Chapter Eighty-Three: An Assassination Attempt

When Li Yi walked out of the Wanchun Palace, dusk had already descended; night was about to fall, and the city curfew would soon begin. He intended to return home at once, but just then, he crossed paths with Prince Yan, Li You.

Li Yi wished to avoid him—he truly wanted no entanglement with such a scoundrel—but Li You seemed to have come deliberately for him, blocking Li Yi’s retreat with an entourage of guards. “Li Yi, we meet again,” Li You called out.

Li Yi grew wary—he felt a vague unease. Maintaining a calm exterior, he asked, “I wonder what important business brings Your Highness to seek me out?”

Li You gave a cold laugh. “Don't worry, I’m not here to cause you trouble today. I’ve come to make peace.”

Inwardly, Li Yi rolled his eyes—was this the tone of reconciliation? “Oh, Your Highness exaggerates. There's never been any enmity between us. What need is there for peace?”

“Heh, you and I both know whether there's enmity—no need to beat around the bush. So, yes or no, give me a straight answer.”

Li Yi’s suspicions deepened; he couldn’t fathom Li You’s intentions today. Was he possessed by someone else? “Since Your Highness insists, how could I refuse you? I’ll go along with whatever you wish.”

Li You clapped his hands. “Good, it’s settled then. Curfew is imminent, so I won’t delay you long. I’ve already sent someone for wine. In a moment, let’s drink three cups together and wipe away all past grievances. How about it?”

“I await Your Highness’s command,” Li Yi replied.

Now Li Yi began to understand—Li You was stalling for time. Otherwise, why not just bring the wine along? Yet the purpose of this delay eluded him. With no other choice, Li Yi decided to play along, feeling the cold blade hidden at his thigh and trusting that skill and daring would see him through.

Upon hearing Li Yi’s answer, Li You flashed a meaningful smile.

A quarter of an hour later, a eunuch finally arrived with the wine. Because the wait had been long, Li You made a show of berating the young eunuch, even slapping his face in front of Li Yi. The scene made Li Yi wince—was all this drama really necessary? Did he have to bully the eunuch so harshly? These people truly treated eunuchs as less than human.

Afterward, Li Yi and Li You each drank three cups in silence, both with their own thoughts. Naturally, before drinking, Li Yi took the precaution of checking the wine—who knew if the little rascal would resort to poison?

After the ritual was done, Li Yi took his leave of Li You. He returned to the palace gates, found his horse Juechen, mounted up, and rode homeward, his mind heavy with unease.

The events of the day were shrouded in strangeness. Though much of what Li Yi knew was hearsay and tainted by the brush of history, he knew enough to be certain that Li You was no good man. Yet today, Li You had behaved most peculiarly. Li Yi truly could not fathom his motives—was he merely stalling? Planning an ambush? At the thought, Li Yi laughed and shook his head. If that were so, Li You would be a fool to reveal himself so openly before making a move.

Lost in thought atop Juechen, Li Yi found himself approaching a street corner—a place he always passed on the way home from the Grand Palace.

Just as he was deep in contemplation, a sudden chill raced down his spine. Instinctively, he ducked, and a long blade skimmed over his scalp, slicing off a lock of hair. Li Yi tumbled from his horse; before he could regain his footing, a masked, black-clad assailant rushed at him. Li Yi dodged, tore a strip from his pant leg, and drew his cold blade.

The attacker, his first strike missed, immediately launched a second, aiming at Li Yi’s throat. But Li Yi, already unsheathing his blade, spun and struck—a single, lethal blow.

Most of Li Yi’s fighting skills had been honed in the military, his style favoring swift, decisive kills. In such life-or-death moments, the deadly precision of a special forces soldier became pure instinct.

It all happened in a flash. After killing the masked assailant, Li Yi prepared to flee, only to realize he was surrounded. Even on horseback, escape was now impossible.

Thinking quickly, Li Yi decapitated the fallen assassin and tied the severed head to Juechen’s tail. “Juechen, in a moment I’ll open a gap—run for help! I’m counting on you!” Juechen whinnied and stomped twice, as if in reply.

Juechen—one of Li Yi’s most trusted companions—understood human speech, though only Li Yi’s words. Perhaps the bond between man and horse had reached a level of perfect understanding.

As Li Yi finished speaking, the killers closed in. With no time for words, he gripped his blade and charged, Juechen close behind. Facing another masked assailant, Li Yi feinted with his left fist, then drove his blade upward with his right, stabbing deep into the man’s chest and ending his life in an instant. He flung the corpse forward, breaking a gap in the encirclement. Juechen seized the chance, leaping over the heads of the black-clad men and galloping away.

Li Yi had considered escaping on Juechen’s back, but not only was it uncertain whether the horse could leap while carrying a rider, there was the greater risk of arrows. If the assassins loosed their bows, neither of them might survive. By drawing the killers’ attention himself, Li Yi gave Juechen the chance to get away. Though the assassins suspected the horse might be seeking help, they were confident they could kill Li Yi before any rescue could arrive. Besides, who would believe a horse could summon aid?

With Juechen gone, Li Yi felt a glimmer of hope—now all that remained was to survive.

Glancing around, Li Yi quickly spotted a corner where he could avoid being attacked from all sides. Blade flashing, he charged toward it. The masked men guessed his intent and tried to block him, but Li Yi, employing the moves of the Taiji sword, slipped past their defenses and soon reached the wall. Back against solid stone, cold blade in hand, he glared at the dozens of killers before him with icy disdain.

“Come on, then! Tonight, I’ll show you how I deal with scum!”

While Li Yi fought for his life, Juechen sped toward the Li residence at lightning speed. Only now did the full extent of the horse’s prowess become clear—a true steed of legend, running so swiftly it became little more than a blur. In less than the time it took to burn a stick of incense, Juechen arrived at the Li household. The gate servants recognized the horse at once—this was the young master’s prized mount, whose feed cost more than that of five servants combined. But tonight, Juechen looked utterly bedraggled, his coat matted with blood, his breath ragged, and something trailing behind him. Upon closer inspection—heavens!—it was a human head!

The two servants were terrified, one collapsing to the ground, the other, though a bit steadier, stared wide-eyed for a moment before letting out a scream that would make even Pavarotti envious: “M-m-murder!”

With that, the servant tore into the compound, shrieking the alarm, and Juechen galloped after him.

The uproar instantly reached Li Jing inside, who was reading in his study. The moment he heard the cries, he knew disaster had struck. He rushed out and, seeing Juechen covered in blood, understood at once that Li Yi was in grave danger.

Even Li Jing, whose heart was forged in iron, could not suppress a shiver at the thought of tragedy befalling Li Yi.

“Hurry! Bring me my halberd!” Li Jing roared. A quick-witted guard dashed off and soon returned with Li Jing’s armor and halberd. Without pausing to don his armor, Li Jing seized the weapon and called out to Li Dejian, who had just run out, “Go at once to Lord Zhijie’s residence and ask for reinforcements!”

Without another word, Li Jing vaulted onto the unresisting Juechen and charged out into the night.