Qi Yihan was so busy, and the matter of sending betrothal gifts had been put on the agenda. How could he possibly have time to accompany her at the estate? Something must have happened in the capital, and he wanted to keep her here, or perhaps hide it from her.
Li Man'er tilted her head, "I hate it the most when people lie to me. If you lie to me, I'll..." She deliberately narrowed her eyes, putting on a fierce expression.
"What will you do?"
Li Man'er made a throat-slitting gesture with her hand, but what came out of her mouth was, "I'll castrate you."
Qi Yihan's pupils almost vibrated, "You're a girl, you should be more dignified."
"That's too high a standard for me!" Li Man'er said proudly, lifting her head, "This young lady is naturally carefree and won't learn from those stiff wooden figures, like clay dolls, devoid of life."
Dignity, could dignity buy food? Could it resist tens of thousands of enemy troops from the northern desert?
"Mmm." Qi Yihan's eyes were full of admiration, "Actually, it's not that I intentionally hid it from you, it's just a small matter. The plan is already in place, and we're just waiting for it to conclude."
"Tell me, I promise I won't get angry."
Qi Yihan simply said, "Someone is stirring up trouble and wants to palm off a concubine on me."
Killing intent flashed in Li Man'er's eyes, "Who's got no eyes? Did you agree?"
"I remember what you said, not daring to forget a single word," Qi Yihan said. "I was afraid you'd act impulsively, so I wanted to resolve it quietly before telling you. I didn't expect you to be so smart and see through it at a glance."
"Who is that foolhardy person?"
Qi Yihan said, "Speaking of which, you know them. They're an old acquaintance."
An acquaintance, an old acquaintance?
Someone who could speak to Qi Yihan, someone with the nerve to try and place someone by his side, certainly wasn't from an ordinary family.
"Could it be the Tong family?" The Rongguo Duke's mansion had always been prominent, and marrying into royalty already made them powerful figures in the capital. Li Man'er had already experienced the Grand Princess's temper, and they hadn't been on good terms for the first day.
Last time at the Li family, the Grand Princess had lost face and dignity. The time before that, at the Grand Princess's residence, she had been so angered that her heart ailment had acted up.
If there was anyone in this world who hated her the most, that Grand Princess would definitely be one of them.
"It is the Tong family."
Qi Yihan said, "But it's not a big deal. Don't worry, I can handle it."
Li Man'er, however, said, "How will you handle it? This matter isn't being manipulated by the Grand Princess behind the scenes, or I'll twist my head off and give it to you as a..." She swallowed the word "chamber pot" forcefully.
"I don't care, tell me the whole story from beginning to end."
Qi Yihan surrendered with raised hands. Although he also enjoyed seeing Li Man'er acting jealous for him, this one was a little ancestor that he absolutely couldn't afford to offend.
No matter what, the Grand Princess certainly resented Li Man'er. Seeing her being enfeoffed as a county princess, and then betrothed to Li Man'er, this hatred could not be dispelled.
She had to vent her anger severely.
However, she knew that she couldn't touch Li Man'er. Even if she could, if she touched Li Man'er, she wouldn't be able to account for it to the Ninth Prince or the Emperor.
Since she couldn't harm Li Man'er significantly, she would just make her uncomfortable.
As women, the Grand Princess naturally knew what women cared about the most. If she were Li Man'er, right after being appointed as the official consort, a side consort would be brought into the residence, what would she think?
An ordinary noble lady would surely swallow her anger and pretend to be magnanimous, no matter how upset she felt inside. Especially for a royal wife, it was not easy.
Who was Li Man'er? Before, she was arrogant and bossy, and when she made a scene, she was like a shrew. Although her personality had changed now, she was still tough and unyielding. Would such a woman allow a side consort to enter the household? Even if the side consort entered, she would probably make a scene.
Perhaps in the end, no one would speak up for her, and after all the fuss, she would be divorced by Qi Yihan. That would be for the best. How could someone who embarrassed the royal family become a county princess? Perhaps the Emperor would even withdraw the imperial decree of enfeoffment, and she would have to return to the Li family.
That would be interesting.
The Grand Princess's plan was indeed malicious.
In ancient times, under the imperial system, which royal man only lived with one wife? Whether it was a daughter or a niece from the Tong family, they were both outstanding in appearance and talent, and especially with the Tong family's strong background, it was already difficult enough for them to agree to marry their daughter as a side consort. Who would refuse?
The Grand Princess, deeply versed in palace intrigue, understood that Li Man'er was a formidable opponent. If she rashly sent someone to Qi Yihan, she might be rejected. Instead of giving them time to counterattack, it would be better to directly ask the Emperor to bestow a marriage. Once the imperial decree was issued, everything would fall into place, and Li Man'er would be left spitting blood.
The Grand Princess's thoughts were meticulous, but she didn't expect that all her plans were known to Qi Yihan. Therefore, Qi Yihan had already made arrangements in the palace, and no matter how much the Grand Princess schemed, it would be in vain.
"Then what method did you use?"
Qi Yihan gestured two words on the table. Li Man'er looked at them, her eyes widening, "Doesn't this mean you've sold me out?"
After thinking about it, it didn't seem right. The Emperor already knew about her medical skills, and he was also aware of her repeatedly curing Li Shu's poison.
Moreover, she had cards to play to extend the Emperor's life, but...
Li Man'er wasn't angry that Qi Yihan had asked her to treat the Emperor. She was angry that the method she had painstakingly devised was actually within Qi Yihan's calculations all along.
This scoundrel, wasn't he calculating her too?
"We agreed not to get angry," Qi Yihan said helplessly, "Don't I have a way now?"
Li Man'er glanced at him, as if the words "liar" were about to be carved on her forehead.
"Moreover, doing so has benefits, killing three birds with one stone."
"Three benefits? Tell me."
"First, of course, is that the Grand Princess's wish is thwarted. Compared to an insignificant side consort, the Emperor naturally cares more about his own health."
Li Man'er nodded, agreeing with his statement, "Anything else?"
"Secondly, you have the Emperor as a shield. No one can easily touch you, including the Empress Dowager."
Li Man'er pouted, "Maybe she can hasten my death."
"As long as I'm here, I won't let anyone harm you."
"Then what's the last one?"
"If the Grand Princess can't even request a marriage decree from the Emperor, who else would be foolish enough to send people, to palm them off?" Qi Yihan said. "I can naturally keep them in the mansion as decoration, not looking at them, not touching them. You'll also have ten thousand ways to make her life worse than death in the mansion, or even make her disappear. But with the position of side consort, even if she dies, she'll have a place in the ancestral temple. Are you willing to do that?"
Of course not!
One's bed is their own, how can others sleep soundly beside it!