Li Man'er chuckled lightly, "Am I that fierce? You're so scared you can't even speak."
Zhu Ying felt the entire room light up, momentarily lost in the sight.
They say a beauty looks even more radiant under lamplight, and it's true.
Though Li Man'er was in men's attire and without makeup, she was still breathtakingly beautiful. The soft, diffused lamplight fell upon her, as if she were draped in a veil of silk. Her smile was as dazzling as a flash of light; even the fiery, silver flowers of a lantern would pale in comparison.
"No, no," Zhu Ying quickly lowered her head, biting her lip, "My lady, rest assured. Those barbarians are just causing a minor ruckus, nothing that can stir up a storm. So, we'll still have our New Year's Eve dinner as usual, just not with much joy."
Li Man'er's lips twitched slightly.
Would this year be like the others?
You think the barbarians are just causing a minor ruckus, humph!
Do you know what they're thinking?
As the saying goes, I don't want what you think, I want what I think.
The barbarians are creating an illusion for you. Perhaps all these years of minor skirmishes, sneak attacks, and petty harassment have been their buildup. Their true objective is to suddenly make an unexpected move when you're not paying attention, when you dismiss it, when it becomes commonplace.
An attack on the city!
When small groups of light cavalry arrive at the city gates, perhaps the old city's defenders won't take them seriously. Then, a large number of barbarians will surge out, catching you completely off guard.
Li Man'er instructed her, "Be vigilant at night; it never hurts. By the way, I see you're all in military attire. Have you all trained in martial arts and been on the battlefield?"
Zhu Ying quickly replied, "My lady has sharp eyes. We sisters were originally civilians of this old city. Many years ago, our families were destroyed, and we joined the army. At first, they didn't want us. But we wanted to kill barbarians and avenge our loved ones, so we stayed in the old city, doing odd jobs like washing and mending for the soldiers."
Essentially, they were the logistics department.
"Perhaps our sincerity moved the generals, and General Xiao officially allowed us to join the camp and train in martial arts, contributing to the defense of Mobei." Zhu Ying said somewhat sheepishly, "We are only responsible for defending the city and haven't been on the battlefield. The soldiers in the camp said that with them around, we wouldn't need to fight. If the day comes when we have to go to the battlefield, it means they..." are no more.
Li Man'er nodded. She actually felt a bit of goodwill towards these generals she hadn't met, who had said such things.
"That's true, but you're all very capable. This old city is desolate, and you've stayed here for so long. You must have suffered a lot!"
Zhu Ying felt a warmth in her heart seeing Li Man'er care about everyone. However, she knew some things couldn't be said, so she replied, "It's not that difficult. We guard the old city, and supplies can still be sent from the rear. It's the soldiers stationed at Gorge Stone Beach who are truly suffering!"
Li Man'er asked no further questions, only saying, "Alright, you should go back and rest. We'll talk more tomorrow."
Zhu Ying, without suspicion, bowed and withdrew.
"My lady..."
Li Man'er raised her hand, interrupting Liu Ya's words, and pointed to the medicine bag in her hand. "That's Qingyan's medicine. Go and brew it for him and have him drink it when he's awake."
Liu Ya nodded and went to brew the medicine.
Li Man'er rubbed her forehead, feeling tired, and wondered what was happening ahead. Had Li Shu gotten lost in his drinking?
The Xiao family must also be aware of the barbarians' major actions this year, but Li Shu wasn't. Xiao Rudie letting Li Shu out was clearly setting him up to take the blame.
Heh, the Xiao family is quite shrewd. Just add a tail and they become a monkey!
Li Man'er had a plan in mind. No matter what, she could prevent the Li family from being dragged down by the Xiao family this time.
However, protecting the Li family didn't mean protecting Li Shu. As long as she made a few subtle moves, the Xiao family's dream of staying out of it would be shattered.
Everything depended on whether the person surnamed Qi would send any news tonight.
Soon, Li Qingyan's medicine was brewed.
Liu Ya also brought Li Qingyan over to drink the medicine.
After a bowl of bitter medicine, Li Qingyan, who had been a bit groggy, instantly felt much more alert.
"Eldest sister, how much longer until Great Uncle and Father return?"
"Why do you care about them? I'm going to test you. If you can't answer, no one can save you."
Li Qingyan, however, let out a soft snort. "Eldest sister, you look down on me. I've memorized it all perfectly."
Li Man'er asked with interest, "Oh? Then recite the entire text for me."
"Right here?"
Li Man'er nodded, "Of course, right here! I'm telling you, even if others know it and memorize it, it's useless without guidance. You need to build a solid foundation, which can't be achieved with just a few incantations."
"Oh!"
"Recite quickly."
Li Qingyan had no choice but to sit up straight and recite it word by word.
Meanwhile, at the banquet ahead, Xiao Ruqin was toasting Li Shu with several of his generals. Among them, a tall and burly deputy general wearing a silver mask caught Li Shu's attention.
For some reason, he found the man's build somewhat familiar, especially since he was wearing a mask, which made Li Shu very curious.
"General Xiao, who is this...?"
"Ah, this is my Silver Mask General, surnamed Qiao. He has an old scar on his face, making his features rather unsightly, hence he wears a mask. Please don't be offended, Marquis."
Li Shu uttered an "Oh," "No matter." He didn't recognize anyone named Qiao, but he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with the man.
"Your subordinate greets the Marquis." Deputy General Qiao's voice was somewhat hoarse, as if something were stuck in his throat, making him uncomfortable.
Hearing the voice, Li Shu felt certain he didn't know this person. Perhaps the person's physique was similar to someone he knew.
"No need for formalities. We're not discussing identities today." Li Shu was in a very good mood. Although he had had a fierce argument with Li Man'er in the new city, returning to the old city and reuniting with his subordinates had lifted Li Shu's spirits back to the clouds, making other things less important.
That night, the guests and host enjoyed themselves immensely, and Li Shu drank a great deal.
His alcohol tolerance was decent, but today he was simply too happy. He was drunk not by the wine, but by his own joy. In the end, he had to be supported back by Li Nian, Qin Si, and others.
Li Man'er came out upon hearing the commotion. Seeing Li Shu drunk and unconscious, her brow furrowed.
Li Nian also reeked of alcohol, but his eyes were clear, and his steps were steady. It was obvious he hadn't drunk much.
"How did he get so drunk?"
"Don't worry, it's nothing serious. He was probably just happy."
Li Man'er asked, "Did he have any sobering soup?"
Qin Si, standing behind Li Nian, smiled wryly. "Eldest Miss, where would we find sobering soup in this camp?"
"Liu Ya! Go and brew a bowl of sobering soup for the Marquis."
Liu Ya saw Li Man'er's eyebrows, nose, and mouth moving together, giving her a look. She nodded, "Yes, this servant will go immediately."