Xiao Man submerged herself in the water. She had recalled what happened last night. Although some fragments of her memory were hazy, she remembered most of it. She remembered waking up, finding her body unresponsive, and leaving the general's mansion. However, she never expected to run straight to the Qin Prince's mansion to find the Qin Prince!
Xiao Man, Xiao Man, how much did you not fear death to dare sneak into the Qin Prince's mansion and molest the Qin Prince? Was it that easy to take advantage of the Qin Prince?
The first time, you were lucky to encounter him during a relapse of his poison and escaped. This time, you dared to use the Qin Prince as an antidote, and now you've failed to steal a chicken and ended up losing the bait. Are you happy now?
No! Xiao Man shook her head. She had managed to steal the chicken after all. It was only right for the Qin Prince to demand responsibility. However, if she were to marry the Qin Prince, those who wanted to kill her would increase even more! But if she didn't marry the Qin Prince… Xiao Man felt the Qin Prince would kill her first. She was doomed either way!
"Aman." Chu Qingge's voice sounded from outside the door. "It's me, I'm coming in."
Xiao Man surfaced from the water. It was too late to get up and dress. She immediately poured the entire basket of flower petals beside her into the bathtub, concealing her form and the marks on her body. Chu Qingge pushed the door open.
"Sister-in-law, why have you come over?"
Seeing Xiao Man bathing, Chu Qingge sat down beside her. "Where did you go last night? Do you know how worried we were? We were terrified you'd been abducted by villains. You wouldn't believe it, Father almost turned your courtyard upside down."
"Sister-in-law, I didn't mean to not tell you. The situation was urgent, I was looking for an antidote." Xiao Man spoke the truth, though her definition of antidote differed from Chu Qingge's.
"It's good that you're alright. You were poisoned and unconscious for several days, and the mansion was in chaos. It's good the poison is gone and you're unharmed. You must not scare us like this again." Chu Qingge glared at Xiao Man with mock anger. "Even if you were looking for an antidote, you should have at least informed the family. Finding an antidote is not something you need to do yourself when you're weak. You could have just sent someone to fetch it." Su Dan Novel Network.
Xiao Man gave an embarrassed smile. This antidote truly required her to search for it secretly. Could she have asked them to tie the Qin Prince up and share a room with her? Her father would have cleaved him with a single blow, as he had always opposed her getting too close to the Qin Prince.
"I won't next time."
Chu Qingge picked up a bathing mitt. "Shall I scrub your back?"
"No need!" Xiao Man, startled, sank further into the water. "I've already scrubbed myself. I just lay down for too long and am soaking in a hot bath to improve blood circulation."
Hearing this, Chu Qingge didn't insist. She put down the bathing mitt and asked softly, "Aman, do you hate Old Madam Xiao?"
"No."
Chu Qingge was somewhat surprised. "Why not? The way she treated you?"
"Because I don't care, so I don't hate her." Xiao Man said calmly. "Without love, where does hate come from? I never considered her family, so when she harmed me, I didn't hate her. Of course, I wouldn't be lenient when dealing with her either."
Chu Qingge fell silent for a moment, then asked softly, "Aman, I don't know where my path lies or how to walk it. I keep thinking about what happened that day, and I'm even afraid to let Xiao Luo touch me. What should I do?"
"Go to the battlefield." Xiao Man said decisively. "Yusheng and Yunqi are in constant conflict. On the battlefield, nothing is more important than survival. Perhaps you will find your direction there."
A hint of longing flashed across Chu Qingge's expression, then she lowered her gaze. "I don't want to go to Yunzhong City."
Xiao Man pondered for a moment. "Then go to Wuyue Kingdom."
"Wuyue Kingdom?" Chu Qingge, with her sharp mind, instantly understood. "That's right, we can go to Wuyue Kingdom. King Han has already led troops there. It's a good destination, but King Han might not be willing to let me join the army."
"Sister-in-law, I'm not asking you to serve under King Han, but under me, to be my great general." Xiao Man looked intently at Chu Qingge. "I want to change this world. I want women to be able to serve in court, hold high positions, and achieve great feats on the battlefield, just like men. Sister-in-law, are you willing to help me?"
Chu Qingge looked at Xiao Man in shock. "Women serving in court?"
"Yes, I want all women in the world to step out from their confined courtyards, no longer fixated on men, and stop scheming over concubines. Instead, they should step out, be themselves, enter officialdom, engage in business, practice medicine, and save lives. There is nothing they cannot do that they cannot imagine."
Chu Qingge stared blankly at Xiao Man. Even though she knew in her heart it was an impossible feat, it seemed certain to succeed when spoken by Xiao Man!
"What do I need to do?"
"Go to Wuyue Kingdom and find Bai Ling."
"Alright."
Xiao Man chuckled. "Sister-in-law, don't you want to ask why we're looking for Bai Ling?"
"I trust you!" Chu Qingge said firmly. "Since I don't know what to do now, why not choose to do something earth-shattering and meaningful?"
"Aren't you afraid I'll overthrow the Yusheng Dynasty?" Xiao Man asked softly.
Hearing this, Chu Qingge thought carefully. "Overthrow Yusheng? That's a good idea. If you're going to do it, I'll join you. Let's overthrow this world!"
"Good, let's join forces and show the people of this world that women can indeed hold up half the sky!" Xiao Man declared with great spirit.
"Then when should I set off?"
Xiao Man thought for a moment. "Tonight. We'll leave together!"
Xiao Man hadn't planned to leave the capital this early. However, with the incident involving the Qin Prince, she hadn't figured out how to handle it yet. The Qin Prince was pressing her about the wedding date. If she didn't give an answer, the Qin Prince would certainly not let it go. Escaping at this time was a wise decision.
"You're leaving too?" Chu Qingge looked surprised. She was leaving to hide from Xiao Luo, but why was Xiao Man leaving?
Xiao Man's gaze flickered. Chu Qingge's eyes fell on Xiao Man's neck. "Your neck…"
Xiao Man quickly submerged herself further, but it was too late.
"What is going on?" Chu Qingge's expression changed drastically. She knew too well what those marks on Xiao Man's body meant. "You disappeared last night…"
Xiao Man quickly covered Chu Qingge's mouth. "Keep your voice down!"
Chu Qingge yanked Xiao Man's hand away. "What is going on? Who did this? I'll chop them up!"
Xiao Man found it difficult to speak. After a moment of hesitation, she finally said, "I was poisoned and my mind wasn't clear. I sneaked into the Qin Prince's mansion and… molested the Qin Prince."
Chu Qingge's mouth gaped so wide a fist could fit in it. Had she heard correctly? Xiao Man had molested the Qin Prince!
"We have to escape! Pack your things, we're leaving tonight!"