The coldness in Qi Yihan's eyes was like ten thousand years of ice, striking fear into Rong Pin's soul. But at this point, there was no turning back; she had no other recourse.
"What do you want?"
"Is His Highness willing to hear my words?"
"Speak." The two words were squeezed out as if from between his teeth. Qi Yihan clearly hated her to the bone, not even bothering to look at her.
Rong Pin, however, was deluded by her own importance. She felt smug, believing Qi Yihan must be regretting his past decisions. He hadn't cherished her when she was by his side, insisting on sending her into the palace and marrying the utterly useless Li Man'er. Now that she was the Emperor's woman, he must be regretting it.
"Your Highness, there's no need to be like this. I have a most wonderful piece of news to share with Your Highness. If you agree, all the wealth and power in this world will be yours to command."
Qi Yihan snorted coldly, standing by the railing. "Consort Rong, if you have something to say, say it. This Prince is very busy."
"Busy with what? Busy preparing for your wedding with Li Man'er?" Her face darkened with jealousy, and she spoke without any courtesy. "What is so good about Li Man'er that a Prince of your celestial bearing would fancy her!"
Li Man'er, who had been hiding in her spatial dimension watching the show, secretly scoffed. Qi Yihan wasn't blind; he could distinguish between good and bad.
"Words are of no consequence. If Consort insults the County Princess, she becomes this Prince's sworn enemy."
"Is His Highness willing to abandon the entire empire for her alone?"
Qi Yihan's brow furrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Your Highness, why don't we cooperate?"
"Cooperate?" Qi Yihan feigned ignorance. "What cooperation could this Prince have with a consort in the harem? What a preposterous notion."
A sinister glint suddenly appeared in Rong Pin's eyes. "I am carrying the Dragon's heir. Once the Dragon Embryo is born, you can support him to ascend the throne and become Emperor."
Just as she thought!
Li Man'er in her dimension couldn't help but let out a cold snort. This woman was plotting exactly that. Coincidentally, she was thinking along similar lines. Though on different sides, their thoughts had converged.
"How can you utter such treasonous words?" Qi Yihan sneered. "And how do you know it will definitely be a prince?"
Rong Pin thought he was intrigued and was overjoyed. "Although I dislike Princess Anning, I do acknowledge her medical skills. She said it is a prince, and it must be a prince."
"The Emperor is in good health, and there is more than one consort carrying a Dragon Embryo. With His Majesty's physical condition, I fear he will not give your son a chance to ascend."
Rong Pin took another step closer, pressing him aggressively. "Won't you create an opportunity?"
"What do you mean?"
"In at most four months, I can give birth to the child. You just need to have the County Princess help a little, and everything will fall into place naturally."
Qi Yihan's face darkened to an extreme degree. "Presumptuous!"
"Ninth Prince, I refuse to believe you are not interested in that position." Rong Pin shamelessly continued, "Once my son ascends the throne, I will be the Empress Dowager, and Your Highness will be the Regent. He is but a child, and I, a mere woman, how can I understand governing the empire? As long as Your Highness is a little bolder, my people, my heart, they will all be yours."
Having said this, she shamelessly reached out her hand, intending to caress Qi Yihan's chest.
Qi Yihan felt utterly disgusted. He immediately leaped from the pavilion and left without looking back.
Rong Pin's face contorted with rage. Qi Yihan treated her like a plague, how could she not resent him.
"Your Ladyship," Ping'er walked over. "The Prince has already left. However, his expression was not good when he left. Did he not agree?"
"What's to fear if he doesn't agree! If he doesn't agree now, it doesn't mean he won't agree later. There's still plenty of time, he will eventually agree."
Even if Qi Yihan didn't make Li Man'er act, she could find a way to do it herself and then frame Li Man'er. The Ninth Prince, with his high position and power, was already suspected by the Emperor. With a little instigation, he would become the target of everyone's ire. At that point, even if he didn't rebel, the world would force him to.
"Let's go back too!"
As for Li Man'er, marrying her was merely a formality, just a decoration. Once the Ninth Prince became Regent, he would undoubtedly become her conquest. By then, she would naturally find a way to have Li Man'er die obscurely, just like her short-lived mother.
"Yes."
Ping'er supported Rong Pin as they carefully descended from the rockery and slowly strolled back to the palace.
Li Man'er was not in a hurry. She leisurely stayed in the palace until dark and then found an opportunity to leave. The imperial palace was heavily guarded, but to stop her would be like a fool's dream.
The next morning, Li Man'er went to take the pulse of Madam Su. The old lady's health had recovered very well. She was much plumper than when she first arrived in the capital, her complexion had improved significantly, and her voice was full of vigor. One could hardly tell she was a patient. In Jiangnan, she had been bedridden, constantly taking medicine, so thin that her appearance was gaunt, seemingly at the end of her life. But after arriving in the capital, her mood improved day by day, her health recovered, and she truly looked ten years younger.
"Grandmother, your health has almost fully recovered. It's time to stop taking this medicine."
Madam Su was somewhat surprised. "Can I really stop taking medicine?"
"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"
Ning Liancheng was extremely excited. Ning Qianjing and Ning Daocheng were also smiling, both grateful and thankful to Li Man'er, not knowing what to say.
"We are all family, there's no need for such formalities," Li Man'er said. "Grandmother's constitution is very strong now. As long as you take good care of yourself, pay attention to the changing seasons, you can live for another twenty years without any problem."
In truth, she was just saying pleasantries. Madam Su's lifespan was likely only another six or seven years. If she continued to use the spiritual mist spring water to intervene, that would be another matter.
"We still have to thank our Man'er for saving Grandmother's life," Madam Su said with deep emotion. "I never dreamed that in my lifetime, I would be able to walk, eat, and sleep healthily, and still have the chance to see you get married."
"Speaking of marriage, shouldn't we prepare some dowry for Man'er?"
Li Man'er immediately waved her hands. "No need! Grandfather, you have already given Man'er so much." Besides the dowry left by the Ning family, there were also the things the Ning family had given Li Man'er over the years, filling the entire County Princess's mansion. With her current wealth, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her the richest woman in the capital. She couldn't possibly accept any more from the Ning family.
"A dowry must be prepared. Your grandmother and I saved quite a bit for you in the early years. Besides shares in our family businesses, there are also farmlands, shops, and the treasures our fleet has collected over the years." Ning Liancheng said, "Those good things, Grandfather will only give to you. No one else can touch them."