Qiao Lan quickly stepped forward to support her mistress. "Princess Yongning, our Princess Consort has already worked hard enough. Why do you have to make things difficult for her time and again!"
Xiao Man snorted dismissively, "See to your own affairs."
Du Yulan watched Xiao Man's retreating back, her heart in turmoil. What should she do now that Xiao Man knew?
"Yulan, come with me." Grand Tutor Du saw Du Yulan's panic and felt a growing unease. Ever since Du Yulan married into Prince Qi's estate, she always acted without considering the consequences. He worried that Du Yulan might have done something she shouldn't have, which could implicate the Du family.
In the carriage, Grand Tutor Du's expression was cold. "Speak, what did you do?"
"Grandfather, Yulan did nothing," Du Yulan said, feigning calmness.
"If you did nothing, why would Xiao Man use all her influence to suppress the Du family and even send your father to prison?" Grand Tutor Du said with frustration, "Quickly tell me, what exactly did you do?"
"Grandfather, I told you, I did nothing," Du Yulan said calmly. "Instead, it was Xiao Man who caused me to lose my child!"
Grand Tutor Du sighed. "Given the circumstances at the time, you can't blame her. She was only trying to save you, not harm you."
"If she had pushed away Shan Yu Yan and protected me, I wouldn't have lost my child!" Du Yulan raised her voice. Xiao Man and Shan Yu Yan were mere acquaintances, while Prince Qi had grown up with her. By reason and sentiment, Xiao Man should have protected her and her unborn child. This was something Xiao Man owed her!
"Who are you to her that she must protect you?" Grand Tutor Du retorted, looking at Du Yulan with disbelief. Xiao Man was just a casual acquaintance to her. Her willingness to lend a hand was already more than she was obliged to do. No one could blame her if she hadn't helped, yet Du Yulan blamed Xiao Man for saving her but not her child!
"Even you are speaking up for her!"
"I am telling the truth." Although Grand Tutor Du disliked Xiao Man, he knew that Xiao Man's actions were unintentional at the time. When the assassin suddenly appeared, Shan Yu Yan took an arrow for her, so naturally, Xiao Man had to protect Shan Yu Yan first. However, she hadn't forgotten about Du Yulan. It was just fate playing its hand!
"The truth? What is the truth? Didn't Xiao Man cause me to lose my child?" Du Yulan shrieked. "I am the victim! Why is everyone helping her? It's one thing for His Highness to help her, but even you, Grandfather, have to help her?"
"How have you become so unreasonable?" Grand Tutor Du was deeply disappointed. He used to be proud of Du Yulan, but now, looking at the distraught Du Yulan, he felt as if he didn't know her. "If it weren't for her, you would already be dead. How could the child have lived? You are still young, and you can have more children. Why must you insist on confronting Xiao Man over a child you have already lost?"
"It's too late! It's too late for anything." Du Yulan laughed foolishly. "Xiao Man said she wants the Du family to have no descendants!"
Grand Tutor Du's face turned pale. "You... you..."
A preposterous thought flashed through Grand Tutor Du's mind, but he dismissed it as impossible. Du Yulan opened her mouth and said something to Grand Tutor Du. Her voice was too low for him to hear clearly, but he understood from her expression that Du Yulan was saying, "I killed Xiao Zhen!"
Xiao Man vanished without a trace after leaving the palace. Wen Mohan sighed and boarded the Wen family's carriage.
The Prime Minister's estate, after Prime Minister Wen retired, was now called the Wen Estate. The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Wen Estate.
As Wen Mohan alighted from the carriage, a small beggar ran up.
"Excuse me, are you Lord Wen Mohan?" the little beggar asked, his face dirty.
Wen Mohan looked at the beggar. "I am. What do you need?"
The beggar extended his hand to Wen Mohan. "A young master asked me to deliver a letter to you, but you have to give me ten copper coins for my trouble."
Wen Mohan couldn't help but smile. He didn't refuse and had Wei Feng give the beggar ten copper coins. The beggar carefully counted them, confirmed they were correct, and then took a letter from his pocket and handed it to Wen Mohan.
Wen Mohan took it and looked at it. The envelope was blank. Inside was a letter. Wen Mohan took out the letter and unfolded it, only to find a blank piece of paper.
"Blank paper?" Wei Feng asked in confusion. "Who would send you a blank piece of paper?"
The beggar shrugged. "Don't ask me. A young master told me to give it to you, saying you would pay me after you read it."
Wen Mohan held the blank paper and examined it carefully. After a moment, he understood and quickly went inside. "Fetch some wine."
Wei Feng immediately brought a bottle of wine. Wen Mohan placed the blank paper into a bronze basin and poured the wine over it. Moments later, writing appeared on the paper. It read only: "Do you want to know who killed Xiao Zhen? I'll wait for you at the usual spot."
"Young master, is this..." Wei Feng was suspicious. "Could it be a trap?"
Wen Mohan slowly shook his head. "It's Cen Yu."
"Is this Prime Minister Cen's handwriting?" Wei Feng asked in surprise. After the Cen family declined, Cen Yu disappeared. His reappearance now was surely malicious.
Wen Mohan nodded.
"Young master, don't go! He is no longer the Prime Minister Cen he once was!"
Wen Mohan understood, but he was more eager to know the killer of Xiao Zhen. The current Xiao Man seemed calm, but he knew she could erupt at any moment. He had to find the killer before Xiao Man caused trouble. If his guess was correct, Cen Yu was likely involved. Su Dan Novel Network.
"I have to go." Wen Mohan changed his clothes. "Knowing him, if I don't go, he might do something irreversible."
"Do you really have to go?"
"I must," Wen Mohan said, having changed his clothes. "Let's go."
"Yes." Wei Feng couldn't stop Wen Mohan, so he could only do his best to ensure Wen Mohan's safety.
Prince Qin's estate was heavily guarded, but to Xiao Man, it was like an open gate. Her stealth skills were unparalleled. When Xiao Man appeared in the room, Si Chen finally noticed her.
"Princess Yongning."
Xiao Man walked forward, her gaze falling on the person lying on the bed, wrapped like a mummy. She frowned slightly, and after a moment, looked at Si Chen. "Where is your master?"
Si Chen glanced at the person in the corner. "See? I said she'd recognize it wasn't His Highness at first glance!"
"Princess, please."
Next door to Prince Qin's estate, separated by a wall, was the Ye estate. It was originally uninhabited, and no one knew it was also owned by Prince Qin. Nan Gong Yu was currently in the adjacent residence.
When Xiao Man arrived, Nan Gong Yu was leaning against the head of the bed, giving instructions. Seeing Xiao Man enter, he immediately dismissed the others and smiled. "You're here so quickly."
Xiao Man sat by the bed and reached out to take Nan Gong Yu's pulse. Nan Gong Yu did not refuse, allowing Xiao Man to examine him.