Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 83. Xu Qingchen’s Trace

83. Xu Qingchen’s Whereabouts

With a volume of poetry in her possession, Ye Li returned to her room and settled down leisurely to read. Princess Anxi was not a dumb princess without the brains to become the Eldest Princess of Nanzhao; at least the people she arranged to surveil them had manners and wouldn’t offend their guests. Ye Li couldn’t be bothered to put much thought into this. If Princess Anxi truly had complete trust in her, then it was the brain of this Eldest Princess of Nanzhao that Ye Li would begin to doubt.

"Madam, Princess Anxi has left her mansion," Darky Two approached her, speaking softly.

Ye Li nodded, whispering, "That princess is not simple. Don’t get too close to her to avoid misunderstandings."

Darky Two frowned, glancing outside before speaking, "She doesn’t trust us at all, so isn’t it pointless for us to stay here, and won’t that make it more difficult for us to get away?"

Ye Li shook her head. "Princess Anxi definitely knows where my elder brother went. Even if she can’t find my elder brother right now, it’s clear she isn’t worrying for my elder brother’s safety. What has my elder brother been doing after he arrived in Nanzhao? Can we find out?"

Darky Two nodded. "This subordinate will deliver it to you before tomorrow." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Ye Li nodded, her brows furrowing as she stared at the book in her hand, though her mind had already traveled to distant places. Her elder brother had certainly not been taken away – he went somewhere by himself. But afterward, he didn’t come back according to the time agreed upon with Princess Anxi. Her elder brother himself has no personal interests or enemies in Nanzhao, therefore he must have gone there because of Princess Anxi. Even so...aren’t people who inherited my uncle’s meticulous nature, like my elder brother, supposed to leave traces or clues? Where are the clues...?

Quickly reaching for a piece of rice paper and spreading it on the table, Ye Li whipped out her trusty charcoal pencil, swiftly sketching and jotting down on the paper. All sorts of complicated news about the Southern Border that she had studied all night started to pop up in her head, and she quickly began to draw a power distribution structure diagram of the Southern Border onto the paper, as well as analyses of the inter-relations between various powers in the Nanzhao Capital, among other things. Before long, the rather large piece of rice paper was filled with all sorts of simple symbols and strange characters. Darky Two looked at the characters on the paper that he couldn’t understand with some curiosity but did not ask. Ye Li put down her pencil, looking at the paper and blanking out a little. It wasn’t that she was deliberately being cautious of anyone; what was written on the paper were not secrets, only an additional summarizing of the information she had seen the previous night. Looking at the paper that was filled with at least four languages, Ye Li couldn’t help but smile with resignation. Was she really always yearning for her past life? She could’ve led a peaceful and perfect life as a Princess Consort, but she didn’t want to. That’s probably why she deliberately avoided Mo Xiuyao’s protection when she left the Capital City and chose this dangerous method of traveling instead.

Dispelling the chaotic thoughts in her mind, Ye Li stared at the opened paper on the table for quite a while before asking with a frown, "Why is there no news of the Saintess of Southern Border?" The clear diagrams on the paper indicated their lack of information on this important figure in the Southern Border. Even if there was any, it was just a mention in a few brief sentences. This was only the most basic information, barely differing from what she knew when she was in the Capital City, stating only her age and name, not even clear about her features. If the Saintess of Southern Border is currently engaged in a secret fight with the Eldest Princess for the throne, there can’t possibly be this little information about her.

Darky Two responded, "The Saintess of Southern Border is revered as the guardian deity of all tribes in Southern Border, worshipped in the Saintess Temple located a few miles outside Nanzhao City. Except for significant events and holidays, the Saintess doesn’t leave the Saintess Temple. Only thirty-six temple maidens selected to serve the Saintess are allowed to approach her usually. The current Saintess, Shu Manlin, ascended at fifteen and has left the temple fewer than ten times in the past eight years, but she wore a mask every time. It is said that in entire Nanzhao, aside from the previous Saintess who has already entered the sacred grounds of Southern Border, no one knows what she looks like."

