"Big sister, may I be so bold as to ask, what exactly do you intend to do?"
"Me?" Xiao Man's smile was gentle. "What I want is very simple: universal harmony, where everyone acts for the public good."
"Universal harmony, where everyone acts for the public good." Xiao Ling savored these eight characters. Though she was born into a military family, her education from childhood emphasized the distinctions between genders and between masters and servants. Madam Yan had also diligently cultivated her into a refined young lady. However, the things Xiao Man learned were never the same as hers.
"Big sister, why did father only teach you military strategy and martial arts, but not us?" Xiao Ling voiced her inner confusion. They were all daughters. Elder brother received special treatment because he was male. But why did big sister receive different treatment?
"Did father truly only teach me?" Xiao Man asked softly. "Think carefully, did father only teach me, or were you unwilling to learn?"
Xiao Ling's expression changed. That was right. Father had once asked her and her sisters to practice martial arts together, but it was too arduous. She and Xiao Xiang couldn't bear the hardship. Moreover, mother and third aunt didn't want them to become women who only knew how to wield swords and fight, so they pleaded with father not to let them continue practicing martial arts.
As for Xiao Man, she had been by father's side since she was young, had been on the battlefield at a tender age, and practiced martial arts with great diligence. Father took her everywhere he went. It wasn't until she was five years old, when the age of gender distinctions arrived, that she was sent back to the General's mansion and entrusted to her grandmother's care.
"It was we who were unwilling to learn."
"Father did indeed favor me, but not as much as you might imagine," Xiao Man said calmly. "It's just that you magnified this favoritism and placed yourselves in the position of victims. Ask yourself, did father ever treat you unfairly? Did he ever deprive you of anything?"
After a long silence, Xiao Ling slowly shook her head. "Big sister, I know I was wrong."
"You are not wrong. People are like this; they are more concerned with inequality than scarcity. Although father never mistreated you, he had a special fondness for me, so it's natural for you to feel it's unfair. However, people's hearts are biased. With many children, it is difficult to be perfectly impartial."
"Is big sister comforting me?"
"I am boasting," Xiao Man said with a smile. "Who asked me to be the one who was favored?"
Xiao Ling immediately smiled. "Those who are favored are always so brazenly confident."
"Tomorrow is Winter Solstice, do not go out," Xiao Man said, her smile fading. "It might be a little restless. Mother and I will not be here, so you must guard the house well."
A thought flashed through Xiao Ling's mind. Big sister was going to cause trouble, and it wasn't a small matter!
"Are you going to do something?"
"It's not that I am going to do something, but rather someone else is. If things go poorly, it might involve the General's mansion," Xiao Man adjusted her cloak. "After Father, Mother, and I leave, have the guards close the mansion gates. No matter who comes, do not open the gates, and do not let anyone in."
"Big sister, will you be in danger?" Xiao Ling asked uneasily. She was to guard the mansion. With Grandmother and fourth sister absent, and Xiao Man and the others leaving, she would be the only mistress in the mansion.
"It's not to the point of danger, but I'm not at ease about the household," Xiao Man said softly. If chaos broke out tomorrow, she feared someone might take advantage of the situation to break into the General's mansion. Especially since Murong Sheng Rui had consistently mistaken Xiao Ling for her, and might very well break in to confirm.
"Big sister, please rest assured. Tomorrow, I will definitely close the mansion gates and wait for you to return."
"After we leave, you should go and stay in Shui Yue Xiao Zhu. There are hidden guards and formations within Shui Yue Xiao Zhu. If something truly happens, it can hold out for a while. Even though it's only a possibility, it's always wise to be fully prepared."
"I understand. Tomorrow, please be safe and return. I will be waiting for you at home."
Winter Solstice, for Yusheng, was a major festival second only to the Lantern Festival. Winter Solstice was also known as the Minor New Year. Every three years, the imperial family would hold a grand ceremony to Heaven on Winter Solstice, praying for favorable weather and peace for the people in the coming three years.
Every Winter Solstice, civil and military officials would accompany the Emperor to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices and pray for blessings, and the common folk would gather to watch and pray for good harvests in the coming years.
The Emperor and Empress's carriage slowly departed the palace, heading straight for the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Everything was ready on the high altar, awaiting the arrival of the Emperor and Empress to commence the sacrifice ceremony.
Civil and military officials, along with ladies of noble rank, were already waiting below the sacrificial plaza for the Emperor and Empress's arrival. Xiao Man covered her mouth with a handkerchief and coughed softly. He Qingyi supported her with concern.
"It snowed heavily two days ago. The weather is cold. Can your body withstand it?"
"Mother, please rest assured, I can withstand it. It's just that the weather is dry and cold, and it's a little uncomfortable to inhale into my chest," Xiao Man tried her best to lower the sound of her cough, so as not to disturb others.
Among the female guests, the four consorts stood at the front, followed by the princesses. The princes, however, stood with the civil and military officials. Yesterday, the marriage proposal documents from Yun Qi had been delivered to the palace, and Nangong Wu was feeling increasingly anxious.
Her gaze subtly swept towards the male guests, passing over Qin Ze Yan. Last night, she had gone to find Qin Ze Yan. She didn't want to go through with the marriage alliance, and the best way to avoid it was to marry quickly and lose her eligibility for the alliance. She had hoped Qin Ze Yan would propose to her father on her behalf, but Qin Ze Yan had refused.
Although she understood she was making unreasonable demands, she couldn't help but resent Qin Ze Yan. Why wouldn't he help her? Her future was important, but becoming a consort was also a path to great heights, even a meteoric rise. However, to advance further would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
"I heard the marriage proposal documents from Yun Qi have been sent to the palace. Will the Ninth Princess be sent to Yun Qi for marriage this time?" The ladies of noble rank whispered among themselves while the Emperor and Empress had not yet arrived.
"She is the only remaining princess of marriageable age in the royal family. Besides her, there is no one else."
"Who says it has to be a princess? A county princess would also do. Has Old Prince Zhao's An He County Princess not yet found a suitor?"
"How can the status of a county princess compare to that of a princess?"
"If we're talking about princesses, haven't you forgotten someone?" A voice chimed in. "There's also Princess Yongning."
All eyes invariably turned to Xiao Man, who stood beside He Qingyi. Xiao Man was covering her mouth and coughing softly. Her delicate little face was tinged with a sickly paleness. Although she had recovered considerably and could walk out, her fundamental health had been damaged, leaving her with a chronic illness. The once spirited and elegant young lady had now become the frail Princess Yongning.
Upon seeing this, everyone shook their heads in unison. How could the young Emperor of Yun Qi want a princess of a different surname who was on the verge of death as his Empress? The Emperor would likely not agree either. If Princess Yongning were to travel long distances to marry into Yun Qi and something were to happen to her along the way, wouldn't it spell disaster for the Protector General?
"In my opinion, it's most likely the Ninth Princess."
"Besides her, there is no other candidate."