106 The Seven Princes of the Northern Rong

算看在鳳三的麵子上我也不能不聞不問吧。”瑤姬起身笑道：“那就多謝王妃了，告辭。”葉璃蹙眉看著她道：“你臉色很難看，要不要休息一下再走？”瑤姬搖搖頭笑道：“不要緊，這幾天實在是有些累了。我打算離開京城休息一……”話說到一半，瑤姬身子一軟往地上跌了下去。站在旁邊的青鸞手腳伶俐連忙扶住了她將她拽了回來。葉璃也嚇了一跳叫青霜去叫外麵的青玉進來看看。不一會兒青玉匆匆進來替瑤姬把了把脈，神色有些古怪的看著葉璃...Northern Rong's Seven Princes

106. Northern Rong's Seven Princes

Around the stage, Yao Ji was smiling as she held a colorful embroidered ball in her hands and looked down at the crowd below. The men below were all staring excitedly at that tiny ball; whoever managed to grab it would get to spend one night with the first dancing maiden of the capital city. For these common folk who had never even seen Yao Ji before, this was undoubtedly an unbelievable opportunity. Yao Ji's gaze landed on Ye Li and she raised her eyebrows in amusement as she gave her a smile. Frowning, Ye Li felt an uneasy premonition rising within her. Before she could think about it more thoroughly, she saw Yao Ji raise the embroidered ball and throw it forcefully towards her direction. The crowd let out exclamation after exclamation; those who were far away from the stage looked disappointedly at their failure to grab the ball while those near the stage focused all of their attention on the flying ball in the air, raising their hands high in hopes of catching this unexpected good fortune.

The moment Yao Ji raised her hand, Ye Li had understood which direction she wanted to throw the embroidered ball. Of course, Yao Ji did not intend to throw it at herself but rather towards Mo Xiuyao who was standing behind her. After letting go of the ball, Yao Ji also raised her eyebrows and moved her lips silently. Although there were no words coming out, Ye Li—who was well-versed in reading lips—understood that she had said: "Do you think he's going to catch it" Cursing silently in her heart, Ye Li turned around wanting to pull Mo Xiuyao away. If it weren’t for the crowd surrounding them from all sides, they would have no difficulty avoiding such a small ball. But now that they were surrounded by people on all sides, even stepping aside was difficult let alone dodging.

Mo Xiuyao looked down and saw Ye Li pulling at his clothes; he chuckled softly and lifted his hand to slap the embroidered ball heading towards him in midair. The embroidered ball changed direction and flew off to another side.

With the change of direction, the crowd surged in that direction instead. Mo Xiuyao held Ye Li in his arms, protecting her from being squeezed by the crowd. Smiling, he asked, "Did you feel nervous just now, A-Ge" Hmphing softly, Ye Li raised her head to look at Yao Ji on stage; seeing that Yao Ji’s ball had been knocked away, she did not show any signs of disappointment but instead smiled even more seductively towards Ye Li. She said silently, "Congratulations." Nodding slightly, Ye Li accepted her good wishes.

The colorful embroidered ball was fought over within the crowd; often before someone could grab it, another person would snatch or kick it away. The intensity of this battle for the ball left people in awe. Even though there were many people vying for the ball, such a small object couldn’t be endlessly fought over.

When a towering man who thought he was better than everyone else managed to grab the embroidered ball first and reached out to catch it, a striking figure landed on the shoulders of others as he leaped towards them. He kicked away the large man’s hand while sending the embroidered ball flying back onto stage.

Amidst the disappointed exclamations from everyone, a swift figure quickly dashed up the stage and caught the embroidered ball before it could land in Yao Ji’s lap. On stage, a young man dressed in brown brocade stood calmly by Yao Ji's side; his handsome face had sharp angles, exuding an aura of ruggedness compared to men of Da Chu. Yet, the keen glint in his eyes revealed that he wasn’t just another muscle-bound brute.

The man casually toyed with the embroidered ball in his hands and smiled at the man who was now lost within the crowd below, "Sir, if you don't fancy Miss Yao Ji, then there's no need to kick her embroidered ball back to her. It’s said that Da Chu is a land of poetry and etiquette, but your actions seem... rather impolite towards such a lady."

