"Please have all the lords come in," Lu Qing Wan said, her arm around the little bun as she knelt by the mourning hall. She then called out to Li Su, "Take the young master to change into mourning clothes, and also change this hair tie."
Whoever had sent the little bun back to the manor had some ill intention, dressing the child in bright red, even the hair tie was a conspicuous red.
Li Su quickly picked up the little bun and slipped out. With the King recently deceased, if the young master were seen dressed like this, he would be drowned in spit.
Those censors wouldn't care if you were a child when they started spouting their criticisms. If someone were to use the young master's attire against him, it would be hard to shake off the accusation of filial impiety, and the Consort might even be branded with the crime of mistreating her stepson and failing in her duties.
Just as Li Su hurried out with the little bun, the officials began to pour in.
Given Feng Xi Wu's special status, most of the officials had come in their court attire to pay their respects. Prime Minister Wen, Prince Nan, and Grand Academician Chi walked at the forefront. After offering incense to Feng Xi Wu and Lu Zhen Ting, they approached Lu Qing Wan. Prime Minister Wen sighed, "Consort, please take care of yourself!"
Lu Qing Wan remained kneeling, bowing her head to thank everyone, "Thank you, lords, for coming to see off the King and my father. Thank you!" The commotion she had caused at the city gates could not have escaped their notice. For them to dare to come and see off Feng Xi Wu and Lu Zhen Ting at this time was to risk being targeted by the new Emperor. She was grateful to each and every one of them.
Prime Minister Wen's eyes instantly welled up with tears, "You poor child, alas, your fate is so bitter!" In such a solemn occasion, Prime Minister Wen found it inconvenient to offer Lu Qing Wan lengthy comfort or inquire about details. He sighed and departed. Following him were Prince Nan, Grand Academician Chi, the Minister of Justice, and a string of other high-ranking officials who came and then left in succession.
Apart from the little bun, now clad in mourning attire, beside Lu Qing Wan, nothing else had changed. For nine consecutive days of peace, Lu Qing Wan, with the little bun, saw off Lu Zhen Ting and Feng Xi Wu. The thousand Xuan Jia Army soldiers of the Tian Zi Camp had accompanied Lu Qing Wan throughout, their black armor and white robes exuding solemnity.
On the way into the city, the Xuan Jia Army had been surrounded by the Imperial Guards. Lu Qing Wan, holding the little bun, walked at a leisurely pace, "Commander Du, what is the meaning of this?"
"Regent's Consort, this matter has nothing to do with you. These thousand men have entered the capital without authorization and forcibly breached the city gates; this is a grave act of rebellion. His Majesty, considering that the funeral rites for the Regent and Marquis Lu are not yet over and he does not wish to disturb the repose of the departed souls, I must now take them into custody to report back. Guards, apprehend them! Resistance will be met with death!"
With a command, four teams of Imperial Guards menacingly advanced towards Shen Qing Zhou and his men.
"Who dares?!" Lu Qing Wan immediately fired a shot as a warning. The loud report certainly startled the Imperial Guards, but Du Hui Huang calmly said, "Regent's Consort, are you defying an imperial decree?"
"Defying an imperial decree?" Lu Qing Wan's eyes swept across them coldly, "Who heard an imperial decree?" The soldiers of the Tian Zi Camp, the mansion servants attending the funeral, and even the bystanders who had come to see them off all pretended ignorance, "We heard nothing!"
Du Hui Huang's old face turned red with anger, "Regent's Consort, you have a way with words! But you must know that when a provincial army enters the capital, the Imperial Guards can apprehend them without question! Guards, arrest them!" Enraged, Du Hui Huang himself drew his sword and charged towards Lu Qing Wan. However, before he could even unsheathe it, he saw the imperial decree token Lu Qing Wan held high. "Commander Du, are you disrespecting the late Emperor?"
