HomeSheng Shi Di FeiChapter 74: Escape, Young Master Jun Wei

Chapter 74: Escape, Young Master Jun Wei

When Dark One, Dark Three, Left One, and Right One escorted Mo Jingli out of the room, Lady Xiaoyu also arrived outside the door. Her beautiful eyes glared fiercely at Ye Li who followed behind, almost shooting fire. “Release the young master!” Behind her, Dark Two and Dark Four silently dropped down from the wall, saying, “Greetings, Princess Consort.”

Ye Li waved her hand to indicate no need for formalities, smiling at Xiaoyu: “Lady Xiaoyu, thank you for taking care of me these past few days.” Xiaoyu glared at her, gritting her teeth: “What do you want? Release the Prince and I’ll spare your lives!” Ye Li hid behind Mo Jingli, pretending to be frightened, “Oh my, Lady Xiaoyu, please don’t scare me. This Princess Consort is quite timid. So… Lady Xiaoyu, you’d better put away those dangerous little things of yours. What if I accidentally…” Ye Li raised her hand and her sharp nail drew a line of blood on Mo Jingli’s neck, blinking innocently at Xiaoyu: “See, like this. What if I accidentally poke a hole in the Prince’s neck? Could Lady Xiaoyu fix that?”

“You!” Xiaoyu’s pretty face turned red with anger as she watched Ye Li cheerfully smear the blood from her finger onto Mo Jingli’s clothes. However, she quickly calmed down and put on a pure and sweet smile, saying to Ye Li: “Miss, the Prince kindly invited you as a guest. If you want to leave, just leave. Taking the Prince hostage – is this how a guest should behave?” Ye Li smiled: “I didn’t expect Lady Xiaoyu to not only be cute but also well-versed in Central Plains etiquette. However, putting muscle-weakening powder in a guest’s food every day isn’t proper hospitality either, is it?” The deliberately emphasized words “Central Plains etiquette” caused Xiaoyu’s expression to change slightly, habitually looking towards Mo Jingli.

Ye Li had no intention of letting her stall for time. With a cold smile, she said to Xiaoyu: “Please prepare some fast horses. Also, I heard my two maids have gone missing. Please return them. Otherwise… I can’t guarantee the Prince will be returned completely intact.” Xiaoyu finally dropped her smile, her pretty face full of malice, “The Prince is the Li Prince of Great Chu. If you harm him, you won’t escape the consequences.” Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled: “You speak as if you don’t know that this Princess Consort is the Princess Consort of Great Chu’s Dingguo Prince. Even your Prince Li can’t escape responsibility for kidnapping me. If you’re smart, do as I say immediately. Otherwise… even if I can’t escape, I can guarantee your Prince Li will die very unpleasantly. Dark Three, if anyone dares to make a move, strike at Prince Li. Don’t hold back. I’ll take responsibility for whatever happens.”

Dark Three enthusiastically responded: “This servant obeys!”

Mo Jingli coldly snorted: “You don’t need to threaten me. Xiaoyu, have people do as she says. I’ll personally see them out.”

Xiaoyu hesitated, wanting to object, but seeing Dark Three’s gleaming dagger pressed against Mo Jingli’s waist, she ultimately swallowed her words. She stared at Ye Li in warning: “If anything happens to the Prince, I won’t let you go even if you run to the ends of the earth.” Ye Li smiled: “Don’t worry, I have no interest in your Prince. As for you… be careful not to let me see you again!”

Dark Three led Mo Jingli, whose pressure points had been sealed, while the other three guards protected Ye Li’s sides as they walked out of the courtyard. Earlier, the four had silently taken down many guards, so now no one dared to obstruct their ostentatious exit. Outside the main gate, several horses were indeed waiting. Dark One and Dark Two inspected them and nodded to Ye Li. Ye Li ordered: “Dark Three, take Prince Li. Let’s go.”

Xiaoyu, who had followed them out, hurriedly stepped forward: “You have your horses, why haven’t you released the Prince yet?”