In the crowd, Mu Yang Houfu’s son, Mu Yang, frowned darkly and leapt onto stage without saying a word, sending his palm out at the man in brown. The man obviously expected this move as he easily sidestepped it.

The two fought back and forth on stage while the people below cheered them on. Since they couldn’t get the beauty’s favor through fighting for the ball, watching a lively fight was no loss either. Ordinary people often lack much in terms of possessions and therefore are less inclined to hold onto anything too tightly.

Leaning against Mo Xiuyao’s chest, Ye Li curiously observed the man dueling with Mu Yang on stage. From his appearance alone, she could tell that he was definitely not from Da Chu. "Is this... a Northern Rong person" Ye Li didn’t have very good impressions of people from Northern Rong; last year during her wedding ceremony, the Thirteenth Prince of Northern Rong had left an extremely unpleasant impression on her. This time, it seemed that he had come here for some leisurely fun. Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "News had arrived earlier that those coming to fetch a bride from Northern Rong have already arrived in Da Chu; I didn’t think they would be this fast and actually arrive at the capital city." Ye Li raised her eyebrows as she turned back to look at him, “Do you know them”

"Yelü Ye, the seventh prince of Northern Rong." Mo Xiuyao said solemnly, "Mu Yang might not be his match."

Ye Li nodded slightly. From the few exchanges she had seen, Mu Yang was indeed skilled, but he couldn't compare to Yelü Ye who clearly honed his skills on battlefields. This wasn't Mu Yang's fault; while Great Chu崇尚武藝, it also valued literature and most noble families preferred their children to pursue official careers rather than go to war where life could be easily lost. For Mu Yang to achieve such accomplishments in martial arts at a young age was commendable. However, Northern Rong was vastly different from Great Chu. Despite being influenced by Central Plains culture, its people were still fierce and respected strength. As one of the best sons of the Northern Rong prince, Yelü Ye had been fighting on battlefields since his teens.

Within a hundred moves, Mu Yang began to fall behind. But Yelü Ye seemed even more spirited as he became bolder in his attacks, making Mu Yang struggle and retreat continuously. Ye Li glanced at Mo Xiuyao and couldn't help but frown; she didn't want Mo Xiuyao to step up regardless of the outcome, which would surely stir controversy. However, neither she nor Mo Xiuyao could stand by while Mu Yang was injured by Yelü Ye. Yao Ji had been somewhat distracted, but when she saw Mu Yang on the brink of defeat, she snapped back into focus and angrily said, "You told me not to meddle! What does it have to do with you that I'm throwing the embroidered ball"

Yelü Ye laughed loudly. "Miss Yao Ji is right. Young Master Mu, since you kicked the embroidered ball back, what are you trying to say now"

Mu Yang glanced at Yao Ji but remained silent as he continued to fend off Yelü Ye's relentless attacks. Even those without martial arts knowledge could tell how strained Mu Yang was. Yelü Ye snorted coldly and seemed to finally lose patience, smiling and saying, "Since the young master has nothing more to say, let me enjoy myself." With a sharp command, he struck out with his palm towards Mu Yang's chest. The force behind this strike was formidable, clearly possessing the power to split mountains and rocks. Yao Ji on the side couldn't help but cover her mouth in alarm and cry out, "No!" Seeing Mu Yang in danger, she dashed forward as hard as she could despite being close to them on a small stage. As someone who had trained since childhood, she was agile enough to slip between Yelü Ye and Mu Yang.

The spectators below couldn't help but shut their eyes in horror; when the two men fought earlier, everything on the stage was shattered. If that palm strike hit Yao Ji, a delicate beauty like her would surely be killed instantly.

"Swoosh—" A beam of light flashed across swiftly. Yelü Ye felt a glint before his eyes and quickly pulled back his strength to retreat several steps. Yao Ji turned pale as she landed in Mu Yang's arms. Expecting death with closed eyes, she realized the strike hadn't hit her. Opening her eyes, she saw Mu Yang's concerned yet angry gaze and stood up, pushing him away.

