Xiao Man came out of the upper courtyard. The third concubine was still kneeling at the door. Seeing Xiao Man emerge, a flash of hatred flickered in her eyes.
They were both daughters of the general, yet Xiao Man received exclusive favor. Even the daughter of the Yan clan was inferior to her.
"Eldest miss, you must be very pleased with yourself?"
Xiao Man glanced lazily at the third concubine and said slowly, "What are you talking about, third concubine? What is there for me to be pleased about? I walk upright and stand tall, and I've done nothing to betray my conscience. Grandmother and Mother naturally won't wrong me. It's the third concubine who is kneeling here, isn't it? You should be more mindful in the future. When the masters speak, the servants should speak less."
After saying this, Xiao Man left with Qiu Tong.
The third concubine stared at Xiao Man's retreating back, her eyes filled with malice. As long as Xiao Man was alive, everyone else would have to live in her shadow!
"Concubine, get up. Grandmother wants us to go back."
The second miss followed behind. She had heard everything Xiao Man had said. Her fingernails dug into her flesh, but she didn't feel any pain.
Xiao Man's use of the word "servant" had deeply wounded her. Because her own mother was a concubine, not much better than a servant, she was destined to be suppressed by Xiao Man her entire life!
No, sooner or later, she would trample Xiao Man ruthlessly under her feet!
"Miss, was the fourth miss's poisoning truly a coincidence?" Qiu Tong asked doubtfully.
"Of course it was a coincidence," Xiao Man replied unhurriedly. "Could it not be a coincidence?"
In just one day, Xiao Man had grasped the attitudes of everyone in the General's Mansion towards her. Not a single person in this mansion didn't want to crush her into the dirt. She was like a target in the General's Mansion, with everyone wanting to shoot a few arrows at her.
Thinking of the corpse hidden in the secret compartment, a flicker of worry crossed Xiao Man's eyes. She had to find a way to deal with it as soon as possible.
The fourth miss was poisoned, so Concubine Lin naturally took care of her personally.
Although the old madam said it was a coincidence, she probably didn't believe it. She would surely investigate this matter in secret.
As for the third concubine, who was punished by the old madam, she should be quiet for a while and wouldn't be foolish enough to provoke them directly.
As for the fourth concubine, she was merely an onlooker.
With everyone in the General's Mansion preoccupied, it was convenient for her to act.
Tonight might be a good opportunity.
Prince Qin's Mansion.
Nangong Yu's expression was stern. His men still hadn't found any trace of that woman. The longer it took, the harder it would be to find her, yet a day had passed, and he still hadn't found her.
"A bunch of useless people!"
Si Ye knelt on the ground, unable to even lift his head. To search for an unknown woman in the capital city with only a banknote was like searching for a needle in a haystack. It was truly difficult for them.
"Master, it's too difficult to find someone with just a banknote," Si Ye said cautiously. "Why don't we ask Young Master Wen for help?"
"What matter requires my help?" Wen Ru Yu approached gracefully, bringing with him a wave of fragrant breeze. Despite being a man, he was more delicately adorned than any woman.
Si Ye subtly glanced up at Wen Ru Yu, then stole a look at Nangong Yu's expression, and inwardly cursed.
Wen Ru Yu was a notorious rake in the capital. If he were to find out that His Highness had been slept with by a woman of unknown identity, wouldn't he laugh his head off! Their Master would likely become the biggest joke in the capital the next day!
Nangong Yu frowned. After thinking for a moment, he picked up the banknote and handed it to Wen Ru Yu. "If you help me find this person, I will grant you one favor."
Wen Ru Yu closed his fan and took the banknote. "Deal!"
Wen Ru Yu examined the banknote carefully and then sniffed it. "Light and elegant, lingering long. This is the scent of Snow Lotus Dew. This item is not common in the capital."
"Snow Lotus Dew?" Nangong Yu asked.
"Your Highness has always been self-disciplined, and you don't have any women around, so of course you don't know about Snow Lotus Dew. Snow Lotus Dew comes from the Hundred Flowers Pavilion in the capital. It costs a thousand pieces of gold a bottle, and only ten bottles have been sold so far," Wen Ru Yu said, leaning closer to Nangong Yu with an amused smile.
"And I," he paused, creating suspense, "happen to know who possesses Snow Lotus Dew."
Nangong Yu glanced at Wen Ru Yu. "The list."
Wen Ru Yu picked up a brush and slowly wrote down a list.
After drying the ink, he handed it to Nangong Yu. "Your Highness is looking for someone, probably a woman. The people on the list are either noble young ladies or married ladies of prominent families. I'm afraid you can't search them casually, can you?"
"You can get lost now," Nangong Yu said coldly, dismissing him after looking at the list.
"So heartless, discarding me after use," Wen Ru Yu got up, fanning himself ostentatiously as he walked away. "Don't forget the favor you promised me."
Nangong Yu's deep black eyes stared at the list, his gaze falling on the Protector General's Mansion.
In the General's Mansion, the purchaser of Snow Lotus Dew was Madam Yan, the General's wife. Madam Yan had one daughter, so it was possible that the Snow Lotus Dew had fallen into the hands of her daughter—Xiao Ling.
Xiao Zhen, though he spent most of his time in the army, greatly valued his family. Therefore, the General's Mansion was heavily guarded, and it would not be easy for his secret guards to infiltrate.
"Those in front, you go and investigate. As for the Protector General's Mansion, I will go myself."
Nangong Yu's eyes turned cold, and he vanished into the night.
Si Ye and the others quickly took the list and frowned upon seeing it. "Come on, let's each pick two."
"Boss, how do we determine if it's the person Master is looking for?"
"See who doesn't have the chastity mark on their arm! All the young ladies from these mansions must be checked!" Si Ye said triumphantly. "The person who slept with our Master is no longer a virgin. As for the women of our Yusheng Dynasty, they are marked with the chastity mark from birth. Among these people, whoever doesn't have the chastity mark on their arm is the culprit who slept with our Master!"
"Should we capture them once found?"
"Once found, wait for Master's orders."
Nangong Yu quietly infiltrated the Protector General's Mansion, observing its layout and heading directly for the back courtyard.
The General's Mansion was naturally not a small household. Nangong Yu found himself momentarily lost.
Just then, he distinctly heard a rustling sound. Under the moonlight, a woman darted out of a courtyard.
The woman was wearing night-blooming clothes and was slender, but she carried a sack on her shoulder. After glancing around, she quickly scaled the wall and escaped.
It seemed this General's Mansion... was indeed interesting.
Nangong Yu's expression turned cold, and he followed closely.
Xiao Man, carrying the heavy corpse, swiftly jumped out of the General's Mansion.
Fortunately, Xiao Zhen doted on this daughter so much that he taught her martial arts from a young age. Otherwise, she would have had a hard time carrying such a heavy body out.
Xiao Man took the corpse to a secluded forest, poured oil on it, and set it ablaze. Watching the flames engulf the corpse and confirming that no one could recognize it, she finally felt relieved and turned to leave.