Amazing, truly amazing.
Her young lady, when she didn't act, didn't act at all. But when she did, it was with lethal precision, leaving nothing and no one unscathed, only groans and wails.
First, she captured the souls of Xiao Qiniang and Zhu Yu, turning this mistress and maid into her obedient puppets who would do her bidding without question. Then, silently and without a trace, she killed Gong Xiao, making him pay the price for his arrogance and presumption.
The most brilliant move was that when the search guards came, Xiao Qiniang provided an alibi, clearing her young lady of suspicion from the start, without the slightest loophole exposed.
If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, Liu Ya would never have believed such a powerful person existed.
"Young lady, they've all left," Liu Ya said, her starry eyes gazing at Li Man'er with immense admiration. It was flawless, truly flawless!
Li Man'er nodded. "Indeed. I didn't expect General Gong to be assassinated."
"Yes, yes," Liu Ya's heart pounded. Her young lady was simply too formidable. Not only could she kill, but she could do so without a blush or a tremor. Such composure was enough for Liu Ya to study her entire life.
Li Man'er shook her head, as if lamenting. "Never mind. With such an incident, I've lost my appetite. Have them clear everything away."
"Yes!"
After these few words, Liu Ya felt her state of mind stabilize considerably, her heart rate returning to normal at least. She slowly exhaled twice, pushed the door open, and had the old women clear all the food from the room.
The two old women, feeling familiar with Liu Ya, whispered to her, "Miss Liu Ya, what happened? Why did the guards kick the door open?"
Liu Ya sneered. "You two old hags, full of mischief. If you want to know, why don't you ask yourselves? You're just asking for trouble coming to me."
The two old women dared not speak further, quickly clearing the bowls and chopsticks, cursing Liu Ya in their hearts countless times.
The yamen was not peaceful today. It had been chaotic since nightfall.
Li Shu was also somewhat alarmed, thinking there was some movement in the northern desert. He sent Qin Si and Old Sun out to inquire, but they reported that a thief had entered the mansion and they couldn't find out anything else.
Li Shu was enraged and berated the Xiao family, accusing them of imprisoning him and controlling military power.
Old Sun remained silent. Qin Si inwardly grumbled, 'Who can you blame but yourself for your weak constitution, constantly being poisoned or struck by apoplexy? If I were a member of the Xiao family, I'd seize the opportunity to remove this thorn in my side. If it weren't for the eldest young lady protecting you, you probably wouldn't know where your Marquis title had gone.'
In the front courtyard of the yamen, the lights were blazing. Despite the cold weather, the courtyard was filled with people.
In the center of the courtyard, six corpses lay neatly arranged. Some had their eyes wide open in death, others wore expressions of terror, and some didn't even know what happened until their last breath.
Xiao Rudie's face was as dark as ink. Staring at the corpses on the stretchers, his eyes seemed capable of spitting fire.
Gong Xiao's body was among them. On his neck was a very fine wound, his fatal injury, and the only wound on his entire body. The wound was extremely deep, with clean edges, and the flesh was slightly pale. No matter how one looked at it, it was impossible to imagine what kind of weapon had caused it.
Two experienced coroners examined them for a long time, then discussed among themselves before cupping their fists and pleading for forgiveness. "General, forgive our ignorance. We truly cannot determine what weapon caused the wound on General Gong's neck."
Xiao Rudie was furious and could only wave for the two to retreat. He walked to Gong Xiao's side, his brow furrowed, and personally pulled the white cloth covering Gong Xiao's body higher, concealing the corpse.
"Father, you should go back inside! The weather is so cold, and your leg..."
Xiao Rudie said sternly, "Are there any clues?"
Xiao Si shook his head. "We've searched everywhere, almost turning the yamen upside down. But the thief seemed to have vanished into thin air. No one saw them."
"Where were the bodies found? Did they not even leave a footprint?"
"The yamen is paved with bluestone bricks. After the snow, the servants swept all the accumulated snow clean. In the area where the incident occurred, no footprints were left, nor were any items found. Several people were killed with a single blow, and the wounds on their bodies varied in size. Some were strangled, while others died from broken necks. Therefore, my son believes the thief might not be a single person; they might have been working together."
Xiao Rudie raised his hand, signaling for him to come inside and talk.
The father and son entered the room, closed the door, and brought up Li Man'er again.
"Did your sister say personally that she dined with Miss Li, and they had a pleasant conversation?"
Xiao Si nodded. "When the guards searched her room, my sister was also present. There were also a few servants in the courtyard who went with my sister. They can all testify that Li Man'er did not leave mid-meal and was in the room the entire time."
"Still too young. You can't judge a book by its cover."
"You suspect Miss Li because of her argument with General Gong?"
Xiao Rudie sat by the charcoal brazier to warm himself. "Don't underestimate that Li Man'er. She truly has hidden depths." He suspected Li Man'er, but lacked evidence. Moreover, his leg still required Li Man'er's treatment, so he wasn't in a hurry to act against her for the moment; he would stabilize the situation first.
"Father, I know her behavior in the capital made people think she was cunning, but she had no choice then."
Xiao Rudie looked thoughtfully at Xiao Si. Xiao Si felt a little guilty but still defended Li Man'er. "I know Miss Li has some martial arts skills. After all, she comes from a military family, which is understandable. But Father, she is a woman from a boudoir. No matter how skilled, her abilities are limited. Uncle Gong fought on the battlefield with you for many years, how could he not be her match?"
Xiao Rudie countered, "Couldn't it have been a surprise attack?"
Xiao Si shook his head, carefully considering his words before replying, "If it were a surprise attack, it would have been difficult to strike true with one blow. Given Uncle Gong's reflexes, he would surely have called for help, or left other traces on his person. But I saw that Uncle Gong had only one wound, so it doesn't seem like a surprise attack."
"I never said it was Miss Li. Why are you so nervous?"
"Father..."
Xiao Si wanted to say more but was interrupted by Xiao Rudie.
"Your father understands that you are very satisfied with Miss Li. But Si'er, your marriage is a matter that must be approached with extreme caution, do you understand?"
Xiao Si naturally understood. "Father, I understand."
Xiao Rudie nodded. "Go! Get some good rest. The funeral arrangements for your Uncle Gong must be handled well. The New Year is approaching. With this incident, you must also make proper arrangements for his family on my behalf."
"Yes, I understand." Xiao Si understood the principle of not overdoing things and said no more. He turned and left the room.
After Xiao Si left, Xiao Rudie sat alone in the room for a long time, then suddenly stood up in anger, sweeping everything on the table to the floor, smashing it to pieces.