Butler Lu watched Xiao Zhen pacing back and forth in the room, his temper evident, without a word.
The young lady had always been willful, but in front of the General, she knew how to act demure and ingratiating, which was why the General always saw her as a little girl who needed his protection in all things. Yet, daughters grow up too, and they also fly away from their parents' side!
Xiao Zhen was seething with rage. He had guarded against everything, yet he never imagined that the Prince of Qin would abduct his daughter right under his nose!
"Send someone to kill the Prince of Qin."
Butler Lu's legs went weak, nearly buckling under him. "General, please calm down. Our General's mansion and the Prince of Qin's mansion have always been at peace."
"He abducted my daughter, and you say we've been at peace?"
"General, it's possible that the young lady abducted the Prince of Qin..."
"Nonsense, my daughter would never..." Before he could finish, Xiao Zhen choked. His daughter was so audacious that she dared to deceive him; deceiving the Prince of Qin was something she might actually do!
"You say she's so brazen? Sneaking out without telling the family, and nobody knows where she's gone. If anything were to happen to her, what would I do?" Xiao Zhen slammed the table in anger. "Does she still have any regard for me as her father?"
Butler Lu lowered his head and looked at his shoes. "Your subordinate believes the young lady did nothing wrong."
"You're still protecting her! It's because you've spoiled her into being so unruly!"
Upon hearing this, Butler Lu felt indignant. "General, speak with a conscience. Am I the only one who has spoiled her like this? You and the eldest young master have spoiled her even more, granting her every wish. When the young lady says a few words, you let her have her way, and then you blame me?"
Xiao Zhen trembled with anger. "Then why didn't you tell me about her secretly going to Cloud City?"
Butler Lu looked utterly bewildered. "The young lady went to Cloud City? When was that?"
Seeing Butler Lu's confused expression, Xiao Zhen exclaimed, "You don't know? She went and came back, and it took her over a month, and you didn't know?"
Butler Lu became even more confused. "The young lady has never left home, except for this recent trip back to her ancestral home in Cangzhou!"
Xiao Zhen thought of the almost perfect imposter and slapped his forehead. His daughter was grown now, and he truly couldn't manage her. When she returned this time, he would definitely teach her a good lesson!
"When she returns to the mansion, I will certainly teach her a good lesson!"
"Teach her a harsh lesson? Beat her until her legs are broken?" Butler Lu asked tentatively.
"Punish her by copying military strategies three hundred times!"
"Tsk!" The butler looked disdainful. "As soon as the young lady acts cute with you, you immediately surrender. Who knows who will be punished then."
Xiao Zhen's face turned red with frustration. He had to admit, when Xiao Man acted cute, he truly had no choice but to surrender!
"This time, it's not a minor matter," Xiao Zhen said in a low voice. "She's gotten involved with the Prince of Qin. This is not a good thing."
Butler Lu also showed a worried expression. "Speaking of which, there's something I almost forgot."
"What is it?"
"During the Dragon Boat Festival this year, the Prince of Qin visited the General's mansion. He ate zongzi and drank realgar wine with the young lady, and he even asked the young lady for a sachet..." Butler Lu recalled the events of the Dragon Boat Festival. "General, could it be that the Prince of Qin wants to lay siege to the young lady, thereby winning over the General's mansion?"
"If it were just to win over the General's mansion, that would be fine!" Xiao Zhen's face showed concern. "I'm afraid he has ulterior motives."
"But the young lady has always been resolute. If she doesn't listen to you and insists on being with the Prince of Qin..." Butler Lu immediately fell silent as Xiao Zhen's gaze seemed to threaten to devour him!
"Where, where is he?"
"I don't know. He hasn't sent any news back in a long time." There was fear in Butler Lu's eyes. "Are you thinking of bringing that person back?"
"If there's anyone who can make Man'er obedient, it's only him." Xiao Zhen sighed. "Send him a message, ask him to return to the imperial capital quickly. He is more ruthless than I am. At this time, perhaps only he can control Man'er."
"Yes, subordinate will go immediately."
Xiao Man rushed back to Cangzhou overnight. She had calculated everything, but she hadn't expected Xiao Zhen to go to Cangzhou to celebrate her birthday. Chu Xue and the others must have been discovered, and she didn't know what had happened to those girls.
Ye Qing walked behind with Bai Ling. Bai Ling was injured and couldn't travel quickly, and Ye Qing, as a physician, had to personally attend to the patient. Thus, the two of them fell behind. To avoid being pursued by the Wu Yue Kingdom, Xiao Man had even left behind hidden guards.
"Let's go to an inn to rest. Rushing like this is useless, and it will be too late even if we get back," Nangong Yu said. "Your father dotes on you so much, he surely wouldn't kill those girls of yours."
"But my father will punish them," Xiao Man said with a solemn expression.
When she returned, how would she explain to her father that she had sneaked out? Would her father still let her go out in the future?
Xiao Man felt her future was bleak. After returning to the General's mansion, she would probably never be able to step out of it again, and her father might even punish her with military rods.
Nangong Yu looked at Xiao Man, whose face was ashen, and found it amusing. "Are you that afraid of your father?"
"It's not fear, it's not wanting to disappoint him." Xiao Man reined in her horse. "Never mind, let's rest for a night and then return to Cangzhou. Perhaps when we get back to Cangzhou, I'll be waiting for the General's mansion's ten great tortures!"
"The General's mansion has ten great tortures?" Nangong Yu dismounted and followed Xiao Man into the inn. "What are the ten great tortures?"
"Spanking, whipping, kneeling in the ancestral hall, being locked in a dark room..." Xiao Man listed them one by one to Nangong Yu. "I've tried all ten of my grandmother's great tortures."
Nangong Yu's expression turned slightly cold. "Your grandmother was quite ruthless."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Man smiled indifferently. "She was indeed ruthless."
The group entered the inn, and the waiter quickly came forward. "Guests, are you here for a meal or to stay?"
"We'll stay. Bring a plate of braised beef, two stir-fried dishes, and a pot of your best wine," Xiao Man ordered in a rush. "Oh, and a plate of fennel beans to go with the wine."
"Right away." The waiter recited the dishes while wiping tables and pouring tea, very attentively.
Many guests were already seated in the hall, so Xiao Man's group did not stand out.
The waiter soon brought out the cooked beef, fennel beans, and wine. The hot dishes would take some time.
Xiao Man took the wine pot, immediately poured a cup, sniffed it, and drank it down in one go. The spicy taste from her throat to her stomach instantly dispelled the chill.
"Good wine." Xiao Man quickly poured a cup for Nangong Yu. "This country inn's wine is strong."
"Drink less. Don't get drunk," Nangong Yu instructed. "This wine is spicy and has a strong aftertaste. When you first drink it, you won't feel it, but by the time you feel its effects, it will be too late."
Xiao Man drank another cup, and the sleepiness immediately dispersed, making her feel much more alert. Nangong Yu took the wine pot from her hand, asked the waiter to bring a small stove, and warmed the wine before giving it to Xiao Man to drink.