A solo dance was more difficult than performances involving dozens or hundreds of dancers, because she alone had to capture everyone’s attention. Only those with extremely outstanding dance skills dared to perform solo.
Just when everyone was captivated by Meixue’s dancing, Yunyi quietly moved forward. When she had maneuvered to within just a few steps of Li Yuan, she suddenly struck, drawing a dagger from her sleeve and thrusting it toward Li Yuan’s chest while crying fiercely, “Li Yuan, accept your death!”
No one could have imagined that someone would attempt assassination during a feast of song and dance. For a moment, everyone was stunned with fright, watching helplessly as the dagger gleaming with cold light approached Li Yuan. If this blow landed, Li Yuan would surely die or be gravely wounded.
At this critical moment, Li Yuan, seasoned by many battles, quickly grabbed the gilt fruit plate on the table and with a flick of his wrist scattered the green fruits toward Yunyi, then swiftly raised the plate to his chest to block the dagger that was already close at hand!
Yunyi neither dodged nor avoided the flying fruits, single-mindedly driving the dagger toward Li Yuan. When the dagger’s tip touched the gilt fruit plate, it made a sharp, ear-piercing sound like a blade scraping across an iron pot, but it did succeed in blocking the dagger’s momentum.
Just when everyone thought Li Yuan was safe, the dagger actually pierced straight through the fruit plate with a “pop” sound, penetrating Li Yuan’s chest. Immediately after, bright red blood appeared in everyone’s sight.
The closest to this was none other than Wan Shi. Seeing Li Yuan wounded, her face turned pale with shock and she nearly fainted. Everyone finally snapped back to their senses, and amid rising shouts they all rushed forward, wanting to capture Yunyi. At the same time, servants had already rushed outside, shrilly ordering the guards to come and apprehend the assassin.
Although Yunyi had struck Li Yuan, she felt no joy in her heart. The fruit plate’s obstruction had greatly reduced the force behind her dagger thrust. That strike looked frightening but was actually only a light wound that couldn’t take Li Yuan’s life. Now that she had exposed her identity, she absolutely had to kill Li Yuan, or else she would never have another chance.
Her thoughts turned in just the blink of an eye. She wanted to withdraw the dagger and strike again, but Li Yuan had already seen through her intention. Enduring the pain, he twisted the fruit plate, firmly wedging the dagger in the plate’s gap so she couldn’t pull it back. This delay allowed Li Shimin and Li Xuanba to arrive nearby, while Li Jiancheng, due to his unhealed foot ailment, was a step slower.
“How dare you, lowly servant, attempt to assassinate Father!” Li Xuanba moved extremely fast, clenching his fist and attacking Yunyi. Li Yuan’s sons had all practiced martial arts since childhood. Though Li Xuanba was only in his teens, his skills were still not to be underestimated.
Seeing Li Xuanba going to punish the assassin, Li Shimin and the others hurriedly protected Li Yuan behind them, in case other assassins appeared.
Seeing Li Xuanba approaching fiercely, Yunyi decisively abandoned the dagger and met his fist. Though Yunyi appeared physically weak, her martial arts were extremely strong, and her moves were cunning. The two fought evenly, but this was definitely not good for Yunyi. If she continued to be entangled like this, forget about assassinating Li Yuan—even escaping would be difficult.
At this moment, guards rushed up carrying swords and knives. Their first task was to separate them from Li Yuan, preventing Yunyi from having another chance to harm him.
After the initial shock, Wan Shi also came to her senses and urgently said, “Quick, summon a physician! Quickly!” Speaking thus, she supported Li Yuan who was covering his wound and asked nervously, “Governor, how are you? Is the injury serious?”
Li Yuan shook his head, “It’s just a flesh wound, nothing serious.” As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Yunyi, who was fighting Li Xuanba. He truly couldn’t imagine that an assassin had infiltrated the Governor’s residence, and a female one at that.
Li Xuanba wouldn’t let the guards interfere. After forcing Yunyi back with a punch, he said coldly, “You can’t escape. You might as well surrender obediently—perhaps you can still keep your corpse intact.”
“Cut the chatter!” Yunyi suddenly pulled out a hairpin and thrust it at Li Xuanba. He dodged to the side while heavily punching Yunyi’s left shoulder with a loud “thud.”
Yunyi staggered backward, her face showing pain. This Li Xuanba was so strong—with this punch, even if her shoulder bone wasn’t shattered, it was certainly cracked.
Li Xuanba, getting excited from the fight, shouted loudly, “Do you yield?”
Yunyi ignored him and attacked again. Li Xuanba’s eyes showed a trace of disdain as he threw another punch. But this time, Yunyi’s body was like a boneless snake, bypassing his fist at an incredible angle and leaving a bloody mark on his hand. However, such an injury meant nothing to Li Xuanba—he didn’t care at all and continued throwing punch after punch. But before long, his expression changed, his fists became weak, and looking down, he saw the blood from his hand had turned black. “Poisoned!”
Almost at the same moment, Wan Shi’s alarmed cry rang in everyone’s ears: “Governor? Governor?!”
Everyone turned to look and saw Li Yuan, who had seemed fine just moments before, now collapsed unconscious on the imperial table. The blood dripping from his wound had changed from red to black—clearly he too had been poisoned.
Wan Shi nervously supported Li Yuan, her face deathly pale as she shouted angrily, “Where is the physician? Why hasn’t the physician arrived yet?”
Just then, a middle-aged man who had been seated among the guests quickly walked over. After taking Li Yuan’s pulse, he solemnly drew silver needles from his chest and quickly inserted them into several key acupoints on Li Yuan’s body. Then he went to Li Xuanba and did the same, saying, “Third Young Master, immediately calm your qi to prevent the poisoned blood from attacking your heart.”
Li Xuanba ignored him, half-kneeling on the ground and saying through gritted teeth, “I take back what I said earlier. Even if you surrender now, I will still tear you to pieces to vent my hatred!” Speaking thus, he said to the guards standing ready, “Immediately capture this wretch—remember, I want her alive, don’t let her die!”
Yunyi coldly glanced at the hate-crazed Li Xuanba, then faced the guards pressing closer step by step. Although her incredible flexibility and cunning techniques allowed her to wound several guards, the situation was extremely unfavorable for her. This was still the result of Li Xuanba ordering her captured alive—otherwise she might already be dead. But even so, she couldn’t continue this entanglement much longer and needed to find a way to leave quickly.
Before the assassination, she had coated both the dagger and hairpin with a rare poison from the Western Regions, but she wasn’t certain this poison could take Li Yuan’s life. The safest method would naturally be to deliver another blow, but unfortunately, it seemed she wouldn’t have that opportunity now.
Yunyi sought a way to escape while fending off the guards. In a moment of distraction, her left arm, which had little strength, was slashed by a blade, causing her face to turn white with pain.
Li Xuanba endured the dizzy discomfort and revealed a cold smile at the corner of his mouth. With so many guards surrounding her, unless she could sprout wings, she couldn’t hope to leave Songtao Residence.