The Grand Princess lowered her gaze, concealing the jealousy in her eyes. Even if Xiao Man were utterly useless, as long as she bore the title of the royal family's sole bloodline, all of them would be trampled beneath her.
Even if His Majesty had intended to establish them as crown princes, they had been opposed by court officials because they were not of royal blood. The most vehement opposition came from Prime Minister Yao's faction.
It was also Prime Minister Yao who had brought Xiao Man back. While the princesses outwardly appeared indifferent, they harbored deep resentment and wished Xiao Man dead.
The official dispatched to apprehend Xiao Man returned battered and bruised, his face smeared with snot and tears, to report Xiao Man's arrogance and insolence. The Empress had no choice but to relent, deciding to let Xiao Man remain in temporary grace for a few more days.
After the morning court, the Fourth Princess caught up to the Grand Princess. "Eldest Sister, Tianyu Tower was burned down. You've suffered heavy losses this time."
The Grand Princess glanced at the Fourth Princess, fully aware of her intentions. "A tower can be rebuilt. It's not a major issue."
"Yes, the tower was burned, and it can be rebuilt. But if Mother Empress finds out about the attempted murder of an Imperial Princess, the crime will be severe." The Fourth Princess whispered into the Grand Princess's ear, "Eldest Sister, do you know? A male attendant who served Mother Empress for many years has been executed."
The Grand Princess flicked a glance at the Fourth Princess. The attendants serving their Mother Empress were all old retainers, deeply trusted by her, yet they had been executed. Coupled with Xiao Man's arrival at the palace yesterday, it was not difficult to surmise that this was because of Xiao Man.
"Don't forget, although we are not Mother Empress's biological daughters, we were personally raised by her. Xiao Man is neither her biological daughter nor was she raised by her. Her only advantage is that she carries the blood of the Lan family."
"But that alone is enough to garner support from more than half the ministers in court." The Fourth Princess said with a smile. "She is the legitimate heir to the throne. Our sisters are nothing."
The Grand Princess gazed silently at the Fourth Princess. Only the two of them remained in the capital; the others were out on missions. Except for Lan Qin, who was slightly weaker, the others were quite formidable, but they lost out simply by not being in the capital.
"Fourth Sister, not only has Third Sister returned, but the legitimate royal bloodline has returned with her. Are you content with this?" The Grand Princess knew her sister was cunning, but she would not be the one to make the first move!
The Empress bestowed the residence that Empress Yue Xian had lived in when she was Crown Princess upon Xiao Man, along with considerable wealth. This further swayed the ministers who had been observing the situation.
Standing before the residence where her mother had once lived, Xiao Man's expression was one of bewilderment. Everything here was unfamiliar, yet inexplicably, she felt a sense of familiarity.
"Miss."
"For some reason, I've never been here, yet it feels familiar." Xiao Man was perplexed. "It's as if I've been here before."
"Perhaps it's a sense of familiarity from your bloodline, after all, Madam grew up in this residence." Ying Xue comforted her.
"Are there other people in this residence?"
"Yes, I heard they are all old servants who previously worked in this mansion. The current Empress, in her benevolence, did not kill them but allowed them to remain here to serve."
"Gather them all."
As soon as Xiao Man spoke, she felt someone watching. Glancing back, she saw two elderly figures hiding by the doorway, staring at her with curious expressions, a mixture of surprise and worry on their faces.
"Who are you?" Ying Xue stepped forward, scolding.
After a moment of hesitation, the two figures entered and knelt before Xiao Man. "Imperial Princess, is it really you? You've returned!"
"Elders, are you from this mansion?"
The old woman nodded profusely. "Imperial Princess, this old servant's surname is Fang. I am the head housekeeper of this mansion. This is Steward Tan. We have been eagerly awaiting your return."
Xiao Man asked them to rise and invited them inside to talk.
The two stood somewhat nervously in the hall. Xiao Man asked them to sit, but they dared not. "Imperial Princess, is Her Majesty truly gone?"
Xiao Man nodded. By her calculations, her mother had likely died while fleeing Lanyue with her. As for the perpetrator who murdered her mother, that was a question for the current Empress. Su Dan Novel Network.
Granny Fang sobbed uncontrollably, then after a while, she stopped crying. "It is a blessing that you, Imperial Princess, have returned."
"Granny Fang, how many of the old retainers in this mansion are left?" Xiao Man inquired.
"Not many," Granny Fang said slowly. "When the unrest occurred, all the young people in the mansion were executed. Only a few old, weak, or infirm remained. Including us two, there are no more than five people left in the mansion."
"Granny Fang, Steward Tan, you are both elders of this mansion. May I ask if you recognize Qin Gu?"
Upon hearing the name Qin Gu, Steward Tan's expression became agitated. "Imperial Princess, are you referring to General Tan?"
"I was told she was the commander of my mother's personal guards."
"She is my niece." Steward Tan said excitedly. "Her surname is Tan, and her given name is Gu. Originally, the 'Gu' in Qin Gu was meant to be the 'gu' for solitary, but His Majesty said the character was inauspicious and changed it to the 'gu' in 'gu niang' (young lady). Qin Gu grew up with His Majesty and they were like sisters. During the palace coup, Qin Gu protected His Majesty and the Imperial Princess as they fled, but she was unfortunately captured and met a tragic end..."
"So, she's dead?"
"Yes. To intimidate His Majesty's former subordinates, the current Empress had her body displayed in the West Market for public viewing and forbade anyone from claiming it for burial..." Steward Tan said, tears streaming down his face. The mere thought of that scene was like a knife twisting in his heart.
"Does Qin Gu have any sisters?" Xiao Man asked meticulously. If it wasn't Qin Gu herself, then it was someone who looked remarkably like Qin Gu, someone who knew many things about Qin Gu. Such a person would have to be very close to Qin Gu.
The two exchanged a glance and looked at Xiao Man. "Imperial Princess, there are no longer any members of the Tan family. Only Steward Tan remains. Where would General Tan have a sister?"
"Is it possible for there to be twins?"
"Impossible." Granny Fang immediately denied. "In Lanyue, twins are considered an ill omen. In such a situation, only one could be chosen. Moreover, we have never heard of General Tan having any sisters."
Steward Tan also nodded continuously. "Yes, Imperial Princess, General Tan has no sisters."
Xiao Man nodded slowly. "Who else was an elder by my mother's side?"
"Most of them fled Lanyue with His Majesty and their whereabouts are currently unknown. Only a few remained in Lanyue and pledged allegiance to the current Empress." As she said this, a trace of hatred flashed in Granny Fang's eyes. "Imperial Princess, you must be wary of Yao Ran. This person is cruel and cunning, two-faced, and cannot be trusted."
Xiao Man nodded. "Do you know Feng Tianlan?"
The two elders looked bewildered. "Imperial Princess, who is this Feng Tianlan?"