"Fourth Brother, this matter is no trivial affair. We should enter the palace and let Father Emperor decide."
"Guards, apprehend them." Nangong Yu didn't utter an unnecessary word. Moments later, the Silver Armored Army surrounded everyone and captured all the noble ladies who had attacked Xiao Man.
"Your Highness Prince Qin, what is the meaning of this?"
"The Fifteenth Princess has been harmed, and everyone present is a suspect." Nangong Yu's gaze swept over Xiao Man, utterly indifferent. Xiao Man's eyes once again fell on Nangong Yu's arm, a trace of confusion in her heart. Why wasn't Si Chen giving him a hemostatic bandage?
"Your Highness Prince Qin, it was clearly Xiao Man who killed her. Why are you arresting us? You cannot be biased."
"Your Highness Prince Qin, this action is inappropriate..."
"My actions are not for you to question." Nangong Yu's icy gaze swept over the Duchess of Chen. The Duchess immediately fell silent. Although she was an elder, in front of Prince Qin, she was nothing.
The Silver Armored Army led the noble ladies away separately. "You all need not worry. I am merely asking them to provide their statements. As long as they are not the murderer, I will not harm them." Su Dan Novel Network.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the lounge prepared by the Duke of Chen's mansion.
Nangong Yu sat to the side with a cold expression, waiting. Prince Qi sidled up to Xiao Man.
"Xiao Man, don't worry. As long as you didn't kill anyone, my Fourth Brother and I will ensure you are safe." Even if you did kill her, my Fourth Brother and I would still protect you. Nangong Yi didn't say this last part aloud.
Xiao Man nodded and tugged at Nangong Yi's sleeve, "Can you call a physician to stop the bleeding and bandage His Highness Prince Qin's wound?"
Nangong Yi looked at Nangong Yu. Nangong Yu's arm was bleeding profusely, and he immediately frowned, "Where is the physician? Why isn't anyone bandaging Fourth Brother's wound?"
"Zhou Kang, hurry and find a physician."
"The physician fell and passed out," Si Chen replied immediately. "His Highness intended to return to the mansion to treat his wound, but this matter delayed him."
"This... useless! Hurry and find another physician! Can't you see my Fourth Brother's arm is bleeding?" Nangong Yi leaned over to examine Nangong Yu's wound. "Heavens, Xiao Man, your arrow was too vicious. This is down to the bone."
Xiao Man froze. How could this be? She had calculated it perfectly; it should have been a mere flesh wound. She immediately moved forward but was pulled back by Wen Mohan.
Xiao Man looked at Wen Mohan in confusion. Wen Mohan shook her head imperceptibly.
At this moment, if Xiao Man rushed forward to treat Nangong Yu's wound, it would be akin to pushing herself into the fire. Everyone would notice that Prince Qin treated Xiao Man differently, which would put Xiao Man in a more dangerous situation.
Nangong Yu's complexion was somewhat pale, yet he sat upright. His gaze was fixed somewhere, but Wen Mohan knew that Nangong Yu was looking at Xiao Man.
"Your Highness, the statements have been recorded. Please review them, Your Highness." Si Feng entered from outside, holding a stack of statements, and handed them to Nangong Yu.
Nangong Yu reached out and took them, placing them on the table beside him. As one hand was injured, he could only flip through them on the table. After a glance, he handed them to Nangong Yan.
Nangong Yan took them and looked, his expression quite solemn. He then passed them to Nangong Yi. Nangong Yi looked curious, not understanding why both his elder brothers looked as if they had something to say but couldn't.
"Heh, remarkable, truly remarkable!" Nangong Yi put away the statements. "Alright, let's go. I trouble all of you to accompany us to the palace."
Everyone was utterly bewildered by the actions of the three princes. They wanted to ask who the murderer was, but they dared not speak. Seeing that Xiao Man was also entering the palace, it seemed the murderer was Xiao Man. However, the noble ladies were also being escorted into carriages, causing everyone's hearts to remain suspended, fearing some unforeseen change that might implicate them.
"Xiao Man, you will ride in my carriage," Nangong Yu said to Xiao Man before boarding his carriage. "You are a suspect. If you try to escape, I will not be able to account for it."
Xiao Man nodded and boarded Prince Qin's carriage. Wen Mohan's expression turned slightly cold upon seeing this, and he then boarded the Prime Minister's carriage.
In the carriage, Xiao Man secretly glanced at Nangong Yu's complexion. Seeing that he was growing paler, likely due to excessive blood loss, she moved closer to Prince Qin.
"This subject will treat Your Highness's wound first." With that, she tore open the pierced sleeve. Xiao Man then discovered that Prince Qin's arm was indeed severely injured. But according to reason, it shouldn't be.
"How could it be so severely injured?"
"You shot it. Don't you know yourself?" Nangong Yu asked coldly.
Xiao Man felt she had no way to explain. She had clearly calculated to force Prince Qin to dodge, thereby winning the competition. But who knew Prince Qin would endure the injury rather than lose!
"I'm sorry."
Nangong Yu heard this and let out a cold laugh. "Can 'I'm sorry' erase the crime of you shooting this Prince?"
"Why didn't Your Highness dodge? You could have dodged it!" Xiao Man cleaned Nangong Yu's wound, and looking at the bloody, torn flesh, Xiao Man felt extremely guilty. She hadn't intended to injure him.
"Why should this Prince dodge?" Nangong Yi's voice held a hint of anger, but it was well concealed. Seeing Xiao Man looking down with a wronged expression, he quickly raised his head, forcing back his tears, his eyes red with suppressed emotion. It was he who felt wronged now.
"It was just a competition. Why take it so seriously?"
"This is what this Prince should be saying. It was just a competition; why take it so seriously that you would not hesitate to shoot this Prince." Nangong Yu's voice rose slightly.
"Your Highness, I am truly sorry, I know I was wrong. I just promised someone that I would win the competition, and I cannot go back on my word." Xiao Man applied medication with a slightly heavier hand, causing Nangong Yu to wince in pain.
Seeing this, Xiao Man quickly blew on the wound, "Did I hurt you? I'll be gentler."
Nangong Yu looked down at Xiao Man, who was diligently applying medicine and blowing on his wound, a ripple stirring in his heart. "Xiao Man, what exactly do you want?"
Xiao Man looked up at Nangong Yu blankly, "To apply medicine and bandage Your Highness's wound."
Nangong Yu took a deep breath and leaned against the carriage wall. She still didn't understand his intentions, even after his repeated hints.
Xiao Man used her own handkerchief to bandage Nangong Yu's wound. "It's bandaged. When we return to the mansion, Your Highness, have the mansion physician re-bandage it for you. Be careful not to get the wound wet."
"Xiao Man, how do you view this Prince?" Nangong Yu suddenly asked.
Xiao Man thought carefully. "Magnificent, wise, and valiant."
Nangong Yu choked slightly. Too perfunctory. "This Prince is asking you, for you, who is this Prince?"
Xiao Man thought again. "Your Highness, we are allies."
"Besides that?"
Xiao Man muttered inwardly. Besides that, did they have any other relationship?
Oh, yes, they did. Prince Qin was a patient, and she was a doctor! Wasn't that a doctor-patient relationship!