The Fourth Princess was annoyed that Xiao Man was asking the obvious, but knew she had to humble herself since she was asking for a favor.
"Please, help me," the Fourth Princess stepped forward, pleading, "I want to live."
Xiao Man looked at the Fourth Princess with amusement. "Fourth Princess, have you made a mistake? How can I, an Imperial Daughter in name only, help the Fourth Princess who holds great power?"
"Feng Moran is your master, and you have a good relationship with him..."
"You want me to go to Feng Langjun and beg for mercy on your behalf?" Xiao Man immediately understood the Fourth Princess's intention, but was the Fourth Princess not thinking clearly?
"Yes."
Xiao Man looked at Lan Qin, her expression seeming to ask if she still didn't understand her situation.
Lan Qin sighed. It was at this point, and Lan Yuan still couldn't see the situation clearly. It wasn't that she would live if Feng Moran begged for her, but that her involvement with Feng Moran had angered His Majesty, who now wanted her dead.
"Fourth Sister, if Feng Langjun were to beg His Majesty on your behalf, I fear His Majesty would not only spare you but would want you dead even faster," Lan Qin had to make things clear.
"What do you mean?"
"Do you know how my mother, Empress Yuexian, died?"
The Fourth Princess looked at Xiao Man, of course, she knew. The current Empress, in order to seize the throne, had launched a palace coup while Empress Yuexian was in difficult labor, ousting Empress Yuexian.
"Do you think my mother met her end in a foreign land because she sat on the throne?"
"Wasn't it?"
"Back then, Empress Zhaode asked her sisters who was willing to be an Imperial Daughter. Lan Ruoyu was the first to refuse."
The Fourth Princess knew nothing of the past, so she was unaware of this turn of events. "My mother was the eldest sister. Neither sister wanted to be an Imperial Daughter, so it eventually fell to her. But why did they fight for the throne later?"
The Fourth Princess's heart vaguely held an answer, yet she was not entirely sure.
"Fourth Princess, have you not noticed that in the men of the harem, one can find the shadow of a certain person, more or less?"
The Fourth Princess swallowed. It was at this moment that she truly understood the magnitude of her mistake. She had actually counted on Feng Moran to beg the Empress for her. If Feng Moran had truly gone to the Empress to plead for her, she would likely have died suddenly soon after.
"What should I do?"
"Leave Bianjing," Xiao Man said slowly. "As long as you remain in Bianjing for a single day, the Empress will be uneasy for a single day. Whenever she sees you, she will be reminded of what happened between you and Feng Langjun, and she will wish to tear you limb from limb."
The Fourth Princess was unwilling. She had schemed for years to reach her current position. If she left Bianjing, wouldn't all her years of effort be in vain?
"Fourth Princess, are you reluctant to part with the prosperity of Bianjing?"
The Fourth Princess was silent for a moment, then looked at Xiao Man. "I want to speak with you alone."
Xiao Man nodded and led the Fourth Princess to the study. They talked until late into the night. When the third watch bell struck, the lamp in the study was still lit.
Wen Mohan had finished bathing early and sent someone to ask if Xiao Man had returned. However, after repeated inquiries, he was told that the Imperial Daughter was in the study discussing matters and had not yet returned. He waited for a long time, past midnight, before reluctantly going to sleep alone.
In the early morning, sunlight streamed in. Wen Mohan turned over, still not wanting to get up. The summer days dawned early. Seeing the sun out, it was actually still quite early.
However, as Wen Mohan turned over, he touched a warm body. He immediately opened his eyes and realized that Xiao Man was sleeping beside him. He quickly looked around. This was his room, and looking at the bed, it was indeed Xiao Man!
Wen Mohan pinched his own face. It hurt. It wasn't a dream. But when had Xiao Man arrived?
Wen Mohan lay on his side, propping his head with one hand, staring at Xiao Man and examining her closely. As he looked, he slowly reached out and traced the contours of Xiao Man's face.
Xiao Man grabbed Wen Mohan's hand and pulled it into her embrace. "Stop it, let me sleep a little longer."
An unstoppable smile flickered in Wen Mohan's eyes. He moved closer to Xiao Man. Xiao Man almost completely nestled into his embrace. Wen Mohan's lips curved upwards, and he closed his eyes in a very good mood.
As soon as he closed his eyes, Wen Mohan opened them again. He always felt that Xiao Man treated him too well, too gently. It made everything feel unreal, like a dream or an illusion that could shatter at any moment. He didn't know when it started, but he had also learned to be anxious about loss.
In the early morning, Yin Zhu went to call Xiao Man to get up and found that Xiao Man was not in her own room. Ying Xue was guarding the courtyard of Wen Mohan, and immediately understood that Xiao Man had stayed in Wen Mohan's room.
"Not up yet?"
Ying Xue yawned. "We didn't rest until very late last night, so she'll probably sleep for a while longer."
Seeing that she was tired, Yin Zhu said, "You go and rest. I'll stay here. The kitchen has made breakfast. Eat some before you sleep. Also, please check the fire in the stove. I started simmering pigeon soup before dawn. We can drink it when Miss wakes up to nourish her body."
"Alright." Ying Xue, yawning, headed to the kitchen. As soon as she entered, she saw Yan Yao eating breakfast in the kitchen.
"What are you doing here, kid?"
"The food made by the main kitchen isn't as good as the food made by the small kitchen," Yan Yao said as he stuffed food into his mouth. "I didn't expect the new steward to have such good cooking skills."
Ying Xue served a bowl of shredded pork congee and sat at the table. "Not only is Yin Zhu a good cook, but Miss is also a good cook. It's just that she rarely cooks."
"Last night I saw the Imperial Daughter cooking for Wen Langjun," Yan Yao said with envy. "If the Imperial Daughter were willing to cook a meal for me herself, I would die without regret."
"Dream on," Ying Xue poked Yan Yao's head. "Up to now, the number of people the Miss has cooked for can be counted on one hand."
"Sister Ying Xue, do you eat the meals prepared by the Imperial Daughter?"
"I have."
"I'm so envious."
"Envy is useless," Ying Xue said proudly. "It requires luck and fate."
"I will definitely eat it someday," Yan Yao said while eating and sniffing the air intently. "It smells so good. The pigeon soup on the stove is ready."
Ying Xue looked at Yan Yao's greedy expression and smiled. "No matter how good it smells, you won't get any. This is what Yin Zhu simmered for Miss to nourish her body."
"Then I'll take it to the Imperial Daughter after I eat," Yan Yao said happily.
"Alright, the Imperial Daughter is resting at Mingyue Pavilion."
*Splat.* The spoon in Yan Yao's hand fell into the bowl with a clear clatter. "The Imperial Daughter is resting at Mingyue Pavilion!"
Ying Xue nodded while eating. "Yes, she didn't go to bed until very late. You can send it over later. Don't disturb Miss's rest."
Yan Yao felt a dull ache in his heart. Although the Imperial Daughter had said that her consort could only be Wen Mohan, the fact that Xiao Man had stayed in Wen Mohan's room made Yan Yao feel sad.
"The Imperial Daughter won't want me anymore, will she?"