If Feng Qingheng commits no grave offense against the Great Qian's territory and people within three years, the items will be formally handed over to him.
However, should Feng Qingheng prove unworthy and commit acts detrimental to the Great Qian's destiny, Si Fengwu may depose him at any time, and the Imperial Seal and Wufeng Hall need not be returned.
"When... did you receive this?"
Lu Qingwan could no longer maintain her composure. She glared at the imperial edict, wishing she could bore a hole through it.
She scrutinized every character, the final seal, even the stitch pattern of the dragon embroidery on the imperial decree. She was utterly certain this was a genuine imperial edict personally penned by Emperor Jingyou.
Yet, its contents were almost unimaginable, something a ruler of a feudal dynasty would scarcely leave behind.
To actually relinquish one's empire willingly!
"My brother, the Emperor, dismissed everyone before his passing and left this with me when he last saw me."
Si Fengwu's expression was inscrutable. "He said that if I ever decided to take over Great Qian, I should open this edict. If that day never came, it was never meant to see the light of day."
"So, you only just learned the contents of this edict yourself?"
Lu Qingwan's emotions were incredibly complex.
If she had known the contents of the edict just a day earlier, Si Fengwu wouldn't have suffered so much.
But fate was cruel. Just last night, Si Fengwu had questioned the sincerity of Emperor Jingyou's brotherhood, only to see this edict today.
It was as if a dagger was being twisted into Si Fengwu's heart.
Si Fengwu lowered his eyelids, his emotions remarkably calm. Seeing Lu Qingwan's alarmed demeanor, he offered a self-deprecating smile.
"Before, Feng Qingheng was constantly causing trouble, and my brother repeatedly implored me to tolerate him. Sometimes, I wondered if, had he not been the Emperor of Great Qian, we might have been the most tacit brothers in the world."
Lu Qingwan didn't know what he was trying to convey by saying this and could only listen in stunned silence.
Then, she heard Si Fengwu chuckle, "Now it seems, we've long since lost that tacit understanding."
The brotherhood built over twenty years between him and Emperor Jingyou had been utterly eroded by Feng Qingheng's constant mischief and Emperor Jingyou's unprincipled protection.
And this edict before them had become the final blade to sever their bond.
Lu Qingwan felt her comprehension failing her. She looked at Si Fengwu blankly, "The late Emperor left Great Qian to you, and you're not happy?"
Si Fengwu countered with a question, "Do you know what is inscribed on the Imperial Seal?"
Lu Qingwan blurted out without thinking, "Is it not 'By the Mandate of Heaven, long live eternal prosperity'?"
The slightly chipped Imperial Seal of the Great Dynasty was no stranger to anyone with a modicum of education, and Lu Qingwan was no exception.
The answer to such a question came to her instantly.
Si Fengwu was momentarily taken aback by her confident response.
He lowered his head, retrieved an imperial seal from a hidden compartment in the carriage, examined it closely, and then lifted it to show Lu Qingwan.
"'Fengdings the Heavens, Mountains and Rivers Permanently Solid,' this is the Imperial Seal of Great Qian. Have you seen it clearly?"
Lu Qingwan nodded, then shook her head, her expression one of disbelief. "Is this Imperial Seal real? Could it be a fake?"
Si Fengwu stared at her speechlessly. "This was given to me personally by my brother. Would the seal in his hand be fake?"
"Then let's assume it's real."
Lu Qingwan pouted, finally understanding the source of Si Fengwu's earlier dejection.
"So, this edict the late Emperor left you is really no different from Prime Minister Wen's unreliable suggestion, is it?"
An imperial edict, an Imperial Seal. On the surface, it seemed as if the entire Great Qian had been entrusted to Si Fengwu. But what was the meaning of 'Fengdings the Heavens' inscribed on the seal of Si Fengwu, the new emperor?
Si Fengwu nodded. "That's the idea. However, if I don't wish to accept it, I can naturally make these items serve only the purpose I desire."
Lu Qingwan's eyes darted around rapidly, and she quickly understood. "You still have people in the Great Qian court?"
An edict, an imperial seal—these were inanimate objects. How they were interpreted was up to the living.
Of course, it would be even better if someone in the Great Qian court could propose to Si Fengwu, before he himself did, that he fulfill Emperor Jingyou's dying wish and ensure the peace of the people of Great Qian.
After all, some things were indeed more persuasive when spoken through another's voice.
Si Fengwu looked at her with feigned mystery, deliberately prolonging the suspense.
Lu Qingwan playfully lunged at him, intending to interrogate him rigorously. However, before she could, Li Jin's voice sounded from outside.
"Your Highness, Si Han has arrived."
Lu Qingwan lifted the curtain to see Si Han at the head of a procession of nearly three hundred people, bearing the insignia of a Qin Prince, standing at the palace gates. It was a grand display.
As if to announce to everyone: He, Si Fengwu, had returned.
Si Fengwu extended a long arm, pulled Lu Qingwan's head back from where she was leaning out the window, and coldly ordered, "Enter the palace."
Lu Qingwan, unwilling to give up, peeked through a slight gap and saw the heavily armed Xuanjia Army completely surrounding the palace.
With a guess already forming in her mind, Lu Qingwan said no more and sat obediently beside Si Fengwu as they entered the palace.
She didn't know how his men had handled it, but a carriage with no markings whatsoever was allowed to enter the palace grounds without obstruction from the guards.
The carriage traveled for a long time along the wide palace road before Lu Qingwan heard a stern voice, "Who dares trespass into the Imperial Palace? Seize him!"
It was an unfamiliar voice. Lu Qingwan was certain she had never seen this person during her time in Shangjing.
She instinctively turned her head, wanting to see how Si Fengwu would respond. Then she heard Li Yang outside declare boldly, "Who is this greenhorn dares to stop my Prince's carriage? If you're so capable, why aren't you at Emerald River fighting the Northern Wei cavalry?"
Without waiting for a response, he shouted, "Throw him aside and continue driving the carriage."
After a flurry of unintelligible commotion, Li Jin's voice carried over, "Your Highness, we have reached the Golden Hall. All officials in the capital are present. Feng Qingheng is currently giving a speech."
"Audacious! Who dares to address the Emperor by name? Who is in the carriage? Get out quickly! Driving a carriage before the Golden Hall without dismounting, don't you want your head..."
The piercing voice of a eunuch grated on Lu Qingwan's ears. Just as she furrowed her brow, she heard a wail.
"Where did this lowly slave come from, daring to point fingers at my Prince and Princess Consort?"
Lu Qingwan's eyebrows twitched. As she and Si Fengwu stepped down, they saw two Xuanjia Army soldiers dragging away a eunuch.
Meanwhile, Li Yang, Li Jin, and the others stood in a line outside the Golden Hall, already exuding the presence of imperial guards.