Lu Qing Wan’s angry expression froze on her face. "What do you mean?"
Feng Xi Wu nuzzled her cheek affectionately. "I promised my mother that I would never do anything to harm Da Qian. However, Da Qian's peace cannot be achieved by your suffering.
Teach Feng Xi Wu a lesson. As long as you keep him alive and ensure the Da Qian royal line continues, you can do whatever you please. I will cover for you."
Lu Qing Wan's eyes lit up. "You truly mean whatever I please? Aren't you afraid His Majesty will still protect him?"
Feng Xi Wu's expression was complex. "My imperial brother protects Da Qian, not Feng Qing Heng. Believe me, as long as he has a breath left, do as you wish. If you can make him have a child and inherit the throne today, and then kill him tomorrow, I can guarantee no one will trouble you."
"That's wonderful!" Lu Qing Wan chuckled wickedly. "No, I need to think carefully about how to entertain our Prince Chen!"
Seeing this, Feng Xi Wu affectionately pulled her into his embrace. "No rush, take your time. If you really can't think of anything, your husband can help."
Ever since Emperor Jing You had been lenient and overtly protected Feng Qing Heng, he knew Lu Qing Wan would be angry. On the way out of the palace, he had already started brainstorming, racking his brain for ways to appease her. He never expected her to be so easily satisfied. Watching the girl in his arms, her eyes darting around as she schemed how to torment Feng Qing Heng, Feng Xi Wu's heart stirred, and he lowered his head to kiss her bright eyes. As Lu Qing Wan, startled, looked up, she found her lips pressing into the mouth of the much-anticipated scoundrel.
"Mmm… what are you doing?" Startled by the sudden ambush, Lu Qing Wan stumbled, her hands and feet going soft as she pushed away the man who was already taking liberties.
Feng Xi Wu lingered on her lips, not moving too far away even as he spoke. Their lips met, and he murmured, "Nothing else, I missed you~"
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and what's more, Feng Xi Wu was already exceptionally handsome, becoming even more captivating when moved. Lu Qing Wan, a true connoisseur of beauty, was instantly captivated and lost all thought of other matters. She stopped resisting, allowing him to caress and nibble on her like a sweet treat he could both eat and play with. It wasn't until the carriage stopped at the gates of the prince's mansion that Lu Qing Wan snapped back to reality. Her senses still reeling, she saw her collar undone and her belt nowhere to be found.
She let out a low growl like a wild beast. "Feng Xi Wu, you brute! How am I supposed to go out like this?!"
The carriage was small and not soundproof. In fact, their commotion had already been heard by Li Yang and Li Jin. Upon hearing this, Li Jin, ever the quick thinker, said, "Your Highness, the snow outside is too heavy. Please wait a moment, Your Highness and Consort. Allow your subordinate to fetch an umbrella and a cloak to prevent you from catching a cold." After speaking, he leaped from the carriage and trudged through the snow into the mansion.
Li Yang also managed to contribute for once, chiming in with Li Jin. "It wasn't snowing this heavily when we left the palace. This wretched weather will probably last for several days..."
Inside the carriage, Lu Qing Wan looked at Feng Xi Wu with a knowing smile. "You can even coordinate like this. Your Highness truly has capable subordinates!"
Feng Xi Wu smiled appeaselessly. "It was my oversight. I will never be so reckless again."
Lu Qing Wan scoffed. "Does Your Highness say that without feeling guilty?"
Feng Xi Wu tried to look serious but failed. He stretched out his arm, pulling her into his embrace. "If I truly break my promise, it will be because my Consort's charm is unparalleled, making me lose my composure. It will not be due to my lack of willpower..."
"Show some backbone!" Lu Qing Wan poked his chest with her slender finger, and Feng Xi Wu grunted unexpectedly.
Lu Qing Wan froze. "Are you injured?"
"No, just some old injuries… Ah Wan!" Before he could finish, Lu Qing Wan forcefully pulled open his robes. The hard armor blocked her view. However, the parts not covered by the armor were a bloody mess. It was clear he had been injured recently and not properly bandaged, leading to his current state.
"Ah Wan, don't cry. I'm fine." Feng Xi Wu's hand touched Lu Qing Wan's face. She then belatedly realized she was crying. "These are yesterday's injuries, aren't they? How did you endure until now?" No wonder he had tried to avoid any conflict in the palace and was so eager to return to the mansion. He must have been unable to bear the pain any longer.
"My Consort's medical skills are indeed remarkable. You could tell when I was injured just by a glance." Feng Xi Wu tried to sound relaxed as he coaxed her. "Shen Ci is with the army, and Shen Tang Zhou and the others are all clumsy. Treating a wound feels like an attempt to murder me. I had to stay alive to see you. Fortunately, the wound remained with me. It wasn't worth mentioning before, but now it hurts quite a bit. Ah Wan, would you ease my pain and tend to my wounds?"
Just then, footsteps sounded. Lu Qing Wan hastily wiped her eyes and said with a sob, "Li Yang, prepare the infirmary. This Consort needs to treat the Prince's wounds." With that, she calmly tidied her clothes, accepted the cloak handed to her by Li Jin, wrapped herself in it, and then jumped out of the carriage, extending her hand to Feng Xi Wu.
Normally, Feng Xi Wu would help her alight from the carriage. This sudden reversal made Li Jin feel unaccustomed. Feng Xi Wu, however, said nothing and obediently allowed Lu Qing Wan to help him down. He reached out to take her hand, but Lu Qing Wan had already taken his arm, her demeanor that of a caregiver tending to a patient.
It was rare for Lu Qing Wan to be so gentle with him, and Feng Xi Wu felt he should be rejoicing. However, at this moment, he was filled only with unease. The Regent Prince, who feared no blade on the battlefield, was now stammering, afraid to say a word.
It was Lu Qing Wan who spoke first. "You went to Saibei with the Emperor's permission. But His Majesty probably doesn't know you returned today, does he?" Seeing that Lu Qing Wan was willing to talk to him, Feng Xi Wu nodded repeatedly. "Exactly. In fact, not only does my imperial brother not know, but I myself didn't know when I would be able to return. However, the intelligence from Li Jin and the others showed that Prince Chen's actions were becoming increasingly frequent. If they are to succeed, they must eliminate my imperial brother. And you are the biggest obstacle to them eliminating my imperial brother. Therefore, I traveled day and night without a moment's delay. Fortunately, I managed to make it in time."
"I've been wondering, the imperial palace is heavily guarded, and His Majesty has the reputation of a wise ruler. My previous interactions with him did not suggest he was so foolish. How could he repeatedly be targeted on his own territory? Seeing the injuries on your body, I finally understood. He's doing this intentionally, isn't he?"
Feng Xi Wu looked confused. "Doing what intentionally?"
"Apart from the invasion of Saibei by Bei Wei, everything else is within His Majesty's plan. You, me, Prince Chen, Prince Jing, and even all the court ministers are merely pawns on his chessboard."