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She was indeed beginning to suspect him…
At the Grand Princess’s residence.
Li Yunli sat in the front hall, her left forearm being carefully bandaged by the mansion’s doctor. The doctor sprinkled medicinal powder on the wound and wrapped it with clean silk cloth.
The wound wasn’t deep, but it looked alarming—her entire sleeve was soaked in blood.
The cautious doctor used scissors to cut open the fabric, afraid of causing the princess any unnecessary pain.
Outside the hall, Shiliu and Shiqi knelt side by side.
Li Yunli frowned, closed her eyes, and ordered, “Tell them to get up.”
Zhi Lan relayed the message, but quickly returned. “Your Highness, they say they failed to protect you and feel unworthy. They beg for punishment.”
Li Yunli felt a vein throb at her temple.
The doctor, thinking he had caused her pain, lightened his touch even further.
“Do I look like a monster that eats people?”
The doctor’s hand trembled, not daring to move.
Li Yunli stood up and walked straight outside. Seeing her approach, the two men straightened their backs but lowered their heads even more.
“Stand up.”
“Your Highness.”
The two remained on their knees, trembling with fear.
The Grand Princess was of noble status, yet under their watch, she had suffered an injury. They felt they deserved nothing less than death, so how could they dare to rise?
Li Yunli crouched down in front of them.
This movement startled them so much that they instinctively lowered their heads even further.
“Tell me—did you hold back today? Did you deliberately let me get injured?”
Hearing this, Shiliu and Shiqi couldn’t bear it any longer and immediately kowtowed.
“Your Highness! We failed in our duty. We were simply outnumbered. Please punish us!”
“If you were outnumbered, then how is that dereliction of duty?”
Li Yunli sighed.
“If not for your efforts today, I would have ended up like the carriage driver—lying dead in the streets.”
Her tone was not one of punishment, leaving the two guards bewildered.
“As the Princess’s guards, you fought bravely. All the assassins have been slain. Where is the fault in that?”
“As for being outnumbered—when two armies meet, an imbalance of forces is a failure of the commander’s strategy. If anyone is to blame, it should be me for miscalculating.”
Shiliu and Shiqi dared not accept such words and shook their heads in denial.
“You performed your duty well, yet you want me to punish you. Are you suggesting I am someone who rewards and punishes unjustly, someone heartless and cruel?”
“No! No!”
The two quickly denied it, not daring to argue further.
“Then get up.”
Li Yunli stood first.
Finally, the two men rose to their feet, standing obediently with their hands at their sides.
Now that was more like it. Li Yunli was finally satisfied.
“Shiliu and Shiqi have done meritorious service today. From now on, you will be my first-rank personal guards. You will each be rewarded fifty taels of silver.”
The two, unexpectedly rewarded instead of punished, were too stunned to believe their ears.
Li Yunli, however, had already sat back down, instructing the servants to escort them away to receive their reward.
The doctor, seeing the situation settle, finally let out a real sigh of relief and resumed bandaging with focus.
Li Yunli gritted her teeth as the bandages tightened around her wound. The pain made her furrow her brows.
Just then, Yun Chu arrived at the front hall.
He had rushed in from the back courtyard, scanning the scene before his gaze fell upon the blood-soaked sleeve. His heart clenched.
“Your Highness, what happened?”
Li Yunli looked up and saw his brows furrowed even deeper than hers. She winced slightly from the pain.
“Your Highness!”
Yun Chu strode forward anxiously.
He had known she was injured, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad—so much blood…
Li Yunli: “It’s just a surface wound. It’s nothing serious.”
Yun Chu clenched his teeth.
He had just returned, making sure to avoid prying eyes as he re-entered the residence. Fortunately, her injured horse had slowed her down, giving him enough time. Otherwise, he might not have made it back in time.
Right now, however, the assassination attempt had deviated from the events of the previous timeline. He needed to find a way to subtly lead her toward the mastermind behind it.
“Who was responsible?”
Li Yunli noticed the severity in his tone—the way he seemed ready to storm off and fight the culprit himself.
But that arrow from the city wall had been too precise. She couldn’t help but suspect him.
“Shiliu and Shiqi searched the assassins. None of them had any identifying marks. They appear to be deathsworn.”
“Deathsworn?” Yun Chu questioned. “Who in the capital has the means to maintain so many deathsworn?”
“It wasn’t that many—twelve.”
Li Yunli glanced at him and caught his look of disbelief. “Alright, yes, twelve is quite a lot.”
He was this concerned about the situation?
A seed of doubt had already begun to sprout in her mind.
Was the person on the wall really him?
If it was, how did he escape from the estate? And how did he just happen to be there with a bow and arrow at that exact moment?
“Don’t worry,” she suddenly said, her voice losing its casual tone. “I know who it was.”
She knew?
Yun Chu’s heart skipped a beat.
But he hesitated—afraid that if she spoke the name outright without any evidence, it would confirm she possessed memories from another lifetime.
He hesitated for a moment but ultimately dared not press further.
Li Yunli shifted topics, her tone seemingly casual: “If you come with me to Yongzhou, there will be more incidents like this. Are you afraid?”
Yun Chu hadn’t expected the conversation to change so abruptly. He let out a breath. “No.”
Then, as if afraid she’d misunderstand, he added, “I am willing to go. You don’t need to worry.”
“Me? I’m not afraid.”
Li Yunli looked away.
Though she said that, Yun Chu’s gaze landed on her right hand, which was trembling slightly.
Why was she trembling?
A veteran of countless battlefields—was she really shaking over a simple assassination attempt?
The only explanation was that this incident had gone beyond her expectations. For the first time, she had felt genuine danger.
Yet she had taken precautions, brought guards, and avoided making the mistake of fighting in the streets like in the previous timeline.
Where had things gone wrong?
Li Yunli tucked her trembling right hand into her sleeve.
“…It just hurts a little.”
“I know.”
Yun Chu lowered his gaze, his expression softening. He knew she had always feared pain.
Given his current status, he could no longer directly ask about the assassins. He had to let the topic rest.
“Speaking of which,” Li Yunli suddenly said, “have you heard of Lushui Academy in the capital?”
Yun Chu’s heart skipped again. He slowly replied, “Lushui Academy is a renowned institution in Chu. Many of the emperor’s protégés study there—it has a long-standing reputation.”
She was bringing it up directly?
Yun Chu clenched his sleeve within his hand.
She couldn’t have identified him on the wall. In the chaos, it was impossible.
Which meant her suspicion came from the secret message he had once sent under the pseudonym “Nanqiang.”
He had only used that identity once, as a cover. But now that he knew she also had memories from the past, he had never used it again.
Yet today, she had deliberately mentioned it.
If she asked about A-Si, how should he respond?
Just as he was contemplating, Li Yunli asked, “You were once known for your intelligence. Would you be interested in visiting a Chu academy to observe and meet their scholars?”
“Me?”
Yun Chu almost thought he misheard.
“Would… would that be allowed?”
A gathering of scholars—a meeting of minds.
If he were still the bookish young prince from the past, he would have leapt at the opportunity.
But now, caught in a web of intrigue, accepting too eagerly might only deepen her suspicions.
Li Yunli watched him closely. “Lushui Academy is hosting a grand debate before the new year. Wouldn’t you like to attend?”
Yun Chu froze.
The faint curve of her lips—was she testing him?
She was indeed beginning to suspect him.