Imperial Capital 59. One Arrow Determines Victory or Defeat

A large area of ​​the garden was filled with people, and even in the distance there were many idle palace maids and eunuchs peeking at the rare bustle in the palace. Mo Jingqi and the queen brought the concubines and the ministers and ladies who came to attend the palace banquet to the feast.

Princess Ding and Princess Lingyun were there to witness it. The Yu Garden was filled with an unprecedented noise. There were so many people that apart from the emperor, empress, concubines and several prominent royal nobles, everyone else could only stand and watch. But apparently no one cared about such a small matter. Everyone was very interested.

He stared at the two people in the open space. Princess Ding did not ask for a target, so how should the competition be conducted?

Concubine Liu sat next to the emperor with a cold face, but her cold eyes scanned Ye Li with a hint of inquiry. Mo Jingqi looked down at his beloved concubine's expression and smiled softly, "What are you looking at? It seems that you like Princess Ding very much?" Concubine Liu frowned.

, said coldly: "Your Majesty is joking, I am just a little curious." Mo Jingqi smiled meaningfully, "There are not many people who can make my beloved concubine curious. But in my opinion, Princess Ding has no chance of winning." Concubine Liu raised her eyebrows, still as cold as ice

Mo Jingqi's eyes flashed with a fiery gloom, and he continued, "Princess Lingyun is the beloved daughter of the Emperor of Xiling. She has been practicing both civil and military since she was a child. In Xiling, her archery skills are more famous than her swordsmanship."

"What good will it do to the emperor if she loses?" Concubine Liu Gui asked calmly.

Mo Jingqi smiled without saying anything. He turned his gaze to Mo Xiuyao who was sitting quietly not far away, and his eyes dimmed.

"Prince..." Beside Mo Xiuyao, Qingshuang looked anxiously at Ye Li who was the most prepared. Having followed her young lady for so many years, how could Qingshuang not know that her young lady had never learned archery. At most, she only played with the third master when she went to Xu's house.

How can it compare to the archery skills that Princess Lingyun has practiced since childhood?

Mo Xiuyao said calmly: "Just be patient."

Lei Tengfeng sat beside him and frowned as he watched Mo Xiuyao's calm face. Could it be that Princess Ding really had some killer trick up her sleeve? But whether they won or lost, it would not be good for Xiling. Lei Tengfeng couldn't help but curse in his heart, Uncle Huang is an old man.

Are you confused? Why did you choose Ling Yun to come to Dong Chu? Even the least favored princess in the Xiling Palace is a hundred times more sensible than this girl. "Prince Ding, this is all because Ling Yun is ignorant. I heard that Princess Ding is the most talented woman in the capital, and she is not good at

Martial arts. This competition is a bit unfair to the princess."

Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and said, "Since it was Ah Li's own choice, it doesn't matter whether it's fair or not. Isn't it?"

“But what if the princess…” Is Mo Xiuyao certain that Princess Ding will win, or does he not care at all about bringing shame to Prince Ding’s Palace?

"If Ah Li loses, I will kneel with her before Princess Ling Yun!" Mo Xiuyao replied calmly. Lei Tengfeng was shocked when he heard this, and his expression was almost unconcealable. He turned his gaze to the beautiful woman in the field who was wearing the same moon-white brocade dress as Prince Ding, holding a wine glass.

His hands unconsciously tightened, and his handsome sword-like brows were wrinkled with a deep look.

In the field, Ye Li and Princess Ling Yun each checked the bows and arrows in their hands. Princess Ling Yun checked her bows and arrows skillfully, and it was indeed someone who used arrows in the capital. On the contrary, Ye Li looked at the bows and arrows in his hand slowly, trying here and there, watching all around.

The people watching could not help but worry about her. Princess Ding's slender figure and slow and somewhat awkward movements made people wonder whether Princess Ding could even draw the bow, let alone shoot an arrow.

"Tell me, how do we compare?" Princess Ling Yun was already prepared, and she raised her chin and glanced at Ye Li proudly.

