With the last three words spoken, Feng Qingheng's body trembled. She looked at Lu Qingwan as if seeing a stranger she had never known.
Lu Qingwan snatched Feng Qingheng's imperial decree and rushed out of the palace. She jumped into the carriage and ordered, "Ying Yi, go to the Prime Minister's mansion. Li Su, immediately invite the Southern King to the Prime Minister's mansion, quickly!"
With a single command, Li Su and Ying Er, who was in the carriage with her, galloped away. Ru Yue and her entourage followed all the way to the Prime Minister's mansion.
Feng Xiwu and Lu Qingwan had always been on good terms with the Prime Minister's family. The doorman, seeing it was Lu Qingwan, did not announce her arrival and directly led her inside.
One doorman ran ahead swiftly, and when Lu Qingwan followed the leading doorman to the living room, Prime Minister Wen and his wife were already coming out to greet her.
Madam Wen greeted her with great politeness, "This old woman pays respects to the Princess. I did not expect the Princess's esteemed presence, and I apologize for not welcoming you sooner. I hope the Princess will forgive me!"
Lu Qingwan quickly curtsied in return, "You are too kind, Madam. I hope the Prime Minister and his wife will not blame me for my abrupt arrival without any prior notice."
Lu Qingwan's words were not mere pleasantries. Among the nobles in Shangjing City, even those with the closest relationships would send a calling card in advance before visiting. This was not a matter of putting on airs, but rather to allow the host to prepare thoroughly, so that the guest would not arrive unexpectedly and cause the host to be flustered, making the host appear inhospitable.
It was precisely for this reason that Prime Minister Wen and his wife understood that Lu Qingwan must have an urgent matter at hand as soon as they heard of her arrival.
Seeing that Lu Qingwan was hesitant to speak, Old Madam Wen took the initiative, "It will soon be time for dinner. You two talk, I will go to the kitchen to see if they can prepare a few more dishes. Will the Princess dine at the Prime Minister's mansion tonight?"
Lu Qingwan, not knowing how things would unfold, quickly replied, "Please do not trouble yourself, Madam. The matter is urgent, and I may have to leave shortly. My unannounced visit is already disrespectful, and if I were to cause you to labor in vain, I would have no face to see you in the future!"
Old Madam Wen was taken aback, then smiled and agreed, "Very well, since the Princess is busy, I shall not intrude. Please visit again when you have time, and I will accompany you for a good tour of the Prime Minister's mansion."
With that, Old Madam Wen took the opportunity to withdraw, leaving the space for conversation to Lu Qingwan and Prime Minister Wen.
As soon as Old Madam Wen left, Lu Qingwan solemnly bent down and performed a deep bow to Prime Minister Wen.
Prime Minister Wen was shocked, "What is the Princess doing? Why such a grand gesture? Please rise quickly..."
"I implore Prime Minister to save my Lord."
Lu Qingwan maintained her bowed posture and said in a deep voice, "My Lord is surrounded by nearly five hundred thousand troops from the Northern Wei, Yunqiang, and Xiliang kingdoms on the snowy mountains of the Northwest. They are lacking in food and supplies. Let alone fighting, even survival is difficult. I implore Prime Minister to save my Lord and the Xuanjia Army."
Prime Minister Wen was greatly alarmed, "How could this be? In the Northwest, there are Marquis Xuanwu and his son, as well as Marquis Lu, and the generals of the Xuanjia Army. There are more than enough commanders. How did the Regent King still end up on the front lines?"
"Marquis Xuanwu and his son were bribed by the new Emperor. Every time there was a battle, they feigned defeat, angering my Lord. After repeatedly delaying military affairs, my Lord transferred them to guard Yongning Dam. However, instead of appreciating my Lord's leniency, they were instructed by the new Emperor to blow up Yongning Dam, deliberately provoking the Northern Wei army. My father was harmed by the villains and contracted a disease. Unwilling to have his reputation tarnished in his later years, he died on the battlefield. The Xuanjia Army is now isolated and helpless. I, a junior, have boldly forced the new Emperor to issue an imperial decree for troop deployment. However, I am insignificant in the court and a woman. I fear I cannot mobilize the army and supplies, so I implore Prime Minister and the Southern King to lend me a hand."
