"If the King of Qingzhou truly intended to rebel, Emperor Gengshi would undoubtedly spare no effort to quell the uprising."
The Crown Prince rose and walked to the multi-treasure pavilion, turning a vase in its center.
The multi-treasure pavilion flipped over, revealing a map of the Great Qin and an attached sand table on its reverse side.
Having presented the items, he then, with a slight delay, asked, "I was discussing state affairs with Fengwu. Will my sister-in-law find it boring?"
"Look at the way you speak. My sister-in-law has been to the battlefield for Fengwu. Our peaceful meeting here is all thanks to her. How could she not understand what you are discussing?"
After chiding her husband, the Crown Princess turned to Lu Qingwan and said, "Sister-in-law, you are Fengwu's princess consort and possess such exceptional skills. You are destined to be caught in the intrigues of the court. It would be better for you to listen more. The more you understand the political situation, the more adept you will become at mitigating risks in the future."
It was a thorough and kind reminder, which Lu Qingwan accepted without hesitation.
"Thank you, Imperial Sister-in-law, for your guidance. I will carefully note down every key point discussed by my Imperial Brother and the Prince."
The Crown Prince chuckled at this, "It was my lack of foresight. Please do not be offended, sister-in-law."
Without waiting for Lu Qingwan's reply, he immediately got down to serious matters.
"Of the nine prefectures of Great Qin, whether in terms of territory or national strength, Zhongzhou is undoubtedly the strongest. Thirty years ago, thanks to the late Emperor's excellent selection of officials and my father's capable governance, Great Qin gained territory from Northern Qi, Xirong, and Tujue. This not only provided Zhongzhou with abundant grain and provisions but also filled the void in Great Qin's warhorse supply."
He held a teaching whip and skillfully drew the territories of Zhongzhou and Qingzhou on the map, calmly expressing his doubts to Feng Xiwu.
"Although Zhongzhou is still called Zhongzhou today, in reality, the territories of the other eight prefectures combined are less than thirty percent of Zhongzhou's. Qingzhou, while fertile, is still like a mantis trying to stop a chariot compared to Zhongzhou. Moreover, Zhongzhou governs all nine prefectures of Great Qin. Tell me, what confidence does the King of Qingzhou have to harbor such a vain dream of replacing Zhongzhou?"
Feng Xiwu still shook his head. "I am not the King of Qingzhou, why should I weigh the pros and cons for him? All I know is that if he rebels, Emperor Gengshi will have no time to concern himself with us."
A hint of complex emotion flashed in the Crown Prince's eyes. He looked at Feng Xiwu, and at that moment, he truly felt that Feng Xiwu was his brother, but not the Prince of Qin in Great Qin. His return, perhaps, was solely to avenge his parents and seek solace for the twenty-three years Feng Xiwu spent in a foreign land. Because he was his full brother, he would do his utmost to protect and repay him, but he would not, like himself, desire to preserve Great Qin while seeking revenge.
After a moment of wistful reflection, the Crown Prince let go. As fellow orphans of the late Crown Prince, although he had been schemed against by Emperor Gengshi both openly and subtly, he had the support of the late Crown Prince's loyalists, and Emperor Gengshi cared about his reputation. Over the years, although his life had been arduous in his pursuit of revenge for his parents, at least his life was safe. But Feng Xiwu was different. As a child, he was exploited by Wen Yayyi, poisoned, then schemed against by Noble Consort Ye, leaving him with a disability. In the past year, he had been targeted by various factions. He had not endured the hardships that Feng Xiwu had, and therefore, he could not demand that Feng Xiwu, like himself, consider Great Qin his motherland and protect it wholeheartedly.
His convoluted thoughts lasted but a fleeting moment. Having clarified this in his mind, the Crown Prince went with the flow and said, "If that is the case, then perhaps I can find some trouble for Emperor Gengshi as well."
Feng Xiwu was delighted to have someone willing to cause trouble for Emperor Gengshi with him. His joy evident, he gently tugged at Lu Qingwan's fingers and asked the Crown Prince, "What ingenious plan does Imperial Brother have?"
The Crown Prince smiled in surprise, "It's hardly an ingenious plan, but rather, it is almost time to let our Imperial Brother know the effects of the elixirs that our Grand Commandant has been administering to him daily."
...
On this day, Feng Xiwu and Lu Qingwan stayed at the Crown Prince's mansion until dusk before departing. Upon entering the mansion, Lu Qingwan's feet did not touch the ground, and neither did they when they left.
As they sat in the carriage returning to the Prince of Qin's mansion, Lu Qingwan leaned into Feng Xiwu's embrace and asked him, "Regarding the King of Qingzhou's rebellion, are you truly as half-informed as you told Imperial Brother?" She believed that Feng Xiwu, being new to Great Qin, might not be thoroughly familiar with everything. However, she knew even more clearly that Feng Xiwu would never convey information he was unsure of to others. Saying only half of what he knew made her inexplicably recall Emperor Jingyou, whom Feng Xiwu had once trusted yet also guarded to some extent. She asked with confusion, "Why do you hold back from Imperial Brother and Imperial Sister-in-law? Can they not be trusted?" Although she said this, she clearly felt that the trust and camaraderie Feng Xiwu had displayed towards his elder brother did not seem feigned. Therefore, she was even more perplexed.
Feng Xiwu listened to her string of questions, not rushing to explain. Gently stroking Lu Qingwan's back, he waited until she had finished speaking before saying softly, "It's not that Imperial Brother and Imperial Sister-in-law cannot be trusted, but rather, they have too many ears and eyes around them. For some matters, it would be dangerous for them to know, and it might even ruin things. When the time is ripe, I will be forthright with Imperial Brother and Imperial Sister-in-law."
Lu Qingwan remained silent, her dark, lustrous eyes blinking. Feng Xiwu understood her meaning. "The King of Qingzhou does intend to rebel, and with his solitary strength, he truly cannot contend with Zhongzhou. However, the King of Qingzhou's rebellion can send a signal to the other princes, letting them know that Zhongzhou is no longer the Zhongzhou governed by the late Emperor and my father twenty-three years ago. If there is no King of Qingzhou, there will be a King of Yongzhou and a King of Liangzhou. When nine princes rebel in succession, and even the ministers of Zhongzhou harbor their own ambitions, how long do you think Emperor Gengshi can cling to that stolen throne?"
Feng Xiwu spoke in hypotheticals, but Lu Qingwan felt as though she had captured something she had previously overlooked. "Imperial Brother just said that although Qingzhou's strength has improved in recent years, it is not enough for the King of Qingzhou to decide to wage war against Emperor Gengshi. Tell me honestly, does the King of Qingzhou's rebellion involve your doing?"
Feng Xiwu paused, then realized what she was implying. With a muffled laugh, he rubbed Lu Qingwan's head and stifled his laughter. "You overestimate me too much. In the eyes of the King of Qingzhou, Great Gan is less reliable than even a corner of Zhongzhou." After speaking, seeing Lu Qingwan's slightly embarrassed expression, he added, "However, if one insists that the King of Qingzhou's decision was driven by external forces, then it is not entirely wrong."
Lu Qingwan's eyes lit up. "Quickly tell me, what exactly happened?"
"The King of Qingzhou's princess consort is a daughter of the Northern Qi imperial clan. The late Emperor originally intended to pacify the border unrest between Great Qin and Northern Qi, and therefore deliberately sent a diplomatic letter to arrange a marriage alliance between the King of Qingzhou and a daughter of the Northern Qi imperial clan. To prevent the King of Qingzhou from harboring improper ambitions, he specifically chose a clan daughter whose father and elder brother held no real power."