Lian Yu said, feeling both helpless and indignant, "I heard they even blamed you for Consort Ye's death, and twisted the intelligence to the descendants of the ancient Nanzhao kingdom, spreading rumors that you used witchcraft to harm people. The people of ancient Nanzhao kingdom want to kill you to vindicate the witch doctors!"
Lian Yu's words made Lu Qing Wan understand. She and Feng Xi Wu were not particularly concerned about the assassination attempts by Feng Qing Heng and the people of Tian Xuan Sect. However, poisons were insidious, often killing without a trace, making them difficult to guard against. When Feng Xi Wu was afflicted with the Qing Jiang Same Life Gu, he had already endured immense suffering from the poison. He certainly did not want Lu Qing Wan to experience the same torment.
"You all forgot, I have this!" She raised her wrist, revealing Teng She, disguised as a bracelet.
Lian Yu thought to himself that Teng She was not omnipotent. However, Lu Qing Wan suddenly asked him, "By the way, how did you know that the Gu poisons in Yu Chu Wei and Feng Qing Heng were planted by me?"
Lian Yu couldn't help but curve his lips, as if suppressing a smile. "Your Highness, do you really think that the Prince would be unaware of you, his consort, sneaking out in the middle of the night to beat people?"
Hearing that it was Feng Xi Wu who discovered it, Lu Qing Wan was not surprised at all. She stated righteously, "So what if they found out? I'm not afraid to tell you, I not only transferred the Qing Jiang Same Life Gu from my body to Yu Chu Wei, but I also cultivated a more potent Qing Jiang Same Life Gu and placed it in Feng Qing Heng. Even if I can't kill them immediately, they won't have a good day!"
Lian Yu impressed, gave Lu Qing Wan two thumbs up. "Your Highness is mighty, I am truly impressed." Lian Yu genuinely admired Lu Qing Wan's forthrightness and felt a surge of pride on Feng Xi Wu's behalf.
Lu Qing Wan snorted. "Save your flattery for when the Prince returns. Get busy with your tasks, keep in touch with each other, and don't try to be selfless and fearless; it won't work with me!"
Lian Yu smiled sheepishly and bid farewell to Lu Qing Wan. As for Lu Qing Wan, after arranging all matters, she suddenly realized that she could not go anywhere except the Prince's manor. It wasn't that she couldn't get out, but rather that all the people she needed to see were in the palace. And the new master of the imperial palace at this time was the person she disliked the most. To rashly enter the palace would only make her a pawn for Feng Qing Heng to constrain Feng Xi Wu. After much deliberation, Lu Qing Wan decided to patiently wait in the Prince's manor, to wait for Feng Xi Wu to return before addressing any matters, good or bad.
However, Lu Qing Wan had always preferred to take the initiative. Waiting in the deep courtyards was truly torturous for her. She waited through the day as if she were an eagle being tamed, and by nightfall, Lu Qing Wan was almost wilted. When Feng Xi Wu returned, he saw Lu Qing Wan looking like a dehydrated cabbage. He felt both touched and heartbroken. He deliberately lightened his footsteps as he approached, intending to surprise Lu Qing Wan.
Only a few steps away from her, he saw Lu Qing Wan lift her head and say faintly, "Looking at me like this, do I resemble a stone of a wife waiting for her husband to return?" Lu Qing Wan's eyes were glazed over from waiting, and her entire head was turned towards him, her eyes not even blinking. Feng Xi Wu's heart ached as he embraced his little princess. "It is my fault, my love. I should not have entangled with Feng Qing Heng for so long, making you wait..."
Lu Qing Wan raised her hand to push him away. Feng Xi Wu thought she was angry and held her tightly. Lu Qing Wan recoiled with disgust. "Get away from me! You reek of smoke, it's disgusting!" The royal funeral rites were complex. After the funeral procession returned, they still had to offer incense to the deceased Emperor in the palace. No matter how much Feng Xi Wu and Feng Qing Heng clashed, his respect for Emperor Jing You was genuine, and he had to personally attend to the rituals. He had to offer incense four times a day. For convenience, the ministers held their discussions in the Chongzheng Hall, and the incense burned from morning till night. Feng Xi Wu had been thoroughly imbued with the smell.
Hearing this, he immediately chuckled. Playfully, he hugged Lu Qing Wan tightly and said, "You must have a belly full of questions for me, right? Wait for me in the dining room. I'll wash up, and then I'll come and answer all your questions."
"Acting like a mere errand boy," Lu Qing Wan pouted and huffed. "Hurry up, you're suffocating me!" Seeing Feng Xi Wu still lingering, she even extended her foot to kick him. Feng Xi Wu, far from being angry, entered the main courtyard with a look of joy.
Lu Qing Wan pursed her lips and instructed Li Su, "You can start preparing dinner. Make any dishes you like, but for the staple, make noodles, cooked until they are soft. And warm up a pot of wine." Hearing this, a smile bloomed in Li Su's eyes. She boldly teased Lu Qing Wan, "Your Highness is so considerate of the Prince, you don't need to eat something he dislikes! Rice and noodles, wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"
Lu Qing Wan gave her a sidelong glance. "There are only two people at the table, and it would be strange to have two kinds of staple food. Am I lacking for a meal?" Li Su suppressed a smile. "My apologies, I was wrong. I'll go prepare the meal now."
Lu Qing Wan and Feng Xi Wu had very different dietary preferences. The Prince's manor was well-stocked with food, and each meal catered to the preferences of both masters. However, their staple foods differed. Lu Qing Wan preferred rice, while Feng Xi Wu favored noodles. Since Lu Qing Wan married into the Prince's manor, Feng Xi Wu had mostly adapted to her eating habits. But whenever he was unwell, Li Jin would have someone cook him noodles for a late-night snack. As his consort, how could Lu Qing Wan not know? She was only puzzled. "He's from the south, why does he like noodles so much?"
"Although the Prince is from the south, he went to the northwest at the age of eleven and did not return to Shangjing until three years ago when he was gravely injured. His dietary habits have long since changed. Moreover, soldiers often have digestive issues, and noodles are easier to digest than rice." Lian Yu said, stopping a short distance away. "It's rare to catch the Prince's manor's dinner time. May I impose and have a meal here?"
"With the strategist here, how could this Princess lack a pair of chopsticks for you?" Lu Qing Wan said with a laugh as she stood up. "Please, come in." As soon as she sat down, Lu Qing Wan couldn't wait to say, "The Prince and the strategist are back. I assume the new Emperor's plot has failed again? Can you tell me how you resolved this crisis?"
Lian Yu, still dressed in his ethereal white robes, closed his eyes contentedly upon hearing this. "The new Emperor was too hasty. He rushed to condemn the Prince before his plans were fully laid, wanting to strip the Prince of his regency. However, the late Emperor had already anticipated that he would not tolerate the Prince. Before his death, he meticulously cleared away all witnesses and evidence that could incriminate the Prince. Furthermore, Princess Jin Yang personally ordered an investigation, and it was found that the fourth daughter of the Yong'an Marquis's mansion was still a virgin. With this, the accusations against the Prince became even less credible."
Lu Qing Wan had considered countless countermeasures in her mind, never expecting the solution to be so simple. It felt like preparing a great sword to kill an enemy, only to have the opponent release a single ant. Lian Yu spread his hands. "Although it sounds somewhat comical, that is indeed the reality."