Dark Three sneered, “Do you think we’re stupid? Releasing Prince Li now would just let you chase us down again.” He casually threw the immobilized Mo Jingli onto horseback and mounted behind him. Ye Li, sitting on horseback, smiled at Xiaoyu: “Rest assured, I promise your Prince will return safely. However… if I discover anyone following who shouldn’t be, I’ll have someone stab the Prince in the back once for each time we notice.”

Xiaoyu bit her lip, but with Mo Jingli in Ye Li’s hands, she was helpless. She could only say hatefully: “Don’t worry, I won’t have anyone chase you. I hope the Dingguo Princess Consort keeps her word.”

“Likewise.”

The five horses galloped away at full speed, only slowing down after twenty li. Dark One looked back at their trail and said: “It seems they’re keeping their word, no one is pursuing.” Dark Three snorted: “If they want their Prince to become full of holes, they’re welcome to follow.” Mo Jingli, forced to lie on horseback, was already pale from the jolting ride, glaring at Ye Li as if he wanted to devour her. Unfortunately, his gaze had no physical effect and was selectively ignored by Ye Li.

“Princess Consort, shall we return to the Prince’s mansion now? The Prince is very worried about your safety,” Dark One asked solemnly.

Ye Li shook her head, smiling: “No.”

The gazes of Two, Three, and Four unanimously focused on Ye Li. Ye Li smiled sweetly, looking at the pale-faced Mo Jingli: “Since Prince Li went to such trouble to kidnap me, we can’t just let it end like this, can we?”

Mo Jingli watched Ye Li warily: “What do you want to do?”

Ye Li smiled gently and harmlessly, “I don’t want to do anything. Even if… I did want to do something, I wouldn’t tell you, Prince!” She leaned down and with one strike to Mo Jingli’s neck, the already dizzy prince completely lost consciousness.

The four Dark Guards didn’t know what Ye Li planned to do, so they could only look to her for instructions. Ye Li smiled: “Find a suitable place to abandon Prince Li, and then we’ll change horses and go somewhere else to play.”

“Princess Consort, the Prince…”  Though they now followed the Princess Consort’s orders, they still needed to remind her that the Prince was worried about her safety.

Ye Li tilted her head in thought, “It’s already spring, and his health isn’t a problem for now. Three, when you deal with Mo Jingli, send a message to the Prince. We’ll return later.”

“Yes, Princess Consort.” Dark Three smiled, feeling that following the Princess Consort was full of surprises, much more interesting than the mundane daily routines of other Dark Guards.

“Don’t call me Princess Consort anymore. Call me Young Master Chu.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Dark Three went to handle Mo Jingli and deliver the message, while Dark Two and Dark Three dealt with the horses and cleared their trail. Dark One silently followed the relaxed Ye Li as they walked. As they walked, Ye Li didn’t forget to inquire about recent events. The disappearance of Qing Luan and Qing Yu worried her, “Qing Yu and Qing Luan stayed outside Yaohua Palace, they must have been taken when trying to rush in during the fire. What would Mo Jingli want with two maids? No… it would be impossible for Mo Jingli to secretly bring so many people out of the palace. Therefore, Qing Yu and Qing Luan must still be in the palace.”

“Princess Consort?” Dark One greatly admired this master they had served for only a short time. If not for the Princess Consort secretly teaching and guiding the four of them many skills over the past half year, they wouldn’t have found the clues she left so quickly and located that hidden manor in the outskirts of the capital. “Is the Princess Consort worried about Ladies Qing Luan and Qing Yu? If those two ladies are still in the palace, the Prince will certainly find a way to locate them. Princess Consort need not worry.”

Ye Li frowned slightly, sighing softly in her heart, saying: “If they’re just imprisoned, that’s manageable. I’m afraid…”

“If the Prince’s palace Dark Guards can’t find them, then our worrying here won’t help. Trust that the two ladies will be blessed by heaven and come to no harm. If the two ladies are really in Prince Li’s hands, they’ll have to release them just for the Prince’s safety.” Ye Li nodded: “Let’s hope so. Let’s go, we’ll stay in the capital for half a month. During this time, have Dark Three and Dark Four find a way into the palace to look for clues.”

