After returning from the third room, Li Man'er had been pondering one question.
Whose side was Li Nian on?
On the surface, Li Nian was returning to the capital for official duties and happened to coincide with Li Shu's accident, allowing him to escort her back to Mobei.
However, he hadn't been back for many years. Why was he suddenly returning to the capital?
The Chinese New Year was still a long way off. Wasn't his departure a bit too early?
Could it be that the Emperor had truly sent him back?
Li Shu's incident in Mobei was clearly the Emperor's doing. Now, sending Li Nian there again, was he trying to force the Xiao family to rebel?
If Li Nian wasn't the Emperor's man, then who could have brought him back from the south?
The Ninth Prince, Qi Yihan?
Li Man'er raised her eyebrows slightly, thinking the latter possibility was more likely.
When the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman benefits.
If the Emperor and the Xiao family both suffered heavy losses, who would be the biggest beneficiary?
Li Man'er inexplicably recalled some legends about the Ninth Prince. It was said that he was the Emperor's most favored prince, intelligent and decisive from a young age. As the Emperor's youngest son, born to the Empress, he received all of the late Emperor's favoritism. It was precisely because of this favoritism that the late Emperor had not established a Crown Prince for a long time. Everyone understood that the late Emperor was waiting for the Ninth Prince to grow up.
The Ninth Prince had a glorious youth and was the strongest contender for the throne. Apart from his young age, he was outstanding in all aspects. He entered the military camp at the age of ten, enduring hardships that many princes never did, and garnering much support.
Later, for some unknown reason, his temperament changed drastically. He became irritable and extremely aggressive. It was said that on a rainy night, he killed more than a dozen people. However, due to his status, the matter was eventually suppressed.
Whether it was true or not, no one knew.
However, when the late Emperor passed away, he was still young, and with his changed temperament and rumors of him being bloodthirsty and fond of killing, it was the current Emperor who eventually ascended the throne and became the most respected.
The current Emperor and the Ninth Prince were full siblings. People said the Emperor was extremely protective of his younger brother, like an obsessive fan of his brother, doting on the Ninth Prince with the same intensity as the late Emperor, and even more so.
Was that really the case?
Li Man'er sneered. Royal family affection, what a joke?
Even between a father and son, loyalty to the sovereign came before paternal affection. It was even more so between siblings.
What if they were brothers? The Fourth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince were full siblings too, weren't they? Yet, they were locked in a life-or-death struggle.
She wouldn't think about it anymore. When they reached Mobei, she would know everything.
Li Man'er fell back onto the bed, pulled up the covers, and went to sleep.
In the blink of an eye, it was the day of departure.
Several large carriages were parked in front of the mansion for a final inspection. While saying goodbye, Li Man'er secretly gave Zi Yan a look. The maid nodded and quietly slipped out of the room, running away like a gust of wind.
Li Man'er withdrew her gaze and continued to listen to Cui Shi and Li Nian's meaningless chatter.
"Make sure to protect Man'er's safety, and fully treat your elder brother. Your elder brother is the backbone of our family, and he absolutely cannot have any accidents."
They were practically telling Li Nian to step forward and take the place of her own son if they encountered danger.
Li Nian was merely dealing with Cui Shi out of filial piety. In reality, he was listening to the words of a woman confined to the inner chambers. Whether he listened or not, who could tell?
"Grandmother, please rest assured. We will bring Father back safely," Li Man'er said. "Third Uncle, it's getting late. We should depart soon! The longer we delay, the greater the danger for Father."
When Cui Shi heard this, she couldn't bother with anything else and immediately told them to leave.
Li Nian breathed a sigh of relief. After bidding farewell to his principal wife, he went to the main gate with Li Man'er.
"This is going to kill me," Li Nian could only mutter in a low voice, not daring to say it aloud.
Li Man'er chuckled and asked, "Third Uncle, can I ride a horse?"
"You, even if you want to ride, wait until we're out of the capital. For this stretch, just sit in the carriage honestly."
Li Man'er had no choice but to get into the carriage and share it with the nine-year-old brat Li Qingyan.
"Big Sister, why didn't you bring a maid?"
"They are too delicate and would suffer in Mobei. Unlike Liu Ya, who has martial arts skills to protect herself, so Third Aunt can be at ease knowing she's looking after you."
Yu Shi was worried that Li Man'er and Qing Yan's lives would not be taken care of, so she assigned Liu Ya to accompany them.
Li Qingyan lifted the curtain and looked outside. Upon seeing Liu Ya, he lowered the curtain and whispered, "Even Liu Ya can ride a horse. Why can't I?"
"What's your physical condition like? Do I still need to remind you?" Li Man'er put on a stern face. "While sitting in the carriage, memorize the incantations and essential points I taught you. Understand them yourself first, and ask me if you don't understand."
"Oh." Li Qingyan rolled his eyes and then said, "You are my senior sister, not my master."
"I am acting on behalf of the master to accept and teach disciples, so I naturally have strict requirements. I will follow the master's intentions," Li Man'er said. "You must be obedient on this journey, or I will deal with you according to military law."
Li Qingyan didn't care at all and even asked with a giggle, "Big Sister, how will you deal with me according to military law?"
"I'll beat you with a military cane, and I'll spank you with your pants down."
"You, you..." Li Qingyan wasn't afraid of being beaten with a military cane, but he was afraid of his pants being taken down.
Li Nian shouted, "Move out!"
The carriage wheels slowly began to turn, and the carriage swayed slightly. Li Man'er closed her eyes, no longer paying attention to Li Qingyan.
Li Qingyan recited a couple of incantations and found it extremely boring. He reached out to take the pastries on the table.
Li Man'er's finger moved slightly, and a peanut was flicked onto Li Qingyan's hand, hitting it with a yelp. He rubbed his hand where a red mark had appeared and silently began to recite the incantations.
He seems quite formidable. Since he couldn't defeat her, it was better to be obedient.
The carriage did indeed take the route from Changqing Street. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Li Nian wore plain clothes and no armor or weapons. His guards, along with Li Shu's two personal guards, were all dressed in ordinary attire.
Zi Yan and Old Sun had been waiting for a while. Seeing Li family's carriage approach, they immediately went forward to meet them.
"Master, it seems to be the Eldest Young Lady's maid. Why is she with a man?"
Li Nian reined in his horse. The guard asked, "Who is approaching?"
"Third Master, I am the Eldest Young Lady's maid, Zi Yan," Zi Yan said. "Our young lady had already instructed me to wait here."
Li Nian, being as sharp as a spirit, saw Old Sun and knew he was a martial artist. Seeing Zi Yan's familiarity with him, he understood everything.
"Alright, since we're all family, join the ranks."
Zi Yan quickly nodded at Old Sun, who cupped his fists in a salute and then blended into the convoy.
Li Man'er lowered the carriage curtain, feeling a little more at ease.
There was still Dang Nu in the spatial dimension. Once cured, she would also be a capable assistant.
It was more practical to bring Old Sun than Zi Yan or Lü Yi. However, was that girl silly? Standing on the street with teary eyes in the cold wind, wasn't she afraid of getting sick?
"Big Sister, you have more helpers?" Li Qingyan asked curiously. "Who is that person? You seem to value him highly."