The two initially only wanted to know who was targeting Li Man'er, but they never expected to overhear Li Man'er’s threat to Da Mao. To send someone to the palace at the drop of a hat, that was impressive!
A Qi made a throat-slitting gesture, implying it would be better to be dead.
A Si rolled her eyes and motioned for him to be quiet.
The two continued eavesdropping. At this point, Li Man'er had begun to persuade Da Mao with reason and emotion.
"Don't you think that if you want to kill me, you should see if you have the ability to do so? Your mother tried to harm me but failed, and ended up trapping herself. If you're not skilled enough, even if you're skinned alive and roasted, you'd deserve it."
Skinned alive, roasted?
A Qi shivered, thinking that one should never offend a woman; their thoughts were truly something else.
"You have no past or present grudges with me, so is it worth it to work for others like this? What benefits did they promise you? I'll offer double."
With deep pockets, she spoke with confidence.
Da Mao looked at Li Man'er hesitantly, as if considering whether Li Man'er had the ability.
Hooked.
Li Man'er said, "I keep my word. You were just acting for others, trying to earn some benefits for yourselves, so your crime is not punishable by death. The truly hateful person is the one who wants my life."
Da Mao was finally persuaded and gestured that he could tell her the truth.
Li Man'er then held his jaw and snapped it back with a crack that made the teeth of the two outside the window ache.
"Speak, who sent your mother to harm me! She failed to harm me and then sent you."
Da Mao no longer struggled and immediately said, "It was Feng Wuyun. He had his subordinates find my mother and that person said that you, a young girl, didn't understand warfare and would surely lead them to defeat if you took them to battle, thus causing the deaths of many. Rather than let people die for nothing, it would be better to use a dose of physic to ensure they all perished."
Da Mao's hand was broken, and he was in great pain. As he spoke, he couldn't help but gasp, and then continued, "My mother believed it to be true and took the opportunity to put the physic powder into the dumpling filling, but it was discovered."
"Your mother was arrested, and you harbored resentment, wanting to kill me for revenge?"
Da Mao nodded and lowered his head.
Nonsense!
Li Man'er didn't believe him at all and kicked him down, "Since you want to end your own lineage, I'll oblige. Isn't it just pickling? If it's not done right, it won't be ruined!"
Li Man'er picked up a dagger and actually lunged towards a certain area of Da Mao's. Da Mao scrambled to dodge, narrowly avoiding being stabbed.
"You're still dodging? This dagger of mine is very sharp. If you behave, perhaps it won't hurt!"
Da Mao was scared to death. "No, don't come any closer." He desperately crawled, trying to escape Li Man'er's knife, but each time he only narrowly avoided it.
It was unclear whether Li Man'er intended to scare him or truly pickle him, as several times she almost hit her mark.
A Si outside the window was also quite frightened. She glanced at A Qi, only to see A Qi instinctively clench his legs, as if he were the one being pursued... and pickled, not Da Mao.
"I'll tell you, I'll tell you, stop stabbing." Da Mao was terrified. He was only fourteen or fifteen years old and couldn't handle Li Man'er's actions. At that moment, he confessed everything.
"After my mother was arrested, I also wanted to save her, but that old hag Wu Ying watched me too closely, so I couldn't get in. But my mother had told me before that if I encountered something I didn't know how to handle, I should find Zeng Lao Ba."
"Zeng Lao Ba?" Is there such a person?
"A Si, A Qi, come in."
The two outside the window exchanged glances and had no choice but to push open the door and enter the room.
"Who is Zeng Lao Ba?"
A Si quickly said, "He should be one of the old soldiers left behind by the Xiao family. I remember there was someone called Zeng the Blind, but I haven't heard of Zeng Lao Ba."
Li Man'er then looked at Da Mao. The young man swallowed and said, "Zeng, Zeng Lao Ba is Zeng the Blind. Because he's blind in one eye, people call him Zeng the Blind, but he's ranked eighth..."
Li Man'er smiled, "Why didn't Gao Yujuan call him Zeng the Blind and insisted on calling him Zeng Lao Ba?"
Da Mao immediately turned his head away, not looking at Li Man'er.
"Oh, I see. That blind man is your mother's lover."
Hearing this, anyone would likely lose their temper, let alone Da Mao, a young boy. He couldn't bear it.
"You're talking nonsense!" He was so angry that he forgot the pain in his wrist, forgot that Li Man'er was someone who could easily take his life. He only knew that he had been insulted, that his mother had been insulted.
"Don't you know yourself? If they were truly innocent, would you be so angry?" Li Man'er tutted twice. "Speaking of which, your mother, though a bit older, is still quite charming. Her walk is a bit languid, her posture alluring. Her eyes aren't big, but they know how to sparkle. That Zeng Lao Ba is only blind in one eye, not completely blind. Who would refuse someone who comes to their doorstep, don't you think?"
Da Mao's face turned the color of liver. He could no longer care about anything else and shouted, "I'll kill you, I'll kill you!" and then lunged at Li Man'er.
Li Man'er was not a soft-hearted person. Before A Si and A Qi could act, she leaped up and kicked Da Mao, sending him flying again.
"A Si, tie him up, gag him, and hand him over to Wu Bao to watch." Li Man'er looked up at A Qi and smiled, "You're here just in time. Come with me to catch someone."
"Catch someone?"
A Si quickly said, "Catch Zeng the Blind, quickly protect the lady." As she spoke, she walked towards Da Mao, and despite his struggles, she struck him with a palm, knocking him unconscious and taking him away.
Li Man'er then found out where the old, weak, sick, and disabled lived, and with A Qi, went directly to find them.
"Miss, you're looking for that Zeng Lao Ba, do you suspect him?"
"Nonsense!"
A Qi, however, said, "Most of the old soldiers in this city are meritorious individuals who defended the city. They resisted the barbarians and participated in countless battles, big and small. Injuries and deaths were common. I suspect that Zeng Lao Ba's eye injury was likely sustained during battle. If you suspect him, I'm afraid..."
The Xiao family's army had arrived. If they found out about this, there would surely be trouble.
Li Man'er sneered, "What are you afraid of? Afraid that the Xiao family soldiers under your master will cause trouble? Mutiny?"
"Yes." A Qi thought to himself, if you already know, why are you still doing this? Isn't this causing trouble for the master?
"You know, if you're unwilling to go, I'll go myself. If he runs away later, we'll be criminals."
"Why?"
Li Man'er stopped and took a deep breath before saying, "That Zeng fellow is clearly a barbarian spy, can't you see that?"