Lu Qingwan was the same. She was skilled in warfare, business, and managing the court, but what she loved most was only fighting and doing business.
However, the two of them, from the great Qian to the Central Plains, and then back to Xin Du, whether for self-preservation or revenge, and later purely to prevent the territory of the Hua clan from falling into the hands of the Turkic barbarians.
Feng Shu Yuan, the only one they could entrust to back then, had now become the Crown Prince of Great Qin, and could no longer be the Crown Prince of Tian Feng.
Having reached their current positions step by step, they were no longer allowed to hand over the responsibilities they held.
Although Lian Yu spoke with a smile, he had indeed hit upon the truth that Si Feng Wu and Lu Qing Wan were most unwilling to admit.
After three rounds of wine and five courses of food, the two Grand Secretaries, Wen and Chi, took their leave. Si Feng Wu and Lu Qing Wan temporarily stayed at the Lu Residence. Lian Yu, as the new head of the Lu family, naturally stayed overnight at the Lu Residence.
As a result, the next morning, before Si Feng Wu and Lu Qing Wan set off, it was not the two of them who got up first, but Lian Yu, who had been worrying about them.
Before dawn, Lu Qing Wan and Si Feng Wu rode out and saw Lian Yu waiting at the entrance.
The two of them reined in their horses and stopped. Lu Qing Wan's horse was less than three feet from Lian Yu, scaring her into complaining, "What are you doing here playing the door god so early in the morning? You slept so late last night, aren't you tired?"
"I knew you two would sneak out, so I came here specifically to intercept you!" Lian Yu clapped his hands, and a pair of black-clad figures appeared on the open ground at the entrance.
Without waiting for the two to ask, he explained, "The Lord of the Samsara Hall is worried about you and has arranged a team of guards for you. I have taken the liberty of accepting them on your behalf. These people are familiar with the terrain of Illusion Night Island, as well as the people of the Three Lives Tower and the Cold Xiao Hall. With their protection, those of us who remain here can also rest easier."
As he spoke, he raised his hand to Lu Qing Wan again, "The Lord of the Samsara Hall asked me to tell you that his absence from your inauguration ceremony yesterday was deliberate. He came empty-handed this time and attending would have just been one more mouth to feed, of no use. He will attend your royal ascension ceremony and your empress coronation ceremony with the Seven Guardians of the Samsara Hall to support you."
Lu Qing Wan chuckled, "A person with one foot in the grave, and still so concerned with grandeur. I'm leaving." As soon as she finished speaking, she spurred her horse and galloped away.
Si Feng Wu followed closely behind. The black-clad figures looked at Lian Yu in confusion. Lian Yu waved his hand, "What are you waiting for? Chase after them!" Thirty guards immediately galloped after them.
Li Jin appeared quietly. "You know that the Prince and Princess dislike owing favors to the Samsara Hall, yet you still acted so presumptuously. Aren't you afraid of being blamed by them?"
Lian Yu smiled as brightly as the clear moon. "Compared to owing favors to the Samsara Hall, I'm more afraid of them not returning alive." His eyes gazed towards the direction Si Feng Wu and Lu Qing Wan had left. "As for acting presumptuously, after following the Prince for so many years, this is the only time. When they return, friends will become monarch and subject, and everything will have to follow the established rules."
Li Jin smiled faintly upon hearing this, "It was indeed the right choice for the Princess to acknowledge you as her sworn brother." Si Feng Wu and Lu Qing Wan had reached their current positions with many capable individuals by their side. However, few officials, whether civil or military, were as intelligent as Lian Yu. He possessed both literary and martial skills, and knew when to advance and retreat. Such a person could be trusted completely, no matter how high their position or how great their power.
Meanwhile, not long after Si Feng Wu and Lu Qing Wan left the city, they were greeted by a golden eagle that had traveled from afar. Previously, the royal clan of Great Qin had unscrupulously coveted the position of Crown Prince of Tian Feng, but Si Feng Ming had remained unresponsive. Si Feng Wu, uneasy, had sent the golden eagle to inquire about the situation. He had intended to resolve this matter before leaving the capital, but shortly after leaving the city, Si Feng Wu's golden eagle circled and landed on his arm.
Thinking that the golden eagle had brought important news, Lu Qing Wan signaled the team to halt and rode closer to watch. However, as soon as the letter was opened, Si Feng Wu's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, while Lu Qing Wan couldn't help but burst into wild goose-like laughter. It was early morning, the city gates had only just opened, and there were few people on the official road, so Lu Qing Wan's arrogant laughter seemed particularly jarring, echoing back.
The guards behind were bewildered by Lu Qing Wan's laughter, looking at her as if she were a monkey. Lu Qing Wan completely disregarded their strange glances, letting out a series of cackles while looking at Si Feng Wu with a gloating expression, tears streaming down her face from laughter. "Your Highness's reputation has been slandered all the way to Great Qin, ha ha..." Her restless hands patted Si Feng Wu's shoulder, her gloating demeanor showing she wasn't afraid of death at all.
Si Feng Wu, who had initially just had a dark expression, now looked as if he were covered by dark clouds. He asked menacingly, "Is it very funny?" Although Lu Qing Wan saw Si Feng Wu's warning gaze, she dared to push her luck on the edge of danger, relying on the fact that they were outside the city and surrounded by many guards. "It's hilarious! They are so convinced that they are already looking for another Crown Prince for Tian Feng, isn't that hilarious?" Although she had decided to be cheeky to the end, she still considered her own life and did not speak too definitively.
In fact, the letter sent by the golden eagle was also quite amusing. The reason why the members of the Great Qin royal family had coveted the position of Crown Prince of Tian Feng was not due to any sinister plot. It was simply that someone had revealed Consort Ye's act of giving infertile medicine to the imperial children of Great Qian to those people. Coupled with the fact that Si Feng Wu and Lu Qing Wan had been married for almost six years without any children, those people had truly believed that Si Feng Wu was infertile. After all, in the eyes of ordinary people, if Si Feng Wu held a high position and his Consort Lu could not bear children, Si Feng Wu would have taken concubines long ago. Therefore, Si Feng Wu's infertility had become an ironclad fact.
Lu Qing Wan had no idea what kind of mood the secret guard who delivered the message was in when he wrote the letter, but she felt that the enraged Si Feng Wu probably wanted to kill everyone who had read this letter. As it was, after being provoked by her words, he started pinching her face without regard for the people around them. Lu Qing Wan was caught off guard and cried out, slapping Si Feng Wu's hand, "It hurts, it hurts, let go! It's not like I said you can't... you know, do that. Why are you bullying me?" She had almost blurted out "you can't have children," which would have damaged Si Feng Wu's reputation not only in Great Qin but also in Tian Feng.
Si Feng Wu, however, couldn't bring himself to hurt her severely. Hearing her cry out in pain, he reluctantly let go and said haughtily, "Your husband has been slandered like this, and you can still laugh. Have you no conscience?" "I do have a conscience, but not much." Si Feng Wu was so amused he almost laughed. He gently rubbed her reddened cheek, "Speaking of which, how should this matter be handled? If you don't give a reasonable solution, I won't be able to swallow this indignity."