Chapter 333
Could this be a warning from the Crown Princess Consort, or the Crown Prince, to their Princess or Xiliang?
The imposing Crown Prince’s mansion was adorned with red lanterns and silks beneath the glazed tiles, giving it a festive appearance, yet the silence everywhere was filled with an eerie sense.
Li Tianfu did not care whether her wedding was grand. Today, she came adorned magnificently for… vengeance against Lu Tianzhuo.
Through the pearl curtain of her ornate crown, Li Tianfu gazed at the people in the main hall with her bloodshot eyes. She stepped through the gate of the Crown Prince’s mansion with a determination to die!
It was Li Tianfu herself… who sent the message of her intent to assassinate the Crown Prince to Bai Qingyan.
If Bai Qingyan came, then Li Tianfu would take the opportunity to kill Bai Qingyan!
If Bai Qingyan did not come, Li Tianfu would kill the Crown Prince and tell all the guests who came to congratulate today that she had sent someone to inform Bai Qingyan… that she intended to assassinate the Crown Prince, but Bai Qingyan did not come. Thus… the Emperor would surely be furious with Bai Qingyan.
Even if the assassination failed, she, as a peace princess from Xiliang, would have attempted to assassinate the Crown Prince of Jin Kingdom on her wedding day. Then… would Jin Kingdom let Xiliang go?
Xiliang would be forced to fight, with their backs to the wall!
She wanted the entire Xiliang to avenge Lu Tianzhuo!
Did Li Tianfu harbor hatred in her heart? She did…
Although both were the legitimate daughters of the Emperor and Empress, her older sister was the one who was held in the Emperor’s arms, taught to write and enlightened by his hand, while she could only follow her older sister and was naturally inferior in all aspects.
Her older sister became the Empress, while she… became the peace princess.
She resented her father for his injustice, her mother for her unfairness, and her older sister for sending her for the peace marriage.
She hated Bai Qingyan, the enemy of Lu Tianzhuo, even more!
Now that Lu Tianzhuo was dead, the great revenge had not been avenged…
Hence, Li Tianfu’s life’s ambition was to fulfill Lu Tianzhuo’s wish, kill Bai Qingyan, and annihilate the entire Bai family.
Only then could she peacefully meet Lu Tianzhuo.
Through the swaying pearl curtain, Li Tianfu saw Bai Qingyan sitting beside the Crown Princess Consort. Her eyes reddened, and her pupils gradually deepened with madness.
Her gaze fixed on Bai Qingyan, her hand silently reached for the Heavenly Silk Sword wound around her waist, the national treasure of Xiliang. The sword’s blade was as thin as a cicada’s wing, flexible as a rope, but cut through iron like mud.
Bai Qingyan casually placed her teacup into the black lacquer square tray held by the maid beside her, moved her gaze from the Cuiyu jade ornament hanging at Li Tianfu’s waist, arranged her sleeve, and turned to the Crown Princess Consort, saying, “It is inappropriate for me to sit here while the Crown Princess Consort receives tea from the side consort.”
The Crown Princess Consort did not expect Bai Qingyan to be so observant of etiquette and smiled with a nod. To show intimacy, she patted Bai Qingyan’s hand and said, “You have been wronged…”
Bai Qingyan stood and moved aside, watching as Li Tianfu stepped into the main hall door.
The Crown Prince’s guards subtly moved towards the Crown Prince.
Li Tianfu made a graceful bow to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess Consort. Seeing the maid beside the Crown Princess Consort had prepared the tea she was to offer and the nanny had considerately placed the cushion on the ground, Li Tianfu walked towards the Crown Princess Consort, her eyes fixed like a wolf on Bai Qingyan. Just as the maid was about to help her kneel, suddenly a cold flash of light emerged from Li Tianfu’s waist. She swiftly drew the Heavenly Silk Sword…
Qin Shangzhi had been watching Li Tianfu’s movements. Moments after the cold light flashed, he cried out harshly, “Protect His Highness!”
