The General's mansion was brightly lit. Xiao Zhen's face was as dark as coal. He was locked alone in the ancestral hall, staring at the memorial tablet of his deceased wife with a somber expression.
"Xian'er, rest assured. As long as I live, I will never let anyone harm our daughter in the slightest."
Old Madam Xiao paced back and forth outside the ancestral hall, but the door remained shut. Ever since her son returned and learned that the Empress Dowager had detained Xiao Man in the palace, he had entered the hall and had not emerged since.
"Old Madam, please don't be too anxious."
"How can I not be anxious? Is the palace a place for people? It's a wolf's den that devours humans without spitting out bones!"
He Qingyi stood by silently. Even she couldn't quite comprehend why the Empress Dowager would detain Xiao Man in the palace. Was it to control the General's mansion?
But the eldest young lady was in poor health. If something were to happen to her in the palace, wouldn't it force the General to rebel?
The door of the ancestral hall finally opened, and Xiao Zhen emerged.
"Zhen'er, our eldest daughter... will she be alright in the palace?"
Xiao Zhen glanced at Old Madam Xiao, suppressing all his anger. "You should go back and rest. Man'er will be fine."
"Will she truly be fine?" Old Madam Xiao asked nervously. "The palace is not like home. One misstep, one wrong move, and it can cost a life."
"The Empress Dowager doesn't dare to touch her yet," Xiao Zhen said coldly. "Anyone who dares to touch my daughter, I will fight them to the death!"
Old Madam Xiao's body stiffened. Xiao Zhen strode away, and He Qingyi quickly followed. Old Madam Xiao seemed to age ten years in an instant, her back even stooping.
"Old Madam," Granny Xu supported her.
"Let's go back to the upper courtyard. Ultimately, I was wrong." The Old Madam walked with faltering steps towards the upper courtyard. She had thought that once Xiao Man was married, the Empress Dowager would let her go. She had been too naive. Regardless of whether Xiao Man was married or not, she was still a thorn in the Empress Dowager's side!
In the Palace of Eternal Joy, Xiao Man leaned by the window, gazing at the scenery outside with a composed expression, showing no sign of worry about being imprisoned.
The gates of the Palace of Eternal Joy opened, and a figure slipped in stealthily. "A'Man."
Xiao Man turned her head, a smile appearing on her face. "Xiao Wu, why have you come?"
"I heard that Imperial Grandmother has kept you in the palace and invited Master Zhong to tend to your health, so I rushed over to see you." Nangong Wu carried a food box and sat opposite Xiao Man, taking out the pastries. "Jade White Jade pastries from Ba Zhen Pavilion, Almond Crisps, Peach Blossom Crisps, and I also bought some braised delicacies."
Xiao Man's eyes were full of laughter. "Did you go out of the palace to forage?"
"I'm tired of the food in the palace; I need a change of taste." Nangong Wu pulled out a small bottle of wine from her bosom and waved it in front of Xiao Man. "This is good stuff. I secretly stole it from Father Emperor's wine cellar."
"Unopened, yet I can smell the faint aroma of wine. This wine must be quite old."
"This is Father Emperor's treasure; usually, he only allows himself a small cup." Nangong Wu took out two cups, filled Xiao Man's, then poured one for herself and downed it in one gulp. "Good wine, mellow and fragrant, with an endless aftertaste. No wonder Father Emperor is reluctant to drink it."
Nangong Wu poured herself another cup and drank it again, only to find that Xiao Man hadn't touched her wine. "Why aren't you drinking?"
"I am in poor health and cannot drink alcohol," Xiao Man said softly.
"Indeed, you are still recovering from your serious injuries and truly cannot drink. Then eat some pastries." Nangong Wu pushed the pastries towards Xiao Man. "Don't worry, Master Zhong's medical skills are excellent. He will surely be able to restore your health, and then you can drink with me again."
Xiao Man nodded, picked up a piece of jade pastry, and took a small bite. Nangong Wu picked up the wine cup in front of Xiao Man and finished the wine inside. "Such good wine should not be wasted..."
Nangong Wu felt a little dizzy, her vision blurred. How could she be drunk after only three cups? When did her tolerance for alcohol become so low?
Xiao Man looked at Nangong Wu, who had passed out on the table, and sighed. She instructed the palace servants to help Nangong Wu to the main hall to rest, while she herself retired to the side hall.
In the dead of night, several figures appeared outside the General's mansion. During the guards' shift change, they sneaked into the mansion, heading straight for the Water Moon Pavilion. They had expected it to be easy to enter the Water Moon Pavilion since Xiao Man was not there, but as soon as they stepped inside, they triggered a trap, losing several men and alerting the guards.
They intended to retreat, but the wall was clearly within reach, yet no matter how they walked, they couldn't get close. They were caught red-handed by the arriving guards.
"Miss was right. Since she's not here, someone was bound to pay a visit to the Water Moon Pavilion. I didn't expect it to be so soon." Ying Xue sheathed her sword. "I wonder if Miss will be in danger in the palace." Su Dan Novel Network.
Xiang Xue smiled with raised eyebrows. "Whether Miss will be in danger, I don't know. But given our Miss's nature of never suffering a loss, those who kept her in the palace are the ones who will be unlucky."
Ying Xue smiled knowingly. "Indeed."
In the Palace of Eternal Joy, the lights were bright. In the middle of the night, Yin Zhu panicked and called for a doctor, saying her young lady was not feeling well. The guards at the palace gate quickly reported to the Palace of Benevolent Peace.
Master Zhong was dug out of his bed but did not get angry. After examining Xiao Man, he had medicine brewed and administered, then left. However, as soon as he touched his pillow, a palace servant came to report that Xiao Man was unwell again.
The Empress Dowager did not get a good night's sleep. Master Zhong had dark circles under his eyes, having made the trip back and forth several times. In the end, he decided to stay at the Palace of Eternal Joy, while the drunken Nangong Wu remained unconscious the entire time.
When everyone remembered her, they summoned an imperial physician who diagnosed that she had drunk the Emperor's prized "Three-Day Drunkenness," one cup of which could cause three days of intoxication. Nangong Wu had drunk three cups. Even with a hangover antidote, she would not wake up anytime soon.
The palace servants sent Nangong Wu back to her own palace. After all, Xiao Man was also a sickly person, constantly feeling unwell. Furthermore, she was the apple of the Protector General's eye. If anything were to happen to her, even the Empress Dowager would find it difficult to escape repercussions.
The Empress Dowager rubbed her temples. Having not slept well all night, her head buzzed. After all, she was old and couldn't compare to the young. "Master Zhong, how is Miss Xiao?"
"She has taken her medicine and is asleep now." Master Zhong's expression was weary. "Your Majesty, please get some rest. I also need to rest. If Princess Yongning requires anything, have the palace servants summon me."
The Empress Dowager waved her hand, signaling Master Zhong to leave. Master Zhong departed gracefully. Little did they know, he was also suffering from a terrible headache. Xiao Man would develop a fever, then feel chills. The situation was truly worrying. With Xiao Man's condition stable for now, he needed to rest well, lest he be unable to cope if another emergency arose.