Yingxue stood on the city wall, watching Qiu Tong’s receding back. Her brows were tightly furrowed, and she turned to look at Xiao Man with a touch of confusion.
“Miss, why did you let her go?”
“I am a person of my word,” Xiao Man said softly. “She gave me the list of informants, and I let her leave.”
“What if she betrays you when she returns?”
“She dares not, nor can she,” Xiao Man turned and walked down the city wall. “Make two copies of the list. Give one to my father and one to Nangong Yu. The people in the manor will be handled by my father, and as for those outside the manor, let Nangong Yu deal with them.”
“Yes, Miss.”
As soon as Xiao Man returned to the general’s manor, the Third Concubine rushed over in a frenzied state. “Eldest Miss, have you seen the Second Miss? Yuanyang said the Second Miss hasn’t returned to her room since she went out yesterday. Could something have happened to her?”
Xiao Man looked at the Third Concubine with pity. “She won’t be back.”
The Third Concubine clutched Xiao Man’s sleeve. “Eldest Miss, what do you mean by ‘the Second Miss won’t be back’?”
“Just what it means. She will never return,” Xiao Man pulled away the Third Concubine’s hand and headed towards Shuiyue Xiaozhu.
The Third Concubine savored the meaning of Xiao Man’s words. After a moment, she realized. Xiao Man meant that the Second Miss would never come back!
The Third Concubine immediately lunged at Xiao Man, as if to fight her to the death, but was restrained by Yingxue and Chuxue. “You killed her, didn’t you? You killed her?”
Xiao Man remained silent, quietly observing the Third Concubine. The Third Concubine might not be intelligent, nor a qualified mother, failing to even notice that her own daughter had been swapped. But that did not stop her from loving her daughter.
“How could you be so cruel? The Second Miss is your own sister! Even if she made a mistake, you shouldn’t have killed her!” the Third Concubine wailed, tears streaming down her face. She thought that by relying on Xiao Man, she and her daughter would have a way to survive. Little did she know that Xiao Man would still kill her daughter.
“If it makes you feel better to think that way, then consider that I killed her,” Xiao Man said softly.
“Why did you do this? We did whatever you asked. Why did you still kill her? What mistake did she commit?”
“She made no mistake. The mistake was mine.”
“I will kill you!”
The Third Concubine struggled, trying to break free from the maids’ grasp, but their hands were like iron clamps. No matter how she struggled, she could not escape.
“Xiao Man, may you die a horrible death! You harmed your own sister. You will surely face retribution. Killing the Third Miss wasn’t enough, and now you’ve killed the Second Miss. I will not let you go! I will haunt you even as a ghost!” The Third Concubine was beside herself with grief and rage, her eyes wide with hatred, wishing she could devour Xiao Man alive.
“Send the Third Concubine back,” Xiao Man said coldly. Perhaps it was better that the Third Concubine did not know the truth. If hating her would help the Third Concubine survive with more strength, then let her hate.
“What’s going on here?” a voice called out, with a touch of familiarity. The Third Concubine looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman in a pale purple pleated skirt walking towards them. As she approached, her face became clear. It was the Third Miss, Xiao Ling, who had been missing for a long time.
“Eldest Sister, I’m back.”
Xiao Man nodded. “Have you seen Father, Mother, and Grandmother?”
“I’ve seen Father and Mother. I was just about to pay my respects to Grandmother when I heard all the commotion here, so I came to see,” Xiao Ling looked at the Third Concubine, who was in a state of frenzy. “What’s wrong with Third Concubine?”
“The Second Miss is gone. She’s not in a good mood,” Xiao Man said to the maids, “Hurry up and send the Third Concubine back.”
“You… you weren’t dead? Didn’t Xiao Man kill you? How did you come back?” the Third Concubine asked, looking at Xiao Ling in terror. Although Xiao Man’s excuse was that Xiao Ling had gone out to study, no one in the manor believed it. Even the Old Madam believed that Xiao Man, being heartless, had killed Xiao Ling and fabricated the excuse of going out to study. She never expected Xiao Ling to be alive.
“As Third Concubine says, Eldest Sister merely sent me out to study. With winter solstice approaching, I hurried back so we could reunite as a family. Why do you not wish me well, Third Concubine?” Xiao Ling bowed to Xiao Man. “Eldest Sister, I plan to go pay my respects to Grandmother. Do you want to go together?”
“No, thank you,” Xiao Man said gently. “After so long apart, I imagine the Old Madam misses you dearly. You should spend more time talking with her.”
“Yes, Eldest Sister.”
“Why? Why could you spare her, but not my daughter? Xiao Man, why…” The Third Concubine’s voice faded into the distance, gradually becoming inaudible. Only then did Xiao Man take a deep breath and head towards Shuiyue Xiaozhu.
“Old Madam, the Third Miss has returned.”
The Old Madam was chanting scriptures in the Buddhist hall, while the Fourth Miss was doing her homework in the outer room. The manor was now left with only the young Xiao Ting. Furthermore, Concubine Lin was not a docile person. The Old Madam decided to have the Fourth Miss brought to the main courtyard to be raised. Concubine Lin was also eager for Xiao Ting to be by the Old Madam’s side, so that Xiao Man would have no excuse to harm Xiao Ting.
“You say, who has come?”
“Old Madam, it’s the Third Miss. The Third Miss has returned.”
The Old Madam put down her wooden fish and asked in surprise, “She’s still alive?”
“Alive, very much alive! She’s waiting just outside the door now!”
“Quick, send her in! Quick, send her in!” the Old Madam said excitedly. She had long believed Xiao Ling was killed by Xiao Man, and never expected Xiao Ling to be alive.
“Your granddaughter pays her respects to Grandmother,” Xiao Ling said, immediately bowing as she entered.
“Oh, my darling, get up, get up,” the Old Madam quickly stepped forward and pulled her into an embrace. “You’ve suffered. Where have you been all this time? Why didn’t you send a letter home to let us know you were safe?”
“Grandmother, Eldest Sister arranged for your granddaughter to go out and study. I entrusted my safety letters to others to send to Father. I learned a great deal from this trip.”
“Did your Eldest Sister really arrange for you to go out and study?” the Old Madam did not believe it. In her perception, Xiao Man was an arrogant, ignorant girl. Furthermore, Xiao Man had always been at odds with the young ladies in the manor. How could she kindly send the Third Miss out to study?
Xiao Ling nodded. “In the past, I always thought my talent and beauty were unparalleled. After going out this time, I realized I was like a frog in a well. My knowledge is simply not enough. There are many extraordinary people outside who can perform all sorts of marvelous skills. Each person has their own area of expertise…”
The Old Madam listened with surprise as Xiao Ling told her about what she had seen and heard outside. She widened her eyes in astonishment as Xiao Ling spoke of how, outside, women could go into business, attend schools, and even enter the imperial court.