Li Man'er felt that the Ninth Prince was quite decent. Princess Wuyou did not die suddenly, so her medical skills would not be questioned. Moreover, the Ninth Prince did not immediately take her life, which also helped her to clear her name.
The day after Princess Wuyou was assassinated, the Princess's mansion was draped in white. The Prince Consort, suppressing his grief, handled the funeral arrangements for the Princess.
Even though Princess Wuyou was gone, with the Empress Dowager supporting her, none of the noblewomen and officials dared to be negligent and paid their respects.
Li Man'er accompanied Cui Shi.
Guests streamed in and out of the Princess's mansion, with carriages constantly arriving. It seemed that Princess Wuyou's mansion had not lost its prestige despite the Princess's death.
Li Man'er helped Cui Shi into the courtyard. A maid came forward to lead them to the mourning hall.
The grandmother and granddaughter offered incense to Princess Wuyou and offered condolences to the bereaved.
The Prince Consort bowed deeply, his expression desolate, as if he had lost his soul and vitality.
"Please take care of yourself, Prince Consort," Cui Shi said, looking at the disheveled Prince Consort. She felt a touch of sympathy. If the Princess were alive, they would have been deeply in love, and their lives of prosperity and wealth would have been assured. But the Princess had died...
Alas, the murderer had not yet been caught.
Li Man'er's thoughts were completely different from Cui Shi's. She knew that this Prince Consort was also one of the Ninth Prince's men. Compared to the Princess who might have had other intentions, this Prince Consort might have been more loyal. Recalling that Princess Wuyou had been assassinated, perhaps the person before her was the one who did it?
Li Man'er saw no guilt in his eyes, only a profound calmness, like that of a person whose heart had died.
A sense of unease, unexplainable, arose in her heart, but she couldn't pinpoint why.
The maid led them away from the mourning hall and to a side hall for the female guests to rest.
As soon as Li Man'er stepped into the side hall, she felt a gaze fall upon her. She abruptly looked up and caught Miss Qian Fangruo, the second daughter of the Qian family, staring at her.
The other girl flustered for a moment, but quickly regained her composure, looking directly at Li Man'er as if to say, "I'm not afraid of you at all."
Li Man'er couldn't be bothered with her; she was a defeated opponent.
Li Man'er shifted her gaze, supporting Cui Shi as they walked further in. However, the second Miss Qian felt that Li Man'er was intimidated by her and immediately became elated.
However, there were many people in the hall, so she had to suppress her joy and not let anyone notice and make something out of it.
Madam Xu, Qian Fangruo's mother, saw her daughter constantly staring at Li Man'er and immediately understood that she was still holding a grudge about the poetry gathering.
When no one was around, Madam Xu took her daughter aside and whispered, "Don't provoke Li Man'er. The Princess hasn't been buried yet, and there are many guests. If you cause a scene, you'll only embarrass yourself."
Qian Fangruo was dismissive, "Mother, what are you saying? How could I?"
"Don't take my words lightly. That eldest Miss Li is formidable; you are no match for her."
The second Miss Qian's eyes welled up with tears. Ever since her embarrassment at the poetry gathering, she had stayed home for a long time. She had finally mustered the courage to appear in public again, only for her own mother to tell her she was no match for Li Man'er.
Was this how a mother should be?
Madam Xu saw her daughter's defiant look and knew she hadn't taken her words to heart. However, she couldn't tell her daughter about what had happened at the Medicine King Temple, which worried her greatly.
Meanwhile, Cui Shi was already chatting with the ladies from various households.
They all lamented Princess Wuyou's fate, dying at such a young age, which was indeed regrettable. Of course, some used this opportunity to strike up conversations, hoping to befriend ladies they usually didn't associate with and expand their families' connections.
In just a short while, several groups of people approached Cui Shi, all seeking to establish ties with the Marquis of Iron Courage. Some even wished to arrange marriages with the Marquis of Iron Courage's household, which greatly angered Cui Shi.
What kind of place was this? They were attending a funeral, and you were solely focused on climbing the social ladder. This showed a lack of character. If this were to spread, would the Li family still be able to hold their heads up?
Cui Shi's attitude was firm, and she finally managed to scare away those people. Li Man'er secretly nodded. Her grandmother was not without her merits; at least she planned and thought of the Li family's interests in everything. It was a pity that, from beginning to end, Cui Shi did not consider Ning Shi and Li Man'er as part of the Li family.
What was so wrong with Ning Shi that she would rather use witchcraft to kill Ning Shi than let Madam Guo marry into the family?
Madam Guo was merely the daughter of a minor household, whereas Ning Shi, although from a merchant family, was incredibly wealthy. The Li family might have married her perhaps because of her surname, Ning. But why did Cui Shi later take her life?
Was it for Madam Guo? But Madam Guo was dead, and Cui Shi didn't seem to mourn her much.
Then...
Li Man'er's mind flashed with inspiration, and she suddenly remembered a key figure.
The younger Madam Cui, Old Madam Guo, Cui Shi's paternal half-sister.
Perhaps the younger Madam Cui held a trump card against Cui Shi, forcing her to arrange for Madam Guo to marry into the Li family. Perhaps Madam Guo was unwilling to be a concubine, or perhaps Ning Shi could not tolerate her, so Cui Shi, to protect her secret, killed Ning Shi?
It still didn't make sense.
Li Man'er decided not to think about it anymore and focus on the present.
As the simple banquet was about to begin, the second Miss Qian could no longer hold back. She slipped away from Madam Xu's notice and approached Li Man'er, greeting her with a smile.
"Eldest Miss Li, long time no see."
Her smile was somewhat unsettling; it was clear she meant no good.
"Long time no see, second Miss Qian." Was Li Man'er afraid of her? What a joke.
Qian Fangruo detested Li Man'er's pretense. Everyone in the capital knew what kind of person Li Man'er was; who was she trying to impress with such magnanimity and virtue!
"In the past, the Princess was very close to you, Eldest Miss Li. Now that the Princess is gone, you must be very sad, aren't you?"
As soon as she spoke, Li Man'er understood what she meant.
"Second Miss Qian," Li Man'er glanced at her, then at the people nearby. She noticed that among the onlookers, many were faces she had seen at the poetry gathering.
"I know the incident at the poetry gathering left you humiliated and caused you to be dispirited for a while. You, second Miss Qian, are known for your talent. It would indeed be a great regret if you could no longer compose poetry. However, today we are here to mourn the Princess, and it is inappropriate to speak of such things. If you have anger, direct it at me, and we can settle it privately. Do not lose your manners in such a setting."
Li Man'er's words made the second Miss Qian's face turn red. "You, how could you..."
The onlookers, some of whom did not know about the poetry gathering, became curious and began to inquire in hushed tones.
Those who knew quietly shared the story of the last poetry gathering, adding, "The second Miss Qian even said she would never compose poetry again. It seems she holds a grudge against Eldest Miss Li."