The only response he received was Lu Qing Wan’s relentless whipping.
"Dream on. The moment I stepped through this threshold, every ant around the imperial study fell unconscious. No one will come to save you."
As Lu Qing Wan spoke, the whip in her hand lashed down at Feng Xi Wu without mercy.
She did not strike his face, instead targeting areas hidden by clothing. Feng Qing Heng was proud and likely would not be able to bear the marks of her punishment displayed by stripping naked.
Besides, she could not yet be accused of deceiving the emperor.
As a prince, Feng Qing Heng had some martial arts training.
However, compared to Lu Qing Wan, who was experienced in close combat and guided by an expert like Feng Xi Wu in her internal energy, his superficial moves were utterly inadequate.
After being beaten by Lu Qing Wan for a long while, Feng Qing Heng shrieked for help, shouting about catching an assassin, using every phrase he could think of. When no one appeared, he finally could not endure it.
Clutching his head, he wailed, "What exactly do you want? Can't you just say it? At worst, if you kill me here today, your father won't live either! Feng Xi Wu and the Xuanjia Army will still be fed to vultures in the northwest snow mountains..."
*Crack!* A whip struck his knee joint, and Feng Qing Heng screamed, tumbling down from his elevated position.
Lu Qing Wan stepped on his back. "It seems you understand my purpose here perfectly, so I don't need to waste my breath. Immediately order the Xuanjia Army on the northern frontier to reinforce Sai Bei, and send more provisions and winter clothing. The reinforcements must arrive within ten days, and the provisions and winter clothing must be delivered within half a month. If there's any delay, by tomorrow's morning court, your reign as emperor will be over."
She could use the entire might of Bu Ye Zhou to procure winter clothes and grain for Feng Xi Wu, but the matter of reinforcements was beyond her control. The eighty thousand strong army of Da Qian was scattered across the empire, and Lu Qing Wan had no idea which unit was strong or which general was trustworthy. Only the Xuanjia Army, led by Feng Xi Wu, could she trust unconditionally; those men would save Feng Xi Wu. However, the Xuanjia Army was a border garrison, and without Feng Qing Heng's orders, deserting their post was a capital offense. If she used the Regent Princess's command to order them, the generals might indeed go to save Feng Xi Wu, but it would also give Feng Qing Heng an excuse to suppress and dismantle the Xuanjia Army. She knew that was not something Feng Xi Wu would wish for.
Moreover, Feng Xi Wu and the Xuanjia Army guarded the border of Da Qian, and it was only natural for Emperor Feng Qing Heng to provide troops and provisions. Lu Qing Wan had no intention of saving him money. Feng Qing Heng had risked Da Qian being betrayed by Bei Wei, Yun Qiang, and Xi Liang to send Feng Xi Wu and his loyal Xuanjia Army into such a death trap, and he would hardly be willing to listen to Lu Qing Wan’s orders to send reinforcements and supplies to save him.
Upon hearing her words, he retorted without hesitation, "Impossible! Feng Xi Wu is arrogant and careless, allowing himself to fall into this predicament. I cannot risk the safety of Da Qian's border to save him..."
*Ah!* With a shriek, Lu Qing Wan stepped on his tailbone and crouched down, injecting a dose of liquid. The familiar cold sensation instantly made Feng Qing Heng forget his pain. "Lu Qing Wan, you bitch, what have you done to me?"
Lu Qing Wan did not answer him, injecting another dose of liquid. "I told you, I will only wait until tomorrow's morning court. If I don't hear your order to send reinforcements and provisions, this serum will make you publicly confess your crimes: conspiring to harm the imperial heir, poisoning the late emperor, colluding with Xie Shi Yu, Hu Yan Che, and the Emperor of Bei Wei. Oh, and I must thank you for telling me that Xie Shi Yu is from my hometown. Don't worry, tomorrow, you will also admit to Xie Shi Yu that you betrayed her to me. I believe that since you are birds of a feather, she will forgive you for being disgraced and becoming a street rat."
While Lu Qing Wan spoke the earlier words, Feng Qing Heng maintained an expression of heroic defiance, glaring at her. It was only when she mentioned Xie Shi Yu being from her hometown that Feng Qing Heng completely panicked.
"You already gave me that drug called 'obedience water'?" He found it hard to believe that he had divulged all his secrets without even realizing it. Feng Qing Heng was so terrified, as if he had seen a monster outside the three realms.
"Otherwise, do you think the late emperor was able to so precisely target your overt and covert supporters?" Lu Qing Wan, as if displaying great benevolence, removed her foot from Feng Qing Heng's back and lightly leaped onto his grand and luxurious desk.
"Think carefully, whether to dispatch troops to save my prince." Her gaze upon Feng Qing Heng was as if she were looking at an ant, her contempt evident. "Or, I can activate the Qing Jiang identical fate蛊 within you right now, causing you to die on the spot. Then I'll take the late emperor's decree to depose you and put Prince Ning on the throne? I believe Prince Ning would be quite happy to reclaim the throne from you. At that time, having him order the dispatch of reinforcements would have a similar effect."
She said this, then lightly jumped down from the desk. "It seems you would rather die than save my prince. Then I understand." After speaking, she walked towards Feng Qing Heng again. He scrambled away from her, "No, no! I agree to send reinforcements and provisions."
"Agree then!" Lu Qing Wan grabbed him and threw him in front of the desk. "Fine, issue the decree now."
Feng Qing Heng was unwilling. "Didn't we agree to issue the order before tomorrow's morning court?"
Lu Qing Wan shoved the brush into his hand and slapped a sheet of paper at him. "It's not before tomorrow's morning court now, is it? Is it after the morning court?"
Feng Qing Heng's face turned ashen. The whip in Lu Qing Wan's hand twitched. "Write quickly. You have no right to bargain with me now."
Forced to write the edict, Feng Qing Heng grumbled as he wrote, "Even if you drugged and knocked out everyone around the imperial study, the mobile sentries should have discovered something by now. Did you have Tang Xiao deliberately prevent the Shence Camp from coming to the rescue?"
"Since you know, why ask?" Lu Qing Wan retorted impatiently. "If you have the ability, replace Tang Xiao. If not, endure it. You ascended to the throne through unscrupulous means, and you still want to purge dissent and eliminate rivals. These humiliations are what you deserve."
Before Emperor Jing You died, he had dealt with Feng Qing Heng's supporters and appointed a group of usable individuals. Among them was Tang Xiao, the commander of the Shence Camp, with the explicit instruction that he was not to be removed unless for treason. Today's events might have been enough to replace Tang Xiao, but unfortunately, Feng Qing Heng was under Lu Qing Wan's control, making it impossible to openly address the matter. Thus, Tang Xiao escaped unscathed.
Feng Qing Heng gnashed his teeth in anger, while Lu Qing Wan contentedly took his two edicts. Then, she said nonchalantly, "Someone." Duan Yue, clad in black, appeared in the imperial study like a phantom.
Lu Qing Wan raised an eyebrow. "Not bad. You managed to sneak in." Duan Yue remained expressionless and silent. Lu Qing Wan frowned in distaste. "Since you're here, guard His Majesty. If, within half a month, he changes his orders or intends to harm the prince and the Xuanjia Army, kill him."