In an instant, chaos erupted in the main hall.
Guards drew their swords to protect the Crown Prince. The distinguished guests seated in the main hall screamed in terror and shock. Some with no regard for decorum hid behind their chairs, while others hurriedly rushed out of the main hall to seek safety.
The Crown Princess Consort, unaware of anything, widened her eyes, looked at Li Tianfu raising her sword, screamed, and hid in the nanny’s arms in fright.
The nanny thought Li Tianfu intended to kill the Crown Princess Consort and held her tightly, protecting her back with her own spine, showing utmost loyalty and courage.
Li Zhijie, looking terrified, rushed towards Li Tianfu, shouting, “Princess, you must not!”
Seeing the maids following Li Tianfu draw the hidden daggers from their sleeves, all rushing towards her.
Her clear and clean eyes remained calm. She retreated quickly while unwrapping the iron sandbag wound around her arm…
All the guards were on the Crown Prince’s side, and she was unarmed. But the cold glint from Li Tianfu’s hand was indeed aimed at her.
Murderous intent was everywhere.
Their eyes met in mid-air. The calm and indifferent look in Bai Qingyan’s eyes ignited the raging hatred in Li Tianfu’s heart as if it had been doused with hot oil. She remembered… when Bai Qingyan shot an arrow through Lu Tianzhuo’s throat, his eyes showed the same serene calm.
As she sidestepped Li Tianfu’s slashing soft sword, a maid’s dagger came at her. She spun to evade. The poisoned dagger almost grazed Bai Qingyan’s waist.
The poison-laced blade’s attacks were urgent and ruthless, every move intended to kill. Bai Qingyan moved like a fish in boiling water, where any slight carelessness would result in death.
Li Tianfu’s flexible sword stabbed again, and her maids, who followed her from Xiliang, kept lunging at Bai Qingyan recklessly.
Amidst the chaos, Prince of Yan Murong Li stood up and took a few steps back under the guard’s protection, gripping the sword at his waist. He watched intently as Xiliang’s King Yan, Li Zhijie, rushed forward to block Li Tianfu.
At this moment, who couldn’t see that Li Tianfu was targeting the Princess of Zhen, Bai Qingyan?
Facing the icy blades approaching from all directions, Bai Qingyan grabbed a white jade vase from the tall table to try and defend herself. Just as the poisoned blades were an inch away, she felt a weight on her shoulder, and she was suddenly pulled into a warm shield.
“Protect the Princess of Zhen!” the Crown Prince shouted, eyes wide.
Yue Shi had already drawn his sword and plunged into the battle.
Xiao Rongyan embraced Bai Qingyan and spun around. His robe was torn, but Bai Qingyan was completely shielded. His eyes were dark as he saw a Xiliang maid break through Yue Shi, rushing towards them.
Murong Li drew the sword from his waist and threw it towards Bai Qingyan, shouting, “Princess of Zhen, catch the sword!”
Xiao Rongyan grasped the maid’s wrist, kicked her fiercely in the chest. Bai Qingyan darted out from behind him, catching Murong Li’s sword. As Xiao Rongyan deftly maneuvered, stabbing the dagger into the maid’s heart, Bai Qingyan’s longsword flashed coldly, beheading the maid. Blood sprayed out.
“My heavens! How did I not know Brother Xiao was so skilled?!” Sima Ping’s eyes widened in disbelief.
The Crown Prince, protected by guards in the center, pulled a guard’s sword and threw it towards Xiao Rongyan. “Rongyan, catch the sword!”
Xiao Rongyan caught the sword and met Bai Qingyan’s deep gaze. She shook her head almost imperceptibly.
Xiao Rongyan’s identity was that of a wealthy merchant. He had been in Dadu for so long without revealing his skills. Even Sima Ping was surprised. If Xiao Rongyan exposed himself because of her today, the Crown Prince would become suspicious, which would be unfavorable to Xiao Rongyan.