The carriage on the way back was exceptionally discreet. The guards at the city gate were so startled when they saw Li Yang's token that they almost cried out in surprise.
A glare from Li Yang silenced them, and the group entered the city smoothly and triumphantly.
Li Yang turned his head and asked, "Your Highness, Your Highness Consort, the palace gates are locked. Shall we go straight back, or will you rest at the Lu Mansion for a night?"
It would have been different before, inconveniencing others if they didn't go to the palace. Now, with Lu Qingwan having her own mansion in the city, it was much more convenient.
"To the Lu Mansion," Lu Qingwan ordered, then tickled Xiao Yuan'er's nose with her hair.
The young boy, woken by the disturbance, didn't whine but promptly sat up.
"Father King, Mother Consort, have we arrived at our new home?"
"We have. Hurry and get out of the carriage," Lu Qingwan said, habitually pinching his cheek.
Five years had passed. The slender young boy's face was no longer as chubby as it had been five years ago, but it had a different charm.
Xiao Yuan'er paused. Instead of dodging, he actively nuzzled Lu Qingwan's hand and said with a hint of nostalgia, "Mother Consort hasn't pinched my cheek like this in a long time."
"Huh?" Lu Qingwan was amused. Did this mean the child hadn't developed any resentment towards them due to their long separation?
Her other hand, not to be outdone, reached out. "I thought you were separated from Father King and Mother Consort for too long and might not be used to it. If I'd known you liked being pinched, why would I have been so polite?"
With that, her "祿山之爪" (lù shān zhī zhuǎ - a humorous reference to a historical figure known for his pampered nature, implying a playful, perhaps overly affectionate, touch) descended upon the boy's smooth, fair face.
After a thorough playful mauling, Lu Qingwan was satisfied. Xiao Yuan'er's face was flushed red from being pinched. Lu Qingwan then playfully tickled him, making the child wobble unsteadily.
Having finally managed to get him out of the complicated household registration with Lian Yu's help, the people of the Lu Mansion had heard the commotion and rushed out to greet them.
A group of them lined up and shouted in unison, "Welcome back, Your Highness and Your Highness Consort! Greetings to His Highness the Crown Prince!"
There were no ladies in the Lu Mansion. Those who came out to greet them were all trusted subordinates of Lian Yu. Some people from the Buyezhou and Banyue Pavilion, who wanted to avoid the hassle of going to the palace, would also be staying overnight. Therefore, though not many people came to greet them, the spectacle was quite grand.
Xiao Yuan'er was still playfully roughhousing with Lu Qingwan. Upon seeing this, he quickly jumped out of the carriage, landed gracefully, and then stood between Si Fengwu and Lu Qingwan, resuming a dignified demeanor.
Lu Qingwan found it amusing. She let Si Fengwu handle the servants' pleasantries while she continued to poke Xiao Yuan'er's cheek.
It wasn't until Lian Yu emerged that she said with a smile, "Big Brother, we're back!"
Although Lian Yu's surname Lu was adopted, the things he had done for Lu Qingwan and Si Fengwu far surpassed what a typical elder brother would do for his sister and brother-in-law. Therefore, Lu Qingwan's address of "Big Brother" came out very naturally.
Lian Yu, also beaming, welcomed the family of three inside. "You've finally decided to come back. If you hadn't returned soon, the court ministers would have been asking me for you!"
Si Fengwu raised an eyebrow. "The ministers asking for people are no longer going to the two elders and Prime Minister Nan, but are coming to you. It seems your status in court is growing day by day!"
If anyone else had been teased like this by Si Fengwu, they might have become flustered, fearing the accusation of gaining too much power and threatening the emperor. But who was Lian Yu? He didn't even consider that. He chuckled heartily, baring his teeth, "This is the power of a future Imperial Uncle. No need to envy me..."
His narcissistic and arrogant demeanor earned him a speechless eye-roll from Si Fengwu. The group laughed heartily as they walked into the mansion.
A sudden pat on the head made Xiao Yuan'er look up and meet Lian Yu's displeased expression. "After not seeing you for years, you don't recognize your Shifu anymore?"
The boy, who used to call him "Shifu Tiger" with slurred speech, blinked. "Yuan'er was just thinking about whether I should call you Shifu or Uncle."
Lian Yu joyfully scooped him up. "You're so serious at such a young age! Call me Uncle! Your life is long, and you can have many Shifus, but you'll probably only have one Uncle like me!" Lian Yu seemed quite pleased with his status as a future Imperial Uncle.
Xiao Yuan'er was no longer small. Being held by Lian Yu, he felt a bit awkward and supported Lian Yu's shoulder with his hand, looking towards Si Fengwu and Lu Qingwan. The couple watched the scene with gentle smiles. Lu Qingwan said magnanimously, "Whether it's Shifu or Uncle, neither prevents you from respecting and honoring him, nor does it prevent him from diligently teaching you. Call him whatever you wish; it doesn't matter."
Lu Qingwan gave him great freedom of choice, and Lian Yu, as the party involved, had already given his clear suggestion. Xiao Yuan'er naturally called out to Lian Yu, "Uncle," which delighted Lian Yu to no end.
"Good, good, my good nephew, go with Li Su to rest first. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to see Uncle's new territory!"
Surrounded by powerful rulers and important ministers, Xiao Yuan'er, despite being showered with affection, was very proper. Hearing Lian Yu's words, he struggled out of Lian Yu's embrace, respectfully said, "Yuan'er takes his leave," without any further unnecessary words, and left directly.
The smiles on their faces vanished. After the servants served tea and snacks, Lian Yu waved them away and asked with a stern expression, "Is everything resolved?"
He was vaguely aware of the grievances between the Lu Qingwan and Si Fengwu couple, Sansheng Tower, and Haxiao Hall. To avoid leaking information due to his involvement, he had hardly had any contact with them during the couple's absence. He had been worried the entire time they were away. Upon their return, and considering the recent unusually active intelligence, he still couldn't feel at ease.
Si Fengwu nodded. "It's all resolved. If nothing unexpected happens, you should have received news of the troop movements of Southern Qi and the Turpan army about a month ago, right? From now on, you only need to pay attention to the Turpan side. Southern Qi, at best in half a year to a year, and at most in three to five years, probably won't have the capacity to deal with us."
Lian Yu did not ask why. He simply said calmly, "In that case, we don't need to worry about the Turpan side either." With such a brief sentence, he deliberately mimicked Si Fengwu's tone, making it sound somewhat amusing. However, no one was paying attention to whether the tone was funny at this moment. The two asked in unison, "What happened to the Turpan side?"
As it stood, Sansheng Tower and Haxiao Hall had deep connections with Qin, Southern Qi, and Tianfeng, but had no connection whatsoever with the Turpan. Logically, the Turpan would have suffered the least from the destruction of Sansheng Tower and Haxiao Hall. But judging by Lian Yu's tone, it seemed to be the opposite.
Lian Yu's expression was also quite complex. "Just an hour ago, we received news that Prince Ashina Jue of the Turpan Zasak has rebelled."
Lu Qingwan and Si Fengwu were both stunned. Lu Qingwan looked at Si Fengwu blankly, "Do you know who this Ashina Jue is?"