Ye Li shook her head. "That’s impossible. The reigning Saintess does not have the right to groom the next Saintess. So who taught the Saintess? Who raised her when she was young? Who are her parents? And... if nobody has truly seen the Saintess’s face, then who can confirm that the person under the mask is the real Saintess of the Southern Border?"

"This..." Darky Two frowned hesitantly.

Ye Li picked up her pencil and scribbled a few lines on the paper. "Investigate more thoroughly into the news regarding the royal family of Nanzhao and the Saintess of the Southern Border. Don’t miss any insignificant clues."

"Yes, I will immediately arrange for that. Madam, do you suspect that... the Saintess of Southern Border..."

Fiddling with the charcoal pencil in her hand, Ye Li smiled faintly. "If the Saintess of Southern Border rarely ever leaves the temple, how could she have gotten involved with Prince Li? The Saintess of Southern Border didn’t appear when Prince Li was dispatched to Southern Border a few years ago. Therefore..."

Darky Two’s eyes lit up. "They must have met privately. A matter as important as forming an alliance with Southern Border, Prince Li wouldn’t delegate it to someone else. Furthermore, the Saintess of Southern Border isn’t someone that’s easy to meet."

Ye Li nodded, leaning back in the chair as she thought. The Saintess...this identity is weird. Suddenly promoting an unknown, clueless girl to one of the most revered positions in the whole of Southern Border. Are the people of Southern Border too trusting?

Darky Two shook his head, shrugging his shoulders. "If someone was randomly picked from Great Chu and bestowed the title of Crown Prince, even if it was decreed by Your Majesty himself, the people wouldn’t believe it so easily."

"Has the Saintess system in the Southern Border been as ancient as the history of Nanzhao Kingdom?"

"Not exactly ancient," Darky Two recalled with a bowed head. "Before the establishment of Nanzhao, each tribe was self-governing and there was no Saintess. Indeed, the first Saintess was selected by the National Teacher at that time, who also offered sacrifices to the royal family of Nanzhao."

Ye Li raised her eyebrows. "It sounds like the roles of the National Teacher and the Saintess are quite similar. Therefore, after the appearance of the Saintess, Nanzhao no longer had the title of National Teacher."

Darky Two nodded, paused for a moment, and said, "The movements of the National Teacher were not as strict as that of the Saintess, but the responsibilities to be fulfilled were quite similar. However, in the minds of people in the Southern Border, the Saintess is clearly more worthy of their faith."

"Compared to a wandering old man, people generally prefer mysterious and beautiful young girls," Ye Li agreed.

「In the early morning.」

After having breakfast delivered by the maids, Ye Li was ready to go out with Darky Two. However, she ran into Princess Anxi at the door, who also seemed to be about to depart. "Miss Chu, are you going out?"

With an expectant yet somewhat nervous smile, Ye Li went up to her. "Princess sister, is there any news about Brother Qingchen?"

Princess Anxi shook her head regretfully and said, "I’m sorry, Miss Chu. There’s still no news about Young Master Qingchen."

Ye Li’s head drooped in disappointment, and she said quietly, "It’s okay. I’m sure Brother Qingchen will be alright. Lin Han and I will look for Brother Qingchen together. We’ll find him soon."

"Miss Chu, you’re new to Nanzhao and unfamiliar with the place. Where do you plan to look?"

With her fingertips fumbling, Ye Li said quietly, "I... I’ll look around. Maybe, maybe I’ll find him."

Princess Anxi couldn’t help but smile, saying, "If Miss Chu is bored, you can walk around the Nanzhao Capital. If there’s somewhere you want to go, you can ask people from the Princess Mansion to guide you. However, there are many dangers in the Southern Border, so Miss Chu, please don’t take risks alone. We wouldn’t want to make Young Master Qingchen worry."

