"Serves her right!" Wen Mohan gritted his teeth, cursing Nangong Yi for corrupting her.
Xiao Man searched Xiao Zhen’s study thoroughly but found nothing she wanted. If she wanted to ask her father out, someone would have to pass on a message. Could it be by word of mouth?
As Xiao Man walked out, she encountered the butler leading the Prince and Princess of Qi inside. It turned out Nangong Yi, seeing she had been gone for a long time, worried she was overcome with grief and came to visit.
"Xiao Man, are you… alright?" Nangong Yi stepped forward, seeing Xiao Man’s haggard appearance and swollen eyes, but was stopped by Du Yulan.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness Prince of Qi and Princess of Qi. I am fine." Xiao Man looked at Du Yulan. "Princess of Qi, how is your recovery? Regarding the previous incident, it was my fault…"
"She is fine, and you were trying to save her," Nangong Yi quickly interjected.
Du Yulan’s hands, hidden within her wide sleeves, almost drew blood. The child was a pain in her heart, but seeing Xiao Man now in such despair, her eyes red and her face pale, Du Yulan felt a surge of joy. Well, Xiao Man, do you feel the pain? Do you know that I felt even more pain when I lost my child!
"Have you had tea?"
"Not yet. Your Highness was very worried about you, especially since General Xiao died so tragically. His Highness feared you wouldn't be able to cope and was eager to see you. Fortunately, you are strong," Du Yulan said softly. "Yongning, you don't need to be too sad. I believe the murderer will be apprehended soon."
"I hope so."
Du Yulan stepped forward, taking Xiao Man’s hand, and said gently, "Now that the young general is at the border, only a few weak women are left in the manor. With the Great General gone, what will become of you? Fortunately, you are engaged early. When you marry into the Wen family, you will at least have a home. It is a pity for Madam Xiao. She barely married a husband, only to become a widow within a year, earning a reputation as a jinx. Her future days will be even harder."
"Yulan, what nonsense are you talking about!" Nangong Yi quickly rebuked.
"Your Highness, Yulan is genuinely concerned. Now that only a few weak women are left in the General’s manor, and Yongning has made countless enemies before, I am truly worried that someone will come looking for trouble now that the General is no longer here to protect her," Du Yulan said with an air of genuine concern for Xiao Man. "You should make plans for yourself soon."
Xiao Man’s expression had long since turned cold. She looked at Du Yulan quietly. She was not stupid; she could clearly see the schadenfreude in Du Yulan’s eyes.
"Thank you for your concern, Princess of Qi. However, the affairs of the General’s manor do not require outsiders to worry about," Xiao Man said word by word. "Even though my father is gone, this General’s manor is not a place where anyone can just run rampant!"
"Naturally, even though the General is gone, his influence still lingers, and you can rest assured for now," Du Yulan withdrew her hand, her expression composed. "Fortunately, Lord Wen is a man of great loyalty and righteousness. He will certainly not break off the engagement with you because of the Great General’s tragic death. Otherwise, I don’t know how you would live."
"Princess of Qi, your words are quite strange," Wen Mohan said coldly. "When did it become your place to decide how Man'er should live? From your demeanor, it seems you are not here to offer condolences, but rather to kick someone when they are down."
"Du Yulan, have you had enough of this?" Nangong Yi pulled her back to his side. "Xiao Man, don't be angry. She is still unwell and speaking nonsense. It’s my fault for bringing her here."
"Your Highness Prince of Qi, since the Princess of Qi is unwell, please take her back soon," Wen Mohan stepped in front of Xiao Man. "Man'er is always magnanimous and will not hold a grudge, but I am rather petty. Even though the General is gone, I will not tolerate anyone running rampant in the General’s manor!"
"Apologies." Nangong Yi pulled Du Yulan and left.
Du Yulan did not resist. She turned her head and gave Xiao Man a sinister smile, mouthing something. Xiao Man’s face instantly turned ashen, her fingers clenching into fists. Xiao Man understood Du Yulan’s lips: *Does it hurt? Serves you right!*
She originally had no enmity with Du Yulan. When she was attacked that day, her first priority was Dan Yu Yan. She pushed Du Yulan aside, which, while saving her life, caused her to miscarry. Did Du Yulan resent her because of this?
"Man'er, are you alright?" Wen Mohan asked with concern, seeing Xiao Man’s ashen face.
Xiao Man lowered her brows, suppressing all her emotions. "I am fine. What she said is true. The General's manor is indeed in a precarious situation, and I have indeed made countless enemies."
"Don't listen to her nonsense. She came here deliberately to provoke you," Wen Mohan tried to reason. "Why don't you go back and rest for a while? We will be here to handle things."
Xiao Man shook her head. "No. As the eldest legitimate daughter, I cannot be away from the mourning hall for too long."
Xiao Zhen was to be interred at home for seven days before being buried in the ancestral tomb, reunited with her mother. Xiao Man went to the mourning hall, letting Xiao Ling and He Qingyi rest while she stayed to guard the memorial tablet.
Ling Xuan visited several times during the mourning period. Seeing that Xiao Man, though appearing grief-stricken, was lucid, he felt a sigh of relief.
"Sir, weren't we here to discuss matters with Princess Yongning? Why did we leave so soon?" the accompanying constable asked in confusion.
"Before the Great General's funeral arrangements are completed, she likely won't have the mood to talk to me."
At that moment, a carriage sped over and stopped at the entrance of the General’s manor. The carriage door opened, and an old woman helped an elderly woman down. She quickly made her way into the General’s manor.
"That looks like Old Madam Xiao."
Ling Xuan frowned and immediately turned back. Old Madam Xiao’s return at this time meant Xiao Man would likely face great hardship. Although he and Xiao Man were at odds, he did not want Xiao Man to be tormented under these circumstances.
With Old Madam Xiao’s return, many people watched with a sense of anticipation as she strode towards the mourning hall. Upon entering, she began to wail.
"My son!" The loud cries startled Lin Yiniang, who had been quietly sobbing, and she forgot to cry. She looked up as Old Madam Xiao stumbled towards the coffin, but her gaze fell upon the Fourth Miss Xiao Ting, who was following behind. Her previously dim eyes instantly lit up.
"My son, how could you bear to send your old mother to mourn her son before her time!"
"Grandmother." Xiao Ling quickly rose to support Old Madam Xiao. "Grandmother, you must take care of yourself."
Old Madam Xiao beat the coffin with all her might, crying with all her strength. Before Dongzhi, she had thought that as long as the family was safe, she wouldn't mind returning to Cangzhou. Who knew this parting would be eternal.
"Grandmother…" Old Madam Xiao’s cries brought tears to everyone in the room. Only Xiao Man shed no tears, her face full of a chilling calmness. In these past few days, she had completely calmed down, terrifyingly so.