The fact that Li Man'er and Li Shu had a strained relationship was known to only a few. Xiao Rudí knew about it, but he likely wouldn't have had time to inform the old city. Even if the Xiao family in the old city found out, outsiders would merely assume she was unwilling to let others witness Li Shu's plight, thus not suspecting her sudden concern for him.
Regardless of what others thought, she had something to say.
Old Sun and Qin Si helped Li Shu into the house, removed his outer garments, and took off his boots and socks, allowing him to rest.
When Liu Ya brought the hangover soup, Li Man'er knew to hand it to Qin Si to serve Li Shu. She herself picked up a large wooden basin and placed all of Li Shu's discarded clothes inside, indicating that these clothes were permeated with the stench of alcohol and were unbearable, requiring immediate washing.
Li Nian was momentarily bewildered. He instructed Qin Si and Old Sun to take care of Li Shu, then hurried out of the room with Li Man'er.
"Man'er, you are..."
Others might not know the situation between Li Man'er and Li Shu, but Li Nian did. Far from washing Li Shu's clothes, Li Man'er wished she could kill him, so how could she possibly wash his clothes for him?
"Third Uncle, the weather is cold, you should go back!" Li Man'er gave Li Nian a look, signaling that she had other arrangements and urging him to return and rest quickly. "Yan'er is waiting for you."
Li Nian reacted swiftly. "Oh," he said, immediately adding, "You are right, I will head back then."
Li Man'er carried the wooden basin into the room and quickly inspected it. As expected, she found a note tucked into Li Shu's sleeve.
Liu Ya, who had been observing Li Man'er's actions the entire time, gasped. She truly hadn't expected Li Man'er to have such a trick up her sleeve. Who had passed the note to her? Was this person a spy Li Man'er had infiltrated into the Xiao family? What kind of divine power did their young lady possess to be able to place her own people within the Xiao household so covertly?
If Li Man'er knew what Liu Ya was thinking at that moment, she would have rolled her eyes dramatically. If only she had such capabilities.
Li Man'er then carefully examined the clothes in the basin. Finding no other notes, she pushed the basin towards Liu Ya. "In a while, take this basin of clothes to Zhu Ying and the others and ask for hot water. They are perceptive; when they see you need to wash clothes, they will surely take over this task. Don't be shy; let them wash them." As Li Man'er spoke, she added, "There's no need to be stingy with money. Whoever takes on this task, give them one string of cash. It certainly won't be unfair to them."
Liu Ya thought this was a good idea and immediately took the money and the basin to the side room where Zhu Ying and the others were staying.
Li Man'er, back in the room, unfolded the note. Good heavens, it was densely packed with characters. Those with poor eyesight would likely need a magnifying glass.
At the bottom of the note, it also read "burn after reading" in small characters.
Li Man'er tossed the note into her spatial dimension and began to secretly ponder countermeasures.
According to the note, the two Xiao brothers would try every means to assign the task of defending the city on New Year's Eve to Li Shu, using numerous excuses.
They could cite troop movements or the transport of supplies. They could also, without notifying Li Shu, quietly dispatch troops out of the city, whether to the new city or to a temporary gathering point elsewhere. This could leave Li Shu with an old city that was undefended and riddled with holes.
In reality, this trap was easy to break. Li Shu could simply use the excuse of being new to Mobei and unfamiliar with the area to easily decline this duty. He could fully assist the Xiao family in defending the city and then discuss other matters after familiarizing himself.
However, given Li Shu's nature of seeking glory, he would not refuse. He might even eagerly accept the task to prove his capabilities.
Li Man'er thought that if she were a member of the Xiao family and wanted to harm Li Shu, she would first need to understand his temperament. Li Shu had been in the New City yamen for so long; Xiao Rudí had likely seen through him completely. Now, colluding with his two brothers, they had dug a pit and were waiting for him to fall in.
This trap was easy to break, but Li Man'er's objective was not to break it.
If the Xiao family were only trying to harm Li Shu, she would have feigned deafness and blindness, pretending to know nothing. She might even have grabbed some melon seeds and found a good spot to watch the show.
However, the Xiao family was not just targeting Li Shu. The common people of Mo City and all the soldiers would suffer along with him.
If the barbarians moved quickly, the old city might not be saved, and the new city would be lost as well. No matter how much Li Man'er disliked Li Shu, she would never allow the innocent people of the entire city to be buried with him.
Therefore, the real challenge was how to make Li Shu suffer the consequences, allow Li Nian to benefit, protect Mobei, maximally resist the barbarian attack, and minimize casualties and losses.
Qi Yihan would certainly not stand idly by. His purpose in coming to Mobei was originally to protect the region's peace. It seemed that the immediate priority was to meet with Qi Yihan, convey her intentions to him, and hear his thoughts.
Judging by his deployment alone, there was likely nothing he hadn't considered. If there was anything, it would be the unexpected element that she represented.
As she was thinking, she saw Liu Ya return empty-handed, followed by another person.
This person had come before with Zhu Ying, standing in the back and not at all conspicuous.
Why were they here now?
Liu Ya simply said, "Young lady, I went to ask for hot water, but unexpectedly, Sister Zhu and the others said that this kind of work was their duty and took the Marquis's clothes. This sister washed the Marquis's clothes, and I rewarded her with one string of cash as you instructed. However, this sister refused, and after much persuasion, I managed to get her to accept the money. She said that accepting your money made her uneasy and she wanted to come and kowtow to you."
Everything seemed to make sense.
Liu Ya moved aside, and the maid who washed the clothes stepped forward, cupped her fists, and bowed to Li Man'er. "Thank you, young lady, for the reward money."
One string of cash was not a significant sum; it was fine to accept it with peace of mind. Coming all this way specifically...
Li Man'er carefully examined the maid for a moment before asking, "What is this sister's name?"
"My husband's surname is Wu, and my maiden name is Yan. They all call me Sister-in-law Wu."
"Sister-in-law Wu." Li Man'er couldn't help but smile. "You are not very old, yet that name sounds so mature."
Sister-in-law Wu quickly replied, "When I was at home, I was the fourth eldest. If you don't mind, young lady, you can call me Ah Si."
Li Man'er's gaze flickered. "You speak plainly, you are a straightforward person. I have nothing much to do here. You can come to my room with Sister Wu Ying and talk with me sometimes; don't be formal. You should also tell me what to pay attention to during the New Year in Mobei."
"Yes!" Sister-in-law Wu, or Ah Si, replied softly.