Ye Li nodded and said, "I understand, thank you, Princess sister. You’ll find Brother Qingchen soon, won’t you? Otherwise, I should write a letter to Uncle Xu. Brother Qingchen said Uncle Xu is the smartest man in the world. He will certainly have a way to find Brother Qingchen."

"Mr. Hongyu?" Princess Anxi asked softly, frowning slightly.

Ye Li nodded heavily. "Princess sister, you also know Uncle Xu? Did Brother Qingchen tell you?"

Princess Anxi nodded faintly and said with a smile, "Miss Chu, rest assured, I promise we’ll find Young Master Qingchen soon. The journey in Nanzhao is tough; we shouldn’t make Mr. Hongyu worry. Otherwise, if Young Master Qingchen found out, he’d be worried, wouldn’t he?"

Ye Li blinked a few times, looking somewhat confused at Princess Anxi for a moment before nodding and saying, "Princess sister is right."

As she watched Princess Anxi leave, Ye Li also exited the Princess Mansion with a faint smile. "Have someone follow Princess Anxi."

"Understood."

「In the inn.」

Han Mingxi walked down to the lobby looking quite satisfied after a good sleep. His languid and elegant demeanor, different from the people of the Southern Border, instantly attracted the attention of everyone in the inn. Not bothered by the staring, Han Mingxi lazily went downstairs, waved at the waiter, and asked, "Have you seen the two gentlemen who entered with me?"

The waiter was so stunned by the sight of him that he hurriedly answered, "Sir, those two gentlemen went out early this morning. Oh, by the way, there was a letter for you." The waiter took the letter from the innkeeper’s counter and handed it to Han Mingxi.

Han Mingxi raised his eyebrows, skimmed over the letter, and couldn’t help but frown. "Junwei is really unkind! How could he leave without me? Hmph, there’s no one in the world that I can’t find." Hesitating, he then put the crumpled letter back into his sleeve pocket and walked out angrily, leaving the inn full of bewildered patrons.

「At this moment, in a private room of a restaurant across from the inn, owned by a native of Great Chu.」

Ye Li, dressed as a man, nonchalantly sat by the window drinking tea, accompanied by Darky Three instead of Darky Two. Looking out, she could see Han Mingxi grumbling as he emerged from the inn, appearing disgruntled. Ye Li watched amusingly as Han Mingxi gradually disappeared into the crowd, then asked, "What did Han Mingxi do yesterday?"

Darky Three said solemnly, "Young Master Han left in the middle of the night the day before yesterday and did not return until midnight yesterday. He likely went to Tianyi Pavilion’s stronghold in Nanzhao. We’ve always had a pact of non-interference with Tianyi Pavilion. Young Master... do we need to investigate?"

Ye Li shook her head. "No need, as long as he doesn’t interfere with us, that’s enough. Pay attention to the news from Darky Four. We shouldn’t let Han Mingyue find us before we even know about it."

Darky Three nodded. "Strictly speaking, Young Master, you didn’t plot anything against Tianyi Pavilion. It was Young Master Han who followed us to the Southern Border of his own accord. The Lord of Tianyi Pavilion shouldn’t bother us."

"That’s not necessarily the case," Ye Li said. "Has there been any regularly scheduled information from Tianyi Pavilion?"

"Yes," Darky Three replied. "I have compared the information received from Tianyi Pavilion with our own, and they are not that much different."

Satisfied, Ye Li nodded. "That’s good... If someone can deceive both our hidden guards and Tianyi Pavilion simultaneously, then even if we are tricked, it wouldn’t be without reason. Ask Tianyi Pavilion for information about the Saintess of the Southern Border later. I’ve told Han Mingxi that I want the Flower of Abyss Underworld, so he won’t suspect us when we ask for information about the Saintess of the Southern Border now."

"Yes. Young Master, we also have news about the diseased scholar. It seems that Old Master Liang is not going to hold on much longer, do you...?"

