Qi Yihan had no intention of hiding from her once he was here.
He had angered her during the day, and if he didn't show some sincerity, this matter wouldn't be easily dismissed. This might even be his last meeting with Li Man'er, and it would be good to say some things out loud.
Qi Yihan didn't know why, but he really wanted to talk to Li Man'er at this moment.
"Actually, I came today specifically to thank you," Qi Yihan said. "Your blueprints are worth more than a thousand pieces of gold, yet you didn't hesitate to share them to save lives."
"That doesn't sound like something the Ninth Prince would say," Li Man'er replied. "Even with those war chariots, defending the city is still fraught with difficulties, and people will still die."
It wasn't that she was overly sentimental, but in the end, it was always the ordinary soldiers and common people who suffered in war. The high officials and lords, however, were safely hidden in the rear, enjoying luxury. Who would ever care about those displaced commoners!
"How can there be a war without casualties? The Zun Kingdom and the Mo Bei have been entangled for years, fighting a war of attrition. They attack and retreat, using Mo Bei as the battlefield. Countless major and minor battles have been fought. The largest battle was over a decade ago. At that time, the Zun Kingdom was in internal and external turmoil, coupled with a natural disaster. The barbarians took the opportunity to march south, breaching the then Mo Bei City and almost entering the pass."
Li Man'er listened quietly. This past event was unfamiliar to her.
"In that battle, both the Zun Kingdom and the barbarians suffered heavy losses. Neither side gained any advantage," Qi Yihan said, a hint of inexplicable sadness on his face. "Both sides suffered countless casualties, their vitality severely weakened. It took them more than ten years to recover somewhat."
Li Man'er couldn't agree more. Ancient productivity was low, making recovery difficult. To recover in just over ten years indicated a certain capability of the court.
Wait! Something's wrong. Wasn't he supposed to be talking about how he infiltrated the Xiao family's army? Why did the topic shift?
Li Man'er put on a stern face. "You still haven't told me how you got into the Xiao family."
"Got in"? The way she said it was so unpleasant.
Qi Yihan frowned slightly but still patiently told her about the events of the past.
"I infiltrated the Xiao family many years ago and served as a副将 (fù jiàng - deputy general) under the third son of the Xiao family, Xiao Ruqin." He chuckled at something he thought of, as if laughing at the third son of the Xiao family, or perhaps at himself.
For some reason, Li Man'er suddenly felt a tightness in her chest, more uncomfortable than being scolded.
"Your Highness, haven't the Xiao family members seen your face? Wouldn't it be exposed the moment you met?"
She had changed from calling him "you" to "Your Highness" again. This girl was truly...
Qi Yihan took out a small bottle. "This is a disguise potion. Just add a few drops to water and wash your face. Your face will develop some hideous scars. With a face full of scars, ordinary people would find it difficult to recognize my true appearance."
Listening to these words, Li Man'er didn't know how to feel. The dignified Ninth Prince had fallen to such a point that no one would believe him if he told them!
At least she had never imagined that Qi Yihan would ever be in such a compromising position.
"By the way, if this potion is so powerful, who gave it to you?"
"In the martial world, there is someone called Qian Mian Yin Hu (千面银狐 - Thousand-Faced Silver Fox). His disguise skills are extremely formidable. No one in the world has ever seen his true appearance. It is said that he can not only change his facial features at will, but even his height and build."
So powerful?
Li Man'er's first reaction was that it must be fake. Disguise skills, and such, sounded unreliable.
But then she thought, if transmigration could happen, and she herself possessed a legendary space, then compared to these two things, disguise skills were not so unacceptable.
Modern makeup techniques were also quite magical, weren't they? With the help of various colored cosmetics, one could achieve a complete transformation. Perhaps disguise techniques were just a more advanced form of makeup. Besides, one shouldn't underestimate the wisdom of the ancients. There were so many unsolved mysteries in archaeology, and many things left behind by the ancients still lacked clear explanations and interpretations.
"If he's so powerful, have you ever seen his true face?"
Qi Yihan shook his head. "I don't even know if he's male or female. If I hadn't accidentally saved him once, he wouldn't have given me this. The first time I saved him, he was a boy of fifteen or sixteen, covered in wounds, lying in the snow as if he could die at any moment. After he recovered, he left a few bottles of potion and a letter. The second time, he actively sought me out, and turned out to be an old man of sixty or seventy, and a hunchback. If it weren't for the fact that his voice was identical to that of the boy, his handwriting was the same, and he mentioned saving him and the potion perfectly, I would never have believed that the boy and the elderly hunchback were the same person."
"There are always people better than you, and heavens beyond heavens." Li Man'er said this with genuine feeling. She didn't know what parallel universe she had transmigrated to, but why were the experts here more formidable than the last!
If she didn't have her space to rely on, it would be hard to say.
"Does this potion cause any harm to the face?"
Qi Yihan's heart suddenly felt warm. "Look at this prince's face, and you'll know. As long as you use the antidote, your face will return to normal without any issues."
"That's good then." Although Qi Yihan wasn't a great person, his face was indeed exceptionally handsome. Even all the young idols of later generations combined wouldn't be as pleasing to the eye as the person before her.
Well, after all, he came from royalty. His parents were good-looking, and he had an air about him. Just that temperament alone was incomparable.
"What, are you afraid this face of mine will be ruined?" For some reason, Qi Yihan suddenly felt like teasing her. This Li Man'er seemed to be fearless and didn't possess the shyness or bashfulness of ordinary young ladies. He wanted to see if this woman would blush.
Most people, faced with Qi Yihan's handsome face and his words, would probably turn red from head to toe, unable to hide their bashfulness.
But was Li Man'er an ordinary person? She simply observed Qi Yihan carefully for a few moments and then said with a discerning tone, "Your appearance is indeed upright. It would be a pity if it were ruined. Beautiful things are meant to be appreciated, after all. Your temper is already not good, and you have a fearsome reputation. If this face were also ruined, tsk tsk..."
Li Man'er didn't continue, but her nodding and shaking head, as if she had a lot to say, conveyed everything.
Qi Yihan already knew that arguing with this girl would only lead to his own humiliation.
He quickly changed the subject. "With a scarred face like this, even Xiao Xiang wouldn't recognize me, so I am very safe."