"How much?" Yu Qianmo asked curiously. If it was one or two hundred taels, he would buy it back. After all, he only received one hundred taels of silver at the time.
"One million," Wuxiang held up a finger. "If you can produce a million, I'll give you Tian Gan."
"I don't have money!" Yu Qianmo said without hesitation. "If I had money, I wouldn't have pawned it back then."
"You, the leader of a demonic sect, are so pathetic? You don't even have a million?"
Wuxiang found it hard to believe that the leader of a demonic sect had fallen to such a state. The demonic sect had also declined.
"I have nothing to do with the demonic sect!" Yu Qianmo tore at the crystal pork knuckle in his hand. "Speaking of which, it's all Du Gu Man's fault. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have been mistaken for the leader of the demonic sect."
Wuxiang's eyes twinkled with gossip. "What does this have to do with Empress Yun Qi?"
Yu Qianmo swallowed the meat in his mouth. "She said that a great hero like me shouldn't use his real name when traveling. So, whenever I go out, I use the name of the demonic sect leader. Those people will definitely spar with me. It's quite effective. Whenever I go out, if I want to spar with someone, I just need to announce my name, and they'll immediately come at me without me even provoking them."
Wuxiang chuckled. How much hatred and grudges do you have with Empress Yun Qi that she would set you up like this? You must have dug up her ancestors' graves in your past life, or stolen her child and jumped off a cliff. Otherwise, why would Empress Yun Qi try to ruin you so thoroughly!
"Do you have any enmity with Empress Yun Qi?"
"No, she's been very good to me, providing me with food, shelter, and money. Even though she's eight years older than me, I don't mind. If she's willing, I'll marry her."
Wuxiang spat out a mouthful of tea. Marrying Du Gu Man, what a beautiful thought. Du Gu Man is Empress Yun Qi. If you marry her, you're cuckolding the former emperor, and you're not looking for death in this way!
"It's a shame that such a good person... I didn't even get a chance to thank her before she... Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey. She's definitely not dead. She said she would support me for life. I'll guard Tian Gan, her favorite, and I don't believe she won't come to claim her property!" Yu Qianmo stared at Tian Gan hanging on the wall, a voice in his heart telling him that Du Gu Man was dead, but he refused to believe it.
Wuxiang's eyes welled up with tears. How did such a simple-minded child survive to adulthood? How heartless must Empress Yun Qi be to deceive such an innocent young man?
In the General's mansion, the atmosphere grew more and more bizarre.
The eldest young lady was bedridden, her body growing weaker. The fourth young lady's illness also suddenly worsened, her complexion even worse than the eldest young lady's.
After seeing them, Doctor Ye said that both had lost vital energy, leading to a weakened constitution, and only needed proper rest.
Concubine Lin harbored suspicions. She knew the reason for Xiao Man's weakness, but why would her own daughter exhibit the same symptoms?
Concubine Lin worried that Xiao Man might discover her scheme, but the method was very subtle. How could Xiao Man possibly detect it?
The old madam was distressed by the fourth young lady's condition and instructed the mansion physician to take good care of her. As for Xiao Man, there was still a hurdle in the old madam's heart. Her own son had almost fallen out with her because of Xiao Man. She could not bring herself to like Xiao Man, even though Xiao Man was her own granddaughter.
"How is the fourth young lady?"
"Still the same, sickly. She has taken a lot of medicine, but shows no improvement," Madam Xu said softly while massaging the old madam's legs.
"And the eldest young lady?"
"The eldest young lady's health is deteriorating. She has been bedridden for the past two days. I went to see her. Her face is frighteningly pale. When did the eldest young lady's health become so poor?" Madam Xu wondered.
"Is her health not good?"
"Old madam, the eldest young lady has rarely fallen ill since childhood. But ever since she was beaten, her body has been getting weaker by the day. I'm afraid..."
Madam Xu's words trailed off, but the old madam understood her meaning. "Are you afraid I beat her too badly?"
"Old madam, I'm afraid someone might have made a move on the eldest young lady, instigating you and the General against each other." Madam Xu's worry was not unfounded. The old madam had indeed been a bit harsh last time, but not to such an extent. At the time, fearing the General's blame, she hadn't investigated closely. Now, she suspected someone had taken advantage of the situation.
"What did Doctor Ye say?"
"Doctor Ye takes the pulse at Water Moon Pavilion every day. He says both the eldest young lady and the fourth young lady have the same pulse, indicating weakness due to loss of vital energy." Madam Xu paused and continued, "I know you don't like the eldest young lady, old madam, but on the surface, we shouldn't let people see it, lest the General think you are playing favorites."
The old madam was silent for a moment. "Go to the storeroom and pick out two ginseng roots to send to the eldest young lady. Let her recuperate well and take care of herself."
"Yes, old madam."
Concubine Lin watched her daughter grow weaker day by day, sleeping more than she was awake, yet the doctors could not diagnose any problem. Concubine Lin felt uneasy, fearing her daughter might have been poisoned like Xiao Man. But she had administered the poison very carefully, ensuring the fourth young lady never came into contact with it. The fourth young lady hadn't left the mansion since her return, so how could she be poisoned?
A thought flashed through Concubine Lin's mind, immediately sending her into a panic. She paced back and forth in her room, and finally decided to visit Xiao Man before making a decision.
Concubine Lin came to visit. Qiu Tong solicitously welcomed her in. "It's rare for Auntie to visit our young lady. But our young lady's health is deteriorating day by day. Both of them are increasingly drowsy, and they are rarely awake. Yet the mansion physician cannot pinpoint the problem."
Concubine Lin looked at Xiao Man lying on the bed, her face so pale that the blood vessels were visible. Her doubts grew. After leaving Water Moon Pavilion, she could not shake off her unease. That night, under the cover of darkness, she quietly left the mansion.
What she didn't expect was that Xiao Man, followed by Ying Xue, was trailing far behind.
Concubine Lin acted cautiously, taking many detours and winding paths. After confirming she was not being followed, she entered a residence.
Xiao Man looked at the plaque that read 'Cen Mansion' and immediately a face of breathtaking charm appeared in her mind: Cen Yu, the young master of the Cen family.
"Cen Mansion. How is Concubine Lin connected to the Cen Mansion?" Ying Xue asked, puzzled.
They suspected Concubine Lin had someone behind her, but they never imagined that person would be from the Cen Mansion.
"I'll go take a look. You wait outside."
Xiao Man's figure, like a delicate butterfly, landed lightly on the roof. She gently lifted a tile, revealing a gap, and looked into the room. Concubine Lin was pacing back and forth inside, her expression very uneasy.
Just then, a figure in plain green slowly emerged from the inner hall. Her long hair was casually tied back with a silk ribbon. She sat down languidly in a grand armchair in the room. It was Cen Yu!