Ye Li quickly put down her bow and arrow, raised her head and looked at Princess Ling Yun and said with a smile: "Each of you will shoot an arrow, and the victory or defeat will be decided by one arrow!"

"Whatever." Princess Lingyun said, holding the bow and arrow, "Tell me, where should I shoot? Shoot the arrow through the air from a hundred paces away or shoot the flying bird in the sky?"

After hearing what Princess Lingyun said, everyone was even more astonished. They had a deeper understanding of the princess's archery skills. The fact that she could confidently say that she could shoot through a target from a hundred steps away showed that she was indeed an expert. Hua Tianxiang stood behind Madam Hua and grabbed her clothes tightly.

Sleeves, a cold sweat broke out for Ye Li.

Ye Li slowly drew up her bow and arrow, and said calmly: "Bows and arrows are weapons, not for shooting leaves and flying birds. So... let's compete in shooting people!" After that, she raised the bow, put the arrow on it and pointed it steadily at Princess Ling Yun.

What?!

Everyone was shocked, watching the woman in the field holding a bow and arrow pointing at Princess Lingyun in a standard but definitely unskilled posture.

"You...are you crazy? Are you kidding me?" Princess Lingyun cried out. They were standing less than fifty steps away from each other. Lingyun was an expert in archery and she could tell that even if Ye Li's posture was unfamiliar, she must have learned it. At this distance, it was difficult for her to see the opponent.

Still, Ye Li's chance of missing the target was not high. Therefore, Ye Li did not want to compete with her in archery, but in courage. Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "Whether it is a sword or an arrow, they are both weapons. Weapons are dangerous. Even if we compete, we cannot harm others, so we have to

Princess Lingyun and I have shot arrows at each other. Death, injury, self-blame!"

"No..." She didn't want to marry the emperor and become one of the concubines in the harem. She wanted to marry Prince Ding and become his wife. But she didn't want to die or feel the pain of being shot by an arrow.

"Princess Ding! Isn't this too serious? What if something happens..." Lei Tengfeng stood up to stop him. Ye Li glanced at him and smiled, "Didn't I say that I will bear the consequences myself? Besides, the emperor has agreed to the competition between me and Princess Lingyun.

"Could it be that the prince wants me to break my promise in front of the emperor, the empress, and all the civil and military officials of the Great Chu? Will this make it difficult for the Dingguo Palace to gain a foothold in the capital in the future?" Lei Tengfeng felt bitter in his heart. You didn't say you wanted to gamble your life in advance.

"Of course, if Princess Ling Yun is afraid, she can admit defeat at any time." Finally, Ye Li added lightly. This sentence undoubtedly blocked all the retreat routes for Princess Ling Yun. How could she admit defeat to Ye Li in front of so many people?

She blurted out in anger, "I will never admit defeat. I've made a bet!"

"Very good, let's start." Ye Li nodded and smiled with satisfaction. Somehow Princess Ling Yun suddenly didn't dare to look into her eyes and turned away in panic.

Mo Jingqi was also caught off guard by this sudden change. Concubine Liu looked at Ye Li's figure with a hint of admiration in her eyes and said, "I think Princess Ding has a good chance of winning." The Queen also knew that although Concubine Liu was born into a family of civil officials, she was

A rare woman who is both civil and military, she asked curiously, "Does your Highness think Princess Ding will win?" Liu said, "Princess Lingyun is not as courageous as she appears."

"In that case, let's do as Princess Ding wishes." Mo Jingqi stood up and said, "One arrow will decide the outcome. If you miss or dodge, you lose. Let's begin."

The Yu Garden was suddenly quiet. The eunuch who was presiding over the ceremony stood in the middle between the two people and shouted sharply, "Princess, please get ready." Then he quickly left the scene. "One--"

They both drew their bows at the same time, and surprisingly, the seemingly elegant and graceful Princess Ding pulled the bow without much difficulty.

