The third concubine fell silent. They truly had no way out now.
The new madam, Madam Yan, was solely focused on plotting for her daughter. She would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. The eldest young lady was their primary target. If the eldest young lady fell, none of the illegitimate daughters in the household would fare well.
As for the old madam, a concubine's daughter who had lost her purity and offered no value for her exploitation was of no consequence, dead or alive.
Upon careful consideration, their only path to survival lay with Xiao Man.
As long as Xiao Man was present, the madam would focus all her attention on the eldest young lady, and others would do the same. In the shadow of the eldest young lady, they and the daughter could eke out a living.
"The eldest young lady is so gravely injured, it's uncertain if she'll survive. If we go to her for refuge, and she dies..." the third concubine hesitated.
If they went to seek her protection, and Xiao Man died, they would have offended both the madam and the old madam!
"She won't die. Even if Father doesn't return, she won't die!"
Xiao Xiang recalled how Xiao Man had unhesitatingly thrown her into the lake in the Prime Minister's manor.
If she hadn't apologized, she had no doubt Xiao Man would have drowned her. Such a Xiao Man made her tremble with fear, yet she had to admit, she also envied her.
Everyone possessed a tendency to admire strength. In the past, Xiao Man was overbearing but lacked the ability to command respect. Now, Xiao Man was still overbearing but someone no one dared to underestimate.
Moreover, she felt something was peculiar. On the surface, Xiao Man had suffered injuries and been wronged. However, the madam lost her authority over household management, Concubine Lin and the fourth young lady were expelled from the manor, and the old madam's guards were withdrawn. Yet, looking at it now, Xiao Man was the one who benefited from this situation because her enemies had been weakened.
Xiao Xiang even suspected that this beating was deliberately orchestrated by Xiao Man, precisely to weaken the new madam Yan's and the old madam's power within the manor!
But how did Xiao Man know that His Highness the Crown Prince would come to complain, and how did she know in advance that the old madam would beat her so severely?
When the old madam administered the beating, the manor gates were sealed, allowing no one in or out. Yet, Father still returned early the next morning. Who had spread the news?
"If we pledge our allegiance, will she agree?" the third concubine asked with some uncertainty.
After all, they had repeatedly plotted against Xiao Man. That Xiao Man didn't kill them was already an extraordinary act of mercy. How could she be willing to help them?
"She will. Having one more friend is better than having one more enemy!" Xiao Xiang said with certainty. "Father is often away from the manor, Grandmother dislikes her, and the Madam wishes for her to die in an accident. She is essentially isolated and without support in this manor. She needs allies."
"I understand," the third concubine gritted her teeth. "Things are as they are anyway, so let's take a gamble. The eldest young master is the heir to the General's manor. As long as the eldest young master is alive, the eldest young lady will always be the eldest young lady, and no one can surpass her!"
"Yes, besides Father, Eldest Sister also has Eldest Brother to back her up!"
***
When Xiao Man woke up, she saw someone sitting by her bedside, with familiar features from her memory: "Father."
"You're awake," Xiao Zhen quickly held Xiao Man's hand. "Man'er, how do you feel? Does your wound hurt?"
Xiao Man slowly nodded. "It hurts, it hurts a lot, Father. Am I crippled?"
"Don't talk nonsense. The doctor said your bones are not injured and you'll recover soon," Xiao Zhen said repeatedly. "Don't move around too much, lest you tear your wound."
Xiao Man weakly nodded. Lying on her stomach was extremely uncomfortable, but in her current state, she couldn't roll over.
She held Xiao Zhen's hand and said tremulously and weakly, "Father, don't blame Grandmother. Grandmother is doing this for the good of the General's manor. It was my fault for angering Grandmother. She was right to hit me."
A flicker of pain flashed in Xiao Zhen's eyes.
He knew that the old madam had always disliked Xiao Man.
He thought that no matter how much the old madam disliked Xiao Man, she would at least spare her for his sake and not truly injure her. But this time, the old madam had tried to take her life. Not only did she beat her, but she also sprinkled scorpion stone powder on the wound, preventing her from seeing a doctor. This was the first time he realized his mother could be so ruthless!
"Let's not talk about this," Xiao Zhen changed the subject. "You've slept for days, are you hungry? The kitchen has been keeping food warm."
"I want to drink water."
Xiao Zhen quickly poured a cup of water but didn't know how to feed Xiao Man.
Ye Qing entered, placed a bamboo tube into the teacup, and let Xiao Man suck on it to drink.
"You're finally awake. You haven't eaten for days. Let's have some porridge first."
Ye Qing felt Xiao Man's pulse and confirmed there were no major issues. He then instructed them to change Xiao Man's dressing. The wounds on her back had all scabbed over, and new flesh was growing. The wounds itched, but she was told not to scratch them, making Xiao Man feel quite distressed.
Seeing Xiao Man eat a little before falling asleep again, Xiao Zhen's face finally showed signs of fatigue, and he went back to rest. Su Dan Novel Network
Ye Qing watched Xiao Zhen leave and breathed a sigh of relief. Xiao Zhen had been guarding her constantly, and someone who had wanted to visit was likely growing impatient.
News of Xiao Man's awakening spread, and the old madam's worried heart settled.
Although she said it was Xiao Man's fate if she died, deep down she didn't wish for Xiao Man to die, at least not to die because of her!
"Old Madam," Xu Momo came in quickly from outside.
"Has the General arrived?" the old madam asked joyfully.
Her son had returned for several days, but he hadn't come to pay his respects even once. She knew Xiao Man was still unconscious, and it was only right for her son to guard his daughter. But now that Xiao Man was awake, he should come to pay his respects, shouldn't he?
"No."
"Is the General still at Shuiyue Xiaozhu?" the old madam asked, puzzled. "Wasn't it said that Eldest Miss had woken up?"
"The Eldest Young Lady has indeed woken up. The General has returned to his own courtyard to rest. After all, he stayed up for several days guarding the Eldest Young Lady without closing his eyes. The General is also tired."
"Then do not disturb the General. Let the General rest well," the old madam immediately said. After all, he was her own son. To torment his body like this for a mere girl made the old madam feel a bit displeased. If only her eldest grandson were present.
"Old Madam, should we go see the Eldest Young Lady?"
"As her grandmother, I should go see her?" The old madam's anger flared whenever she mentioned Xiao Man.
In the past, when her son returned, he would always come to pay his respects to her first. This time, after several days, she hadn't seen him. "She's probably already complaining to her father. Why should I go see her? If I go, she might think I want to do something to her again!"
Hearing this, Xu Momo couldn't help but sigh. The General not coming to pay his respects to the old madam clearly showed he was upset. Yet the old madam didn't understand. If the old madam didn't yield, and the General's resentment didn't dissipate, their mother-son relationship might become strained. But the old madam insisted on maintaining her dignity. In the end, it would be the old madam who suffered!