Did the attitude towards Manmuha River change significantly from before?
As Li Man'er was wondering, she heard another person say, "Who knows!" He pulled up his pants, tied his belt, and let down his robe. "Before, they treated him coldly, looking at Manmuha River as if he were a beggar. But now, he's soaring high, and only Manmuha River is worthy of Princess Hayar zhu, the Great King's Gahurigen."
"That's right."
"Hurry up, it's too cold."
"Alright, alright." The other person also quickly tied his belt, and the two walked away together.
Li Man'er mulled over the news she had heard in her spatial dimension for a while before emerging. Coincidentally, several people were approaching with weapons, laughing and singing noisily.
Li Man'er quickly turned around and pretended to be relieving herself. The group passed by her without noticing anything unusual.
As Li Man'er breathed a sigh of relief, she also disdained the barbarians' management methods. They were undisciplined and dreamed of achieving great things. It was sheer fantasy.
She immediately followed them, keeping a distance, thinking to capture one as a spy for interrogation. Unexpectedly, these men walked all the way to the large tent Li Man'er had suspected earlier and each entered one of the smaller tents flanking the main one.
With people coming and going, Li Man'er dared not approach rashly. Fortunately, although it was dawn, a thick fog persisted, limiting visibility. Li Man'er, using the fog as cover, tiptoed into a small, unguarded tent.
These small, unguarded tents were usually for ordinary soldiers. She listened for a while from outside and heard no movement, guessing that it was empty.
Little did Li Man'er know that as soon as she entered, she realized this tent was unusual. The interior was a sea of red, exuding festivity. On the carpet, a large folding screen was placed, draped with several pieces of clothing. Li Man'er even spotted a red肚兜 (dùdōu - bellyband/undergarment) pressed beneath a dark-colored men's open-front robe, with only a corner exposed.
So, this was Princess Hayar zhu's bridal chamber?
Without a second thought, Li Man'er immediately entered her spatial dimension.
The moment she stepped into her space, the two people behind the screen woke up.
Hayar zhu had always been lively and generous, her spirit no less than a man's. However, after the experience of her wedding night, she had acquired a touch of charm, and her words were much softer than before.
"Imperial Son-in-law, are you truly an imperial son of the Venerable Kingdom?"
"Mm." Qi Li held Hayar zhu close. "Princess, are you afraid?"
"Afraid of what?" Hayar zhu had been doted upon since childhood. As a barbarian princess, she possessed an innate pride. "I support you. If we are united as husband and wife, what is there to fear?"
Qi Li said, "When I return and ascend the throne, I will surely make you Empress."
"I don't want to be Empress at all. I only want to be your wife."
The unspoken meaning was that she did not wish her husband to have any other woman. Qi Li, intelligent since childhood and as sharp as a spirit, understood immediately. However, now was not the time to argue. If he became Emperor, he would naturally have to take in many concubines to continue the lineage. Let alone an Emperor, even a leisured prince would not just keep a single wife without taking concubines; people would think his family had fallen, unable to afford even a concubine.
"Princess, the hour is right. Shall we do something else?" Qi Li rolled over and pressed her beneath him, commencing an ancient ritual.
Behind the screen, a scene of passion unfolded. Outside the screen, in the spatial dimension, Li Man'er was struck as if by lightning, utterly scorched on the outside and tender on the inside.
Manmuha River was actually an imperial son of the Venerable Kingdom? Was this a joke?
But at present, there was no one else here, and their private conversation could hardly be false.
Thinking back to what the two barbarian soldiers had said earlier – that Tiheye had been very displeased with Manmuha River but later, for some unknown reason, his attitude had changed drastically, treating Manmuha River as the best son-in-law in the world. The drastic change in attitude made one easily speculate about Manmuha River's background.
In this light, everything made sense.
Li Man'er stared in disbelief within her spatial dimension. This Manmuha River was truly a master of disguise. She had thought he was from her homeland, but it turned out he was an imperial son.
But that wasn't right. The current Emperor only had three sons: the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fifth Prince.
The Second Prince had died at the age of nine, and the Fourth Prince had perished before his first birthday. Calculating this way, could Manmuha River be an illegitimate son?
But even if he had been living in obscurity, shouldn't he have been living within the passes? What was he doing wandering into barbarian territory?