khan favored most was this third prince Bashu. Unlike other princes, he had traveled to various countries since childhood, was well-read in military books and histories. If not for those eagle eyes and nose carrying three parts of the grassland men’s characteristic ferocity, Li Weiyang would probably only think he was some noble young master from a Yuexi aristocratic family. Speaking of which, this third prince Bashu and Princess Ali were actually born of the same mother and had an excellent relationship.

In Li Weiyang’s view, compared to other princes, this Bashu was more calculating. He wasn’t like Batu—greedy and lustful. He rarely killed, but instead cultivated useful forces everywhere, made friends extensively, and bought people’s hearts on a large scale. His actions probably meant he wanted to obtain the Great Khan’s throne. Therefore, Batu’s death this time only benefited him with no harm. Adding that he had specially proposed to marry Princess Xiangyun just now made Li Weiyang three parts more wary of him. If she wasn’t mistaken, the person before her must be an ambitious schemer who would cause trouble.

However, all this had nothing to do with her. She didn’t want to see anyone related to Batu right now. Bashu saw Li Weiyang’s expression was cold—she neither said forgiveness nor dislike. Unable to determine what she was thinking, he turned to look at Yuan Lie with difficulty.

Prince Xu Yuan Lie smiled slightly, his brilliant eyes sparkling brightly in the sunlight, seemingly affectionate yet very heartless. He said indifferently: “Third Prince, rest assured, we are outsiders. We won’t meddle in this matter.” Having said this, it seemed unrelated, but in fact, he was indicating to the third prince that regarding the grassland’s succession struggle, neither the Guo family nor Prince Xu himself would participate.

Seeing his purpose achieved, third prince Bashu smiled slightly, bowed again, turned, and quickly departed. Li Weiyang smiled coldly and looked at Yuan Lie: “Still going hunting?”

Yuan Lie merely smiled: “On these grasslands, men dying is also a common occurrence. I think this hunt will continue.” Only with a few more parts blood and gore, of course. Naturally, he didn’t say this last sentence to Li Weiyang, only his smile became more cunning.

Li Weiyang suddenly said: “I’ve learned horseback riding but never learned archery. Come teach me.”

Yuan Lie was startled, then looked at Li Weiyang somewhat strangely. In his eyes, Li Weiyang had never liked these martial activities. Back when Madam Guo had said she wanted Li Weiyang to find a martial arts master to learn some strengthening techniques and train to improve her constitution, Li Weiyang had refused. But now, why did she suddenly want to learn archery? This completely didn’t fit her character. Or was there still pent-up resentment in her chest that hadn’t dissipated? Thinking this, he nodded: “All right, since you want to learn, I’ll teach you.” Speaking thus, he ordered a nearby guard to lead over a horse: “This is my mount. You can ride it.”

Li Weiyang nodded, then turned and mounted the horse. Yuan Lie also mounted another horse. The two rode toward the hunting grounds outside the camp. To familiarize Li Weiyang with using arrows, Yuan Lie spent considerable effort teaching her how to draw the bow and shoot arrows bit by bit. But Li Weiyang’s strength was different from men’s after all—she could only draw her bow halfway. For this, Yuan Lie took great pains, specially ordering someone to forge a delicate and beautiful small bow. Although outwardly this small bow’s lethality didn’t match his black lacquered wood great bow, Yuan Lie had craftsmen carefully modify this refined small bow. Once shot, as long as the technique was proper, it could still hit prey.

Li Weiyang received the bow and arrows, merely smiling slightly, drawing the bow to test it and finding the bowstring very smooth. Yuan Lie stood shoulder to shoulder with her. Seeing her hold the bow and arrows, her entire person seemed transformed, appearing radiant and spirited. He couldn’t help but smile.

Just then, a wild rabbit darted from the grass. Li Weiyang shot an arrow in response but missed. Yuan Lie wanted to laugh but held back. Seeing an eagle flying across the sky, he drew his bow—with a whoosh, the eagle fell to the ground. Nearby guards shouted praise repeatedly. Li Weiyang remained unhurried. She aimed at another wild rabbit and with a crack, shot it out. The small arrow pierced into the rabbit’s hind leg. The rabbit tumbled a few times and finally stopped moving. The guard hurried to retrieve it and show Li Weiyang. Li Weiyang merely glanced at it indifferently, then said: “My archery isn’t very accurate yet, but it will improve in the future.”

Yuan Lie smiled: “For a beginner, your angle is already very precise. If you train for another month or so, I’m afraid even I will have to admit defeat.”

Li Weiyang smiled slightly. She knew Yuan Lie was only comforting her. She was a woman—her strength was vastly different from men’s, and she faced many restrictions when drawing the bow and shooting arrows. Like just now, to shoot that arrow, she had used almost all her body’s strength.

