Li Man’er’s eyes darted back and forth, then lit up. "Your Highness is the pillar of support for the nation! If you go, all demons and monsters will have to make way. I wouldn't have to go, would I?"
Pillar of support?
Qi Yihan inexplicably felt that Li Man’er was insulting him, but he had no proof.
"With the great battle imminent, His Majesty is worried about military provisions. As a noble lady of the Zun Kingdom, shouldn't Miss Li share His Majesty's burden? I can humble myself to deal with the Xiao family, so why can't Miss Li accompany me on this trip?"
"Haha, Your Highness says it so lightly," Li Man’er retorted. "How can I, a mere subject, be compared to Your Highness? You are wise and mighty, while I am but a weak woman unable to care for myself..."
The words felt so familiar, Li Man’er was momentarily lost, unable to recall where she had learned them.
Qi Yihan raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "You, weak and unable to care for yourself?"
Ah Qi, outside the door, seemed to have heard an unbelievable joke. That night, Li Man’er had single-handedly dispatched over a dozen barbarians, each blow aimed for a life, each stab drawing blood. If *this* was considered weak and unable to care for herself, then all women in the world would be useless.
Li Man’er nodded very seriously. "Look at my thin arms and legs. How can I possibly travel such a long mountain road? The old forests are filled with thorns and wild beasts. Please, spare me!" Li Man’er feigned foolishness, refusing to reveal even a single word of the information she had obtained from Ning Daocheng.
"Precisely because the mountain terrain is complex and unforeseen accidents may occur along the way, we need a physician to accompany us as a precaution. The Xiao family had also invited a physician, but that physician encountered some trouble."
"He ran away, didn't he!" Li Man’er exclaimed. "Xiao Qiniang searched the entire manor upside down in the middle of the night to find someone. My maid almost got into a fight with them."
"If he hadn't had trouble, the Xiao family wouldn't have set their sights on you."
Li Man’er countered, "I'm not so sure! Why did my father fall ill with poison out of the blue? Feng Jue, known as the Ghost Doctor, was invited by the Xiao family, so his medical skills must be superb. Could he not even cure the poison? Or did he deliberately not exert his full effort to save my father, all to lure me out of the capital."
If the Xiao family had invited them, no matter how many benefits they offered the Li family, they would not have allowed Li Man’er to go. After all, Li Man’er was a woman, and Mobei was a desolate place. If anything were to happen to her, it would be detrimental to the Li family's reputation. Moreover, the Li family's current position was quite precarious, with the Emperor clearly using Li Shu to check the Xiao family. If Li Man’er accepted the Xiao family's invitation, it would be akin to slapping the Emperor in the face.
The Xiao family was not foolish; they naturally understood this. Therefore, they poisoned Li Shu, forcing Li Man’er to go to Mobei to save her father.
The Zun Kingdom valued filial piety above all else. If she went to Mobei to save her father, no one could say anything. Even the Emperor could only tacitly approve.
"The Xiao family has a physician."
"That Feng Jue?" Li Man’er snorted. "It's not that I want to say it, but that man is just too ugly. He looks like a mutated rat, sinister and venomous. Judging by his appearance, he's bound to be an intractable sort. The Xiao family probably fears they can't control him, so they're using me as a... candidate." Li Man’er almost said "spare tire" but changed her words at the last moment.
Qi Yihan said, "With me, you are never a candidate." Although Li Man’er was young, her medical skills were superb. The mere ability to suppress the Gu worm king was enough to surpass many renowned physicians of earlier years.
"Your Highness says it nicely, but by coming here yourself, aren't you just putting me on the spot?"
"Thirty percent!"
What?
Li Man’er looked confused. "Thirty percent of what?"
"Regarding the mine, even I cannot make the final decision. However, concerning the contents of the great tomb, I can make the decision and give you thirty percent," Qi Yihan said. "I know you are not short of money, but who would refuse more money?"
Just as Li Man’er was about to say something else, she heard Qi Yihan add another incentive. "Two conditions."
"Your Highness, can you speak in full sentences? You aren't this stingy with words, are you?"
Ah Qi outside the door secretly pouted. His master was already very patient when speaking with Miss Li. If it were anyone else, he would have already had them tied up, let alone be so patient.
"I will grant you two conditions, as long as they are within my capabilities."
Two conditions?
Just as Li Man’er was about to speak again, Qi Yihan's narrow, slightly upturned eyes turned towards her, as if warning her to know her limits and not push her luck.
"Heh, Your Highness worries too much. I am not a greedy person. No matter how much money there is, I need to have a life to spend it." Li Man’er tilted her chin up, speaking with great pride. "Besides, the things in the tomb are all imbued with deathly energy, perhaps even contaminated with corpse poison or other things. They are quite sickening. Your Highness should find someone else."
Qi Yihan remained expressionless, his slender fingers tapping rhythmically on the table, seemingly lost in thought.
Li Man’er feigned weariness. "Your Highness, please leave. Also, tell Xiao Qiniang not to bother coming. Once my father's health recovers, I will return to the capital."
Ah Qi gasped. There were only a handful of people who dared to refuse their master so directly. Miss Li was truly audacious and acted far too casually.
"Then I shall speak to Marquis Tiejian on your behalf." Qi Yihan showed no displeasure, instead, he earnestly analyzed the situation for Li Man’er. "Marquis Tiejian cherishes his soldiers like his own children. He surely would not wish to see his soldiers enduring hunger and cold in this desolate Mobei."
"You, you person..." Li Man’er never expected Qi Yihan to use this matter to threaten her. In her haste, she tried to step forward to argue, but she moved too quickly, tripping on the table leg and lunging forward.
Li Man’er cursed inwardly. Her momentum was too great, and she had lost her balance. It was impossible to regain her footing. However, Qi Yihan was right in front of her. If she fell, she would land directly in his arms. He wouldn't think she was throwing herself at him, would he?
Heaven wants me dead!
Li Man’er quickly waved her hands, signaling Qi Yihan to move away. She would rather fall onto the ground than have any physical contact with that human ice block, Qi Yihan.
Everything happened in a flash. Li Man’er watched as Qi Yihan reached out his hand, and then, he caught her in a full embrace.
Their eyes met. Li Man’er was so embarrassed she could dig a skyscraper with her toes.
Qi Yihan lowered his head slightly and asked, "Miss, you are throwing yourself into my arms. Do you have a request?"
"Is asking you to... stay away from me a request?"
Qi Yihan’s gaze turned dark. Li Man’er swore she could hear the sound of gritted teeth.
"Heh, I was joking. Your Highness, please let go first." Li Man’er pushed Qi Yihan, but she couldn't budge him. She had always been strong; how could she fail?
It must be an illusion.