The butler entered, holding a divorce letter. "Old Madam, the General ordered me to deliver this divorce letter. Since Minister Yan is here, please have him take the person away."
Madam Yan looked at the butler, "No, you can't. How can he be so heartless? This child, this child isn't what I wanted either. Clearly... clearly I remember it was him..."
Madam Yan stammered. She couldn't leave the General's mansion; it was her home. Being divorced for such a crime would bring disgrace not only to her but also to her family. Moreover, her elder sister was an imperial concubine. If she implicated her sister, her father would never forgive her!
The butler placed the divorce letter down and retreated. The Old Madam also stood up, "Take the person away. I will not keep you any longer. From today onwards, the Yan family has absolutely no relation to our Protector General's mansion!"
"Mother, Mother, it's not my fault, not my fault..." Madam Yan looked to those present for help, but no one looked at her. Minister Yan turned around and left without hesitation. He couldn't ruin all his daughters' lives for the sake of one.
"Minister Yan." The butler stopped Minister Yan at the doorway. "The General has ordered that Minister Yan take Miss Yan away. If the Yan family refuses to take her, the General will bring Miss Yan to face the Emperor and let His Majesty judge the Protector General's mansion."
Minister Yan felt a surge of blood rise in his throat, unable to spit it out or swallow it. Just as he was about to order someone to take Yan Jia Yi away, he saw that all the maids and servants in Yan Jia Yi's courtyard were being driven out, one by one. Xiao Zhen, in his mercy, had arranged for a carriage and also returned all of Madam Yan's dowry.
When Minister Yan arrived, his procession was grand, and many people saw it. When he left, the procession was even larger, with numerous carts and wagons laden with belongings, attracting even more attention.
On a tea house balcony, Nangong Yu leisurely sipped his tea. "This girl is truly ruthless, leaving Madam Yan in eternal damnation." Su Dan Novel Network.
Wen Ruyu tutted twice. "Your Highness, you know the temper of Miss Xiao, don't you fear it?"
"Fear what?"
"If Your Highness were to wrong her one day, wouldn't you have to sleep with one eye open?" Wen Ruyu said with a half-smile. "Look, she was completely merciless towards her stepmother, and she even used her father and grandmother to her fullest advantage."
"Why would I wrong her?"
Wen Ruyu choked for a moment. "Does Your Highness truly love her?"
Nangong Yu's gaze drifted towards the Protector General's mansion, his heart filled with tenderness. "I thought I wouldn't love, but when I met her, I realized I had long since fallen."
"What is so good about Xiao Man?" Wen Ruyu opened his jade fan and slowly fanned himself. "Cunning, treacherous, sinister, and arrogant. She's nothing like a woman!"
"She is skilled in strategy, has a resilient spirit, and her methods are ruthless, yet she never harms the innocent. She has her own principles and kindness. Ruyu, your success in the romantic arena now is simply because you haven't met someone who truly moves your heart. If you ever do, you will surely regret your past actions."
"Your Highness worries too much." Wen Ruyu's beautiful peach blossom eyes were filled with affection. "I am different from Your Highness. Your Highness only loves that poisonous poppy. I, on the other hand, love all delicate flowers."
Nangong Yu remained silent, a faint smile curving his lips. His gaze fixed on the General's mansion. "What is Xiao Man doing at this moment? With such a major event happening at the General's mansion, is she busy deceiving people?"
At this very moment, Xiao Man was with Xiao Zhen, studying the crossbows Xiao Zhen had brought back from the military camp. These were newly developed crossbows with immense power. Xiao Zhen had brought one back as a gift for his daughter.
However, Xiao Man had dismantled the crossbows he brought back in just a few moves. And after dismantling them, she couldn't reassemble them. Helplessly, father and daughter put their heads together, researching how to put them back together.
Qiu Tong and Yin Zhu watched the two heads bent together, trying to reassemble the crossbows, their eyes filled with smiles. They brought refreshments and iced tea and withdrew, not wanting to disturb the father and daughter's precious time together.
Ying Xue, watching Xiao Man smile with such contentment, couldn't help but sigh, "This is the first time I've seen Miss smile so happily. Miss must really like General as her father, right?"
Chu Xue coughed to remind Ying Xue not to speak carelessly. Ying Xue realized her mistake and sheepishly scratched her head before making an excuse to busy herself and retreated. In the heat of midsummer, the Water Moon Pavilion remained as vibrant as ever.
Madam Yan was taken back by her family. The concubines in the mansion were all trembling with fear. The Third Concubine, upon receiving the account books and keys again, felt both happy and bewildered.
"Second Miss, what mistake did Madam commit that she was sent back to the Minister's mansion?"
"Concubine, no matter what mistake Madam committed, we must remember one thing: do not betray Eldest Sister. If we fall into the hands of others, it will only mean death. If we betray Eldest Sister, we will wish we were dead." Xiao Xiang had always known Xiao Man was going to make a move, but she didn't know who or how she would strike. She never expected Xiao Man to act so swiftly, crippling Madam Yan with her first move!
The Third Concubine nodded in fear. If she had harbored any small ambitions before, they had now vanished. Even the powerful forces behind Madam Yan had been brought down by Eldest Miss. If it were her, she wouldn't even leave behind a single bone fragment.
Concubine Lin was also terrified. Ever since Xiao Man poisoned the Fourth Miss, Concubine Lin had been afraid to let the Fourth Miss interact with Xiao Man, lest Xiao Man harm her. She had always hoped Madam would completely deal with Xiao Man, but instead, Madam had fallen.
"Concubine, did Eldest Sister do this?"
"In this mansion, besides her, who else possesses such capability?" Concubine Lin was well aware of what had happened to Madam Yan. Upon learning of it, she felt a chill down her spine. Madam Yan was extremely concerned about her reputation, yet Eldest Miss's actions had ruined everything for Madam Yan, even making a child appear out of nowhere from Madam Yan's womb!
"Concubine, is Eldest Sister really that terrifying?" The Fourth Miss had become much more well-behaved after being poisoned. Coupled with Xiao Ling's departure, she became even more restrained. Apart from trying to appear well-behaved before the Old Madam, she dared not seek attention from Xiao Man. She was also afraid of Xiao Man.
"If we don't provoke her, she won't actively seek trouble with us. Don't worry." Concubine Lin comforted herself. Xiao Man would soon be sixteen and would be engaged and married. By then, only Xiao Xiang, whose reputation was ruined, and Xiao Ling, who was infamous, would remain in the mansion, posing no threat!
However, Concubine Lin's thoughts were too naive. Just because Xiao Man didn't actively seek trouble with her didn't mean she wouldn't seek trouble with Xiao Man. Especially since she was accepting financial support from the Cen family, and if the Cen family needed anything, she would have to comply.