"two--"

Princess Ling Yun pulled the bow to the limit, aiming the arrow at the woman opposite. She had absolute confidence that as long as she shot this arrow, the overconfident Princess Ding would be killed. As long as... shoot this arrow! Suddenly, Princess Ling Yun's hand holding the arrow trembled slightly, and she clearly saw the eyes of the woman opposite. The cold eyes like snow made her heart almost fall into an ice cellar in an instant. Ye Li seemed to be a different person in Princess Ling Yun's eyes, her whole body was filled with unstoppable murderous aura and confidence that she would hit the target with one shot. She just looked at her calmly, as if she didn't see the arrow pointing at her at all. As if she was sure that the arrow could not hit her at all. The more she thought about it, the more Princess Ling Yun looked towards the tip of Ye Li's arrow involuntarily. She realized with some despair that if she didn't dodge, the arrow would definitely hit her even though Ye Li was a novice.

Princess Lingyun had beads of sweat on her forehead without her knowing when.

Ye Li calmly felt the bow and arrow in her hand. Although it was still not very comfortable, and not as comfortable as the sniper rifle that had been with her for several years, it was her first time to have such a shooting duel in this world. Even if it was just teasing a little girl, she couldn't help but feel a little more joyful and happy. Looking along the tip of the arrow, she clearly saw the fear that could not be hidden in Princess Ling Yun's eyes, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Almost everyone held their breath waiting for the final moment. Lei Tengfeng stared at Princess Ling Yun. Because of the direction, he couldn't see Ye Li's face, but from her body posture, he could tell that Ye Li was not very familiar with this kind of bow and arrow. With Ling Yun's ability, she should be sure of success, so why was she so nervous?

Mo Xiuyao sat quietly in the wheelchair, his hands resting leisurely on the armrests, but if someone looked carefully, they would find something hidden under his right hand. His eyes also fell on Princess Lingyun, but not on Princess Lingyun's face but on the tip of her arrow.

I won't lose... Princess Ling Yun tried her best not to pay attention to Ye Li's arrow, secretly swallowed her saliva and kept cheering herself up in her heart. But her eyes always unconsciously glanced at the tip of Ye Li's arrow.

"Three!" A sharp voice rang in his ears. Ling Yun clearly saw that Ye Li's smile deepened. He pulled the bow back to prepare to release the arrow. He had already fully drawn the string and released it reflexively.

"Swoosh--" The feather arrow brushed past Ye Li's shoulder and flew out, landing on the ground not far behind her.

How could it be! Princess Ling Yun was stunned, and what shocked her even more was that Ye Li hadn't even released the arrow yet, and she had completely lost the chance. She stared blankly at Ye Li's smiling face as she looked at her, and clearly saw her silently smiling at her and saying, "It's my turn..." She also saw more clearly that there was no smile in the eyes of that smiling face, only a cold light and murderous aura that was colder than the arrow. Ye Li pulled back hard, slowly pulled the bowstring to the extreme, and released the arrow -

“Swoosh—”

"No!" Ling Yun suddenly screamed, and even squatted on the ground with her head in her hands without caring about her image. The arrow hit the ground one step away from her. Princess Ling Yun stared blankly at the arrow feather swaying slightly in front of her, and suddenly burst into tears.

As everyone looked at each other, Ye Li leisurely put down the bow and arrow in his hand, and said to Princess Ling Yun with a smile: "Princess, my hands are actually very sore, you don't have to worry about me shooting you."

"You...you..." Princess Lingyun cried and pointed at Ye Li for a long time without saying a word. Ye Li looked at her with a smile, and felt that all the depression she had suffered today was released in an instant. As expected, training a disobedient little kid is the most refreshing thing.

"Good!" Mo Jingqi clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Princess Dingguo won this competition. What do you think, Prince?"

