While recovering from her injuries, Xiao Man did not idle, listening to the news that came from outside as told by Ying Xue.
When she heard that the Heavenly Machine Pavilion had clashed fiercely with the Nine Feather Tower, and the Nine Feather Tower had been routed by the Heavenly Machine Pavilion, even their stronghold in the imperial capital had been dismantled by the Heavenly Machine Pavilion, the corners of her mouth curved into a faint smile.
"Qin Yu, this man, can openly operate an intelligence agency within the imperial capital, which shows he has some skill. Where did the Nine Feather Tower get the courage to provoke the Heavenly Machine Pavilion?"
"The Heavenly Machine Pavilion and the Nine Feather Tower were evenly matched in the imperial capital. However, the Heavenly Machine Pavilion mainly dealt in intelligence, while the Nine Feather Tower was an assassin organization. If they could kill Pavilion Master Qin when he was alone, they would undoubtedly deal a heavy blow to the Heavenly Machine Pavilion. Therefore, the Nine Feather Tower dispatched their top assassin, Po Jun, along with many experts to kill Pavilion Master Qin. The result was that except for Po Jun escaping heavily injured, all others were killed on the spot by Pavilion Master Qin."
An ambiguous light flickered in Xiao Man's eyes.
Qin Yu's martial arts were unfathomable. No matter how well-guarded her courtyard was, he could always sneak into her room silently. If Qin Yu harbored ill intentions towards her, she might not be able to guarantee her safety.
"Do you have any background information on Pavilion Master Qin?"
"No, other than his name, his appearance, identity, and background are all unknown."
"General."
A voice came from outside the door.
Xiao Man's back wounds had all scabbed over. Although she could not move much, she could at least get out of bed and walk around.
"Father, you're here."
"Why are you out of bed?" Xiao Zhen frowned disapprovingly. "Your injuries haven't healed yet. If you agitate them and your wounds split open again, what will you do?"
"I've been lying in bed for so many days, and my whole body aches. I just got up to walk around." Xiao Man linked her arm through Xiao Zhen's. "Father, please take me to the courtyard to bask in the sun."
Xiao Zhen couldn't refuse and ordered an umbrella to be set up in the courtyard, along with a soft couch for Xiao Man to rest on.
Xiao Zhen sat beside her, fanning her to ward off mosquitoes and insects.
"Father, it's not a holiday yet. Because of me, you've returned early. Will His Majesty blame you?"
Xiao Man ate the cut fruit, occasionally sending a piece to Xiao Zhen's mouth.
Xiao Zhen fanned his hand and said, "No, His Majesty has granted me early leave."
"His Majesty is wise. If only my brother could return, our family would be reunited," Xiao Man sighed. "By the way, Father, I heard that the Northern Rong and Yun Qi are fighting. Will it affect Yunzhong City?"
"Just a minor skirmish, it won't affect Yunzhong City."
Xiao Zhen's voice sounded cheerful and gentle. He seemed to have endless patience for this daughter. No one would have imagined that Xiao Zhen would dote on this daughter so much that he would personally fan her.
The Old Madam waited and waited, but Xiao Zhen did not come to pay his respects. She then went to Xiao Zhen's main courtyard with Granny Xu, only to hear that Xiao Zhen had gone to Water Moon Pavilion. She then led her people towards Water Moon Pavilion under the sun.
As soon as she reached the courtyard entrance, she saw the father and daughter basking in the sun in the courtyard.
Xiao Man lay on the soft couch, tilting her head to say something to Xiao Zhen, who was sitting beside her, causing Xiao Zhen to burst into laughter.
Xiao Zhen's fanning did not stop, driving away any approaching insects.
Seeing this scene, the Old Madam felt a surge of anger.
Normally, she didn't interfere with Xiao Zhen's indulgence of Xiao Man. But now that Xiao Man had been beaten, she had become even more arrogant, making her own father fan her. This was truly overstepping her bounds!
"Old Madam."
A maid in the courtyard, with sharp eyes, saw the Old Madam arrive and quickly called out to the people in the courtyard.
Xiao Man heard the maid's voice and quickly sat up, intending to get up. Xiao Zhen reached out and pressed her down, signaling her not to move. He then rose to bow, "Mother."
"Do you still have me, your mother, in your eyes?"
The Old Madam glared fiercely at Xiao Man. Xiao Man stood up to bow but pulled at her wound, gasping in pain.
"Greetings to Grandmother."
"No need. This old woman can't bear it!" The Old Madam sneered. "The eldest young lady was merely beaten once, and now she's become even more arrogant, treating her father like a servant. Who spoiled you to be so lawless?"
"I spoiled her," Xiao Zhen's voice was steady as he replied. "A father doting on his daughter is only natural."
The Old Madam choked. "You don't have only one daughter. Why don't you dote on your other daughters like this?"
"I treat my sons and daughters equally."
The Old Madam laughed in anger. Treating them equally, he dared to say that. Just as she was about to retort, she heard Xiao Zhen continue.
"Just as Mother treats all of them, equally."
The Old Madam was truly speechless this time. How could they be treated equally? The palm and the back of the hand are both flesh, but some flesh is thin, and some is thick.
Even towards her illegitimate daughters, she had more patience than towards Xiao Man. If Xiao Man made even a small mistake, she wished she could beat her to death!
"Are you blaming me, blaming me for beating your darling child?" the Old Madam asked tremblingly.
"Guards, help the young lady inside." Xiao Zhen did not want to argue with his mother in front of his daughter, so he immediately ordered Xiao Man to be taken inside.
Ying Xue and Xiang Xue quickly came out and carried the soft couch into the room along with Xiao Man, as if the Old Madam were a plague.
The Old Madam's breathing hitched, but ultimately, she was in the wrong.
After all, it was she who had beaten Xiao Man to this state.
Seeing the room door close, Xiao Zhen continued.
"If Mother wants to beat Man'er, no one can stop you. Even I, your son, would be beaten by you, let alone Man'er." Xiao Zhen's tone was calm, but one could clearly hear a trace of indignation. "It's just that Man'er's mother died on the battlefield saving me. If anything happens to Man'er, I can only use my own life to account for it to her mother in the netherworld!"
The Old Madam's face turned pale upon hearing this. What did he mean?
Did he mean that if Xiao Man died, he wouldn't live either?
"You... is that something you should say?"
"Today, I will make it clear. When Man'er's mother passed away, I didn't want to live anymore. Thinking that Man'er was young and would be pitiful without parents, I barely survived until now," Xiao Zhen said in a low voice, his eyes filled with pain. "If Mother insists on cutting off the only thread of my hope, I have nothing to say."
"You... are you threatening me?"
The Old Madam trembled with anger.
The dignified Protector of the Nation, actually saying such things about wanting to live or die for a woman. Fortunately, that woman had died on the battlefield, otherwise, who knew what chaos would have ensued in this mansion.
"Son is merely telling Mother that you can dislike Man'er, you can scold her or beat her, but you must remember one thing: when you have murderous intent towards your own granddaughter, think about your son's life, which is also in your hands."