Yuan Lie was about to speak when he saw Li Weiyang actually raise her bow again. He froze, then looked in the direction she was drawing the bow. In an instant, that arrow shot out, faintly carrying a sound of cutting through air. Suddenly someone cried out in alarm, followed by the thudding sound of falling from a horse.

Yuan Lie looked at Li Weiyang in surprise, while she remained expressionless, lightly curving her lips, looking ahead, thinking about something unknown.

The commotion over there grew louder. Soon Pei Yang was seen riding over, angrily shouting: “How do you shoot arrows? How can you shoot at people!” He had been furious at first, but seeing Li Weiyang, he froze. He never imagined the arrow shot at his second brother actually came from Li Weiyang. Pei Hui wasn’t seriously injured—just grazed on the shoulder. That arrow came so suddenly—he was simply unprepared, which was why he fell from his horse. At this moment, Pei Hui had already stood up from the ground, blood gushing from his left shoulder. He looked at Li Weiyang, his gaze instantly turning ice cold: “Miss Guo, do you want to kill me?”

Li Weiyang stroked the smooth bow and smiled faintly. What a pity—if her arrow had been just a bit more accurate, it wouldn’t have been just Pei Hui’s shoulder but his heart. Smiling thus, that pure face actually added several parts beauty in the sunlight, causing Pei Hui’s face to freeze. He only heard her voice, clear and cold as pearls and jade: “I’m sorry, I’m a beginner at archery—my hand slipped.”

Pei Yang couldn’t help but rage: “Hand slipped? Is there anyone who shoots arrows like this? You clearly wanted to kill my second brother!”

Li Weiyang merely sighed: “If I truly wanted to kill your second brother, this arrow should have been shot from Prince Xu’s bow. As a beginner, how would I have such ability? Young Master Pei is truly joking.”

Pei Yang was extremely angry, his body almost forcefully restraining itself from charging forward. He also raised his bow and arrow toward Li Weiyang. Yuan Lie’s gaze darkened, riding his horse to block in front of Li Weiyang, saying coldly: “Young Master Pei, do you know what you’re doing?” When Yuan Lie said this, his expression actually carried a trace of ferocity. He suddenly was no longer the handsome, cold Prince Xu, but transformed into something extremely terrifying, emanating an atmosphere of extreme unease.

Pei Yang’s arrow hadn’t shot yet when Pei Hui beside him saw Yuan Lie’s expression. His heart jolted, and he already grasped his bow with one hand, saying coldly: “Stop! Without my order, how dare you be discourteous to Miss Guo?”

Li Weiyang smiled gently: “Young Master Pei Yang, I advise you to obediently listen to your second brother. If you had shot this arrow at me just now, it wouldn’t have been accidental injury but provocation and retaliation. At that time, if the Guo and Pei families truly quarreled, your Pei family wouldn’t be in the right.”

Pei Yang’s face turned various shades of pale and green, his fingers gripping with audible cracks, but he finally glanced at Pei Hui. Pei Hui gently shook his head at him, that gaze becoming even colder. Pei Yang had no choice but to lower his bow, saying dejectedly: “Consider yourself ruthless.”

Li Weiyang smiled even more warmly. In the sunlight, those eyes like black jade flashed with faint luster. Her voice came very slowly: “The feeling is mutual.” To dare use a weak woman’s life as a wager—the Pei family people were truly shameless enough.

Pei Hui’s gaze darkened, becoming incomparably cold. He hadn’t expected that Pei Bai’s attempt to incite Princess Xiangyun to frame Prince Xu would fail, and instead cost him his life. What he even less expected was that Li Weiyang would dare shoot this arrow at him. This arrow was definitely not revenge, but only a warning. She was warning him to be more careful, not to casually lose his life. Pei Hui’s heart filled with anger. In this lifetime, he had never encountered such a woman who dared point a bow and arrow at him. His brother Pei Bai’s death was also something he could never accept. He had brought his three brothers out, but now only two remained. How would he explain this to Father when he returned? Pei Fan had been kept in the capital by Empress Pei this time. If Father saw he couldn’t safely bring his siblings back, what meaning was there in being an elder brother? In his view, the culprits of all this were Li Weiyang and Prince Xu Yuan Lie. He would absolutely never let them go.

At this moment, Pei Xian from the side walked up. He said indifferently: “Second brother, let’s go.” Pei Hui nodded. Pei Yang still stood in place, glaring hatefully at Li Weiyang, looking as if he wanted to devour her. But Pei Xian pulled his wrist, forcing him to follow and leave, still continuously turning back to stare fiercely at Li Weiyang with vicious eyes.

Yuan Lie sneered: “That arrow of yours was truly shot very accurately.” But Li Weiyang remained very calm, without the slightest smile on her face: “Just a little greeting gift. Soon they’ll know that striking first doesn’t necessarily succeed—sometimes one becomes a porcupine.”

Yuan Lie looked at Li Weiyang with a half-smile: “What, you’ve thought of how to deal with them?” Li Weiyang smiled lightly, her eyes like cold stars, her voice cold and deep: “Naturally we must change the original plan, but it will require your cooperation in many ways.”