Du Hui Huang was furious, but he had no choice but to kneel, "Long live His Majesty, long live, long live!" He shouted the salutation through gritted teeth. The Imperial Guards behind him, not understanding the situation, echoed the cry.
Lu Qing Wan said coldly, "The gates of the capital were opened by me. The soldiers of the Xuan Jia Army Tian Zi Camp were brought into the city by me. I will explain myself to the Emperor. Anyone who dares to lay a hand on the Xuan Jia Army, I will chop off their heads." After speaking, she deliberately raised the imperial decree token high, displayed it for a full circle, and then declared loudly, "Shen Qing Zhou, lead your men back to the manor. Without my command, do not leave the manor without authorization."
As she finished speaking, Lu Qing Wan felt a sense of relief, fortunate that Emperor Jing You had indulged Feng Xi Wu and repeatedly expanded the royal manor, even building a training ground within it. Otherwise, a thousand soldiers would not have fit in an ordinary residence. Du Hui Huang leaped up in agitation. Everyone knew the Regent's Manor was impregnable. If Shen Qing Zhou entered the Regent's Manor, how would they be able to control Lu Qing Wan? But before he could finish speaking, the imperial decree token in Lu Qing Wan's hand was thrust before him. Du Hui Huang had no choice but to bow low to avoid being accused of disrespect. Lu Qing Wan, holding the token high, sternly roared, "Go!" She personally led Shen Qing Zhou and his entourage into the Regent's Manor, then turned to leave. Shen Qing Zhou hurried to catch up, "Consort, the new Emperor is clearly trying to threaten you with the Xuan Jia Army. It is too dangerous for you to go to the palace now. Why not first send someone to ask Prime Minister Wen and the other ministers to mediate? Please do not risk your own safety." Li Jin and the others also gathered around Lu Qing Wan, trying to prevent her from leaving.
Lu Qing Wan, however, shook her head, "Prime Minister Wen and the others have their own difficulties; we cannot rely solely on them. Do not worry, the Xuan Jia Army will find a way out." Seeing that they were still hesitating, Lu Qing Wan's small face turned stern, "Enough. The King's remains are not yet cold, and you are already disobeying me?" They all knew Lu Qing Wan was deliberately saying this to make them shut up, but no one dared to provoke her at this moment. They all fell silent.
That day, Lu Qing Wan entered the palace as Feng Qing Heng had wished. Feng Qing Heng had clearly placed informants around the Regent's Manor; when Lu Qing Wan entered, he appeared to have been waiting for her. However, upon truly seeing Lu Qing Wan, he unconsciously faltered. Although Feng Qing Heng projected an air of authority, he knew very well that he could not gain the upper hand against Lu Qing Wan. He therefore dismissed all the people around him. He had intended to negotiate with Lu Qing Wan without reservation and threaten her into handing over the Xuan Jia Army to him. To his surprise, Lu Qing Wan was even bolder, arriving alone. As the funeral rites for Feng Xi Wu and Lu Zhen Ting had just concluded and it was not a formal occasion, Lu Qing Wan wore only a plain quju dress. The pure white attire accentuated her gradually maturing figure, making it graceful and slender. Her neatly tied hair bun made her appear more gentle and demure than usual. Yet, Lu Qing Wan was never a gentle or virtuous person; standing there, she was like a stubborn young tree. Feng Qing Heng's gaze fell upon her and remained fixed for a long time.
Lu Qing Wan frowned in disgust, did not offer any courtesies, and spoke coldly, "The Regent's funeral rites have just passed, and His Majesty is already impatiently targeting the Xuan Jia Army. Is this appetite not too voracious?" Her words clearly conveyed her contempt for Feng Qing Heng, and her sharp tone instantly brought Feng Qing Heng back to his senses. He leisurely descended from his high seat and shamelessly said, "I had originally thought that if you were sensible and bowed to me, I would, considering the Xuan Jia Army's contributions to the nation, reluctantly spare their lives. But now, I have changed my mind."