"Madam, are you alright?" the maid quickly supported the Third Concubine.
"Wouldn't your Imperial Princess be named Xiao Man?"
The maid quickly covered the Third Concubine's mouth, "Madam, you mustn't speak the Imperial Princess's name directly."
The fleeting happiness the Third Concubine had felt was instantly shattered. She had thought that by leaving the General's manor, she would no longer suffer under Xiao Man's oppression, but no matter where she fled, she couldn't escape Xiao Man's grasp.
"Oh no, would Xiao Man bully the Third Miss? No, I must go and see." The Third Concubine hurried towards the front hall, afraid the Third Princess would be bullied.
In the front hall, Xiao Man and Lan Qin were talking, both with somber expressions. The Third Concubine burst in and stood in front of Lan Qin.
"Eldest Sister, I will not let you bully the Third Miss!"
Xiao Man looked at the Third Concubine, who was acting like a mother hen protecting her chick. Her gaze fell on Lan Qin, "You're quite something to be such a terrible spy!"
"Concubine, Sister and I are discussing matters, and Sister is not bullying me," Lan Qin explained. "Besides, this is the Princess's manor."
"Yes, this is the Third Princess's manor. If you bully the Third Princess here, be careful you don't leave it!"
Lan Qin covered her face with her hand and quickly gestured for the maid to escort the Third Concubine out. "Concubine, Sister and I have important matters to discuss. Please go attend to other things."
Lan Qin almost pushed the Third Concubine out, then looked at Xiao Man apologetically. "Eldest Sister, please forgive her. Concubine is just like this."
"It's alright. I'm here today because I want to know some things," Xiao Man said slowly. "What I want to know is listed above. Give me your answer in three days."
Lan Qin took the list and opened it. At first, her expression was normal, but by the end, her face had darkened. "Are you tired of living?"
"Everyone's eyes are on me now, and I can't make any moves. Or, would you prefer I turn the entire capital upside down?" Xiao Man asked softly.
"I beg you, don't do anything rash!" Lan Qin quickly said. "I've only just returned to the capital, and my influence has been eroded bit by bit. I'm no match for those two now."
"In any case, you and I are in the same boat. If anything were to happen to me, do you think your sisters wouldn't tear you apart alive?"
Lan Qin gave a guilty smile. "Eldest Sister, please don't worry. I will find out everything you want to know and tell you!"
"I believe you. Then I'll await your good news."
"No problem, Eldest Sister. Please take care." Lan Qin saw her out of the manor and watched Xiao Man's carriage drive away. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "I seem to be several years older than Xiao Man, so why do I still call her Eldest Sister? Shouldn't she be calling me sister?"
The Empress, while reviewing memorials, asked Yao Ran.
"What is Xiao Man doing?"
"Eating, drinking, and having fun," Yao Ran said unhurriedly. After arriving in Lan Yue, Xiao Man had not caused any trouble, except for the initial incident with Jing Yu Jun and the city guard commander. She spent her days roaming around with the guards she had won from the arena.
She committed no evil, nor did she fear anyone. Moreover, due to the incident with Jing Yu Jun, those who wished to provoke her had to weigh their options carefully.
"She's living quite carefree. Let her be, no need to interfere."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Master, you've been wandering the streets for days, going to operas and gambling. Is this appropriate for an Imperial Princess?"
Xiao Man bit into the sugar figurine in her hand. "This Imperial Princess of mine has not been recognized by anyone. To put it bluntly, I am merely an orphan of the late Emperor, with no connection to the current Empress. I am even less noble than the princesses."
Fu Dan frowned. "You are the royal family's only bloodline."
"Bloodline is nothing to royalty," Xiao Man said, shaking the sugar figurine. She lectured Fu Dan with the wisdom of experience. "Members of the royal family would do anything for power. Patricide and matricide are not uncommon."
Fu Dan did not argue. For royalty, survival was indeed a cruel way of life, but it also came with riches, honor, and power that ordinary people could never obtain.
"The current Empress is childless."
"Do you think she brought me back because she has no children?" Xiao Man said softly. "If that were the case, what was she doing before? She wasn't unaware of my whereabouts, and had even arranged for secret agents around me long ago."
"This subordinate is foolish."
"Fu Dan, the martial world is vast, but not overly complicated. The royal family is small, but filled with unspeakable filth," Xiao Man said, taking a bite out of the remaining sugar figurine. "Otherwise, why hasn't Lan Ruo Yu seen me after all this time in Bianjing?"
"Perhaps she is waiting for you to concede?"
"No, she is using me to make others concede," Xiao Man said softly. Su Dan Novel Network
"This subordinate does not understand."
"Don't think about things you don't understand," Xiao Man said with a smile. "What we need to do now is eat, drink, and play as comfortably as possible."
"I heard Yan Yao climbed into your bed last night?"
Xiao Man's face darkened. That brat had some nerve, trying to sneak into her bed every night and vowing to be her husband. He was truly audacious.
"Actually, given your status, taking him as a consort wouldn't be an issue."
Xiao Man gave a wry smile. "Spare me. I can barely handle my existing romantic entanglements, let alone that. Besides, I have no pedophilic tendencies."
"He is only four years younger than you."
"It's not about being four years younger, it's about being fourteen. Too young, still a child."
"Imperial Princess, in Lan Yue, men can marry at fourteen," Fu Dan corrected. "Fourteen is no longer a child. In Lan Yue, a man who is not married by sixteen is looked down upon."
Xiao Man looked helpless. Men and women alike, it was all too difficult!
"Fu Dan, are you married?"
"No," Fu Dan replied with a steady voice. "I'm someone who lives on the edge of a knife, constantly risking death. Isn't it harmful to get married? Moreover, I don't fancy those delicate men!"
Xiao Man immediately laughed. "Don't all women in Lan Yue prefer delicate, effeminate men?"
"Do you?"
"Yes."
"Since you like them, why don't you just take Yan Yao?"
"I like them, but that doesn't mean I have to take them," Xiao Man laughed heartily. "My liking is limited to appreciation. Strong men and weak men, each has their own style."
"You're afraid Wen Lang Jun will be jealous," Fu Dan revealed without hesitation, "You care very much about his thoughts."
Xiao Man chuckled awkwardly. "Why do you say that?"
"Is he the consort candidate you chose?" Fu Dan inquired. The way these two interacted was strange. They were like lovers, yet not as intimate as lovers. They were more than friends, yet not quite lovers.