Faintly recalling what happened before she lost consciousness, her sluggish memory brought back who she had given the anesthetic to, and Lu Qingwan’s heart sank.
"Someone!"
After being unconscious for so long, her voice wasn't hoarse, and Lu Qingwan could tell they had taken good care of her.
However, this couldn't change the fact that they had brought her back to Shangjing against her will.
She thought of Lu Zhenting, who was suffering from a grave illness, of Feng Xiwu, whose whereabouts were unknown, and of the Xuanjia Army soldiers with insufficient supplies. She stood up urgently and cried out anxiously, "Someone!"
Because Lu Qingwan was unconscious and defenseless, there were hidden guards everywhere in Wutong Garden, and Li Su had been waiting outside.
Hearing the commotion, she rushed in and saw Lu Qingwan standing there, swaying precariously. She hurried over, "Wangfei, you're awake? You've been unconscious for too long, and your body might not be able to adapt. Please return to the couch and rest?"
As she spoke, she reached out to help Lu Qingwan. The latter violently shook off Li Su's hand, her eyes, still a little tired from just waking up, fixed on Li Su with almost icy coldness, and she asked coldly, "Who did this."
Lu Qingwan’s personality was undoubtedly changeable. Facing people with different relationships, she would reveal different facets of her personality. Her extremely cold demeanor at this moment made Li Su deeply realize that Lu Qingwan’s anger had reached a critical point.
After careful consideration, she did not dare to hide anything from Lu Qingwan and clasped her hands, "Reporting to Wangfei, it was Marquis Lu. The new Emperor, the Wei Emperor, and the Xiliang Imperial Consort are all scheming against you. They either want to use you to control Marquis Lu and the Prince, or they simply want your life. Marquis Lu thought that with Wufeng Hall and Banyue Pavilion in Shangjing, at least your life would be safe, so he gave you a concentrated anesthetic and had his subordinates bring you back to the capital."
Although she already had an idea, receiving confirmation from Li Su, Lu Qingwan’s heart still sank heavily.
"What about his illness?"
Lu Qingwan covered her dizzy head and retreated to the couch. "Don't tell me anyone else can cure that illness besides me. If there were such a master, I wouldn't have had to go."
Li Su fell to her knees with a thud, "Marquis Lu said that living merely for the sake of survival is not what he seeks in this life. He wants all of the Three Kingdoms and the Borderlands to know that even though Lu Zhenting is afflicted with a grave illness, he is still the valiant general who can defeat the enemy and quell evil, not a mad dog coward for them to play with."
Everyone could understand what these words implied.
Lu Qingwan's pupils suddenly widened, "Has any intelligence come from Saibei recently?"
Li Su remained kneeling and presented a letter, "This is the letter Marquis left for you. Other reports are in the secret compartment of the desk."
Lu Qingwan eagerly took the envelope and opened it, scanning it at lightning speed. She was stunned.
Then she started again from the beginning, reading it over and over. The meaning hadn't changed. She said dazedly, "What do you mean, 'the deceased was his wife, but not my mother'?"
Li Su was momentarily taken aback and ventured, "Wangfei, may I see Marquis Lu's letter?"
Lu Qingwan remained silent and motionless. Li Su took it as consent. Upon taking Lu Zhenting's letter, she was also stunned, "The remains in the lotus pond of the Marquis's mansion are not the Saintess of the Reincarnation Palace, and you are not the child of Marquis Lu and the Marchioness?"
Lu Zhenting likely had resolved to die, hiding all his secrets in this suicide note to Lu Qingwan. But now, before he could calmly meet his end, Lu Qingwan and Li Su were terrified by his bombshell revelations.
Li Su looked at Lu Qingwan, bewildered, "Wangfei, this letter, can we keep it?"
Lu Zhenting had clearly stated in the letter that he and his wife had been saved by Liu Hanyan and, entrusting their child to them, had adopted Lu Qingwan. Liu Hanyan saving Princess Anyang, Xiao Liangyin, was true, and Xiao Liangyin being harmed by Zhang Shi and Lan Shi was also true. Only Lu Qingwan being their daughter was false.
Lu Qingwan put Lu Zhenting's letter into her spatial laboratory, "Only you and I know about this. Do not let a third person know."
Li Su nodded repeatedly. She wasn't tired of living, gossiping about such matters. If Lu Qingwan killed her, she would consider it her own fault.
As they spoke, the dizziness from the anesthetic had also lessened. Lu Qingwan walked behind the desk, skillfully found the secret compartment, took out the intelligence, and began to read.
Li Su poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her, "I have been in contact with Li Jin. Currently, apart from the shortage of military rations in Saibei, there is nothing unusual. However, the strategist specifically mentioned that the early spring cold in Saibei this year might be much colder than in previous years, and he has been urging me to continue stocking winter clothing. I contacted Shen Tangzhou and prepared some supplies and grain, but for the 400,000 Xuanjia Army and the 80,000 Beifu Iron Cavalry, it is truly a drop in the bucket. The Prince has also submitted a memorial to the court requesting support for military rations and winter clothing, but there has been no response from the court so far."
Lu Qingwan listened to Li Su’s report while reading the intelligence accumulated over several days. After quickly scanning the intelligence, she found that the content was basically the same as Li Su's report, with only one addition, "Descendants of the ancient Nanzhao Kingdom have gone to the northwest. Do you know about this?"
Li Su hurriedly shook her head, "Li Qing didn't tell me about this..." She then suddenly froze, "Wangfei, I didn't put this in. I usually go through all the intelligence from the Prince's Mansion beforehand, like what I just told you. But this, you took it out of the bamboo tube yourself, didn't you?"
Lu Qingwan put the item away, "Let's not worry about who sent this intelligence for now. Immediately send people to verify it. Those people are stubborn. They are now convinced that I am the one who used蛊毒 (gu poison) to harm people. It is possible they will take their anger out on the Prince. Also, send for Wu Ying to see me."
Having brought Lu Qingwan back to Shangjing without authorization, Li Su was on pins and needles. Seeing that Lu Qingwan had only asked once who had knocked her out after waking up and hadn't mentioned it again, she felt relieved but also sensed something was amiss. Without daring to think further, she rushed to make arrangements upon hearing Lu Qingwan's command.
But soon, she found a reason for her unease. Wu Ying received the message and came quickly, but he was accompanied by the grim news of Lu Zhenting's death in battle.
"How could this be?" Li Su exclaimed in shock. Thinking of Lu Zhenting's resolute demeanor before their parting, she added, "If Marquis Lu really died in battle, wouldn't the Prince report it to the court immediately? When else would an urgent dispatch be more critical? How could the news of Marquis Lu's death reach us through your mouth?"
Lu Zhenting held a noble title and was the Governor of Liaodong personally appointed by Emperor Jing You before his death. How could the court have no reaction at all when a high-ranking official died on the battlefield?
Wu Ying shook his head, "An urgent dispatch arrived in the capital long ago. It was Feng Qingheng. He withheld the news of Marquis Lu's death and kept it secret. If the Emperor wants to conceal it, how would others know?"