"Your subordinate obeys!"
Li Jin departed as ordered.
Lu Qing Wan surveyed the chaotic scene and commanded with heartache, "Search, continue searching for me.
I want to see how far he, Feng Qing Heng, will go to harm my father and me!"
Fortunately, the guards dismantled all the separable dowry items and scoured every hidden corner of the Zhaolie Marquis's mansion, but they found no further evidence of plots against Lu Zhen Ting.
Lu Qing Wan, dragging her weary body back to the Prince's mansion, found Li Su waiting for her.
Lazily, she raised her eyelids. "Has Jiang Ding Kun confessed?"
"Reporting to the Princess Consort, less than fifteen minutes after administering the medicine, he confessed."
Li Su, while reporting Jiang Ding Kun's confession, did not seem in good spirits.
Lu Qing Wan feebly propped her head. "What, is his testimony against us?"
"Jiang Ding Kun said that on the day Prince Ning and Duke Xu planned their rebellion, he was instigated by Prince Ning to help control the capital and join the rebellion.
It was Prince Jing who told him before he entered the palace that His Majesty already knew about Prince Ning and Duke Xu's rebellion plan, which is why he temporarily changed his allegiance from rebellion to supporting the Prince and saving His Majesty.
Not only did he narrowly escape the extermination of his clan, but he also became a meritorious official for saving the Prince.
From then on, he regarded Prince Jing as his only master.
Since you mentioned that Prince Jing's descendants were few, Prince Jing has been drinking heavily every day and has been dispirited. He wanted to kill you to avenge Prince Jing.
He said Prince Jing was his inverse scale, and you touched it, so you had to die."
Lu Qing Wan scoffed upon hearing this. "It is true that a dragon has an inverse scale, and touching it means death.
But what kind of dragon is Jiang Ding Kun? He is not even as good as a stinking insect in a gutter!
He claims it's for Prince Jing's sake, but his foolish actions have truly harmed Prince Jing, haven't they?"
Li Su was shocked by Lu Qing Wan's sharp tongue, and then even more surprised. "Your subordinate was going to report to you, Princess Consort, and you already know?"
Lu Qing Wan raised her eyes suspiciously. "Know what?"
"The news of Jiang Ding Kun injuring Hu Yan Che to avenge Prince Jing has already spread. This afternoon, a group of civil and military officials went to the palace to impeach Prince Jing, demanding severe punishment for his lax management of subordinates!
It is rumored that some people took the opportunity to recommend Prince Chen as the Crown Prince. Although His Majesty did not immediately agree to establish a Crown Prince, he has placed Prince Jing under house arrest.
Even Consort Jiang Huai went to plead for Prince Jing and was severely reprimanded by His Majesty, who blamed her for raising a delinquent son!"
Lu Qing Wan sighed wistfully. "It seems Feng Qing Heng has outplayed us again!"
She put her fingers to her lips and whistled. A familiar thrush landed on the windowsill, chirping.
Li Su, with keen insight, opened the window, only to be startled by what she saw.
A small snake, entirely crimson, coiled on the windowsill, listlessly flicking its forked tongue.
The thrush, summoned by Lu Qing Wan, was so frightened it flapped wildly, its feathers bristling.
Fortunately, Li Su had seen Teng Snake before and did not cry out in surprise. Instead, she reached out and scooped up the startled, flustered thrush.
Carefully cradling the thrush in her hands, she walked over to Lu Qing Wan and reported in a low voice, "Princess Consort, Teng Snake has returned."
Knowing that Teng Snake was the guardian beast of the Samsara Hall, and that her Princess Consort wished to conceal her identity as the Saintess of the Samsara Hall from the outside world, Li Su spoke softly, fearing she might reveal Lu Qing Wan's secret.
Lu Qing Wan, however, sat up in surprise. Teng Snake's forked tongue slithered out, wobbling, and then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, coiled around her wrist.
"Wait a moment."
Lu Qing Wan hid Teng Snake in her sleeve before taking the thrush. Facing Li Su, she said to the thrush, "Please do me a favor and find out if there are only those three iron mines in the thirteen prefectures of Xijiang, or if anyone is concealing information.
Once you have the news, find a way to send it back as soon as possible."
The thrush, still shaken by Teng Snake, had its wings drooping. After Lu Qing Wan stroked its feathers, it regained its courage.
Chirping in agreement, Lu Qing Wan handed the thrush to Li Su. "Instruct the servants to prepare some food that birds like in the Prince's mansion.
If they come, do not harm them."
Li Su, with a complex look in her eyes, saw Lu Qing Wan's messenger bird off. After relaying Lu Qing Wan's instructions to the servants, she turned back to see Lu Qing Wan earnestly asking Teng Snake a question.
"You've always been hiding and unwilling to return. Tang Xiao invited you many times, but you never came.
I told him not to look for you these past few days, so why have you returned yourself?"
Li Su only heard Teng Snake hiss twice before Lu Qing Wan exclaimed in surprise, "Someone poisoned His Majesty?
What kind of poison is it, and is he alright now?"
Teng Snake hissed again. Lu Qing Wan grabbed its tail and yanked it off her wrist, thrusting it into Li Su's hand.
"You must return to the palace immediately and find a way to get Teng Snake to His Majesty's side.
Also, have Meng Tang carefully inspect His Majesty's food and tell His Majesty not to consume anything else besides the food prepared by the cooks sent by the Prince and the medicine given by Meng Tang."
This abrupt arrangement made Li Su unable to suppress her doubts any longer. She dared to ask, "Princess Consort, can you understand beast language?"
Li Su was somewhat aware of Lu Qing Wan's intelligence channels, yet Lu Qing Wan always seemed to possess information they hadn't yet uncovered.
Especially just now, first the thrush, then Teng Snake, and the sparrow that often appeared beside Lu Qing Wan; all these, however unbelievable, forced Li Su to believe.
Even so, she still wanted to hear Lu Qing Wan tell her herself.
This way, when she relayed that information to Feng Xi Wu and Emperor Jing You, she would be certain she wasn't fabricating it.
"Haven't you already seen it?"
Lu Qing Wan looked at her calmly. "Are you afraid?"
Li Su shook her head abruptly. "Your subordinate simply doesn't understand. Princess Consort, you clearly avoided even the Prince before, so why reveal your secret to your subordinate?"
The fact that someone could understand animal language was simply too incredible.
Li Su knew that even if she had witnessed it firsthand, if Lu Qing Wan adamantly denied it, she wouldn't be entirely sure.
Upon hearing this, Lu Qing Wan replied with utmost frankness, "The reason I kept it from the Prince and everyone else is the same; I simply felt it was too unbelievable.
However, we are currently facing many difficulties, and I need to gather the most complete intelligence in the shortest possible time.
If you, who are responsible for transmitting my information, begin to doubt the authenticity and source of the intelligence, I won't be able to accomplish many things.
Furthermore, you know who I am doing all this for. I believe Feng Xi Wu's judgment of people is impeccable.
No matter what, you wouldn't harm him, would you?"
Li Su did not make any promises to Lu Qing Wan. Instead, she calmly performed a deep bow.
"Princess Consort's righteousness is admirable.
Unless Princess Consort decides to no longer conceal this matter entirely, your subordinate will never reveal a single word to anyone, including the Prince."
A person who could understand beast language would either be ostracized and suppressed as a demon or monster, or treated as a tool for profit and fought over.
Lu Qing Wan, being so intelligent, would not be unaware of how dangerous it was to reveal her secret.
Li Su felt that she had to live up to Lu Qing Wan's trust.