Dark One started, hurrying to catch up, “Yes, Princess Consort… are we leaving the capital?”

“That’s right.”

In a nameless small courtyard on the outskirts of the capital, the place was abandoned. The owners had left in a hurry, leaving behind even numerous precious antiques and calligraphy works in the rooms. Mo Xiuyao sat in the small garden, looking at the recently planted peach trees and the garden full of poisonous flowers and herbs. Shen Yang, standing beside Mo Xiuyao, clicked his tongue in wonder. Growing all these poisonous plants together wasn’t something an ordinary physician could accomplish – the person must have been a master of poisons. Shen Yang was even delighted to discover several rare poisonous plants he had been unable to find elsewhere. Ignoring everyone else, he carefully began transplanting the useful herbs, roots, and soil, planning to grow them in his medicinal field.

“Your Highness, we arrived a step too late, they’ve already left.” Feng Zhiyao came out from the room, holding a book which he presented to Mo Xiuyao, saying: “The Princess Consort was indeed here. This should be something she left behind.”

Mo Xiuyao took the book and opened it. It was an ordinary poetry collection with a note tucked inside. Written in faint red characters with some unknown substance were the words “Don’t worry, I’m safe.”

Feng Zhiyao glanced at Mo Xiuyao’s expression and continued: “There are signs of fighting in several hidden spots around the courtyard, along with the smell of blood. Also, the kitchen’s coal ash is still warm – they haven’t left long ago. In this servant’s opinion, the Princess Consort’s Dark Guards must have found her first.” Feng Zhiyao felt somewhat annoyed – why hadn’t those Dark Guards notified them after finding the Princess Consort so they could have rescued her together and been done with it? Now the place was empty, and though they knew there had been fighting, they couldn’t be certain whether the Princess Consort had been rescued. Seeing Mo Xiuyao’s increasingly gloomy expression, Feng Zhiyao began to envy Leng Haoyu who had departed for the south.

“What about Mo Jingli?”

Feng Zhiyao hesitated before responding: “No one has seen Prince Li yet, but… he’s the Li Prince, he can’t disappear for long. However, since we didn’t catch him in the act or find the Princess Consort, we have no evidence to accuse him.” Feng Zhiyao had to admit he had underestimated Mo Jingli. The courtyard contained nothing connecting to Mo Jingli, and even its owner was an ordinary, uninvolved merchant. All they could determine was that a woman had lived here for some time, but her identity, age, and appearance remained unknown.

Shen Yang, crouching by the flower bed handling the medicinal herbs, said: “The person who lived here must have been a woman from the Southern Frontier.”

Feng Zhiyao raised an eyebrow, “How does Master Shen know?”

Shen Yang pointed at the garden: “This garden, except for that peach tree, is full of poisonous plants, including several varieties unique to the Southern Frontier. Not just our Great Chu people, even those from the Southern Frontier who aren’t poison masters would hardly recognize them. Also… this…” Shen Yang dug out something shiny from the soft soil beneath the peach tree and tossed it to Feng Zhiyao. Feng Zhiyao caught it and weighed it in his hand, “What is this thing? Seems like a woman’s ornament.”

Mo Xiuyao glanced at it and said quietly: “That’s a decorative piece from a Southern Frontier woman’s headdress, and… it should be one that only unmarried noble women from the Southern Frontier can use. The sapphire should have a mark on its back – that’s the clan emblem of a major Southern Frontier family. Send someone to investigate it.” Feng Zhiyao turned the sapphire ornament over and after a long look finally found a small, somewhat blurry mark in a hidden corner. If Mo Xiuyao hadn’t mentioned it, they might have dismissed it as a flaw in the ornament or not noticed it at all. “Clan emblem? Do Southern Frontier people like to engrave clan emblems on ornaments?”

Shen Yang shook his head: “In the Southern Frontier, clan emblems represent their identity and honor. Not just on ornaments, they like to print their clan emblems on their clothes too. In the Southern Frontier, most common people recognize these major clan emblems, and ordinary folks automatically make way when they see them.”

