Qi Yihan refused to budge. "No." Her heart had already been uneasy after she went alone to scout the barbarian camp. Now, she was going to meet the Xiao family alone. This woman's courage was truly boundless.
"Why not? I'm the most suitable person," Li Man'er said. "Besides, those tens of thousands of Li family troops are still in the hands of the Xiao family, and my cousin is in the city. I can't abandon them."
"I thought you'd resent the third branch of the family, but I didn't expect you to still care about them."
"It's not the same thing. Qingyan is still young. What wrong has he done?" Li Man'er frowned, realizing she was being led astray by Qi Yihan again. "Um, we were talking about meeting Xiao Rudeng. I put two bull-hair needles in his leg. It should be time for them to act now. No one but me can save him, so why would he hurt me?"
"Still no!"
Just as Li Man'er was about to get angry, she heard Qi Yihan say, "I'll go with you."
What? Go together?
"Are you crazy?" Li Man'er said. "Even if you can disguise yourself and not be discovered, what about these soldiers outside? Are you going to abandon them? If something goes wrong, you'll regret it."
"It won't. With A Wu, there won't be any trouble. A Wu has been by my side for many years. We are seven or eight parts similar in build and voice. He knows my habits and movements like the back of his hand. After I leave, A Wu can wear a mask and pretend to be me."
Wow, you can play it like that?
Li Man'er felt like she was learning a lot. But then she thought, it's quite normal. Those big figures all like to find substitutes for themselves, which can avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble and even save their lives at critical moments.
"Alright, you're the Prince, you have the final say. But you'll have to change your appearance, right?" She couldn't show her true face, nor could she wear a mask.
"You don't need to worry about that. We'll go tonight. Any delay might bring trouble."
This was in line with Li Man'er's thoughts.
"By the way, I forgot to ask you, where is Man Muhanhe? Have you seen him?"
Li Man'er said calmly, "No. But haven't we captured a lot of prisoners? Perhaps he's hiding among them. Keep an eye on those people, and we'll be able to find him. If we're not mistaken, he should be Xiao Rudeng's trump card. With him here, Xiao Rudeng wouldn't dare do anything to me."
Li Man'er knew that there were too many strange things about her. If anyone were to investigate, none of them would stand up to scrutiny. For example, the matter with Qi Li, or the matter of clearing the snow. Fortunately, Qi Yihan didn't ask any questions, as if everything she did was perfectly reasonable in his eyes.
He was a smart and meticulous person, always acting without a flaw, with a keen mind, and possessing a vast intelligence network. What was there that he didn't know…
Thinking this, Li Man'er couldn't help but look up at Qi Yihan. The man happened to be looking at her too. Their eyes met, and Li Man'er immediately felt extremely awkward. She turned her head and said stiffly, "Um, I'll go prepare and find you tonight."
"Okay." Seeing the woman fleeing in disarray, Qi Yihan couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile. Li Man'er, who was capable of anything, was actually afraid.
Li Man'er slipped into her tent. This was her temporary residence. A Si was not here at the moment, so she was alone in the tent.
Only when she was alone could her body and mind truly relax.
Li Man'er sighed irritably. Fortunately, Qi Yihan didn't ask her about clearing the snow. Alas, why did she feel like she was digging a pit for herself?
It was so annoying.
"Miss, what's wrong?" When A Si returned, she saw Li Man'er lying on the desk with a look of utter despair, listlessly.
"Are you feeling unwell? Are you sick?" A Si was a little nervous. After all, Li Man'er had been lying in the snow for a long time before. Girls were generally afraid of the cold. Although her miss had a good constitution, she might catch a cold at any time. If she got sick, it would be a great sin for her.
"No, I'm just worried about the negotiation tonight."
"You're going alone?" A Si frowned. "It's too dangerous."
Li Man'er said, "I'll be fine. The Xiao family wouldn't dare touch me. I just want to quickly resolve the trouble in Mobei and return to the capital as soon as possible."
A Si was also influenced by her and couldn't help but ask, "Miss, after returning to the capital, what are your plans?" Li Shu was crippled, and the Li family was bound to undergo a transformation. It was possible that Li Man'er would be pushed to the forefront.
Speaking of this, Li Man'er became a little more enthusiastic and discussed it with A Si. "Let me tell you, I actually have some ideas. You say, once the Marquis arrives, won't this household be in a different state?"
A Si nodded. That was natural.
The dignitaries in the capital were the most opportunistic. If they knew that the Li family had become like this, they would probably kick them while they were down.
"Heh heh." Li Man'er was not annoyed at all. Instead, she looked very happy. "Oh my, you say I, if I can return to the capital smoothly, wouldn't that be considered a small merit?"
"Miss's merit is the primary one." A Si saw everything and knew that without Li Man'er, things might have turned out differently.
"Then I'll move out and take all the dowry my mother left me. Seeing the Li family wither away, I'll be happy!" Li Man'er said, "Once Li Shu is dead, even if the heir succeeds, he'll only be a Earl. Hmph, Li Qingyun, that brat, is neither good at literature nor martial arts. It won't be long before the Li family becomes a laughingstock of the entire capital."
A Si was stunned for a moment. Although she knew that Li Man'er had always had many criticisms of Li Shu, and even harbored hostility towards him, her attitude of being eager for the Li family to collapse quickly and watch their misfortune still shocked A Si.
A woman, at home, follows her father. Even after marriage, she needs the support of her maternal family to live stably in her husband's home. But Li Man'er never seemed to think that way…
"Miss, aren't you afraid that others will say you are disobedient and unfilial?"
Li Man'er snorted coldly. "People have mouths, let them say whatever they want. Besides, as long as I'm careful, others won't be able to catch me. Without evidence, even if the case goes to the Emperor, I'm not afraid." As for reputation, can that be spent like silver or eaten like food?
A Si nodded. "Miss, do as you wish. The Prince… we will all support you."
Li Man'er was helpless. She knew what A Si meant. Perhaps in their eyes, Qi Yihan was her great backer. With him around, it seemed like she could even punch a hole in the sky and be safe.
Well, it's actually quite good. At least it can block a large part of the trouble.