Li Man'er hadn't expected Qi Yihan to be so shameless, even getting physically intimate with her. Caught off guard, she tumbled onto him again. Their eyes met, their noses almost brushing.
Li Man'er could feel Qi Yihan's breath on her face. In both her lives combined, she had never been this close to a man.
Stay calm!
She had weathered countless storms and hardships; she couldn't show fear in front of this despicable man.
"What does Your Highness intend to do?" Li Man'er asked, her pretty face set in a mask of composure. "You're not planning to bully a weak woman like me, are you?"
Qi Yihan glanced at the dagger on the ground. "Weak woman?"
Li Man'er pushed Qi Yihan, but his hand remained behind her back, and the distance between them didn't increase.
Li Man'er's expression grew troubled. "Your Highness, please mind yourself. It would be best if you let go. I believe you wouldn't want to cause too much of a commotion, would you? The Xiao family's patrol is not to be trifled with."
"My martial skills are superb. I come and go like the wind, unseen and unheard. It won't be that easy for them to catch me."
Li Man'er snorted disdainfully and was about to call out for guards. Qi Yihan was faster, covering her mouth.
"You have a lot of nerve. Are you trying to frame me?"
Before Li Man'er could say anything, Qi Yihan continued, "Xiao Ruxun's leg cannot be healed. People like him don't deserve to have a healthy body."
Gossip!
Li Man'er raised an eyebrow, signaling for Qi Yihan to remove his hand.
But Qi Yihan didn't release her. He added, "The Xiao family harbors ambitions far beyond what they let on. Old Master Xiao's whereabouts are currently unknown; I suspect he's being held under house arrest."
Li Man'er's eyes widened. The "he" Qi Yihan was referring to must be Xiao Ruxun!
How could this be happening?
The son has imprisoned his father. What is he planning?
Li Man'er's mind raced. If Xiao Ruxun was the villain, then Old Master Xiao, while perhaps not a saint, was definitely someone opposing Xiao Ruxun.
Anyone who opposes a villain should be treated as a good person.
Qi Yihan removed his hand and whispered, "Xiao Ruxun resents the imperial court. He always believed the Emperor wanted him dead, which is why he suffered that ambush."
"Then what exactly happened?" Li Man'er quickly asked. "Was it the Emperor's doing?"
Qi Yihan shook his head. "Don't pry too much. It's not beneficial for you."
"Since Xiao Ruxun is a bad person, why are you insisting I go up the mountain with the Xiao family?" Li Man'er seized the opportunity and pushed Qi Yihan away, struggling out of his embrace.
Qi Yihan felt a sense of emptiness.
"Going up the mountain is to find mineral veins and enrich the national treasury." The border wars never ceased, and war was the most expensive endeavor. Besides provisions and military supplies, there were also issues like compensation for wounded soldiers, all of which required money.
"The Xiao family also wants to find these mineral veins, but they do it for their own selfish desires. If these two veins fall into the Xiao family's hands, the entire Zun Kingdom might face unrest."
Li Man'er understood his meaning. Xiao Ruxun hated the imperial family, and the Xiao family had a strong presence in the Northern Desert for decades, earning the people's loyalty. They had soldiers, but little in the way of food and wealth, relying entirely on the court's allocations to maintain their large army.
If they found these two mineral veins, with both money and troops, the Xiao family might harbor treacherous thoughts.
Open rebellion…
The Xiao family likely wouldn't dare. After all, the barbarians were behind them, and the Northern Desert was not a suitable base of operations.
Unless…
If the barbarians behind them colluded with the Xiao family, there might be a chance for a challenge.
"What have you found? Could it be that the Xiao family is colluding with the barbarians?" Li Man'er asked casually. To her surprise, Qi Yihan seemed quite taken aback, as if he hadn't expected her to guess this.
Just as Qi Yihan was about to speak, Li Man'er hastily interrupted him, "Don't say it, don't say it. I don't want to know." She had already been dragged into this mess by Qi Yihan, but she couldn't abandon herself completely. She could search for mineral veins for the court, but she absolutely did not want to know about any shady dealings between the Xiao family and the barbarians.
"Alright, I won't say it. But you must not treat Xiao Ruxun's leg." Qi Yihan added, "Not even pain relief."
"I never intended to treat his leg anyway." Li Man'er picked up the dagger from the ground and found the needle she had shot earlier. "This man gives me a bad feeling. Although he looks handsome, I just find him detestable. Tomorrow, when I treat his leg, I will insert the bull-hair needles into his body. If he behaves, I won't torment him. If he disobeys, he'll have plenty of suffering to endure in the future!"
This was actually Li Man'er's own plan. She hadn't intended to tell anyone, but for some reason, she had told Qi Yihan.
She regretted it as soon as she spoke, but the words were out, and she could only fume internally.
Qi Yihan, however, seemed quite pleased. Though he didn't smile, the corners of his eyes lifted slightly, making Li Man'er feel an inexplicable sense of unease.
The man's eyes were too bright, as if they could burn people.
Li Man'er slung her medicine chest over her shoulder. "If Your Highness has nothing else, you should return soon! There's supposed to be heavy snow tonight. If it keeps snowing, it might not be practical to search for mineral veins on the mountain."
Li Man'er listened by the corridor for a while. Seeing no patrolling guards outside, she left without looking back.
Qi Yihan waited until she was far away before leaving the rockery passage and the government office.
The next day at noon, Xiao Ruxun sent someone to summon Li Man'er, along with Li Shu, to his room for acupuncture treatment.
It had snowed heavily the previous night, only stopping this morning, which was why Xiao Ruxun sent for her at this time.
Li Man'er had Liu Ya carry her medicine chest and accompany her.
Xiao Qiniang was also present. Qin Si accompanied Li Shu, and there were two other middle-aged men who appeared to be doctors.
"This is Miss Li Man'er from the Marquis of Iron Courage's manor. Her medical skills are so trusted by Grand Physician Duan that he even wished to become her apprentice!"
Xiao Ruxun introduced the two middle-aged doctors to Li Man'er. "This is Doctor Xu, and this is Doctor Zheng. Both are renowned physicians."
They greeted Li Man'er perfunctorily, seemingly disbelieving her abilities and looking down on her.
Li Man'er took it in stride and asked, "General, did you summon these two doctors to learn acupuncture techniques and relieve your pain?"
Xiao Ruxun nodded. "If Miss Li is willing to impart this method to others, I would be eternally grateful. I know that in your profession, you value your sect and many things are not passed down. Miss Li, rest assured, I will double the consultation fee to compensate for any loss you incur."
After speaking, Xiao Ruxun clapped his hands, signaling for the servants to bring things in.