An assassin seemed to have discovered Xiao Man's presence and charged towards her, intending to push her off the cliff. If it weren't for Xiao Man, they would have already succeeded!
The King and Queen of Chu were already determined to kill, so anyone who thwarted their plans was naturally not to be spared!
A cold smile played on Xiao Man's lips. With a flicker of her body, she appeared behind the assassin and lightly patted his back. The assassin immediately fell off the cliff.
Seeing this, several more assassins rushed towards Xiao Man. Xiao Man sneered. These killers, unable to kill the King and Queen of Chu, thought she was an easy target and were taking their frustration out on her? They had no professional killer's principles, abandoning their targets to attack her, a mere passerby!
Xiao Man raised her wrist and sent a telepathic message to the King: "Have all your people lie down."
"Everyone lie down!" Nangong Yan decisively commanded. Although the Chu King's guards were puzzled, they had to obey their master's order and immediately lay down. As soon as they did, they heard countless whistling sounds. The assassins, seeing their targets all on the ground, were overjoyed, thinking how good it would be if they had willingly offered their necks to the blade. However, this thought had barely crossed their minds before they were riddled with darts from the sudden barrage of hidden weapons! Su Dan Novel Network
Xiao Man looked at the fallen assassins and then at the hidden weapons on her wrist. "Impressive," she thought. "The weapons Mo Mo developed are truly formidable. If the Scarlet Feather Iron Cavalry were each equipped with one, and unleashed a volley on the battlefield, wouldn't the enemy be decimated!"
Nangong Yan was also stunned by the destructive power of Xiao Man's hidden weapons. "Thank you, righteous one, for saving our lives."
"It was merely a small effort," Xiao Man said faintly, preparing to leave.
"Ah!" Pei Qianyun cried out in pain. Nangong Yan quickly supported her.
"Yun'er, what's wrong?"
Pei Qianyun's face was pale, and large beads of cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She clutched her visibly pregnant belly. "Your Highness, I... my stomach hurts so much."
"Doctor, quickly call a doctor."
Xiao Man sighed and, with a flash, reappeared beside them. She reached out to feel Pei Qianyun's pulse. A touch revealed a hint of surprise, and she then took out a small porcelain bottle, poured out a pill, and held it to Pei Qianyun's lips.
"Take it."
Pei Qianyun eyed the person before her warily. This person, wearing a veiled hat obscuring her face, was a stranger. How could she dare to casually take medicine from someone she didn't know?
Xiao Man lifted her veiled hat, revealing an unfamiliar face. The face wasn't exceptionally beautiful, but it was strikingly memorable. "If you still want the child in your belly, eat it quickly."
Pei Qianyun's already pale face turned even paler from the pain. The piercing pain in her lower abdomen made her incredibly fearful, yet she still dared not entrust her unborn child to a stranger.
Seeing this, Xiao Man didn't insist and was about to withdraw her hand when Nangong Yan picked up the medicine and fed it to Pei Qianyun. "Eat it without worry. If she intended to harm us, she would have simply watched us die."
Pei Qianyun swallowed the pill, and within moments, the sharp pain in her abdomen began to subside.
"Thank you, sir. May I inquire as to your esteemed name?"
"No need to be formal. I am Xiao Qin, merely a traveling physician."
"If not for you today, this humble prince and his consort would have been in grave danger. We are eternally grateful for saving our lives."
"Hurry home and thoroughly search your residence, inside and out, for anything that shouldn't be there." Xiao Man said and prepared to leave.
"Mr. Xiao!" Nangong Yan, with a maid supporting Pei Qianyun, stepped forward and bowed to Xiao Man. "I implore you to save my consort and child. This prince will surely repay you handsomely."
"She is temporarily out of danger. Go home and have a doctor prescribe a couple of doses of calming medicine for pregnancy."
"As you say, sir, my consort was deliberately targeted. I fear the physicians in the manor cannot be trusted." Nangong Yan's posture was extremely humble. "This prince wishes to employ you as a retainer. Would you be willing?"
"Thank you for your high regard, Your Highness, but I dislike being constrained." Xiao Man turned to leave again, but Nangong Yan quickly moved to block her path.
"This prince only seeks your help to ensure the safety of the consort and child, and will not constrain you in any way," Nangong Yan said rapidly. "Please help this prince."
Xiao Man observed Nangong Yan's humble demeanor and thought, "To treat a worthy person with such respect, not hesitating to lower himself, such a disposition is rarely seen. No wonder he has been able to establish himself so firmly in the capital in such a short time."
"Let me be upfront. If Your Highness forces me to do something I do not wish to do, I will leave without hesitation."
"Very well. If this prince does anything that forces you, you may leave at any time. This prince will not stop you."
Xiao Man followed the Chu King's carriage back to the Chu King's manor. Because she suspected there was a problem in Pei Qianyun's courtyard, she told Pei Qianyun not to return there for the time being. She then led her guards to meticulously search Pei Qianyun's courtyard. The search indeed uncovered several issues.
Nangong Yan looked at the items laid before him, somewhat shocked. Even a potted plant in the room was problematic, so what else could be free of suspicion?
"Sir, this flower has a problem?"
"This flower is quite something," Xiao Man said with a smile. "It's called the 'Fragrant Arrow' (Xiang She). It emits a faint, elegant fragrance, but its efficacy is to invigorate blood and dispel stasis."
Nangong Yan's expression changed slightly. "What about this painting of Guanyin delivering a child?"
Xiao Man gently fanned the air, and a faint scent, tinged with a familiar aroma, reached the Chu King's nose. "It has a fragrance."
"I wonder who Your Highness and his consort have offended. For someone to rack their brains so extensively to kill the child in the consort's womb." Xiao Man sat down beside them. "Oh, right, don't inhale too deeply. The ink scent hides a powder that causes sterility. Inhaling too much or accidentally consuming it can lead to infertility."
Nangong Yan, startled, immediately dropped the painting. The Guanyin depicted on the scroll, with her usually benevolent expression, now appeared somewhat ferocious.
"Please examine this prince's courtyard as well, sir, to see if there are any such filthy things."
"Certainly." Xiao Man inspected Nangong Yan's bedroom and study one by one. She found no issues in Nangong Yan's chambers.
"Your Highness's courtyard has no problems."
Nangong Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately issued an order: all young servants and maids in the manor were forbidden to use incense, and Pei Qianyun's courtyard was to have no unknown flowers or plants, nor anything with a scent.
Xiao Man also took up residence in the Chu King's manor under the guise of a retainer. She had originally intended to find an opportunity to investigate the Chu King, but the opportunity had unexpectedly presented itself, with the Chu King personally inviting her into his manor.