Mo Mo couldn't help but take a step back. Being on Xiao Man's mind was no good thing!
"What do you want? Let me be clear, I won't do anything that goes against my principles!"
"Do you have principles?" Xiao Man took out an ancient and tattered book from her drawer. "The secret techniques of mechanisms left by the ancient Mohist scholars, I originally intended to give them to you. Seeing as you have such principles, I suppose you won't want them. It seems I'll have to burn it."
"Don't!" Mo Mo lunged forward. But in her haste, the book was snatched away, and she ended up crashing to the ground, wincing from the impact. She still looked back to check the book, and seeing it unharmed, she let out a sigh of relief and quickly got up.
"Your Majesty, whatever you command, I shall obey. My principle is to listen to you." Mo Mo said obsequiously, a stark contrast to her earlier righteous demeanor.
Xiao Man couldn't help but chuckle. She handed the book to Mo Mo, whose eyes lit up with surprise. She quickly took it with both hands, as if holding the most precious treasure, and carefully opened the pages, not daring to use any force for fear of damaging it.
"This is indeed the mechanical art of our Mohist school. Your Majesty, where did you obtain it?"
"I told you, one day, I would make the Mohist school known to the world again, and make the Mohist mechanical arts revered by all. I keep my word." Xiao Man said with determination. "I need a batch of mechanical beasts for the battlefield."
"You intend to use mechanical beasts against the Bei Rong?"
"Yes." Xiao Man confirmed. "While the Qin treasure trove distracts everyone's attention, Nangong Yu and I must take Bei Rong in the shortest possible time."
Mo Mo hesitated. "Do you wish to take Bei Rong yourself, or help Nangong Yu take Bei Rong?"
"Grasping too much can lead to losing it all." Xiao Man said calmly. "As I am now, I cannot take on Bei Rong. However, Bei Rong cannot remain an unstable factor. Furthermore, the Bei Rong people are wild and warlike. I'll leave it to Nangong Yu."
"Is it because the Bei Rong people are wild and warlike and difficult to manage, or are you deliberately yielding to Nangong Yu?" Mo Mo carefully wrapped the book and placed it in her embrace, patting her chest. "Are you going to repeat your past mistakes?"
"Falling in the same place is not my style." Xiao Man's expression was solemn, with no hint of jest. "I have planned for years, experienced life and death. It is not for me to prepare a trousseau for others."
"Then will you contend with Nangong Yu?"
"It is too early to discuss this now." Xiao Man said impassively. "Mo Mo, as soon as a hunter appears, they will be guarded against. But once the prey appears, it will pique the hunter's interest."
"I don't understand." Mo Mo shook her head. She was only interested in mechanical arts, nothing else.
"The best hunters often appear as prey."
"Speak plainly."
"You wouldn't understand even if I spoke plainly. Just make what I need. You don't need to understand the rest." Xiao Man pinched her cheek. "Once it's done, send it to Tian Que."
"To the Bei Rong battlefield?"
"Yes."
"Is he at Wu Sheng Pass?"
"No, he is in Wu Yue Kingdom." Xiao Man said with a beaming smile. "My brother is at Wu Sheng Pass, so there's no need to worry. This side of Wu Yue Kingdom, we cannot afford any losses."
Mo Mo nodded repeatedly. "How much time do I have?"
"One month."
"One hundred mechanical beasts. I will personally escort them to Wu Yue Kingdom." Mo Mo said after a moment of thought.
"You don't need to go. Just send anyone." Xiao Man said unhurriedly. "You need to oversee the Mohist school."
"If I make mechanical beasts, and don't tell them how to use them, what if they can't?" Mo Mo quickly replied. "Besides, I don't need to oversee the Mohist school."
"Must you go?" Xiao Man asked with a frown.
"It's not that I must go, but that I have to." Mo Mo explained. "Mechanical beasts, if operated improperly, are very dangerous to our own people."
"Oh..." Xiao Man hummed, drawing out the sound. Her expression clearly showed disbelief.
"I... I'm just worried... they won't know how to use them..."
"You can write down the operating procedures. Wu Lanna and Tian Que are both intelligent. They'll learn it after one look." Su Dan Novel Network.
"Wu Lanna is also on the battlefield?" Mo Mo raised her voice and asked.
Xiao Man nodded. "Yes, she is. You know Wu Lanna's personality; she's very lively. A few days ago, she wrote to me saying she fancied Tian Que and asked about him. I thought Tian Que's somber personality would match her well..."
"Match what? How are they a match?" Mo Mo immediately slammed the table, then felt her emotions were too intense and a bit inappropriate. "Zhan Tian Que wouldn't like a young girl like Wu Lanna."
"You're not Tian Que, how do you know he wouldn't like her?" Xiao Man asked curiously. "Could it be that you know what kind of girl Tian Que likes?"
"I... I don't know..."
"Then that's that. Look at Wu Lanna, she's bright, generous, fiery, and quirky. She's quite likable."
"In short, Tian Que won't like her!"
"Oh, really?" Xiao Man appeared unconvinced. Mo Mo stomped her foot in frustration.
"In short, I must go to Wu Yue Kingdom, and Zhan Tian Que will not like Wu Lanna."
"Mo Mo, you like Tian Que." Xiao Man suddenly hit the nail on the head. Mo Mo's face instantly turned red, and she couldn't even speak coherently.
"You... you're talking nonsense... Who... who likes... Zhan Tian Que..."
"You're stammering, you're nervous!" Xiao Man teased. "Your face is red too, and you still dare say you don't like him."
"I don't like him!"
"Fine, since my Mo Mo doesn't like him, I'll agree to Wu Lanna's request and grant them a marriage!"
"No, absolutely not!" Mo Mo panicked, grabbing Xiao Man's arm. "If you dare grant them a marriage, I'll have a go at you!"
Xiao Man's eyes immediately curved into a smile. Only then did Mo Mo realize she had been teased. Angered, she clenched her fists and repeatedly hit Xiao Man, but dared not use any force, for fear of hurting Xiao Man!
"You've learned too! Teasing me like this! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Xiao Man laughed heartily. She took a letter from her drawer and handed it to Mo Mo. "A letter from Wu Yue Kingdom, for you. Do you want to see it?"
"Who wants to see it?"
"Tian Que sent it. Are you sure you don't want to see it?" Xiao Man asked with a sly smile. "It's written specifically for you."
Mo Mo's eyes lit up, and she quickly snatched it. "I'll urge them to finish making the mechanical beasts quickly and send them over. You should take care of yourself and have the subordinates handle things if anything comes up. Don't overexert yourself. Zhan Tian Que is there in Wu Yue Kingdom, you don't need to worry."
Xiao Man watched the shy Mo Mo flee and couldn't help but smile. "This is good. I never thought I'd see her smile so shyly."
"Your Majesty, your subordinate also wishes to smile so shyly. When will you grant this to me?"