Guo Yongzhang was a coward. He was skilled at indulging in debauchery, but facing Li Shu's interrogation was beyond his capabilities. The mere sight of Li Shu's darkened face sent shivers down his spine, and without needing any coercion, he confessed everything.
"Uncle-in-law, this matter has nothing to do with me. It was my aunt's idea. She said your eldest daughter was ungrateful and that taking her five shops was a favor. But she refused to accept it, and even wanted them back. Aunt said, since I have to get married anyway, it doesn't matter who I marry. It's better to marry your eldest daughter. That way, the wealth stays within the family. We can then swallow her dowry and split it fifty-fifty..."
Upon hearing Guo Yongzhang's words, Ziyan and Luyi's eyes turned red with anger.
Li Shu was as if struck by lightning, frozen in place with disbelief in his eyes.
Li Man'er saw this and merely offered a sarcastic smile. Her father, played for a fool by his wife for so many years, had indeed been a rather qualified stepfather.
Li Man'er kicked Guo Yongzhang. "What else?"
"Also..." Guo Yongzhang clutched the spot where he was kicked and whined, "Aunt also said that if we followed the normal procedures of betrothal and marriage, your eldest daughter would never marry into our family. Only by trickery, by making her submit to me first, could it be arranged. That's why she planned today's event, to have Eldest Daughter accompany her to the Medicine King Temple, drug her food and drink, to facilitate the deed."
By the end, Guo Yongzhang was weeping uncontrollably. "Uncle-in-law, it truly has nothing to do with me! It was all planned by Aunt. I... I didn't accomplish anything. I was drugged as soon as I entered the room. It's really not my fault!"
Li Shu leaped to his feet, pointing at Guo Yongzhang's nose and cursing furiously, "Shameless, you utterly shameless wretch!"
As Guo Yongzhang was about to retort, Li Man'er struck him on the neck with a palm strike. His body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Li Man'er ignored his fate and directly asked Li Shu, "Father, what do you think we should do now?"
"We'll discuss any matters when we return to the manor. This is outside, after all." He paused, then glanced at Li Man'er with a lack of confidence. "Family shame should not be aired."
Li Man'er gave a noncommittal reply. "Does Father intend to travel at night?"
"Then we'll stay for the night and return to the city first thing tomorrow morning."
Li Man'er said, "This Medicine King Temple is remote and the conditions are simple. You and your good nephew will have to make do here for the night."
She emphasized the words "good nephew" with particular weight, which made Li Shu's heart churn with annoyance, yet he was utterly helpless. He didn't even have the right to argue.
Without performing any courtesies, Li Man'er withdrew from the meditation room and went to the adjacent one with her two maids.
As soon as they entered, Ziyan's tears began to fall. "Fortunately, Young Lady was clever, otherwise we would have suffered greatly this time."
Luyi, unlike her usual lively self, said in a low voice, "It's fortunate that Young Lady was prepared and knows medicine herself. It is we servants who are useless, unable to share Young Lady's burden."
"All right, it has nothing to do with you." Li Man'er sprawled on the kang and suddenly asked, "Was that Madam Yu carried into the room?"
"Replying to Young Lady, she has been carried into the room. The place you found for her was very peculiar. I don't know how many mosquito bites she has, her face is covered in bumps and so swollen she's unrecognizable."
Luyi chuckled, "You should have seen her. She looked like a pig-headed spirit."
A pig-headed spirit, indeed!
Li Man'er smiled, knowing that the two maids were trying to cheer her up out of concern for her sadness.
"What about those two rough maids?!" Apart from the two maids whom Li Man'er had knocked unconscious, almost everyone else who had come along had been drugged by her.
"Replying to Young Lady, they are guarding Madam and the others! Rest assured, Young Lady, with Marquis here, those two old hens won't dare to act recklessly."
"Heh heh, my Thousand Day Drunk is not that easily overcome. If they have the ability to wake up Madam Guo, I'll write my surname backward."
Luyi poured Li Man'er a cup of tea. "Young Lady, can Madam be brought down this time?"
"That depends on what you mean by 'brought down'."
Luyi glanced at Ziyi and raised her voice slightly, "Could it be that after committing such an evil deed, Marquis will still shield her?"
"Even without Marquis, there is still the Old Madam. Don't forget, Madam is the daughter of Old Madam's concubine sister. They are related." (She would have to call her aunt.)
Luyi stamped her foot. "It's infuriating!"
Li Man'er chuckled and said, "You two only know half the story."
The two maids immediately pricked up their ears to listen.
"Old Madam does favor Madam Guo, this is beyond doubt. Even the children Madam Guo bore always receive extra affection and forgiveness." Li Man'er closed her eyes, carefully feeling the sensations of the original owner's body. A trace of deep-seated grievance and unwillingness welled up again from the depths of her heart.
This was perhaps the last bit of lingering attachment and will left by the original owner in this world.
Seeing her close her eyes, Ziyan and Luyi assumed she was feeling unwell and kept silent, waiting for Li Man'er to compose herself.
"Although Old Madam is protective, she values benefits more." Li Man'er slowly opened her eyes. "In other words, in the face of benefits, all familial affection is nonsense. Old Madam wants the glory of the Li family, the honor of the Iron Gallant Marquisate. She wants the descendants of the Li lineage to preserve the reputation of the Iron Gallant Marquisate."
The two maids were startled. None of them had expected that the person who understood Old Madam the most would be Eldest Daughter.
"So, whoever can bring hope to the Li family, whoever can preserve the Iron Gallant Marquisate, that person is the one she will protect."
The two maids nodded in unison. They knew that once the heir, Li Qingyun, inherited the title, the Marquisate would be demoted to a Earl's estate, which was probably the last thing Old Madam wanted to see.
"Didn't she send Li Qingshu into the palace hoping she would gain favor, so that she could benefit from her son's status, and thus help the Li family retain their title? Everyone says Old Madam dotes on her daughter, hmph, it's nothing more than that."
The two maids turned pale with fright. "Young Lady, be careful with your words." Having stayed in aristocratic households for a long time, they knew the principle of words leading to trouble.
"What are you afraid of? There's no one else here. By the way, what about the temple priest?"
The temple priest had accepted Madam Guo's bribe and provided her with convenience. In Li Shu's words, he deserved to die.
"He's locked up in the woodshed."
"Bring the person over. I need to speak with him."
"Yes." Luyi and Ziyan went to the woodshed. Shortly thereafter, they brought the thoroughly bound temple priest.
As soon as the temple priest saw Li Man'er, he wailed, "Benefactor, injustice! This humble monk is a man of religion, I had no choice. I was coerced by that Madam. It has nothing to do with me!"
"A man of religion?" Li Man'er looked at the top of his head. "Do you have any tonsure marks?"
The temple priest immediately fell silent. He had always worn a monk's cap. How did this female benefactor know that there were no tonsure marks on his head?