Chapter 14

Hostage

At this moment, Yun Yi suddenly moved forward, daring the risk of injury as she seized a long blade from one of the guards. She then forced the others back and retreated to the side.

“Block the door, don’t let her escape!” Before Li Xuanba’s words could even finish, the situation in the hall suddenly changed. It turned out that Yun Yi’s actions were not to flee, but rather to approach Li Jiancheng, who was standing over there. Fortunately, Li Shimin reacted quickly, pulling Li Jiancheng away. However, this move left Li Shimin in a perilous position, as the next moment, a gleaming long blade was pressed against his neck. “Don’t come any closer, or I’ll kill him!”

Li Jiancheng silently blamed himself for being careless and, with a grim expression, said, “Let go of my second brother, or I’ll make sure you suffer a thousand deaths!”

Yun Yi sneered and said, “Do you think that if I let him go, you won’t kill me? Stop talking nonsense and move away!”

Li Shimin’s face turned ashen as he said, “Why are you doing this?” He recognized Yun Yi, recalling how he had once helped her out of a tough situation. He simply couldn’t understand why this seemingly ordinary palace maid would do such a thing.

Yun Yi coldly replied, “I have my reasons, and you don’t need to know.” She then added, “As long as I can leave here safely, I’ll let him go unharmed.”

Li Jiancheng’s face changed, and he urgently said, “Don’t be reckless!”

In response, blood began to flow from Li Shimin’s neck, and Li Xuanba gritted his teeth, “Wretched woman, the guard system in the Governor’s Mansion is heavily fortified. Even if you capture my second brother, don’t think you can escape.”

“Why would I know unless I try?” Yun Yi retorted coldly. “Or do you want my second brother dead?” She tightened her grip on the long knife.

Li Jiancheng hurriedly shouted, “Don’t do anything rash!”

Yun Yi paused and coldly glared at Li Jiancheng. He gritted his teeth, then said to the guards, “All of you step back, let them go!”

Wan Shi cried out, “No! She attacked the Governor; she absolutely cannot be allowed to leave!”

Li Jiancheng gritted his teeth, “If we don’t release her, my second brother will be in danger. I cannot let him come to harm!” His eyes burned with anger as he glared at Wan Shi. He had always known that Wan Shi disliked the brothers, especially since their legitimate sons were in the way of her son. But to think that, at this critical moment, she would want to push Li Shimin to his death—it was utterly vicious!

Wan Shi sternly said, “So, you will let the person who tried to kill your father leave the Taiji Palace?”

“I will find a way to capture her!” He then said again, “Everyone step back!”

“No!” Wan Shi refused, “This person cannot be allowed to escape. Besides, who knows if she will kill my second brother once she is free? She infiltrated the palace to assassinate the Governor. Clearly, she is someone with a deep hatred for our Li family. How can we trust what she says?”

Suppressing his anger, Li Jiancheng asked, “So according to you, we should let my second brother be in danger?”

“I never said such a thing,” Wan Shi said coldly. She turned to the guards, “Capture this woman and rescue my second brother! Make sure she doesn’t harm him.”

Although Wan Shi repeatedly said she wanted to save Li Shimin, if a conflict really broke out, Li Shimin would die before the guards even had a chance to intervene. It was less about saving someone and more about using someone as a pawn to kill him.

“Don’t move!” Li Jiancheng and Li Xuanba both shouted in unison. Aside from the unconscious Li Yuan, they were the only two who genuinely cared about Li Shimin’s safety. Li Jiancheng even grabbed a knife from a nearby guard and, limping over, pointed at Wan Shi and said, “No one is to move this woman until my second brother is safe. If anyone tries, don’t blame me for being rude, including you!”

Wan Shi’s eyebrows shot up in anger, her voice icy, “I am your stepmother, how dare you speak to me like that?”

Li Jiancheng remained silent, his knife still pointed at her, showing how determined he was. Wan Shi clenched her teeth and said, “Fine. If that’s how it is, I won’t interfere with this matter. But when the Governor wakes up, I will report everything to him!”

Li Jiancheng only responded with a cold laugh. Although his father dotes on Wan Shi and lets her handle the household affairs, in his heart, the person he cares about most is still his mother. Wan Shi could never compare to her. As for today’s events, even if he had no intention of letting Yun Yi go, even if he did, his father would never severely blame him.

With Li Jiancheng’s words, the guards slowly retreated, and Yun Yi began to drag Li Shimin toward the nearest door. If she stayed in the Governor’s Mansion, it would be like a bird trapped in a cage, with only death as the end. Only by leaving could she have a chance at survival.

She moved ahead, with Li Jiancheng and the guards following behind. As for Li Xuanba, due to his poisoning, he stayed in the Songtao Residence to be treated by the doctor. When they reached the door, Yun Yi stopped and said, “Immediately prepare a fast horse for me!”

“Alright, I will do as you ask, as long as you don’t harm my second brother,” Li Jiancheng said. He called over one of his attendants, “Go prepare the horse.” As the attendant nodded and prepared to leave, Li Jiancheng quickly whispered something in his ear. The attendant nodded in acknowledgment and swiftly left.

While waiting for the horse, both sides stood in silence. After about half an hour, the attendant finally returned with a horse, a fine-looking white steed.

When the attendant stepped aside, Yun Yi, holding Li Shimin, walked to the horse and ordered, “Get on the horse.”

Li Jiancheng’s face changed, and he coldly said, “You said earlier that if I let you leave, you would let my second brother go. Why are you going back on your word?”

“I haven’t gone back on my word,” Yun Yi sneered. “But now... I fear that if I let go of your second brother, you will take my life. So... I’m not safe!”

After forcing Li Shimin onto the horse, she mounted it herself, the knife still pressed to his neck. “Don’t follow me. Once I leave Chang’an, I will release your second brother. But if you don’t follow my orders, don’t blame me for being merciless!”

“But who knows if you’ll really release my second brother? What if, as my second mother said, things turn out differently?” While speaking, Li Jiancheng quickly glanced at the high walls on both sides.

Yun Yi didn’t notice his subtle movement and coldly replied, “I can’t give you any guarantees. It’s up to you whether you want to take the gamble. What’s it going to be? Have you made up your mind?”

“It seems there’s no other choice... In that case...” Li Jiancheng’s voice suddenly turned cold, and he shouted, “Take action!”

Upon hearing those two words, Yun Yi realized something was wrong, but it was already too late. An arrow shot through the air, aimed straight at her forehead. Luckily, she managed to tilt her head in time, and the arrow whizzed past, grazing her cheek and leaving a mark on her face mask. Fortunately, the skin beneath remained unharmed.