"Regardless of what they intend to do, it certainly won't be anything good. Tell Tang Xiao to keep a close eye on that concubine Yu."
After a moment's thought, she pulled out Da Bai. "Find a way to get Da Bai into the palace without the Emperor or Concubine Yu knowing."
As Li Qing turned to leave with a bewildered Da Bai, Li Jin arrived. "Princess Consort, good news! His Highness has safely left the northwest and will return to the capital in three to five days."
He excitedly waved a letter. "Look, His Highness sent this to you through someone."
It was rare to receive a letter from Feng Xi Wu, so Lu Qing Wan eagerly opened it. Upon reading, she was greatly surprised.
Feng Xi Wu was unaware of Wu Feng Tang's existence, and Emperor Jing You was also ignorant of Shen Tang Zhou and his group.
She asked Li Qing with some confusion, "His Highness repeatedly instructed in his letter that I should avoid entering the palace before his return unless summoned by the Emperor. He even advised me to stay within the manor. Has Prince Chen been active lately?"
Li Qing shook his head. "This subordinate has heard no rumors. Perhaps His Highness obtained some intelligence from Su Bo Jun? However, since His Highness has given such instructions, Princess Consort, please bear with us and stay in the manor for a few days. Now that His Highness has shaken off Su Bo Jun's entanglement, he should be back soon."
Lu Qing Wan nodded. "Very well, I will obey His Highness and not leave the manor. I'll be a truly reclusive and noble princess consort."
Li Qing chuckled. "His Highness will surely be pleased with your cooperation. But Princess Consort, the brothers from Xi Jiang Yue informed this subordinate that besides Wu An Palace, another group is investigating His Highness's past. It seems they wish to scrutinize every detail of His Highness's life from birth until now. Although the Red Robe Cult leader has set some obstacles for them, they are relentlessly persistent. The Red Robe Cult leader asks if you can deal with those people!"
Xue Hong Yi's definition of "dealing with" naturally meant eliminating them.
Lu Qing Wan, however, was perplexed. "His Highness is the Regent of Da Gan. Half his life is an open book. What else is there to investigate? Do you know who they are?"
Li Qing shook his head. "The Red Robe Cult leader has not yet identified their identities, and we have been unable to ascertain them either. However, our brothers observing the South Residence informed this subordinate that they have met with Consort Dowager Wen and are currently searching for the midwife who delivered her and the wet nurse who cared for His Highness in his childhood. Even the elder attendants from the late Empress Dowager's entourage are being investigated."
Lu Qing Wan's expression was full of questions. "This course of action feels rather familiar."
"When the Old Madam of Hua Guo Gong's manor questioned your identity, those hidden moles investigated you in the same manner," a familiar voice stated. Li Yang, who had disappeared for several days, had returned.
After not seeing him for days, his face had become so rough it was painful to look at. Lu Qing Wan momentarily forgot the matter at hand. "Did you go to a coal mine to dig for coal? How did you get so weathered?" After more than ten days, the once bright and spirited Li Yang had transformed into a stray dog. Even after changing his clothes, the exposed skin was dark and rough, and his face was cracked. He was unrecognizable from the handsome and dapper elite guard he once was.
"I was ordered to escort provisions. This is what winter is like in the northwest. It's a miracle I returned alive," Li Yang replied with an indifferent, hearty laugh, then returned to the matter at hand. "I overheard some of your conversation, Princess Consort, and Li Qing. I am mostly aware of Consort Dowager Wen's actions. Princess Consort, I suspect someone is attempting to use His Highness's background to their advantage. We must prepare early!"
Li Yang spoke with grave seriousness, but Lu Qing Wan disagreed. "No, my mother's identity was indeed questionable, giving them an excuse to attack me. But His Highness is not me. His birth mother is Consort Dowager Wen, and his birth father is the late Emperor. This is common knowledge and beyond doubt. How can they use his background to their advantage?"
"What if Consort Dowager Wen herself claims His Highness's lineage is questionable?" Li Yang's rough face held only a pair of calm, rational eyes.
"Consort Dowager Wen has never liked His Highness, and she has many vulnerabilities. If someone were to offer her significant benefits or threaten her with her weaknesses, given her dislike for His Highness, it is entirely possible she would cooperate with them to slander him."
Lu Qing Wan: "..."
"No, can I ask, what grudge does this Consort Dowager have against Feng Xi Wu that even outsiders know to collude with her to harm Feng Xi Wu? Has her hatred for Feng Xi Wu become common knowledge?"
Li Yang was silent for a moment. "His Highness largely explained the main reasons to you on the day of the tea ceremony. If I were to elaborate, it is likely because His Highness refused to be manipulated by her. She killed the late Empress Dowager and lived in fear of the Emperor holding her accountable. She instigated His Highness to kill the Emperor and usurp the throne himself, so she could live as the noble and peerless Empress Dowager. His Highness refused, so she poisoned him, intending to control the Emperor through His Highness. Who would have thought His Highness immediately discovered the poison, had it neutralized by Doctor Shen, and informed the Emperor, all while keeping the Consort Dowager in the dark? It wasn't until the tea ceremony that His Highness, in his anger, revealed the matter of the antidote to her. Naturally, she loathed him even more."
Lu Qing Wan found it utterly incredible. "His Highness told me she killed the late Empress Dowager out of torment from her guilt. But I haven't sensed any guilt from her at all. Instead, she acts as if the entire world owes her something!"
Li Yang gave a mocking smile. "Not the entire world, but she probably believes His Highness owes her. But using guilt as a reason to kill is a more human excuse, isn't it?"
"Feng Xi Wu is truly unlucky to have such a birth mother." After her rant, Lu Qing Wan seriously addressed Li Qing. "Go back and tell Xue Hong Yi, whether it's killing or stopping them, ensure those people are prevented from investigating His Highness's background. As for Consort Dowager Wen, have people guard her. From today onwards, all food and supplies for the South Residence will be managed by us. No one inside shall enter or leave. Anyone approaching within one zhang of the South Residence will be immediately expelled. We will personally meet with Consort Dowager Wen upon His Highness's return."
"This subordinate has been waiting for this command!" Li Qing accepted the order and swiftly departed.
Lu Qing Wan then asked Li Yang, "You escorted provisions. Did you see His Highness?"
"I did." Li Yang smiled. "His Highness disguised himself as a personal guard to a strategist and directed the operations. The formidable general Cheng Jiu Xiao of Bei Wei has been forced out of Bei Xiao Pass by His Highness. Sixty thousand Xuan Jia Army troops are positioned along the Xiliang border, and the Xiliang army is as quiet as a mute force. In my opinion, the triumphant return of the army is imminent."