Tong Qiao was stunned for a moment before realizing Li Man'er was insulting him.
"You... you wicked woman."
"Wicked? I hardly dare to accept. The young lord has neither witnesses nor physical evidence, and solely because my maternal uncle is a doctor skilled in poisons, you accuse me of harming my father. This reasoning is truly too far-fetched." The girl of exceptional grace and extraordinary demeanor spoke with clear eyes and unflinching composure, showing no hint of panic.
Facing such a grave matter, even the matriarch might struggle to maintain order, yet she remained calm and collected, entirely unlike the "airhead" she was rumored to be.
Even Madam Cui was at a loss for words. Were it not for the presence of the Ninth Prince, she might have burst into laughter at Tong Qiao's accusations.
"Ahem, young lord, this is hardly evidence." This was, at best, a mere inference.
Tong Qiao, however, felt no embarrassment. Instead, he declared, "I haven't presented my evidence yet! Li Man'er, do you dare to let everyone search your rooms?"
"Young lord, speak with caution!" No matter how displeased Madam Cui was with Li Man'er, she could not agree to such an outrageous proposal. How could a young lady's private chambers be casually searched?
Tong Qiao grew anxious and quickly added, "Old Madam, this is a matter of great importance concerning the Marquis's life. You must understand, the Marquis is in grave danger. The sooner we find the person who poisoned him, the sooner we can administer the antidote. The Marquis is a pillar of the state, and he cannot be allowed to be harmed so inexplicably."
He spoke with such earnestness, as if Li Shu were his own father. Yet, without any evidence, he demanded to search a young lady's boudoir. Such a rule simply did not exist in the world.
Li Zha'er listened from the side room, her mouth splitting into a grin that reached her ears.
Li Man'er, let's see if you can escape this one!
"You want to search? Are you from the Ministry of Justice, or the Grand Court of Revision?"
Li Man'er's voice suddenly turned cold, her gaze so profound it sent a tremor through Tong Qiao, reminding him of the broken sword he had seen at Zuihu Lou.
"A search would be good."
Just then, a clear, cold voice rang out.
Madam Cui was greatly surprised and cast an astonished glance at the Ninth Prince. "Your Highness, this might not be appropriate, surely?"
Li Man'er had assumed this man would remain a spectator, silently observing. It seemed she had been mistaken. Not only did he intend to watch the drama unfold, but he also wished to be a part of it.
Li Man'er's almond-shaped eyes flickered, and she couldn't help but glance at the Ninth Prince.
This nobleman, the Emperor's own brother, was twenty-two years his junior.
He was born in the twelfth lunar month, a time of extreme cold with heavy snowfall. Just as dawn was breaking, the Empress, who was then the Empress Dowager, went into labor. A high-risk pregnancy due to her age, yet no one had anticipated that the delivery would be so smooth. In just about half an hour, the Ninth Prince was born safely.
At the moment of his birth, the heavens displayed an unusual phenomenon: a hundred birds sang in unison, the horizon blazed with a fiery red light, and the clouds were like brocade. The late Emperor, having a son at the age of forty-six, and witnessing such auspicious signs, was overjoyed. His affection for this child differed greatly from that for his other princes.
It was less like a father's love for a son and more like a grandfather's doting on a grandson, utterly unrestrained and without limits.
Qi Yihan was exceptionally intelligent from childhood, but by nature, he was indolent and disliked being bound by rules. He was constantly darting about, resembling a mischievous monkey, unable to sit still.
The late Emperor, observing that he was not adept with a brush, deemed martial arts a good pursuit and meticulously selected several masters of swordsmanship and archery with profound martial arts skills to remain in the palace and personally instruct him.
Qi Yihan possessed exceptional talent in martial arts and learned with remarkable proficiency. Before he turned ten, the former Emperor sent him to the army encampments to study military strategy under several generals.
Upon joining the army, Qi Yihan became even more unrestrained, displaying a rogue-like disposition that gave the generals a considerable headache.
However, the once lively Ninth Prince suddenly fell gravely ill, suffering from a high fever that persisted. He remained unconscious for three days and three nights before finally waking up.
After Qi Yihan awoke, his temperament changed drastically. Previously, he was merely energetic and mischievous, perhaps overly so, but he was not an inherently bad person. Since that illness, he had suddenly become taciturn, his moods unpredictable, transforming into a bloodthirsty and tyrannical Ninth Prince...
Countless legends circulated in the capital about Qi Yihan. Some claimed he had, on a rainy night, killed over twenty people with his sword; others whispered that he had carried out many unsavory tasks for the Emperor, and that many loyal officials and renowned generals who were later imprisoned had met their end due to his persecution.
"Your Highness, are you meddling in affairs that don't concern you, or are you abetting evil?"
Li Man'er's voice was not loud, but it stunned everyone present. Madam Cui's face turned pale, fearing that the Ninth Prince might fly into a rage and kill someone.
Li Zha'er was also frightened, but more so excited. She wished for the Ninth Prince to have a fit and strangle Li Man'er herself!
"You have quite a bit of nerve."
"Whatever Your Highness says goes." Li Man'er glanced at the triumphant Tong Qiao, ignoring his petty gloating, and stated, "If Your Highness and the young lord wish to search my residence, it is not impossible. However, this humble maiden has two requests."
A Qi raised his eyebrows in surprise. This Miss Li was truly amusing, daring to make demands of their Prince, two of them at that! Had she grown tired of living?
"You have demands?" Tong Qiao was indignant. In his eyes, Li Man'er was already as good as dead.
"Speak." The Ninth Prince, however, seemed quite patient. Though his expression lacked warmth, he appeared to be a normal person.
"I request that Your Highness find a嬷嬷 (momo - experienced female attendant/governess) who understands etiquette and propriety to search my courtyard."
"Agreed."
"My second request is, should evidence be found of me harming my father, this humble maiden will accept any punishment without a word of protest." Li Man'er spoke of matters of life and death with a calm demeanor, her eyes unclouded. "However, if no evidence is found, I request that Your Highness provide me with an explanation."
Tong Qiao sneered, "An explanation? Li Man'er, how shameless can you be? What kind of explanation do you want?"
Madam Cui's face had turned completely white. If Granny Wang had not been there to support her, she might have collapsed.
At this juncture, it was no longer something she could intervene in.
"What kind of talk is that, young lord? Is it permissible for officials to set fires but not for the common people to light lamps?"
Qi Yihan seemed to glance at Li Man'er, the corner of his lips twitching slightly. "What kind of explanation do you want?"
"Although the young lord and I are betrothed, neither of us has any affection for the other. In fact, we find each other distasteful. If I can prove my innocence this time, I request that Your Highness step forward and dissolve this engagement on my behalf, so that we may have no further ties."
Tong Qiao had not expected Li Man'er to make such a request. He should have been pleased, yet for some reason, his heart felt a pang of bitterness, mixed with a trace of annoyance.
"Very well, it is granted."
Li Man'er was very satisfied with this outcome. Once the engagement was dissolved, the subsequent matters would be much easier to handle.
"In that case, Your Highness, please proceed!"