“A’Li wouldn’t bury useless things here.” Mo Xiuyao said quietly, “It seems A’Li has already left.”

Feng Zhiyao nodded, putting away the sapphire ornament: “Alright, I’ll have someone investigate it.”

“Your Highness.” A guard entered, presenting a letter: “This was just found outside the gate.”

Mo Xiuyao took it, opened and read it, his sword-like eyebrows gradually furrowing. “Your Highness?”

Mo Xiuyao refolded the letter tucked it into his sleeve, and said to Feng Zhiyao: “Return to the capital.”

“But the Princess Consort…”

“It was delivered by A’Li’s Dark Guards. A’Li has already escaped safely. As for Mo Jingli… send someone five li west to the forest edge, find Mo Jingli, and bring him back to the capital. Remember, I want him returned to the Li Prince Manor safe and sound. Don’t alert anyone.” Feng Zhiyao nodded, “Has the Princess Consort returned?”

Mo Xiuyao glanced at him and said: “The Dingguo Princess Consort is missing. All matters under the Dingguo Prince Manor are to be suspended – focus all efforts on finding the Princess Consort’s whereabouts.”

Feng Zhiyao started, clearly seeing that Mo Xiuyao was still displeased, and very wisely swallowed his questions, “Yes, I’ll go right away. Speaking of which, Dark Three and the others have improved considerably in these six months with the Princess Consort – they’re practically appearing and vanishing without a trace now.” While complaining, Feng Zhiyao quickly left to assign tasks. When His Highness was in a bad mood, it was better not to provoke him. However… surely this period of low spirits would finally pass?

On the capital’s main street, a young man in white robes strolled along, holding a folding fan. The youth had a jade-like complexion and star-bright eyes. Though appearing somewhat young, given time he would surely become a graceful young master rivaling any of the capital’s handsome men. Behind the youth followed two upright guards, and passersby couldn’t help but look twice, wondering privately which family’s young master was out playing with his guards.

Dark Three felt somewhat uncomfortable standing on the main street. Looking at the young master leisurely browsing street-side miscellany stalls ahead, he discreetly elbowed Dark Four beside him, “What do you think the Prin… young master is planning?” Dark Four glanced at him, calmly saying: “Didn’t the young master say? We’re waiting for news from Big Brother.”

“Even if we’re waiting for news, did we need to parade around the main street? If people from the manor discover us…” Thinking about how their master had escaped safely but refused to return to the manor, Dark Three could almost imagine what His Highness’s expression would be like. The Princess Consort would be fine, but they as Dark Guards would surely face disaster.

Dark Four’s mouth twitched as he glanced at the white-robed young master ahead, “In that appearance if you didn’t know beforehand, would you recognize the Princess Consort even if she stood right in front of you?” Their master’s skill at disguising herself as a man wasn’t comparable to those young ladies who secretly sneak out to play, who can be spotted at a glance. From height to build, from eyebrows to eyes, even her voice, tone, and walking posture had been completely transformed. Most importantly, even a master of disguise standing before her wouldn’t be able to tell, because she hadn’t used any disguise tools or human skin masks. Now if anyone dared point at the young master ahead and say this was a woman, they’d surely be scorned by everyone on the street. This was why the Princess Consort dared to walk openly on the capital’s streets.

Dark Three nodded in agreement. Few people in the capital knew the Princess Consort, and if someone could recognize her in this disguise, it would be utterly unreasonable. However… as a Dark Guard, standing openly under the bright sun felt somewhat unnatural. Dark Four pulled the still-dazed Dark Three, “Let’s go. As long as you don’t act guilty like a thief, even the manor’s Dark Guards won’t recognize us. Don’t forget what the young master said.” Dark Three nodded, following Dark Four after the white-robed young master who had already gone far ahead. The Princess Consort had said she didn’t need Dark Guards who could only protect from the shadows, but people who could stand beside her when needed, assist or even fight alongside her, and complete various tasks.

After finishing her street tour, Ye Li returned in high spirits to the temporary lodging at the inn’s Sky Room, where Dark One and Dark Two were already waiting.