Lei Tengfeng looked at the smiling woman not far away with a complicated expression, and stood up and said: "Princess Dingguo is indeed a woman who is as good as a man. I am convinced. Naturally, the princess won. Lingyun, kneel down and apologize to the princess." Lei Tengfeng acted decisively and said to Princess Lingyun. Ye Li asked to apologize in front of the civil and military officials at the palace banquet, but Lei Tengfeng directly intercepted the second half of the sentence and asked Lingyun to apologize immediately. It can make people feel that Princess Xiling is brave and responsible, and now Lingyun is crying so miserably, it can make people sympathize with her. By the evening palace banquet, everyone will be tactful and not mention this matter anymore. But if it was delayed until the palace banquet, the news that Ling Yun lost to Princess Dingguo would have spread throughout the palace, and everyone would have a lower opinion of Ling Yun after gossiping about it. Even if Ling Yun knelt down to apologize, people would not have a good impression of her. More importantly, it would affect his future behavior.

"Kneel down..." Princess Lingyun's face turned pale. She never thought that she would be defeated by a weak woman from Dongchu in the most proud field. Thinking of the promise she made on impulse before, it was too late to regret now. She looked at Lei Tengfeng for help, but only received a warning look from Lei Tengfeng. She looked at the people around her, the emperor, empress, concubines, ministers and noble ladies of Dongchu, as well as the envoys and princesses of Nanzhao. Princess Lingyun knew that if she really knelt down, her reputation would be completely ruined.

"There's no need to kneel down, Princess, just apologize to me." Ye Li suddenly said.

Princess Lingyun was startled, and finally realized that it would be of no benefit to her to continue making trouble. She was alone and weak in Dongchu, and her brother was unwilling to help her. There was no way she could defeat the Princess Ding.

Princess Lingyun gritted her teeth and bowed slightly, saying, "It was Lingyun who was ignorant and offended Princess Dingguo. I hope Princess Dingguo will forgive me."

Ye Li smiled and nodded, saying, "Princess, you are a guest, don't take it to heart." Then she turned around and ignored Princess Ling Yun, and walked towards Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao lowered his eyes, and the thing under his right hand disappeared in an instant before he raised his head and looked at Ye Li who came to him. Although Ye Li's expression was still as gentle and indifferent as usual, Mo Xiuyao was sure that he saw a different brilliance in her eyes.

Lei Tengfeng bowed to Ye Li and expressed his gratitude silently. Ye Li nodded lightly and sat down next to Mo Xiuyao. Try your best to ignore the gazes from all directions. Princess Ling Yun returned in a daze and sat down next to Lei Tengfeng, no longer wanting to find trouble with Ye Li.

Feeling Mo Xiuyao staring at her, Ye Li raised her head and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?" Mo Xiuyao said calmly, "It was very dangerous just now." If it weren't for Princess Lingyun's unstable mind, any ordinary bow and arrow would have shot directly at Ye Li, and the best result would have been a loss for both of them. Ye Li shook her head and smiled, "It's not dangerous. If it weren't for Princess Lingyun, I wouldn't have competed with her in archery." The reason she chose archery was because she saw that Princess Lingyun's mind was not enough to fight a sniper, even for a short moment. Even though she was born in the deep palace and was protected, the arrogant and willful little princess could not maintain a stable level in front of her. Of course, if Princess Ling Yun's hand really didn't shake and she shot the arrow directly at herself, she would have other ways to deal with it. "Besides, the prince won't let anything happen to me, right?" Looking at Mo Xiu Yao's disapproving eyes, Ye Li smiled.

Mo Xiuyao was stunned for a moment, then nodded gently and said, "You are right." If Princess Lingyun's arrow had not missed the target, he would not have let the arrow fall on A'li.

"Princess Ding, have you learned archery?" Mo Jingqi asked loudly from the main seat. Ye Li stood up and answered respectfully, "Your Majesty, no. My brother just taught me for fun when I went to my uncle's house. I never studied it seriously." Mo Jingqi smiled meaningfully. Ye Li was able to defeat Princess Lingyun, who had studied for many years, in the competition without studying seriously. Her talent and intelligence must be very good. Mo Jingqi held Concubine Liu in his arms and smiled, "It seems that Concubine Ding and Concubine Ai are both extraordinary women who are good at both civil and military affairs." Concubine Liu replied calmly, "Your Majesty is right."

