Xiao Man didn't know how long she had slept. She felt something crawling on her face and instinctively swatted at it, only to hear a crisp *snap* as if she had hit something.
Xiao Man groggily opened her eyes and saw a magnified face, startling her so much she almost fell backward. "Master!"
Feng Tianlan remained his usual impassive self, though the slap mark on his face marred his immortal demeanor, making him appear rather comical.
"You're awake."
"Master, what happened to your face?" Xiao Man leaned closer, examining the slap mark on Feng Tianlan's face. Then, covering her mouth, she chuckled, "Master, did you go flirting with some girl and get slapped by her?"
Feng Tianlan shot Xiao Man a glare. "You have the nerve to say that! I tried to cover you with a blanket, and you not only refused but also caught me off guard and slapped me. Are you always this restless when you sleep?"
"I hit you?" Xiao Man looked genuinely surprised. "Master, stop joking. How could I possibly hit you?"
Feng Tianlan offered no explanation. He reached out and touched the teapot. "The tea is still hot. Have some."
He poured a cup of tea and handed it to Xiao Man. Xiao Man smiled and took it, her gaze fixed on Feng Tianlan as she sniffed the tea. She wondered if he was planning something against her by suddenly bringing her tea.
"Master, have you found the murderer of my father?"
"There are some clues." Feng Tianlan picked up a piece of walnut crisp and offered it to Xiao Man. He watched as she ate it with the tea before continuing, "This matter is not simple; it was not the act of a single person."
Xiao Man nodded in agreement. "No matter how many or how powerful the murderers are, I will not let them go."
"You did not attend court today. The envoy from Yunqi submitted a petition to leave Dijin City," Feng Tianlan said calmly. "His Majesty agreed to let the Yunqi envoy stay until the spring hunt, and they will depart afterward. As for the marriage alliance, it will be decided once the Emperor of Yun makes a decision."
"If they want to leave, that's a good thing." Xiao Man picked up another pastry and continued to nibble on it, her mouth full of crumbs. Feng Tianlan saw this and gently wiped away the crumbs from the corner of her mouth.
"You're so old, yet you still eat with your mouth full," Feng Tianlan said softly. "Now that your father is gone, I worry about you. Why don't you move to the National Preceptor's mansion to live?"
So this was the reason he came to the General's mansion to find her.
"I am the legitimate eldest daughter of the General's mansion. With my brother away, how can I abandon the elders and young ones here to live a life of carefree ease?" Xiao Man disagreed. "Master, you can't keep spoiling me. What will I do when you're not around?"
Feng Tianlan smiled. "Then I will stay with you always."
Xiao Man's eyes crinkled as she smiled. "Master, how can you stay with me forever? You still need to marry and have children, and I will also start my own family. I'm not a child anymore, I can't always rely on you."
"You can always rely on me," Feng Tianlan stated decisively. "No matter what, I will shield you from harm."
Shield her from harm? Xiao Man scoffed inwardly. The storms she had endured were all brought by Feng Tianlan. Despite hating him to the bone, Xiao Man smiled brightly and hugged his arm, acting coquettish. "Master treats me the best."
"You are my disciple; of course, I dote on you." Feng Tianlan's gaze fell on Xiao Man's arm, noting that she hadn't removed her hidden weapons even at home. "Your hidden weapon..."
"I bought it from a mysterious person. It cost me a thousand taels of silver, which broke my heart." Xiao Man revealed the sleeve dart on her wrist to Feng Tianlan. "This is a modified sleeve dart. Instead of crossbow bolts, it's loaded with poisoned steel needles, as thin as cow hair. Once they enter the enemy's body, they will travel through the bloodstream. If not expelled in time, they will reach the heart pulse and be fatal!"
"This hidden weapon is so vicious. Aren't you afraid of harming your own people?"
"This is for self-defense. I only use it when my life is in danger. Those who threaten my life are definitely not my own people," Xiao Man said proudly. "Besides, with my skills, how could I accidentally injure my own?"
Feng Tianlan gently stroked Xiao Man's head, like calming a bristling kitten. "Yes, yes, you are the most capable. It's unclear who always ends up with so many injuries, making me and your father... Man'er, you must be well."
"Master, don't worry. The murderers of my father are still at large. I will never let anything happen to myself," Xiao Man said softly. "Even if I have to die, I will drag my enemies down with me."
"Nonsense!" Feng Tianlan reprimanded. "No one is worth sacrificing your life for."
"What if it's for Master?" Xiao Man asked abruptly.
A flicker of an inexplicable light crossed Feng Tianlan's eyes, and he gently pressed Xiao Man's head into his embrace. "Even for me, you must live well. As long as you are well, I will be well too."
Xiao Man buried her head in Feng Tianlan's chest, a cold smile playing on her lips. His words sounded so good, she almost believed them. For an executioner to be so brazen, trying to play her for a fool again and again. Soon, she would show him that even a monkey, when cornered, would bite!
Yao Ran shook the wine flask in her hand. It was empty. Ever since she entered Dijin, her every move had been restricted, leaving her unable to do anything!
"Prime Minister Yao, would you like some fine daughter red wine?" Lan Qin entered carrying a pot of wine. She uncorked it and poured a cup for Yao Ran. A rich aroma of wine instantly filled the room.
Yao Ran sniffed the wine but didn't drink. "Did you poison it?"
"I merely found a pot of good wine and wished to share it with Prime Minister Yao. Why must Prime Minister Yao think ill of a benevolent person?" Lan Qin took a wine glass from the table, poured herself a cup, and drank it in one go. She then turned the cup upside down to show Yao Ran.
"I was just joking. Why must Third Princess take it seriously?" Yao Ran sniffed the wine. "It truly is good wine. Just smelling it makes one feel tipsy."
Lan Qin watched Yao Ran drink the wine and poured her another cup. "This is a pot of twenty-year-old daughter red. It took quite some effort to obtain it."
As Yao Ran drank, she listened to Lan Qin. "Ten-year-old daughter red is already rare. You managed to find twenty-year-old? It must have cost a lot of money?"
"If it could be bought with money, it wouldn't be so rare." Lan Qin's eyes were alluring. "This wine has another name. Does Prime Minister Yao wish to know?"
"What name?"
"It's called 'refusing a toast and asking for a penalty.'"
Yao Ran's expression changed, and she narrowed her eyes. "Is Third Princess here to cause trouble?"
"No, I am not here to cause trouble. I am here to deliver a message for someone. This wine was also sent by her." Lan Qin placed the wine pot in front of Yao Ran. "She wishes to cooperate with you."