“We have a doctor-patient relationship,” Xiao Man quickly added. “I am the doctor, and you are the patient.”
Nangong Yu felt a mouthful of blood lodge in his throat, unable to swallow or spit it out. Was this girl doing it on purpose? She had to be doing it on purpose!
“Anything else?”
“Anything else?” Xiao Man scratched her head. There shouldn't be anything else. After a moment, remembering they had posed as siblings in Wu Yue country, she exclaimed, “We are siblings from different parents!”
Nangong Yu felt he was going to spit blood. He angrily said, “Who wants to be your sibling!”
Xiao Man flinched. That was true. The Prince of Qin was of noble birth; how could he be siblings with her? She herself didn't want to be siblings with royalty either!
Nangong Yu waited for a long time, but Xiao Man didn't reply. He glanced over and saw her huddled in the corner, head bowed, lost in thought.
“What are you thinking about?”
“It was indeed my fault for shooting His Highness today. I accept any punishment you deem fit, be it beating or scolding,” Xiao Man mumbled softly. The Prince of Qin was particularly sarcastic today.
“Is winning the competition really that important to you?”
“It’s not that it’s important, but as a person, one must be responsible for their words and actions. Since I promised someone, I must do my utmost to fulfill it.”
Upon hearing this, Nangong Yu looked at Xiao Man and said slowly, “You take responsibility for the words you speak. Do you take responsibility for the things you have done?”
“Naturally, I do.”
“Not necessarily,” Nangong Yu said faintly. Xiao Man had intruded into his private chambers and shared a night with him, yet she still refused to admit any connection between them.
“Whether Your Highness believes it or not, I will be responsible for my own words and actions.”
“Very well. Remember what you said today. You will be responsible for your words and deeds,” Nangong Yu said calmly. “Lest one day, when others demand you take responsibility for what you’ve done, you turn your back on them.”
“Never,” Xiao Man replied immediately.
Nangong Yu’s expression improved somewhat. As long as Xiao Man acknowledged it, that was enough. He had considered marrying her countless times, but thinking of his unresolved蛊毒 (gu du - poison), fearing his days were numbered and he might harm Xiao Man, he held back.
He had originally thought that if he was fated to die, having Wen Mohan look after Xiao Man would be an excellent choice. However, when he saw Wen Mohan standing by Xiao Man’s side, jealousy twisted his features, making him unable to bear it, wishing he could tear Wen Mohan to shreds.
The carriage stopped at the palace gates. Someone had already entered to report the incident at the horse grounds. Upon hearing the news, the Empress fainted on the spot. In her life, she had only two children, a son and a daughter. Her son was the Crown Prince, of immeasurable nobility, and her daughter she had raised with utmost care. She had come to pay her respects that morning, and now she was a cold corpse.
In a side hall of the Hall of Political Affairs, many people stood in a somber crowd. The three princes stood quietly to the side. The old Emperor was reviewing the recorded testimonies, while Xiao Man knelt rigidly at the very front. Although the Emperor had permitted her audience, given the death of his daughter, she dared not court disaster.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please calm down.”
At this moment, a figure burst in from outside, rushed to Xiao Man, and without warning, slapped her hard across the face. Xiao Man fell to the ground from the impact but remained silent.
“Empress!” the old Emperor rebuked, “What kind of behavior is this? Is it fitting?”
“Your Majesty, my daughter has been murdered. Is it not permissible for me to slap the murderer and exact some vengeance for my daughter?” the Empress sobbed, “My Qin’er, this morning, happily told me she would win a good omen for me. But now… now she has become a cold corpse.”
The Empress’s gaze, as if ready to devour someone, fell upon Xiao Man. “I do not care who the murderer is. She killed my Qin’er, and I demand her life in return!”
Xiao Man got up from the ground and knelt properly, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth. Her voice was steady as she said, “A life for a life is the law. It should be so.”
“Your Majesty, you have heard it. Guards, drag this lowly woman away and behead her!”
“Insolent!” the old Emperor roared. “In your eyes, is there no longer any place for me?”
Seeing the old Emperor protecting Xiao Man, the Empress’s gaze turned to Xiao Zhen, who stood quietly to the side. She immediately understood. The Emperor intended to appease the Duke of An’s mansion and protect Xiao Man. She would not allow it!
“General Xiao, a prince is subject to the same law as a commoner. Your daughter has killed someone, should she not die?”
Xiao Zhen cupped his hands in a bow. “A life for a life is natural. However, this general believes that my daughter did not kill the Fifteenth Princess!”
The Empress scoffed upon hearing this.
“With eyewitnesses and physical evidence, you still defend her!”
“Enough! Have you finished your commotion?” The old Emperor’s expression was grim as he hurled the recorded testimonies at the Empress. “Look for yourself, and do not jump to conclusions based on rumors.”
The Empress picked up the testimonies from the ground and read them one by one. As she read the first one, her hatred almost erupted, wanting to burn Xiao Man to ashes. But as she finished the second, third, and fourth, a flicker of doubt crossed her eyes. These people’s testimonies were all different!
The Empress had managed to maintain her position as the Mistress of the Inner Palace not just due to the influence of her brother’s mansion, but also through her own considerable wit and capability. After reading all the testimonies, her expression turned extremely displeased.
All the testimonies pointed to Xiao Man as the murderer. If there had been only one testimony, Xiao Man could have been convicted. But there were so many testimonies, and although they accused Xiao Man of murder, they contradicted each other. “What is going on? Why are there so many testimonies?”
“These are the testimonies of those present at the time. I had them detained separately and recorded their statements, and the results were somewhat unexpected,” Nangong Yu replied. “Everyone was instructed by the Fifteenth Sister to cause trouble for Xiao Man.”
As Nangong Yu spoke, he glanced at Wen Mohan. It was common knowledge that the Fifteenth Princess was fond of Wen Mohan. Yet, Wen Mohan insisted on making his affection for Xiao Man known to everyone. The Fifteenth Princess was likely not just going to cause trouble but intended to kill Xiao Man amidst the chaos and frame someone else. Who knew she would be used by others, killed, and then framed as Xiao Man’s doing.
“Then Xiao Man should not have killed anyone,” the Empress said calmly.
“Several of them stated they personally witnessed Xiao Man kill the Fifteenth Sister,” Nangong Yu said, his voice unhurried. “However, their answers varied on how Xiao Man killed the Fifteenth Sister. Some said Xiao Man stabbed the Fifteenth Sister from behind, some said from the front, and others said Xiao Man grabbed the Fifteenth Sister and stabbed her several times.” Su Dan Novel Network
“That only proves that someone perjured themselves; it does not prove Xiao Man’s innocence.”
“Indeed. After all, the murder weapon belonged to Xiao Man,” Nangong Yu nodded. “Therefore, she is the most suspected.”