Yelü Ye crossed his hands behind his back and glanced at a pearl floral hairpin stuck into a pillar beside him. Although it was an ordinary silver pin with pearls, how deeply the entire thing had been embedded in wood showed that whoever threw it had profound inner strength. If Yelü Ye hadn't pulled back his strength in time, he believed this pin would have pierced through his wrist. Turning to look at where the weapon came from, he saw a young man and woman dressed modestly yet elegantly. The woman was graceful with an air of nobility that set her apart from most Chu women, while the man's mask couldn't hide the moon-white robes that made him seem ethereal. Yelü Ye raised his eyebrows and laughed, "Sir, you already have a lady in your arms; do you also find Miss Yao Ji appealing"

Mo Xiuyao smiled calmly, saying, "Prince Yelü is jesting. My wife is inherently kindhearted and abhors bloodshed. It's fine if you act on impulse and strike without restraint, but frightening my wife would be a problem." Upon hearing this, Mu Yang turned around in surprise, spotting Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li among the crowd, pausing slightly before nodding and not revealing their identities. Yelü Ye hadn't expected to have his cover blown so easily; narrowing his eyes as he sized up Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, he finally smiled and said, "So it's you two... I didn't expect to meet His Excellency and Lady here; this is a great honor." Mo Xiuyao replied coolly, "I hadn't expected to encounter Prince Yelü in such a place."

Ye Yexiao smiled without saying anything, dodging Mo Xiuyao's questioning about his private entry into Chu Capital. He pointed at Yaoji and said with a smile, "Since Your Highness has no intention of vying for Miss Yaoji, does this mean that Miss Yaoji is still under my jurisdiction"

“You wish!” Muyang sternly said as he walked in front of Yaoji to shield her behind himself. Ye Yexiao gave a disdainful snort and looked at Muyang with half-smiling, half-sarcastic eyes: "Why doesn't Young Master Mu ask Miss Yaoji’s opinion Perhaps she wants to choose the stronger one" Yaoji silently walked out from behind Muyang and stood behind Ye Yexiao under his shocked gaze. "Yaoji! You..."

Yaoji gave a faint smile but her expression was somewhat bitter as she softly said, “The rules today were set by Yaoji herself, so Yaoji must follow them. It has been kind of Young Master to specially come for this; it is only right for me to complete our years-long friendship.”

Muyang stared at her stunning beauty and did not say a word for a long time. Yaoji’s smile gradually stiffened as she finally turned away from him without facing him again. As the sky darkened, curfew was approaching, and the people below started to leave, disappointed that there was no excitement left to watch. On stage, Ye Yexiao smiled down at Ye Liye and Mo Xiuyao: "Your Highness, Princess Consort, it’s a great coincidence to meet today. Why don’t we find somewhere to have a drink"

Mo Xiuyao led Ye Liye over with a faint smile and said, “Prince Yelü has his lady in arms; does he still have time to chat with this one”

A sharp light flashed across Prince Yelü’s eyes as he laughed: "My incapable brother offended Your Highness last year. Fortunately, Your Highness is magnanimous and didn’t mind it, allowing him to return safely to Beirong; I’ve been meaning to personally express my gratitude." Mo Xiuyao nodded generously: “A guest is a guest. This one isn't the petty sort who would hold grudges over trivial matters.” In fact, he felt no guilt whatsoever for making the already foolish Prince Yelü even more so. The fact that he managed to get him back alive was proof enough of his many years of cultivation and self-discipline. But Prince Yelü’s throat choked as if he wished Mo Xiuyao would die under his palm. If Ye Liye had directly killed Prince Yelü, he might not have been so angry. Yet, he sent Prince Yelü to the hands of his archenemy, Crown Prince. Not only that, but he also informed him about it. Fearing that Prince Yelü would leak something secret to the Crown Prince, he went through great lengths to retrieve him. But when he was saved, he turned out to be an ignorant fool who knew nothing. Of course, Mo Xiuyao had no doubt emptied his brain of everything he knew before turning him into a fool. Any member of King Ding’s household left alive is a disaster; my father truly didn’t lie.

"This must be Princess Consort of the King Ding then I am Prince Yelü Niyu from Beirong, it's an honor to meet you," knowing that he couldn't match wits with Mo Xiuyao, Prince Yelü changed his target and greeted Ye Liye.

Ye Liye stood beside Mo Xiuyao and replied softly: "Prince Yelü has done me a great courtesy."

