Lu Qing Wan lazily lifted her eyelids, "There's no one else here, so stop playing coy with me. Tell me honestly, what exactly is Feng Xi Wu up to? Is the Si Feng Wu on the marriage contract him? When can he appear before me in broad daylight and tell the world that I, Lu Qing Wan, am not marrying two men at once?"
They say gossip is a double-edged sword that kills without shedding blood. Lu Qing Wan had always been headstrong and self-willed. But this time, the whispers and rumors had sent her blood pressure soaring. On the surface, she was marrying a second time for the sake of Da Qian, a heroine protecting the nation and its people. Even so, she couldn't stand the sarcastic remarks from those old fuddy-duddies and self-righteous noblewomen. It was as if her alleged remarriage made Lu Qing Wan a heinous criminal, unforgivable. Lu Qing Wan hadn't yet reached a level where she could ignore such noise. She just wanted to slap these people in the face, to tell them that she, Lu Qing Wan, was not marrying twice, nor was she a jinx who brought misfortune to her husbands. Of course, what she most wanted to see was Feng Qing Heng's astonished expression when he learned that the Prince of Qin she was marrying was none other than Feng Xi Wu.
Si Lan hadn't expected Lu Qing Wan to be so direct. He blinked, then stammered, "Your Highness, please calm your anger. That Si Feng Wu is indeed the Prince's given name. The Prince originally intended to personally escort you to Shang Jing City, but fearing he would disrupt your plans, he changed his mind at the last minute. You will be able to see the Prince when you reach Zhen Yuan Pass. At that time, I believe the Prince will personally explain everything to you."
Seeing that Si Lan was no longer playing dumb, the anger pent up in Lu Qing Wan's chest subsided a little. "You say he feared disrupting my plans, so he changed his mind and didn't come to Shang Jing to escort me. So, he knows about, and approves of me taking these sixty thousand Xuan Jia Army to Tian Xuan City?" Feng Qing Heng coveted and feared the Xuan Jia Army. If these troops remained around Shang Jing, they would either be idle or be absorbed by Feng Qing Heng. The Xuan Jia Army had always been loyal to Feng Xi Wu. If they refused Feng Qing Heng's overtures, they would soon be targeted. They were all soldiers of Da Qian. It was difficult for Feng Qing Heng to claim them as his own, but it was easy to send them to their deaths. Suppressing rebellions, exterminating bandits, or engaging in minor skirmishes with another country; a simple trap, and even if the Xuan Jia Army knew it was a trap, they could only charge in headlong if they lacked the ability to avoid it. Lu Qing Wan neither wanted this elite force to fall into Feng Qing Heng's hands nor to become cannon fodder in power struggles. The best solution was to take them away. It so happened that Feng Xi Wu had captured Tian Xuan City. What a coincidence. It was just that this was a decision she made on the spur of the moment and hadn't discussed with Feng Xi Wu. She had planned to discuss it with him when she met him, but it seemed now she could save herself the trouble. Feng Xi Wu clearly knew that once Feng Qing Heng discovered he was the Prince of Qin, he would never agree to let the Xuan Jia Army escort Lu Qing Wan out of the city, which was why he hadn't come to Shang Jing to greet her in person.
As expected, Si Lan's lips curved into a smile, and he said with great pleasure, "The Prince heard that you wanted the Xuan Jia Army to escort you, and he understood your plan. He has already discussed it with several generals of the Xuan Jia Army. Even if the Prince is no longer the Regent of Da Qian, as long as he does nothing detrimental to Da Qian, they are still willing to obey the Prince's orders. The first thing the Prince proposed was to have those sixty thousand Xuan Jia Army stationed in Tian Xuan City, and those generals have all agreed."
The bonfire flickered with the wind, illuminating Lu Qing Wan's slender face. She tilted her head slightly. "Can you tell me what exactly happened on the northwest snow mountains? With a faint hope, she asked Si Lan, "Since he faked his death, is it possible that my father... is also still alive?"
Si Lan was taken aback, then his face showed regret. "Regarding Lord Lu's matter, I am also very sorry. But I am sorry, Your Highness, the body found on the northwest snow mountains along with the 'fake Prince' was indeed Lord Lu himself."
Lu Qing Wan shook her head, "It doesn't matter, I was just asking casually. Tell me, what exactly happened back then? Even the Three Kingdoms United Front, and even Da Qin, people were relentlessly pursuing him. How did he manage to escape like a cicada shedding its shell in such an environment?"
Lu Qing Wan's expression was calm as she spoke, but Si Lan could still see the turbulent undercurrents in her eyes. Without asking, he could imagine the shock and grief Lu Qing Wan felt when she saw Feng Xi Wu's body. Thinking of this, he pondered for a moment, then began, "Originally, these matters should have been explained by the Prince to you personally. But since Your Highness has asked, I will tell you everything. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to answer your question."
Lu Qing Wan nodded, "Please speak, I am all ears." Si Lan then sat down opposite Lu Qing Wan. "Your Highness must have known that the Prince was alive on the same day you found his body, right?" Lu Qing Wan nodded silently. Si Lan, however, said something astonishing, "The note you received was personally written by the Crown Prince. At that time, the Prince was severely injured by assassins from Da Qin. When we found him, he was delirious from the burning. He kept murmuring your name. The Crown Prince wanted to take him away, but he refused. Only when the Crown Prince said he would relay a message of safety to you did he agree. With the last of his strength, he handed that strange pen to the Crown Prince before falling unconscious with peace of mind. He didn't wake up until the day you killed Cheng Jiu Xiao. Upon hearing about your experiences during that time, he, still injured, led people to attack Tian Xuan City. Even now, his wounds have only stopped bleeding; he is far from fully recovered."
Lu Qing Wan's pupils contracted slightly as she listened. However, she knew that since Feng Xi Wu had revealed his identity, he was at least safe for the time being. Therefore, she asked, perplexed, "I always thought that his identity in Da Qin forced him to hide his name. But he revealed his identity so quickly, so why did he fake his death in the first place?" Si Lan rubbed his temples, his expression somewhat helpless. "Your Highness's guess was not wrong. The Prince was indeed forced to hide his name due to his identity. But just before the Xuan Jia Army was trapped in the snow mountains, his identity was revealed to the person who should have known it least. And that person was determined to see the Prince die outside the borders of Da Qin. Even the Crown Prince could not guarantee the Prince's absolute safety."
The identity of that formidable enemy that Feng Xi Wu so greatly feared was unknown. Si Lan's face contorted in distress as he mentioned that person. "Coincidentally, the Three Kingdoms United Front plotted against the Prince. The Crown Prince then orchestrated this 'cicada shedding its shell' scheme, directly bringing the Prince back to Da Qin and allowing him to show his face before the Da Qin officials, thus legitimizing his status. Now, all the civil and military officials of Da Qin know that the Prince is alive. Those people will have to reconsider if they want to take his life."
Lu Qing Wan could tell that Si Lan was holding back some information, but she had obtained the news she wanted, so she didn't press further. She only asked one last question, "Does Da Qin know about the Prince's conquest of Tian Xuan City?"