By the time Father Su brought his daughter back to the estate, dusk had already fallen.
Su Li alighted from the carriage and saw Mother Su waiting at the estate gate. Siqin held an umbrella over Su Li as she lifted her skirt hem and stepped forward.
"Mother, with such heavy rain, why are you out here? Please go inside quickly," Su Li said, surprised.
Mother Su smiled, "When I saw it start raining in the late afternoon, I knew your wedding date must have been set. I couldn't sit still, so I came out to wait for you all."
The family returned to the main courtyard, where Yu Ge was sleeping soundly.
The three sat together, and Father Su recounted the day's events in the palace to his wife.
Mother Su exclaimed in shock, "The Imperial Astrologer just died so inexplicably?"
Father Su nodded, his expression also somewhat solemn. "Indeed, the Emperor ordered Ziyan to conduct a thorough investigation. We don't know who the person behind this is, to dare be so audacious!"
Mother Su added, "With the wedding date set, we're truly going to be busy."
Father Su nodded, "Yes, my Li'er is truly getting married."
Before the wedding date was set, he hadn't yet felt the reality of marrying off his daughter.
Now that the wedding date was confirmed, a thousand reluctances filled his heart.
His daughter was the very flesh of his heart; how could he possibly bear to part with her?
"Father, Prince Jing's Manor isn't far from our estate. When I'm married, your daughter will come back every day, so please don't find it annoying, you and Mother," Su Li said playfully.
"How could we? Your father and I even considered finding you a live-in son-in-law before, but Ziyan's status is special," Mother Su chuckled.
Father Su looked outside and said, "Alright, since things can't be changed, let's not dwell on it. It's getting late, let's have dinner."
After dining with her parents, she returned to her own courtyard.
After Su Li washed up, she sent her maids away to rest.
She changed into a loose and comfortable nightgown, read for a while, and then felt a wave of sleepiness.
She walked to the window and looked out.
A rainy night was unlike a moonlit night; there were no stars, no moon, yet it possessed its own unique tranquility and beauty.
Rainwater flowed down the eaves and gutters, forming a continuous curtain of rain. The water on the ground accumulated, gathering into a small stream.
Listening to the sound of rain hitting the leaves outside the window, accompanied by the chirping of crickets in the grass, it was both tranquil and lively.
Su Li didn't close the window, intending to fall asleep to the sound of rain.
She stepped into the inner chamber, dimming the glow of the luminous pearl, leaving only a faintly bright, dim yellow oil lamp covered by a shade, making the room even more hazy and quiet.
Su Li got into bed, and lulled by the rain, she quickly drifted into slumber.
As she was slipping into hazy slumber, she suddenly awoke with a jolt.
Su Li quickly caught the heavy scent of blood. She rapidly got up, put on her outer robe and shoes, and moved closer to the door.
The rain was still falling outside. The cold wind carried not the scent of flowers, but the smell of blood.
Su Li whispered, "Moyun?"
Moyun didn't respond.
The commotion outside grew louder, with muffled groans heard intermittently, and the scent of blood intensified.
Through the door crack, Su Li saw over a dozen dark figures moving in the courtyard.
After watching for a moment, although Su Li didn't understand martial arts, she could tell that these people's skills were not weak. Moyun was struggling to hold his ground alone.
Su Li glanced at the rain outside, gritting her teeth. With the rain falling, her poisons would be of little use in this open environment.
Just as Su Li was consumed by anxiety, the night-duty guards of the estate finally detected the commotion in the courtyard.
"Assassins! Quickly go inform the Master!" This was Xu Jin's voice.
"Catch the assassins!"
In an instant, the area outside the courtyard was brightly lit.
Lights flickered on in all the various chambers.
Su Li shouted, "Siqin, none of you come out!"
It was too chaotic outside, and Siqin and the others didn't know martial arts, making them easily injured.
After saying this, Su Li quickly retreated back into the inner room.
Sure enough, the black-clad figures outside, upon hearing her voice, immediately converged on her boudoir.
The instant they pushed open the door, several collapsed.
Su Li curled her lips into a smile.
In this estate, the safest places were the main courtyard and her room.
Although she didn't understand martial arts, she knew poisons.
Every part of this room was fatal for those who hadn't taken her antidote pill, rendering it inaccessible.
She had deliberately lured them inside.
The attackers instantly lost half their numbers, significantly reducing the pressure on Moyun.
With the help of the estate guards, the black-clad figures gradually fell into a disadvantage.
The rain gradually lessened. Su Li threw several porcelain bottles into the courtyard, which shattered upon impact.