As she spoke, her usually upright posture bowed deeply, "As long as I can help my Lord and the Xuanjia Army escape this predicament, I will dedicate all the strength of my remaining life to repay your kindness."
Prime Minister Wen could not possibly accept such a grand gesture from Lu Qingwan. He quickly reached out to help her up, but Lu Qingwan stubbornly remained bowed.
"Alas!" Prime Minister Wen sighed, "Why must the Princess go to such lengths? We all know that if it weren't for your Lord, you could have left Daqian and lived a carefree life. This is clearly saving Daqian. How can it be considered helping you save your Lord and the Xuanjia Army? Even if you did not seek help from this Prime Minister and the Southern King, we would still do our utmost to stop the new Emperor's absurd actions!"
"Is that so?" A hearty voice echoed, "I, the Southern King, had no idea that Prime Minister Wen would one day be so generous with others' possessions!"
As he spoke, the Southern King strode in, a hearty smile on his face. The servants at the door closed the door, and his smile immediately vanished. Before Lu Qingwan and Prime Minister Wen could react, he said sternly, "On the way here, Guard Li Su has already informed me. Without further ado, may I ask the Princess where the new Emperor's troop deployment decree is? I will immediately send someone to inform the generals of the Xuanjia Army to reinforce the Regent King."
This straightforwardness almost caught Lu Qingwan off guard. She instinctively produced Feng Qingheng's imperial decree. The Southern King took it and frowned, "Princess, the new Emperor has fooled you."
Lu Qingwan's heart tightened, "What do you mean? Can this decree not be used?" Forgive her, as a spy from the Great Celestial Dynasty, she genuinely could not understand the complex documents of Daqian. She had indeed thought nothing of Feng Qingheng's decree ordering the Xuanjia Army to dispatch troops to Beixiaoguan.
Prime Minister Wen, hearing this, took Feng Qingheng's decree and examined it before saying to Lu Qingwan, "Princess, do not worry. Although the new Emperor played a trick in the decree, he still has the authority to deploy troops. It's just that the new Emperor's order states that the Xuanjia Army should march to Beixiaoguan, not to reinforce the Regent King. The generals of the Xuanjia Army have always been aware of the discord between the new Emperor and the Regent King, and they are unlikely to easily believe the new Emperor's order. If they receive the decree, they will have to verify the facts, which may cause considerable delay."
Lu Qingwan slammed her palm on the table, "Damn Feng Qingheng! Even when facing death, he still plays games with me. Li Su, come in!"
Hearing Lu Qingwan's summons, Li Su hurried in and respectfully asked, "What are the Princess's orders?"
Lu Qingwan directly displayed the Myriad Phoenix King, "My Lord once told me that this token can command all those under his command. Does this include the generals of the Xuanjia Army?"
Li Su nodded vigorously, "Of course. The Xuanjia Army does not recognize military tokens, only my Lord. The Myriad Phoenix King represents my Lord."
Lu Qingwan nodded, "Immediately prepare a portrait of the most trusted general of the Xuanjia Army, and also prepare portraits of two or three backup candidates. I will have White Eagle deliver my letter and the Myriad Phoenix King. They can prepare in advance, and when the imperial decree arrives, the army can reinforce my Lord at the fastest possible speed."
All three in the room greatly approved.
Watching Li Su leave, Prime Minister Wen asked doubtfully, "Regarding troop deployment, why did the Regent King's consort directly approach the Southern King? I wonder what assistance the Regent King's consort seeks from this Prime Minister?"
Lu Qingwan produced another imperial decree. Prime Minister Wen took it and read it, "An imperial decree ordering the Ministry of Revenue to procure grain and winter clothing. Is the Regent King's consort worried that Chen Jianzhang has a special relationship with the new Emperor and will not prepare grain and winter clothing according to the new Emperor's decree?"