Ye Li frowned in distress. She had not expected to receive news of her elder brother’s disappearance as soon as she arrived in Nanzhao. This not only prevented her from getting any advice or help from Xu Qingchen but also forced her to find Xu Qingchen’s whereabouts in the shortest time possible. This made her feel somewhat overwhelmed, but she absolutely could not ignore the situation with the diseased scholar. "Old Master Liang is not a martial artist, after all, and even a martial artist likely couldn’t endure the diseased scholar’s methods for long." The diseased scholar was afraid that if he accidentally killed Old Master Liang, he would be left with no leads at all. Now that he has the token, even if Old Master Liang refuses to speak on his deathbed, the scholar might still be able to find some clues with some effort. Moreover, without the token, Old Master Liang would be unable to explain himself.

"Where are they?"

"Outside the city."

After pondering for a while, Ye Li said, "Finding my elder brother is the most urgent matter. Have the hidden guards keep a close eye on them. In a worst-case scenario, they could help those men from the Luoyi Tribe rescue Old Master Liang. Under no circumstances should he reveal to the diseased scholar how to get the Bilo flower, at least not until we’re free to deal with it. If that’s not possible, we’ll have to seize the flower by force. If we can’t get it, we’ll have to destroy it! We absolutely cannot let the diseased scholar get it."

Darky Three hesitated and said, "The Bilo flower may be able to cure the Prince’s illness; if it’s destroyed..."

"That’s why we have to try our best to get it," Ye Li said with a smile. "However, if we really can’t get it, we can’t let the diseased scholar have it either. Who do you think would be the first person he would want to deal with after getting the Bilo flower?"

"The Prince?"

Ye Li looked out the window and smiled casually. "The diseased scholar is the third master of the King of Hell Pavilion. He could simply assign his subordinates from the Pavilion to do whatever he wants. However, this time he is acting alone, heading to the Southern Border, and not using the power of the King of Hell Pavilion at all. Why? It must be that the other two masters of the Pavilion don’t agree. The diseased scholar was severely injured back then, nearly losing his life. Even now, he’s barely clinging to life; how could he not hold a grudge? But the King of Hell Pavilion and the King of Ding Kingdom have made a pact never to attack each other. Therefore, he can only rely on himself..." When Ye Li recalled the resentment in the diseased scholar’s eyes when he mentioned the Bilo flower and the road to hell, she couldn’t help but feel a chill down her spine. She even had a fleeting thought about taking the initiative and killing the diseased scholar first. However, this thought just flashed through her mind. Due to his identity and other reasons, she couldn’t kill him now—at least he shouldn’t die by the hands of the Princess Consort of Ding Kingdom.

"I understand. We absolutely won’t let the diseased scholar get the Bilo flower."

「In a secretly located palace in Nanzhao.」

The marble floor and columns were intricately carved, and exquisite gold ornaments inlaid with various gems adorned the space. Numerous luminous pearls replaced candles, bathing the room in light. Layers of Nanzhao’s most precious hibiscus silk hung around. Behind a curtain, a handsome man in white was quietly reading a book. Under the soft glow of the luminous pearls, the man’s perfect profile exuded a faint radiance, making him appear even more peaceful and serene.

The heavy stone door was pushed open from the outside, and a slender, graceful woman slowly entered. In contrast to traditional Nanzhao attire, the woman wore a wide robe with a bright yellow phoenix pattern, its hem trailing the ground. Her long black hair was casually pinned up, adorned with colorful precious gems. A gold mask of intricate design covered her entire face, lending an eerie allure that made the eyes beneath it even more mesmerizing. The woman walked elegantly towards the man and laughed softly, "Young Master Qingchen, don’t you want to take a glance at me? As long as you nod, I will take off the mask."

Setting aside the book in his hand, Xu Qingchen sighed and raised his head to ask, "Are you... more beautiful than the women in the portraits of the national beauties of Great Chu from that year?"

This was the first time Xu Qingchen had responded to this question, which surprised the woman. "You like women from Great Chu? I have heard about their national beauties. Which one do you favor? Is it Su Zuidie, who was hailed as the first beauty of Great Chu? She seems to be dead, doesn’t she?"