The black-clad figures' movements gradually became sluggish. Moyun, delighted, quickly flipped them one by one onto the ground.
When the black-clad figures tried to get up again, the guards' swords were already at their throats.
Father Su emerged from the shadows and said coldly, "Speak! Who sent you!"
At this moment, Father Su showed no trace of his usual gentleness; his entire being exuded a chilling, bloodthirsty aura.
"Won't speak?" Father Su's hand rose and fell, and one black-clad figure's head was severed from their body.
Father Su walked to the next black-clad figure. "You speak!"
As the black-clad figure was about to move their mouth, Moyun immediately dislocated their jaw and found the poison hidden beneath their tongue.
Xu Jin followed suit, dislocating the jaws of all remaining living figures and removing their poisons.
Father Su froze, then gritted his teeth, "Death warriors!"
Moyun cupped his hands. "Master, please leave these individuals to me. We Mo Guards possess unique interrogation methods; we're not afraid of failing to extract answers!"
Su Li stepped out, surveying the scattered corpses in the courtyard, and let out a cold, derisive laugh.
They truly held her in high regard, dispatching twenty death warriors at once!
Siqin and the other maids stood behind her, their hearts trembling at the sight.
Seeing her come out, Father Su quickly said softly, "Li'er, don't be afraid. Go back inside first. Father will have the courtyard cleaned up immediately."
Su Li smiled, "Father, your daughter isn't afraid. As for these live captives, just leave them to Moyun."
The Minister's Estate didn't have a dungeon or anything similar. If they were handed over to the authorities, it would be better to give them to the Mo Guards.
Father Su pondered for a moment, then nodded.
Looking at Moyun, he said coldly, "The people are entrusted to you. I want to know who is behind them as soon as possible!"
Although he was a civil official, if someone dared to harm his daughter, he would make them pay the price!
"Yes!"
The black-clad figures were taken away, and the guards began to clean up the courtyard.
Su Li instructed her maids to return to their sleep and went back to her own room.
Su Li was about to go back to sleep when she heard a sound from the outer chamber.
Su Li asked, "Who's there?"
Someone not from the Minister's Estate wouldn't be able to enter her room.
"Miss, your servant is sleeping in the outer chamber. The three of us discussed it and decided we'll take turns guarding at night until you get married," Siqin's voice came from the outer chamber.
Su Li smiled, "What are you doing?"
"Miss, please sleep. Your servant won't make a sound," Siqin said, and indeed, there was no more sound from the outer chamber.
Su Li shook her head. It seemed tonight's events had profoundly affected these young maids.
Without saying anything more, Su Li lay back on the bed and went to sleep.
When she woke up the next day, everything in the courtyard was as it had been. Everything from last night seemed like a dream.
Jun Mo arrived at the Minister's Estate early in the morning.
Su Li looked at him, surprised. "Why are you so early? Have you eaten breakfast?"
Jun Mo visibly relaxed upon seeing she was perfectly fine.
"I knew something had happened in your courtyard last night. I paced outside the Minister's Estate for half the night, utterly unable to get in," Jun Mo said.
If anyone harbored the deepest hatred for the mastermind behind this, it was undoubtedly Jun Mo.
Last night, when something happened in Su Li's courtyard, Father Su immediately dispatched guards to surround it impenetrably. He himself also came to inspect it every two hours. How was Jun Mo supposed to climb over the wall in the middle of the night?
He had no idea that Su Li's outer chamber was now also being guarded at night.
Su Li smiled. "You could have come during the day."
"Li'er, the mastermind behind this is determined to eliminate you swiftly. Their initial move was so grand; I'm worried there will be a second and a third time. Moyun alone might be stretched thin, so I'll have Moyu accompany you as well."
Without waiting for Su Li to interject, Jun Mo continued, "Moyu won't enter your room; he will simply guard the courtyard."
Su Li nodded in agreement.
"I wonder who is behind this?" Su Li mused, puzzled.
Besides Jun Hui, she couldn't think of a second person who would hate her so much.
Jun Mo said with a somber face, "I estimate we'll have results in about a day."
If he knew who was behind it, he would make sure they longed for death but couldn't find it, yearned for life but couldn't have it!
Jun Mo looked at the rows of soldiers stationed outside the courtyard in broad daylight, his eyes filled with a helpless understanding.
Su Li glanced at them and said, "These soldiers were borrowed by my father from your maternal grandfather. They'll be returned once the mastermind behind this is apprehended."
This explanation only intensified Jun Mo's urgent desire to apprehend the culprit.
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