Ziyan's face turned ashen. "Miss, that's the voice of the young marquis."
The young marquis of the Rongguo Duke's mansion, Tong Qiao, was Li Man'er's fiancé. Based solely on their family backgrounds, the engagement seemed well-matched.
Although the Tong family was a noble clan, due to their imperial marriage connection, they now possessed only titles without real power. Marquis Tiedan commanded significant military strength, wielding far more influence in the imperial court than the Tong family.
However, the Eldest Princess disliked Li Man'er because she had lost her parents at a young age, her mother was of merchant lineage, and Li Man'er, raised by Madam Guo, was willful and foolish. Thus, the Eldest Princess harbored a strong aversion to her future daughter-in-law.
This marriage had been personally decreed by the Empress Dowager. The Princess had tried to object multiple times without success, so she resorted to devious schemes.
The door to the private room was kicked open, and the young marquis, Tong Qiao, wielding his sword with murderous intent, stormed in.
"Li Man'er, you dare! What have you done!" he roared, lunging at Li Man'er with his sword. "I'll kill you first, then go to Marquis Tiedan's mansion to beg for forgiveness."
Despite her fear, Ziyan, fiercely loyal, shielded Li Man'er. "Young Marquis, please calm your anger. Miss didn't mean any harm..."
Tong Qiao kicked Ziyan to the ground. "Get out of the way. No one can stop me today." With a sweep of his sword, he intended to strike down Li Man'er.
The onlookers outside the room gasped in shock. Some of the more timid turned away, unable to bear witnessing Li Man'er's potential decapitation.
Ziyan cried out in terror, "Miss!" She tried to intervene but it was too late.
Li Man'er, facing the gleaming sword just inches away, did not flinch. Instead, she calmly extended her hand and effortlessly caught the sword tip between two fingers.
"How is this possible!" Tong Qiao exclaimed in disbelief. He tried to wrest his sword from Li Man'er's grip, only to find it immovable, trapped between his fingers.
The onlookers were astonished. The Eldest Miss of Marquis Tiedan's mansion was actually a skilled martial artist! Who would have ever imagined!
"Young Marquis, you carry yourself with such arrogance! To kill me and then beg for forgiveness! Do you truly believe Marquis Tiedan's mansion will not retaliate? Or is your Rongguo Duke's mansion so accustomed to bullying others with their status!"
"Preposterous!" Tong Qiao bellowed, his face flushed. "Li Man'er, you speak slander! I'd rather become a monk than marry a hideous creature like you."
In truth, Li Man'er was far from ugly; she was quite beautiful. She resembled her mother, Ning Shi, who had been renowned as a beauty in Jiangnan in her youth.
Li Man'er remained unperturbed, even smiling. "This marriage was decreed by the Empress Dowager. Your mother herself cannot openly break the engagement, let alone you! You have no authority in this matter, so why are you barking at me like a mad dog? It's truly embarrassing."
As she finished speaking, Li Man'er flicked her wrist. With her two fingers, she snapped the sword tip clean off.
This display was truly astonishing, drawing cheers from the crowd!
"Miss Li is indeed the daughter of a military family, truly formidable."
"With such skill, one would need at least ten years of practice."
"Miss Li is not as incompetent as the rumors suggest. Perhaps someone deliberately spread falsehoods to tarnish her reputation."
Hearing these words, Tong Qiao felt a surge of blood rush to his head. A scholar can be killed, but not humiliated. He abandoned the broken sword in his hand and lunged at Li Man'er with a punch.
Li Man'er tossed the broken sword tip. It flew past Tong Qiao's face and embedded itself firmly in the door panel.
The entire scene froze. Everyone held their breath, too afraid to exhale.
"Young Marquis!"
"Young Marquis!" Tong Qiao's followers, who had been feigning ignorance, finally rushed out, fearing for his safety.
Tong Qiao stood frozen, not daring to move.
Just moments ago, he had felt the chilling presence of death. Had that broken sword tip been even an inch lower, it would have sliced his throat!
"I did not wish to escalate this, but your Rongguo Duke's mansion has gone too far in its bullying!" Li Man'er stood up, casting a disdainful glance at Tong Qiao. She leaned closer and whispered, "For you to commit such violence in public today, killing you would be justifiable."
Tong Qiao's heart trembled. A peculiar light flickered in his eyes. He didn't believe Li Man'er would dare kill him, yet an inner voice warned him against any rash actions.
Footsteps echoed from downstairs, accompanied by a clamor and exclamations. "It's Marquis Tiedan!"
This was one of the perks of living in the capital; one could encounter all sorts of prominent figures.
Li Shu had arrived!
He pushed through the crowd and entered the private room, his gaze deep as it fell upon Tong Qiao and then Li Man'er.
Li Shu, a military man, had a slightly dark complexion, with long limbs and a powerful build, exuding an imposing presence. He was not yet forty, in his prime, his tiger-like eyes commanding respect even without anger, making Tong Qiao feel uneasy.
He was the one who had stormed in with his sword, intending to fight and kill Li Man'er. He wondered how Marquis Tiedan would react. Perhaps, for his mother's sake, he wouldn't say anything too harsh!
"Young Marquis, are you unharmed!?"
Tong Qiao blinked, then remembered to bow. "Marquis!" Though their status differed significantly, no matter how bad his temper, he couldn't lash out in front of Li Shu, especially feeling guilty.
Li Shu turned to his eldest daughter, his voice cold. "You errant child, come home with me!"
Li Man'er let out a scoff and looked at Li Shu. "Father, you also believe it was my fault?" She suspected Li Zhao'er had already rushed to report her, otherwise why would Li Shu have arrived so quickly!
"You offended the Eldest Princess! And you still show no remorse?" Li Shu was provoked by her laughter, his anger building uncontrollably.
Li Man'er laughed again, her eyes holding a hint of amusement. "Father, there are further details to this matter. You shouldn't believe hearsay."
Li Shu's face darkened. He felt Li Man'er was being unreasonable. Although the Rongguo Duke's mansion held no real power, the Eldest Princess was of the royal family, and any misstep could endanger the entire household!
Li Man'er had accurately guessed Li Shu's thoughts. The situation was unfavorable to her. The most important thing now was to escape this den of trouble and discuss matters further at home.
"Father..."
Before Li Man'er could finish her sentence, urgent hoofbeats sounded from downstairs. A golden-flagged messenger, holding a command flag, shouted, "Is Marquis Tiedan present?"
"By imperial decree, Marquis Tiedan is summoned to the palace for urgent consultation!"
Li Shu, hearing this upstairs, completely forgot about Li Man'er and pushed through the crowd to descend.
"This Marquis is here!"
The golden-flagged messenger rode his horse to Li Shu and said urgently, "Marquis, please hasten to the palace. The northern frontier is in grave danger."
The northern frontier is in grave danger!
These four words struck the hearts of everyone present like a heavy hammer!
Li Zhao'er, hidden in the shadows, grumbled resentfully, clenching her teeth. "So close!"
With the northern frontier in peril and the Emperor hastily summoning her father to the palace, it was likely he would be ordered to lead troops to war.
The royal family was in dire need of capable individuals, and Marquis Tiedan was a prime candidate for leading a campaign. Therefore, any offense Li Man'er had committed against the Eldest Princess would likely be overlooked.
Foiled at the last moment!
Li Zhao'er's face turned ashen with anger. She slowly uttered two words, "Return home!"