Xu Qingchen smiled faintly. "Su Zuidie... indeed, she was a decent beauty. If you aren’t even as pretty as her, there’s no need for me to look."

"You!" A trace of anger flickered in the woman’s eyes, but she quickly calmed down and laughed. "Young Master Qingchen, you’re far too picky. I heard your little fiancée is quite pretty, but... she doesn’t seem to be overwhelmingly beautiful, does she?"

Xu Qingchen lowered his eyes, carefully masking the unusual glint within them. However, the woman saw it as silent acknowledgment, scoffed, and said, "Speaking of Miss Chu, she indeed has deep feelings for you. She even traveled all the way from the Central Plains to the Southern Border, accompanied only by a guard. In this regard, Miss Chu doesn’t quite resemble women from the Central Plains."

"Where is she?" Xu Qingchen asked.

"Hehe, she boldly barged into our Eldest Princess Anxi’s Mansion yesterday. Since Princess Anxi is a good friend of yours, Young Master, I believe your fiancée will be well taken care of." The woman laughed behind her hand. "Young Master Qingchen, are you sure you don’t want to consider my proposal? After our success... you and I can share the world."

Xu Qingchen remained expressionless, murmuring, "If I’m not mistaken, three years ago, you also promised to share the world with Prince Li of Great Chu."

The woman scoffed and giggled. "Mo Jingli? How could he compare to you, Young Master? No... I believe that in this world, only Prince Ding could compare to you. It’s just that... Prince Ding is now crippled. You, Young Master, are the most perfect man in this world, and the one best suited for me."

Xu Qingchen shook his head. "I’m truly sorry. The Xu Family rules state that one marries for virtue; Xu descendants must not covet beauty, wealth, or power. Marrying one person in this lifetime is enough for me. Lady, keeping me locked up like this is likely futile. The Nanzhao Capital isn’t that large; it’s only a matter of time before I’m found here."

The woman leaned against a marble column and giggled. "Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you? Over the past six months, how many wicked ideas have you given Anxi? How many of my plans have you ruined? Don’t you like women from the Central Plains? Don’t I resemble them more than Anxi does?"

Xu Qingchen shook his head, lowered his gaze back to his book, and said, "If you wanted to kill me, you would have done so already. Besides... what benefit would killing me bring you?"

"True." The woman sighed reluctantly. "Killing you would indeed cause a lot of trouble. The Xu Family in the Central Plains, and perhaps even the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion, would come after me. And our Eldest Princess would definitely fight me to the death. But... hehe, although I can’t kill you, I can keep you locked up here. This way, you can’t ruin my plans. Without you meddling, it won’t be long before that arrogant, annoying woman Anxi meets a nasty end. And, of course... your lovely fiancée."

"Don’t you dare touch her!" Xu Qingchen seemed provoked, his voice cold as he warned her.

"Oh? You really care for her?" The woman looked at Xu Qingchen with some surprise. "How could you like such a little girl who clearly hasn’t grown up yet?"

Xu Qingchen replied nonchalantly, "As long as she is my fiancée, I will naturally care for her."

The woman stared at him. "You mean, no matter what kind of person she is, as long as she’s your fiancée, you’ll care for her?"

Xu Qingchen laughed. "Isn’t that natural? Since she is my future wife, who else should I care about if not her?"

"You... Fine! This lady will make a move on her just to show you!" The woman sneered, glared resentfully at Xu Qingchen, and then stormed out with a flick of her sleeves.

Hearing the heavy stone door close again, Xu Qingchen slowly put down the scroll he had been reading. His handsome eyes lowered gently. "Fiancée... Miss Chu... Li’er..."

「Late at night.」

Princess Anxi’s Mansion was tranquil. Only the lights in the study were vaguely visible. Princess Anxi, her refined and spirited features etched with fatigue, turned to the man in front of her, her eyebrows furrowed. "Have we still not received any news from Qingchen?"

The man shook his head. "No."

