Lu Qing Wan smiled, "Go ahead."
Li Su bowed again and respectfully withdrew.
Lu Qing Wan was destined to have a sleepless night.
Lu Zhen Ting, falsely accused of selling iron sand to Xiliang, Emperor Jing You suffering from a severe poison, and Feng Xi Wu whose battle situation was unknown—too many anxieties surrounded her.
Even though she was exhausted from the day's busy errands, Lu Qing Wan couldn't sleep.
It wasn't until dawn that Li Jin brought back news that left her momentarily unsure whether it was good or bad.
"His Majesty is sending my father on a campaign?"
Her mind went blank for a moment. "There are the Marquis of Xuan Wu and his son in the northern frontier, with a military advisor assisting them and a prince stabilizing the rear. With no other wars within the Great Gan, where is His Majesty sending my father?"
Li Jin's expression was solemn. "His Majesty probably feels his time is short, fearing that after his demise, Prince Chen would retaliate against Marquis Lu and other court officials. This mission for Marquis Lu to the northern frontier is both to protect him and to have him exchange places with the prince. At the very least, with the prince present, Prince Chen would have some reservations if he wanted to do anything."
In those few words, Lu Qing Wan listened with a pounding heart. "Did His Majesty tell you this, or is it your own deduction?"
Li Jin's words suggested he was certain Feng Qing Heng would become the crown prince and inherit the throne. But Emperor Jing You had not yet reached the end of his natural lifespan, and Prince Jing was still alive. Although the repeated incidents had indeed left Emperor Jing You and the ministers with a poor impression of him, Emperor Jing You currently had only Prince Jing and Prince Chen as heirs. As long as Prince Jing did not make any major mistakes, he still had a chance to contend with Feng Qing Heng.
Li Jin said regretfully, "His Majesty's end is near; this is my own deduction. However, having Marquis Lu return the prince and protect the court officials to stabilize the situation was what His Majesty himself said."
This clearly told Lu Qing Wan that, no matter what, Marquis Lu's departure was a done deal. After much thought, she said, "Very well. Feng Qing Heng prepared evidence to harm my father so early on; who knows what other tricks he has up his sleeve. At least, if my father is far away in the northern frontier with troops at his command, he would be more hesitant and restrained if Feng Qing Heng tried to harm him. When will my father depart? I'll go see him off."
Li Jin: ... "Your Highness, after receiving His Majesty's decree, the Marquis left the city overnight."
Lu Qing Wan's pupils contracted. "Why the haste? Can't he even wait for a single night?"
Li Jin replied in a deep voice, "Last night, Teng She assisted Physician Meng in examining His Majesty's food and medicine and discovered that a drug controlling consciousness had been mixed into His Majesty's food. Long-term use would cause mental dispersion, extreme fatigue, and loss of control over one's senses. By the time it led to the final exhaustion of vital energy and death, it was too late; Physician Meng was powerless to reverse it."
Lu Qing Wan's heart tightened. "But what does this have to do with my father leaving the capital overnight?"
"The prince sent a secret report to His Majesty. Su Bojun discovered a large quantity of iron sand in the northwest, and all the merchants' transit documents were signed by the Marquis. This is a grave matter. If it escalates, regardless of whether the evidence is complete, the Marquis would inevitably be imprisoned before the truth is revealed. Prince Chen and Su Bojun have been planning to harm the Marquis for a long time, and their current move must be fully prepared. If His Majesty is unable to deliver justice for the Marquis at that time, it's likely he would be summarily convicted, and the Marquis would be in grave danger."
Lu Qing Wan hadn't expected that while she was trying to resolve Feng Xi Wu's worries, he was also doing his best to protect her family. While her heart warmed, she couldn't help but wonder, "Selling iron sand is a serious crime. If those merchants' transit documents were indeed issued by my father, he would indeed be suspected of colluding with Xiliang merchants and selling vital national resources. Yet His Majesty allowed him to leave the capital in the middle of the night; did he truly not suspect my father at all?"
In this era, salt, iron, and grain were crucial strategic resources for the imperial court, especially iron. Furthermore, the war between Xiliang and Great Gan had just ended, and they were still on bad terms. At this time, selling iron sand to Xiliang could result in anything from execution to the extermination of one's clan. When Emperor Jing You received the news, he let Lu Zhen Ting leave the capital overnight, protecting him in this manner. Even though her father was the one profiting from this matter, Lu Qing Wan couldn't understand it.
Li Jin's face immediately showed admiration. "Your Highness, you may not know, but in the secret report to His Majesty, the prince had already uncovered the entire truth. He even presented to His Majesty Su Bojun's unauthorized mining, private weapon manufacturing, and the plot to harm Marquis Lu. Moreover, our Emperor is a wise ruler; he knows the character of his court officials as clearly as if looking in a mirror. It's not that easy for Prince Chen and Su Bojun to frame Marquis Lu before His Majesty."
Ultimately, it was Emperor Jing You's discerning judgment that saved Lu Zhen Ting's life. Lu Qing Wan was immensely grateful to have encountered Emperor Jing You, a wise and reasonable emperor, after dealing with Feng Qing Heng, a scumbag among scumbags who was both despicable and wicked.
She turned and walked back into the house, instructing Li Jin, "Prepare the carriage; I need to go to the palace to pay my respects to His Majesty." She knew Meng Tang's medical skills well; if he said it was beyond help, Emperor Jing You's condition was likely very grave. But this time, she wanted to try again, even if it was just to let him see Feng Xi Wu one last time alive. At least, it would fulfill the last thread of brotherhood between them.
Li Jin also knew that Lu Qing Wan's "paying respects" was not that simple, and he immediately prepared the carriage and horses. Lu Qing Wan changed into her formal attire, escorted by her two guards, Li Su and Li Jin, into the palace. After a few days, Weiyang Palace remained the same, magnificent and cold, only the medicinal scent within had intensified. After the eunuch announced her arrival, he led Lu Qing Wan into the imperial bedchamber. Inside, besides Tang Xiao and Fu An who were serving daily, Prime Minister Wen and Grand Scholar Chi were also present.
Upon seeing Lu Qing Wan, Prime Minister Wen hurried to say, "Your Highness, you're finally here! Please take a look at His Majesty. His Majesty appears increasingly fatigued these days; is the residual poison not yet cleared?" Lu Qing Wan was taken aback. Had Emperor Jing You's poisoning not been revealed to Prime Minister Wen? Unsure of Emperor Jing You's intentions, she slowly stepped forward. "Your humble servant pays her respects to His Majesty."
"You're here?" Emperor Jing You lay on the couch, his voice as calm as if greeting an old friend. "Did those few boys come crying to you again?" Lu Qing Wan paused for a moment before realizing he was probably referring to Li Jin and the others. She then smiled gently, "It was Your Majesty who frightened them first, so they had to come and scare me, didn't they? May I be allowed to examine you, Your Majesty?" Emperor Jing You's sickly appearance was indeed more pronounced than before. Though he appeared quite calm, Lu Qing Wan could discern a slight sense of resignation in his expression, as if facing the inevitable end. Emperor Jing You cooperatively extended his hand. Tang Xiao quickly fetched a medicinal pillow from the side and asked Lu Qing Wan proactively, "Your Highness, would you like me to lend you Physician Meng's medicine chest?"