"My granddaughter will listen to big sister," Xiao Xiang wiped the tears from her face. She had already tied herself to Xiao Man, and rather than break her head against a wall herself, she'd rather hand everything over to Xiao Man. It was just a life, after all.
The old madam heard this, opened her eyes, a cold glint flashing within them. Seeing Xiao Xiang and Xiao Man with the same stubborn expression, kneeling upright for a long time, she slowly said, "Since that is the case, your affairs will be handled by the eldest sister. I will no longer concern myself with them."
"Thank you, grandmother, for your indulgence."
"Xiao Man."
"Your granddaughter is here."
"From now on, you will be fully responsible for Xiao Xiang's affairs." The old madam's expression suddenly turned stern. "If she does anything that damages the reputation of the General's Mansion again, I will punish you along with her."
"Yes, grandmother."
"You may all withdraw."
Xiao Man rose and walked out. The Third Concubine hurried to help Xiao Xiang up and followed.
The Secondary Madam, Yan Shi, let out a cold laugh. The situation had escalated to this point, and Xiao Xiang still listened to Xiao Man. Even the Third Concubine followed her loyally. She wanted to see if Xiao Xiang would still obey Xiao Man as she appeared to, after Xiao Man ruined Xiao Xiang's excellent marriage prospects! Sudan Novels.
The Third Concubine harbored resentment. For the Third Miss, a concubine's daughter, to marry into the Ling family was an excellent prospect. But Xiao Xiang had said she would listen to Xiao Man, and with their mother and daughter's lives in Xiao Man's hands, she dared not resist.
"Later, I will have the steward return the betrothal gifts from the Ling family. This matter was due to my lack of foresight, and I have caused you to suffer."
Xiao Xiang had long expected Ling Xuan to come and break off the engagement, but she hadn't expected him to come and cause trouble. Even if he were to cause trouble, shouldn't he be finding the Madam? Why would he come to trouble Xiao Man?
"It was my fault for not explaining clearly to him, causing trouble for my big sister. I hope my big sister will not be angry."
"Ling Xuan is the one at fault. Don't take it upon yourself. You are not wrong in this matter."
Entering the Water Moon Pavilion, Xiao Man pulled Xiao Xiang to sit down. "Second sister, although I cannot guarantee finding you a suitable husband, I can guarantee that you will live a life of ease and abundance. Ling Xuan is not a good match for you. He possesses courage but lacks wisdom, and he has no feelings for you. He can easily be used to harm you. It was my mistake not to have directly approached them to break off the engagement, rather than letting you confess and be humiliated again today."
Xiao Xiang smiled bitterly. "Big sister, this is the retribution I deserve. If I hadn't been consumed by jealousy and harbored malicious intentions, how could I have ended up like this? I have also come to terms with it. Big sister, please let me work by your side. I will never think of marriage again in this life!"
Xiao Man sighed and said no more.
She did not regret what she had done. Xiao Xiang had harbored malicious thoughts first, and she was merely letting her suffer the consequences. She felt no guilt towards Xiao Xiang, but while she could bully Xiao Xiang, outsiders could not.
Ling Xuan was beaten and kicked out of the General's Mansion. Not long after, the General's Mansion came to break off the engagement.
Steward Lu was a sharp individual, and his words were exceptionally pleasant. He stated that the young master of their esteemed mansion was a dragon among men, and the young lady of the mansion was not worthy of him, hence they had come to break the engagement.
Ling Xuan argued and refused to break the engagement, but Steward Lu's words thoroughly humiliated him, making him wish he could disappear into a crack in the ground. Lord Ling finally understood what had happened. It was fine if the marriage couldn't happen, but incurring the wrath of the General's Mansion would be a great loss. He immediately returned the betrothal token and the tokens of correspondence.
After Lord Ling saw off Steward Lu, he looked at his son, who sat dejectedly beside him, and patted his shoulder. "It's alright. It seems you two were not destined to be."
"Father, why is Xiao Man so arrogant? If she says break the engagement, we break the engagement?" Ling Xuan's anger had not subsided. What kind of daughter would be so presumptuous as to decide on a concubine's daughter's marriage while her parents were alive? It was simply lawless.
"Because she is the most cherished daughter of Protector General Xiao Zhen!" Lord Ling saw it clearly. "What kind of man is Xiao Zhen? How can the daughter he dotes on be easy to deal with?"
"I don't understand."
"It's fine if you don't understand. You only need to know that the eldest daughter of the Protector General's Mansion is not as simple as she appears! If she were truly a good-for-nothing, she would have been devoured long ago, leaving nothing but bones."
In the capital city, in a quiet small building.
Xiao Ling stood by the window, gazing at the brightly lit capital city streets outside, her face showing no emotion.
"Miss, today Ling Xuan went to the General's Mansion to cause trouble, had a fight with the Eldest Miss, and then the Eldest Miss had Steward Lu break off the Second Miss's engagement."
Xiao Ling seemed not to hear. This was because Xiao Xiang had never been someone she needed to care about.
The person who gnawed at her persistently had always been Xiao Man.
No matter how intricate the trap she set, Xiao Man could escape. This made her feel frustrated, while simultaneously piquing her competitive spirit.
In the past, she thought Xiao Man was not worthy of being her opponent. She was overbearing, arrogant, and brainless, easily instigated, her temperament not much different from the old madam.
Unexpectedly, after a period of separation, Xiao Man seemed like a completely different person. The person was the same, but her temperament had changed. Could Madam Sheng really be so formidable, turning a frivolous young lady into a refined lady in just one month?
"Increase the bounty for Xiao Man's head and continue to offer rewards. Let me see how much more skill my good sister has."
"Miss, the Nine Feathers Tower is under siege from multiple forces and is currently unable to fend for itself. Should we switch?"
"You decide. We must push her, to see who exactly she is relying on!"
"Yes, Miss."
Xiao Ling continued to look out the window, her gaze hazy.
Yan Shi supported the Tenth Prince, but she herself was not optimistic about the Tenth Prince. The Ministry of Rites' mansion ultimately lacked foundation. In the struggle for the throne, military power was the most useful, excluding the Crown Prince, of course. If the Crown Prince had not taken a main consort, she might have taken a gamble.
Alas, the Crown Prince already had both a main consort and a concubine. As the legitimate daughter of the Protector General's Mansion, she would absolutely not be a concubine.
Although Xiao Ling disliked Xiao Man greatly, she had to admit that Xiao Man had backbone. She dared to defy the old madam for the sake of a concubine's daughter. If it were her, she would not offend the great mountain that was the old madam for a discarded pawn.
A vision of breathtaking beauty flashed through Xiao Ling's mind. To obtain what she desired, she first had to gain her father's support.
Thinking of Xiao Zhen, an indescribable light flashed across Xiao Ling's face.
They were both daughters. Why could their father be so biased? Xiao Man received his wholehearted care, while in his eyes, she was as if nonexistent. If Xiao Zhen were not a good father, but he protected Xiao Man at the very center of his heart, allowing no one to bully her, then if he were a good father, he was extremely indifferent to his other daughters.
"Father, I will definitely make you realize that I am the most outstanding and most worthy daughter for you to be proud of," Xiao Ling murmured softly.