Li Shu's face turned as black as a pot's bottom, a dark hue that shifted through a kaleidoscope of shades, when a maidservant dared to question him.
Jiaoniang secretly rejoiced. *Wanting to protect your mistress? Don't you know who you're provoking? This time, Liu Ya's life is probably forfeit.*
No matter how good Li Shu's temper, as the dignified Iron Gallant Marquis, he could not tolerate a mere maidservant mocking him. He immediately said, "Is this your maid? She has no manners. She deserves to be dragged out and beaten to death."
This was the Xiao family's residence, not the Li family's. Moreover, he had no trusted confidantes with him. If he had, he would have ordered Liu Ya to be beaten right then and there.
Unfortunately, Liu Ya remained unfazed and said, "Marquis, this servant belongs to the Third Branch. I am accompanying the Eldest Young Lady to Mobei on the orders of the Third Madam to rescue her father."
Li Shu was left sputtering. No matter how angry he was, he couldn't extend his hand into his sister-in-law's chambers and directly punish Yu's subordinate.
"Furthermore, this servant is not an ordinary maidservant." Liu Ya raised her head, her expression unchanged, but her eyes held no trace of respect, only a hint of pride.
"This servant has not signed a servitude contract. I followed the Third Madam while guarding the frontier for many years, fought on the battlefield, and killed bandits. I have military merits to my name," Liu Ya stated. "I call myself a servant only because I wish to repay the Third Madam's kindness. If the Marquis does not believe me, he may verify with the Ministry of War's military records."
Li Shu was stunned. Jiaoniang's mouth could swallow a duck egg, and even Li Man'er was slightly surprised. She had always thought Liu Ya was Yu's personal maid, never expecting her to be from a military household.
"Father, you cannot have Liu Ya beaten to death. Setting aside whether she has military records, just I alone will not permit it." Li Man'er was not afraid of Li Shu at all. She had saved his life twice and had already resolved that as soon as Li Shu recovered, she would thoroughly investigate Ning's death, never letting Li Shu, her accomplice, go unpunished.
If there were a next time, she would not save Li Shu again. Thus, when she spoke, she changed her address from "you" (respectful) to "you" (familiar).
Li Shu naturally understood. He was somewhat bewildered, as if everything had changed in the span of a single day. Was it all because he had taken Jiaoniang in?
Li Man'er looked at Jiaoniang and said with amusement, "For the sake of your caretaking of Father, I will spare your life today. If you dare to instigate trouble again, beware, I will strangle you."
Jiaoniang trembled with fright and instinctively looked at Li Shu. However, Li Shu, whether out of fear or embarrassment, dared not look at her.
Jiaoniang was almost angered to death. *How cowardly can this man be? He's even afraid of his own daughter, yet he leads troops into battle?*
"Your servant, your servant has no intention of instigating trouble. I was merely overly concerned about the Marquis's health. Your servant will speak less in the future. Eldest Young Lady, please forgive my anger."
*Still claiming no instigation, yet every word criticizes me for being harsh towards her.*
*Yes, Jiaoniang is just a sparrow that wishes to fly to a higher branch. What wrong has she done?*
Li Man'er lowered her body and stared intently at Jiaoniang. "The needle in my hand is not for show. Doctors can both save lives and kill without a trace. If you offend me, I fear you will never have peace, day or night, and will always have to guard against me taking your life. In the future, when you reach the capital, without the Xiao family to support you, how long do you think you can survive?"
Jiaoniang's teeth chattered, and her body shook like a sieve. "No, no, this humble servant is lowly. How could I have any improper thoughts."
"Hmph!" Li Man'er smiled. "It's best that you have self-awareness. I quite like intelligent people."
Jiaoniang fled in disarray. Li Man'er wrote a new prescription for Li Shu and handed it to Old Sun to purchase the medicine. "Same old rules. After buying the medicine, bring it to me for inspection before it's decocted."
As a precaution, Li Man'er always operated this way. Her main concern was that someone might tamper with the medicine, rendering her efforts futile.
"Yes." Old Sun could not leave the mansion alone yet, so he had to find someone from the yamen to accompany him to fetch the medicine.
Xiao Qiniang was responsible for such matters. Upon hearing the report from a servant, she approved it directly, instructing a managing lady to unlock the chest with the key and retrieve the exit token.
"Once the person returns, the token must be surrendered immediately."
And so, Old Sun went to fetch the medicine with a yamen official, while Li Man'er left Li Shu's room without a backward glance.
She had originally intended to get some fresh air near the courtyard and return after seeing the medicine Old Sun brought back. However, she hadn't expected Xiao Qiniang to come here and even request to see Li Shu.
Li Man'er knew Li Shu's condition best, but Xiao Qiniang did not. When Li Man'er examined patients, she would usher out anyone she felt uneasy about. Xiao Qiniang's information all came from Jiaoniang, and some of it was inaccurate, making her easier to deceive.
"Thank you, Seventh Miss. However, Father's condition has only just begun to improve. He cannot sit for long periods and it is likely inconvenient for him to have Miss Xiao Seven speak in the inner chambers," Li Man'er said with a smile. "If Miss Xiao Seven has something to say, why not tell me, and I can help relay the message."
Xiao Qiniang felt a headache just seeing Li Man'er. Her affairs had been disrupted by this jinx numerous times. Truly unlucky.
"Since my visit is inconvenient, I shall come another day. Oh, right, Eldest Young Lady, these are the Marquis's belongings. Please trouble you to deliver them to him."
Li Shu's belongings?
Li Man'er accepted them with suspicion, her heart pounding.
Li Shu had too many opportunities to fall into traps; he was always the unlucky one. His luck was probably not good, otherwise, he wouldn't have made so many misjudgments, not only getting poisoned but also misjudging people, like Li Wenchang.
Looking at the bundle Xiao Qiniang had asked her to deliver, it seemed rather meaningful.
It was filled with light, airy things, she didn't know what, but they were very light.
Li Man'er was too lazy to look and handed it all to Li Shu.
Li Shu opened the bundle and carefully examined its contents, nodding to himself. He took out everything from the bundle and placed the bundle back.
The bundle looked rather large, but it couldn't hold much. Moreover, the items delivered this time were small in volume and wouldn't cause any fundamental problems.
Only...
Should he use the items Xiao Qiniang had found?
It was definitely a request from Zhu Yu!
Although Li Shu felt a little embarrassed, his inner desires ultimately overcame his reason, and he folded the papers in his hand and put them into his sleeve.
That night, Li Shu returned Jiaoniang's servitude contract to her.
Jiaoniang was both shocked and delighted, almost unable to believe that a pie had fallen from the sky. She had been from a respectable family. Later, with the outbreak of war, her father thought it would be safer in the countryside and took their whole family there.
That period was probably Jiaoniang's happiest time. She carefree, always looking forward to growing up, while her mother sat under a tree and told her that everyone had to grow up, then grow old, and then slowly die, leaving this world.
After her mother's death, no one ever told her such simple truths again.