"Xiao Ling." Xiao Man’s furious scolding immediately stopped Xiao Ling in her tracks.
Xiao Ling’s face was full of grievance. Seeing it was Xiao Man, she held back her tears. "Big Sister, this slut…"
"Silence!" Xiao Man snapped. "You are a young lady of the General's mansion. Where has your upbringing gone?"
Xiao Ling gritted her teeth and dared not speak further. In the General's mansion today, the one truly in charge was not Xiao Zhen, nor Xiao Luo, but Xiao Man.
"I'm sorry, Big Sister. I know I was wrong."
Xiao Man’s gaze fell upon the girl hiding behind Madam Chu. She immediately realized this was the same girl who had followed Prince Qi earlier. She looked familiar, and she couldn't recall which family she belonged to.
"My younger sister was impolite and offended you, Miss. Please forgive her."
Seeing Xiao Man speaking to her gently, the woman timidly emerged from behind the others. "This servant greets the Eldest Miss."
Calling herself 'this servant'… she wasn't from the capital. Her face also looked very familiar, as if she had seen her somewhere before. Suddenly, a tear-streaked face flashed in Xiao Man's mind. Wasn't this the woman she met at the inn on her way back from Wu Yue Kingdom? She remembered her name was possibly Nian Nianjiao.
"Big Sister, she's just a singer, and I don't know how she caught Prince Qi's eye. How dare she provoke me so openly."
"Eldest Miss, you are mistaken. Because this servant came with Prince Qi, the Third Miss asked me about my relationship with Prince Qi. I truthfully told the Third Miss that I am Prince Qi's concubine. The Third Miss became enraged and chased after me to beat me." As she spoke, she began to cry, her tears falling like pear blossoms and rain, making one feel pity for her. "This servant doesn't know what she did to offend the Third Miss, yet she wants to disfigure my face."
Xiao Man bared her teeth. This girl was truly not simple. She had tried to cling to her and Prince Qin before, and now she was in the imperial capital, having hitched herself to Prince Qi. If Xiao Ling were to enter Prince Qi's mansion in the future, she might not be her match.
"Third Sister, apologize to the young lady," Xiao Man said gently. "Regardless of her status or position, that is her own affair. You chasing and hitting her is wrong."
Xiao Ling gritted her teeth. She was too proud to apologize to a singer, but seeing Xiao Man's expressionless face, she knew that if she didn't do as Xiao Man said, Xiao Man had plenty of ways to deal with her!
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have hit you." Xiao Ling apologized through gritted teeth. The girl’s eyes flashed with a hint of triumph. So what if she was a young lady of the General's mansion? So what if she was Prince Qi's secondary consort? She wasn't her opponent after all.
"Guards, go invite Prince Qi over." Seeing that Xiao Ling had apologized, Xiao Man ordered her to sit to the side, as the girl looked like she was about to leave in distress.
"Eldest Miss, this servant is fine. There's no need to invite Prince Qi."
The maid quickly departed. Before long, Prince Qi arrived, accompanied by the Crown Prince and Prince Qin. As Prince Qi entered, he saw Xiao Man sitting to the side, while his beloved concubine stood there looking wronged. He immediately frowned with displeasure.
"Jiaojiao, what's wrong? Did someone bully you?" Nangong Yi asked, immediately putting his arm around Nian Nianjiao's shoulders.
Nian Nianjiao sobbed, her tears rolling down like pearls from a broken string, making Nangong Yi's heart ache even more.
"Jiaojiao, tell this Prince who bullied you? This Prince will uphold justice for you."
Seeing this, Xiao Man's expression remained unchanged. "Your Highness Prince Qi, my sister had a verbal spat with your beloved concubine. My sister has already apologized."
Nangong Yi looked at Xiao Ling. Xiao Ling's face was full of stubbornness, her beautiful eyes filled with tears but stubbornly refusing to fall. She looked as if she had endured great injustice.
"Since an apology has been made, then let it be," Nangong Yi said, about to lead Nian Nianjiao away.
"Wait." Xiao Man stood up and walked in front of Nangong Yi, breaking into a wide smile. Nangong Yi's heart leaped. This troublesome girl finally knew how to please him. He would be magnanimous and not hold it against her. Unexpectedly, Xiao Man suddenly raised her hand and slapped Nian Nianjiao hard across the face, stunning her.
The ladies and young ladies present were also astonished. Did you summon Prince Qi just to slap his beloved concubine's face in front of him?
Nangong Yu's lips curled. He knew Xiao Man was not one to suffer in silence. His gaze fell on Nian Nianjiao, then moved away. A flicker of an unreadable light appeared in his eyes. This woman was quite skillful!
Nangong Yi felt a burning sensation on his face, as if the resounding slap had landed not on Nian Nianjiao's face but on his own. His eyes instantly reddened.
"Xiao Man, what are you doing?"
Xiao Man's expression was calm and composed. "Your Highness Prince Qi, this is the General's mansion. My sister is your Highness's soon-to-be secondary consort. If any stray cat or dog can come to our General's mansion to provoke us, then wouldn't the Protector General's mansion become a marketplace?"
"Who provoked whom? Clearly, your sister struck first!"
"My sister has always been well-mannered. How could she hit a stranger she's never met for no reason?" Xiao Man's gaze fell on Nian Nianjiao, who was shrinking in Nangong Yi's arms with hatred in her eyes. She reached out and pinched Nian Nianjiao's chin. "If a young lady of my General's mansion makes a mistake, I won't tolerate it. But if anyone dares to bully them, I will not let it go."
Nangong Yi's chest heaved with anger, yet he didn't know how to deal with Xiao Man. Nian Nianjiao's sobbing in his arms was irritating him, and he suddenly felt bored. He had brought this girl out because he thought she was considerate, cute, and attentive, but she had caused trouble the moment they left the house.
"Enough, why are you crying?" Nangong Yi, unable to argue with Xiao Man, immediately yelled at Nian Nianjiao and pushed her out of his arms. "Who did you have to provoke? You provoked her. Are you tired of my peaceful life and just looking for trouble? Don't you know she's my bane?"
"Your Highness, this servant did not. This servant did not know why the Third Miss became angry and hit this servant, nor how she offended the Eldest Miss..."
Xiao Man looked bewildered. When had she become Nangong Yi's bane? Su Dan Novel Network.
"Thirteenth Brother, today is the General's mansion's annual event. It's just a small matter, why let it ruin the mood?" The Crown Prince stepped in as a mediator. "Xiao Man, you too. Guests are here. Why argue with Thirteenth Brother over a lowly creature? You are the host, and you are usually on good terms with Thirteenth Brother. How can you disgrace him like this?"
Hearing this, Xiao Man casually took an orange from the fruit platter nearby and offered it to Nangong Yi. "Your Highness Prince Qi, please don't be angry. I apologize here. Please be magnanimous and forgive me this time."
Nangong Yi glanced at the orange in Xiao Man's hand and folded his arms. "Peel it and feed it to me, and I'll forgive you."