Xiao Man glanced at the crowd, then cleared her throat. Her voice, amplified by internal energy, carried throughout Bianjing City. "I am Xiao Man, the sole surviving heir of the late Empress Yue Xian, the only direct bloodline of the Blue Moon royal family, and the rightful Imperial Princess. Upon my return to Bianjing City, there are those who seek my life. I know my return obstructs the path of certain individuals. Whatever schemes you have, unleash them upon me. However, must you endanger numerous innocent citizens just to kill me?"
The victims of the fire were not ordinary people, and they understood the implications. Tianyu Tower was the property of the Eldest Princess, and she and the Fourth Princess were locked in a fierce competition for the throne. Now, a direct royal bloodline had appeared from nowhere. How could they tolerate this?
"Today, I make my stance clear. Do not assume that usurping a nest makes one a phoenix. A mere chicken, no matter how much it flutters, remains a chicken and can never become a phoenix. Furthermore, should any harm befall innocent people again, no matter who you are or how powerful your backing, I will not forgive you!"
"Well said, Imperial Princess! We support you!" a citizen shouted loudly. Immediately, the entire Bianjing City erupted in cheers, all echoing Xiao Man's words. Gratitude flickered in Xiao Man's eyes. Mother, you see, your people still remember you.
At that moment, patrolling guards arrived in a hurry, escorting others. "Your subordinate Hua Wen greets the Imperial Princess."
Xiao Man glanced at her dismissively. Tianyu Tower had been burning for a considerable time, and the City Defense Army was only now arriving. It seemed the situation for the Blue Moon Empress was indeed dire.
Xiao Man smiled faintly. "What is this general's rank?"
"Replying to the Imperial Princess, your subordinate is the commander of the City Defense Army."
"Oh." Xiao Man nodded, a hint of amusement playing on her lips. "Are you suffering from an eye ailment?"
Hua Wen frowned, not understanding Xiao Man's implication. "Replying to the Imperial Princess, your subordinate's eyes are perfectly fine."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Man's smile vanished. Du Guluo swiftly stepped forward and slapped Hua Wen across the face with such force that she was sent flying, crashing into a nearby tree before tumbling to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood that included a tooth.
Xiao Man's expression turned glacial. "I say you have poor eyesight. The fire is so intense, even ordinary citizens noticed it. Yet your City Defense Army are all blind and failed to see? So many suffering citizens stand here, barely clothed, and you do not see them? The City Defense Army is meant to protect the safety of the Imperial City's citizens, yet you are merely a group of parasites, incompetent and only concerned with power struggles. What use are you?"
Xiao Man's words, filled with fury, landed one by one. "The City Defense Army is crucial to the safety of the Imperial City. With individuals like you, do you deserve to be called the City Defense Army? You are mere watchdogs, wagging your tails for whomever throws you a bone. No, you are worse than dogs. Dogs know loyalty; you do not even know what loyalty is."
The guards of the City Defense Army stood with flushed faces, but dared not retort. They all knew about the punishment Xiao Man had inflicted upon General Jing earlier that day. Now, she had struck their commander, knocking out a tooth. This was an insult to the entire City Defense Army!
"Imperial Princess, we patrol the entire Imperial City at night, not just one area. As soon as we discovered the fire, we rushed over. We did not intentionally delay," one guard stated. "Our commander rushed here from his home and met us along the way."
Hua Wen knelt on the ground, silent. Tianyu Tower was located in the most prosperous district of Bianjing City. The fact that no one had arrived for so long after the fire had broken out spoke volumes. And her arrival, failing to organize firefighting efforts or assist the displaced citizens, was indeed dereliction of duty.
"Dereliction of duty is dereliction of duty. No excuse can absolve you," Xiao Man stated coldly. "Issue an order to extinguish the fire quickly, prevent its spread, and minimize losses. Additionally, promptly resettle the displaced citizens."
"Yes."
Yao Ran then stepped forward. "Please, Imperial Princess, allow us to escort you."
"No rush, the main characters haven't arrived yet." Xiao Man beckoned for a chair to be brought over. She watched the magnificent Tianyu Tower turn to ashes and said to Yao Ran, "This is a good plot of land. I want it."
Yao Ran's mouth hung open, unable to utter a word. So, Tianyu Tower burning suited her perfectly, and she had come to stay at the Eldest Princess's inn just to stake a claim on this land?
Yao Ran looked at Xiao Man hesitantly. How could she not suspect that Xiao Man herself had started the fire?
When Tianyu Tower caught fire, none of the dispatched secret guards returned. The Eldest Princess knew the plan had failed. As the owner of Tianyu Tower, she naturally had to be present. By the time the Eldest Princess arrived, Xiao Man's people had already resettled all the displaced guests. Only Xiao Man remained, directing the firefighting efforts.
"I apologize for my late arrival. I heard Tianyu Tower caught fire. Is my sister unharmed?" Lan Ya asked, her elegant gait and shapely figure subtly apparent even in her court attire.
Xiao Man sat on her chair, feigning sleep. Lan Ya received no response. Upon closer inspection, she realized Xiao Man was sleeping and couldn't help but frown. "Is my sister asleep?"
"Insolence! How dare you... Ah!" A guard, who had spoken out, was immediately kicked away by Du Guluo. Du Guluo puffed out his cheeks, his expression displeased, but he forcefully lowered his voice. "Don't disturb her. Aman is sleeping. If you wake her, I'll break your neck!"
Lan Ya looked at the fallen guard and then her gaze settled on Du Guluo. She had heard that Xiao Man had a tremendously strong bodyguard, capable of fighting a hundred men. Could this be him?
"What is your name?"
"I won't tell you!"
Lan Ya remained undeterred and had a plate of pastries brought over. "Shall I treat you to some delicious pastries?"
Du Guluo glanced at them, then looked away. "Aman will buy me whatever I want to eat. We can afford it. We don't need yours."
Lan Ya thought to herself, indeed, this person's mind is like a child's, yet he possesses godlike strength. If she could win him over, her power would be greatly enhanced.
Lan Ya held out the pastries towards Du Guluo. "I just want to be friends with you."
"I have friends," Du Guluo stated unmoved.
"How about this: we find another place for my sister to rest properly. What do you say?"
Upon hearing this, Du Guluo immediately drew his sword and pointed it at Lan Ya. The sword energy stirred by his movement caused Lan Ya's hair to flutter wildly. "If you dare touch Aman, I will beat you. Beat you to death!"
Lan Ya knew she couldn't rush things. She looked at Xiao Man. "Xiao Man, His Majesty has ordered you to enter the palace for an audience."
Xiao Man opened her eyelids and glanced at Lan Ya, then closed them again. At this moment, Hua Wen returned with her men to report. Half of her face was swollen, and her words were slurred.
"Imperial Princess, all displaced citizens have been resettled, and isolation zones have been established to contain the fire's spread. However, the fire is too intense to be extinguished quickly. New accommodation has been arranged for the Imperial Princess. We request that you relocate."