Thanks to Ye Qing's medicine, Xiao Man's injuries healed quickly. The wounds on her body had completely scabbed over, but she was still unable to get out of bed and walk.
In the middle of the night, Nangong Yu climbed through the window. Xiao Man was struggling to reach for a water cup on the small table.
Nangong Yu picked up the cup and handed it to Xiao Man. "How did you end up like this? Aren't you afraid of nothing?"
Xiao Man drank the water and said, "That's my grandmother. If she wanted to hit me, would I dare hit her back? The heavens themselves would strike me down with lightning."
Nangong Yu saw Xiao Man finish the cup of water. "Do you want more?"
"No, thank you."
Xiao Man continued to rest her head on the pillow. Her back felt itchy, making her want to scratch it, but she couldn't. It was terribly uncomfortable.
Nangong Yu took out a bottle of ointment. "This is for scars. Have a maid apply it for you later, and you won't be left with any scars."
"Thank you. You still came to see me at this time. But you never visit without a reason, do you? You must have something you need from me?"
"What, can't I just come to see you?"
Xiao Man smiled. "To see my misfortune, to see if I've been beaten to death?"
"Can't you think of things in a better light?" Nangong Yu felt a headache coming on. "Your gift has been delivered. I heard that when the Emperor of Yunqi received it, he became utterly deranged, weeping and laughing."
Xiao Man looked confused. "What, was he driven mad by the head of Qian Yi Han? Was he that close to his companion?"
Nangong Yu moved his lips. "It is said that what drove him mad was not Qian Yi Han's head, but the Yellow Springs Flower inside it."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Man burst into laughter. "It seems the Emperor is human after all. The Emperor also fears death. But... if the Prince of Qin finds out that we used his name to send such a grand gift to the Emperor of Yunqi, will he cut out my tongue?"
Nangong Yu's breath hitched.
If it weren't for her, why would he have cut out Du Qiu Ruo's tongue? "I think the Prince of Qin will twist your head off and use it as a wine vessel!"
Xiao Man let out a scream and slumped back down. "Then I might as well have been beaten to death by my grandmother."
"More foolish talk," Nangong Yu said slowly. "The Crown Prince has been punished. Do you know?"
"How was he punished? Was he beaten half to death like me?"
"He knelt for an hour and was fined half a year's salary."
Xiao Man looked at Nangong Yu with immense anger. "He incited my grandmother to beat me half to death, and all he gets is kneeling for an hour? It's over?"
"And half a year's salary fine."
"The fine isn't compensation for me, so what does it have to do with me?"
Nangong Yu thought carefully. It indeed seemed to have nothing to do with Xiao Man. "As the eldest daughter of the Protector General's mansion, would you be short of money?"
"Yes, I'm very short of money!" Xiao Man said without hesitation. "Although Yan Shi never shortchanged me my monthly allowance, I'm used to spending extravagantly and haven't saved a penny. I don't even have money to buy information from your Heavenly Machine Pavilion!"
Hearing this, Nangong Yu smiled. "But you have something more valuable to exchange with the Heavenly Machine Pavilion."
"I have nothing now!" Xiao Man played with her hair. "My pride as the eldest daughter was beaten away by my grandmother's blows."
Nangong Yu crossed his arms and stared at Xiao Man for a long time. "Do you dare say that your grandmother beating you like this was not your doing?"
"Sect Master Qin, does anyone want to be beaten to death by others?"
"You know the Crown Prince's temperament very well, don't you? After all, you are close to Xue Kun," Nangong Yu said faintly. "You know the Old Madam's temperament even better. She explodes at the slightest provocation. If someone instigates her, she'll attack you. And you actively provoked the Crown Prince. Xiao Man, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Xiao Man felt a little guilty under his gaze and her eyes drifted to the side. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"What about the Scorpion Stone powder on your wound?" Nangong Yu asked gently. "I had people investigate. Besides your wound, the only things contaminated with Scorpion Stone powder were the clothes you were wearing at the time and the stick that hit you. There wasn't much Scorpion Stone powder on the stick, it must have gotten there during the beating. However, there was quite a lot of Scorpion Stone powder on your clothes."
Xiao Man's heart skipped a beat. Her clothes should have been disposed of already. "What do you mean by that?"
"You're trying to play mind games with me? Where is the Heavenly Machine Pavilion? You, the number one ranked woman on the Fengyun Women's List, were beaten, and even drugged. Do you think we wouldn't investigate such a major incident? If I were to tell your father how the Scorpion Stone powder got on you, how do you think your father would deal with you?"
"You truly have ill intentions!" Xiao Man said with annoyance. "Tell me, what do you want now?"
"Why did you do this?"
"To divide the enemy."
Xiao Man tried to sit up but inadvertently pulled on her wound, causing her to collapse back down in pain. The quilt slipped off her, revealing her scarred back.
Nangong Yu's eyes deepened. He reached out and covered Xiao Man with the quilt.
Xiao Man found a comfortable position and continued to lie down. "As you know, in this mansion, besides my father and brother, everyone else is an enemy. My grandmother despises me, Yan Shi resents me, and Concubine Lin and Third Concubine wish me dead. As for my sisters, as long as I live, there's no possibility of them surpassing me."
"So, you orchestrated this whole affair to drive a wedge between your father and the Old Madam, and seize the power of managing the household from the stepmother Yan Shi, and also expel Concubine Lin and your Fourth Sister from the mansion. Are you planning to defeat them one by one?"
Nangong Yu was greatly shocked.
To divide the enemies within the mansion, Xiao Man used herself as bait, allowing the Old Madam to beat her severely. She even felt the beating wasn't enough and added a little something extra, which almost cost her her life! Sudan Fiction Network
"I just wanted to divert their attention, to keep them from focusing on me."
"To deal with them, you almost lost your life. Was it worth it?"
"I never thought of losing my life." Xiao Man's expression was serious. "I underestimated the Old Madam. My calculation was off. Fortunately, I took a Heart Protection Pill in advance to protect my vital organs. Otherwise, I really would have perished at the hands of my dear grandmother."
Nangong Yu's brows furrowed. He thought his own situation was dangerous enough, but Xiao Man's was even more so. She was surrounded by wolves in the General's mansion, isolated and helpless. If it weren't for extreme circumstances, why would she risk her life?
"Aren't you afraid that people in the mansion won't be able to send news to the army? If your father couldn't rush back to save you in time, you would be drinking tea with King Yama."
"Don't I still have you?" Xiao Man said as a matter of course. "Otherwise, why do you think I kept Nong Yue?"
Nangong Yu was both amused and exasperated. "What, I sent someone to you, and now that has become a reason for you to use me?"