Leading the group was the Li Family's daughter, Li Wan, who had been closest to Xue Manman in the past.
When Li Wan saw her, her eyes lit up, the corners of her mouth curled, and she led the group to block her path.
"Oh, isn't this the Eldest Miss of the Dingguo Mansion?"
Xue Tingxue did not stop her pace, intending to walk around them.
Li Wan moved sideways to block her, smiling brightly.
"Why, you don't even greet an acquaintance when you see one? Oh, I forgot, now that your engagement has been broken, you probably have no face to see anyone, right?"
The noble ladies behind her covered their mouths and giggled.
Xue Tingxue stopped, raised her eyes to look at her, and said, "Move."
Li Wan did not retreat but stepped forward instead, deliberately raising her voice.
"Did I say something wrong? You chased after His Highness Prince Yu for so many years, but he didn't want you. You, on the other hand, turned around and went to hook up with that 'Wife-killer' Yama. Tsk tsk tsk, now that you've been dumped, you're nothing but second-hand goods, so what airs are you putting on?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings went quiet for a moment.
Immediately, many noble ladies covered their lips and laughed.
Xue Tingxue looked at her smug appearance, took a step forward, and under the gaze of everyone, raised her hand.
With a "slap," a crisp sound of a palm striking a face landed on Li Wan's cheek.
Li Wan clutched her face, completely stunned by the blow, and stumbled back two steps.
The noble ladies behind her gasped in surprise.
Li Wan came to her senses, clutching her face, her eye sockets turning red, and began to curse loudly.
"Xue Tingxue! You're crazy! How dare you hit me?"
Xue Tingxue took back her hand, her fingertips slightly numb, and said, "I hit you because I wanted to; do I need to pick a day for it?"
Li Wan was trembling all over with rage, her voice sharp, "You shrew! No wonder His Highness Prince Yu didn't want you! Who would dare to want someone like you?"
Xue Tingxue took a step forward, a posture that scared Li Wan into retreating two steps, and the noble ladies behind her also followed suit, retreating one after another.
She clutched her face, her expression full of terror, "You... what do you want to do?"
Xue Tingxue looked down at her from above and said indifferently.
"Go back and tell your good sister Xue Manman, next time she wants to disgust me, let her come herself. Don't send someone like you who can't even stand on the stage."
Li Wan's complexion turned from pale to green, and finally, she could only muster her courage to roar.
"Xue Tingxue, you... you just wait, my father won't let you off!"
Xue Tingxue's mouth curled slightly, "Your father, a lackey of the Marquis Zhongyong, is he even worthy of challenging my father?"
Li Wan was left speechless, and Xue Tingxue bumped past her and strode away.
Bi Tao trotted to keep up, "Miss, that slap you gave just now was truly satisfying! In the past, she caused you no shortage of trouble."
Xue Tingxue gave a cold laugh, "She asked for it!"
After her excitement, Bi Tao could not help but worry, "But Miss, what if she really goes back to complain?"
Xue Tingxue smiled, "Complain? She insulted me as 'second-hand goods' on the street today; do you think her father can afford to lose that much face?"
Bi Tao nodded, thinking that was true; given the Li Family's status, her father would not dare to offend their Master!
Xue Tingxue raised her eyebrows, her steps light.
Some people, the more you give in to them, the more they climb all over you; when they need to be hit, you hit them.
Meanwhile, at the Prince Yu's Estate, in the side hall.
Xue Manman sat by the window, holding a letter in her hand, a smile on her lips.
Xue Qing leaned in, "Sister, whose letter is it?"
Xue Manman folded the letter and tucked it into her sleeve, "The Marquis Zhongyong's."
Xue Qing's eyes lit up, "Is he going to help us?"
Xue Manman stood up and walked to the window, "It's not helping us; it's getting what each of us needs."
She pushed open the window, and the wind blew in, lifting her hair, "As long as the Dingguo Mansion does not fall, some people will never sleep soundly."
Xue Qing did not understand and scratched his head, "Then what do we do now?"