Prince Yelü sized her up audaciously and said, “On the way to Chu Capital, I heard that Princess Consort is a capable woman. Originally, I thought… but she’s actually such an elegant beauty King Ding truly is blessed.” Mo Xiuyao’s gaze dimmed as he swiftly cast aside his murderous aura and smiled at Prince Yelü: "Prince Yelü flatters me. This place isn’t suitable for conversation; why not visit my humble abode" He glanced down and saw that curfew was approaching in half an hour, by which time the streets would be deserted. The stage looked odd with only a few people left on it.

Yelü Ye smiled coolly and said, "It's a great honor for this Prince to be invited by the Prince Ding. However, it’s already late today; it would be impolite of me to visit the Prince Ding王府 suddenly. I will certainly pay my respects in person on another day." At this hour, going over to the Topaz Palace was not something that a sensible person would do, Yelü Ye believed. Seeing him refuse, Mo Xiuyao didn’t push any further, "Since you feel that way, this Prince and Ah Li shall take our leave now. Your Highness Yelü and Young Master Mu…"

Yelü Ye smiled and said, "I will also be returning to my inn. As for Miss Yaorui, it was just a joke earlier on; please don’t mind." It seemed that Mu Yang didn’t expect him to let go so easily as he froze at first. Yaorui looked at Yelü Ye with surprise while Yelü Ye didn’t care and waved his hand saying, "Seeing Young Master Mu’s skills in action made me want to join in the fun. If I’ve offended anyone, please forgive me."

Mu Yang nodded and said, “Your Highness Yelü is better than me; you have my apologies.”

Yelü Ye raised his eyebrows and smiled as he was about to say something when a cold glint flashed at the corner of the road. Several men in black threw themselves towards them. Yelü Ye turned his head to avoid the incoming blade while pushing aside an assassin with one palm, "My Lord, it’s so dangerous here at night." Mo Xiuyao held Ye Li in his arms and twisted the hand that was holding a knife tightly; he heard bones breaking loudly, “Perhaps because of all these tourists After all, I remember the nights in Chang’an being very peaceful.” Yelü Ye laughed without arguing back.

On the other side, Mu Yang protected Yaorui while fighting against them. Yaorui’s body stiffened; although she didn’t want to be touched by Mu Yang again, she knew this wasn’t a time to be stubborn and could only remain still as he held her in his arms. The look on her face was sad and gloomy as she avoided the fear from facing the assassins.

The assassins obviously noticed that these three men were experts; however, Mo Xiuyao and Mu Yang were both protecting a woman each while Yelü Ye was unburdened and able to freely fight. The assassins exchanged looks before turning their attention back towards Mo Xiuyao and Mu Yang. As long as they got rid of the two men, dealing with the remaining one would be easy. Seeing this, Yelü Ye raised his eyebrows and turned around after seeing that Mo Xiuyao was handling it well to join the battle on Mu Yang’s side.

Ye Li was somewhat無奈ly held in Mo Xiuyao’s arms; although she knew that he could handle these assassins, being protected like this made her feel uncomfortable. But Mo Xiuyao holding onto her waist told her otherwise and Ye Li only sighed helplessly as she carefully watched the surrounding assassins.

She wasn’t sure who sent these assassins but they didn’t seem to be very capable. Bored, Ye Li thought to herself that it was rather pointless since Princess Ding would have encountered a lot of assassins in her life time anyway. The level of skill displayed by the assassins was mediocre at best. Seeing how easily these three men disposed of them, she frowned slightly; these people didn’t seem to be here to kill but instead perform some kind of show for someone. Even if it weren’t for Prince Ding’s secret guards and Yelü Ye’s bodyguards, any one of the three men was capable enough to handle these assassins.

"Watch out!" When the last assassin fell at the hands of Yelü Ye, Yaorui immediately pushed Mu Yang away and retreated far. Mu Yang looked at Yaorui who had moved further away from him before bitterly smiling; turning around to thank Yelü Ye, he was surprised by a hidden assassin that shot an arrow at Yaorui. Ye Li cried out as she pulled Mo Xiuyao’s jade pendant towards her. The arrow whizzed past and the jade pendant fell onto the ground in pieces.such a magnificent display by the Queen Consort of Ding" His slightly upturned eyes fixated on Ye Li, his anger barely concealed in his gaze. Knowing he was concerned for her, Ye Li smiled gently and...