Li Man'er smiled and said, "I, for one, don't much like watching other people's misfortunes. General Xiao, your cries are too unpleasant, no worse than a wolf wailing. I, unable to bear it any longer, have taken pity on you and will first tend to your wounds, at least to stop the pain."
"You're that kind-hearted?"
"Of course, I have a kind heart!" Li Man'er reached into her chest and pulled out a small pill. "This medicine can stop pain. As soon as you take it, the pain will cease immediately."
Xiao Rudí looked wary, as if Li Man'er was offering him poison instead of a painkiller.
"Eat it or don't."
Li Man'er tossed the pill to a guard beside Xiao Rudí. The man jumped in surprise and quickly caught the bottle, holding it protectively. He wasn't sure whether to give it to Xiao Rudí or not.
Just as Xiao Rudí was about to say something, a piercing, bone-chilling pain struck him. He felt as if a hundred steel needles had been plunged into his leg, the pain so intense that he wished he could die right there in the northwest.
"Give it to me, give me the medicine." He no longer doubted Li Man'er. Even if it were poison, he would swallow it immediately to escape this agony.
The guard had no choice but to pour out a pill and place it in Xiao Rudí's mouth. Strangely, after taking the medicine, he felt no more pain within mere moments.
The medicine was truly miraculous, capable of stopping pain.
"There are twenty pills in this bottle. Take one when you're in pain, and it will keep you pain-free for six to seven hours," Li Man'er said. "I have other matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave."
She didn't want to linger in the room for another moment. She had many questions for Qi Yihan.
Xiao Qiniang had found a temporary resting place for them.
"Your Highness, Miss Man'er, it's very quiet here, and no one will disturb you. You can talk and rest here. If you need anything, just call me; I'll be in the adjacent room."
"Wait a moment," Li Man'er called out to Xiao Qiniang. "Miss Qi, I'd like to ask about my cousin, and also..."
Xiao Qiniang said, "Miss Man'er, His Highness knows all about these matters. I believe it would be better for His Highness to tell you himself."
After speaking, she nodded slightly and turned to leave.
Li Man'er sat on a chair, fuming. She was so annoyed.
By now, she had guessed what was going on. But the mere thought of being toyed with by Qi Yihan made her furious, an anger that burned from within.
"Still angry?" Qi Yihan felt the temperature of the teapot on the table and poured a cup of tea for Li Man'er. "Drink some water."
The water was warm, and there was nothing amiss with it. Li Man'er took a sip, but her anger did not subside. She glared fiercely at Qi Yihan.
"Ask whatever you wish to ask, and I will tell you everything."
Nonsense. He had said the same thing last time.
"Hmph, Your Highness always says that, but you always play hard to get."
"Is that how 'playing hard to get' is used?" Qi Yihan sighed helplessly. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, but I fear involving you."
Li Man'er let out two hearty laughs. "And where are we now? Am I not involved anyway? You might as well have told me straightforwardly!"
She disliked these roundabout matters and preferred things to be direct.
"Alright, alright, I understand." Qi Yihan reached out and took Li Man'er's hand. "No matter what you ask, I will tell you, and I will not hide anything from you anymore."
Li Man'er feigned a struggle for a moment before finally allowing him to hold her hand. She tilted her head up proudly. "I ask you, last time you asked me to suppress the蠱毒 (gǔ dú - poisonous miasma) for you, and said you had to go out on business. Did you come to Mobei then?"
"Yes."
"You started your plan at that time?"
Qi Yihan shook his head. "No, even earlier."
Earlier?
Li Man'er's eyes blinked slightly. "When was that?"
Qi Yihan sighed softly. "Man'er, do you know my origins?"
Who doesn't know your origins!
Li Man'er was about to say something when she suddenly realized the question was misplaced.
In the capital, everyone knew of the Ninth Prince's fame. Even among the Zun Kingdom and the barbarians, few didn't know him.
The Ninth Prince was the current Emperor's younger brother, the youngest son of the late Emperor and Empress Dowager, highly favored by the late Emperor. He was intelligent from a young age, skilled in both civil and martial arts, and deeply favored by the late Emperor. The late Emperor had even considered making Qi Yihan the Crown Prince, wanting him to ascend the throne.
Later, his temperament suddenly changed, and he became a bloodthirsty killer, his reputation as fearsome as a Rakshasa, causing everyone to feel a chill at the mention of his name.
These were common knowledge. If this were truly the case, there would be no need for Qi Yihan to bring it up.
"Are you not the Emperor's son?"
Seeing her serious expression, Qi Yihan couldn't help but reach out and flick her nose. "What are you thinking!" To falsify royal lineage was a grave crime.
"The Empress Dowager is not my birth mother."
Here it comes!
Li Man'er's spirits lifted. "Then who is your birth mother?"
"Do you remember the matter of finding the great tomb of the Wu tribe before?"
Li Man'er nodded repeatedly. "Could it be that your mother is from the Wu tribe?"
Qi Yihan nodded. "The Wu tribe, it is said, were servants of the gods, guarding the secrets of the gods for generations. Originally, the Wu tribe was a very prosperous clan, but due to persecution from the world, they gradually weakened, their bloodline dwindling. In the end, only a few dozen people remained. To escape pursuit, they were forced to hide in the deep mountains, where they multiplied. My mother was the last princess of the Wu tribe."
Li Man'er exclaimed, "A princess of the Wu tribe, then, she and the late Emperor..."
"The late Emperor once came to Mobei. On one occasion, he was pursued by barbarians after venturing too far. In desperation, he inadvertently entered the sacred land of the Wu tribe."
Ah, no wonder. It must have been the Wu tribe princess who saved him. They must have developed feelings for each other, and that's how Qi Yihan was born.
However, weren't they quite a few years apart in age? After all, the Ninth Prince was the late Emperor's youngest son.
Things were pretty much as Li Man'er had guessed. The late Emperor and the Wu tribe princess developed feelings, but their love was not blessed. The Wu tribe did not intermarry with outsiders; how could they allow their princess to marry the late Emperor!
But no one expected that the princess would become pregnant with that man's child.
The Wu tribe could not tolerate such an impure princess, so they expelled her from the tribe and forbade her from ever returning to their sacred land.
Thus, Qi Yihan's birth mother returned to the Zun Kingdom with the late Emperor. It was only then that the princess realized the late Emperor's identity. She regretted it, but there was no way back. In her extreme sorrow, the child the princess was carrying was lost.
"Ah? Lost?"
Qi Yihan said, "I heard it was a girl. If she had been born successfully, she would have been my elder sister."
"Oh, oh." Li Man'er felt a little embarrassed. "And then!"
Like all love stories, it was melodramatic. The late Emperor truly loved the Wu tribe princess and did not wish to leave her, so he settled her in a separate courtyard.