Xue Manman turned to look at him and straightened her younger brother's lapel.
"Qing'er, stay calm; what we need to do now is wait."
Xue Qing still did not quite understand, "Wait for what?"
Xue Manman's mouth twitched, "Wait for an opportunity, an opportunity to make the Dingguo Mansion fall into total ruin."
Inside Prince Yu's Study Room.
He sat behind the desk, holding a memorial in his hand.
Now that the engagement was broken, it was as he wished, but for some reason, for the past few days, his chest felt as if it were stuffed with cotton, feeling stifled and uneasy, yet he could not explain why.
It was clearly what he did not want, so now that it was gone, he should feel pleasure.
It must be that Xue Tingxue used to chatter in front of him, annoying him, and now he was just not used to it for a time.
Yes, it must be that.
"Your Highness." A soft, cloying female voice suddenly came from outside.
He came back to his senses and put down the memorial, "Come in."
The door was pushed open, and Xue Manman walked in carrying a tray with a bowl of soup on it.
She had changed into a crimson dress today, her dark hair pulled into a simple hair bun, with a strand hanging in front, looking delicate and gentle.
She placed the soup bowl on the desk with gentle movements, her gaze full of concern, "I noticed Your Highness has not been looking well these past two days; is it because of the busy affairs in the Imperial Court?"
Fu Nanli glanced at her and picked up the soup bowl, "It's fine. How about you? Have you been getting used to things these past two days?"
Xue Manman sat down opposite him, her hands folded on her lap, her posture gentle.
She did not press him, just accompanied him quietly.
Fu Nanli drank two sips of soup, put down the bowl, and suddenly asked a question that came out of nowhere, "What kind of person do you think Xue Tingxue is?"
Xue Manman's fingertips curled slightly; why would he suddenly ask about Xue Tingxue?
Could it be that he still hasn't forgotten his old feelings?
She lowered her eyes and said softly, "Older sister... her personality is fierce, and she loves and hates clearly. She was sincere toward the Prince in the past, but now I don't know... I don't know what happened."
Fu Nanli gave a cold laugh, "Sincere? She hooked up with Prince Ning'an before the engagement was even broken; you call that sincere?"
Xue Manman lowered her eyes and said softly, "Perhaps older sister had her own hidden difficulties."
Fu Nanli did not respond.
Xue Manman raised her eyes to look at him, her gaze as soft as a pool of spring water.
"Your Highness, some things, once they are in the past, let them be; why make things difficult for yourself?"
She stood up, walked behind him, and pressed her fingers lightly on his temples.
"Let Manman give Your Highness a massage to help you relax."
Xue Manman kept her eyes lowered, but other thoughts were turning in her mind.
She knew clearly that men were unreliable.
Especially a Prince like Fu Nanli.
Today's pampering is only because he thinks you are useful; once you lose your value, you could be discarded like a worn-out shoe at any moment.
Therefore, she must firmly grasp him.
Not just grasping his heart, but making him unable to live without her, and the best way to make him unable to live without her is to ensure she always has value.
She said softly, "Your Highness, there is something, I don't know if I should say it or not."
Fu Nanli opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her, "Speak."
Xue Manman hesitated for a moment, "I have been in the Dingguo Mansion for these years and inadvertently learned some things about the Duke Dingguo. I don't know if it will be useful to Your Highness."
Fu Nanli sat up straight, his gaze becoming sharp, "What is it?"
Xue Manman took back her hand, walked around to his front, knelt down, and looked up at him.
"Your Highness wants to overthrow the Crown Prince's faction, and the Duke Dingguo is the key, but the Duke Dingguo may not be willing to help Your Highness."
She raised her hand to stroke his chest, "Instead of begging him, why not... make him have no choice but to lean toward the Prince?"
Fu Nanli narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean?"
Xue Manman took a slip of paper from her sleeve and handed it over.
"This is something I inadvertently saw in the Study Room of the Dingguo Mansion. The Duke Dingguo once privately transferred a batch of Military Equipment, and its whereabouts are unknown. If this matter were known to the Censor..."
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