Qi Yihan pursed his lips as he looked at Li Man'er's foolish demeanor.
"Not many people know about this matter. Not everyone in the Xiao family is aware of it," Qi Yihan said. "Do you know why?"
Li Man'er thought without hesitation, "Isn't that simple? Wealth moves hearts. The human heart is the least capable of withstanding trials. It's not unheard of for brothers to fight tooth and nail over family property. While the Xiao family might not be a complete mess, they're probably close. Everyone has their own agenda and is certainly scheming."
Qi Yihan nodded. "Crude words, but true."
Li Man'er secretly rolled her eyes, "Thank you very much!"
"Your Highness is here today to urge me to go into the mountains with the Xiao family."
"Indeed."
Li Man'er was so angry her hair was about to explode. "I'm not going!" She adopted an attitude of throwing in the towel, grumbling in a low voice, "There's no prince like you! You are of royal blood, of noble status, and your word is law. But you can't just catch a donkey and make it work to death, can you? I healed your injuries, suppressed the蛊虫王 (Gu worm king) in your body, and will eventually help you remove it. There's no reason for me to go into the mountains to die just because you ask. Your Highness, please be kind and find a donkey to boss around instead?"
A Qi, guarding outside the house, almost ruptured his spleen trying to suppress his laughter!
He had never met a remarkable woman like Miss Li, who actually described herself as a donkey.
"No wonder your reputation in the capital isn't good. Your words are too unrestrained. Who would call themselves a donkey? Wouldn't that make you an animal?"
Li Man'er sneered, "I truly feel no different from an animal. Think about it, since I had the misfortune of meeting you, have I had a single comfortable day? I won the bet and finally broke off my engagement. I don't need to tell you about the twists and turns. I treated your illness and angered the Princess Wuyou, almost losing my life. Does your room pose any obstacles for Your Highness? You can come and go as you please!"
Back then, to suppress the蠱毒 (Gu poison) and ensure it wouldn't act up when he was out, Qi Yihan would come to her room every night, take off his shirt, and administer acupuncture. She didn't have eyes on her body, which was already an incredible display of resilience.
"I've already come to Mobei, and you still won't let me go. It's one thing for you to come uninvited, but I'm a doctor, so I won't dwell on that. But you want me to go into the mountains with the Xiao family, which clearly means you want to kill me. I'm not that foolish. I won't go."
Qi Yihan's lips couldn't help but curve up slightly as he saw her like a startled hedgehog. The entire capital, no, the entire world, where else could he find someone who compared themselves to a donkey and an animal, other than Li Man'er? wΑp.kanshu伍.net
"Do you know about the Wu tribe?"
"I've heard a little. It's all from what Xiao Qiniang told me, and I don't know if it's true." Li Man'er focused on the important points and explained them to Qi Yihan, concluding, "I always feel like she wasn't telling the truth."
"She certainly wasn't telling the truth," Qi Yihan stated. "The treasures in the Maluo Mountains are far more than just the tomb of the Wu tribe."
Li Man'er's eyes widened. "Hearing Your Highness say that, the Wu tribe truly existed? And they were wiped out? Leaving behind a tomb filled with countless treasures?"
Qi Yihan nodded, adding, "Not just a tomb, but also many good things beyond your imagination."
"What is it?" Li Man'er mused, "Could it be an elixir of immortality that allows one to attain enlightenment? Xiao Qiniang said the Wu people served spirits, and many of them had opportunities to attain enlightenment and ascend. Perhaps there are elixirs of longevity in the tomb."
"No," Qi Yihan glanced at her. "You're a doctor, and you believe in elixirs of immortality?"
"Of course not, but this is a gimmick thrown out by the Xiao family. I'm quite interested," Li Man'er said. "Xiao Qiniang's methods are a bit more cunning than I thought."
Qi Yihan only said, "There will definitely be no elixirs in the tomb. As far as I know, the Wu people also left behind two mines."
Mines?
Li Man'er's interest was immediately piqued. "What kind of mines? Copper or iron?" Two of them at once. No wonder the Xiao family was going into the mountains at all costs.
Mobei was far from the capital. As the saying goes, the sky is high and the emperor is far away. If they kept the news under wraps and found trusted confidantes to lead ordinary soldiers into the mountains to mine, they could definitely do it without anyone knowing.
However, private mining was a violation of the law. If the Xiao family dared to do so, it would be no different from rebellion.
"One is a copper mine, and the other is a gold mine."
Holy crap!
Li Man'er almost blurted out those words.
Copper was a rare metal in ancient times. Copper mines could be used to make coins and various ritual vessels. Gold mines were even more so, an object that would definitely make people's eyes turn red with envy.
The Xiao family was looking for the great tomb as a pretense, but the real goal was these two mines! Compared to these two mines, the treasures in the tomb were insignificant.
This meant that the Xiao family harbored disloyal intentions.
Li Man'er's heart suddenly flashed with a spark of insight. Something seemed to be on the verge of surfacing, but the inspiration quickly dissipated.
Undeterred, she asked, "Does Your Highness want me to go into the mountains, find the mines the Xiao family is looking for, and then send you a message?"
"You don't need to send me a message, because I'm going too."
Huh?
Li Man'er gasped softly, her mind struggling to catch up.
He was going too?
Li Man'er looked Qi Yihan up and down, and suddenly understood.
"Your Highness and the Xiao family seem to have reached some sort of consensus?" No wonder Qi Yihan's men could be smoothly placed in the Xiao residence.
However, if they were allies, why was A Qi captured before and almost killed? Wasn't Li Wenchang someone bought by the Xiao family? Shouldn't he have gotten along peacefully with A Qi?
Wait, why was that phrasing so strange?
Never mind.
"Your Highness wouldn't be..." Li Man'er felt a chill on her neck, as if her life was in danger at any moment.
Qi Yihan looked at her gently. "You're scared too?"
"This matter is of great importance, of course I'm scared," Li Man'er put on a scared act, mumbling, "Your Highness isn't planning to silence me, are you?"
In an era where imperial power was supreme, such a matter was insignificant. How could someone from the royal family care about the lives of ordinary people?
"I am not as bloodthirsty as the rumors suggest," Qi Yihan said. "The barbarians attack our borders every year, killing our people and plundering our grain. His Majesty intends for your father to join forces with the Xiao family to drive the barbarians back to their homeland. It's not easy to annihilate the barbarians, but if they can be severely weakened, unable to attack for twenty or thirty years, that would be excellent."
Li Man'er understood. The Ninth Prince was working for the Emperor!
War meant death, and it was the most wasteful and costly endeavor.
If they found these two mines and obtained the benefits from the Wu tribe's great tomb, then even if the war lasted for three or four years, the Emperor would not be afraid.