After seeing off the Emperor, Empress and Concubine, Ye Li was too lazy to pay attention to the people who came up to flatter or test her. She and Mo Xiuyao found a quiet place in the Yu Garden to sit and rest. Most people were tactful enough not to disturb their time together, but there were always one or two exceptions. After rejecting the maid sent by Ye Zhaoyi to invite her to a small gathering, Ye Li looked at Mo Xiuyao who had been staring at her and smiled, "What's wrong with the prince?"

Mo Xiuyao held the teacup in one hand, playing with it nonchalantly, and said, "Ari has a talent for martial arts, and it seems that his basics are not bad."

Ye Li didn't mind that her skills were known by Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao was a very cautious and seemingly gentle person, but he was very defensive. It was almost impossible for her to live in a mansion for a long time without being known by him. And Ye Li didn't intend to hide this day. She needed space to train herself, or even learn something more powerful to strengthen her abilities. Facing Mo Xiuyao's eyes, Ye Li smiled calmly and harmlessly, "If the prince thinks it's good, then it must be really good."

Mo Xiuyao obviously had no intention of asking too many questions. He smiled and shook his head, saying, "If Ah Li likes it, there are some martial arts manuals in the study room that you can take a look at." Seeing Ye Li's eyes light up after hearing what he said, Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Since Ah Li said she doesn't know swordsmanship, I can find someone to teach Ah Li a little."

"Is it really possible?"

"The better A'li is at protecting herself, the more at ease I will feel. What's wrong with that?" Mo Xiuyao said with a smile.

Ye Li suddenly felt that she was so lucky to marry a husband who had a rich family, was considerate and open-minded.

"That's great, thank you." Ye Li said with a smile.

Mo Xiuyao shook his head lightly, "We are a family. If you need anything, you can just tell me directly. Why thank me?" Seeing the sincere smile on Ye Li's face that he had never seen before, Mo Xiuyao couldn't help but feel that it was a good idea to find someone to teach Ah Li sword.

The palace banquet in the evening was held in a somewhat strange atmosphere. When Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao entered the hall together, the eyes of the whole hall were instantly focused on her. Obviously, the competition in the afternoon in Yu Garden made Ye Li quite famous. However, in just one afternoon, not only the dignitaries who appeared in Yu Garden as officials, but also everyone who attended the banquet had heard about the afternoon's events. Seeing Murong Ting, who was sitting with Qin Zheng, winking at her and Xu Qingfeng's undisguised praise for Ye Li, there was no doubt that the news had spread throughout the capital. But I didn't know how it would be spread. Would it say that Princess Ding was both civil and military, or that Princess Ding was so fierce that she scared the arrogant Princess Xiling to tears?

Thinking of the latter possibility, Ye Li couldn't help but lower his head and laugh.

The so-called palace banquet is nothing more than fine wine, delicious food, singing and dancing. Ye Li listened to the emperor's polite conversation with envoys from various countries, or the whispers of officials beside him. On the one hand, he ate some dishes that he thought were good. Anyway, you can't expect to be full at such a banquet, so you can have a midnight snack after returning home.

Until a bright red dress appeared in the singing and dancing in the palace, Ye Li looked at the dancers' graceful and beautiful dancing postures in the palace with some surprise, and asked with her head tilted: "Why is Yao Ji here?" Mo Xiuyao smiled softly and said: "She must have been specially invited to perform in the palace. Yao Ji was born in a teaching academy, and her dancing skills are unique in the capital. She was also specially invited to perform in the palace on the occasion of the Queen Mother's birthday last year."

Ye Li raised her eyebrows and asked, "What do you think, Lord?"

Mo Xiuyao said: "Of course it is good, what do you think, Ah Li?"

