"Could it be Feng Moran? The thought flashed through Xiao Man's mind. Could this madman be the one who destroyed the Feng family? But why would he annihilate his own clan? Wouldn't the Feng family's survival be an asset to him? Would someone eliminate their own assets? Unless the Feng family was not an asset, but a hindrance!
'Did you find anything about Feng Moran in the Empress's library?'
'You guess?'
'You guess if I guess?' Xiao Man said slowly.
Lan Qin gave an awkward laugh, 'I found a little, but the key pages were torn out.'
'What do you mean?'
'The pages about the Feng family's massacre were torn out,' Lan Qin leaned closer to Xiao Man, her eyes full of curiosity, 'Feng Moran is the Empress's consort, was your father Feng Moran or our father?'
'I am of course my father's daughter!'
'I know, the question is, is your father my father, or your father?'
'My father is Xiao Zhen!' Xiao Man gritted her teeth, 'And what do you mean by my father is your father?'
'I am also the daughter of a father,' Lan Qin said proudly, 'Though not by blood.'
Xiao Man rolled her eyes at her, 'Although Feng Moran is my mother's nominal consort, they were never married, only engaged.'
'But as far as I know, the consort entered the palace.'
Xiao Man was somewhat surprised, 'Does that mean I might be Feng Moran's daughter?'
Lan Qin nodded vigorously. If Xiao Man was Feng Moran's daughter, it would be interesting. The daughter Xiao Zhen had cherished and protected his entire life, and it turned out not to be his daughter. How laughable would that be?
'You're overthinking it, I am definitely not his daughter.' Xiao Man stated with certainty.
'Why are you so sure?'
'If I were truly Feng Moran's daughter, then he would be worse than a beast,' Xiao Man said coolly, glancing at Lan Qin, 'So take back your hopeful little look, I am absolutely my father's biological daughter.'
Lan Qin quickly covered her embarrassment with laughter, 'Big sister, Feng Moran is already dead, why are you still investigating him?'
'Who told you he is dead?' Xiao Man retorted.
'Everyone knows it.'
'Did you see a body?'
Lan Qin shook her head. Outside, it was only said that Feng Moran was dead and the Feng family had been wiped out, but no one had seen Feng Moran's body, nor could they prove he was dead.
'Did Big Sister see him? Are you so sure he isn't dead?' Lan Qin asked back. If Feng Moran was truly not dead, where was he?
'Perhaps, he will return before long.'
'Return?' Lan Qin laughed, 'What, crawling back from hell?'
'Whether he crawls back from hell, I don't know, but that he will go to hell, that's for sure!' Xiao Man said slowly, her eyes filled with a chilling coldness, like an endless abyss ready to drag people in.
'Impossible?'
'Don't believe me?'
Lan Qin shook her head. She didn't believe it. Someone who had been dead for over a decade, how could they suddenly return? Even if they did, it would surely be a fake!
'At first, I never understood why the Empress knew of my existence, didn't send people to eliminate me, but instead made you lurk by my side, and even tried every means to get me back to Lanyue.'
'The Empress has no children of her own, you are Lanyue's only direct descendant.' Su Dan Novel Network
'Lan Qin, you are too naive,' Xiao Man said slowly, 'Bloodline, in royalty, is nothing. A woman who would kill her own parents and siblings to seize power, do you think she cares about bloodline?'
Lan Qin pursed her lips, not daring to answer. The Empress certainly wouldn't care about bloodline, but the ministers did, especially the several princesses, all adopted waifs of the Empress. Those ministers always valued lineage. Even if the Empress wanted to, those ministers wouldn't agree. But the Empress was not someone who would easily yield.
'Big Sister, what does the Empress want?'
'Grievous meetings, beloved separations, unfulfilled desires.' Xiao Man gave a ghostly smile, 'What does one seek in life? It's just a breath, she can't swallow that breath!'
The next day, the Empress issued a formal decree, enfeoffing Xiao Man as Imperial Princess. Those who had been sitting steadily began to feel uneasy.
Xiao Man returned to Bianjing, and the Empress didn't even see her. When they finally met, they fought fiercely, and Xiao Man, not knowing her place, even injured the Empress. They had thought the Empress would completely reject Xiao Man, and they could seize the opportunity to strike her. But the next day, the Empress directly announced her ennoblement as Imperial Princess!
The First Princess and the Fourth Princess appeared calm, but the shock in their eyes was undeniable. They thought Xiao Man was a grasshopper in autumn, but who knew this grasshopper could actually jump up and snatch their food.
Yao Ran's lips curved into a smile. All of this was within expectation. The Empress wanted to use Xiao Man, but was Xiao Man not using the Empress? These people, their blood ran the same, all of them were people who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
'Prime Minister Yao, this consort congratulates you.' After the court session, the First Princess stopped Yao Ran, 'Prime Minister Yao, as a great contributor to the Imperial Princess, your future is truly boundless.'
'The First Princess flatters me, this minister is loyal to the Lanyue Emperor.' Yao Ran's words were impeccable, 'Our Yao family has served the Emperor for generations, it was so before, and it will be so in the future.'
The smile on the First Princess's face vanished, and she said sarcastically, 'Is that so? Then this consort will wish Prime Minister Yao the best in serving the third Emperor!'
'Your Highness, what you said is rather treasonous,' Prime Minister Yao said slowly, 'Her Majesty is in her prime, and who knows how many more years she has. If the Emperor were to hear what Your Highness said, it might incur Her Majesty's displeasure.'
The First Princess frowned slightly, 'Prime Minister Yao is truly airtight, appeasing the Empress on one hand, and the future heir on the other, truly skilled. No wonder you were able to serve two Empresses.'
Yao Ran smiled, 'I can't compare to Your Highness, though you are an adopted daughter, you are more like a legitimate daughter than a legitimate daughter.'
The First Princess's eyes narrowed, a murderous glint in them. She had disliked Yao Ran for a long time, but Yao Ran was cunning and never left any flaws in her actions. Even though she had tried countless times to have her killed, she had not succeeded. Instead, Yao Ran had brought her a powerful enemy.
'An adopted daughter is at least raised by her side. As for the legitimate daughter that Prime Minister Yao speaks of, she wasn't born to the Empress, so she's not a proper legitimate daughter...'
'Haha.' Prime Minister Yao laughed, interrupting the First Princess, and then said coldly, 'You are not a proper princess, but she is a legitimate Imperial Princess!'
'Yao Ran!'
'Your Highness, don't get angry,' Yao Ran said with a smile, 'Otherwise, you will ruin Your Highness's reputation for respecting the worthy and being gentle and humble.'"