The winter in the northern desert was long and cold. In March, Jiangnan was already a season of blooming flowers and flying grass, yet in the northern desert, the north wind still howled, and snow filled the sky.
Not only was the weather cold, but it also got dark early.
By the time Li Man'er finished her last batch of elixirs, the sky had already darkened.
Lanterns swayed unsteadily under the eaves. A Si stood by the door, wrapped in a thick cotton coat, leaning against the doorframe, nearly asleep.
When Li Man'er opened the door, A Si almost fell, but she quickly came to her senses.
“Miss, are you done?” A strong medicinal scent emanated from the room, mixed with a trace of sulfur. A wave of heat washed over A Si, dispelling much of the chill from her body.
“Done.” Li Man'er saw that the lamps in the side room were still lit and asked, “Have Wu Ying and the others gone back?”
“Ah, they finished everything and went back. Does Miss want to go take a look?”
“Good!” Li Man'er went to the side room and saw that all the medicinal herbs were neatly stacked. The picked herbs were also sorted and categorized, and the steamed herbs had already been sliced and laid out on winnowing baskets.
“You did a great job!”
A Si immediately said, “Wu Ying and the others are skilled workers. They are efficient. As long as you assign them a task, they will definitely do it well.”
Li Man'er was very satisfied, but she felt a pang of guilt. They had helped her with so much work but refused to take any payment. This wouldn't do.
“A Si, go for a trip later and deliver their wages for me.”
A Si replied, “Miss, they said they don't want wages. I fear they'll refuse even if you send it.”
“They may not want it, but we must give it. They are living hand to mouth.” Li Man'er had A Si lock the door of the side room, then went back to her room, took out several silver ingots, put them in a bag, and had A Si take them. “Let them divide it as they see fit. Make sure they accept it. If they refuse, tell them there’s still more work to be done for many days.”
A Si agreed and casually asked, “Miss, you still carry so much silver with you?”
Li Man'er replied calmly, “This is what I left for Qing Yan earlier. He had nowhere to spend it and left it with me when he departed.”
A Si didn't suspect anything and took the bag to find Wu Ying and the others.
Li Man'er breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to herself that she needed to be more mindful in the future and always carry a few bundles, to avoid situations like today.
It was fortunate that A Si wasn't overly inquisitive. If it were someone as shrewd as Qi Yi Han…
Thinking of this, Li Man'er suddenly gasped! She dared not dwell on it. She needed to be extremely cautious in the future.
Just as she was pondering, footsteps were heard in the courtyard. They were not as light as A Si's, and they sounded somewhat familiar.
Qi Yi Han was quite courteous, knocking on the door before entering.
This surprised Li Man'er. She went to open the door for him. “Your Highness has learned to knock now?” Whenever he came to see her, he would always climb through windows or leap over walls, sneaking in. Never had he come in such a proper manner.
“I had no title or status before. Things are different now.”
Li Man'er invited him in to sit. “How is it different? You still have no title or status. Your Highness hasn't proposed, nor gone through the formal betrothal rites.”
“You know perfectly well what I mean.” Qi Yi Han sat down. “Once we return to the capital, this matter will be put on the agenda immediately. I will petition the Emperor for a marriage decree.”
Li Man'er acted as an outsider. “The Emperor will likely not agree.”
“Things are determined by human effort.”
Seeing his composure, Li Man'er raised her eyebrows. “It seems Your Highness has a trump card.”
The two extremely rational individuals spoke as if discussing someone else's marriage, as if they were both outsiders.
“How is the preparation of the medicine coming along?”
“Everything that needs to be done is done. We can depart at any time. Miss Xiao Qi was quite generous and prepared a lot of medicine for me. Oh, right, how is Xiao Ru Di?”
Qi Yi Han simply said, “She's relying on your medicine to sustain her. Once the medicine runs out, it will be difficult to endure.”
“What are your plans? General Xiao only has half a year left.”
“The memorial has already been sent to the capital by Ah Qi, awaiting the Emperor’s decree to summon General Xiao back to the capital.” This was an unspoken understanding.
Li Man'er did some mental calculation. It would take Ah Qi two months to travel from the northern desert to the capital and then deliver the imperial decree back to the northern desert. General Xiao’s journey to the capital would also take over a month. He would likely be punished. While his crime might not warrant death, he would still face severe consequences. If not for the fact that his family had been guarding the northern desert for generations, the Xiao family might have been executed, and Xiao Ru Di would surely not escape death.
“General Xiao is going, but he might not return, right?”
A flicker of regret crossed Qi Yi Han's face. “General Xiao has entrusted me with a task. If he dies in the capital, his eldest grandson Xiao Yu will escort his coffin back to the capital. If he manages to cling to life and miraculously survives, he must return to the northern desert to be buried here. Even if there is no tomb, becoming a part of the northern desert soil would be enough.”
General Xiao had guarded the northern desert his entire life. The winds and snow here held more appeal and attachment for him than the bustling capital or the prosperous Jiangnan.
What could Li Man'er say?
It was too tragic for a loyal minister and famous general of his generation to end up in such a predicament due to his son's rebellious nature.
“Once General Xiao departs, the defense will completely fall into the hands of your Third Uncle. The men your father brought with him will be handed over to his command. When General Xiao returns to the capital, the Marquis of Iron Courage will also return to the capital.”
Li Man'er indicated that she understood and added, “Your Highness, will the military power held by the Xiao family be diluted?”
“That is certain. Once we return to the capital, these men will have their formations reorganized and be distributed among the various camps in the east, south, west, and north.”
This was to be expected.
Li Man'er nodded. “I understand. Then when do we depart?”
She was referring to the matter of going to the Moluo Mountain Range.
Qi Yi Han replied, “I need a few more days to prepare. We will depart in three days.”
Li Man'er proactively brought up another significant issue. “What about the barbarian captives? So many people, are they all to be killed?”
Were there not many instances in history of enemies being buried alive?
“The Emperor will decide on this matter.” Qi Yi Han had already guessed the fate of these barbarians. At best, they would be assigned to salt mines for hard labor.
Li Man'er knew the gravity of the situation and decided not to ask further. “It's getting late, Your Highness should go back and rest!”
A Si had returned quite a while ago. Seeing Qi Yi Han there, she hadn't dared to approach and had returned to the next room.
Qi Yi Han propped his head with his hand and asked relaxedly, “Have you eaten dinner?”
“No.” She had actually been refining elixirs in her space and didn't feel hungry. When she came out, to avoid suspicion, she had specifically refined two batches of failed elixirs in Cheng City. She hadn't used any good herbs, nor had it taken much effort, which was why A Si smelled the strong scent of sulfur.
“Coincidentally, I haven’t eaten either. I've already ordered food, and it will be delivered soon. Will you join me for a meal?”