Ye Li looked back for a long time, nodded and said, "It is indeed good." She had also heard of Yao Ji's reputation. She could be said to be a remarkable woman in the capital. She was known for her piano and dance skills in the Jiaofang, and she became the owner of the capital's top brothel, Qingchengfang, before she was 25. She had contacts with many dignitaries in the capital. It was said that Mu Yang, the son of the Marquis of Muyang, was her lover, and the Third Master Feng was also her friend. Since ancient times, remarkable women have emerged from the dust. In such an era, only such women can live so freely and unrestrainedly.

The dance of the most famous courtesan in the capital was naturally stunning enough. At least 70% of the men present had coveted looks on their faces. The women also showed jealous and resentful looks. Of course, there were also pure admiration, but they were only a very small number of people. After the dance ended, Yao Ji quickly disappeared outside the palace, leaving only a faint fragrance for people to linger. Looking at the people in the palace with different expressions, Ye Li felt even more bored. After telling Mo Xiuyao to go out for some fresh air, Ye Li quietly left the palace with Qingluan and Qingshuang.

The night wind outside the palace blew gently, gradually blowing away the smell of rouge and wine from the palace. Ye Li took a deep breath. Ignoring the music in the palace, the palace at night seemed particularly peaceful. Walking slowly on the quiet path, Ye Li's previously restless mood gradually calmed down. Just as they were about to sit in the pavilion in front, a strange palace maid blocked the way of the three people, "I have seen Princess Ding."

Qing Luan stood in front of Ye Li cautiously and asked, "Who are you?"

The maid bowed and said, "I am a maid in Ye Zhaoyi's palace. Ye Zhaoyi asked Princess Dingguo to go to Yaohua Palace to have a talk."

Ye Yue was pregnant, so she did not attend the palace banquet in the evening. In the afternoon, she sent a maid to invite her, but Ye Li declined her invitation on the spot. Ye Li knew what Ye Yue was thinking, but even though they were sisters, she had no intention of letting Ye Yue and the Ye family take advantage of her. The main reason was that Ye Yue's plans and ideas were too unreliable. If she was careful and obedient, she might be able to give birth to the child safely and have someone to rely on in the future. If she thought about something that was not true, even though she had not seen her a few times, Ye Li still felt that the pregnant Ye Yue was not as favored as the Ye family thought.

"I am a little tired today. Please tell Ye Zhaoyi that if there is anything, I will go to the palace to pay my respects in a few days and then talk to her. Let's forget about it today."

The maid looked a little anxious and said, "Princess, please forgive me. Empress Zhaoyi does have something urgent to discuss with you."

Ye Li said calmly, "Even if there is an emergency, I'm afraid it's useless to discuss it with me. By the way, Ye Zhaoyi's mother, Madam Wang, is also in the palace at this time. Why don't I ask someone to ask her to come out for you? What do you think?"

"Princess, Empress Zhaoyi only invites you to come and see her!" the maid said. The word "see" already sounded a bit forced. Ye Li's face darkened, and she sneered and said calmly: "This princess doesn't know that a Zhaoyi requires this princess to come and see her in person late at night!" The word "see" was emphasized very much. Princess Dingguo was of a very noble status. Even in the palace, she only needed to pay full respect to the empress dowager, and the noble concubine only received half-respect. Not to mention a mere Zhaoyi. If she really met one, Ye Yue would have to pay half-respect to Ye Li to show respect for the Dingguo Palace.

"This... I spoke out of turn, please forgive me, Princess. Ye Zhaoyi does have an urgent matter, so please go with her for the sake of Zhaoyi and her sister."

Ye Li looked at the maid suspiciously and said, "Come to think of it, I have been to Yaohua Palace before, and you seem unfamiliar to me." The maid forced a smile and said, "I am plain-looking, so it is possible that the princess does not remember me." Ye Li shook her head and said, "No, I am sure that you are not among the six maids serving Ye Zhaoyi and the eight maids serving in the inner palace. Could it be that Ye Zhaoyi would send a maid who is not very good to invite me?"