Dark One produced a letter: “This is Minister Xu’s letter for the young master, requesting your presence tomorrow at the Jingling Temple outside the city. Tomorrow, Minister Xu, Madam Xu, and the young masters of the Xu family will be at Jingling Temple praying for the Princess Consort’s safety.” Ye Li nodded, feeling somewhat troubled about how to explain to Second Uncle tomorrow about her long absence that had worried them, as well as her plans. Rubbing her temples, she looked toward Dark Two, “Any news of Qing Luan and Qing Yu?” Dark Two nodded: “Last night His Highness had people bring Qing Luan and Qing Yu back to the manor, but…” Dark Two looked at Ye Li with furrowed brows: “They seem to have lost their memories, unable to remember what happened at all. The Dark Guards found them in the Cold Palace.”

“Lost their memories?” Ye Li frowned, “What did His Highness say?”

“His Highness ordered them to rest in the manor, forbidding anyone from approaching them unauthorized. He also assigned Master Shen to treat them. The Prince Manor’s security is strict – although this servant is familiar with the layout, I didn’t dare get too close. So I couldn’t learn more detailed information.” Dark Two said somewhat apologetically.

“You’ve done very well.” Ye Li knew well the security of the Dingguo Prince Manor – for Dark Two to infiltrate and leave safely without alerting anyone was quite impressive. Ye Li frowned slightly. Mo Xiuyao’s isolation of Qing Yu and Qing Luan, ostensibly for their recuperation, wasn’t without suspicion. In their nearly year-long association, compared to Qing Xia who originally served Old Madam Ye, and the younger, more spirited Qing Shuang, she had relied more on Qing Luan and Qing Yu. Due to her trust in her uncle and grandfather, Ye Li had never considered the possibility of Qing Luan and Qing Yu betraying her. After a moment of silence, Ye Li decided not to interfere with this matter for now. She was about to leave the capital anyway and hadn’t planned to bring those maids along. Mo Xiuyao wouldn’t arbitrarily deal with her servants. So… let Mo Xiuyao see whether they could be trusted or not.

The next day after morning court, Imperial Censor Xu indeed took his wife and several nephews to offer incense at Jingling Temple outside the city. This didn’t attract much attention, as the Xu family’s love for their niece was well-known throughout the capital. Previously, Imperial Censor Xu had unhesitatingly confronted both the Ministry of Rites and Prince Li for his niece’s sake. Later, when the Dingguo Princess Consort married, all the young masters of the Xu family appeared to escort their cousin. Now that the Dingguo Princess Consort had mysteriously disappeared in the fire with her fate unknown, it was perfectly natural for the Xu family to pray for her at the temple. And those who might take notice of this, like the Emperor or Prince Li, were already overwhelmed by the waves caused by the Princess Consort’s disappearance, naturally having no time to pay attention to whether their officials were resting at home or burning incense at temples after court.

As Ye Li’s close friend and future second young madam of the Xu family, Qin Zhong also accompanied Madam Xu. She was genuinely worried about her missing friend, and upon entering Jingling Temple, accompanied Madam Xu in paying respects to all the Buddha and Bodhisattva statues, large and small. Madam Xu grew increasingly pleased with this gentle and lovely future daughter-in-law. After finishing their prayers, Madam Xu went to rest in the side hall, while Qin Zhong dismissed her maids to chant sutras and pray alone in the quiet Buddha hall. She was startled by a clear voice beside her ear, “Miss Qin.”

Qin Zhong’s heart jumped. Turning around, she saw a handsome youth in moon-white plain clothes standing beside her, having appeared at some unknown time. Qin Zhong frowned, feeling the youth smiling at her seemed strangely familiar, yet she was certain she didn’t know him. “May I ask who you are, young master, and why you’re here?” Qin Zhong stood up, watching the youth warily while inconspicuously taking several steps to the side. Ye Li saw this and inwardly smiled faintly, pretending not to notice. She lifted her robe hem and knelt on the meditation cushion before the Buddha statue, imitating Qin Zhong’s previous prayer posture. Looking back at Qin Zhong who was watching her, she smiled: “I’m here to pray, naturally. Miss Qin, no need to be nervous. I am an old acquaintance of Second Young Master Xu. Please tell Second Young Master Xu that my surname is Chu, Chu Jun Wei.”