Growing a bit edgy, Princess Anxi said, "What is going on? Does she still not believe us? Does she really think Qingchen has disappeared?"

The man nodded. "It’s highly possible. Although we have sent people everywhere to look for Young Master Qingchen, she might still think we are staging a play in collusion with him."

"I hope nothing bad happens to Qingchen." Weary, Princess Anxi closed her eyes and rubbed her aching forehead. "We have put so much effort into this, and things are finally starting to turn around. If we fail now... regarding my father, the King..."

The man furrowed his brows. "Does His Majesty still not believe you, Princess?"

Princess Anxi forced a bitter smile. "My father is only just past forty and is in his prime. Even if he believed us, he wouldn’t support us. He needs another force to counterbalance me, the Eldest Princess." If it weren’t for her father’s covert favoritism, how could they have failed time and again over the past six months? Every time they were about to catch that person’s tail, she managed to escape. "With the military token in her hands now, our efforts will be futile if we can’t get it back."

Princess Anxi really didn’t understand why her usually wise father insisted on favoring that woman. However, she could not stand by and watch that woman harbor ill intentions towards Nanzhao. This was her duty as both the Princess of Nanzhao and the Eldest Princess.

"Can Young Master Qingchen’s whereabouts be found?" Princess Anxi asked. "If it really comes to it, please ask Qingchen to withdraw first. This is Nanzhao’s own affair; we cannot implicate him."

The man shook his head. "I’m afraid that’s not possible. Although we occasionally receive messages relayed from Young Master Qingchen, he is the one initiating contact. We have no way of determining Young Master Qingchen’s actual location."

"Damn it!" Princess Anxi cursed under her breath.

"Assassin!" A yell sounded from outside the courtyard. Princess Anxi shot up from her seat. The man beside her quickly drew his sword, moved from the door, and then quickly returned, frowning. "They’re heading for the guesthouse."

Princess Anxi said, "The only person in the guesthouse is Miss Chu. What does the assassin want with her? Let’s go and take a look." Then she took the lead, rushing out of the door towards the guesthouse. The man hurriedly shut the door and followed her.

Once the study was quiet again, a window in the corner moved slightly and was then pushed open. A figure in black swiftly slipped inside. Beneath the black face covering, a pair of clear, beautiful eyes was revealed. The figure quickly went to the desk and scanned the scrolls. Finding nothing of interest, the figure turned to the bookshelves behind. Princess Anxi’s study didn’t contain many books; most were various official documents and scrolls, largely in the Southern Border script. After some searching, a scroll hidden in the most inconspicuous corner of a shelf caught the figure’s eye. It wasn’t the scroll itself that drew her attention, but its seal: a sunflower-shaped mark. Her eyes flickered, and a thin blade appeared at her fingertips. Swiftly, she broke the seal and opened the scroll. Scanning ten lines at a glance, a faint smile touched her clear eyes. After resealing the scroll and restoring the study to its original state, the figure swiftly climbed out of the window.

「In the guesthouse.」

When Princess Anxi and her guards arrived, Darky Two immediately stopped them at the door. With a stern face, Darky Two confronted the group. "Princess, what brings you here so late?"

Princess Anxi said, "An assassin just broke into the guesthouse. Is Miss Chu alright?"

"Assassin?" Darky Two frowned. "I’ve been on guard outside all night and have seen no assassin."

Princess Anxi paused. The guards in her mansion absolutely would not lie. Besides, she herself had seen several shadowy figures entering the guesthouse area from afar. So why would Miss Chu’s guard deny it? "Guard Lin, Miss Chu is Young Master Qingchen’s fiancée. If anything were to happen to her, I would have a hard time explaining it to Young Master Qingchen. Are you certain no one broke into the guesthouse?"

Darky Two said heavily, appearing hesitant, "Indeed, a few shadowy figures approached when the commotion started outside, but they were frightened off by my hidden weapons. Some of them seemed injured. However, they absolutely did not enter the guesthouse. The young lady’s reputation is paramount, so Your Highness, please choose your words carefully."

