"Enough!" A'Qi shouted, his face filled with pain. "A'Jiu, what have you become?"
A'Jiu didn't feel he had done anything wrong, but he simply disliked Li Man'er.
Previously, when the Prince had no women around, A'Shuang could at least find some psychological comfort. Now that the Prince had fallen for that vixen Li Man'er, A'Shuang had no chance at all.
"What's wrong with me? I'm just speaking the truth. A'Shuang is loyal to the Prince."
"Loyal?" A'Qi sneered. "If she were loyal to the Prince, she wouldn't harbor any improper thoughts. You call Miss Li despicable, don't you know what 'reaping what you sow' means? If you hadn't tried to teach Miss Li a lesson, how could you have been outmaneuvered by her? Warfare is deception. Miss Li, on the battlefield, is a master of strategy. You were outmaneuvered by her and still managed to keep your life, you should be grateful."
A'Jiu was already in the wrong, and his tongue wasn't as sharp as A'Qi's. After being lectured by him, he was speechless.
"I can't be bothered with you," A'Jiu, feeling flustered, fled as if escaping.
A'Qi looked around, found no suspicious figures, and then leisurely walked away. He thought that A'Jiu, being unappreciative, would eventually be punished by the Prince and sent to the estate to shovel manure.
No one noticed as a shadow emerged from the darkness.
The moonlight shone on Li Man'er's jade-like face, making it even more translucent and radiant. The harsh winds and sand of Mobei often left others with dark and rough skin, but Li Man'er seemed completely unaffected, looking the same as when she arrived from the capital.
However, a playful expression now flickered across her beautiful face. Li Man'er had been worried about Qi Yihan and wanted to see if there was anything she could do to help. Unexpectedly, she overheard the conversation between A'Qi and A'Jiu.
This A'Jiu was quite interesting. Could it be that she had offended him when she tossed him into the alley behind the brothel last time? And that A'Shuang, she must be one of Qi Yihan's helpers, like the others. She wondered what kind of person she was to harbor such thoughts. She must have some allure.
But with just a bit of allure, how could she compete with the original host's face? Li Man'er's beauty was indeed world-shattering.
When she first transmigrated, the original host's face was the thing she was most satisfied with; it was far more beautiful than many celebrities in later generations.
It seemed she would have to meet this A'Shuang when she had the time.
For now, she just wanted to go back to sleep and avoid meddling, lest she attract more unwanted attention.
Li Man'er slept in for a rare treat, only getting up after the sun had risen high.
A'Si, hearing her stir, quickly pushed open the door and entered. "Miss, you're awake? Are you hungry? The food is kept warm on the stove."
Li Man'er yawned, put on her clothes, and climbed out of bed.
A'Si placed the basin of warm water on the washstand. "Miss, please wash up. I'll go get your meal."
Li Man'er said, "A'Si, you are the Prince's person. You don't need to do this. Others can handle these tasks."
"How can that be!" A'Si said quickly. "This servant was sent by the Prince to take care of you. These words cannot be passed off to others. Only by doing it myself can I be at ease."
This was their manor's future mistress. Serving the Princess was something she did willingly.
"I can't argue with you," Li Man'er said. "As you wish."
A'Si then happily went to fetch breakfast.
Li Man'er quickly washed up, her hair casually tied into a high ponytail with a string. Done. Before A'Si returned, she took out a bottle of face cream from her spatial dimension, scooped out a portion, and applied it to her face as a form of skincare. Nourished by the spiritual mist spring water, she didn't need any cosmetics.
Her time in Mobei was one of the most relaxed periods she had experienced. Back at the manor, there were rules for every hairstyle, every piece of jewelry, and every outfit. Her head was constantly weighed down with hairpins, jade pendants, incense sachets, and other cumbersome accessories.
This way, being refreshed and at ease, felt so much better.
Soon, A'Si brought breakfast: soft and glutinous ham congee, accompanied by large steamed buns, steamed egg custard, and pickles. A simple breakfast was thus completed.
Just as Li Man'er finished her meal, Qi Yihan arrived.
"Why are you here? Aren't you busy?"
A'Si thought that Miss Li spoke more and more casually with the Prince. It was only here, with Miss, that she saw the Prince not wearing a stern face.
She tidied up the dishes on the table, packed the food container, and went out, not venturing far, just standing guard in the corridor.
Inside, Qi Yihan took a sip of water and spoke to Li Man'er about business. "A'Qi needs to return to the capital. I wanted to ask if you want him to take your cousin back with him."
Li Man'er's eyes lit up, then after a moment's thought, she said, "I am merely his cousin, and barely his senior sister. I cannot make this decision for him. Why don't you have A'Qi ask my third uncle and see what he says? If he trusts A'Qi to take Qingyan, then it would be good."
Qi Yihan said, "Shall I accompany you?"
The little girl clearly worried about the child but refused to admit it.
"Aren't you busy anymore?"
Qi Yihan replied, "The matters have been mostly arranged. Someone will be sent to escort A'Qi and his group back, and they should arrive by evening. Those outside in the camp were already very dissatisfied with the Xiao brothers. Now that they know the truth, they will no longer obey their commands. Old Master Xiao can stabilize the situation."
Speaking of Old Master Xiao, Li Man'er quickly took out the pills she had prepared. "These pills are very precious. I wasted a lot of medicinal herbs on several batches before, and only obtained this bottle. Master's condition is not good now. He needs this medicine to save his life, and then a prescription for recuperation."
Li Man'er explained the usage to Qi Yihan. "First, give the medicine to Old General Xiao, and we'll leave shortly after."
Qi Yihan nodded and personally went to the room where Old General Xiao was resting.
His body was too weak to be moved. If the old general hadn't insisted on coming, they wouldn't have moved him from New City.
Qi Yihan handed the medicine to Xiao Xiang and relayed Li Man'er's instructions.
Xiao Xiang, having experienced great storms in his life, was very open-minded. He did not hesitate to pour out a pill and put it into his mouth.
Strangely, the pill melted in his mouth and, without much chewing, turned into a smooth liquid that flowed down his throat into his stomach. Xiao Xiang felt a warmth spreading through his body, and his spirits lifted.
What kind of medicine was this, to be so effective?
"Miss Li's medical skills are indeed extraordinary. A single pill shows her prowess," Xiao Xiang praised. "I am old, and the descendants of the Xiao family are all mediocre..."
He couldn't continue himself.
If they were merely mediocre, it would be fine. But one by one, they were all ambitious and cunning, yet lacked any real ability.
If Feng'er were still alive, the Xiao family wouldn't have ended up in this state.