Li Man'er's lips curved upwards. She believed the Emperor was not foolish and would know how to choose.
History books were there for all to see, clearly recording which emperors were wise and which were foolish. History books never mentioned any emperor who lived forever and reigned for a hundred years, nor any emperor who ascended to divinity by day.
Li Man'er thought the current Emperor was not entirely foolish and would likely know how to make the right choice, so she wasn't worried at all.
"Your Highness, please rest assured, I will not implicate you," Li Man'er said, her eyes sparkling as if they held the entire galaxy.
"It's not that I'm afraid of you implicating me. I have too many troubles already to care about one more," the Emperor replied. He knew His Majesty was displeased with him and had been wary of him for a long time, so this was just one more accusation.
"Your Highness, that Sister-in-law Wu, Ah Si, she's your person, isn't she?"
Qi Yihan couldn't help but nod. "As expected, nothing escapes your notice. Yes, she is my person. With her here to support you, you'll have an extra helper and be safer."
Speaking of safety…
Qi Yihan couldn't help but warn, "You must be wary of Xiao Ruduo."
"That white-haired fellow is indeed rather strange!"
White-haired?
A flicker of helplessness crossed Qi Yihan's eyes. He doubted another young lady of noble birth in the capital could be as unrestrained as Li Man'er.
However, she wasn't wrong; Xiao Ruduo did have a head full of white hair.
"Does Your Highness know why his hair is all white?"
Qi Yihan shook his head, then guessed, "I've heard some people are born this way, with premature white hair in youth. But since you're asking, it's probably not the reason."
"Indeed, some are born with naturally white hair, but Xiao Ruduo isn't. He suffers from premature aging and uses unorthodox methods to prolong his life, hence his white hair and extreme emaciation."
Qi Yihan was greatly astonished. "Are there such methods for prolonging life?"
"Of course! The world is vast and full of wonders. Your Highness only sees Xiao Ruduo's indulgence in beauty and debauchery, but you don't know that he cultivates evil techniques that require..."
"Ahem, ahem."
Just as Li Man'er was about to enlighten Qi Yihan on such matters, she saw him turn his head and cough lightly. She wasn't sure if he was deliberately interrupting her or if he had choked from her words.
Li Man'er thought to herself that the lives of royalty were so extravagant. People in ancient times matured early; it was common for them to marry and have children at fourteen or fifteen. Masters from wealthy families had maids serving them personally, like Jia Baoyu, who understood such matters at a young age. It was even more so for those born into royalty, yet he pretended to be so pure.
"Is Your Highness alright?"
Qi Yihan waved his hand and steered the conversation back on track.
"Since you know Xiao Ruduo is not a good person, I am relieved. Be extremely wary of him," Qi Yihan said softly. "Don't think you're so capable that you can afford to underestimate him. Vigilance is always beneficial."
Like a dean of students!
Li Man'er feigned obedience and nodded. "Don't worry, I understand that much."
"The wine they gave Marquis today was from the barbarians. It's potent, and the Marquis will likely sleep very soundly tonight, and it's hard to say when he'll wake up tomorrow."
Li Man'er asked, "Your Highness means that the Xiao family will take advantage of this opportunity to change guards and withdraw their men?"
"They definitely will. The Xiao family has already made arrangements. There won't be many people left behind tomorrow." Qi Yihan said with some helplessness, "I suspect the two Xiao brothers will leave a letter for your father, asking him to take over the defenses of the old city. If my guess is correct, your father will probably be overjoyed, thinking he has a chance to gain real power in the northern territories."
Sigh~
Li Shu was short-sighted and loved glory. Even Qi Yihan could see this.
"He will surely be overjoyed! The Xiao family is also being merciful, not waiting until New Year's Eve to hand over the defense duties. They're even giving him a day or two to familiarize himself. That's quite good."
"The Xiao family's troops are said to be two hundred thousand, but in reality, they are only a little over a hundred thousand."
Li Man'er nodded, showing no surprise. Inflated troop numbers were a common tactic to deceive opponents in warfare. A larger number, in some ways, represented greater strength and a higher chance of victory. It was best if the enemy believed it; otherwise, they lost nothing, perhaps just being ridiculed for boasting.
As Qi Yihan spoke, he took out a piece of paper from his怀. Upon opening it, Li Man'er saw it was a simple map.
The room was unlit, but with the faint moonlight, Li Man'er could still make out the contents of the paper.
It was a simple map.
"A portion of their men are stationed at Gorge Stone Beach. This is the first line of defense the barbarians will face. Gorge Stone Beach has an open view and is not easy to conceal, but it offers great convenience for cavalry," Qi Yihan said. "The men guarding Gorge Stone Beach should quietly withdraw tonight, but you don't need to worry. I have persuaded Xiao Ruqin to place some caltrops at Gorge Stone Beach and some black beans boiled with purging cassia water along the route."
It was better to be safe than sorry. If those horses couldn't resist and ate the black beans, their combat effectiveness would be negligible.
Li Man'er gave him a thumbs-up. So devious! To think of such a tactic.
Qi Yihan had no idea Li Man'er was mentally calling him names. He continued, "The Xiao family's forces will withdraw in three batches today. Two of the groups will go to the new city, and the larger one will set up camp between the old and new cities."
Upon hearing this, Li Man'er understood.
"They are counting on Marquis not being able to defend the old city, so they plan to follow behind Li Shu and pick up the scraps."
Qi Yihan pretended not to hear the word "scraps." "That's likely their thinking! After all, these barbarians are not to be trifled with. They will have to deploy more men to the main front. I suspect the other two groups will be here, and here."
He pointed to both flanks of the new city. "Doing so is somewhat risky, but not entirely without opportunity."
Li Man'er feigned ignorance, looking at Qi Yihan with a bewildered expression, fearing he might suspect her.
Qi Yihan refolded the map and handed it to her. "Take a good look when you have time. I've also marked the deployment of personnel in the old city. The Xiao family is harboring ill intentions; they've only left three hundred men in the city, and they are all old, weak, and disabled." He gave Li Man'er a meaningful look, as if to say, "Is it too late to pretend you don't understand now?"
"Fewer people are better! As long as the old city is defended, all of the Xiao family's calculations will be in vain."
"Li Shu brought his own troops, didn't he?" Li Man'er chuckled. "They claim to be tens of thousands strong." Though not quite that many.
"With Li Shu here, the morale will be stable. Even if there's some initial confusion, it will quickly stabilize. What will you do to break the stalemate?"
Li Man'er simply replied, "Your Highness need only await good news."