"I..." The maid was panicked and turned to leave. Ye Li winked at Qingluan, who took a step forward and effortlessly stabbed her behind the neck. The maid fell to the ground.

"Princess." Qingyu frowned and looked up at Ye Li, waiting for instructions.

Ye Li frowned slightly, and suddenly turned around and looked at the flowers on the roadside, "Who is it?"

"Princess Ding." A slender figure walked out, and her charming face under the moonlight also added a sense of tranquility.

"Miss Yaoji." Ye Li said, "Why are you here?"

Yao Ji smiled and said, "I don't deserve the title, Princess Ding, just call me Yao Ji."

Yao Ji walked forward, glanced at the unconscious palace maid on the ground, raised her eyebrows and smiled, "Princess Ding, what is this?" Ye Li smiled and said, "Miss Yao Ji, didn't you hear it just now? There are no such strange things in the deep palace." She waved her hand and a black shadow appeared behind Ye Li like a phantom, "Princess." Ye Li pointed at the palace maid on the ground and said, "Take her away. Don't scare her." The black shadow picked up the person neatly, and disappeared into the night after a few rises and falls.

"I've long heard from Feng San that Princess Ding is straightforward and quick-witted. Seeing her today, I can see that her reputation is indeed worthy of her." Yao Ji said with a smile.

"Has the Third Young Master Feng mentioned me to the young lady?" She remembered that she was not very familiar with the Third Young Master Feng who was so famous in the capital.

Yao Ji smiled with her lips covered, her eyes wandering, "Feng San speaks highly of the princess, and Yao Ji has always admired his vision. It is a great honor to meet the princess today."

Ye Li lowered her eyes and smiled, "It is Ye Li's fortune to see the young lady dance with the city."

"Just now I will keep it a secret for the princess." Yao Ji winked and asked mischievously with her charming face. Ye Li smiled and said, "Thank you, why are you still here so late?" Yao Ji sighed helplessly and said, "Some people and things are too annoying, so I just need to find a place to hide. I didn't expect to have a connection with the princess."

Ye Li understood that Yao Ji was both beautiful and talented, so many people must have had lustful thoughts about her. However, those who dared to linger in the imperial palace were not simple characters. "How about I send someone to escort the girl out of the palace?"

Yao Ji showed a grateful look and said, "Thank you so much, Princess."

"It's a piece of cake." After turning back to instruct Qingyu, Ye Li said goodbye to Yao Ji and returned to the hall where there was singing and dancing.

Mo Xiuyao saw her coming back and gave her a questioning look. Ye Li shook her head to show her helplessness. She walked over and sat down next to Mo Xiuyao, and whispered to him what happened in the Yu Garden. Mo Xiuyao nodded and said, "I will send someone to check later. Ah Li should stay with me tonight." Ye Li nodded indifferently, and then she found that the atmosphere in the hall seemed to be even stranger than when she left. The original singing and dancing had stopped long ago, and everyone's eyes were vaguely looking in the direction of the envoys from Xiling and Nanzhao. Even Ye Li's quiet entry did not attract many people's attention.

Hua Tianxiang showed Ye Li a strange smile, and pointed in the direction of Xiling Kingdom with her chin. Ye Li looked over and saw Princess Lingyun of Xiling with red eyes and tears. Today was obviously not a lucky day for Princess Lingyun, she was crying again not long ago.

"What's wrong?" Ye Li asked in a low voice.

Mo Xiuyao smiled coldly, "Zhennan Prince said that Xiling Kingdom wanted to form an alliance with Dachu to form Qin Jin. Before he finished speaking...Princess Lingyun objected. As a result...The Emperor agreed to the marriage with Xiling, but Princess Lingyun would not enter the palace."

"then?"

"Then Nanzhao presented the King of Nanzhao with a letter, expressing his willingness to marry Princess Qixia to Da Chu."

“…”

"The emperor means that Princess Qixia will enter the palace, and Princess Lingyun will be introduced to Prince Li."