Qin Zhong started slightly, seeming to understand something. She nodded gracefully to Ye Li: “I understand. I will convey your message to the young master.”

“Then, thank you, Miss Qin,” Ye Li smiled.

Ye Li sat resting in the rear hall of the Buddha temple. This was a rarely visited hall in Jingling Temple, located in a remote position and enshrining less prominent deities, so except for sweeping novice monks, very few people came here.

“A’Li?”

Ye Li opened her eyes and rose, seeing Xu Hongyan and Xu Qingze standing in the doorway, frowning at her. Ye Li smiled brightly, “Second Uncle, Second Brother, don’t you recognize me?” Xu Hongyan studied her for a long while before shaking his head: “You girl, I didn’t recognize you when we passed outside earlier.” Xu Qingze’s cold expression also gained some warmth as he silently nodded to indicate he hadn’t recognized her either. Ye Li smiled apologetically: “I saw Second Uncle seemingly talking with the abbot, and since it wasn’t convenient for me to approach, I had to ask Second Uncle and Second Brother to come here.”

The three sat down, and Xu Hongyan looked at her male attire with a frown, scolding: “You girl, since you’ve already escaped safely, why haven’t you returned to the Prince Manor? If His Highness hadn’t sent word that you were safe, the letter to Yunzhou would have already been sent. Do you want to worry your grandfather to death?”

Seeing her Second Uncle’s anxious and angry expression, Ye Li felt very apologetic. Blinking her eyes pitifully at him, she said: “Second Uncle, A’Li knows she was wrong. But… there’s no benefit to me returning now. If they fail once, they will naturally scheme again, so isn’t it better like this? I’m in the shadows while they’re in the light – let’s see who outmaneuvers whom.”

Xu Hongyan glared at her: “Your calculations are clever, but now the common folk are spreading rumors that the Dingguo Prince is wife-killing.”

Ye Li smiled: “That’s not so bad. Even if I’m gone, Mo Xiuyao won’t be able to marry anyone else.”

Xu Qingze sat quietly to the side listening to their conversation, frowning as he looked at Ye Li and asked: “Does A’Li have other plans?” The Dingguo Princess Consort couldn’t remain disguised as a man in the capital for long – if she had too much contact with them, someone would eventually discover her.

Ye Li’s smile faded as she looked seriously at her uncle and cousin: “I plan to go to the Southern Frontier.”

“Nonsense!” Xu Hongyan shouted angrily.

“Second Uncle…” Ye Li looked helplessly at Xu Hongyan while simultaneously giving Xu Qingze a look asking him to speak on her behalf. Unfortunately, Xu Qingze also frowned with disapproving eyes at her. Xu Hongyan waved his hand: “Don’t say anything. If you’re tired of staying in the capital, go to Yunzhou. It’s perfect timing since you haven’t seen your grandfather for many years.”

“Uncle… I am the Dingguo Princess Consort. How could I simply run away because I’m tired of dealing with the capital’s people and affairs? That would make Mo Xiuyao’s marriage to me too much of a loss.” Ye Li smiled. Xu Hongyan looked at her sideways, saying coolly: “Don’t tell me you want to do something in the Southern Frontier. Are all the people in the Dingguo Prince Manor useless, requiring a Princess Consort to personally go so far away? Don’t tell me – to explain to your grandfather and eldest uncle.”

“Second Uncle…” Ye Li looked at her attire, finding it inappropriate to act coquettish like a young lady, and could only look innocently at her Second Uncle, “Big Brother is there too, Second Uncle doesn’t need to worry about my safety.”

“Does the Dingguo Prince know your intentions?” Xu Hongyan asked.

Ye Li felt somewhat guilty – she hadn’t even met with Mo Xiuyao yet.

“What does A’Li want to do in the Southern Frontier?” Xu Qingze asked pointedly, looking at Ye Li.