Looking at Darky Two’s grim and serious expression, Princess Anxi began to understand why the guard insisted no assassins had entered. Women in the Central Plains were indeed much stricter about their reputation than those in the Southern Border.

"I apologize, Guard Lin. I misspoke," she said, waving her hand, dismissing the guards behind her to continue searching for the assassins. Then she turned back to Darky Two and said, "Did the commotion frighten Miss Chu? Why haven’t I seen her come out?"

Darky Two calmly replied, "Miss Chu is staying in the inner courtyard. Perhaps she didn’t hear the noise outside."

Princess Anxi frowned. "Since it’s inconvenient for you, Guard Lin, I shall personally check on Miss Chu. It wouldn’t be good if she was frightened..."

"No..." Darky Two was about to refuse when Ye Li’s voice came from behind.

"Princess sister, what’s going on?" Ye Li, wrapped in a large cloak, her hair loose over her shoulders, appeared with a sleepy and confused look in her eyes. Beside her was the maidservant Princess Anxi had assigned to attend her.

Princess Anxi smiled. "Nothing serious, a few petty thieves broke in earlier. Did they disturb you, Miss Chu?"

Ye Li tilted her head, her smile serene and charming. "I’m not afraid. Lin Han is very skilled in martial arts. He protected me throughout our journey. Isn’t that right, Lin Han?"

Darky Two bowed his head respectfully. "Correct, Miss Chu, please rest assured. The assassins did not enter; I have already driven them off."

Princess Anxi observed Ye Li and, seeing nothing unusual, nodded. "In that case, Miss Chu, please rest well. I’ll have others check the surroundings in case any fish escaped the net."

"Yes, thank you for your trouble, Princess sister," Ye Li responded with a well-behaved smile. Watching Princess Anxi depart, Ye Li’s smile gradually faded. Turning to the maidservant beside her, she said, "We should go back too."

The maidservant nodded and followed Ye Li towards the inner courtyard. The moment they entered the room, the maidservant felt a sudden numbness and slumped to the ground. Darky Two appeared silently at the doorway. Ye Li raised an eyebrow at him and asked, "What was that about assassins?"

Darky Two said solemnly, "There were indeed assassins, likely targeting you, Young Lady." He walked into the room, bent down, and dragged out a figure dressed in black from under the bed. "There were three of them. They underestimated the enemy and were discovered by the Princess Mansion’s guards. After being injured by my hidden weapons, they immediately retreated. This one was the most heavily injured and was caught by me."

Ye Li crouched down to look at the man on the ground, who clearly had the typical features of someone from the Southern Border. Although dressed in black night-crawling attire, he hadn’t concealed his features. "He shouldn’t be one of Princess Anxi’s men. The identity of Chu Liuyun should have no enemies in the Southern Border. Who would dare to provoke someone at the Princess Mansion?"

Darky Two frowned and asked, "Could our identities have been exposed?"

Ye Li shook her head. "No. If our identities were really exposed, it wouldn’t just be these few low-level assassins. Tonight’s events seem more like a demonstration of force or... a provocation aimed at Princess Anxi."

"A demonstration... provoking Princess Anxi? Is it because of Young Master Qingchen?" Darky Two guessed.

Ye Li nodded, lost in thought. "That’s what I think. In the Southern Border, concerning the identity of Chu Liuyun, the only connection is to my elder brother. But what’s the use of such a superficial provocation? Capturing me to threaten my elder brother would be more effective, assuming he’s in their hands."

"With the abilities of these assassins, even if I weren’t present, they couldn’t abduct anyone from the Princess Mansion," Darky Two said. "They alerted the Princess Mansion’s guards before even reaching the guesthouse. Assassins of this caliber couldn’t even manage a murder, let alone kidnap someone alive. Young Lady, can you guess who might be behind this?"

Ye Li smiled lightly. "I wasn’t sure initially, but now I have some confidence. Tomorrow, we can test your interrogation skills and, at the same time, verify my suspicions."