Yuan Lie looked at the shot wild rabbit over there, his gaze revealing a trace of amusement: “All right, let’s put on a grand show for them to watch.”

That evening, the Great Khan specially invited the Emperor to the golden tent. The two actually sat drinking wine together. Only their gazes were both very clear. While drinking, they sat talking. The Great Khan looked at the Emperor: “That Prince Xu Yuan Lie is also your son, isn’t he?”

He said this inexplicably, but the Emperor remained composed, revealing a faint smile: “What, you’ve noticed something?”

The Great Khan sneered: “If he weren’t your son, why would you protect him so much? You weren’t so concerned about Pei Bai. Moreover, I always feel that child resembles you in some ways, though I can’t say exactly where. Speaking of which, that Pei Bai was Empress Pei’s relative. You indulged me killing him—aren’t you afraid that shrew will settle accounts with you afterward?”

The Emperor sneered: “If I feared her, I wouldn’t have done this. The Pei family people truly lost both the lady and the soldiers this time. Why should I bear their sins? Your blade struck truly well, but your blade technique has regressed somewhat from before. I remember ten years ago watching you cut people—even brain matter flew out. How is it that this time, not even a white speck was visible?”

The Great Khan’s face changed, quickly flushing red: “What kind of talk is that? I’ve never neglected my blade technique—just a momentary slip.”

The Emperor laughed heartily, but soon he stroked his forehead, furrowing his brow tightly. The Great Khan’s gaze flashed with cold light, but his face showed great concern: “What’s wrong? Where are you uncomfortable? Has your old ailment flared up again?”

The Emperor of Yuexi shook his head but smiled as usual: “I think these incompetent physicians can’t cure my illness, so this time coming to the grasslands, I wanted the shaman physician to take a look.”

The Great Khan sighed: “This matter probably isn’t so easy. When you came last year, didn’t the shaman physician prescribe medicine for you? But it was completely ineffective, so I think this isn’t ordinary headache syndrome.”

The Emperor’s brow furrowed tighter, the waves of attacking pain forcing him toward madness, but before the Great Khan he showed no loss of composure, only saying in an indifferent voice: “Anyway, there’s no great harm. After so many years, if I can’t die, so be it.”

The Great Khan gazed at him intently, his eyes seemingly flashing with something, when he heard the Emperor of Yuexi continue: “That woman gave you a secret letter, didn’t she? Did she tell you to kill Li Weiyang? Oh no, she’s called Guo Jia now.”

The Great Khan’s face paled. He hadn’t expected such a secret matter couldn’t escape the other’s eyes. Then he smiled awkwardly: “Your information is truly well-informed. Nothing can be hidden from you.”

The Emperor smiled: “Take out the gift and let me appreciate it.”

The Great Khan stood up, took out a box from the side, and lifted out a white silk-wrapped package. Then he unwrapped the silk and removed the dagger inside. The moment the scabbard was removed, the dagger’s cold light scattered like blue smoke. The dagger’s surface gleamed with an icy luster. The Great Khan draped soft armor over his arm and gently drew the blade across it. Where the blade fell on the soft armor, the armor broke apart and fell piece by piece.

“What a sharp blade!” The Emperor couldn’t help but exclaim in praise.

“This is only one treasure, and the least valuable one at that. The most valuable are fifteen types of grains and medicinal herbs that can be planted on the grasslands.”

The Emperor looked directly into his eyes, revealing a thought-provoking expression, remaining silent for a long time. The Great Khan thought for a moment, met his gaze directly, and didn’t dodge either. The two laughed together. The Emperor said with a half-smile: “I know that woman has given your grasslands many benefits over the years, and I know you’ve secretly done many things to help her. It’s an equal exchange—I have no opinion.”

The Great Khan narrowed his eyes, his smile like a grassland fox’s: “But I heard she’s your precious son’s beloved.”

The Emperor smiled coldly, his gaze revealing mockery: “That boy is still too green. If he can’t even protect his own beloved, what qualifications does he have to sit safely in the position of Prince Xu? Better to make way for others early.” Saying this, his gaze suddenly revealed coldness, thinking of something unknown. The Great Khan saw his expression and also fell silent. In the golden tent, the temperature was very high. The Great Khan felt somewhat overheated, so he removed one sleeve, then said: “I’ll think carefully about this matter. You know, many of our grassland’s supplies are sent by your Empress. I can’t not listen to her orders.”

The Emperor smiled faintly and stood up: “As you wish. I don’t want to manage this matter.” Speaking thus, he had already walked toward the outside, when he heard the Great Khan calling after him: “Are you truly not managing this matter? What if I really kill them!”

The Emperor smiled coldly: “Do as you see fit. If you can kill them, that’s your ability too.” Speaking thus, he had already walked out, leaving the Great Khan alone in the tent revealing a thoughtful expression.