Ye Li gave him a reproachful glance but still answered honestly: “The situation in the Southern Frontier is even worse than the capital now, and I’m worried about Big Brother being there alone. It’s perfect timing since I don’t need to show my face in the capital right now, I want to go to the Southern Frontier to see.”

Xu Hongyan frowned: “Your eldest brother handles matters with discretion and knows his limits. What help could you, a young lady, provide by going? As for the capital… does the Dingguo Prince plan to use your disappearance to pit the Emperor against the Empress Dowager?”

“They were already fighting fiercely, to begin with, but they shouldn’t have dragged the Dingguo Prince Manor into it.” Ye Li frowned: “The Dingguo Prince Manor can’t wait forever to be schemed against. Uncle must also know why Big Brother went to the Southern Frontier. If the Southern Frontier is unstable, all of Great Chu could fall into the flames of war. Since I’ve married into the Dingguo Prince Manor, their position is my position. I can’t just sit in the inner chambers ignoring everything like other noble ladies, and others won’t give me that opportunity, will they?”

Xu Hongyan frowned: “You… managing the Prince Manor’s affairs well and letting the Dingguo Prince have no worries already fulfills your duty as Princess Consort.”

“As husband and wife, we should share both fortune and misfortune. His Highness’s health doesn’t permit long journeys – what’s wrong with me doing what he cannot?” Ye Li said firmly. Occasionally when Ye Li recalled Mo Xiuyao’s words, she felt vaguely uneasy. If the Southern Frontier situation spiraled out of control and even developed into what they predicted, Mo Xiuyao would inevitably have to personally lead troops despite his health. Ye Li could hardly bear to imagine whether Mo Xiuyao, with his condition, would even survive if he went on a campaign. And there was Xu Qingchen – Young Master Qingchen was indeed unmatched in wisdom and talent. But even though the Xu family was a centuries-old great clan, they absolutely couldn’t compare to the royal family’s abundance of martial experts when it came to protection. And Ye Li knew clearly that Xu Qingchen was, without a doubt, a scholarly young master who knew no martial arts.

Ye Li looked seriously at Xu Hongyan: “Second Uncle, A’Li knows her limits and absolutely won’t put herself in danger.”

Looking at his niece’s determined expression, Xu Hongyan sighed helplessly, “A’Li, you are a young lady. You don’t need to take all the responsibilities upon yourself. Whether it’s your eldest brother or the Dingguo Prince, their matters are not your responsibility.”

Ye Li smiled gently: “I know. If A’Li knew nothing and could do nothing, I would naturally be content to stay in a safe place under others’ protection. But since I can help somewhat, why should Big Brother risk danger alone? Don’t think I don’t know – Second Brother, Third Brother, and Fourth and Fifth Brothers also want to go to the Southern Frontier to help Big Brother, they just can’t get away. Now I can take advantage of my disappearance to leave and help Big Brother, which will also put Grandfather and Uncle at ease.”

Xu Hongyan glared at her irritably: “At ease? How could we be at ease?”

Ye Li blinked: “Second Uncle, you must admit I’m somewhat more capable than Third Brother. You’re at ease with Third Brother going to the military camp, so why aren’t you at ease with A’Li?”

“He’s a man – it doesn’t matter if he gets hurt somewhere. How can you compare?” Xu Hongyan said, but Ye Li saw a hint of wavering. She hurriedly pressed her persuasion: “I won’t be going alone, the Dark Guards will all follow me. Second Uncle…”

Xu Hongyan was helpless, only saying: “Anyway, you’re already married. Go ask the Dingguo Prince. If the Dingguo Prince doesn’t agree, whatever you say to me is useless.”

“Thank you, Uncle.” Ye Li was overjoyed – in her view, persuading her uncle was much harder than persuading Mo Xiuyao.

Xu Hongyan looked at her joyful countenance and sighed helplessly. A young lady being too fragile wasn’t good, like his younger sister, A’Li’s mother. Being too strong and clever was even worse, like this niece. He could only hope the Dingguo Prince could keep her in check and make her stay obediently in the capital or return to Yunzhou.

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